Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Monday, May 14, 2012
Man pulled over for being radioactive
By
(io9) Last Wednesday, Mike Apatow was getting on to Interstate 84 in Newtown, CT, when police stopped him for no reason he could determine. When the cop told him that his car had set off his radioactivity detectors, it started making sense: Apatow was most certainly radioactive.
Earlier in the day, Apatow had had a bit of radioactive material injected into his veins. He wasn't trying to turn himself into a superhero—just trying to keep himself alive. The off-duty firefighter had gone to a cardiology office to have a cardiac stress test, which tracks the function of the heart by tracking radioactivity as it moves through the circulatory system. Apatow had come to the office after feeling ill earlier and finding that his blood pressure had gone up way above where it was usually. Whatever caused the blip went away quickly, and Apatow went back to work, as recounted at ctpost.com.
Cardiologists say this kind of issue is more common than you might think, and often warn their stress-test patients that they may run into some unwanted attention in places like airports. Apatow's doctor had in fact given him a document explaining the situation just in case he got ran into any suspicion of nuclear monkey business. So in the end, he emerged from both the stress test and the police stop without missing a beat.
Image: Everett Collection/Shutterstock
Link:
Hero, who saved 500 lives, dies at 85
THE "Angel of The Gap", Sydney's Don Ritchie, has died aged 85.
By Miles Godfrey
(The Australian) Mr. Ritchie spent 50 years coaxing desperate people back from The Gap, the notorious cliff at Watsons Bay where hundreds have died or thought about taking their lives.
He helped save 500 despairing souls - usually with little more than compassion, a warm smile and a hot cuppa.
"Those who knew him knew he was a very strong person and a very capable person," Mr Ritchie's daughter Sue said today.
Federal MP Malcolm Turnbull, whose electorate includes The Gap, added: "A true hero, one of our greatest Australians. RIP."
Born in Vaucluse in 1926, Mr Ritchie died peacefully at home on Old South Head Road, Watsons Bay yesterday.
The former navy seaman turned life insurance salesman was never one to shout about his exploits.
He helped because he could.
Ms Ritchie said: "It was just something that he saw and that he had to do something about."
NSW Mental Health Minister Kevin Humphries recalled when Mr Ritchie was named a Local Hero in the 2011 Australian of the Year Awards.
"Upon accepting the award Mr Ritchie urged people to never be afraid to speak to those most in need," he said.
"Always remember the power of the simple smile, a helping hand, a listening ear and a kind word."
A funeral will be held in Sydney on Friday.
Mr Ritchie's family asked for donations to be made to the Black Dog Institute or to Lifeline.
Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 131114.
Link:
By Miles Godfrey
(The Australian) Mr. Ritchie spent 50 years coaxing desperate people back from The Gap, the notorious cliff at Watsons Bay where hundreds have died or thought about taking their lives.
He helped save 500 despairing souls - usually with little more than compassion, a warm smile and a hot cuppa.
"Those who knew him knew he was a very strong person and a very capable person," Mr Ritchie's daughter Sue said today.
Federal MP Malcolm Turnbull, whose electorate includes The Gap, added: "A true hero, one of our greatest Australians. RIP."
Born in Vaucluse in 1926, Mr Ritchie died peacefully at home on Old South Head Road, Watsons Bay yesterday.
The former navy seaman turned life insurance salesman was never one to shout about his exploits.
He helped because he could.
Ms Ritchie said: "It was just something that he saw and that he had to do something about."
NSW Mental Health Minister Kevin Humphries recalled when Mr Ritchie was named a Local Hero in the 2011 Australian of the Year Awards.
"Upon accepting the award Mr Ritchie urged people to never be afraid to speak to those most in need," he said.
"Always remember the power of the simple smile, a helping hand, a listening ear and a kind word."
A funeral will be held in Sydney on Friday.
Mr Ritchie's family asked for donations to be made to the Black Dog Institute or to Lifeline.
Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 131114.
Link:
Who Killed Men's Hats?
by Robert Krulwich
Here's another rally, Union Square again. This time it's an Occupy Wall Street demonstration. A hundred years have passed. Same place. Same kind of crowd. But this time: hardly a hat.
Flip back one more time. We're back, I
think, in Union Square, with Emma Goldman arriving by car. She's another
socialist (this isn't an essay about lefties, it's about hats) and
there she is, the only woman in a sea of men wearing a sea of hats.
So what happened? Why did guys stop wearing headgear in midcentury America?
The turning point, most people say, was John F. Kennedy's inauguration. Before Kennedy, all presidents wore top hats on their first day at work. Kennedy brought one, but hardly ever put it on. Fashionistas say Kennedy, one of our most charismatic presidents, made hats un-happen. And, chronologically speaking, after JFK, guys everywhere, even balding ones like astronaut John Glenn, went topless.
But I am the son of a hat designer. And my
father, Allen S. Krulwich, had a different explanation. The president
who de-hatted America, he thought, was Dwight Eisenhower.
Here's my dad's logic.
In the 1950s — and this was one of Ike's grand accomplishments — he built a vast highway system across America. Interstates went up everywhere. Cities extended roads, turnpikes, highways, and suburbs appeared around every major city. People, instead of taking a bus, a tram, a train to work, could hop into their new Chevy or Ford and drive... (continued)
The Library of Congress/via flickr
Here's another rally, Union Square again. This time it's an Occupy Wall Street demonstration. A hundred years have passed. Same place. Same kind of crowd. But this time: hardly a hat.
Allison Joyce/Getty Images
So what happened? Why did guys stop wearing headgear in midcentury America?
The turning point, most people say, was John F. Kennedy's inauguration. Before Kennedy, all presidents wore top hats on their first day at work. Kennedy brought one, but hardly ever put it on. Fashionistas say Kennedy, one of our most charismatic presidents, made hats un-happen. And, chronologically speaking, after JFK, guys everywhere, even balding ones like astronaut John Glenn, went topless.
AP
Astronaut
John Glenn, left, and President John F. Kennedy, center, inspect the
Friendship 7 Mercury capsule on Feb. 23, 1962, which Glenn rode in
orbit. At right is Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Here's my dad's logic.
In the 1950s — and this was one of Ike's grand accomplishments — he built a vast highway system across America. Interstates went up everywhere. Cities extended roads, turnpikes, highways, and suburbs appeared around every major city. People, instead of taking a bus, a tram, a train to work, could hop into their new Chevy or Ford and drive... (continued)
Sunday, May 13, 2012
CDF demands explanation from Cardinal Christoph Schonborn
From RORATE CÆLI:
Austrian daily Der Standard reports that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has asked the Cardinal of Vienna to explain himself regarding his decision to reverse the decision of Father Gerhard Swierzek, parish priest in Stützenhofen, who had blocked the presence of a young man living in a registered homosexual "union" as a member of the local Parish Council (see the first and second posts on the matter):Link:
Der Standard has learned from well-informed Vatican sources that the Archbishop of Vienna was invited by letter to explain his position [on this matter]. In case of non-response, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith will call up the Cardinal in his next visit to Rome.Right. As a member of the full Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith himself, the Cardinal must be extremely fearful...
[Tip: Secretum meum mihi]
Related:
Mad Minnesota moms to food police: We'll eat what we want
By Bob Unruh
(WND) Moms in Minnesota are preparing to defy state dictates over when and
how they can access food supplies for their families, with a rally
scheduled Monday to coincide with the beginning of the trial of the
manager of a farm buying club, according to the Farm Food Freedom Coalition.
WND previously has reported on disputes between farmers and consumers on one side and federal regulators on the other. They have involved the purchase by consumers of raw milk, the rights of consumers to access milk from their own cows, a radio program that offered natural products and a blogger who wrote about his battle with diabetes and was threatened with jail.
The newest development comes from the Farm Food Freedom Coalition, which is assembling a protest at the Minneapolis trial of Alvin Schlangen, a farm buying club manager.
The group said that mothers in the state who act as hosts for “drop sites” for farm buying club members now have been threatened with criminal charges.
The May 14 protest will be at 7 a.m. outside the Minneapolis courthouse where Schlangen’s trial is scheduled, officials said.
“At the rally supporters will sign a ‘Declaration of Food Independence’ and demonstrate non-compliance against what they deem ‘unjust’ regulations,” the organization announced.
Another supporting organization, the Raw Milk Freedom Riders, said that Schlangen founded the Freedom Farms Coop, which simply connects people with the foods of their choice from local producers.
“Over the past two years the Minnesota Department of Agriculture has illegally raided Alvin’s van, warehouse, and farm. The state has now brought four charges against Alvin related to food distribution; all are misdemeanors counts. If convicted, Alvin faces up to a year in jail and hefty fines … just for helping to connect consumers to the producers and foods of their choice.”
Organizers confirm that “several Minnesota mothers who organize community access to local fresh farm foods plan to risk criminal charges by openly and publicly defying warnings from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.”
“The MDA has threatened several mothers, conducted investigations against them and sent them warning letters that if they continue helping provide fresh food to their friends and neighbors, they will be subject to criminal charges and prosecution. The MDA alleges the mothers are violating food-handling regulations.”
Hundreds are expected to join the rally, organizers estimate.
“It is absolutely outrageous that during this time of economic crisis our state government is investigating and sending warning letters to mothers and putting farmers on trial who are helping provide communities with fresh foods. It is my right to contract privately with a farmer for the food of my choice just as it is the right of every American,” said Melinda Olson, a mother and recipient of one of the MDA’s warnings.
“The MDA’s harassment against mothers will not work. We plan to ignore this warning and continue operating as we are. MDA should not waste taxpayer money investigating, prosecuting and jailing peaceful farmers and mothers for helping their communities secure fresh foods. Our time to stand up against this tyranny is now!” she said.
Pete Kennedy of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, who tracks such issues nationally, said, “Nowhere in the country at this time is state action against food freedom and consumer choice more oppressive than in the state of Minnesota...” (continued)
(WND) Moms in Minnesota are preparing to defy state dictates over when and
how they can access food supplies for their families, with a rally
scheduled Monday to coincide with the beginning of the trial of the
manager of a farm buying club, according to the Farm Food Freedom Coalition.WND previously has reported on disputes between farmers and consumers on one side and federal regulators on the other. They have involved the purchase by consumers of raw milk, the rights of consumers to access milk from their own cows, a radio program that offered natural products and a blogger who wrote about his battle with diabetes and was threatened with jail.
The newest development comes from the Farm Food Freedom Coalition, which is assembling a protest at the Minneapolis trial of Alvin Schlangen, a farm buying club manager.
The group said that mothers in the state who act as hosts for “drop sites” for farm buying club members now have been threatened with criminal charges.
The May 14 protest will be at 7 a.m. outside the Minneapolis courthouse where Schlangen’s trial is scheduled, officials said.
“At the rally supporters will sign a ‘Declaration of Food Independence’ and demonstrate non-compliance against what they deem ‘unjust’ regulations,” the organization announced.
Another supporting organization, the Raw Milk Freedom Riders, said that Schlangen founded the Freedom Farms Coop, which simply connects people with the foods of their choice from local producers.
“Over the past two years the Minnesota Department of Agriculture has illegally raided Alvin’s van, warehouse, and farm. The state has now brought four charges against Alvin related to food distribution; all are misdemeanors counts. If convicted, Alvin faces up to a year in jail and hefty fines … just for helping to connect consumers to the producers and foods of their choice.”
Organizers confirm that “several Minnesota mothers who organize community access to local fresh farm foods plan to risk criminal charges by openly and publicly defying warnings from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.”
“The MDA has threatened several mothers, conducted investigations against them and sent them warning letters that if they continue helping provide fresh food to their friends and neighbors, they will be subject to criminal charges and prosecution. The MDA alleges the mothers are violating food-handling regulations.”
Hundreds are expected to join the rally, organizers estimate.
“It is absolutely outrageous that during this time of economic crisis our state government is investigating and sending warning letters to mothers and putting farmers on trial who are helping provide communities with fresh foods. It is my right to contract privately with a farmer for the food of my choice just as it is the right of every American,” said Melinda Olson, a mother and recipient of one of the MDA’s warnings.
“The MDA’s harassment against mothers will not work. We plan to ignore this warning and continue operating as we are. MDA should not waste taxpayer money investigating, prosecuting and jailing peaceful farmers and mothers for helping their communities secure fresh foods. Our time to stand up against this tyranny is now!” she said.
Pete Kennedy of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, who tracks such issues nationally, said, “Nowhere in the country at this time is state action against food freedom and consumer choice more oppressive than in the state of Minnesota...” (continued)
Saturday, May 12, 2012
President Obama selling baby onesies with "my two moms support Obama"
By Aliyah Shahid
(New York Daily News) President Obama is banking on his endorsement of gay marriage to fill his campaign coffers.
His team is selling a slew of LGBT merchandise on BarackObama.com, just days after his historic backing of same-sex couples tying the knot.
The items include “I'm out for Obama" T-shirts, beer koozies that read "LGBT for Obama" and even baby onesies with messages like "My two moms support Obama.” The items cost anywhere from $10 to $40... (continued)
Link:
Related:
- Cardinal Donald Wuerl Silent on Joe Biden's Public Support for Homosexual "Marriage"
- Pelosi: Catholic Faith "Compels" Me To Support Same-Sex Marriage
- Cardinal Donald Wuerl: Not His Style
- Fr. Marcel Guarnizo Update
- EITHER BISHOPS TAKE CONTROL OVER THE SACRAMENTS OR THE CHURCH’S ENEMIES WILL
- Fr. Marcel (!) Guarnizo receives gift from Chancery
- Lesbian denied Communion at her mother’s funeral is also a Buddhist
Pelosi: Catholic Faith "Compels" Me To Support Same-Sex Marriage
(Real Clear Politics) Reporter at Pelosi's weekly news conference: "You're a Catholic that
supports gay marriage. Do you believe that religion and the idea that
you can support gay marriage can be separated? And how do you grapple
with the idea that you support gay marriage as a Catholic?"
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi responds: "My religion has, compels me, and I love it for it, to be against discrimination of any kind in our country, and I consider this a form of discrimination. I think it’s unconstitutional on top of that."
Link:
Related:
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi responds: "My religion has, compels me, and I love it for it, to be against discrimination of any kind in our country, and I consider this a form of discrimination. I think it’s unconstitutional on top of that."
Link:
Related:
- President Obama selling baby onesies with "my two moms support Obama"
- Cardinal Donald Wuerl Silent on Joe Biden's Public Support for Homosexual "Marriage"
- Jim Jones’ sinister grip on San Francisco
- Cardinal Donald Wuerl: Not His Style
- Fr. Marcel Guarnizo Update
- EITHER BISHOPS TAKE CONTROL OVER THE SACRAMENTS OR THE CHURCH’S ENEMIES WILL
- Fr. Marcel (!) Guarnizo receives gift from Chancery
- Lesbian denied Communion at her mother’s funeral is also a Buddhist
Friday, May 11, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
New Mayan Calendar Discovered That Doesn't End in 2012
By Dashiell Bennett
(The Atlantic Wire) Archeologists have unearthed what they say is the oldest known version of the Mayan calendar and one that doesn't "end" with the Earth's destruction later this year. Yeah, you're welcome.
According to The Washington Post's Brian Vastag, researchers excavating the "lost" city of Xultún in present-day Guatemala discovered new astronomical tables carved into the wall of a "1200-year-old residential building." Much like the Maya codices that conspiracy theorists say predict an end-of-the-world date in December 2012, the tables chart planetary movements, moon and star patterns, and can predict the positions of celestial bodies thousands of years into the past and the future.
Numerous doomsday predictions are based on the claim that previously known codieces, like the famous Dresden Codex, chart the entire length of human history, but mysteriously stop on December 21, 2012 as if the Mayans knew that would be the last day humans would be around. However, the archeologists say that these the newly discovered tables — which pre-date the oldest known codex by as much as 500 years — span over 7,000 years of time, stretching far beyond of present age. So, you can breathe a little easier, though the news will come as a big shock to the tourism industry in Belize and other "entreprenuers" who are willing to take all your money off your hands before the big one hits.
If you still need something to panic about, Tulane University’s Marc Zender, who led the expedition, says that the Mayan calendar still begins a new “long cycle” in 2012, but compares he compares to an "odometer on a car rolling over from 99,999 miles to zero: “You go, ‘Yay,’ but the car just doesn’t disappear.” Oh, really? Well, we'll see about that.
Link:
Cardinal Donald Wuerl Silent on Biden Remarks
From RORATE CÆLI:
By now, it's old news that the Vice President of the United States Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, a nominal Catholic, not only said he supports homosexual "marriage", but that there's no difference between homosexual "marriage" and heterosexual marriage (also known simply as marriage). His support for this issue was so persuasive that, about an hour ago, the President of the United States announced his support for homosexual "marriage" as well.
What's most troubling is the deafening silence stemming from the Ordinary of the ecclesiastical jurisdiction where the Vice President, his diocesan faithful, works - Cardinal Wuerl. Wuerl, who is accustomed to giving our Lord to pro-abortion politicians and celebrities, such as Nancy Pelosi, Chris Matthews and other nominal Catholics in not-so-good standing, has been silent on Biden's remarks. In fact, when contacted by Rorate Caeli, his communications office refused to comment and said it was "highly unlikely" Wuerl would ever say anything publicly.
Yet, he sure was vocal and public when it came to Father Marcel Guarnizo, who is STILL suspended in the Archdiocese of Washington, all for refusing to give Holy Communion to a lesbian Buddhist.
Maybe you, your family, friends, and everyone else who cares about the name of the Church can get the good Cardinal to speak up. If you get a statement, any statement, please let us know:
Office of Media and Public RelationsLink:
Secretariat for Communications
301-853-4516 communications@adw.org
Related:
- The Scandal That is Eating the Heart out of the Catholic Church in America
- Cardinal Raymond Burke: Obama’s Policies ‘Have Become Progressively More Hostile Toward Christian Civilization’
- Cardinal Donald Wuerl: Not His Style
- Fr. Marcel Guarnizo Update
- EITHER BISHOPS TAKE CONTROL OVER THE SACRAMENTS OR THE CHURCH’S ENEMIES WILL
- Fr. Marcel (!) Guarnizo receives gift from Chancery
- Lesbian denied Communion at her mother’s funeral is also a Buddhist
Knife flight
Golden eagle steals a hunting blade from the photographer
PHOTO: aftonbladet.se
Death from above!
This badass golden eagle clutching a hunting knife in his talons was snapped by photographer Han Bouwmeester in Västerbotten, Sweden.
Bouwmeester and some colleagues cut up pieces of meat to lure eagles to his wildlife photo shoot, and one of them left the knife in the snow.
That’s when the eagle swooped in.
“I looked at the display of the camera and saw something strange. Then I saw that it looked like a knife,” Bouwmeester told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet.
He says the eagle took the knife home.
– Hasani Gittens
@hgitty
From The Daily:
PHOTO: aftonbladet.se
Death from above!
This badass golden eagle clutching a hunting knife in his talons was snapped by photographer Han Bouwmeester in Västerbotten, Sweden.
Bouwmeester and some colleagues cut up pieces of meat to lure eagles to his wildlife photo shoot, and one of them left the knife in the snow.
That’s when the eagle swooped in.
“I looked at the display of the camera and saw something strange. Then I saw that it looked like a knife,” Bouwmeester told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet.
He says the eagle took the knife home.
– Hasani Gittens
@hgitty
From The Daily:
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
60% of Catholics in the Diocese of Camden Believe that Jesus Christ Sinned
The Hell You Say...or Don't Say! - The Vortex With Michael Voris
"The poll revealed that 60%, three out of every five Catholics in his [Bishop Joseph Galante] diocese, get this, believe that Jesus Christ sinned..."
"The poll revealed that 60%, three out of every five Catholics in his [Bishop Joseph Galante] diocese, get this, believe that Jesus Christ sinned..."
Monsignor Michael, J.C.D., P.H.: The Red Blood of the Martyr St Thomas Becket and Father Gordon MacRae
From Monsignor Michael, J.C.D., P.H., in a guest post at These Stone Walls:
...These words of Thomas Becket resonate in today’s Church, in today’s world. We must rediscover this attachment to the Vicar of Christ. Too many churchmen today are too busy with their careers. They forget this vital link with Peter. They care little or less about the Gospel or its proclamation. Sometimes the Pope is lauded in public but beguiled behind closed doors…Pope Benedict has warned the Church more than once about these dangers of ecclesial ambition which can be found “in the ranks”.
Indeed, years ago, I had a classmate of mine in canon law with whom I got along real well. We studied together and actually sat side by side in the licentiate sessions in Rome and later would defend our thesis’ the same day (quite by chance actually…). I had noticed something strange in my friend and in some other classmates from various parts of the world. They seemed to choose their friends in view of ecclesial ’social climbing’. I was determined not to let my friend fall into this trap in which he seemed to willingly throw himself. So, I went to him and said, ‘Robert, (not his real name) I am leaving for the missions and have something to tell you, If you continue down this road, you will end up in hell’. He was of course, not amused.
But the truth is the truth, and in the Church the truth has to be said…I have seen too many priests just eaten up with ambition, thinking of climbing the ranks... (continued)
Related:
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Lost Sheep.
Recent events have caused me to reflect upon how much I hate losing sheep, whether it be to another parish, another church, or that other church known as cafeteria Catholicism. My secretary remarked, "Wow, you really take it personally." Damn straight I do. This isn't just my job, it is my vocation. And if that weren't enough, there is always the knowledge that I will be held accountable by the Lord for each and every soul entrusted to my care on the Day of Judgement... (continued)
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Jim Jones’ sinister grip on San Francisco
How the Peoples Temple cult leader ensnared Harvey Milk and other progressive icons
Left: Former San Francisco Supervisor Harvey
Milk. Right: The Rev. Jim Jones, pastor of Peoples Temple in San
Francisco (Credit: AP)
(Salon) “Season of the Witch,” the new book by Salonfounder David Talbot, tells the story of the wild and bloody birth of “San Francisco values.” The following excerpt – Part 1 in a three-part series -- recounts one of the darker dramas before the ultimate triumph of those values.
Jim Jones, the strange and charismatic leader of Peoples Temple, proved a master at politically wiring San Francisco in the mid-1970s...
Political leaders, aware of Jones’s ability to deliver — or
manufacture — votes, lined up to pay tribute to the preacher. He worked
his way into the good graces of officials high and low — most of them
Democrats, since that was the party in power in California and San
Francisco in the mid-1970s. But Jones was also happy to exchange
mutually complimentary correspondence with the offices of Ronald Reagan
and statesman Henry Kissinger.
During the 1976 presidential campaign, Jones wangled a private meeting with Jimmy Carter’s wife, Rosalynn, at the elegant Stanford Court Hotel on Nob Hill, arriving with a security contingent that was larger than her Secret Service squad. Later Jones accompanied Moscone and a group of Democratic dignitaries who climbed aboard vice presidential candidate Walter Mondale’s private jet when it touched down at San Francisco International Airport.
Governor Jerry Brown sang the preacher’s praises. Congressman John
Burton, Phil’s brother, lobbied the governor to appoint Jones to the
high-profile board of regents, which oversaw California’s sprawling
public university system. San Francisco Supervisor – now U.S. Senator —
Dianne Feinstein accepted an invitation to lunch with Jones and to tour
Peoples Temple.
But no political figures were more gushing in their praise of Jones than Willie Brown and Harvey Milk, San Francisco’s rising tribune of gay freedom. Milk, a perennial candidate for office until he finally won a supervisor’s seat in 1977, aggressively sought Jones’s political blessing. “Our paths have crossed,” Milk wrote Jones during an earlier campaign for supervisor, in a letter filled with the kind of awed reverence that the cult leader demanded from his followers. “They will stay crossed. It is a fight that I will walk with you into . . . The first time I heard you, you made a statement: ‘Take one of us, and you must take all of us.’ Please add my name.”
Not content to hear dignitaries whisper flatteries into his ear, Jones staged a testimonial banquet in his own honor and demanded that politicians in his debt offer him public tribute. On the evening of September 25, 1976, the Peoples Temple headquarters on Geary Boulevard was converted into a formal dining hall with linen tablecloths and floral arrangements. At the head table sat Mayor Moscone, District Attorney Freitas, and Assemblyman Willie Brown, who acted as the evening’s exuberant master of ceremonies. As he introduced the man of the hour to the overflow audience, Brown reached new heights of shameless, ass-kissing puffery. “Let me present to you,” Brown roared, “a combination of Martin King, Angela Davis, Albert Einstein . . . Chairman Mao.” By the time Jones rose to tumultuous applause, he seemed likely to walk on water... (continued)
(Salon) “Season of the Witch,” the new book by Salonfounder David Talbot, tells the story of the wild and bloody birth of “San Francisco values.” The following excerpt – Part 1 in a three-part series -- recounts one of the darker dramas before the ultimate triumph of those values.
Jim Jones, the strange and charismatic leader of Peoples Temple, proved a master at politically wiring San Francisco in the mid-1970s...
Political leaders, aware of Jones’s ability to deliver — or
manufacture — votes, lined up to pay tribute to the preacher. He worked
his way into the good graces of officials high and low — most of them
Democrats, since that was the party in power in California and San
Francisco in the mid-1970s. But Jones was also happy to exchange
mutually complimentary correspondence with the offices of Ronald Reagan
and statesman Henry Kissinger.During the 1976 presidential campaign, Jones wangled a private meeting with Jimmy Carter’s wife, Rosalynn, at the elegant Stanford Court Hotel on Nob Hill, arriving with a security contingent that was larger than her Secret Service squad. Later Jones accompanied Moscone and a group of Democratic dignitaries who climbed aboard vice presidential candidate Walter Mondale’s private jet when it touched down at San Francisco International Airport.
Governor Jerry Brown sang the preacher’s praises. Congressman John
Burton, Phil’s brother, lobbied the governor to appoint Jones to the
high-profile board of regents, which oversaw California’s sprawling
public university system. San Francisco Supervisor – now U.S. Senator —
Dianne Feinstein accepted an invitation to lunch with Jones and to tour
Peoples Temple.But no political figures were more gushing in their praise of Jones than Willie Brown and Harvey Milk, San Francisco’s rising tribune of gay freedom. Milk, a perennial candidate for office until he finally won a supervisor’s seat in 1977, aggressively sought Jones’s political blessing. “Our paths have crossed,” Milk wrote Jones during an earlier campaign for supervisor, in a letter filled with the kind of awed reverence that the cult leader demanded from his followers. “They will stay crossed. It is a fight that I will walk with you into . . . The first time I heard you, you made a statement: ‘Take one of us, and you must take all of us.’ Please add my name.”
Not content to hear dignitaries whisper flatteries into his ear, Jones staged a testimonial banquet in his own honor and demanded that politicians in his debt offer him public tribute. On the evening of September 25, 1976, the Peoples Temple headquarters on Geary Boulevard was converted into a formal dining hall with linen tablecloths and floral arrangements. At the head table sat Mayor Moscone, District Attorney Freitas, and Assemblyman Willie Brown, who acted as the evening’s exuberant master of ceremonies. As he introduced the man of the hour to the overflow audience, Brown reached new heights of shameless, ass-kissing puffery. “Let me present to you,” Brown roared, “a combination of Martin King, Angela Davis, Albert Einstein . . . Chairman Mao.” By the time Jones rose to tumultuous applause, he seemed likely to walk on water... (continued)
Old $50 bill found real, but not before bearer arrested
By
(Shelbyville Times-Gazette) What officers thought was a counterfeit $50 bill turned out to be an old, legitimate bill, but the truth wasn't discovered until a man was mistakenly charged and jailed Friday.
A clerk at Quik Mart, South Cannon Boulevard, notified police after the marker used to detect counterfeit bills didn't check as real.
"The front side of the bill was off center and it didn't feel like a normal bill, it did look to be counterfeit," officer Brock Horner said in his report.
After Lorenzo Gaspar was jailed, Horner showed the bill to Sgt. Bill Logue, the Shelbyville Police Department's evidence technician, who told him old legitimate bills wouldn't "check" with a marker and suggested he have it inspected at a bank... (continued)
(Shelbyville Times-Gazette) What officers thought was a counterfeit $50 bill turned out to be an old, legitimate bill, but the truth wasn't discovered until a man was mistakenly charged and jailed Friday.
A clerk at Quik Mart, South Cannon Boulevard, notified police after the marker used to detect counterfeit bills didn't check as real.
"The front side of the bill was off center and it didn't feel like a normal bill, it did look to be counterfeit," officer Brock Horner said in his report.
After Lorenzo Gaspar was jailed, Horner showed the bill to Sgt. Bill Logue, the Shelbyville Police Department's evidence technician, who told him old legitimate bills wouldn't "check" with a marker and suggested he have it inspected at a bank... (continued)
Cardinal Burke Urges Catholics to Pray for the Reconciliation of the SSPX
From The Eponymous Flower:
Germany. [Kreuz] Last Tuesday the Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, Cardinal Raymond Burke, celebrated a Traditional High Mass in the town of Santa Maria di Leuca -- in the south Italian Province of Lecce. This was reported by the French website, 'Forum Catholique'. The Cardinal called upon Catholics to pray for the reconciliation with the Society of Saint Pius X. Cardinal Burke sees the current renewal of the Liturgy not till the beginning of development.Link:
Related:
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch dead at 47
(CBS/AP) Adam Yauch of the hip-hop trio the Beastie Boys has died. He was 47.
Yauch, who was known as MCA in the group, had been in treatment for cancer. He was diagnosed with cancer in his parotid gland and lymph node in 2009.
At the time, Yauch expressed hope it was "very treatable," but his illness caused the group to cancel shows and delayed the release of its 2011 album, "Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2."
The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April, but Yauch was unable to attend. The band has not performed together live since 2009.
Yauch helped co-found the band with Mike "Mike D" Diamond and Adam "AdRock" Horowitz in 1979.The group was deemed innovative for its mash-up of punk and hip-hop.
Link:
Amish farm kids remarkably immune to allergies: study
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Amish children raised on rural farms in northern Indiana suffer from asthma and allergies less often even than Swiss farm kids, a group known to be relatively free from allergies, according to a new study.
"The rates are very, very low," said Dr. Mark Holbreich, the study's lead author. "So there's something that we feel is even more protective in the Amish" than in European farming communities.
What it is about growing up on farms -- and Amish farms in particular -- that seems to prevent allergies remains unclear.
Researchers have long observed the so-called "farm effect" -- the low allergy and asthma rates found among kids raised on farms -- in central Europe, but less is known about the influence of growing up on North American farms.
Holbreich, an allergist in Indianapolis, has been treating Amish communities in Indiana for two decades, but he noticed that very few Amish actually had any allergies.
As studies on the farm effect in Europe began to emerge several years ago, Holbreich wondered if the same phenomenon might be found in the United States.
He teamed up with European colleagues to compare Swiss farming children and non-farming children to Amish kids in Indiana.
Amish families, who can trace their roots back to Switzerland, typically farm using methods from the 1800s and they don't own cars or televisions.
The researchers surveyed 157 Amish families, about 3,000 Swiss farming families, and close to 11,000 Swiss families who did not live on a farm -- all with children between the ages of six and 12.
Similarly, among 138 Amish kids given a skin-prick test
to determine whether they were predisposed to having allergies, only 10
kids -- or seven percent -- had a positive response.
In comparison, 25 percent of the farm-raised Swiss kids and 44 percent of the other Swiss children had a positive test, the researchers report in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
The study did not determine why the kids who grew up on farms were less likely to develop asthma and allergies, but other research has pointed to exposure to microbes and contact with cows, in particular, to partially explain the farm effect (see Reuters Health story of May 2, 2012).
Drinking raw cow's milk also seems to be involved, Holbreich said.
The going theory is this early exposure to the diverse potential allergens and pathogens on a farm trains the immune system to recognize them, but not overreact to the harmless ones.
As for why the Amish kids have even lower allergy and asthma rates than the other farming kids, "that piece of the puzzle we really haven't explained," Holbreich told Reuters Health.
He speculated that it could be at least partly a result of the Amish having larger families or spending even more time outside or in barns than people on more modern working farms.
Dr. Corinna Bowser, an allergist in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, said there's also a possibility that inherited factors could play a role.
"The Amish are still of a limited genetic pool, I would assume, because they're much more segregated than the Swiss kids are," she told Reuters Health.
Holbreich said upcoming studies will further investigate the differences between the farming groups, with an eye toward designing possible interventions.
For instance, pregnant mothers or young children could be exposed to the mysterious factors that seem to protect farm kids as a preventive treatment, he explained.
"The goal is to try to find a way to prevent this allergy and asthma epidemic that western populations are facing," Holbreich said.
Link:
"The rates are very, very low," said Dr. Mark Holbreich, the study's lead author. "So there's something that we feel is even more protective in the Amish" than in European farming communities.
What it is about growing up on farms -- and Amish farms in particular -- that seems to prevent allergies remains unclear.
Researchers have long observed the so-called "farm effect" -- the low allergy and asthma rates found among kids raised on farms -- in central Europe, but less is known about the influence of growing up on North American farms.
Holbreich, an allergist in Indianapolis, has been treating Amish communities in Indiana for two decades, but he noticed that very few Amish actually had any allergies.
As studies on the farm effect in Europe began to emerge several years ago, Holbreich wondered if the same phenomenon might be found in the United States.
He teamed up with European colleagues to compare Swiss farming children and non-farming children to Amish kids in Indiana.
Amish families, who can trace their roots back to Switzerland, typically farm using methods from the 1800s and they don't own cars or televisions.
The researchers surveyed 157 Amish families, about 3,000 Swiss farming families, and close to 11,000 Swiss families who did not live on a farm -- all with children between the ages of six and 12.
They found that just
five percent of Amish kids had been diagnosed with asthma, compared to
6.8 percent of Swiss farm kids and 11.2 percent of the other Swiss
children.
In comparison, 25 percent of the farm-raised Swiss kids and 44 percent of the other Swiss children had a positive test, the researchers report in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
The study did not determine why the kids who grew up on farms were less likely to develop asthma and allergies, but other research has pointed to exposure to microbes and contact with cows, in particular, to partially explain the farm effect (see Reuters Health story of May 2, 2012).
Drinking raw cow's milk also seems to be involved, Holbreich said.
The going theory is this early exposure to the diverse potential allergens and pathogens on a farm trains the immune system to recognize them, but not overreact to the harmless ones.
As for why the Amish kids have even lower allergy and asthma rates than the other farming kids, "that piece of the puzzle we really haven't explained," Holbreich told Reuters Health.
He speculated that it could be at least partly a result of the Amish having larger families or spending even more time outside or in barns than people on more modern working farms.
Dr. Corinna Bowser, an allergist in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, said there's also a possibility that inherited factors could play a role.
"The Amish are still of a limited genetic pool, I would assume, because they're much more segregated than the Swiss kids are," she told Reuters Health.
Holbreich said upcoming studies will further investigate the differences between the farming groups, with an eye toward designing possible interventions.
For instance, pregnant mothers or young children could be exposed to the mysterious factors that seem to protect farm kids as a preventive treatment, he explained.
"The goal is to try to find a way to prevent this allergy and asthma epidemic that western populations are facing," Holbreich said.
Link:
Friday, May 4, 2012
Anglican preacher barred from pulpit over opposition to gay marriage
An Anglican lay preacher has been banned from the pulpit after encouraging
parishioners to oppose against gay marriage – in line with official Church
teaching.
By John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor
(The Telegraph) Peter Gowlland, 78, was accused of sowing discord among worshippers at the liberal-leaning All Saints Church in Sanderstead, Surrey, by inviting them to sign a petition against the Government plans to introduce same-sex weddings.
Despite being told by his Archdeacon to “withdraw” from ministry for two months as a result, Church authorities continued to insist last night that he had “not been suspended”.
The retired science teacher says he was told “we don’t do that here” by a fellow lay reader when he set out a pile of leaflets promoting the former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey’s Coalition For Marriage before a Sunday service last month.
Matters came to a head shortly during the service when he urged parishioners in his sermon to be “bold like the apostles” and register their opposition to the redefinition of marriage.
It prompted what might pass in the Church of England for a public showdown: a brief and polite disagreement with two other lay readers in front of the congregation, a retired bishop and the visiting Worldwide President of the Mothers’ Union.
The two women who stood up in front of the church during the parish notices and advised parishioners told them not to sign the petition, adding: “There are other views”.
He Rt Revd David Atkinson, the retired Bishop of Thetford, who was leading the worship, stepped in to advise that the service was “not the correct time and place” to discuss the bitterly contentious issue, according to Mr Gowlland... (continued)
Peter Gowlland and his family in October 2006
By John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor
(The Telegraph) Peter Gowlland, 78, was accused of sowing discord among worshippers at the liberal-leaning All Saints Church in Sanderstead, Surrey, by inviting them to sign a petition against the Government plans to introduce same-sex weddings.
Despite being told by his Archdeacon to “withdraw” from ministry for two months as a result, Church authorities continued to insist last night that he had “not been suspended”.
The retired science teacher says he was told “we don’t do that here” by a fellow lay reader when he set out a pile of leaflets promoting the former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey’s Coalition For Marriage before a Sunday service last month.
Matters came to a head shortly during the service when he urged parishioners in his sermon to be “bold like the apostles” and register their opposition to the redefinition of marriage.
It prompted what might pass in the Church of England for a public showdown: a brief and polite disagreement with two other lay readers in front of the congregation, a retired bishop and the visiting Worldwide President of the Mothers’ Union.
The two women who stood up in front of the church during the parish notices and advised parishioners told them not to sign the petition, adding: “There are other views”.
He Rt Revd David Atkinson, the retired Bishop of Thetford, who was leading the worship, stepped in to advise that the service was “not the correct time and place” to discuss the bitterly contentious issue, according to Mr Gowlland... (continued)
Thursday, May 3, 2012
French Revolution martyr Father Pierre-Adrien Toulorge beatified
(Catholic Culture) Father Pierre-Adrien Toulorge (1757-93), a Norbertine priest martyred
during the French Revolution, was beatified on April 29 at the
cathedral in Coutances, France. Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the
Congregation for the Causes of Saints, presided at the beatification,
which was attended by 1,500 faithful and hundreds of priests and
religious.
When Father Toulorge was sentenced to death, a nun who was arrested with him wept, prompting this rebuke from the priest:
When Father Toulorge was sentenced to death, a nun who was arrested with him wept, prompting this rebuke from the priest:
Madame, the tears you are shedding are unworthy of you and me. What would worldly people say if they knew that having renounced the world, we found it difficult to leave it? If we are loathe to die, we will give the children of this century a bad example, and perhaps your discouragement will close the door of salvation for many souls who might find themselves in the same situation. Let us teach them by our constancy what they must do. Let us show that faith is victorious over torture, and open a path to heaven amidst the final efforts of hell.French Revolution martyr beatified
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Genghis Khan Nabbed on Crack Charges After Thruway Stop
From Lohud.com:
CLARKSTOWN — State police nabbed three people on charges they had a handgun and crack-cocaine when stopped on the New York State Thruway.Troopers reported finding nearly 6.5 ounces of crack, and marijuana, when they stopped a 2001 Chevrolet on Monday, Sgt. John Antonelli said today. Also seized was a Ruger .357 handgun.
The car driven by Alex W. Spanos, 23, of Castleton, Vt., was stopped at 4 p.m. for traffic violations, Antonelli said, while headed northbound.
Khan also was charged him with tampering with evidence and resisting arrest.
“He tried to get rid of the drugs,” Antonelli said. “He didn’t want to be handcuffed. He resisted...” (continued)
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