text:
Pope's man in Italy on abortion, homosexuality & Communion for the divorced & remarried.
Grant Gallicho May 13, 2014 - 12:30pm
The church should listen "without any taboo" to all arguments for married priests, for allowing divorced and remarried Catholics to receive Communion, and about homosexuality, according to Bishop Nunzio Galatino, the man Pope Francis hand-picked to serve as general secretary of the Italian bishops conference.
In an interview with the Florence newspaper La Nazione, Galatino said that "in the past we have concentrated too much on abortion and euthanasia." (Sound familiar?) "It mustn't be this way because in the middle there's real life which is constantly changing." He continued: "I don't identify with the expressionless person who stands outside the abortion clinic reciting their rosary, but with young people, who are still against this practice, but are instead fighting for quality of life, their health, their right to work."
Needless to say, that didn't go over with members of the prolife movement. As the Tablet of London reported, John Smeaton--head of the Society for the Protection of the Unborn--responded sharply: "I do identify with the person outside the abortion clinic praying their rosary, whether or not the person is expressionless.... I really don't think you would be saying, if national laws had allowed the killing of Catholic priests or Jews over the past few decades: 'In the past we have concentrated too much on the killing of Catholic priests or Jews.'"
(H/T David Gibson)
Commenting Guidelines
Does it appear to others as it does to me that Papa Francesco may finally be loosing control of the message of his papacy?
Hierarchs are such pitiable pathetic dears - they just can't let go of their hegemonic political power to which they have been become so addicted.
Alas, to paraphrase Paul, human sexuality seems to be [a stumbling block to the hierarchs and a foolishness to reactionary Catholics].
Wow.That comment about abortion is really shocking;it's basically ridiculing people who pray,and who pray to end the evil of abortion.Said by a Christian. I'm speechless.I do support Pope Francis's claim that global income inequality needs to be addressed as a moral issue by Christians and I have no problem with taking a second look at communion for divorced people,the taboo against married priests,etc.,but this bishop's statement is fodder for the pro abortion culture and steers Christians away from recognizing the evil of abortion that is in our midst! His is one man's opinion but being that he's a bishop it is very disturbing to me,to hear.
I find the people protesting outside abortion clinics disturbing too. An interesting past movies about this issue - Lake of Fire - http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/lake-of-fire-2007
I did it once. When the bishop came to my parish church and we formed a procession praying and went and prayed in front of 2 abortion clinics.I did not even know the clinics were in my neighborhood. They're not marked as such.Praying the rosary in front of the clinics was like bringing down the reality of God's presence.That's what it felt like to me; the sacred and the profane, God's love in the midst of evil too.One clinic is still there,unmarked .My grand daughters' relative lives in the adjacent attached building and it is quite shocking that the banality of such evil is taking place, literally here, side by side with the wholesomeness of everyday life; the sadness of it.
Clinics where abortions are done have good reasons to be low profile - patients and employees are harrassed and some doctors have even been murdered.
I think John Smeaton's comment resonates. For people who in their hearts believe abortion is the taking of an innocent human life, how can one talk about it "too much"? Its not that we talk about abortion "too much"; its that we don't talk about a lot of other things enough.
Have found those who picket at clinics to be *marginal and disturbed* folks to begin with. Most are operating out of their own hang-ups, fears, over-reactions, etc. Why are they there? To embarras women who are facing a terrible dilemma? To feel that they are superior to those who may use the services of the clinic? It passes judgment on every person who enters that clinic - whether they are having an abortion or not (most clinics offer multiple services). And, what do the picketers offer these women? Do they have viable alternatives? Will they stand by these women if they change their minds and need support?
Given the amount of violence that has occured at clinics (btw - in the name of Pro-Life) have never advocated nor would I ever participate. After more than 40 years of debate on this issue, picketing clinics is not the best or even most reasonable arena to have a civil and national discussion.
Clinics come in every shade - some are well known; some are not (for good reason). So, you didn't know that a local clinic was there - so what? Sounds like that is your issue?
Can think of all kinds of parallel examples that would heighten the ridiculousness of picketing - e.g. picket the local county hospital because it may give post-rape medication (while interfering with the ER operations); personal attacks on MDs (online threats; hard copy mailings that threaten; etc.).
Examples of picketers who haven't done their homework and are on a personal vendetta:
The study above has a number of conclusions which raises my concerns about this activity (yes, non-violent picketing is protected by the 1st Amendment and case law)
- picketing at clinics increases in response to the vulnerability of abortion providers. (not exactly a pro-life response or reason to picket)
- the evangelical churchs's impact via Terry & Operation Rescue (think he did more harm than good to the pro-life cause)
- Picketing at abortion clinics will be more frequent in states with higher levels of electoral competition.
- http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/09/us/09beliefs.html?_r=0 (yep, and if Finn is against it; funny how protecting kids from abuse somehow is skipped over by Finn in his effort to stop abortion - yep, another consistent pro-life message)
I agree with Irene. the problem is that the hierarchy talks about it to the exclusion of all else and it has led to alliances with lots of people for whom Catholic social teaching is unacceptable. Barney Frank's line that for too many "life begins at conception and ends at birth" is not so far off for many of the Church's allies in the anti-abortion movement, and I would argue, for many anti-abortion Catholics now, as well.
What matters is not the justness of the cause but the marginal effectiveness of our actions. If talking about abortion does nothing to reduce abortions while other actions could do actual good, we are talking about abortion too much. Part of the reason that those who are not primarily focused on the pro-life movement can resent it is the way people use it to trump all other causes.
Agree with Irene that, "It's not that we talk about abortion 'too much', but that we don't talk about a lot of other things enough." Other things such as war, for instance.
However I can't agree with Bill DeHaas about people who picket at clinics being "marginal and disturbed". I myself have never picketted /prayed in front of a clinic. However I know some who have, including some teenage girls from our local Catholic high school. They made a 90 mile trip in January in sub-freezing weather to pray the rosary in front of one of our state's two "facilities". These girls were typical high school students of today; between studying for the ACT, etc., and doing all the activities and maintaining the grade averages that we seem to expect of kids, I've no idea when they manage to sleep. But they cared enough to spend a Saturday morning praying for the desperate patients of this clinic, and their unborn babies. I hear a lot about the entitled and unmotivated teens of today, but I don't know too many of them. And I am a little ashamed that I wasn't there with these girls.
My feelings about people who pray in front of abortion clinics are colored by a personal experience in the mid 1970's. Our first child was eleven and our second child almost five, and I thought I might be pregnant again. I had mixed feelings but would not have considered an abortion. (I was not yet a Catholic then, either.) My doctor said he didn't think I was pregnant but suggested I take a urine specimen to the women's health center if I wanted to find out for sure. I had no idea that the day I went was the day they did abortions. I suppose the laws about how close protesters can get to the clinic had not yet been passed, because I had to run a gauntlet of people getting right up into my face, their faces distorted by hatred, screaming at me, "Don't kill your baby!". I felt that they would have happily killed me, if they could do it without killing the supposed baby. When I came back out a minute later, perhaps they thought they had convinced me not to have an abortion. I think abortion is wrong; I also think that picketing abortion clinics accomplishes nothing except making the protesters feel righteous. I think Catholics should be careful about identifying too strongly with those who have great concern for the unborn but consider born children, if poor, as little moochers who don't deserve medical care or food stamps.
Thanks, Elaine and sorry you went through that experience. Would have to think heavily before I would recommend or advise a bunch of high school students to travel miles and miles in freezing cold to picket - why do it? What about more serious interventions e.g. volunteer at a clinic in a poor neighborhood or town and actually work with people who confront these issues? Rather than focus on the negative - do volunteer work that adresses some of the context and reasons for why folks face abortion - poor education; poor jobs or no jobs, economically depressed; too many kids already, depression, lack of family support, etc.
Picketing at a clinic reminds me of folks who decide to deal with ideas/issues they disagree with by holding a book burning. As if burning books will resolve the issue.
An example of what it can be like to escort patients through the protestors to the clinic ... http://groundedparents.com/2014/02/28/guest-post-tales-from-an-abortion-...
"[...] Oh my goodness. I thought I was mentally and emotionally prepared for the experience but no words can fully capture the absolute cruelty and hate that was displayed that day. Back then, Hope Clinic averaged 50 – 60 protesters each Saturday morning, and most of them carried very graphic signs that they displayed toward the clinic and out to the road. They distributed leaflets to every car. They blocked the driveway so that cars could not enter the parking lot. They blocked car doors so that people could not leave their cars. They took pictures of patients and of their license plates and posted both on their website. Some unobtrusively sang songs and prayed, but they were a distinct minority to the others.
What I found most shocking was what the protesters said. They shouted absolutely vicious statements to people they had never met before—making assumptions about faith and parenthood and economic stability and sexual orientation and many other things too—and they excused their behavior because it was "God's will." Many of the protesters embrace a Machiavellian "the ends justify the means" approach. In conversations I've had with them, they recognize their immediate behavior as harsh but defend it by saying they are doing the greater good. If they are meaner then more women stay away and more abortions are prevented. The protesters were (and still are) absolutely cutting with their words ..."
More obiter dicta, more soundbites, more confusion -- the Vatican should produce sober and weighty utterances on such grave subjects, not toss half-thought-out opinions into the already confusing welter of views. Better be silent until such measured utterance is possible. The Synod should try to take things in hand, but they'll be sent home after a few weeks.
Is it inevitable that journalism, politics, and the church's teaching role must now be conducted in tweets?
God bless you for your comment. You are likely to face an uphill battle on this blog, but keep at it: You just may change some minds.
Joseph S. O Leary @ 11:12pm
the already confusing welter of views
What already confusing welter of views? The Church's teachings on these "grave subjects" are already quite clear, are they not?
What confuses me are those people who say they are confused by, well, this, that or the other. And my view on their confusion is that they are not really confused but are just being intentionally obtuse (and/or stupid), because they just don't like what they are hearing.
As an aside, the phrase, "Pope's man/friend/pal/right-hand/theologian/vice-pope/what have you" has gotten old already, and I for one wouldn't be sad to see it being retired for good.
From the movie Juno. A good film, and written by a former stripper and peep show worker. Also journalist and feminist. Unlike the bishop, she treats the issue more sensitively and ironically has a better grasp of sexuality.
I recall, many years ago, a brief article in COMMONWEAL mag about abortion wherein the writer argued it was frankly desirable in some cases. Unfortunately I didn't keep it. Does anyone remember it?
More obiter dicta, more soundbites, more confusion -- the Vatican should produce sober and weighty utterances on such grave subjects, not toss half-thought-out opinions into the already confusing welter of views.
I agree. Pope Francis may have an instinctive genius for saying and doing the right thing with a few words or a simple gesture, but most of us don't.
People who pray in front of clinics come across as sanctimonious, holier-than-thou and self-absorbed. They don't help the cause.
Since I seem to be the only one around here with extensive experience with what Bishop Galatino is talking about, I am tempted to say something. At the same time, I have to note that the situation at our local abortatorium is probably different from many. The building is surrounded by a wall and foliage, Access is through an alley some of the rent-a-cops consider private, even though it leads to four other businesses as well. It is the access used by ambulances, so we don't get a look at what goes on when they are called for a safe procedure unless someone just happens to be in the drive-through lane in the Wendy's across the alley,
Egress from the clinic, by car, is through a driveway that leads to a public sidewalk and street. One or two counselors use the sidewalk and try to gain the attention of clients as they walk from their cars to the clinic door maybe 25 feet away from the counselors. The counselors (full disclosure: one is my wife) can't currently use a bullhorn because this is a quiet zone, although the drive-through transactions at Wendy's and a Pollo Tropical on the opposite side of the property are clearly audible where they stand. And they can be heard across the street where a line of people will be standing saying the rosary.
Some of the rosary sayers are expressionless. Most are not. Two or three, indeed, are quite tightly wound and might be a problem if they could get near the clients. But, as you can see from my description, they can't. Sometimes the bishop joins them. He has a soft voice. Sometimes I join them. I am not big on male participation in any part of this operation for this reason: The clients are in their condition because of a man and, in most cases, they are at the clinic because of something a man did or didn't do. So it seems to me to be a long shot, and a bit insulting, for another man to be seen as offering them advice.
The motives of the rosary-sayers seem to be quite varied. Some may just be happy to tell women they are going to Hell, but others volunteer at the alternative places the sidewalk counselors' flyers recommend. I have run into others at anti-war rallies, fund raisers for seminarians and at our community organization's actions for justice. (One of the "greeters" at the clinic also has shown up at our actions.)
Occasionally, not often, someone will leave the clinic and come to a counselor for literature, saying she has changed her mind. The counselors talk about a "saved baby." I have met a couple of those babies, so I can attest that they exist. Is all the effort worth it for the rare "saved baby"? The babies and their families might say so. It's better than getting one's holy cards blessed for passing anti-abortion laws in the state legislature for the courts to strike down.
The one experience I had was of us there praying the rosary.It was not rambuctuous or contemptuous. We did not see many people there going in or coming out. It was quiet except for the reciting of the rosary.The sign said "medical sevices".The reason I mentioned that I did not know it was an abortion clinic was to empahsize what to me is a profound evil;that side by side with the apartment building where life is going on ,is a building where suffering and death is occuring and it is normal.The normalization of evil.I thought I made that point clearly. Picketing is pro life;as it is solidarity with the victims;the innocent humans made to suffer and die ,as well as the pregnant women who drank; the- sky- is- falling-,my- life- is- ruined -cause- i'm pregnant, hysteria. The abortion providers, are also victims of a survival of the fittest, might makes right ethos.The most vulnerable are those humans being killed and the women who perceive killing,even their own, as a legitimate way to solve a temporary "problem". The vulnerability of providers?Meaning what?That some clinics have barriers ,some don't?People have a right to picket and to picket where they are seen by those against whom they're picketing; here clinics where the unborn are being killed. Whether those picketing are mental cases or whatever, is really not relevant to the issue at hand;the right to picket, even by people with mental problems is a right. Picketing is a form of having that abortion discussion. Breaking the law;threatening,harrassing ,violence against providers is not the same as picketing. The shame is the normalization of the killing of the unborn and picketing is a counter cultural expression saying that though normal ,abortion is evil. If pro lifers only care about this , and fail to recognize other normailized evils[economic inequity, massive poverty,pre-emptive war, etc,] that says something about them.To these many accepted evils Pope Francis and many bishops are trying to enlighten the pro life "fanatics" and all of our conscience about.If there are some who can only see the evil of abortion ,then so what? God knows their hearts and their capacities. Their protests,their prayers in front of abortion clinics is still a legitimate response to a real evil happening in[ their] time and place.
Tom, bless your wife for her witness. And you.
Closing every abortion clinic in the world will not stop abortion. It will just make it harder for some and more inconvenient for others.
But women who, for whatever their reasons are, believe they need to abort, will. And men who support them will support and assist them.
Until and unless people are convinced that abortion is wrong, outlawing it will just hurt the poor women.
"Have found those who picket at clinics to be *marginal and disturbed* folks to begin with."
Really? Everyone who pickets?
While I don't condone screaming and yelling—they would seem to be counterproductive by definition—peaceful dissent and attempts at persuasion are time-honored traditions. Peacefully reciting the Rosary falls within that wide umbrella of acceptable conduct in my opinion. There are a number of stories about women prepared to have an abortion who have been swayed by respectful interchanges with peaceful protesters. Even some abortion clinic workers have reconsidered their positions as the result of respectful dialogue. There's hope for everyone on the issue of abortion—Norma McCorvey, the "Jane Roe" plaintiff in Roe v. Wade, later became a Catholic and a pro-life activist.
There could also be an interesting U.S. Supreme Court decision (McCullen v. Coakley) issued in the next six weeks or so. Massachusetts enacted a law requiring a 35-foot buffer zone between protesters and the front of abortion clinics. Reading the tea leaves of Supreme Court oral argument is at best an inexact science, but even some of the liberal justices (e.g., Justice Kagan) seemed to have problems with some aspects of the law.
(Thanks to Rose-Ellen and Irene for your thoughtful comments.)
The reason picketers at abortion clinics often seem angry at the clients is that the clients are about to commit a horribly evil act that the protestors are powerless to stop. It would be better if they didn't act like that, but their anger is understandable.
As for the charge that they're smug, sanctimonious and holier-than-thou- well, no doubt many of them are. But they're in the right. . Are we only going to allow perfectly sinless people to fight for important causes? I don't think we'll make much progress that way.
Abortion is really an economic rather than a pro life problem. The second thing is that it is hugely political. Even tho the Repbublican party has been associated with anti-abortion, Republicans do not care about the women.Rather it is the poltical gain. While George W was trumpeting anti-abortion (while starting wars) his wife Laura said that she would favor her daughter having an abortion if she deemed it necessary. Third, while we must work to make abortion unnecessary there is absolute no proof from science or theology that the embryo is a human person who will be subject to eternal life. No question the dna is human. But to conclude that this is a person is beyond the pale. And the absolute proof that clerics who wail about prolife don't care if the fetus is thrown into the garbage. If that is a killing then there shuld be decent burial. So far zero burials for fetuses. Such hypocrisy. The fourth thing is while there are many good people involved in pro-life, there are plenty of the nastiest people involved in the movement. Fifth, despite their attempt to overcome this abyss the pro-life movement is virtually silent on war, syria, the 200+ Nigerian girls that are missing etc
Now that Francis is exalting the sights of the bishops they are not as vocal on this issue as the pope is pointing out to them that their opulent lives are a disgrace while so many families are struggling to feed and clothe their children.
This is an economic problem.
Bill C, -
We must never forget Dr. Bernard Nathanson, one of the founders of NARAL He was eventually persuaded that abortion was the killing of a person, admitted his mistakes publicly and turned pro-life. What courage!
Here in Italy abortions can only be performed in public hospitals ( and they are free of charge). Usually in the hospital there is also a Catholic chapel, so in a floor abortions are performed, in the other a Mass is celebrated. Priests don't have problems with this situation.
In regards to your first point-that abortion is an economic matter- this assumes that all abortions are done by poor women for reasons having to do with money. This is simply not the case. It also seems to assume that poverty is a solvable problem-that al it takes is for all of us to come together in goodwill and work for a solution. I don't think this is the case. A solution for poverty is not readily available and I am not willing to allow abortion to continue while we wait around for one to materialize. Yes, welfare programs and other measures to relieve poverty and promote equality are laudable, but they are not a panacea.
In regards to your second point- that Republicans use the abortion issue for political gains- well, that's all the more reason to fight for a change on this issue within the Democratic party. If the Dems took the correct position on this issue the Republicans wouldn't have that advantage. I can't see how this works as a reason not to oppose abortion.
On your third point I have three things. First, there are strong philosophical arguments for viewing the fetus as a human being. Second, shouldn't the onus of proof be on those who want to slaughter fetuses to prove that doing so is justified, not the other way around. Third, you say that there is no theological proof that the fetus is a human being. I assume you mean that theology cannot offer any sort of scientific proof. That may be true, but the doctrine is very clear. The church cannot offer scientific proof of the existence of heaven or the resurrection. But it would not make sense to live as if these things were false and still call yourself a faithful Catholic.
As for your claim that pro-life bishops don't actually care, I don't even know what to say. Ridiculous. I supppose its comforting for pro-choicers to belive that pro-lifers are all acting out of some sinister alterior motive (whatever that may be).
Fourth, I don't see the relevance of this. I imagine your seeing them as nasty comes from a tendency among those of us who grew up in a liberal, progressive culture to see conservatives and religous fundamentalists as the Other. If you try viewing them with a little more goodwill I think you will find that many of your stereotypes are unfair. Or maybe not. I can only speak from my own experience here. But in any case, the fact that disagreeable people support a cause does not discredit that cause.
Fifth, how do you know what pro-lifers feel about these issues? The pro-life movement is an anti-abortion movement. It would make no sense to take on issues that fall outside the issue of abortion. I don't really know what you want here. There seems to be a belief that "pro-life" ought to be some generic "pro-good-things" movement that takes on a variety of issues and doesn't treat any as more imprtant than any other. I don't even see how this could be concievably possible. Pro-lifers have a variety of political views, they are brought together by the one they share. There is no governing body that can say "From now on we only want people who also believe that we need a universal healthcare system." You might as well say that feminism is silent on the issue of soil degradation, or that the gay marriage movement is silent on the issue of unexploded ordnance in Laos and Cambodia.
And frankly, even if pro-lifers all supported slavery that would do nothing to change the fact that abortion is wrong.
Also you seem to be guilty of an inconsistency yourself, since you attack pro-lifers for supporting war and then attack them for NOT supporting military action in Nigeria and Syria.
The above comment was meant as a rely to Bill Mazzella. Sorry if that isn't clear.
True, Ann. By his own reckoning he participated in about 75,000 abortions, including the abortion of the fetus that resulted from his impregnation of a woman he was dating. In his book, "The Hand of God," he describes his clinical detachment during that procedure in such stark, confessional terms that it is worth the price of the book itself.
Warren Patton - bravo.
Over 80% of of women getting abortions are single and young and about 3/4 of them say they can't afford to have a child. About a thind of those getting an abortion are Catholic.
To say that getting an abortion is evil is to state an opinion, one that most people in the US don't share. Why? It probably depends, but I would guess thaat many, as Bill wrote, don't think embryos and early fetuses are "persons" ... almost 90% of abortions are done before the 12th week.
@Crystal Watson:
many, as Bill wrote, don't think embryos and early fetuses are "persons"
Whenever I hear this assertion, I always wonder whether these people would tell women who are mourning a miscarriage or early pregnancy loss, "meh, what's the big deal? It's not like that was a real person; it's just a fetus."
I can imagine that when someone is pregnant and looking forward to having a baby that a relationship grows in anticpation. But probably most people who want an abortion don't have that experience.
It's one thing to think you are right on this issue, but you can't force others to believe what you do or to feel the way that you do simply because you think they should. It seems to me that trying to understand where they are coming from would be the first step in trying to change things.
Following Crystal with more numbers: 42% of women who get abortions earn less than 100% of the federal poverty level, ($10,830 for a single woman without children,) and another 27% for 100-199% of the federal poverty level. http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_induced_abortion.html
If you ask the economic question another way, you see that the average cost of living in, e.g., St. Louis MO, is $32-40 k for a single parent with one or two children, way above 199% of the poverty level. (61% of women who get abortions have one or more children already.) This is a general trend: "For the nation overall, the average family budget for a two-parent family with two children is $48,778, far above the official poverty threshold of $21,027." http://www.epi.org/publication/bp224/.
Economics is hugely important in abortion decisions, as are responsibilities to other people, including other children.
But to turn away from abortion for a moment...does anyone really think that a synod on the family, even if there is discussion of the various non-abortion issues mentioned, will likely bring any change since Paul VI, the author of Humanae Vitae, will be canonized immediately thereafter? I can't imagine they won't double down on the current teaching in honor of the new St. Paul. I suppose they could re-vision Communion for the divorced and remarried, but the teachings on contraception and homosexuality are unlikely to undergo any real change, istm...sadly.
""Also you seem to be guilty of an inconsistency yourself, since you attack pro-lifers for supporting war and then attack them for NOT supporting military action in Nigeria and Syria."
Where did I write that I supported military action in those areas?
Maybe you related to this since some fanatical prolifers have murdered doctors.
Can people who believe in and practice birth control be Catholic? I know at one time you could not consider yourself Catholic if you thought the earth moved.
I have many conservative friends and grew up quite orthodox.
Would just like to underline some phrases and terms used above - would suggest that without more nuancing, we get lost.
Medical science has demonstrated phases of development:
- for some who are pro-life but realize that birth control is a moral decision in some cases
- they might also understand from science that there is no human being before implantation.
- for these folks, the phrase *from the moment of conception* needs to be clarified.....is it implantation or before that moment?
- the process of implantation naturally results in an estimated 2/3rds of all *conceptions* end with no implantation (this is just naturally; no outside means involved)
- for many, the actual question and issue is after implantation - you have the beginning of a fetus
- for some, they make further distinctions - what is viability? Do you measure by heart beat? Most women don't even know they are pregnant until weeks after implantation; which raises other questions.
- this is just on the level of reproductive biology...would suggest that a simplistic *from conception* statement does not resonate with folks because it is not supported by what we know medically and scientifically. (which has created historical problems on other issues for the church)
Finally, even if this whole group is merged togather - then we have added questions and issues in terms of public policy and what is feasible? Are you going to jail all women who have abortions; how about the men who impregnated them? how about the MDs?
I don't think the synod will change much of anything, except perhaps to allow pastors to decide if they want to let divorced/remarried take communion - but I think the actua teaching on divorce will remain the same and the change will be seen as "mercy" for people who have failed. Considering how overwhelming the results of the Vatican survey were around the world for contraception, co-habiting, divorce, acceptance of gays, etc., this lack of change will really show the church is beyond fixing, I think. Depressing.
@BIll Mazzella
Apologies, I wasn't saying you aren't a faithful Catholic. I was just sort of trying to figure out what you meant by "proof" in theology. I think that Catholic theology is pretty clear on this issue and that this should be hard for a practicing Catholic to dismiss. But perhaps my phrasing was a little strong.
As for Nigeria and Syria you said this: "...the pro-life movement is virtually silent on war, syria, the 200+ Nigerian girls that are missing etc." Which I took to be attacking pro-lifers for not demanding that the American military be deployed in these places. I suppose that there are ways to respond to these crises that don't involve military action, so maybe that isn't what you meant. But most of those in the States who are demanding action are hawks (like John McCain).
I have no idea what Syria and Nigeria have to do with murdering doctors, but for the record I did not support the Iraq War nor do I support intervening in Nigeria and Syria. I also oppose intervening in the Ukraine and think the Libya intervention was a huge mistake. And obviously I oppose murdering doctors.
As for the stuff I said about growing up liberal- yes, it seems I was projecting my own experience. I initially identified as pro-life, even though I was uncomfortable with it, simply because I found pro-lifers distasteful. I've since come around on this. It was wrong to support abortion simply because I disliked the people who opposed it. And I think my liberal friends share a lot of ugly stereotypes about conservatives and the religous that I disagree with. But obviously none of this reflects your own experience. My main point, though- that disliking the people who support a cause is not a good reason to oppose that cause- still stands.
I'm all for creating the social/economic safety nets that would hopefully dissuade some women from having abortions. Every embryo/fetus not aborted is a victory, even if that means taking a large chunk of money from some other appropriation (the defense budget, for example) to craft and maintain such safety nets.
As for "person," it's a legal term that like all legal terms ("proximate cause," "preponderance of the evidence," etc.) is inexact and subject to varying interpretations. Except for one point on the human life continuum, any other designation of "person" along that continuum is arbitrary. What is not arbitrary and inexact is that a distinct human "other" comes into existence at the moment of conception. This other is not his/her mother and not his/her father, but a genetically unique member of our species that IMO is entitled to both moral and legal recognition. It's one of the failures of the pro-life movement, regrettably, that it has yet to convince a majority of people about the intrinsic value of nascent human life.
@ Warren Patton:
disliking the people who support a cause is not a good reason to oppose that cause
Thank you again for this reminder. This is a very good point that I seem to often forget (maybe intentionally).
The Church and many others who oppose abortion might find a somewhat more receptive audience if they did not also condemn most forms of contraception as gravely evil, leaving abstinence as the only real alternative to giving birth. Unfortunately, even a woman who freely chooses abstinence may find it necessary to poleax a male partner, which is arguably also evil, although, males being what we are, there is room for disagreement about the gravity.
Without disparaging the efficacy of the rosary, I think other possible reasons for gradually declining abortion rates
may be more reliable contraception methods and better sex education, both of which are often grimly opposed by pro-life people as steps to promiscuity.
And then there is this question: For reducing abortion rates, is it more effective to harangue and shame a woman contemplating an abortion and to call her a slut and a murderer, or would it be better to ward off desperation by offering her loving support, public and private, through the months of the pregnancy and the early years of her baby? Sadly, that is not just a rhetorical question.
If this was only science fiction instead of the real world, I'd have everyone temporarily sterilzed at puberty and people would have to make a conscious decision to reverse that to have a child. The abortion rate would plummet. But probably conservatives would find that idea horrific.
disliking the people who support a cause is not a good reason to oppose that cause
Good reason or not, it's how people tend to think. That rancher chap in Nevada had a lot more support for his anti-government stance before he told the world "one more thing I know about the Negro." Maybe it's a lazy shortcut and unfit for philosophers, but most of us do judge causes and ideas in part by what we know or think we know, good or bad, about the people espousing them. Celebrity endorsements. Political advocacy. Sayings of the wise and holy. Saves time and effort at the cost of some accuracy.
Chastity belts for all! With modern synthetic materials they shouldn't chafe as much as they used to.
But who will keep the keys?
I get so tired of abortion discussions. As soon as somebody brings up the question of whether or not the fetus is a person with a right to live same as other persons, immediately pro-choice people start give all sorts of good (heart-rending and serious) reasons for having abortions. But rarely are they willing to address the question: do abortions, especitally after the first few months kill real for true babies (very young persons)? What most pro-choicers seem to want to avoid is saying, "Yes, I hate to say it, but I think it's OK to kill some babies".
It goes on and on. Same ole, same ole.


text:
Wentworth will face Campbell; Jones out
Incumbent Jeff Wentworth was headed to an unexpected runoff with challenger Dr. Donna Campbell, who overtook well-funded opponent Elizabeth Ames Jones late Tuesday in a tight GOP race for Texas Senate District 25.
Complete tallies at press time from the district's six counties showed Wentworth with a slight edge over Campbell and Jones, who were separated by a few thousand votes.
Wentworth, who's been in the Senate since 1993, said Tuesday's light turnout magnified the effect of Campbell's and Jones' candidacies.
"I'm happy to be running first," Wentworth said. "It looks like a runoff."
Campbell's strong showing "doesn't surprise me," Wentworth said, noting that she had a base of support in Travis and Hays counties.
While Campbell conducted a low-budget campaign, Wentworth and Jones, a former member of the Texas House and the Texas Railroad Commission, waged a brutal war on the airwaves. He portrayed her as a puppet of special interests, while she assailed his record as not conservative enough.
Campbell, a physician and conservative Christian who advocates limited government, said she got a boost late in the campaign from Republicans disenchanted by the Wentworth-Jones feuding, which cost several million dollars.
With final results pending, Campbell turned in early on election night, saying she had to be on emergency room duty early today.
Early today, Campbell issued a statement crediting tea party and other conservative supporters for her strong showing.
"This victory may have shocked some pundits, especially our win in Travis County outright, but to our grassroots supporters, tea party members, and conservative Texas families, the outcome was no surprise," Campbell said.
The GOP victor in the July 31 runoff will face Democrat John Courage, who was unopposed in his party's primary.
Wentworth said the race took a sour turn when early voting started and Jones "started throwing buckets of mud, none of which is true." Third-party ads backing Jones assailed Wentworth as an ineffective lawmaker, a chronic violator of ethics rules and eager to get an administrative post in higher education.
Wentworth said it was his most contentious race in a decade, when he likewise filed a defamation lawsuit against an opponent. This runoff could have the same tenor, he said.
"If the runoff candidates were Dr. Campbell and me, I don't think it will have the same flavor at all. I have a lot of respect for Dr. Campbell's integrity, and truthfulness. I have not found one time when Dr. Campbell said something about me that's not true," Wentworth said.
Jones, like Wentworth, spent part of Tuesday scurrying through the sprawling district but concentrating on Bexar County.
Wentworth said he spent about $1.5 million so far, which he said was about $1 million less than Jones. Campbell had a low-budget campaign, estimated at less than $250,000.
Jones said the main concern she detected among voters is that government is too big and that "people appreciate the fact that I have experience in keeping spending low."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Vermont-based company, which makes resource assessment and turbine optimisation equipment, said it wanted to highlight its commitment 'to providing whole systems and solutions to the renewable energy market'.
Renewable NRG Systems is thought to be looking to expand from its traditional wind assessment manufacturing base to include equipment for other renewable energy sources.
The company already produces some solar energy assessment systems.
Owner, president and CEO of Renewable NRG Systems, Jan (Blittersdorf) Blomstrann, said: "Though our roots are in wind resource assessment technology, our products — both existing and those in development — allow us to expand the company's reach into a broader market. We are thrilled that our new brand is well-aligned with this focus."


text:
Marksdown today from "Dresslily"!
Fashionable Turn-Down Collar Double-Breasted Long Sleeve Coat For Women
Only $31.01
You Save
Fashionable Turn-Down Collar Double-Breasted Long Sleeve Coat For WomenClothes Type: Wool & Blends. Material: Cotton,Polyester. Type: Skirt. Clothing Length: Long. Sleeve Length: Full. Collar: Turn-down Collar. Closure Type: Double Breasted. Pattern Type: Solid. Embellishment: Button. Style: Fashion.
related products
Dresslily Elegant and Slim Bowknot White Long Sleeves Cotton Blend Fabric Coat For Women was $40.54 43.00% OFF now $23.85 See more
Dresslily Simple Long Sleeves Hooded Pocket Design Women's Jacket was $45.94 40.00% OFF now $27.02 See more
Dresslily Stylish Long Sleeve Cowl Neck Zippered Women's Leather Trim Jacket was $47.11 43.00% OFF now $27.71 See more
Dresslily Noble Style Worsted Turn-Down Collar Long Sleeves Solid Color Women's Coat was $81.81 64.00% OFF now $29.25 See more
Dresslily Chic Hooded Long Sleeve Zippered Loose-Fitting Women's Coat was $59.51 41.00% OFF now $35.00 See more
Dresslily New Cotton-padded Thicken Berber Fleece Coat Frock Overcoat was $63.11 41.00% OFF now $37.13 See more
We are a group of shoppers who love a great deal but were frustrated about missing sales and how long it took to find a good sale... So we built AllTheSales - scanning the websites of all your favourite Australian retailers and delivering their sales to you daily.


text:
February 22, 2013 06:00pm-09:00pm
Honolulu Museum of Art
'Element' information
ARTafterDARK admission: $10. Free for Museum members.
Open Air Concert featuring:
6:30pm: Koga
7pm: ALT/AIR
7:30pm: Mano Kane
Contemporary dancers from Convergence Dance Theatre move to the rhythm of fire.
Ceramics demonstration: See earth become art.
Artist Talk: John Koga, recipient of the Catharine E.B. Cox Award for Excellence in Visual Arts, gives a gallery talk for his new exhibition Undulation: rise and fall. Arts of Hawai'i Gallery, 2nd Floor Arts, 7pm + 7:30pm.
Go on the ?art Gallery Hunt in Serious Fun and Landscape in the New World for a chance to win Hawaiian Airlines roundtrip inter-island tickets!
Check out the new exhibition Little Worlds: Video Sculptures by Tony Oursler.
FOOD & DRINK (available for purchase)
Member's Bar specialty cocktail:
"Water Snake Venom Cocktail" $9
Cucumber, Lychee, Sake
The Grove serves dishes inspired by the elements:
Braised Short Rib on Truffled Mashed Potatoes, Kahuku Corn Relish $10, Crab Cake with Roasted Red Pepper Remoulade, Calamansi Foam $7, Kiawe Fire Grilled Tomato Bisque $5
Just a reminder—ARTafterDARKers can park in the following locations:
1) FREE: Street parking on Beretania and Kinau Street from 6 p.m.
2) $4: The Pro Park Parking Lot behind the Honolulu Museum of Art School (1111 Victoria St), entrances on Beretania and Young streets. Pay at the yellow slot box next to the parking booth.
3) $5 at the First United Methodist Church Parking Lot on the corner of Beretania and Victoria streets. NOTE: lot closes promptly at 10 p.m.
4) $5 at Kim Chee III Parking Lot on Young Street


text:
Grindr Hack Leaves Hundreds of Thousands Exposed
A man in Syndey hacked into the popular gay "hookup" app Grindr, leaving the personal information of hundreds of thousands of members vulnerable.
Grindr CEO Joel Simkhai acknowledged the breach on Twitter and has been "reassuring" users that an app update will be released "in a few days." No further details have been given on the scope or method of the breach.
But it's already too late for some users. The hacker reportedly spoofed several accounts in Sydney, sending messages and changing profile pics to explicit images without the real user's knowledge. At least one victim was banned for violating service terms and conditions, Sydney Morning Herald reports.
The hacker had apparently cracked the token used to communicate between smartphones and learned that this same hash can be used to access Grindr's database. The ID used was a hash, a simple string of numbers, rather than a more secure username/password authentication method. The hacker also created a Web site that communicated with Grindr's backend and allowed him view every member's personal data, like photos, pseudonyms, and passwords.
For the uninitiated, Grindr is a hugely popular, location-based app that lets gay men locate others around them for dating and hooking up. In November, Grindr boasted more than 3 million GLBT users in 192 countries. In December, Simkhai launched Blendr for straight people; information from that app was also exposed by the breach.
Sophos analyst Graham Cluley, who posted links to scrubbing your Grindr and Blendr profiles, said users should remain vigilant while using location-based apps.
"Whenever you use an app like that you're putting your trust in the hands of the developers," he said. "You're hoping that they've done their job properly to secure your data, just as you do with - say - a webmail provider or Facebook."
"My advice is always to never post something on the internet that you wouldn't want your boss or mother-in-law to see. You may have all your privacy options ticked, but you are still hoping that a developer hasn't screwed up somehow," he concluded.
For more from Sara, follow her on Twitter @sarapyin.


text:
There seem to be a lot of focus issues on the Mac that keep keyboard accelerators from working. The Auto-Merge Results dialog always shows up with the Ok button highlighted, so I should just be able to hit return to select it but the focus is always somewhere else so it never works. I can't even tab to it like a normal Mac dialog.
The "Apply Change from *" buttons don't work unless I manually click inside the actual diff which is pretty useless. Also there's no "Jump to * conflict" shortcut.
It would also be nice if all those toolbar actions were in the menu bar. That might alleviate the focus issue but it would also allow mac users to rebind the shortcuts using the System Preferences.
Any chance these things could be fixed?
It would also be nice if it would automatically select the first conflict if there is one.
Keyboard accelerators mostly don't work on Mac
Support for our DiffMerge utility.
Moderator: SourceGear
9 posts • Page 1 of 1
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2015 4:29 pm
What Mac OS version do you have?
Are you using DiffMerge 4.2 or a different version?
Beth Kieler
SourceGear Technical Support
I'm getting hit with the same frustrations. Particularly when I use diffmerge as my mergetool in git. When working through a large rebase with many conflicts I have to do a lot of mousing around which is very frustrating .
I'm on Mac OS 10.11 and DiffMerge 4.2.1
bdarfler: Does it act the same way when using it separately from Git? Launch just DiffMerge and do a File Diff.
Beth Kieler
SourceGear Technical Support
I created a trivial manual merge setup with 3 copies of a file where I made different changes the same line in two of them, leaving the third one as the common ancestor.
In this case, I do not get the "Auto-Merge Results" dialog at all. I prefer not seeing the dialog but I cannot confirm or deny that the focus issue is resolved. Additionally, the "Apply Change *" and "Jump to *" keyboard shortcuts do work.
One thing you could try is to go to System Preferences - Keyboard - Shortcuts and click the radio button 'All Controls.' That should help with tabbing around on some of the dialogs. Let me know if that helps.
Also, in Diff Merge, go to your Preferences and click on Messages. There you can turn off any of the dialogs listed.
Beth Kieler
SourceGear Technical Support
Hi Beth,
I already have 'All Controls' enabled. Additionally I have turned off the Auto Merge Conflicts Message in DiffMerge settings in a hope that the Auto Merge Results Message will not show up but this has not worked.
I've went through the keyboard shortcuts and can't find any failing ones. I have confirmed that the Auto-Merge Results comes up no matter which OS is used. I will log a bug on that one.
Beth Kieler
SourceGear Technical Support
Thank you for following up on this!
9 posts • Page 1 of 1
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


text:
On the recommendation of a loyal reader, I just listened to Jing Ulrich talk about China's economy over at China Money Podcast. Ms. Ulrich heads up Global Markets at J.P. Morgan and I definitely put her on the very short list of those discussing China's economy who actually know whereof they speak.
If you want an update on where China's economy is today and where it is likely to be going in the future, I recommend you listen to this podcast. If you want me to partially spoil it for you, read on.
In very brief summary, Ms. Ulrich noted the following:
- China's economy is rebounding, due at least in part to the government pumping large amounts of money into the system.
- China real estate is in danger of overheating and so we should expect more government measures seeking to prevent this. Expect stricter enforcement of existing laws and more cities rolling out a property tax.
- Expect future infrastructure investment to focus on urban subways, light rail and the environment.
What do you think?
UPDATE: While on the subject of China's economy, just saw an excellent and informative interview of Michael Pettis by Tom Orlik (two people I put on the same "very short list" mentioned above — see my later post, entitled, Who To Read On China's Economy?) over at China Real Time Report, entitled, "Eight Questions: Michael Pettis, 'The Great Rebalancing.'" Definitely well worth a read as well.


text:
From Ezra Levant's Shakedown - 5
The March 25 hearing was a disaster for the CHRC. Its staff had to admit, under oath, that they routinely went online under false identities to provoke reactions from neo-Nazis. The CHRC admitted that it had no controls over who had access to these CHRC neo-Nazi website membership accounts. Despite dozens of objections made by CHRC lawyers - apparently to run out the clock on the one-day hearing - the CHRC's dirty laundry was aired in the national media. (p. 39)Well, it's really hard for an old-fashioned kind of person like me to "not" see how that would eventually become a cloak for corruption, if it hasn't become one already. Anyway,
The dirtiest fact of all: the CHRC had logged on to a neo-Nazi website by illegally hacking into a private citizen's wireless Internet account at her home. It was a means to cover the CHRC's tracks, so that the identity of the originating, government computers would be hidden. That staggering revelation came from Alain Monfette, a Bell Canada security officer, who had been subpoenaed by Lemire to find out who had gone on online as "Jadewarr," one ofte CHRC's neo-Nazi codenames. Monfette disclosed to a stunned courtroom that jadewarr's posts had been made thorugh the Internet account of Nelly Hechme ... (p. 39)who happened to live around the corner from the CHRC.
Well, just so you know, recently, the government blew Hechme off, and she was forced to abandon her complaint. In Trudeau's heirs' Canada, you do not have the rights you thought you had grown up with. You have only the bones they will throw you after their feast. And those bones might be unspeakable, unfit for human viewing, let alone consumption.
To some, yes, it is dirty laundry. To others, it is just the way their business is done. But why are Canadians funding it?
See also:
From Ezra Levant's Shakedown - 4
From Ezra Levant's Shakedown - 3
From Ezra Levant's Shakedown - 2
From Ezra Levant's Shakedown - 1
From Mark Steyn's "Introduction" to Ezra Levant's "Shakedown"
Mark Steyn introduces Levant's work by pointing out how social engineering was snuck into Canada on the basis of largely non-existent problems:
Before they made the strategic miscalculation of going after Ezra's Western Standard (p. xiii)See also: Ezra Levant's Shakedown: A Preliminary Note
Labels: Canada, intellectual freedom


text:
Alumni have access to TheHeart, Earlham's password-protected portal. Once you're in, you can:
If you are not currently using an Earlham account, you will need to register now for an account. Please be aware that requests may take up to three business days to process, as they are validated manually for security purposes.
If you know your Earlham username and password, login now.
Please note that the Alumni Directory in The Heart is not to be used for solicitation, spamming, or personal financial gain. To learn more about professional networking and job searching, please consider contacting a Career Adviser.
To log in and use the system effectively, you should be using the latest version of one of the following Internet browsers:
If you are trying to log in to the system using another browser, you may experience difficulties.
TheHeart is a password-protected online space that provides a directory of contact information, some personal records, and access to campus resources. Due to the content shared on the site, only users with accounts are given access. Information on this site is not shared on the earlham.edu website.
The e-directory is now a part of TheHeart, along with more complete contact information for many of your Earlhamite friends and classmates.
This step is easy! Simply fill out the online form to register.
You should not need a PIN to use any part of TheHeart. If you reach a screen that asks you for a PIN, that issue can usually be solved by logging out and logging back in. If the problem persists, please contact the IT Help Desk.
You should get your username and instructions to log in within 2 business days. Because we are manually validating your information, we can only process requests on business days. During this time, please keep an eye on your email, as well as your email's spam filter or "junk" folder for emails with the subject lines "Create Your Earlham Account" or "Account Reminder." Keep in mind that any email from Earlham College will always have an "@earlham.edu" address.
If you do not hear back within a week, please email us.
We use all the information that you submit to verify your identity before we create your account. Your parents' names are one additional piece of information in our database that helps us confirm your identity, to ensure that your request is really coming from you.
Security questions are used in the process to reset your password. Setting up security questions now will save you the trouble of calling the ITS Help Desk should you ever forget your password.
We are glad to help you by phone during business hours, Monday through Friday. Call the Information Technology Services Help Desk at 765-973-2000.
Tell them that you are an Earlham College alum trying to set up your account on TheHeart, and explain your specific problem.
Related Links
TheHeart login
Forgotten password


text:
Hotel Abhiram, Nellore
- * 29/931 & 932, Near Madras Bus Stand, Achari Street
- * Other
Ezeego1, is your online travel agent that offers you a one stop travel shop for cheap flight bookings, online hotel reservations, holidays & package tours, car rentals, bus tickets, cruises & more. We help you find cheapest air ticket bookings on all Indian & International Airline flight deals. We scan fares on both full service airlines such as Jet Airways, Air India and low cost carriers such as SpiceJet, Go Air, IndiGo and Jet Konnect to find you the lowest air fare on flight tickets. The Ezeego1 Travel Bazaar also features luxury vacations & budget tour packages including tour packages for India & holiday packages abroad. One can also avail of discount indian hotels, cheap international hotels & the most suited holiday packages with Ezeego1. For help with your bookings, call us on 1800 209 0800 or talk to us on Facebook & Twitter.


text: +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | TPWD News Releases Dated 2012-08-27 | +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | This page contains only plain text, no HTML formatting codes. | | It is not designed for display in a browser but for copying | | and editing in whatever software you use to lay out pages. | | To copy the text into an editing program: | | --Display this page in your browser. | | --Select all. | | --Copy. | | --Paste in a document in your editing program. | | If you have any suggestions for improving these pages, send | | an e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com and mention Plain Text Pages. | +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ [ Note: This item is more than six years old. Please take the publication date into consideration for any date references. ] [ Media Contact: TPWD News, firstname.lastname@example.com, 512-389-8030 ] [ Additional Contacts: Richard Ott, (903) 566-2161, email@example.com; Mark Webb, (979) 272-1430, email@example.com; Dave Terre, (512) 389-4855, email@example.com ] Aug. 27, 2012 TPWD Plants Native Vegetation in Lake Palestine Project aims to improve fish habitat, water quality ATHENS--Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Inland Fisheries crews recently completed the first phase of a project to establish native aquatic vegetation in Lake Palestine. Using $10,000 in funding from the Reservoir Fisheries Habitat Project (RFHP), TPWD planted five species of native vegetation inside 30 protective enclosures along more than a mile of shoreline. The plants were produced at a plant nursery at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens that was funded by the East Texas Woods and Waters Foundation. "In Lake Palestine most submersed aquatic vegetation is limited to a small area of shallow water separated from the rest of the reservoir by a causeway and bridge," said Richard Ott, the TPWD biologist who manages the lake's fishery. "The founder colonies of plants will allow the prevailing southerly wind during the growing season to distribute seed and plant fragments north toward other areas of the reservoir. The locations for the colonies were selected due to the lack of waterfront homes to reduce conflict with property owners. The species we selected were those that work best in most Texas reservoirs but that haven't shown to be problematic." The vegetation is expected to spread outside the enclosures, which protect the young plants from being eaten by turtles, fish and beavers. "The function of plants is to capture sunlight and turn it into food," said Ott. "Everything starts with aquatic plants. Some are food for fish directly, but more importantly, they are also food for insects and invertebrates that are eaten by small fish that are eaten by big fish and then by us. Plants provide cover for small fish to hide in and grow; they generate oxygen; buffer changes in pH; slow wave action and filter water." Plants do much more for reservoirs, their watersheds and the people who live there than just provide for the needs of fish. "Tying down the shoreline and reservoir bottom with native vegetation reduces erosion and the amount of suspended sediment in the water and reduces the need for repairs to bulkheads," TPWD fisheries biologist Mark Webb pointed out. "Because plants are taking nutrients out of the water, algal growth is reduced, which helps improve the quality of drinking water. Once well established, native plants give a great amount of benefit for low cost." Stocking plants in reservoirs throughout Texas presents a tremendous challenge. The first hurdle to overcome is establishing a reliable and affordable supply of plants. Nursery facilities have been set up at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens, at the Lake Waco Wetlands and on San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) property at Lake Conroe. The second obstacle is funding. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Inland Fisheries Division chief of research and management Dave Terre is a leader in a nationwide movement to solve that problem. "About five years ago people from state wildlife agencies across the United States had the idea of creating the Reservoir Fisheries Habitat Partnership," he explained. "We created a 501(c)3 corporation, Friends of Reservoirs, to be the financial arm of the RFHP. We are reaching out to organizations such as bass clubs, watershed groups, homeowners associations, individuals, area property and business owners, water utilities--anybody who is interested in improving fish habitat to benefit water quality, fish, and the quality of life of the American people." Funding projects through the Friends of Reservoirs allows local groups to raise funds under the organization's 501(c) 3 umbrella, making it easier to attract corporate donors. All funds raised by a group are earmarked for the group's projects and are not shared with anyone else, which helps maintain local control. TPWD's Native Vegetation Project Ott and Webb have been in the forefront of efforts to introduce native aquatic plants into Texas reservoirs, following the lead of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Dr. Michael Smart, head of the Lewisville Aquatic Ecosystem Research Facility. "When Dr. Smart suggested that we should stock native aquatic plants for the same reasons we stock fish, we wanted to kick ourselves for not having seen the obvious," Ott said. "You have to ask yourself when you stock fish, where will they live, and what will they eat? "There are aquatic plants native to Texas that will survive in reservoirs," he continued. "These plants lived in wetland areas and backwaters of streams. But you can't plant them just anywhere. In reservoirs you have to deal with fluctuations in water levels. Plants have to be matched to the water depth and clarity they need. They have to get sufficient sunlight to grow, but they can't be planted so shallow they will be dry at the times they need to be growing." Using plants from Smart's Lewisville facility, Webb and Ott experimented on seven Texas reservoirs representing a cross-section of conditions across the state to develop a list of native Texas plants that will survive under a variety of conditions. They also experimented with techniques to aid survival of these plants under reservoir conditions different from those of natural lakes. Ott and Webb's research led to the development of a TPWD manual on the propagation and establishment of native aquatic plants, Propagation and Establishment of Native Aquatic Plants. The manual contains information of use to managers of both public and private waters and is available for download at http://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_rp_t3200_1770.pdf. Becoming a Friend of Reservoirs Friends of Reservoirs (FOR) is a tax-deductible non-profit foundation dedicated to protecting and/or restoring fisheries habitat in reservoir systems nationwide. FOR is the funding arm of the Reservoir Fisheries Habitat Partnership, an organization of natural resource professionals and industry representatives associated with the National Fish Habitat Partnership. FOR is also a coalition of local citizen groups dedicated to improving fish habitat in reservoir systems. Setting up a chapter of the Friends of Reservoirs requires working with your local fisheries biologist, completion of an application form, payment of a membership application fee of $25 and annual dues of $25. Other membership categories are available. For More Information Learn how to set up a local chapter of Friends of Reservoirs: http://www.waterhabitatlife.org/. For more information on the benefits of doing so, contact Dave Terre at (512) 389-4855. Find your local freshwater fisheries biologist: tpwd.texas.gov/freshwaterbiologist. Download the native plant manual at http://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_rp_t3200_1770.pdf. -30- [ Note: This item is more than six years old. Please take the publication date into consideration for any date references. ] [ Media Contact: TPWD News, firstname.lastname@example.com, 512-389-8030 ] [ Additional Contacts: Lenny Francoeur, Tournament Director, (479) 715-6103 or email@example.com; Adam Harris, Marketing & Communications Director, (919) 531-0500 or email@example.com ] Aug. 27, 2012 Toyota Texas Bass Classic Announces First Group of Qualifiers Field includes 2009 TTBC Champion and Angler of the Year ATHENS -- The Toyota Texas Bass Classic has long been considered a world championship of bass fishing, bringing the top anglers to Lake Conroe year after year, and with the first set of qualifiers to the 2012 field, the tournament will continue to be a showcase for the world's best. The top 15 Professional Anglers Association members from the 2012 Walmart FLW Tour Angler of the Year List have qualified for the tournament. Highlights from the field include Angler of the Year David Dudley and 2009 Toyota Texas Bass Champion Dave Lefebre. The Toyota Texas Bass Classic will take place Sept. 28-30 at the Lone Star Convention & Expo Center in Conroe. "These first qualifiers to the 2012 TTBC are an impressive group of anglers," Tournament Director Lenny Francoeur said. "All 15 make for an exciting and talented field and just demonstrate why the Toyota Texas Bass Classic is a world class bass fishing tournament." In seven FLW tournaments this season, Dudley has won twice and finished in the top 10 four times. 2012 marks the third Walmart FLW Tour Angler of the Year title for him in his 17-year FLW career, winning in 2011 and 2008. One of the most successful anglers on the Tour, Dudley becomes the first back-to-back FLW season point winner. Dudley is looking for his first win at TTBC, finishing 12th in 2011, 25th in 2009 and tied for 16th in 2010. "I'm excited to be fishing in what is considered the Pro Bowl of bass fishing, where all the top anglers from every circuit come together to compete," Dudley said. "I can't wait to get out there." 2009 TTBC Champion Lefebre finished 11th in the Walmart FLW Tour Angler of the Year rankings, earning one win at Kentucky Lake in June and finishing in the top 10 twice. In his ten years as a FLW Tour professional, Lefebre has five career tournament wins and 45 top-10 finishes. Lefebre followed up his 2009 TTBC victory with a fifth place finish in 2010 and 41st in 2011. The other qualified anglers are Jacob Powroznik, Ron Shuffield, Jim Moynagh, Cody Meyer, Luke Clausen, Bryan Thrift, JT Kenney, Matt Arey, Andy Morgan, Clifford Pirch, Wesley Strader, Clent Davis and Jim Tutt. The remaining 45 spots will be filled by the 2011 Champion Keith Combs, the top 15 from the 2012 Bassmaster Elite Series Toyota Tundra Angler of the Year standings, the top 15 from the 2012 Bass Pro Shops PAA Tournament Series Angler of the Year standings and four tournament sponsor exemptions. Limited quantities of free tickets are available this year to the three-day outdoor music festival and professional bass fishing world championship. Fans can obtain free tickets online now at toyotatexasbassclassic.com, while supplies last. Tickets are available for Friday, Saturday and Sunday individually. Fans can also pick up TTBC tickets at any Toyota dealership or Academy Sports + Outdoors location in the greater Houston area. Walk-up tickets the day of the event will require a donation towards the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department and all days are subject to sell-out. The daily tickets are valid for admission into the festival grounds for angler weigh-ins and the concert on that particular day. All activities, including concerts, weigh-ins, Reliant Outdoor Adventures Area and Bass Pro Shops Outdoor Expo will take place at the Lone Star Convention & Expo Center's festival grounds in Conroe. Concert headliners include Dierks Bentley, Gary Allan and Jake Owen. The Lone Star Convention & Expo Center is a state-of-the-art facility conveniently located minutes from Lake Conroe and The Woodlands and only 40 minutes north of Houston. The location offers easy access to event activities, local shops and restaurants. For more information, visit thelonestar.org. The Toyota Texas Bass Classic tournament functions are operated by the Professional Anglers Association with technical assistance and support from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Inland Fisheries Division. Title sponsor for the event is Toyota. Other sponsors include: Ricoh, ATX Wheels, Coca-Cola, TXU and U.S. Reel. Corporate partnership opportunities are available for 2012. For additional information, visit toyotatexasbassclassic.com or call 1-866-907-0143. -30-


text:
Ariane Fortin and Mary Spencer's lives were inextricably linked -- the rise of one inevitably meant the fall of the other. This was one of our first revelations about the film we were making. As we sat crouched beside the boxing ring, Lorraine in the blue corner and Juliet in the red, our cameras capturing the fight from their respective angles, we watched their fates unfold before our eyes.
The room was electric. The crowd cheered, hollered, hissed and booed, unleashing years of loyalty and anticipation. They knew the story too, over the past three years they had become invested, watching these two women fight for the chance to make it to the Olympics. And there, right before us, was the moment that would determine everything - who would rise and who would fall. Our documentary film, Last Woman Standing, tells the story of Ariane and Mary, two world champion boxers, former friends, and one-time teammates, forced to fight one another for the shared dream of making history at the first Olympic Games to include women's boxing.
We are often asked how we came to Mary and Ariane's story. The truth is, it kind of fell in our laps. We were both training at The Blue Cat Boxing Club in Montreal; Lorraine was competing as an amateur boxer and Juliet trained as part of the non-competitive workout. We knew each other, but not well. We certainly had no idea that we would take a leap of faith and partner up as a writer/director team on a feature film. It was at our boxing coach's birthday party that we began discussing the debut of women's boxing at the Olympics. There would only be three weight categories for women and women the world over were gaining or losing weight for the chance to qualify at the Olympics. In Canada, we had two World Champions who moved into the 75kg weight category. Both were favorites to win an Olympic gold medal, but only one could go. Mary and Ariane's story was already a movie, just waiting for someone to pick up a camera and make it. Juliet had a background in film and radio and Lorraine in creative writing and documentary photography. We decided to combine our skills and make this movie together. We reached out to Ariane and Mary and they were eager to participate. By the time Prospector Films came on board, Lorraine was pregnant and Juliet was in the middle of her Master's degree. Our lives and careers were heading in new directions, but we believed in Mary and Ariane's story and in our ability to tell it.
The year and a half that followed took us and our crew (and Lorraine's newborn baby) to Holland, Germany, Mexico, Cape Breton, China, and eventually to the Olympic Games in London. We followed Ariane and Mary all over the world, but no matter how far their paths diverged, their lives, to us, remained connected. Mary and Ariane were no longer speaking, but their lives spoke to each other. Their friendship was on hiatus, but in some ways they couldn't be closer.
Making Last Woman Standing was an adventure and dream come true. It was our first time directing a feature-length film and our first time working as a collaborative team. The year and a half of filming was intense, trailing after these two determined women, watching them face devastating defeats and then get up, dust themselves off, and rise again to meet the next challenge. This film is about a lot of things -- friendship, dreams, the fragility of success -- but it is also about heart. Ariane and Mary are champions, not by some fluke, but because champions are special. Their desire to work hard, to be the strongest and the most disciplined is remarkable. And the reserve of willpower that they are able to draw upon in their darkest hours is truly inspiring.
It's been over a year since we sat crouched outside Mary and Ariane's corners, waiting to see how their stories would unfold. Once the bell rang and the room emptied, we were torn. We were elated for one and devastated for the other. That both were able to capture our hearts so completely is a testament to their characters. It was a privilege to be allowed into Mary and Ariane's lives and a real honour to make this film and be part of their adventure. We hope they will capture your heart as well.
Last Woman Standing will have its world premiere at Hot Docs International Film Festival on April 26th at 6:30pm (Tiff Bell Lightbox). Subsequent screenings: April 28th at 12:30 (Bloor Cinema) and May 3rd at 1:30 (Tiff Bell Lightbox). For more information or to purchase your tickets go to: http://www.hotdocs.ca//film/title/last_woman_standing. Visit our Facebook page here.


text:
Editors note: Get Growing, written by the La Plata County Extension Offices Master Gardener Program, appears every other week during the growing season. It features timely tips and suggestions for your garden and landscape.
By Darrin Parmenter
The bears continue to fight us for our apples. But we vowed to harvest 4,000 pounds and, by golly, 4,000 we will harvest. Even if it takes us twice as long.
The fifth annual Home Grown Apple Days Festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at Buckley Park. And while 2012 has been a challenging year for our harvest, we still plan on holding a big ol party to celebrate this wonderful fruit.
Why the challenge? The majority of apples on trees scattered throughout La Plata County ripened about two to three weeks earlier than normal. Typically (and I use that word loosely), apples are ready ripened and sweetened around the first week of October. But with the warm winter, warm spring and dry and hot summer, the trees took to the ripening process much sooner. So come Apple Days time, lots of fruit was already harvested or fell to the ground.
Or was eaten by bears.
For weeks, bears have been gorging on apples, leaving deposits and broken trees as reminder of their force (and appetite).
But the show will go on, so expect another amazing Apple Days Festival, which in my estimation, is the best festival all year.
What to expect:
Freshly pressed juice available for donation.
Pie-eating contest.
Kids fun zone, including arts and crafts, face painting, apple bobbing and the Discovery Museum.
Local food from Zia Taqueria, Fired Up Pizza, apple pies, caramel apples, hot dogs and brats, and more.
Live from Wild Mountain, A-Bun Dance, Ballet Folklorico and Matt Moon.
Beekeeping booth.
Apple tasting and sales. We will have many different varieties to choose from and will be selling apples by the ½ peck and 25-pound boxes.
Educational booths.
So come down with the kids, bring a blanket, take a turn on the apple presses, buy some local apples and soak in the last few rays of sun in this glorious fall.


text:
This article originally published on BikeRadar
The London 2012 Olympic time trials have been run and won, with Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain) bringing home the gold in the men's 44km event and Kristin Armstrong (United States) successfully defending her 2008 title in the women's 29km test.
Now, while the time trial is considered the purest test of a rider - it's just them against the clock - in addition to a good set of legs and lungs it actually requires a huge amount of time, money and expertise to get it right. By that we mean positioning on the bike, equipment choice and pacing to produce the fastest possible ride for the available power. It takes years of refinement to do it, and clearly some riders have a way to go if they want to finish closer to Wiggins and Armstrong. It's not just the engine.
In this gallery feature, BikeRadar's resident time trial nut Jeff Jones gives his armchair commentary on the setups used by the Olympic stars via the keen lens of Rob Wilmott.
Will we ever see the POC Tempor helmet again?


text:
The Sound of the Pan Flute inspires mystery and wonder.
Join Hawaii's award-winning flutist, Brad White, as he leads you on an exotic musical journey. Listen to the swirling panflute and panpipe melodies, sparkling piano and lush orchestrations. Click on a rare flute and delight in its sound. Read about the myths and histories of the instruments, world resources and much, much more. This site is not only entertaining and educational but fun as well.
Enter Pan-Flute.Com