10 Interesting facts about Abraham Lincoln

1. He was the only President not to belong to an organised church. Lincoln read the Bible daily but never joined an organised church.

2. He was the only President to take out a patent. He invented a device to free steamboats that ran aground.

3. He was the first President born outside of the 13 original states.

4. He was the first President to use the telegraph.

5. He was the first President with a beard.

6. He was the first President to be assassinated.

7. His life was saved from death twice when he was young.

8. He was a successfil wrestler as a young man being defeated only once in approximately 300 matches. His exploits earned him an “Outstanding American” honour in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

9. He had no middle name.

10. He hated being called Abe. Apparently, he preferred being called Lincoln.

10 People who died at the age of 56

1. Abraham Lincoln
2. Adolf Hitler
3. Rik Mayall
4. Steve Jobs
5. Joseph Mohr
6. Josephus
7. King George VI
8. Roger Miller (musician)
9. Phil Chevron (The Pogues)
10. Billy Powell (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
(Sobering as ever)

Psalm 46 Shakespeare Coincidence

Reading about the AV one or two things have come to light or I have been reminded of. The connection between Shakespeare and Psalm 46 in the KJV is initeresting and goes to prove what I long ago learned - that coincidences are common. Another example of this sort of thing would be the coincidences between the assasinated US presidents Lincoln and Kennedy. A more recent thing like this is the observation that one of the planes that hit the twin towers on 9/11 had the number Q33NY which when converted to wingdings is this:

 

116 reasons

The oft repeated story of the medical students who would have aborted Beethoven is apparently not true (see here - Dawkins is useful for some things then) but the following article with its references to Pete Sampras and Abraham Lincoln makes disturbing reading. Found here.

The UK’s fertility treatment regulator has published a list of 116 genetic conditions for which doctors can destroy IVF embryos without seeking special permission.

The list compiled by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) includes a number of conditions which are considered minor, non life-threatening or medically treatable.

These include illnesses suffered by some of history’s highest achievers, but the HFEA list allows UK fertility doctors to routinely destroy embryos if tests show they are at risk of developing such conditions.

Thalassemia, a blood disorder which can cause mild anaemia, is on the list, even though having it did not hinder the career of seven-times Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras.

The HFEA’s list also includes Marfan’s syndrome, a condition which can lead to abnormal growth.

Former US President Abraham Lincoln and French leader Charles de Gualle are both believed to have suffered from this condition.

UK fertility clinics identify genetic conditions using a technique known as pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD).

PGD involves removing cells from embryos and running tests on them, although some embryos may be harmed by this process.

After PGD screening only the ‘healthy’ embryos are implanted into a woman’s womb. The embryos carrying ‘defects’ are discarded.

Critics say screening embryos raises serious ethical problems and widens the door to the possibility of creating flawless designer babies.

Dr David King, the Director of Human Genetics Alert, said: “It contributes to a social climate in which even minor deviations from ‘normality’ are seen as unacceptable.”

The HFEA is responsible for licensing and monitoring UK fertility clinics and all UK research involving human embryos. It is currently considering adding a further 24 inherited conditions to the 116 it already lists.

Although the UK allows PGD to be used for screening embryos for inherited conditions it cannot be used to select the child’s sex.

Some British couples have travelled to America so that they can select the sex of their children.

However, last August a Chinese study conducted on mice revealed memory decline in adulthood, prompting fears that PGD testing could increase the risk of offspring developing neurodegenerative disorders.