Genetic Engineering

In 1925, proof of Russia’s foray into genetic engineering emerged. At the end of the 1917 revolution, a movie was made that established a benchmark from which proof positive has been found. My assertion is that post-Tsarist Russia, whether it be in the guise of a member of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or as today’s Russian Federation, began extraordinary genetic engineering advances. If you have access to Netflix, you also have access to this landmark piece of film work, a boon to geneticists everywhere. The film: The Battleship Potemkin.

The movie disguises itself as telling the history of one of the significant pre-1917 Socialist revolts which took place aboard a Black Sea pocket battleship in 1905. Don’t fall for the hype. The director and the editors of this silent film try to make you sympathetic to the workers and the common sailors throwing off the yoke of Tsarist oppression. Yes, the film by itself is awesome. Yes, there is a reference to the Russo-Japanese war I discussed in another blog article, but that’s all fluff. Watch the movie carefully and you’ll see what I mean.

There is no way, without genetic engineering or alien hybridization, that the same country that gave birth to the Women of Potemkin also gave birth to Ana Chapman.

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There’s just no way. Watch the movie. I strongly encourage you to watch the movie. Watch is as part of your well-rounded education, your political indoctrination, a piece of historical film work or just to say you saw it, but watch it. And then prove to me I’m wrong.

It’s. Just. Not. Possible.

Japan Annexes Korea!!

At least that’s what the headline would have read in 1910. Yes, I’m back into the History mode again today.

If you thought Koreans were upset with Japan because of WWII (what with the forced labor, sex slavery and compulsory military service as human shields for the Japanese Army and all), you’re not getting the whole picture.

The Treaty of Kanghwa (1876) gave Japan trade and extraterritorial rights, bringing Korea under Japanese influence. Korea didn’t sign the document willingly; they were forced to agree to the terms. In 1895, when Korean Empress Meongseong (aka Queen Min) tried to stand against Japan’s interference in Korean affairs, she was assassinated. With that, and Japan’s victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, Japan consolidated and strengthened its control over the Korean peninsula.

Korea then tried to enlist Russia to free them from the Japanese. But when the Japanese soundly defeated Russia in the 1905 Russo-Japanese War, the Koreans were alone. In fact, in the peace treaty the Russians signed, they acknowledged Japan’s “paramount political, military and economic interest” in Korea. This set-up Korea to become a Japanese protectorate.

Things kept going from bad to worse until finally, on August 22, 1910, Japan annexed Korea via the Japan-Korean Annexation Treaty. All of the Korean peninsula was ceded to the Emperor of Japan.

World War Two’s end saw the end of Japanese rule over Korea but it wasn’t until 1965, with the signing of the Basic Treaty between Korean and Japan that things changed politically. The 1965 treaty voided both the 1905 protectorate agreement and the 1910 annexation treaty.

All that being said, what does this mean? Have you noticed how nervous Japan gets every time North Korea (The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or DPRK) announces a rocket launch? I still have some reading to do, but I don’t think the DPRK (under Kim Il Song) signed the 1965 treaty. Just like we are still technically at war with the DPRK (we signed a cease-fire agreement, not a cessation of hostilities treaty), the DPRK may still be looking to throw off the yoke of Japanese subjugation through a violent display of military action rather than passive acceptance through the stroke of a pen.

Your thoughts?

What Do the Lakers Do Next??

After losing to the San Antonio Spurs in a four game sweep the Los Angeles Lakers have a lot of unanswered questions going into this offseason. First, what do we do with D12? His contract is up and he had some problems this season with free throws and anger on the court. He was ejected in the third quater of the game four loss to the Spurs which ended the season and maybe his future with the Lakers. I would love to have D12 back in a Lakers uniform as I’m sure alot of Laker fans do. But it’s not up to us. Second, why did they hire Mike D’Antoni for our head coaching job when we could of had Phil back?? We could have went with Phil Jackson, a great coach who has enough rings from the Lakers and the Bulls. Third, what about Kobe? Can he play at the same level as he has been after this achilles tendon tear? If not, who will lead this Lakers team to more championships? I don’t know the answer to these questions but I do have an opinion and now you know it. If you have any other things you would like to add please feel free to do so. I am the new sports blogger for this site. If you have any ideas or things you would like me to discuss reply to this post and I will try and post about it. You can follow me on my twitter account @danny52miller