About a month ago, I looked at the calendar, and saw it had been 26 years since I visited Tulum in the the Yucutan. I remember being rather in awe of the architecture, and returning home, read a book on Mesoamerican culture. I looked for that book on my shelves but couldn't find it. I'm not interested in the 2012 nonsense but real knowledge about the Mayan culture. Not too long ago I viewed Gibson's "Apocalypto" and was amused at the acid trip quality of the film, but rather doubt its historicity.

JD, might you offer some books to read? Or perhaps your own scholarship on the subject?

Not to put you on the spot or anything.

Dawkins, no problem! I have studied the Mayan culture but am no expert by any means. However, in 1998 I did participate in an archaeological survey of a Temple complex just north of Tulum. I have to admit, I am awestruck by Tulum. While I have been to Cichen Itza and its wonders, Tulum still facinates me. Anyway, two books that I would highly recommend are "A Forest of Kings: The Untold Story of the Ancient Maya " by David Friedel and Linda Schele. Published in 1991, it is a definitive work on Myan culture by two archaeologists who have made it their life's work. It is still required reading in many archaeology classes. The second is "The Fall of the Ancient Maya: Solving the Mystery of the Maya Collapse" published in 2002, it is by David L. Webster it is also a definative work on the subject. I took the liberty of looking them both up on Amazon for you, and they are available at very reasonable prices. I like you, am not a believer in the "Mayan Calander of Doom" thing. What the media hype never tells you is that the Maya went on to chronicle other "ages" past the December 2024 date. To them, the date only represents a time for change, not the end of the world as we know it. As far as Gibson's "Apocalypto" goes, it actually stuck fairly close to what is known about Myan history, although there was a generous "smattering" of artistic license taken in the interpretation, but entertaining just the same. Hope these are what you'r looking for, enjoy!

It does seem a little silly to plan our "end of the world" parties around the whims of a people who didn't even see their end coming…

Doesn't mean we can't have the parties however.

Party…Did someone say Party?…

I remember being in the Yucatan and seeing Mexicans who were tall and narrow (of Spanish extract, I guess) and Mexicans who were short and wide shouldered. I have a guess that my husband is of the Mayan extract because he has the short neck, broad shoulder build that I saw that was said to be attributable to the Mayans.

My wife is Venezuelan, a bit tallish, with a combination of Spanish and Meso-American features. The effect is quite stunning, and though she covets my blue eyes, I would argue that her almond-shaped chocolate drops are far and away more attractive. She doesn't believe me though I am quite serious.

I'm sure you are quite right. My husband's niece is half Mexican, half Greek and she is very beautiful in an exotic way. My daughter is half French/Irish and half Mexican, with my French/Irish eyes and his olive complexion.

I would have to admit that not too long ago, I was skeptical (go figure) of all this "blending." Not racial, but an abhorrence of hippie-speak. What we are beginning to see is quite beautiful, and along with our discovery of DNA, gene-sequencing, racism is destroyed, utterly. There are in fact, no "races."

Those who choose to raise a confederate flag (notice the lack of capitalization) bring it on.

Oh, here's something else for you: my aunt (read French/Irish here) has a son with blue eyes who married a Mexican woman and their daughters have HUGE blue eyes with Mexican features. Quite unusual. I saw something on TV once about a man who was trying to trace human migration through the continents and was tracing ethnicity from Africa, up through Europe and Asia, through Russia, down through Alaska and the southern part of North America. The point that I remember was that now was a short window of time through which we were able to track migration in this way and that it would soon be obscured through relations such as we see now. It was wonderful to see how people in Alaska saw similarities in features between their relations and with people in Asia. To me, it beautifully told the story of how we were all alike rather than different.

Starting about, roughly a hundred-thousand years ago or such, we were all the same, as we are now. We really need to realize this, accept it, then move on. If we do not, we are doomed. About two hours ago, my green-eyed, blonde daughter danced with her Venezuelan step-mom; they laughed, compared outfits, and suggested changes. Would this be true globally. I would wish this upon everyone in fact.

Girls are girls, no matter what. That's a beautiful image.

I would have to admit that not too long ago, I was skeptical (go figure) of all this "blending." Not racial, but an abhorrence of hippie-speak. What we are beginning to see is quite beautiful, and along with our discovery of DNA, gene-sequencing, racism is destroyed, utterly. There are in fact, no "races."

Those who choose to raise a confederate flag (notice the lack of capitalization) bring it on.

My article in the recent July issue deals with this very subject Dawkins, and I would just like to let you know that if anyone does "raise a flag" so-to-speak, you will not fight alone my friend for I will be right by your side. To me, a racist viewpoint is one of the most vulgar things a person can encounter, and one that I cannot tolerate in any shape or form. At the turn of the 20th century, Franz Boas the father of American anthropology proved using the scientific method, that the concept of race is a cultural construct, and that skin color is an evolutionary adaptation related directly to vitamin K absorption and not race…….sorry my friends….(gets down from soapbox)…..just check out the article.

As we know from the Human Genome Project, there aren't any races, just geneology. This pisses certain people off, and it is those that we have to fight. We have to oppose this tribialism and defeat it.

I think racism, can be displayed by anyone, tribial, or the individual.

Race may not be a valid way to classify people, but, it is done by our government, polls, job apps, the media and so much more.

We are born, with no idea of what racism is.

It is taught at home, schools, and society, whether knowingly or unknowingly.

Racism is a learned behavior.

For the life of me, why does our society teach it!