You miss the point. I am not as articulate as some of the other posters here who may have hit upon the topic, but I'll do what I can.
It is not that the Ashkenazi Jews are a religous group, or subset of a religious group. It is that they are a people. Basically, from somewhere shortly after the Diaspora, to the 20th century, the European Jewish community formed, and despite persecution and politically and geographically-created borders and distance among them, they have [evolved|changed] as a community, in terms of genetics, maintaining a very 'pure' bloodline. There have been studies done on the subject, and it is estimated that interbreeding between Ashkenazim and those outside the Ashkenazi community is only 0.5% per generation. A lot of this has to do with the religious law of the people, as well as other factors.
The point is not that they are a subsect of a religious group, but are what you could call a scientific 'population' that has been isolated and independent throughout the centuries. The point that Ashkenazim may have more genetically in common with Palestineans than with their European counterparts, is evidence that they _did_ maintain themselves, their people, their bloodline, their DNA, exceedingly well over the years in the face of the influence of the many European countries they have lived in and amongst.
Hope that clears things up. There's a lot of work done on the subject, some of which is linked to here. Other reading that might be suggested is "The Gift of the Jews" by Thomas Cahill or some other Irish man (if anyone knows the name, he wrote about how the Jewish community selected for intelligence by placing emphasis on ability to know and reason with the Talmud and Jewish law in marriage, and how Judaism itself might be an ingenius way to create and maintain intelligence or greatness in a people or community).
One might also wish to look into the genetic tests done on the specific tribe of Levites (priestly caste, of which I happen to be a descendent of, as per last name), and the Kohenim, endowed with more special responsibilities throughout Jewish history, who are also Levites. (all Kohenim are Levites not all Levites are Kohenim.)
Dunno.. I didn't see her at the Conference at 2001 or 2003.. She apparently had a boyfriend in 2000, to the dismay of many a sexually-deprived Linux geek, as she was embracing and kissing with him at the end of the show.
Her full name is Ceren Ercen.. I can't find much about her on google except a few posts to Slashdot and BSD IRC logs.
Hey, most of the pics at that site are mine. I went to LinuxWorld 2000 in NYC, and while my friend was playing Quake 3 all day, I was busy snapping choice shots of Ceren's (her name) hot bod! No fair!
Try not to get sent away to the funny farm. They generally treat the Patients' Bill of Rights in a similar fashion as the United Stats government treats the Constitution's Bill of Rights
Slashdot Mirror
It is not that the Ashkenazi Jews are a religous group, or subset of a religious group. It is that they are a people. Basically, from somewhere shortly after the Diaspora, to the 20th century, the European Jewish community formed, and despite persecution and politically and geographically-created borders and distance among them, they have [evolved|changed] as a community, in terms of genetics, maintaining a very 'pure' bloodline. There have been studies done on the subject, and it is estimated that interbreeding between Ashkenazim and those outside the Ashkenazi community is only 0.5% per generation. A lot of this has to do with the religious law of the people, as well as other factors.
The point is not that they are a subsect of a religious group, but are what you could call a scientific 'population' that has been isolated and independent throughout the centuries. The point that Ashkenazim may have more genetically in common with Palestineans than with their European counterparts, is evidence that they _did_ maintain themselves, their people, their bloodline, their DNA, exceedingly well over the years in the face of the influence of the many European countries they have lived in and amongst.
Hope that clears things up. There's a lot of work done on the subject, some of which is linked to here. Other reading that might be suggested is "The Gift of the Jews" by Thomas Cahill or some other Irish man (if anyone knows the name, he wrote about how the Jewish community selected for intelligence by placing emphasis on ability to know and reason with the Talmud and Jewish law in marriage, and how Judaism itself might be an ingenius way to create and maintain intelligence or greatness in a people or community).
One might also wish to look into the genetic tests done on the specific tribe of Levites (priestly caste, of which I happen to be a descendent of, as per last name), and the Kohenim, endowed with more special responsibilities throughout Jewish history, who are also Levites. (all Kohenim are Levites not all Levites are Kohenim.)
Sure it is. Check amendments 9 and 10.
Her full name is Ceren Ercen.. I can't find much about her on google except a few posts to Slashdot and BSD IRC logs.
Ceren was 17 1/2 at the time those pics were shot (by me), and that was February 2000. So she's 20 now. Quite legal.
Hey, most of the pics at that site are mine. I went to LinuxWorld 2000 in NYC, and while my friend was playing Quake 3 all day, I was busy snapping choice shots of Ceren's (her name) hot bod! No fair!
AFAIK, plankton and other small sea-creatures produce something like 75% of the world's oxygen.
and all that jazz
Try not to get sent away to the funny farm. They generally treat the Patients' Bill of Rights in a similar fashion as the United Stats government treats the Constitution's Bill of Rights