SimplyMaggies

Today I watched an episode of “Nova” dealing, among other things, with embryonic stem cell research. The science behind it is incredibly interesting but the controversy surrounding it seems to stop all kinds of real progress. A number of people have various ethical and moral issues with the whole idea of embryonic stem cells. Something I must say I find extremely difficult to understand…

According to The National Institutes of Health, embryonic stem cells are cells “derived from embryos that develop from eggs that have been fertilized in vitro […] and then donated for research purposes with informed consent of the donors. They are not derived from eggs fertilized in a woman’s body. The embryos from which human embryonic stem cells are derived are typically four or five days old”. After that, the needed cells are removed from the embryo and the embryo itself is destroyed.

I guess that is where the problem lies. Many people say it is murdering embryos, which in their eyes are early human beings. However, an embryo is really just a bunch of cells that started to grow and develop together and it is a far cry to a human being, for God’s sake! How can anyone put ‘murder’ and ‘embryo’ in the same sentence is simply beyond me.

And to think that some of the amazing possibilities in developing healthy cells that could fight incurable diseases are thwarted by narrow-minded people, afraid of the change and the science that would bring it about. Unfortunately, various churches and religions have been known (for centuries) for their zeal in stopping the progress of science (remember the Great Inquisition?). And those circles seem to be the main force behind this whole controversy surrounding the embryonic stem cell research.

I, for one, am not opposed to it, quite contrary, even though I am not quite sure as far as cloning is concerned (although even with this field of science all I probably need is a bit more information to make the picture clearer)… So the next few years will most likely be quite interesting to watch.

Oh, yes! We live in fascinating times….

I am a huge fan of “Grey’s Anatomy”; have been from the very first episode. I love the ambiguity of the title, its dry humor and the element of drama taking place in the hospital and the private lives of the characters. It is like the improved version of “ER”…

So when I heard about the spin-off, “Private Practice” (starring Kate Walsh, Tim Daly and Taye Diggs), I wasn’t quite sure whether I was going to like it… Usually, such enterprises don’t work too well. Besides, I quite liked Addison as a part of the crew on “Grey’s Anatomy”. But then there was this one episode when the cast of the new show were introduced and I found myself laughing at their affairs. And I thought to myself: ‘perhaps I should at least give it a chance and see where it takes me’.

I did. And even though I still prefer “Grey’s Anatomy” (it may simply be loyalty to the original), I must admit that “Private Practice” is quite enjoyable. It brings in new energy, different dynamics between the characters and, most importantly, the same type of humor. And the fact that both Tim Daly (doesn’t he look better now than ever before? The man is like a good wine: better with age!) and Taye Diggs (yum!!! I do love chocolate…) are starring in the series doesn’t hurt. Quite the contrary, I’d say.

So even if you won’t find anything interesting in the show, at least you’ll have something to look at, right?

I was lucky enough to spend a bit more time on the gorgeous island of Crete than most tourist do. Because of my husband’s job, we were there for a whole year and it was absolutely worth it. The apartment we were renting was situated right on the shore, on a cliff overlooking the charming town of Chania. So everyday I had this picture-perfect view from my balcony.

Chania is the second largest town on the island and it lies along the north coast of the island, about 70 km west of Rethymno and 145 km west of Heraklion. It is a city, as much as the whole island of Crete, highly influenced by many civilizations and cultures, including Byzantine, Venetian, Turkish and Greek. The most visible influences are in architecture and those are mainly Venetian. The harbors in both Chania and Heraklion are picturesque and remind strongly of Venice itself. Moreover, Chania’s Old Town and its harbor are considered the most beautiful on Crete.

The existence of civilization on Crete dates back over four thousand years to the Minoan society(circa 2600-1400 BC), the oldest European civilization that occupied the island. Therefore it is pretty amazing to walk down the streets and look upon the same sea people so many centuries ago gazed upon.

Crete is the largest of the Greek islands and with many amazing views and a few gorges, it is definitely worth seeing. The towns are not only charming, with their Old Towns and tiny streets, but also provide a fair amount of entertainment, which includes bars and restaurants on nearly every corner, night clubs, pubs, museums and plenty more… Thus, it is not surprising that Crete attracts numerous tourists each season (usually April till October).

However, if you would like to experience the life and the island itself without bumping into noisy and yes, sometimes annoying tourists (especially if they are accompanied by children, and many are), you should probably opt for out of seasons tickets. Besides, it may cost you a lot less. And if you happen to find yourself in Chania, strolling down the harbor, sit down in one of many cafés around the square and order Spanish Coffee. It is a delicious coffee drink that I have not gotten a chance to taste anywhere else. At least not the way it is prepared in Chania.