Breeding Without A Male

 

The most famous "Virgin Birth" ever has had a tremendous impact on history and the religious beliefs for centuries. Of course, that was the birth of Jesus by the so-called "Virgin" Mary. If that really happened it truly was a miracle. Some unbelievers will say that Mary pulled off a scam, blaming "The Holy Spirit" for getting her pregnant. Others focus on the implications of Yahwe as a sexual god, impregnating a human and that's a subject that might lead to many more questions that will have wild guesses for "answers". As to Mary being a virgin that may only mean that she was unmarried as the meaning of this special term changed over time.

What I find the most interesting part of a so-called "Virgin Birth" is that what up till now seemed an impossible achievement has proved not to be unachievable. It has been known often to happen in small, spineless animals like e.g. sea stars and stick insects, although not as common in vertebrates. However, a process called "parthenogenesis" which leads to "virgin births", i.e. birth without a male, now has been observed in rays, sharks and skates. They may fertilize their own eggs without any male semen, thus using their own genetic material. More "virginal" that that it can never be!

Skate

Parthenogenesis is most often used by, e.g., sharks when there are no males to mate with, but recent studies at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago has made it clear that females may chose not to breed with males even though these are healthy and in any ways appropriate partners. These females were simply not receptive to males at any time. Some snakes and lizards are the same, but I was surprised to learn that also Chickens and turkeys can use parthenogenesis to fertilize their eggs. Actually, many more animal breeds than has been known up to now have this ability which leads to the big question: WHAT ABOUT HUMANS, CAN WE TOO BREED WITHOUT MEN??????

There is a process that must be fulfilled, and that's almost impossible or dangerous to the mother: Is it possible for a virgin to give birth?: "Once fertilization—or faux fertilization—occurs, an egg can complete the final stage of a cell division known as meiosis II, during which it loses half of its genetic material to make room for the sperm’s DNA. But if there’s no sperm, each half of the divided egg cell will end up short, and both will die. In order for our virgin birth to proceed, the faux-fertilized egg must, therefore, not complete meiosis. Both of these events—the calcium spike and the division mistake—could occur as the result of random dysfunctions or genetic defects. Assuming they do, the egg cell may then begin the process of “parthenogenesis,” or virginal development. When this happens to an egg-precursor cell, it can give rise to a tumor made up of many different types of tissue—liver, teeth, eye, and hair, for example."

The mother who has endured pregnancy and a birth may want ONE baby at the time, but society which has a need of building and rebuilding the work force that "keeps the wheels going" may want more babies. Maybe they change or blot out some of the rights women have fought for - and obtained - in hope of getting more citizens that will secure "the system". However, for those women who take care of themselves, the biological slavery of former times has ended, and some may even dream of having fatherless babies, thus endangering the family structure that is at the base of patriarchy ....

https://www.livescience.com/58544-virgin-births-in-the-animal-kingdom.html

https://www.popsci.com/environment/shark-virgin-birth-shedd-aquarium/?utm_source=Newsletter+Subscribers&utm_campaign=4bbc5ebcf7-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_01_18_03_12&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_387276506e-acf8efd8da-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D#affinity=Animals

 

https://umbc.edu/stories/virgin-births-from-parthenogenesis-how-females-from-some-species-can-reproduce-without-males/ 

 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28818272/ 

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5652933/ 

 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/parthenogenesis 

 

Wikipedia

Mileva Maric - Einstein's first wife, muse and maybe more ....

Young, pretty and brilliant: Mileva Maric (1875-1948)

Mileva was a Serbian physicist, matemathician and the first wife as well as the collaborator of Albert Einstein (1879-1955). Some think that she was more than his collaborator, and that he drew on her ideas and knowledge. No matter what, most probably that part of their relationship will rest with all the other secrets of this couple that (as yet) haven't been disclosed to the world ....

They met when they both studied at The Zürich Polytechnic Hochschule. She was the only woman in a group of six students, and as such a rarity: The fifth woman to be allowed into that section. Women students at this level of studies were extremely talented as well as rare because of the regulations of the universities. However, Mileva and Albert Einstein became close friends and then something more. Unfortunately for her, what disrupted her studies was an unwanted pregnancy with a daughter who was born in 1902. Before she was born the couple referred to this secret child as "Hansel". After her birth they used the name "Lieserl", but she was still kept a secret, and nobody seems to know what became of her. Not that there hasn't been theories because actualy there has been many ....

Did she die from scarlet fever as has been suggested by some or was she put up for adoption in the homeland of Mileva? Nobody seems to know for sure, but it's obvious that the birth of this illegitimate and thus secret child was a hindrance to the studies and career of Mileva, but not to her father, Albert Einstein.

According to the legend one of the problems was the fierce rejection of Mileva by his family. They did not want him to marry her and thus saving her from the stigma of being an "unmarried mother". However, in 1903 they did marry, and in 1904 their son, Hans Albert, was born.
 

 

Mileva and Albert with their son, Hans Albert

In 1911 their second son, Eduard ("Tete") was born, but as he grew up he had some health problems, and in 1930 he was dignosed with schizophrenia. One year after the birth of "Tete" his father, Albert Einstein, got reacquainted with his cousin, Elsa, which led to many problems in his and Mileva's marriage. She wasn't treated in a proper manner, and the marriage became more and more restrained. Their son, Hans Albert, grew up and was recognized as an expert researcher in "sediment transport". The American Society of Civil Engineers honored him and his work by establishing "The Hans Albert Einstein Award" in 1988. By then both of his parents had died, also they had divorced, and Albert had remarried after multiple affairs.

Young or old, Albert had an eye for the girls ....

Mileva and Albert had married in 1903, but in 1919 they were divorced after he had made a laughing stock out of her in her family by having affairs with her cousins. That must have hurt very much, and even though she may have been bitter they still kept contact. After all they had two boys so it figures that he, when he was awarded The Nobel Prize in 1921, gave her the money in a so-called "settlement". She invested them in three houses, one to live in and two to let out which gave her an income to live on. 

Albert Einstein with this son and grandson

Both before and after the deaths of Mileva and Albert there has been many speculations as to the work routine of the couple: Did Mileva do more than just inspire him, and what did he indicate with his use of the word "collaborate" about her? According to their son, Hans Albert, they did work together, but that doesn't answer the questions "How and how much did she influence him? Was some of his ideas actually her brain children?" Probably without even understanding the word "misogynist", that's what he was, not only sexually, but also in other ways. For instance he "forgot" to mention her name in publications of their joint work. Also she worked with him in developing his "Relativity Theory", but as yet we don't know how much ....

https://www.slobodenpecat.mk/en/ajnshtajn-ja-izneveril-soprugata-mileva-so-bratuchetka-a-na-krajot-i-javno-ja-ponizhil/ 

https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/science/general-science/albert-einstein-facts/

 

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/03064229008534960

 

Wikipedia

The De Facto Empress of China, Wu Zetian

 

Was the Chinese empress Wu Zetian (624-705) - who was born Wu Zhao - pretty. That's difficult to see from the old paintings of her, and for once it doesn't really matter: Her gift was a brilliant mind that made it possible for her to become the de facto ruler of China from 690. Before that she had been a strong influence "behind the throne" of her husband, Emperor Gaozong, and their sons, Emperors Zhongzong and Ruizong. 

She started her amazing career as one of the concubines of Emperor Taizong. When he died she married his ninth son, Gaozong, who became the next emperor even though he wasn't in good health. By marrying this 21 years old "stepson" of hers she gained the highest status possible as his empress consort in 655. Something that hadn't come through without victims. For instance she clashed with two other ambitious and powerful women at the empirical court that she got expelled and subsequently killed. Life at these courts were not for wuzzies, but Wu Zetian gained ultimate power in 660 when her husband, the Emperor Gaozong, suffered a debilitating stroke. She was recognized as the de facto ruler and did a good job of it. One of her means of keeping power was a strong "web" of spies at the court, but no matter what she was admired as an intelligent and knowledgeable woman. China prospered under her reign, but later on her reputation was blackened by the false assumption that she had killed some of her children to be able to blame her rivals at the court for their death.

However, as so often in Western countries many felt it wrong to be ruled by a woman. As far as I can see that was the only reason why Wu Zetian lost her power. In all she reigned, both through others and by herself, in 40 years, but in 705 she became the victim of a coup, and a few months later she died.  

Estimated territorial extent of Wu Zetian's empire

https://www.asianstudies.org/publications/eaa/archives/wu-zhao-ruler-of-tang-dynasty-china/ 

 

Wikipedia

Re-Creating Art the Modern Way

Asger Jorn: Stalingrad

This large painting is considered the principal work of the Danish artist Asger Jorn (1914-1973), and he worked on it for 15 years. It's impressive, but not one of my favorite paintings. Actually, I have to admit that I'm not an admirer of this rather famous Danish artist. Some - and not only Danes still - see him as a "genius", but if that's the case then I fail to see it.

However, I'm not blind to the fact that he may be a much better artist than I think he was. After all he did make an impact on art critics and fellow artists. He even had his own museum in the Danish city of Silkeborg where he and his five siblings were raised by their mother after the death of their father. 

 

Asger Jorn with Pablo Picasso 

However, right now there is a lot of discussions about one of his works, namely, "Den foruroligende ælling" ("The Worrying Duckling" from 1959) which is a true "Re-Creation of Art" as he made it by painting an extremely ugly duckling on another artist's painting which he had bought in a second-hand shop. Who that artist was nobody seems to know - or care about - and that means that nobody knows how that man or woman would have felt about his or her work being "re-created". Was he/she proud of the painting and loved it as it was before Jorn laid his hand on it? If so what felt he/she at seeing the ugly Jorn duckling covering his/her artwork???? Would he or she have felt like taking him to court over his act of sacrilege or didn't he/she care?????

"The Worrying Duckling" by Asger Jorn (and someone else ...) 

From what I know of these second hand artworks they are not considered art by art critics, but somehow this special, not highly estimated, painting by an seemingly unknown artist attained status by the ugly duckling that was painted on it. The art critics didn't see it as Jorn's attempt to ruin an artwork, but to "better it" and turning it into art. However, recently another - and modern, Danish artist, Ibi-Pippi Orup Hedegaard, did to Jorn's work what he had done to the unknown artist's painting, namely re-created it once more. This time Hell broke lose over something that now was seen as sacrilege, vandalism or a crime to ruin a famous piece of art.

Ibi-Pippi Orup Hedegaard

Now the question is, whether it's fair or not to sentence Ibi-Pippi to pay a fine of almost 2 million in Danish kroner (i.e. circa $292.256,64) for doing what Asger Jorn did? The Jorn painting of the duckling may be ruined for good, but so was the painting he used as a canvas ....

 

https://www.tv2ostjylland.dk/silkeborg/efter-jorn-haervaerk-nu-rejses-erstatningskrav-mod-ibi-pippi 

 

https://nyheder.tv2.dk/samfund/2023-01-25-jorn-maleri-fik-skader-for-naesten-to-millioner-ved-haervaerk 

 

Wikipedia 

The Pregnant Man

Sanju Bhagat  as a child and as a grown man
 

In this photo of the Indian farmer Sanju Bhagat he looks pregnant, but how is that possible when he was born a man? As we know it's impossible, so when first I saw this photo I thought that he had some kind of liver failure as that also may give skinny people like Sanju Bhagat a big, bulking belly. The doctors who eventually stepped in and saved the poor farmer at first were convinced that he was suffering from some kind of life threatening tumor. That's why they adviced him to have surgery when at last he was forced to go to hospital because his big belly made it difficult for him to breathe. Up till then he had declined any suggestions of seeing a doctor because he knew that they and their treatments were expensive, also because he would have to take leave from his work. Something he hated even to think of as he was the supporter of his family even though his hard work in the fields brought on back pains and other problems.

Yes, that would be some kind of new sport, but also an impossible feat for the so-called "strong sex". However, some transgender men who were born as women might give birth. Last year that happened for instance for Trystan Reese, but he is not the only transgender man who has had a baby as there are more before him. However, in my optic, this kind of birth can't be seen as a genuine male incidence so I'm still of the opinion that an individual, born as a man, may father children, but he can't give birth as he doesn't have a uterus and a vagina.

Trystan Reese with his newborn baby (2022)

 

No, there are no appropriate suggestions except a Caesarian and - in a way - that's what Sanju Bhagat had when the doctors opened his belly in 1999 and took "the tumor" out of him. However, this "tumor" was something very special as it turned out to be the living, but now dying, unborn baby brother of Sanju Bhagat. Somehow it had been growing within him, sustained by the food he had, just like had he really been pregnant. Looking at the lump of flesh that might have been a child, but ended up as the corpse of a very deformed fetus, one might ask how that was even possible. To me one of the weirdest things is that this fetus is rather developed and that it came out alive which I suppose means that at some point it was living a kind of "life". Maybe it even had thoughts and emotions ....

Yes - in a way  - Sanju Bhagat really was "pregnant"

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/was-famous-pregnant-man-thomas-beatie-now-rcna1328?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma

https://www.reddit.com/r/Damnthatsinteresting/comments/yewy2d/an_artificial_womb_that_successfully_grew_a_baby/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

 

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02343-7 

 

https://www.parents.com/pregnancy/everything-pregnancy/transgender-man-gives-birth-to-healthy-baby-talks-navigating/ 

 
 

https://www.healthline.com/health/transgender/can-men-get-pregnant#TOC_TITLE_HDR_1 

 

https://historyofyesterday.com/the-twin-who-lived-inside-his-brother-for-36-years/?utm_content=cmp-true 

 

 

The Royal Heroine

She looks like a freezing sparrow fledgling, but don't believe that's what she was in her life. When it came to fighting for a honourable cause she grew into something more like a tigress showing real bravery. Her birth name was Noor Inayat Khan (1914-1944) and she was a Muslim princess from India, but in the annals of history she is known by her code name "Madeline" or "Nora Baker". These names she used in WWII when she partook in the fight against Nazis as a very clever and brave British spy.

Noor and her younger brother Vilayat with their father Inayat Khan.

The Germans knew her only as "Nora Baker", a British woman who had gone into occupied France, using the code name of "Madeline". Her skill in carrying her transmitter from safe house to safe house while being trailed by the Gestapo was of great value to her Resistance unit. It's awful to think of the life expectancy of wireless operators like "Madeline" only being six weeks. However, "Madeline", being the last survivor of these immensely brave wireless operators who worked an active link between London and Paris, kept out of the claws of the Nazis for three times as long. At some point she said that she "was having the time of her life", but, as was to be expected, she ended up being caught by the Nazis.

After being captured she made three attempts to flee that showed bravery and intelligence, but in 1944 she was tortured and shot in the Dachau concentration camp. Her last word before being executed was, "Liberté!" Presumably she had been offered some kind of deal to flee, but refused. 

Noor was a clever musician as well as a writer of children's books. As a person she was a convinced pacifist, but chose to fight what she saw as a cruel and inhuman war. There is no doubt that she was a genuine heroine, but - as we know as it happens all too often - her contribution to the fight against the Nazi regime was forgotten. However, in 2006 Shrabani Basu brought her life to light with the biography "Spy Princess". That opened the eyes of may people who understood that she was a quite extraordinary person and should be honoured as such.

Here the author of Noor's biography, Shrabani Basu, is seen with the British princess Anne, unveiling the Noor Inayat Khan statue in 2012. Also there has been issued a special stamp in her honor. The British also gave her The Blue Plaque just as the French awarded her with a posthumous Croix de Guerre. Recently there has been made a movie over her life so one might say that she has gone from being more or less forgotten to shine as a heroic star. 

https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2020/10/28/noor-inayat-khan

 

https://www.london.ac.uk/news-and-opinion/leading-women/musician-author-princess-spy-noor-inayat-khan 

 

Wikipedia

 

Arbejderen: Else Cederborg-indlæg om Elizabeth Magies våben imod kapitalismen, brætspillet "The Landlord's Game"

Rigtig mange mennesker elsker succeshistorier om fattige, der bliver rige, opnår højere social status og bliver “lykkelige”. Det vi forstår ved “lykke” sættes nemlig ofte automatisk lig med rigdom og evnen til at “få styr på livet”, fordi rigmænd selv har penge nok til at bestemme de mest basale ting i deres liv. En drøm, jeg såmænd ikke vil forklejne, selv om den forekommer mig utrolig naiv, fordi den hopper let og (u-)elegant hen over vort samfunds strukturer. Disse kan man se af brætspillet Monopoly, der på mange måder er noget andet og langt mere, end det umiddelbart giver sig ud for at være.

I mange år mente man, at det var blevet skabt af en fattig, arbejdsløs mand ved navn Charles Darrow, hvis opfindelse gjorde ham rig og berømt. Sandheden er dog, at den oprindelige skaber af det spil, der udviklede sig til Monopopy, var en vaks og meget original feminist ved navn Elizabeth Magie (1866-1948). Hendes indflydelsesrige journalist-far, der så sandelig også var både vaks og progressiv, havde i sin tid rejst rundt med Abraham Lincoln, og det var ham, der oplærte sin datter i den ideologi, der kommer til udtryk i det tilsyneladende så uskyldige brætspil.

Baggrunden for hans undervisning af Elizabeth var den amerikanske journalist, økonom og filosof Henry Georges ideologier og hans best-seller, “Fremskridt og fattigdom” (“Progress and Poverty”, 1879). Her påpegede Henry George blandt andet, at fattige mennesker i visse højt udviklede byer havde det meget værre end i mere landlige områder. Grunden til dette så han som et resultat af, at næsten al den velstand, der skabes af sociale og teknologiske fremskridt i en fri markedsøkonomi, bliver opsuget af jordejere og monopolister. Dette system skabte den støt stigende fattigdom via et fordelingssystem, som Henry George sammenlignede med tidligere tiders slaveri. Derfor ønskede han et skattesystem, der kunne beskatte de ellers godt beskyttede, velhavende jordbesiddere og husejere.

Elizabeth Magie, der som mange andre kvinder ernærede sig som stenograf, gjorde oprør imod fagets magre lønninger ved at opføre et “bryllupsshow”, hvor hun falbød sig selv som en “young woman American slave”, for ægteskab var anset for den bedste måde for kvinder at få sig en form for “karriere”. Faktisk blev det anset for den eneste hæderlige måde, kvinder kunne skabe sig et levebrød. Noget, der i høj grad forargede hende, da kvinder, som hun udtrykte det, “ikke er maskiner”. Dette var hun selv et bevis på, da hun både skrev lyrik, noveller, opfandt diverse små-maskiner og optrådte på scenen. Sin fritid brugte hun til at skabe brætspillet “The Landlord’s Game”, der var en forløber for Monopoly. Hun optog patent på sin nyskabelse i 1904 og lagde ikke skjul på, at det var skabt som en protest imod rigmænd som Andrew Carnegie og John D. Rockefeller, der havde skaffet sig rigdomme gennem et system, hvor deres arbejdere blev udbyttet.

Faktisk var “The Landlord’s Game” et moralsk, ideologisk spil, der via sin indbyggede dualisme afslørede svaghederne og de mange uretfærdigheder i det samfund, hun levede i. Disse afsløringer fremgik især ved at lange ud efter de uretfærdige skattelove, der gjorde det let for rigmændene at grabse til sig på de fattiges bekostning. Man kan sige, at “The Landlord’s Game” var en form for lærebog i spilformat, fordi det demonstrerede, hvordan systemet i sig selv tog fra den ene samfundsgruppe og gav til den anden. Når man sad med spillet, var der underforståede sociale og økonomiske regler, der pludselig gik op for spillerne, fordi det demonstrerede dem på en letforståelig måde. At æren for opfindelsen af dette spil gik til Charles Darrow mere end tredive år efter, at Elizabeth havde optaget patent, blev først afsløret i 1973. På det tidspunkt var også andre “usynliggør-kvinden-luskerier” blevet opdaget, så hun var ikke det eneste offer i denne form for kønskamp, men det føles meget uretfærdigt den dag i dag, fordi hun virkelig lagde krop og sjæl i skabelsen af dette pædagogiske spil.

 

Wikipedia

Monopoly’s Lost Female Inventor: Women’s History, September, 2018

https://landlordsgame.info/