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Monthly Archives: September 2013
The Hardest Parable
The Hardest Parable
The Unjust Steward
Luke 16: 1-13
Jesus said to his disciples, "A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property
He summoned him and said, 'What is this I hear about you?
Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward.'
The steward said to himself, 'What shall I do, now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me?
I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg.
I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.'
He called in his master's debtors one by one.
To the first he said, 'How much do you owe my master?'
He replied, 'One hundred measures of olive oil.'
He said to him, 'Here is your promissory note.
Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.'
Then to another the steward said, 'And you, how much do you owe?'
He replied, 'One hundred kors of wheat.'
The steward said to him, 'Here is your promissory note, write one for eighty.'
And the master commended the dishonest steward for acting prudently.
"For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.
I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones.
If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth?
If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours?
No servant can serve two masters.
He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve both God and mammon."
The parable of The Unjust Steward always needs a lengthy explanation for it is not clear right away who is the good guy and who is the bad guy. That is why it was so interesting to go to two Masses and listen to two different interpretations of the same scripture.
At the Roman Catholic Mass Father Danny saw the steward's doctoring of the books as an attempt to curry favor with those who owed his Master a debt. In this interpretation Father Danny sees the master as commending the steward for his cleverness.
But then he asks, if you can be clever for what is wrong why cannot you be equally clever for good? God gave us wisdom. Instead of abusing that gift cannot we use it for the betterment of humankind?
Do we use our God given wisdom to make bigger and better weapons or for more effective medicine?
In the end Father Danny still saw the steward as the bad guy and the master as blameless in this account.
At the Universal Catholic Church Bishop Tony asks, "Who do we identify with – the steward, the rich man or those who got a huge discount?"
This parable, continued Bishop Tony, is similar to another parable where a large debt is forgiven in the hope that the forgiven would do likewise, forgive the debts of those who owe him. This similar parable is forgiveness from the top down.
But in the case of the Unjust Steward forgiveness comes from the bottom up.
Bishop Tony then introduced us to another book this week – "The Parables of Grace" – reading some of the chapter titled "The Hardest Parable".
In doing so he pointed out a few of the concepts introduced by its author Robert Farrar Capon.
1) Grace works only on those it finds dead enough to raise.
2) Grace cannot come from respectability
3) The unjust steward can be seen as a Christ figure
Here is a major portion of that chapter "The Hardest Parable" from the book "The Parables Of Grace".
In any case, it all boils down to the fact that there are basically just two ways of interpreting this parable: you can make the steward out to be a hero or you can make him out to be a villain. Obviously, if you decide to read the parable as verses 1-8, the white-hat interpretation will be your natural choice; but if you read it as verses 1-13, the black hat will seem to fit better. It's worth noting, though, that each interpretation has a price to pay. If you make the steward a bad guy, several things don't make sense. In the first place, the heavily moralized parable that that gives you consists ill not only with the preceding parable in Luke but with the entire tone of the final journey to Jerusalem. Jesus has been on a grace trip for seven chapters now: he has been talking lastness, lostness, death, and resurrection, and he has again and again made it clear that the bookkeeping department's heyday is a thing of the past. Why, then, at this stage of the game, would he poke in a parable that has none of the above as its main point – that amounts to little more than a surgeon general's warning that "shady dealing is hazardous to your soul's health"? Above all, why on earth would he put into the parable verse 8 ("And the Lord praised the unjust steward because he had acted shrewdly…") – a verse which, unless it is taken as pure sarcasm, makes no sense whatsoever if you take the steward as a plain old bounder?
On the other hand, if you make the steward a good guy, verse 8 becomes the principal support for your interpretation – so much so, that you are willing (as I am) to lop off the rest of the passage in order to do justice to its decisiveness. Even at that price, though, the steward-as-hero interpretation seems preferable: it is, as you will see, consonant with the whole thrust of the parables of grace; in particular, it allows the parable to voice once again the theme of forgiveness-by-resurrection-from-the-dead that is the burden of so much of what Jesus has been saying. It even allows you to entertain the most bizarre and fruitful notion of all, namely, that of the unjust steward as Christ-figure. But more of that shortly. time now to expound the parable in order.
It begins with some nameless informant telling a certain rich man that his steward has been wasting (diaskorpizon) his money (hyparchonta, possessions). Score one fascinating point right there for a "grace" rather than a "morality" interpretation of this parable: diaskorpizein is the same verb used in the Prodigal Son to describe the boy's "wasting" of his substance in the far country. From Jesus' very choice of words, therefore, we are given a hint of continuity. Next, the master – without any trial or even fair inquiry – simply reads the steward the riot act: "What's this I hear? You're a disgrace! Turn in your books! You're fired!" Score yet another point for continuity: just as with the Prodigal Son, death enters this parable early, and as a pivotal consideration. The son found himself dead in the far country; the steward comes out of his master's office with none of his old life left at all.
But at this point, the parable of the Unjust Steward diverges from the Prodiagal Son and begins to look more like an upside-down version of the Unforgiving Servant. Watch "So the steward said to himself, 'What shall I do now that my master has taken away my manager ship? I'm not strong enough to work as a laborer. I'm too proud to be a beggar. Aha! I've got it! I'll use my brains and ace out that unforgiving tyrant. So he wants to play letter-of-the-law games, does he? He would like me to turn in my books, eh? Well, I'll do just that – after I've made a few … adjustments.'"
What he does, of course, is call in his master's debtors and settle accounts with them at considerable write-offs: he knocks the bill of one of them down by half, the bill of another by a fifth. all of which might produce a number of different results, depending on how you estimate it. On the one hand, it might at one and the same time make him look bad to his master and good to the debtors. If the master ever remembers any of the originally owed amounts he could be so furious over being gypped that the presence of cash in the till would hardly be enough to mollify him. But then, if the debtors thought kindly of the steward's write-offs, they might, as he hooped, "receive him into their houses" after he was officially fired. On the other hand, his sharp dealing could, with even more logic, be read as making him look good to his master and bad to his debtors. For all we know, the master may have been overjoyed to get even fifty cents on the dollar from deadbeats like those. Likewise, for all we know, deadbeats like those could very likely have spotted the steward as no better than themselves and refused to give him office space.
But whichever of those readings or combination of them you decide to go with, the deciding factor remains verse 8. "And the Lord praised the unjust steward, for the children of this age are wiser in their generation than the children of light." Somehow, between verse 2 ("What's this? You're fired") and verse 8 ("My beamish boy! You're a genius! I never thought I'd see even a nickel from those accounts!"), the master of the steward has turned from an unforgiving bookkeeper to a happy-go-lucky celebrator of any new interest that comes along. And what happened to him, can, as I have said, be best understood by comparing this parable with that of the Unforgiving Servant.
In that parable, forgiveness starts from the top down: the Lord, who is owed ten million dollars by one of his servants, simply drops dead to his own claim and absolves the debt. His intention, of course, is that the servant will take the hint and likewise drop dead to the hundred dollars owed to him by a fellow servant. But as Jesus tells the story, things do not work out that way – the forgiven servant chooses a bookkeeper's life rather than a spendthrift's death and thus short-circuits the working of forgiveness. Still, the point of the parable remains unchanged: grace works only on those it finds dead enough to raise.
Exactly the same point is made in the parable of the Unjust Steward, but by a reversal of the story's device: forgiveness in this parable starts from the bottom up. Here, it is the lord of the steward who starts out unwilling to drop dead to any of his bookkeeping: He will not die to the steward's peculations, and he will not die to the accounts past due that he has never succeeded in collecting. The steward, however, does die; and because he is freed by his death to think things he could not have thought before, he is the one who, from the bottom of the heap, as it were, becomes somehow the sight of a loser bringing off a coup like this in the very thick of his losses finally loosens the old boy up: 'My God!" the master says, "My whole life has been a joke, and only now I learn to laugh at it!" But the steward is also able to be the resurrection of his lord's debtors because they wouldn't consent to deal with anyone but a crook like themselves: they would never have gone near him if they hadn't been convinced he was dead to all the laws of respectable bookkeeping.
As far as I am concerned, therefore, the unjust steward is nothing less than the Christ-figure in this parable, a dead ringer for Jesus himself. First of all, he dies and rises, like Jesus. Second, by his death and resurrection, he raises others, like Jesus. But third and most important of all, the unjust steward is the Christ-figure because he is a crook, like Jesus. The unique contribution of this parable to our understanding of Jesus is its insistence that grace cannot come to the world through respectability. Respectability regards only life, success, winning; it will have no truck with the grace that works by death and losing – which is the only kind of grace there is.
The parable, therefore, says in story form what Jesus himself said by his life. He was not respectable. He broke the sabbath. He consorted with crooks. And he died as a criminal. Now at last, in the light of this parable, we see why he refused to be respectable: he did it to catch a world that respectability could only terrify and condemn. He became sin for us sinners, weak for us weaklings, lost for us losers, and dead for us dead. Crux muscipulum diaboli, St Augustine said: the cross is the devil's mousetrap, baited with Jesus' disreputable death. And it is a mousetrap for us, too. Jesus baits us criminals with his own criminality: as the shabby debtors in the parable were willing to deal only with the crooked steward and not with the upright lord, so we find ourselves drawn by the bait of a Jesus who winks at iniquity and makes friends of sinners – of us crooks, that is – and of all the losers who would never in a million years go near a God who knew what was expected of himself and insisted on what he expected of others.
You don't like that? You think it lowers standards and threatens good order? You bet it does! And if you will cast your mind back, you will recall that is exactly why the forces of righteousness got rid of Jesus. Unfortunately, though, the church has never been able for very long to leave Jesus looking like the attractively crummy character he is: it can hardly resist the temptation to gussy him up into a respectable citizen. Even more unfortunately, it can almost never resist the temptation to gussy itself up into a bunch of supposedly perfect peaches, too good for the riffraff to sink their teeth into. But for all that, Jesus remains the only real peach – too fuzzy on the outside, nowhere near as sweet as we expected on the inside, and with the jaw breaking stone of his death right smack in the middle. And therefore he is the only mediator and advocate the likes of us will ever be able to trust, because like the unjust steward, he is the only one who has even a chance of getting the Lord God to give us a kind word.
"And the lord praised the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly": "This is my beloved Son, Hear him" (Mark 9:7).
"For the children of this world are shrewder in their generation than the children of light": "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…full of grace and truth (John 1:14)…and his own people did not receive him (John 1:11). He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant …and finding himself merely human, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death – death on the cross. Therefore God himself exalted him and graced him with a name that is above any other name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow…and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil 2: 7-11).
Lucky for us we don't have to deal with a just steward.
Twelve Year-Old with Atheist Mom Paints Shocking Pictures of Heaven and Jesus and Wins Her to Christ
We Are Already Forgiven
Last Sunday 's Gospel was Luke's rendition of the prodigal son among other illustrations of forgiveness. Bishop Tony Howard of St. Clement of Alexandria in his homily reminded us that we are already forgiven. You may get a different view down the street at XYZ church, he said. But as for here the emphasis is on repentance. Let me tell you what that means…..
And he proceeded to quote from the book Speaking Christian: Why Christian Words Have Lost Their Meaning and Power – And How They Can Be Restored by Marcus J. Borg
Below you will find excerpts from a chapter of this book.
Forgiveness In Relation To God
Do we need to be forgiven by God? Well it all depends upon what you mean by that. Do we imagine forgiveness as something God decides to do – that God decides to forgive some people, but not others? If so, what is the basis for being forgiven by God – are some among the elect (chosen by God) and others not?
But is being forgiven by God dependent on something we do? Some believe we can be forgiven only if we earnestly confess our sins, believe in Jesus, and resolve to live differently. But what do we do if we fail again? Seek forgiveness again? If so – and this is a very common way of thinking – then forgiveness is conditional. We can forgive only if…(fill in the rest of the sentence).
Or are we already forgiven – that is, accepted by God, loved by God – whether we know that or not? This has been the radical meaning of forgiveness and grace in the Bible and influential theological voices within the Christian tradition. For Luther , this discovery was the experience that led to his understanding of radical grace and his deliverance from what was for him an agonizing search for God's approval.
A very powerful expression of this in modern times is in a book of sermons by Paul Tillich, one of the most influential mainline Protestant theologians of the twentieth century. The sermon's title is "You Are Accepted." It's theme, sounded again and again, is we are forgiven, accepted by God, in spite of all that we think separates us from God. God's love, God's grace, God's forgiveness, God's acceptance of us is unconditional. Grace means that God's love is a given.
This is forgiveness "in spite of" – that is, a sense of being accepted by God in spite of our imperfections and worse. Have I been less than I could be? Less loyal, less committed, less attentive, less generous, less willing than I should be to spend and be spent for the sake of what it means to follow Jesus? Yes. And God's forgiveness, God's mercy, means that I am loved by God in spite of that? Yes.
Of course it is vital that we see that, realize that, make it real by internalizing it, or else nothing will change in our lives. If we don't see that, we will continue to feel guilty and alienated from God. We will continue to focus on what we must do to be saved.
But if we do see that forgiveness is unconditional and realize it by making it real, then the Christian life no longer consists of believing or doing what we must in order to be forgiven. God already accepts us and wills our well-being. See this, believe this, realize this, and your life will change. You will no longer be preoccupied with becoming secure by measuring up.
Some Christians believe that forgiveness doesn't happen apart from sincere repentance. Without repentance, there is no forgiveness.
Within this framework, repentance means being thoroughly sorry for our sins and earnestly resolving not to continue the behaviors and thoughts understood to be sins. And if our repentance doesn't contain enough of that remorse and resolve, can we be forgiven?
The biblical meanings of repentance are quite different and much richer. It has two primary meanings. The first flows from the Hebrew word in the Old Testament commonly translated into English as repent or repentance. It means "to turn, to return." The word directly relates to ancient Israel's experience of exile in Babylon. To repent meant "to return" – to embark on a journey of return to the "homeland," the Holy Land, where God is. That is the metaphorical meaning of the Holy Land, Jerusalem, Zion, the Temple – all are symbols for the presence of God. To repent is to embark on a journey of return to God – a journey that is also with God.
It also has a second resonance that flows from the roots of the Greek word in the New Testament commonly translated into English as repent or repentance. Its Greek roots mean "to go beyond the mind we have." The phrase is both provocative and evocative. This is what repentance means?
And what does it mean to "to go beyond the mind that we have"? This is the evocative part. The mind that we have is the mind acquired by being socialized in our particular place and time. The natural result of growing up is to have an enculturated mind, a way of seeing shaped by what we have learned. Few if any of us escape this. So to go beyond the mind that we have means seeing in a new way – a way shaped by God as known decisively in Jesus. This is repentance.
The Bible does speak of repenting for our sins. But the emphasis is not so much on contrition and sorrow and guilt, but about turning from them and returning to God. Repentance is about change, not primarily a prerequisite for forgiveness. To repent means to turn, return to God and to go beyond the mind that we have and see things in a new way. That's pretty exciting.
Forgiveness is not dependent upon repentance. We are forgiven already, loved and accepted by God. We don't need to do anything to warrant God's love. But repentance – turning and returning to God, going beyond the mind that we have – is the path that leads to transformation.
I Was There
You say you will never forget where you were when you heard the news on Sept. 11, 2001.
Neither will I.
I was on the 110th floor in a smoke filled room with a man who called his wife to say "Good-Bye." I held his fingers steady as he dialed. I gave him the peace to say, "Honey, I am not going to make it, but it is OK…I am ready to go." I was with his wife when he called as she fed breakfast to their children. I held her up as she tried to understand his words as she realized he wasn't coming home that night.
I was in the stairwell on the 23rd floor when a women cried out to me for help. "I have been knocking on the door of your heart for 50 years!" I said "Of course I will show you the way home – only believe in Me now."
I was at the base of the building with the Priest ministering to the injured and devastated souls. I took him home to tend to his Flock in Heaven. He heard my voice and answered.
I was on all four of those planes, in every seat, with every prayer. I was with the crew as they were overtaken. I was in the very hearts of the believers there, Comforting and assuring them that their Faith has saved them.
I was in Texas, Kansas, London. I was standing next to you when you heard the terrible news. Did you sense Me?
I want you to know that I saw every face. I knew every name – though NOT all knew Me. Some met me for the first time on the 86th floor. Some sought me out with their last breath. Some couldn't hear me calling them through the smoke and flames, "Come to Me…this way…take my hand."
Some chose, for the final time, to ignore Me.
But, I was there.
I did not place you in the Tower that day – you may not know why, but I DO.
However, if you were there in that explosive moment in time, would you have reached for Me? September 11, 2001 was not the end of the journey for you. But someday your journey will end. And I will be there for you as well. Seek Me now while I may be found. Then at any moment, you know you are "ready to go."
I will be in the stairwell of your final moments.
Remember…I love you.
Written by: Stacey Randall
VOICE of the MARTYRS -IDOP-2012 -Bounchan
This short video from Voice of the Martyrs is just another reminder of how bad our brothers and sisters overseas have it! For the most part, they simply desire a bible. But we as the Church, should also provide them with unending prayer and support.
I'd HIGHLY recommend that if you are a true follower of Messiah, you would do well to keep our brethren in prayer.
Matthew 25:37-45
The video's original location:
No Longer A Slave, A Brother, Beloved
At Sacred Heart I proclaimed this week's second reading from the letter of Saint Paul to Philemon, Philemon 9-10, 12-17. Many times I will proclaim a reading in full, forceful style waking up any in the back benches who have dozed off. But this reading required a different style.
"I, Paul, an old man,…"
It necessitated a subdued, gentle demeanor. And so it went through the entire reading. Especially during the highlight:
"no longer as a slave
but more than a slave, a brother
beloved especially to me, but even more to you,
as a man and in the Lord."
Paul is asking Philemon to accept Onesimus back as a free and equal man because as he has come to Christ so has he came to be one in the same with all humanity. Here we see the true essence of Christianity. We are all brothers and sisters under Christ. Inequality, class structure and slavery do not fit in with Christ's message. Paul saw this 2000 years ago. Why have we had such trouble seeing it down through the ages?
"So if you regard me as a partner,
Welcome him, as you would me."
On Being Humble
Sunday's first reading was from Sirach 3:17-18,20,28-29 where we hear, "My child, conduct your affairs with humility." The Gospel was Luke 14: 1, 7-14 where we hear "For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
The Catholic workbook for readers remarks, "Jesus extends the teaching on humility beyond the mere exchange of places of honor for lower places at the table. In this uniquely Lucan parable , Jesus points out that humility involves not only how we behave as guests at others' banquets, but whom we invite when we host a gathering….Repayment does not matter… All that we need God will provide…"
One of the unique characteristics of Christianity I have always admired is its emphasis on humility. Oh, I suppose other religions also value this virtue but I am no theologian and have not the education and training to say one way or the other. Yet, whether in religions or just everyday life one can see the tendency to not be humble, to be aggressive.
We must be careful in our definition of humility. For me it is the quality of being willing to listen, to not let your ego overtake your spirit, that everything in the world does not revolve around ME, ME, ME. Humility is the opposite of Narcissism. I am not the center of the universe, God is.
Merriam Webster defines being humble as – "reflecting, expressing, or offered in a spirit of deference or submission." And is this not how we come to God in prayer? Do we come before our Creator in full blown aggressive, arrogant and demanding behavior or do we enter into our relationship and discourse with God on our knees, in praise, honor and adoration? Do we not pray, "Thy kingdom come thy will be done?" It is not our will but His. It is not what we want but what He wants and knows what is best for us.
The real test of being humble is not before God but in our daily interaction with humankind. Somehow we seem to have grasped the need to treat God well yet we treat each other with disdain and contempt. It's not just a matter of Love, although that is central to our translating into human thinking what God is all about. Yet love is a concept while being humble is an application. To be loving is to be humble. It is thinking of the other before yourself, it is letting go all thoughts of exalting yourself and to just be. That's right just be and be accepting of where God takes you and open to receiving His grace. It is about looking inside instead of outside for what God has placed inside you is very Holy.
Instead of trying to get ahead in life, to get more and more and more try just striving to enjoy the journey as it unfolds and to be thankful for what you have. In the Beatitudes we hear, The meek shall inherit the earth. I rather think that was meant to be the humble shall inherit the earth. It's not about being timid it's about being less self centered and more into the oneness of us all. One can be demonstrative without being an ego maniac. One can shout from the rooftops yet still be humble.
Such are the views of a lay person such as I. This view could be challenged by a theologian. So be it. I welcome all who have differing views and who can further open my eyes. Here is one other view by someone much more theologically educated than I.


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Time to go fishin'!
What other classic could I be introducing but, The Compleat Angler: or, The Contemplative Man's Recreation by Izaac Walton (US Edition) (UK Edition) (DE Edition)
Let me turn to those ever dependable Amazon reviewers for a description:
"Three hundred fifty years ago Izaak Walton wrote of the curious blend of inner peace and giddy excitement which the amateur naturalist finds at streamside. He invites us to stroll with him through the countryside, discussing the mythology, superstition, and the science of England's aquatic fauna. It is an unrushed journey, though we often arise at sunrise, and the author introduces us to many of the local inhabitants."
"-- an enduring cult classic having no exact parallel in world literature."
And I am especially charmed by a review from Korea . . .
"I'm flyfisher in Korea. I think there is no necessity for talking about this book. Because this is so famous book to fishermans, as you know."
But what does the author say?
And as I have told you that Sir Francis Bacon observes, the age of a Salmon exceeds not ten years; so let me next tell you, that his growth is very sudden: it is said that after he is got into the sea, he becomes, from a Samlet not so big as a Gudgeon, to be a Salmon, in as short a time as a gosling becomes to be a goose. Much of this has been observed, by tying a riband, or some known tape or thread, in the tail of some young Salmons which have been taken in weirs as they have swimmed towards the salt water; and then by taking a part of them again, with the known mark, at the same place, at their return from the sea, which is usually about six months after; and the like experiment hath been tried upon young swallows, who have, after six months' absence, been observed to return to the same chimney, there to make their nests and habitations for the summer following; which has inclined many to think, that every Salmon usually returns to the same river in which it was bred, as young pigeons taken out of the same dovecote have also been observed to do.
Hmm, I did not know salmon grew so fast. My Koi certainly grow slowly!
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text: I have been unable to upload files to my blog…but my teen-aged son, Max, came over and saved the day. He needed ftp info from Dad, so that's what got Roger the nickname, Robin…. This is me at one of our final destinations in Chicago. But it's still March, not May. And that's a little


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|Basketball Hall of Fame
|Springfield, Massachusetts
|Professional sports hall of fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game.
Named after basketball's inventor Dr James Naismith, its mission is to preserve and promote basketball at all levels and serve as the ultimate library of the sports's history. To date, it has honored 287 individuals.
The Naismith Hall of Fame was established in 1959 by Lee Williams, a former athletic director at Colby College, and opened its first public facility at Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1968. A new building off-campus was opened near downtown Springfield in 1985.
In 2002 a new $45 million, 80,000 square foot (7,400 m²) building designed by New York City architects Gwathmey Siegel & Associates was opened next door replacing the previous facility.[1]
Inside the building includes a game gallery and an honor ring of all of the inductees. A theater for the ceremonies throughout the year seats up to 300.
In contrast to the Pro Football and the Baseball Halls of Fame,[citation needed] the Naismith Hall honors international professionals and American and international amateurs in addition to American professionals. It employs four screening committees to identify prospective nominees: one each for American candidates, female candidates, international candidates, and veterans candidates.
Individuals who receive at least five votes from a seven-member screening committee in a given year advance to an Honors Committee, composed of 12 members who vote on each candidate and rotating groups of 12 specialists (one group for female candidates, one group for international candidates, and one group for American and veterans candidates); any individual receiving at least 18 affirmative votes (75 percent of all votes cast) from the Honors Committee is approved for induction into the Hall of Fame. Advancement to the Honors Committee is generally pro forma, although the Hall's Board of Trustees may remove any candidate who "has damaged the integrity of the game of basketball" from consideration.[2]
To be considered for induction by a screening committee, a player must be fully retired from play for at least five years, while a coach or referee must be fully retired for at least five years or have been active full time in his/her respective craft on the professional, collegiate, of high school level for at least 25 years. No years of service criterion is applied to those who have made a "significant contribution to the game of basketball". Sportswriters and commentators are elected as full members.
Controversy has arisen over many aspects of the Hall's voting procedures, including voter anonymity. While sportswriter voters of other major sports Halls of Fames openly debate their choices, the Naismith Hall does not make the process transparent.[citation needed] The Hall has also been widely criticized for a tendency to enshrine active collegiate coaches and relatively obscure players while omitting some accomplished players.[citation needed]
As of the Class of 2008 the Hall had honored 285 individuals.[citation needed] John Wooden, Lenny Wilkens, and Bill Sharman have each been inducted as both a player and coach (Wooden in 1961 and 1973, Sharman in 1976 and 2004, and Wilkens in 1989 and 2004).[3]
Three times the Hall has inducted new classes without honoring a player - 1965, 1968, and 2007.[4]
In conjunction with the Final Four of each year's men's and women's Division I NCAA basketball tournaments the Naismith Hall gives out several awards to college basketball athletes:
For men, the Hall presents the Bob Cousy Award to the top point guard from among players in Divisions I, II, and III. This award, given since 2004, is voted on by Cousy and a selection of basketball writers, college basketball coaches, sports information directors and fans.
The Hall also presents the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award to the female player under 68 inches in height and the male player under 72 inches determined to have been the nation's best student-athletes. The men's award, given since 1969, is voted on by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), and the women's, given since 1984, by members of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.
Coordinates: 42°05′37″N 72°35′06″W / 42.093684°N 72.585069°W


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Do your kids love sports?... How about video games?... Of course they love both! Wouldn't it be great if you could find a safe, online game just for kids that brings their favorite spots to life?... And wouldn't it be even better if it were FREE??
Well, that's exactly what Action ActionAllStars.com does! Action AllStars has teamed up with MLB.com (MLBAM), NBA.com (National Basketball League) and ConnectSafetly.org to bring your kids the best in sporting fun online.
I popped over and checked out Action AllStars today and what fun this would be for kids! This is my cute little avatar named Pink Lemonade - all decked out in sporting attire (alas, nothing pink to choose from) & ready for fun. Kids can have a great time playing Baseball, Basketball, Football or Skateboarding - they even get their own "Home Turf" which you can decorate by purchasing items with your tokens (when you have a subscription membership).
My little Collette has recently started to love basketball - this would be a really fun game for her to play on a rainy day when she can't go out and "shoot hoops" outside.
So, when your little sports enthusiast wants to play online, check out ActionAllStars.com - its, fun, free and safe - what more could you ask for?
Posted by Liz of Pink Lemonade
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The meaning of OM
The OM symbol is considered one of the most sacred mantra. The om symbol appears at the beginning and the end of most Sanskrit recitations, prayers, or texts. Likewise in yoga it is the often chanted at the beginning and end of yoga classes. The sound of OM is often said to be the sound of the universe. The sound of OM is broken down into three parts aah, ooh, and mmm. The meaning behind this gets complicated. To try to simplify it, OM is a symbol of the trinity. The father, son, and the holy ghost. Heaven, hell and earth. Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. There are several gorgeous meanings behind this in depth chant of OM. Embrace OM and let it be a beautiful part of your life.


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Built to thrill, the legendary, new 2016 Ford Mustang has arrived! Introducing the new, standard voice-activated SYNC® technology and available SYNC® 3, you'll be able to stay connected while keeping your eyes on the road. Along with precision handling and control that you've come to expect with Ford Mustang, each engine delivers at least 300 horsepower providing a powerful driving experience, no matter what trim you choose. Inside the cabin, the sporty vibe continues with the leather-trimmed steering wheel, comfortable bucket seats and tilt/telescoping steering column, providing comfort to your thrilling ride. Rev up your drive! Come test-drive a 2016 Ford Mustang in Salem, VA, at Berglund Ford, the premier Ford auto dealership in Virginia, serving customers from Roanoke and Christiansburg, VA!
- Five engine options, including a 3.7-liter V6 and 5.0-liter V8
- Six-speed SelectShift® Automatic transmission or TREMEC® six-speed Manual
- Selectable-effort Electric Power-Assist Steering (EPAS)
- HID headlamps with signature lighting
- LED sequential taillamps
- Dual bright exhaust with slashed cut tips
- Aluminum finish instrument cluster
- Intelligent Access with push-button start
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel with speed and audio controls
- Audio input jack
- Ford SYNC® system with display screen
- Two smart-charging USB ports
- Rearview camera
- Personal Safety System™ for driver and front passenger
- SOS Post-Crash Alert System™
- 18-inch Foundry Black painted aluminum wheels
- Blade decklid spoiler
- LED fog lamps
When your 2016 Ford Mustang needs scheduled maintenance or repairs, look no further than Berglund Ford, where our expert technicians are happy to handle your service needs quickly and affordably. From oil changes and tire rotations to more major repairs, Berglund Ford has you covered. Our Service Department employees are dedicated to maintaining top-tier customer service while getting you behind the wheel in a timely manner.
If you're looking to customize your new 2016 Ford Mustang, Berglund Ford can help you with parts and aftermarket accessories. Our Parts Department keeps a comprehensive inventory of OEM auto parts, and if we don't have a part or accessory you need on hand, we will be more than happy to order it for you.
If you'd like to purchase or lease the 2016 Ford Mustang in Salem, VA, drop by Berglund Ford at 834 E Main St., Salem, VA 24153 for a test-drive. We look forward to serving our customers from Salem, VA, and throughout Roanoke and Christiansburg!
*Based on 2016 EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.


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The Abbey was rebuilt in the 18th century, after the original 12th century building was destroyed by fire.
Our guide gave us the history of the abbey, the frescoes and the imperial rooms.
There were beautiful views from the windows and the balcony!
The building is undergoing a bit of a refurbishment!
The interior of the abbey's church is very grand - everything is red, orange and definitely gold!
We thought these were interesting!
After our tour of the abbey, we had some time on our own to walk through the town.
We did as we've done in pretty much every town, and got some ice cream, and wandered around! It seems like a nice thing to do in these little towns!
It really seems that no matter where you are though, you can see the abbey overlooking the town!
We had a lovely walk back to our boat.... what a beautiful afternoon!
But the day still wasn't over! Tonight we had a special dinner! It was the "Taste of Austria" dinner!
Tonight's dinner was going to be a party! All of the tables had this little set up on them, and it was sort of an Oktoberfest atmosphere!
The buffet had all different types of Austrian food on it tonight!
The staff provided us with some dinner entertainment!
And dancing!
Everyone really enjoyed this evening - the food, the entertainment, and the company. It was very well done!
When we got back to our cabin, we had a little friend join us!
And tonight we went through a tight lock! Some have asked just how close the boats get to the locks....here is a good example!
That's our cabin door open with the lock wall right there. I'd say it's maybe 4-6 inches from the boat.
I find the locks fascinating, apparently, Alex has gotten used to them - just another lock mom! He's involved in the movie he's watching!
Today was a great day aboard the Viking Vilhjalm. We only have a couple more days left, which is always sad! But we were really looking forward to tomorrow! Another big day awaits!


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School Safety & Climate
School psychologists are uniquely positioned to advocate for evidence-based initiatives at the local, state, and federal levels, which create safe and supportive learning environments that naturally prevent violence and ensure that students have access to the supports they need to be successful both inside and outside of the classroom.
NASP advocates for comprehensive school safety policies and practices that are driven by the following key ideas:
School safety strategies must balance physical and psychological safety measures. Our schools should not resemble fortresses. We cannot barricade against all possible harm and trying to do so is counterproductive to maintaining a healthy learning environment. Excessive building security (e.g., metal detectors, security cameras) does not promote a sense of safety or student well-being, nor does it provide a guarantee of protection against an armed intruder. Reasonable physical security such as locked doors, lighted hallways, and visitor check-in systems must be combined with efforts to promote a positive school climate and trust among staff, students, and families where students feel connected and part of a close-knit and caring community, and in which they feel empowered to report any safety concerns.
Effective school safety efforts require a comprehensive, whole-school approach. School safety is not achieved by purchasing a designated program or piece of equipment; rather, effective efforts integrate school climate, effective discipline, social-emotional learning, positive behavior, mental health, and academics through a multitiered system of supports (MTSS) and problem-solving model. An MTSS framework emphasizes wellness promotion, prevention, and early intervention and helps to minimize redundancies and gaps in services. Equally important, comprehensive school safety addresses the most common forms of harmful or violent behavior that undermine school safety, such as bullying, fighting, and self-harm.
School mental health services are essential to creating and sustaining safe schools. Increased access to mental health services and supports in schools is vital to improving the physical and psychological safety of our students and schools, as well as their academic performance and problem-solving skills. School mental health supports that encompass social-emotional learning, mental wellness, resilience, and positive connections between students and adults are essential to creating a school culture in which students feel safe and empowered to report safety concerns, which is proven to be among the most effective school safety strategies. Additionally, in the aftermath of a crisis, school psychologists can help provide supports that facilitate a return to normalcy, are sustainable, and can help to identify and work with students with more intense or ongoing needs.
Schools need school safety and crisis plans that are consistently reviewed and practiced. School safety and crisis response are not separate endeavors, but rather they exist on a continuum. Training, planning, and professional development should encompass ongoing prevention and early intervention efforts as well as response and recovery plans in the event the unpreventable occurs. This entails a multitiered approach, which includes universal mental health screenings and interventions as well as more intensive approaches for students deemed at risk for violence to themselves or others. School mental health professionals should be an integral part of developing and implementing these plans. In addition, we can provide training to other school staff on how to identify students who may be experiencing mental health difficulties. All plans and training should facilitate collaboration among school personnel, first responders, and community providers.
PREPaRE Curriculum
PREPaRE training is a proven school safety and crisis response model that utilizes existing staff resources, is sustainable, and supports learning as well as effective safety and crisis response.
Related Resources
Framework for Safe and Successful Schools
This joint statement outlines evidence-based policies and practices for improving school safety and increasing access to mental health supports for children and youth.
Framework for School-Wide Bullying Prevention and Safety
This document provides a guiding framework to local education agencies and school administrators for implementing effective, sustainable school-wide bullying prevention and safety efforts.
Navigating School Safety Law and Policy
An "Advocacy in Action" Communiqué article written by Kelly Vaillancourt and Eric Rossen.


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CLUBHOUSE is a collaboration project hosted by COLORAMA and Aisha Franz.
Each month a small group of artists create a limited edition of folded zines.
Printed and published by COLORAMA, 5 folded zines A6 (with A3 poster on the inside of each zine), riso-printed in crimson, medium blue, flat gold, fluo orange, orange, hunter green and purple with handwritten title on cellophane packaging, edition of 40.


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Since 2014, Coors Banquet drinkers throughout the West have raised more than $750,000 in support of wildland firefighters and their families by simply enjoying the Banquet Beer. This summer, Coors Banquet is once again inviting people to join in supporting the wildland firefighters who risk their lives to preserve our Western heritage by purchasing Coors Banquet in participating states.
Now through September 30, the Wildland Firefighter Foundation (WFF) will receive 25 cents for every case of Coors Banquet sold in Arizona, northern California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, collecting up to $250,000 in an effort to bring all-time donations to more than $1 million. The WFF is a non-profit that has provided emergency support to the families of firefighters who have been killed or seriously injured in the line of duty since 1997.
"Coors Banquet is a brand that takes great pride in its Western roots and the timeless values that make the West a special place," said Brian Erhardt, MillerCoors regional vice president of sales for the Pacific region.
"That's why it's so important for us to show our gratitude for the sacrifices made by the brave men and women who put it all on the line to protect it. We couldn't think of a better way to do so than to give Banquet drinkers across the West a way to celebrate the heroes who preserve its beauty and support the Wildland Firefighter Foundation."
In addition to raising funds for the WFF, Coors Banquet is committed to raising awareness of the amazing work done by wildland firefighters. That's why Coors Banquet is sponsoring "Protect Our West Night" featuring Trace Adkins in Seattle on June 27. The event will take place at the "Outside Corner" of Safeco Field before the Mariners face off against the Phillies. Ten dollars of every ticket sold for this special event will benefit the WFF. Coors Banquet also will donate tickets to firehouses around Seattle. Banquet fans can find VIP tickets to "Protect Our West Night" by visiting m.mlb.com/mariners/tickets/group/protect-our-west-night.
"The past few years have marked a new page in our organization's history," said Burk Minor, acting executive director of the Wildland Firefighter Foundation. "The support from Coors Banquet has provided us with the resources to care for fallen firefighters in ways we could only dream of before. It can sometimes feel like our firefighters' sacrifice goes unnoticed, but with this recognition and support from Coors Banquet, we all feel proud that folks can see how much we put on the line to protect our West."
Additional details can be found at Coors Banquet "Protect Our West" displays at participating retailers or by visiting https://wffoundation.org/.
About Coors Brewing Company
Coors Brewing Company was founded in 1873 by Adolph Coors, who chose the Clear Creek Valley in Golden, Colo., for his new brewery because of the pure water in the nearby Rocky Mountain springs. The brewery's original and most enduring beer is Coors Banquet (Coors.com, Facebook.com/CoorsBanquet, YouTube.com/OfficialCoorsBanquet), still brewed exclusively in Golden using only Rocky Mountain water and high-country barley. Coors Light (CoorsLight.com, Facebook.com/CoorsLight, @CoorsLight on Twitter, YouTube.com/CoorsLight) was introduced in 1978 and now is the second-best-selling beer in the United States. Triple-filtered smooth Keystone Light (KeystoneLight.com, Facebook.com/KeystoneLight) is one the country's most popular economy beers. Coors Brewing Company is part of MillerCoors, the U.S. business unit of the Molson Coors Brewing Company. Learn more at MillerCoors.com, at Facebook.com/MillerCoors or on Twitter through @MillerCoors.
About The Wildland Firefighter Foundation
Wildland Firefighter Foundation's main focus is to help families of firefighters killed in the line of duty and to assist injured firefighters and their families. It honors and acknowledges past, present, and future members of the wildland firefighting community. The foundation is an organization partnering with private and interagency organizations to work toward preventing line of duty deaths and provide timely safety messages, and to bring recognition to wildland firefighters.


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Canadian hockey fans won't be surprised at the results of a report into NHL ticket prices on the secondary market.
U.S. business magazine Forbes delved into the cost to attend an NHL game for each of the league's 30 franchises.
In fact, six of seven Canadian NHL teams made the top 10, with the Ottawa Senators placing in the middle of the pack at 15th.
Check out our interactive graphic to see where your favourite team ranks in the cost to attend a game, not including parking, food and souvenirs.


text: Super neat and clean 3 Bedroom 2 Bath home located in well established Neosho Neighborhood. Home has several neat features including spacious living room, large Master Bedroom with large walk-in closet, comfortable master bathroom with walk-in shower, and large kitchen and dining combo featuring window area between the Kitchen and Living Room. Refrigerator, Water Heater, Dishwasher, Central Heat and Air, and the flooring in the living room and bedrooms have all been updated since 2016. Back Yard is great for BBQ's and Family activities. Don't miss out on this one!


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In November 2008, 52.3 percent of California voters approved Proposition 8, which added language to the California Constitution that defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman. In May 2009, a California District Court ruled that Proposition 8 violated the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment and temporarily prohibited its enforcement, and the Ninth Circuit agreed, affirming the District Court's ruling. The United States Supreme Court will now consider whether a state can define marriage solely as the union of a man and a woman, in addition to considering whether the proponents of Proposition 8 have standing to bring suit in federal court. The Court's ruling will implicate the rights of gay men and lesbians, the role of the government in structuring family and society, and the relationship between the institution of marriage and religion and morality.
Questions as Framed for the Court by the Parties
1. Whether the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits the state of California from defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman.
2. Whether petitioners have standing under Article III, §2 of the Constitution in this case.
- [Questions presented]
- [Issues]
- [Facts]
- [Discussion]
- [Analysis]
1. Does a state violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment by defining marriage solely as the union of a man and a woman?
2. Do the official proponents of a state ballot initiative have standing to appeal a judgment invalidating that initiative?
In 2000, California voters adopted Proposition 22, which amended the state's Family Code to provide that "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." See Perry v. Brown, 671 F.3d 1052, 1065 (9th Cir. 2012). In May 2008, the California Supreme Court invalidated Proposition 22, finding that it violated the due-process and equal-protection guarantees of the California Constitution. See id. at 1066–67. The California Supreme Court ordered that marriage be made available to both same-sex and opposite-sex couples, and, in the wake of this order, California issued over 18,000 marriage licenses to same-sex couples. See id. at 1067.
In response to the California Supreme Court decision on Proposition 22, five California residents ("Proponents") collected voter signatures and filed petitions with the state to place Proposition 8 on the November 2008 ballot. See id.Proposition 8 proposed to add the same statutory language from Proposition 22 to the California Constitution, again defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. See id. After a contentious campaign, 52.3 percent of California voters approved Proposition 8, and it took effect as an amendment to the California Constitution. See id.
In May 2009, after being denied marriage licenses, two California same-sex couples filed suit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, alleging that Proposition 8 violated the Fourteenth Amendment equal protection guarantee of the United States Constitution. See id. at 1068. Because the State of California refused to argue in favor of Proposition 8's constitutionality, the District Court allowed the original Proponents of Proposition 8 to intervene under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 24(a) to defend the lawsuit. See id. After a lengthy bench trial, the District Court ruled that Proposition 8 violated the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses and enjoined its enforcement. See id. at 1069.
The Proponents appealed to the Ninth Circuit. See id. at 1070. The Ninth Circuit held that the Proponents had standing to appeal—in other words, authority to defend Proposition 8 when state officials declined to do so—but it affirmed the District Court's decision that Proposition 8 violated the Fourteenth Amendment. See id. at 1063, 1070. After the Ninth Circuit denied rehearing, the Proponents appealed to the United States Supreme Court. See Brief for Petitioners, Dennis Hollingsworth et al., at 1, 11. The Supreme Court granted certiorari on December 7, 2012 to determine whether the Proponents have standing in the case and whether Proposition 8 violates the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. See id. at i, 1.
This case presents the Supreme Court with the opportunity to consider whether a state can define marriage solely as the union of a man and a woman. See Brief for Petitioners at i. Hollingsworth argues that a state may do so because this definition is a "bedrock social institution" that "advances society's vital interest in responsible procreation and childrearing." See id. at v. Perry contends that gay men and lesbians should have fundamental and equal rights to marry and that "'[r]esponsible procreation' is not the defining purpose of marriage." See Brief for Respondents, Kristin M. Perry et al., at i. The Supreme Court's resolution of the case implicates vigorous debates over optimal familial and societal structure as well as religion and morality.
Optimal Familial and Societal Structure
Hollingsworth and numerous amici argue that limiting marriage to a union between a man and a woman ("traditional marriage") optimizes responsible procreation and childrearing. See, e.g., Brief for Petitioners at i; Brief of Amici Curiae State of Indiana et al. ("Indiana") in Support of Petitioners at 16. For example, Indiana and nearly twenty other states contend "the basic rationale for traditional marriage is to encourage biological parents to remain together for the sake of their children." See Brief of Indiana at 17. According to these states, traditional marriage promotes cohabitation and mutual dedication of biological parents, a behavior that is exclusive to opposite-sex couples, necessary for their children's welfare and protection, and optimal for family structure as well as society as a whole. See id. at 17–18. The states maintain that traditional marriage among the infertile or elderly does not undermine the institution's basic purpose, because married, opposite-sex couples without children model the optimal behavior for other opposite-sex couples who may have children. See id. at 18–19. They also emphasize that limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples makes a positive statement about its benefits, rather than a negative statement about the ability of same-sex couples to raise children. See id. at 24.
Perry and supporting amici, including the United States, counter that excluding same-sex couples from marriage destabilizes and stigmatizes their relationships and thereby harms their children. See, e.g., Brief for Respondents at 3; Brief for United States in at 22–23. The American Psychological Association ("APA") and several supporting medical and social welfare organizations assert that homosexuality is immutable and that gay men and lesbians form stable, committed relationships; deserve the social, psychological, and health benefits of marriage; and are as fit and capable of parenting as heterosexuals. See Brief for APA at ii. In particular, the APA and supporting organizations emphasize that child development is not dependent upon parental gender or sexual orientation and that there is no scientific basis for concluding that children raised by homosexual parents suffer any emotional or psychological harm. See id. at 18–30.
Several social science professors object to the APA's scientific conclusions, asserting that studies finding no detriment to children raised by homosexual parents are methodologically flawed. See Brief of Social Science Professors in Support of Petitioners at 3–4. The professors instead point to other studies supporting the notion that a stable biological mother and father provide the best environment for raising children. See id.
Religion and Morality
Many of Hollingsworth's supporters present religious and moral arguments in favor of limiting marriage to between a man and a woman. See, e.g., Brief of Amici Curiae National Association of Evangelicals et al. ("NAE") in Support of Petitioners at 18. For example, the NAE and several supporting religious organizations explain that their religions "extol the personal, familial, and social virtues of traditional marriage," while "condemning hatred and mistreatment of homosexuals." See id. at 18. NAE frames religious and moral support for traditional marriage as a rational position in an honest debate and argues that the debate should be resolved through democratic processes like state ballot initiatives, rather than by judicial decision. See id. at i. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ("USCCB") agrees, asserting that Proposition 8 should not be invalidated because it was informed by religious and moral viewpoints. SeeBrief of Amicus Curiae USCCB in Support of Petitioners at 19–21. USCCB further cautions that defining marriage to include homosexual unions burdens religious liberty and marginalizes individuals who morally disagree. See id.at 21–24.
In its support of Perry, the United States maintains that homosexual marriage does not burden religious liberty and asserts that mere use of the democratic process cannot render discriminatory laws legal. See Brief at 8–9, 28 n.7. The Anti-Defamation League, meanwhile, argues that some religious and moral justifications for traditional marriage are simply a pretext for discrimination and that religious and moral views about marriage are changing. See Brief of Amici Curiae Anti-Defamation League et al. in Support of Respondents at 3–4. Indeed, numerous religious amici support homosexual marriage and argue that state recognition of the practice does not interfere with other religious organizations' freedom not to sanction it. See Brief of Amici Curiae Bishops of the Episcopal Church in the State of California et al. in Support of Respondents at i–ii.
In sum, this case presents the Supreme Court with the opportunity to determine whether a state can define marriage solely as the union of a man and a woman. The Court's ruling will implicate the rights of gay men and lesbians, the role of the government in structuring family and society, and the relationship between the institution of marriage and religion and morality.
Before reaching the issue whether the Equal Protection Clause prohibits California from defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman, the Court must determine whether petitioners have standing to bring the suit before the Court. Hollingsworth argues that he has standing as an official proponent of Proposition 8 to defend the constitutionality of the initiative in lieu of state officials who have refused to do so. See Brief for Petitioners at 15. Perry contends that proponents of Proposition 8 have suffered no injury and have no continuing stake in the litigation, and thus do not have standing. See Brief for Respondents at 17.
Once the Court determines the issue of standing, Hollingsworth urges the Court to overturn the Ninth Circuit and hold that Proposition 8 does not violate the Equal Protection Clause. See Brief for Petitioners at 31. Hollingsworth asserts that Proposition 8 is rationally related to the government's interest in promoting responsible procreation and childrearing. See id. Perry counters that the amendment should be subjected to heightened scrutiny because sexual orientation is a suspect classification, but contends that Proposition 8 fails any standard of review—even rational basis. See Brief for Respondents at 36.
Do Petitioners Have Standing?
Under Article III of the Constitution, plaintiffs must have suffered some injury to bring suit in federal court. Respondents argue that because petitioners have never asserted suffering any harm, they have no direct stake in the outcome of the litigation and thus do not have standing on appeal. See Brief for Respondents at 16–17 (citing Arizonans for Official English v. Arizona, 520 U.S. 43, 64 (1997)).
Hollingsworth, however, notes that California has a clear interest in the continued enforceability of its laws and has standing to defend the constitutionality of those laws. See Brief for Petitioners at 15. Because, according to petitioners, the state has failed to defend the constitutionality of Proposition 8, proponents of the amendment have standing to defend the initiative as "'agents of the people' of California." See id. (quoting Karcher v. May, 848 U.S. 43, 65 (1997)). Hollingsworth analogizes this case to Karcher v. May, in which the Supreme Court held that the presiding officers of the New Jersey legislature had standing to defend a state statute when neither the state attorney general nor named defendants would do so. See id. at 16. Here, Proposition 8 was a ballot initiative and constitutional amendment (rather than a statute), and Hollingsworth and his fellow petitioners were official proponents of Proposition 8 (not legislators); but Hollingsworth contends that California courts routinely permit the official proponents of an initiative to appear in defense of that initiative in Court. See id. at 9, 16. Petitioners distinguish this case from Arizonans for Official English v. Arizona—in which the Supreme Court expressed "grave doubts" about the standing of Arizonan initiative sponsors—noting that here, as opposed to Arizona, California law does grant standing to initiative supporters. See id. 16. Finally, petitioners argue that if the Supreme Court determines that proponents of Proposition 8 do not have standing, the opinions of the Ninth Circuit and the district court must be vacated, and any relief by default judgment must be limited to the four named plaintiffs. See id. at 17–18.
Perry asserts that proponents of Proposition 8 will suffer no judicially cognizable harm if same-sex couples are allowed to marry. See Brief for Respondents at 17. Lacking any showing or even assertion of harm, Perry claims that Hollingsworth does not have a sufficient stake in the litigation to justify standing. See id. Relying on the Court's "grave doubts" in Arizonans, Perry claims that mere status as a proponent of an initiative is insufficient to confer Article III standing. See id. Perry distinguishes this case from Karcher, arguing that proponents of a ballot initiative—who, unlike the officers of the New Jersey legislature in Karcher, are not public officials—do not have a close enough relationship to the state to act on its behalf in litigation. See id. Perry further argues that if Hollingsworth lacks standing, the district court's injunction invalidating Proposition 8 statewide is still valid because Hollingsworth failed to object to the scope of the injunction in the district court and further waived the issue by failing to raise it in their petition for certiorari. See id. at 18. Furthermore, Perry contends that irrespective of waiver, the district court's injunction was appropriate because the injunctive relief does directly redress the named plaintiffs' injuries and because Proposition 8 imposes an identical injury on all gay men and lesbians in California. See id. at 18–19.
Does Proposition 8 Violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment?
What level of scrutiny should apply?
Under the Equal Protection Clause, laws that categorize people on the basis of suspect classifications are subject to heightened scrutiny. See, e.g., Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967) (quoting Korematsu v. United States, 323 U.S. 214, 216 (1944)) (applying "the 'most rigid scrutiny'" to classification based on race); Craig v. Boren, 429 U.S. 190 (1976) (applying intermediate scrutiny to classification based on sex). Laws that categorize based on some other classification must only pass rational-basis review. See, e.g., City of Cleburne v. Cleburne Living Ctr., Inc., 473 U.S. 432 (1985) (applying rational-basis review to classification based on mental disability). Racial classifications must pass strict scrutiny, which mandates that such classifications be "narrowly tailored" to serve a "compelling" government interest, whereas intermediate scrutiny requires that classifications based on sex be "substantially related" to an "important" government interest. See, e.g., Loving, 388 U.S. at 11–12; Craig, 429 U.S. at 197–98. Rational-basis review merely requires that a law be "rationally related" to a "legitimate" government interest. See, e.g., Cleburne, 473 U.S. at 446–47.
Hollingsworth argues that sexual orientation is not a suspect classification, so the Court should subject Proposition 8 to rational-basis review. See Brief for Petitioners at 27–29. Hollingsworth argues that Proposition 8 only classifies based on a biological distinction between opposite-sex couples, who are capable of having children together, and same-sex couples, who are not. See id. at 28–30 & n.1. Thus, Hollingsworth contends that the Court need not determine what level of scrutiny might apply to laws that treat people differently based on sexual orientation alone. See id.
Perry claims that Proposition 8 creates unequal access to marriage based on sexual orientation. See Brief for Respondents at 28–29. Thus, Perry argues that the law should be subjected to heightened scrutiny because gay men and lesbians share many characteristics with other recognized suspect classes. See id. Perry asserts that gay men and lesbians have faced and continue to face severe discrimination, citing the fact that in twenty-nine states it is legal to fire an employee and deny housing on the basis of sexual orientation. See id. at 29–31. Furthermore, Perry argues that sexual orientation, like race or sex, is an immutable characteristic that has no bearing on an individual's ability to contribute to society. See id. at 31–33. Finally, Perry highlights the relative political powerlessness of gay men and lesbians, citing their inability to eliminate significant statutory disadvantages at both the state and federal level. See id. at 33–35. Based on these characteristics, Perry argues that gay men and lesbians require heightened scrutiny to protect them from discrimination. See id. at 35.
Can Proposition 8 be sustained under rational-basis review or heightened scrutiny?
Hollingsworth makes no claim that Proposition 8 could withstand heightened scrutiny, instead insisting that rational-basis review is the only appropriate standard. See Brief for Petitioners at 27–29. Perry, on the other hand, asserts that heightened scrutiny is appropriate because sexual orientation is a suspect class, but she has tailored her argument to rational-basis review, acknowledging that if Proposition 8 fails rational-basis review it necessarily fails heightened scrutiny. See Brief for Respondents at 36.
Hollingsworth claims that the government has a legitimate interest in promoting opposite-sex marriage in furtherance of "responsible procreation and childrearing." See Brief for Petitioners at 31. Drawing on historical, sociological, and philosophical writings, Hollingsworth claims that the purpose of marriage as a civil institution is the encouragement of responsible procreation and childrearing, which is tied to the biological reality that opposite-sex couples—and not same-sex couples—can produce children. See id. at 31–35. Hollingsworth claims that Proposition 8 is rationally related to the government's interest because it channels potentially procreative conduct into stable, committed relationships. See id. at 36. Hollingsworth highlights several sociological studies showing that children raised in households where the biological parents are married fare better than children raised in single-parent families. See id. at 36–38. Because same-sex couples cannot have children, Hollingsworth argues that the same-sex relationships do not implicate the government's interest in the same way that opposite-sex relationships do. See id. at 38. Thus, Hollingsworth contends that distinguishing between same- and opposite-sex couples does not violate the Equal Protection Clause because the distinction is relevant—i.e., rationally related—to the government's interests. In support, Hollingsworth cites Johnson v. Robison, which states that a classification will be upheld when "the inclusion of one group promotes a legitimate governmental purpose, and the addition of other groups would not." See id. at 40 (quoting Johnson v. Robison, 415 U.S. 361, 383 (1974)). Hollingsworth also contends that the state has an interest in "proceeding with caution before redefining a bedrock social institution," suggesting that the institution may be deeply upset by the inclusion of same-sex couples. See id. at 48. Furthermore, Hollingsworth stresses the value of the democratic process in determining an issue of such vital importance to the people of California. See id. at 55–61.
Perry disputes that the amendment is at all concerned with the promotion of opposite-sex marriage or procreation, instead arguing that Proposition 8 only serves to exclude same-sex couples from marriage. See Brief for Respondents at 36. Perry points to the fact that in light of the California Supreme Court's decision in In re Marriage Cases recognizing a state right to marriage for same-sex couples, the only effect of Proposition 8 was to eliminate the ability of same-sex couples to marry in California. See id. at 40. Perry argues that prohibiting same-sex couples from entering into relationships designated as "marriage" is not rationally related to the state's interest in channeling more opposite-sex couples into marriage. See id. Perry rejects Hollingsworth's claim that rational-basis review permits excluding groups that the state views as not pertinent to its objective from a state-conferred benefit. See id. Instead, Perry contends that the line petitioners have drawn excluding same-sex couples bears no relation to Hollingsworth's objective of tying marriage to procreation. See id. at 41. Noting that many opposite-sex couples are unwilling or unable to procreate and thus as unlikely to procreate as same-sex couples, Perry contends that Proposition 8 is so overly underinclusive as to undermine the credulity of Hollingsworth's purported state interest in procreation. See id. at 41–42. Similarly, Perry argues that by excluding an entire population from marriage, Proposition 8 actually subverts petitioners' objective of ensuring that children are raised in stable, two-parent households. See id. at 42. Perry also rejects petitioners' "unsubstantiated fear" that marriage equality may destabilize the institution of marriage, arguing that public concern—even longstanding or historical concern—about equal treatment alone cannot justify a denial of equal treatment. See id. at 47–50. Perry argues that petitioners' claims regarding the value of the democratic process in this case misconstrue the role of the judiciary in equal-protection cases. See id. at 50–51. According to Perry, the Equal Protection Clause protects insular minorities from exactly this kind of oppression by the majority. See id. Finally, Perry claims that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional because it was motivated by a bare desire to make gay men and lesbians unequal citizens and express moral disapproval of their relationships. See id. at 51–53.
In this case, the United States Supreme Court will consider whether a state can define marriage solely as the union of a man and a woman and whether the proponents of Proposition 8 have standing to bring suit in federal court. The Court must also determine whether Proposition 8 violates the Equal Protection and Due Process guarantees of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Court's ruling will forever impact the rights of gay men and lesbians, the government's role in structuring families, and the relationship between the institution of marriage and religion and morality.
Written by
Edited by
The authors would like to thank former Supreme Court Reporter of Decisions Frank Wagner for his assistance in editing this preview.
Additional Resources
- CBS News, Jennifer De Pinto & Stephanie Condon: Poll: 51 percent support same-sex marriage (Nov. 30, 2012)
- The Inquisitr:President Obama Formally Asks Supreme Court To Strike Down Gay Marriage Ban (Feb. 23, 2013)
- National Catholic Reporter, Richard Wolf: Gay marriage opponents make their case to Supreme Court (Feb. 19, 2013)


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Great Britain's Sir Bradley Wiggins finished safely in the pack on stage 11 keeping his dream of a first Giro d'Italia victory alive. The British Cycling Olympic Podium Programme rider came home alongside his title rivals meaning no change in the top five overall, thus retaining his fourth place in the standings.
Italy's Vincenzo Nibali kept the overall lead and is two minutes and five seconds ahead of Wiggins with Lithuania's Ramunas Navardauskas winning the 182 kilometre stage in four hours and 23 minutes after being part of a breakaway.
Stage 11 took the riders on a 182km, medium-mountain route from Tarvisio to Vajont in north-eastern Italy and over two category-two climbs.
Things were relatively quiet for the first 80km before a group of 20 riders forged clear, launching a breakaway ahead of the first of two category two climbs in today's stage. The group included eventual stage winner Navardauskas and Argos rider Patrick Gretsch but were never really a threat to the overall standings.
With 74km to go, the 20-strong breakaway group had a lead of five minutes and 12 seconds. Further back, Vincenzo Nibali's Astana team set the pace at the front of the peloton, with the Italian safely in the middle of his team-mates as they wound their way up the first classified climb of the day.
By the time they started the descent however, Patrick Gretsch attacked and went off alone building up a lead over the other escapees of two minutes. In response, Navardauskas and Oss opened up a gap over the remaining chasers and went in pursuit of the Argos rider, making an attack of their own. They eventually caught Gretsch with 17 Km to go.
However, the German ran out of gas at the foot of the final 7km ascent to the finish, allowing Navardauskas, who had been allowed to attack in this stage following team-mate and defending champion Ryder Hesjedal falling out of contention after stage 10, and Daniels Oss to race clear of him.
The peloton, which included Sir Bradley Wiggins, Vincenzo Nibali and Cadel Evans, were six minutes behind the escapees with 7km to go. They had given up any hope of catching presumably confident in the knowledge that no one in the breakaway group was in contention on general classification.
With 5km remaining, Navardauskas found he had a little bit more left in the tank and dropped Oss and went on to win the stage reletively comfortably. Sir Bradley Wiggins, race leader Vincenzo Nibali and second-placed Cadel Evans all finished in the main bunch. This result means Nibali retains his 41-second lead over Evans, with yesterday's stage winner Rigoberto Uran and Wiggins remaining in third and fourth, 2min 4sec and 2min 5sec adrift respectively.
Tomorrow's stage is a 127 km flat stage from Longarone to Treviso. Mark Cavendish is the only rider to have won two stages so far and this stage is sure to suit sprinters, giving the British Cycling Olympic Podium Programme rider the chance to make it three so far.
Stage result
1. Ramunas Navardauskas (Lithuania/Garmin) 4:23:14
2. Daniel Oss (Italy/BMC Racing) +1:08"
3. Stefano Pirazzi (Italy/Bardiani Valvolve) +2:59"
4. Salvatore Puccio (Italy/Team Sky) +3:07"
5. Paul Martens (Germany/Blanco) "
6. Danilo Di Luca (Italy/Vini Fantini) "
7. Egoi Martinez (Spain/Euskaltel) "
8. Serge Pauwels (Belgium/Omega Pharma - Quick-Step) +3:10"
9. Evgueni Petrov (Russia/Saxo - Tinkoff) +3:11"
10. Jackson Rodriguez (Venezuela/Androni Giocattoli) +3:25"
29. Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain/Team Sky) +5.41''
General Classification after Stage 11
1. Vincenzo Nibali (Italy/Astana) 38:57:32"
2. Cadel Evans (Australia/BMC Racing) +41"#
3. Rigoberto Uran (Colombia/Team Sky) +2:04"
4. Bradley Wiggins (Great Britain/Team Sky) +2:05"
5. Robert Gesink (Netherlands/Blanco) +2:12"


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The other day I went to visit a friend's mother in a nursing home. When we were growing up, this woman was so sweet, always baking us cookies and other goodies when we came home from school. That is why I was so alarmed by the change in her behavior. She was combative, anxious and disoriented. Unfortunately, she was recently diagnosed with dementia.
I have seen a similar decline in older dogs as well. Their memories often fade, along with their hearing and eyesight. Their sleep patterns can be disrupted, causing them to sleep during the day and be awake most of the night. They may become incontinent, suddenly having accidents throughout the house. Their appetite may decrease while their anxiety increases.


text: I make up worlds in my head. And I write them on paper. Oddly enough, people pay me to read them. I like people who know things I don't know. I like storytellers, muppet makers, princes, queens, bathtub caulking repairman, chicken experts, taxi cab drivers and in short…anyone with a story.


text:
I love desserts. So here's some recipes that I've found which look soooo so good.
And in other news...
On Tuesday afternoon I went and got my hair cut and dyed. I have never had it dyed at a salon before so this was quite the treat. And, I have to say I rather love my hair. It's a brilliant shade of dark brown with a hint of red which makes it look real pretty in the light.
Problem: I think I may be allergic to the hair dye they used. It might not be due to the hair dye, however, this morning whilst I was eating a yummy breakfast, watching Gilmore Girls and drinking my third cup of coffee for the day (I really, really, really love coffee) when I started to have difficulty breathing. Thought it was asthma, didn't think about it. My throat started to hurt, thought I was merely getting a cold, lay down and tried to sleep it off. Didn't work. Started to get annoyed at my skin and how itchy it was. Walked to the bathroom and realised my lips and whole face was extremely swollen and all (oh yes, all) of my skin had turned red and blotchy. So, called the ambulance and had a
Consequences: Spent the whole day in the hospital (even when I was feeling much, much better I had to stay for "observation"), have to get allergy tests and carry around an epi-pen until I know the cause. Um... Ick!!!!!
I do not mean to alarm you, I am really fine. Just annoyed at the yucky day I've had.
The only good things that have come from my day: I saw my father for the first time in months and he brought me fancy chocolate = score! Aand, the ambulance officer was really cute and super nice and spent ages talking to me whilst I was waiting for a bed in the hospital. And he didn't even laugh at me for my ridiculous pyjamas.
So I'm hoping that you have had a bit of a nicer day than me, do feel free to share.
XO Samantha


text:
- Publisher: Chris Gribble
- Edition: 1st
- Available in: PDF
- Published: November 5, 2015
Discover a fresh approach to prayer by reading the 40 day journey through the Psalms.
My version of Psalm One
Life takes new meaning,
When I choose to go God's way,
I don't worry about what other people are doing,
They can do their own thing,
My heartfelt joy is found in doing God's will.
When I take the time,
To listen to his voice,
And, think about what he wants for me,
I realise this is the truly creative life,
That has eternity's mark.
Click here to download the Ebook
Psalm One sets the scene for an amazing journey into prayer. In the Psalms I have discovered firsthand some of the rawness and pain experienced by the Psalmist. This ebook is the first 40 Psalms that I have put in my own words. They are a reflection of what was written by the original writer and then brought to our world today. They reflect many of the themes that are common to discouraged, depressed, anxious, fearful people. At times some or all of these things have been true for me. I have used some of these experience and cried out with the Psalmist in my writing.
One definition of found poetry is, "it's the literary version of a collage". In finding these Psalms I have gathered together my emotions, feelings and pain and sought to "find" my understanding of what David was saying. It's the worst possible translation methodology but it's been a great personal re-discovery of God.
The 40 day journey is a chance to take some time out and listen to God's voice. God's praise will last for eternity, we have the great privilege to begin that praise now.
Please consider giving a donation before downloading the ebook. The funds will be used to assist in ministry activities such as producing these books and supporting the work of Elim Kids in China.


text:
Forked Deer Electric Cooperative strives to be active in the community it supports. Whether we're holding an event or helping with someone else's, our goal is promote community involvement and comradery. If your group or organization would like to have their event promoted on our site, let us know and we'll be glad to do what we can to help! Please keep in mind, any submission will be reviewed and validated prior to being listed.
Annual Members Meeting
Registration 8:00 - 12:00
Safety Demonstration 9:30 - 10:30
Meeting 10:45 - 11:15
Entertainment 11:30 - 12:15
Prize drawing 12:15
Face painting, bouncy house. Entertainment by No Time Flatt bluegrass music
Event Properties
|Event Date
|08-19-2017 9:00 am
|Event End Date
|08-19-2017 12:00 pm
|FDEC Offices


text:
Presented by Landview Properties, Inc.
903 East Route 66, Suite B
Glendora, CA 91740
Telephone: 626-914-5771.
Residential Lease
- Apartment Complex
278 E Washington #9
Pasadena, CA 91104
2 Bedrooms
1 Baths
0 square feet
Available: Available
Lease Term: 1 year
This property is conveniently located near the 210 Freeway. This apartment home is a downstairs unit that has been recently updated with new carpet, vinyl flooring and fresh paint throughout the unit. Your monthly rent is $1850 and that includes water, trash, a shared laundry room and one secure parking space.
PLEASE CONTACT JESSE (323) 494-1781 with your questions.
Pet Policy:
Pets allowed with deposit.
Driving Directions:
West of Lake on Washington.
Additional Property
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Attached Home
Multilevel (2 floors)
2 total bedroom(s)
1 total bath(s)
0 sq. ft.
Gas Range Garbage Disposal Washer & Dryer Fenced
Landscape Service Included Ceiling Fan(s) Eat-in Kitchen
The information at this site is provided solely
for informational purposes and does not constitute an offer to sell, rent,
or advertise real estate outside the state in which the owner of the site
is licensed. The owner is not making any warranties or representations
concerning any of these properties including their availability. Information
at this site is deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be independently


text:
Former Twin Ports Radio Personality Wins 'Cupcake Wars' on Food Network
Congratulations to Bill Jones, a former Radio Personality and resident of Duluth, who was crowned the Food Networks 'Cupcake Wars; winner last night on T.V!
I had the pleasure of working with Bill for over 10 years, and it could not have happened to a nicer guy. A few years ago Bill decided to hang up his head phones, move back to his hometown of Omaha Nebraska and open Jones Brothers Cupcakes.
Now knowing Bill, he definitely has the Midas touch, so we all knew it would be a huge success which it is. Business is booming and he made a second appearance on the show last night, competing for $10,000 and a chance to showcase his baked goods at the Annual CMA awards.
Now If I could only get him to send me some of his delicious cupcakes? Hello Bill? I am waiting.:)
For more information on Cupcake Wars click here:


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Monaco GP: Victory is unlikely says Ferrari's Fernando Alonso
- From the section Formula 1
Fernando Alonso effectively ruled out any hopes of winning the Monaco Grand Prix after qualifying sixth.
The Ferrari driver starts behind both title rivals, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen. The Mercedes of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton took the front row.
Alonso said: "We are not totally happy with our performance. We were not competitive enough.
"Obviously in F1 nothing is impossible but it is very unlikely we will fight for a victory starting sixth."
Overtaking is notoriously difficult on the tight street track in the Mediterranean principality and Ferrari's traditional fast starts are unlikely to be much help on the claustrophobic run to the first corner.
Alonso finished third from fifth on the grid last year, and narrowly missed a chance to win on strategy, and said the unpredictability of grands prix in Monaco was his best hope.
"We will see. A difficult start, a difficult race," he said. "We know there are safety car possibilities here any lap.
"So there are many tactics that can be wrong.
"It was a difficult qualifying. Difficult to interpret which tyres to put on. We know Mercedes, Lotus, Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari were competitive.
"We saw Paul di Resta was out in Q1 in a very competitive weekend. We saw Romain Grosjean out in Q2 in a very competitive weekend. So there were many possibilities to get it wrong today. And there will be not many possibilities to get it right tomorrow.
"There is nothing to do with the strategy and the pace, but there are many things that can go wrong, and we need to avoid that."
Championship leader Vettel of Red Bull, who is 17 points ahead of Alonso, starts third, while Raikkonen, four points behind Vettel, is fifth on the grid.
Alonso is normally strong in Monaco and he said he did not know why Ferrari had been uncompetitive after he won in Spain two weeks ago with team-mate Felipe Massa third.
"I think we need to understand a bit better because on Thursday we were not the fastest but we were not as bad as today," he said. "We were a little bit more competitive.
"Today we lost some ground. Maybe it was the temperature or whatever happened but we felt less competitive.
"This morning in final practice we had a different set-up and just to have no doubts we came back to the Thursday set-up for qualifying and we were still not very competitive.
"So we need to understand it. As you said, we were both cars on the podium in Barcelona and this morning before the problem with Felipe we were P9 and P11 so definitely we were not at our best.
"It's a very unique track here. You need to have a completely different set-up, different dry tyres, different suspension geometry, rate to be more direct on the steering.
"Everything changes in the car for Monaco so it doesn't mean that the car that is competitive during the season will be competitive here.
"There are always some good surprises and some bad surprises. Maybe this year we did not interpret good enough what was required here at Monaco with these 2013 tyres or whatever."
Monaco Grand Prix, day two
- Saturday, 25 May:
- TV highlights 17:35 BST, BBC One
Monaco Grand Prix, day three
- Sunday, 26 May:
- Race: Coverage on BBC Radio 5 live from 13:00 BST and live text commentary on the BBC Sport website from 12:00. TV highlights 17:35 BST, BBC One