Jonathan's blog

From The Week, September 22, 2006 p. 21:

The epidemic of autism may be the result of men fathering children later in life, says a new study of more than 130,000 children. The number of kids with autism-a brain disorder that makes it difficult to relate to people and the outside world-has jumped tenfold in the last two decades, now affecting one in every 166 American children. Many parents blame the mercury once used as a preservative in infant vaccinations, though several studies have found no link between vaccinations and autism. But now, says New Scientist, an extensive new Israeli study has come up with a solid reason for the disorder's prevalence: older fathers. A research team that included scientists from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York found that a new dad between 30 and 39 was 1.6 times more likely to have an autistic child than a man of 29 or younger. Children conceived by dads between 40 and 49 were 5.75 times as likely to develop the disorder. This suggests that as men age, their sperm is more prone to developing warped genetic material. The age of the mother did not appear to have a large effect. The study, said University of Illinois autism researcher Dr. Edwin Cook, may go a long way to explaining the recent surge in autism. "It's a strong effect in a carefully designed study," Cook said.

On Saturday Grandpa B, the boys, and I went to the Northwood Auto Show and also saw the end of the Northwood football game. Earlier in the week, Finn had received a letter from one of the Timberwolves' back-up quarterbacks (number 6, junior Eric Chrisinske) as part of the Timberwolves Kids Club. Finn was VERY excited to receive a letter from a quarterback. Well, after the game today, we went down on the field and met Eric. The boys had their picture taken with him. The later afternoon was spent watching the Tigers on TV with Grandpa B. The Tigers eliminated the Yankees! Tomorrow is the quarterly business meeting at church, so I spent a bunch of time today putting together the treasurer's report. Tonight, we watched the Vols whip the Bullodogs. Here are some photos:

From The Week, August 25, 2006, p 21:

The ultrasound scans that doctors use on pregnant women may cause fetal brain damage, says a new study. Researchers at Yale Medical School performed the recommended two 30-minute ultrasound sessions on mice whose pregnancies were at a crucial stage of brain development. They found that after the ultrasound, the development of neural cells in the babies' brains was slightly impaired. The heat from the vibrating ultrasound waves appears to be the cause of the damage. In theory, researchers said, fetal neural damage could lead to such disorders as retardation, autism, and schizophrenia. But lead researcher Pasko Rakic said that ultrasound may affect tiny mice brains more than human brains, and cautioned pregnant women not to avoid ultrasound tests "for appropriate diagnostic and medical purposes." He did say, though, that women should avoid unnecessary ultrasound scans.

Today was the big soccer game: Elliot's team played David's (a friend from church). Elliot's friend Justin was on the other team too. The Kickin' Chickens won 5-3, and Elliot scored twice. Several folks from Wheeler Road came to watch the game. Here are some photos:

From an article of the same title in The Week, August 25, 2006, p 10:

Billy Graham no longer has any use for politics, says Jon Meacham in Newsweek. For more than 50 years, America's most famous evangelical preacher has been spreading the Gospel to millions of people on six continents; along the way, he's ensnared himself in a series of polit­ical controversies. "Only when Christ comes again will the little white children of Alabama walk hand in hand with little black children," he said after the March on Washington in 1963. During the war in Vietnam, Graham lent his support to President Richard Nixon, only to get caught on White House tapes exchanging anti-Semitic remarks with the president. But now that he's 87, Graham is distancing himself from those who mix Christianity with conservative politics. He's come to believe, for example, that the Bible is open to honest interpreta­tion. "I'm not a literalist in the sense that every single jot and tittle is from the Lord. Sincere Christians can disagree about the details of Scripture and theology-absolutely." Though his own son has called Muslims "wicked" and "evil," Graham disagrees. "I would not say Islam is wicked and evil. I have a lot of friends who are Islamic. I have a great love for them." Graham's fiery certainty has given way to humility; when asked if he believes heaven is closed to non-Christians, he demurs. "Those are decisions only the Lord will make. I believe the love of God is absolute. He said he gave his son for the whole world, and I think he loves everybody regardless of what label they have."