I'm a big fan of AM radio.

Yes I'm that weird demographic that tunes in to those stations that rarely play music and talk a lot about government, current affairs and the world around us....with a bit of the mundane and a little whinging for good measure.

I noticed tonight that I am a bit odd for rarely listening to music when a lovely chap who offered to help me out with my 'blue screened' laptop offered to play some music whilst he was trying to figure out how to fix it. I didn't really know how to answer his question on what type of music do you listen to. Dolly and Johnny are the CD's I would listen to when doing long road trips that require non stop channel changing...but they were not on his play list. I quickly changed the subject back to my ineptitude with regard to all things laptopy.

Is it strange not to listen to music very often, I mean it would probably be something that I do once a month or so and really only when I am traveling in someone elses car whose radio dial I haven't got to. I have never been one to listen to music as much as most of my mates but it seems over the past few years I have almost eliminated it from my eardrums.

Maybe its because I came from a household that rarely played music, unless it was my mother or sisters on the organ and piano, which I was always growled at for going near....maybe that is it I have a learned response to music...to get the hell away from it. Well what ever the reason I seem to have an insatiable appetite for news radio and talk back, albeit as long as its not on the subject of ball sport and tonight whilst waiting for the Gym to depopulate i happened upon an incredibly interesting story.

Come to think of it i think I am just a cranky old man as i really do not like going to the gym when its packed, I can't stand the attitude of the new arrivals who can not seem to understand the idea of putting weights back in their place, the second generation mediterranean types who seem a bit overloaded on testosterone and angst, the former communist bloc gymnasts and weight lifters who still workout like their life depends on it in outfits they were probably wearing back in their heyday and of course the lads, who are on their way to locating a good 'supplement' dealer but in the mean time will just hang out in 3's and 4's gasbagging about how awesome they are.

Anyway enough of my inner cranky man and back to that interesting story which was about kissing, yeah kissing, its so weird when you think about it. I mean slip slop slapping another human on the mouth, pecking a friend on the cheek; its all rather strange when you put your mind to it. Well apparently its all about finding a mate that is complimentary to your immune system.

We have all heard of opposites attract and the Professor from the University of Queensland was providing his findings which suggested humans who were not under the effects of the contraceptive pill were seeking out humans from a different immunity group so as to ensure the best immunity for their offspring.

This makes perfect sense, as much information can be gained being so up close and personal without getting 'too up close and personal'. Humans are well known to be seekers of heterosis; that effect of hybrid vigour whereby we seek out an unrelated mate to allow our offspring to gain from our diverse gene pool. The contraceptive pill does alter the effects of this interaction and often the problem of a lack of true attraction actually comes out when a couple tries for a child and the female goes of the pill.... hence that very modern phenomenon of high relationship failure in western communities.

So sitting there in my car waiting for the gym to quiten down I pondered this very interesting fact about a human sensing anothers pherenomes and complimantary immune system, the got to thinking about it in practice. It is true you hear men and women talk of the exotic humans in a sexual way, that foreigners are sexier, accents are a turn on.... all those things that are different actually sexually arouse us.

I then started to wonder if this kissing is so important to heterosexual relationships; why is it important to homosexual relationships. Then I got to thinking about a phenomenon I have often been perplexed about... gays are the least racist people in any community. Think of a gay church group or a gay bar ... most often they are a strange mix of every breed of human there is, regardless of where you are on earth. Perhaps the hyper attraction of homosexuals to those outside of their community is actually an integral part of our evolution. It may have been essential for early hominids to survive if tribes and family groups intermingled and the males formed bonds which allowed for combining of resources and lessening of conflict, which resulted in a higher percentage of successful offspring.

Well I know for myself I have never been attracted to humans similar to myself, even though I have always wanted someone from my own culture so as to have a lot more in common I have unfortunately been compelled to seek out people of other ethnicities. 

Perhaps there is something in that... in the mean time I did end up going to the gym... and it was still packed...with all the usual suspects, but another thing that I was intrigued about is my complete lack of attraction to anyone at all anymore. It seems my old ways are well and truly extinct and I really am in my perfect relationship.

As a farmer, genetics and behaviours are of great interest to me, so it is with great interest I will continue to ponder the reasons for kissing and the reasons I have no interest to do it with anyone other than my other half.