BOBKAT'S HISTORY OF HUMANKIND, PART 2; DARWINIAN/HOLMES WILMA

This is "WILMA"... A National Geographic composite photo of a (it doesn't specify - I'd say a 20-something year old) Neanderthal woman, assembled and rendered from 43,000 year old bones:

We begin our journey in the origin of our species, pre-humans some 4.4 million years ago. These included a broad variety of hominids, like Australopithecus. Some fossils representing this early species of hominids date back to around 6 million years ago. Two particular discoveries should be noted. In 2009, a female, named ARDI, was introduced. Ardipithecus ramidus. She had a small brain, was 110 pounds, 47 inches tall - 3.9 feet. The face of "Ardi" did not project as much as those of modern apes, but was not as flat and massive as the later Australopithecus. As noted in the article by the Nation geographic Magazine, "Ardi ... shows an unexpected mix of advanced characteristics and of primitive traits seen in much older apes that were unlike chimps or gorillas. As such, the skeleton offers a window on what the last common ancestor of humans and living apes might have been like." ARDI:

And Many of us have probably heard about LUCY, discovered 3.2 million years ago, and once considered to be the "missing link" in our evolution. There isn't any longer a theory or discussion about a missing link, or links. Human evolution is described more like a tree these days, with branches of hominid species, some isolated, others interlinked, all that to go extinct while the whole of our ancestry merges with other branches, branches like a river and all it's tributaries. The first of the genus Homo appears in Africa 2.5 million years ago, and modern humans appear around 200,000 years ago. This was during a period of glaciation, the Riss Glacier in Europe, the Illionian Glacier in North America. A period of time when the earth was cooler and dry. From around 2 million years ago to around 50,000 years ago ancestors of homo must have been migrating/relocating to different parts of the world. I have heard that around 125,000 years ago modern humans made their way out of Africa. It would have been very dry, and it's theorized humans were able to traverse distances normally covered by water in North Africa. It is the beginning of the great deserts on earth. Neanderthals died out around 25,000 years ago. But 50,000 years ago an interesting blend of humans and human cousins populated the earth. In Western Europe it was the Neanderthals, in Asia were the Denisovans - WikiLink1,

" There is DNA evidence that the three groups, humans from Africa included, interacted together and mated, producing off-spring. According to scientist studying human DNA, our genetic make-up is due in part to up to 6% Denisovan, and 4% Neanderthal. According to the source of this news, this cross-breeding gave us a boost in immunity from disease, among other traits. "Sex with Cavemen Gave Humans an Immune Boost: Study". Seems there is no such thing as a pure "White Aryan Race". Next Time: What our 19th Century relatives knew about our evolutionary history, and why, Pres. nominee Rick Perry's views on the Origin of our Species is set from that age of our history.

BOBKAT'S HISTORY OF HUMANKIND, PART 1; BORN TO BE WILD -

Edited Sept 07, 2011 I feel a a lot like Darwin... Charles Darwin... 1809-1892, an English naturalist renowned for his documentation of evolution and for his theory of its operation, known as Darwinism.

Yes, Charles and I share a resemblance too, remote, but there all the same. There's also a similarity in our being innately inquisitive and studious, our love of nature and the way it works. I used to think I was more like Sherlock Holmes, a fictional character based on the genius of writer Sir Author Conan Doyle, 1859-1930.

However, I've never served in law enforcement and Sir Arthur did.

This is my 200th Post, by the way! It's also the week of my birthday, some 3557 year's old now (more on my age later). Born to be wild... I wish. I heard from my family today... my cousin Becky, who was like a sister growing up, died today of alcoholism, age 55. Was I close to my cousin? Yes, until about 15 years ago when she'd had enough of the family abuse and detached herself from all of us, or tried to. Today she detached herself permanently... my thanks to the Federal government for it's charity when it comes to the abundance of access to alcohol, to drown one's soul, while continuing to prohibit and make criminals of those who might chose a safer alternative. Cannabis/marijuana I suggest, not only safer but therapeutic too... not the poison alcohol is. My cousin might be alive alive today had she and many millions of others had a choice, a natural choice!!! Seems people I know are either dying from alcohol related causes or tobacco... not a one from cannabis, and I know many people who enjoy it. All harmless, hard-working, honest citizens - albeit criminals. This post is about history, it is... but our origins, and where we are today are vitally important when looked at together. Fact is the race of humans goes back at least to 10 Million years BC and I plan to write about facts recently discovered that were of interest to me. In the next post - how Homo Sapiens screwed around with not only Neanderthals, but Denisovans too. Seems, the human race and it's complicated history is much more than Whites, Blacks, Asians and Jews. Seems we have a lot more to consider than putting people in prison for possession of plants, when the majority of harms to our society are alcohol, tobacco and interpersonal cultural hatred. Was I really born over 3000 years ago? Yes. To be continued... In Memory of My Cousin Becky!

THE CRIMINAL MIND,CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS - Part Two

In my last post, Part One of this topic, I discussed an online service posted on my blog, as an AdSense member (they do that), which entices and claims to provide "you with access to another person's background; and what we would expect with this service are no results if there is no criminal history. But that is exactly what they are hoping you'll think, as you're presented with results, for virtually anyone you enter to search on.

We all want to feel SAFE. Even serial killers want to feel safe, safe as safe can be. That's not to say we actually feel safe, which many of us don't, reinforced by gruesome murders, child abductions and murders, spouse murders, suicides, kidnappings and murder(s), massacres, government massacres, like the current atrocities occurring in Syria right now and the past several months/years... disappearances, missing persons, bodies found or never found... husbands that murder wives, wives that murder husbands, parents that murder their children, friends that murder friends. Where does it stop, the murders, the deaths, the disappearances?

Why does our tax-payer $$$ fund a 1.4 trillion dollars to date War on Drugs, mostly marijuana, and next to nothing on the things I mentioned above?

Why were the Butts Family Murders, or Nikki Ladue January never given proper proceedure in bringing a predator/killer to justice?

Without a doubt we can't be too trusting these days... civilization isn't yet attained. The wild, wild west is not too far back... late 1800's, in fact. Having protection is a must. Having a gift of second nature intuition is a must.

So websites offering information with regards to a possible criminal background for that new neighbor, new employee, or potential new friend, seems wise and prudent.

There are people with criminal brains. People that make no sense to the majority of people. Igor found that out in Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein", when sent by his master, Dr. Frankenstein, he grabbed the brain of a criminal in haste, and that is the brain Frankenstein got. The villagers massacred them all...

On that note... turn to the latest in White House Politics...

I know, it's a vast turnaround; and another one soon to come; what Congress accomplished of late is nothing next to phenomenal, how our new Tea-Party elected Republicans brought this country to the brink of economic default, and how House Majority Leader Boehner (pronounced bain-er) seems to have come away unscathed, while Pres. Obama takes the heat. As well he should, as President.

I personally don't hold Obama accountable, i think he acted extremely well in the face of it. What annoys me is how preoccupied this Administration has been with issues that should not be issues.

There are REAL ISSUES to deal with...

Which brings me to the conclusion of this topic... Brains, normal brains/criminal brains...

How do you know what brain is near to you? Imagine we're all Frankenstein... now imagine the idea of a person having a "criminal brain"... the brain of a person who is a serial killer, a murderer, kidnapper, marijuana user? All bring down harsh punishments if caught, and that is why we have a government that "serves and protects us".

Who is the real Frankenstein? Please stand up.

THE CRIMINAL MIND,CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS - Part One

An Advertisement on my blog got me thinking about this topic. The advertisements are to the left of my topic, under my "Followers". It's not the image/Amazon link on my topic, but rather the from the Ads added from a 3RD Party there as an AdSense member. To be able to monetize and offer up suggestions for books, different media and relevant merchandise (the Amazon links I post next to my topics), I accept this 3RD party can place ads on my blog. It's actually quite common, even with corporate and government blogs.

The particular advertisement that inspired me here, not available under the ads section right now, was about conducting a "Criminal Background Checks". How you could find out all you wanted to know about that new neighbor, employee, boss, new friend or lover... anyone.

I've actually tried several companies like this over the years. One or two I can say do what they claim, but several others are useless. Still, you never know, and not knowing about that new person can really gnaw at your neck. So, what to do? It's so easy to click the link these days...

But Be Forewarned... On the following link, CheckMate, aside from a small disclaimer when you first enter the site, nothing can prepare you for the results when you type in someone's name. And you'll get results!

Here, try it: CHECKMATE

OK, you tried it... now for around $40 dollars you get to click on the links to find out more, most likely not much more. And if you don't pay the money, you're left wondering...

When I first tried it - from a link on my own blog, multiple listings for people I typed in came up. I even typed in the state governor, and our State senator, and every time - it appeared there were "criminal records" linked to the person... but of course to find out those details I would have to pay. I didn't. I just was left to assume they were guilty of something - being politicians, and all.

What I did do was make the mistake of telling one of my housemates, a registered nurse, that several links were there about her. She freaked, burst into tears, and not because she was guilty of anything, but rather, her job demands a high level of accountability. The shear thought or indication of anything criminal or in bad judgement could cost her her job.

I was stunned and heart-broken over the fact I'd upset her with this website and it's links. What have I done, I wondered.

I wrote to a fellow blogger who happens to be ex-law enforcement. I asked him to try the site... I told him what happened. He wrote back and said:

"Yes, with the popularity of criminal justice databases online, there are several of these comprehensive background report companies selling services. It is important to remember that any agency claiming comprehensive background checks should be viewed as suspicious--since law enforcement, which has the best system, still has to search/jump through hoops using a variety of areas to conduct a criminal history (federal, state, local)".

"As you observed, this one is particularly misleading with their "supposed" criminal info once you pay the fee. They have been accused of being a scam several times online (here are two)--"

1) Complaint Review: Corporate Headquarters Instant Checkmate LLC

2) Instant Checkmate does not provide "background checks" and incompletely provides criminal records.

The secrete behind their back-ground tease? They use commonly available online data about where you have lived and currently live. That's it. Your record of where you've been sometimes goes back decades... they simply generate a record for every address you've lived at, plus some (meaning I found some errors).

Next time... Criminal Behavior... What is it, and why is it so common in our country?