text:
dotCommonweal Blog
Garbage Cities
I'm here in Managua with the sophomore class of Boston College Gabelli Presidential Scholars Program (GPSP). I come here with the sophomore class each year as an opportunity for these students with extraordinary capacity to understand better the need for human development, social justice and the common good.
This morning we went to a sensational women's health center, the Centro de Mujeres Acahual, where the students encountered the staff and its challenges. After the meeting we went to see the neighborhood. It is where Chureca, Managua's dump once was.
Years ago poor Managuans moved into Chureca. They went there to find what was discarded. Maybe they could reclaim it, sell it, or even eat it. As more people worked in the dump, they ended up setting up shacks in Chureca to live there and later they even built a primary school there. Recently the government realized it needed to remove the dump from what was now a neighborhood. But the new dump is still in the next sector over.
Today, as we drove by the reclaimed neighborhood and then the dump, we could see the younger and older people from the neighborhood climbing to get into the new dump, to see what they could still reclaim. It's moved, but the people are back. They still need the garbage dump because it's their key to livelihood.
Seeing them in the dump is, well, obscene. It shouldn't be seen. But it shouldn't happen in the first place. Maybe we needed to see it, so that it won't happen again.
I thought of the first time I was in Manila in 1991 with a group of seminary professors. We were on an immersion tour and they took us to Smokey Mountain. We walked through that garbage city. After an hour "tour," the 20 of us got back on the bus and wept.
As I looked on Chureca, I thought of Smokey Mountain. I am here with a colleague, a Middle East specialist, and she reminded me of the dump neighborhood in Cairo, Garbage City or Manshiyat Naser.
Hmm… People needing to survive by sorting through and living and sleeping in their garbage cities.
It gave renewed meaning to Pope Francis' continuous critique of our disposable culture and its discarded people.
Papal Coverage: The Lectionary Beat
Everyone's got a hot take on the Pope this week. The Washington Post's George Will went full Thomas Nast in fearful preparation for Francis's arrival. ("Francis's seeming sympathy for medieval stasis...against modernity, rationality, science.") All he needed was a cartoon with mitres shaped like alligator heads attacking financiers on Wall Street.
By contrast, the New York Times's David Gelles offered a playful, well-reported piece on the front page of the business section (!) about the sharkskin-suit-wearing concert producer behind the scenes of the big show. ("The bishops," the producer said, "aren't showbiz guys.")
What's a scholar to do? What's my take?
I scooped them all.
In an article for Yahoo's page about the papal visit, I explain the "breaking news" about the Pope's concluding Mass in Philadelphia.
Detailed study of an advance, partial script of the worship service shows that the theme of income inequality will be dramatically emphasized.
With rhetorical flourish and prophetic fervor, the Mass will call for the "rich" to "weep and wail" over "impending miseries." More specifically, the issue of wages will be explicitly addressed: "Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers" are "crying aloud." The plight of migrant "harvesters," undercompensated by absentee landlords, will feature as an example.
Did I use my Jesuit connections to secure an advance copy of the Pope's remarks? I wish. No collar, no embargoed remarks.
Instead, I checked the lectionary. It turns out that some of the strongest language in the Bible against income inequality (James 5:1-6) happens to appear in this Sunday's Mass. Pope Francis's emphasis on systematic exploitation of workers and migrants is, as Bible-readers know, deeply biblical. On Sunday this theme will be on display for all, and I imagine Pope Francis will take the opportunity to preach on it.
It remains to be seen whether and how he incorporates this reading with the Gospel for the day. But thanks to the lectionary, millions of people will at least hear how central to the scriptures is the cry of the poor.
(You can read the rest right here.)
Bringing Bernie Back Home
The other day, as I was heading home to my apartment in Washington Heights—a small, somewhat close-knit neighborhood, geographically isolated from the tourism and crowds generally associated with Manhattan—I encountered a young man and woman with clipboards, gently trying to intercept passersby. "Hey," the man made eye contact, "have you heard about Bernie Sanders?" "Yeah," I said, giving a thumbs-up and walking on, proud I'd been able to answer them in the affirmative. But they both lunged toward me, and started speaking very quickly. "Awesome! Are you registered? Do you know about our group? Are you interested in participating in our events? Do you want to volunteer?"
Brooklyn native Bernie Sanders currently doesn't have a New York City campaign office because, as I was to learn in the course of my encounter, he "didn't think people would like him this much." And so groups like the one I ended up learning about that day—Washington Heights for Bernie Sanders (they call themselves Bernie WaHi)—are getting ready for when he sets one up.
"We realized that the campaign didn't have the structure yet in New York or as much funding as some other candidates," said Adam Masser, one of three Sanders organizers who facilitate events and volunteer assignments in Northern Manhattan. Masser and his friends saw a "real opportunity to get the word out on behalf of Bernie and start organizing." So they started inviting their friends, and then their neighbors, to mobilize fellow Bernie supporters while also cultivating new ones.
Still a problem for Bernie at the moment is name recognition: "Bernie Sanders" doesn't register with the same immediacy that "Hillary Clinton" does. So Bernie WaHi will focus on that, while also hosting more events and recruiting more volunteers. Voter registration is also part of the plan: Supporters are seeking to sign up people who've never voted, and to get registered Independent and Green Party voters to register as Democrats before the October 9 deadline.
Bernie WaHi takes its name from Washington Heights, but it covers a wider geographic area that includes Northern Manhattan, Harlem, Inwood, and the South Bronx—all bordering neighborhoods. At a citywide organizing meeting with twenty other organizing leaders, Adam and others agreed to work together and make sure every voting district is covered.
I asked him if they had official word Sanders was opening an office or if this was all "just hope." "Definitely not just hope. But," Masser admitted, "there hasn't been any official word." Sanders has offices in New Hampshire, Iowa, Nevada, South Carolina, and in his home state of Vermont. Whether or not an office is ever opened in Manhattan, there will "definitely be campaign events," Masser said, and he will definitely have a body of volunteers mobilized.
A sentiment I have heard repeated is "I don't really like Hillary, but Bernie is…" Too old, too left, too radical, too something. And then I hear, "I would love to see him as president, but I don't have too much hope it will happen." But the more I meet people like Masser and his fellow Sanders supporters, the less I accept that.
Sanders is in an "upward trajectory," Masser pointed out. His main message—that this country belongs to all of us, not just the billionaire class—resonates with a lot of people. He is the only candidate who doesn't have a super PAC—something not lost on those most turned off by the state of presidential politicking.
But Sanders would probably be the first to admit he needs all the help he can get, where he can get it. Could the grassroots efforts in his hometown provide another boost?
Capitalists to Pope Francis: What about us?
Pope Francis's in-flight press conferences--freewheeling, unscripted, even unredacted (at least for the moment)--have produced quite a bit of news. Who could forget "Who am I to judge?" Or the time the pope said that a friend who talks smack about his mom "is going to get a punch in the nose"? Reporters know that asking Francis the right question in just the right way might elicit a headline-worthy response. No surprise, then, that on the flight back to Rome following the pope's visit to South America, where he took globalization to the woodshed, a couple of enterprising reporters wanted to talk economics. Roll tape.
Noting how often Francis had spoken of the poor over the past several days, one German journalist wanted to know why the pope didn't say more about "the middle class, that is, the working people, the people who pay taxes, normal people, like the Greeks." All right, he didn't actually mention the Greeks. He did, however, want to know the pope's message for those non-abnormal, responsible payers of taxes.
Instead of asking the reporter whether he realized that Bolivia--where he delivered his stinging rebuke to purveyors of globalization--is the poorest country in South America, that 60 percent of its 8 million residents live below the poverty line, a quarter of them in extreme poverty, Francis responded graciously: "Thank you very much, that is a nice correction. You are right, that is a mistake on my part. I have to think about that." The Catholic News Agency made it sound like Francis had never considered this before: "You're right, I'll have to come up with something!" But Francis didn't quite say that, and he wasn't done answering the question.Read more
Knew or Should Have Known
Two events dedicated to issues of justice and human rights in Central America took place in New York City this week: A screening of the documentary Justice and the Generals at the Open Society Foundation, and a discussion of U.S. response to Latin American immigration called "Forced to Flee" hosted by the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA). Both used the history of U.S. entanglement in Central American conflicts as a call for greater responsibility in addressing the violence and injustice still afflicting the region.
The story of Justice and the Generals begins with the December 1980 rape and murder of the four North American churchwomen in El Salvador. Though the five Salvadoran National Guardsmen who committed the acts were sentenced to a maximum of thirty years in prison, the victims' families and their legal team at the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights continued searching for evidence that the orders came from higher up in the chain of command. In 1998, their hunch was confirmed, despite years of insistence by the U.S. State Department to the contrary. In fact, they learned that the generals who may have given the orders, José Guillermo Garcia and Carlos Vides Casanova, had since been enjoying a comfortable retirement in Florida.
The trial that ensued took place not in an international tribunal, but in a civil court in West Palm Beach. Ford v. Garcia hinged upon the principle of command responsibility—did the generals know or should they have known about the crime? Did they fail to prevent it, renounce it, or punish those who were most directly responsible? Surprising nearly everyone involved, the jury ultimately decided that the generals could not be found guilty, since, according to the defense, the chaos in El Salvador at the time prevented military leaders from having effective command of their subordinates. The plaintiffs found this to be erroneous—the generals had been the most powerful figures in the Salvadoran military, which was the most powerful institution in the country at the time. Garcia himself had even testified that there were never acts of insubordination to his orders. Despite the verdict in Ford v. Garcia, the same generals were found guilty under the doctrine of command responsibility in a subsequent case. The ultimate conclusion: Garcia and Vides Casanova knew or should have known about the torture of at least three million Salvadorans committed by those responsible to them.
However, the chain of accountability may not necessarily end with the generals.Read more
Those Who Want Housing, and Those Who Need It
In London it's become the fashion of wealthy homebuyers to supplement already sizable residences with cavernous subterranean lairs. In Manhattan it's to move into a sky-high aerie, priced in the tens of millions, from which it's possible to look down on the Empire State Building. In the Bay Area it's to snap up anything inside the city limits of San Francisco, the near entirety of which has become a bedroom community for Silicon Valley's most monied.
Wealth has always shaped cities, but its current role in the transformation of urban centers around the world seems unprecedented, probably because there's so much more of it, concentrated in ever-fewer hands, moving ever more fluidly and mysteriously through lightly regulated and technologically enhanced channels. Oligarch, plutocrat, or ordinary multimillionaire, the highest-net-worth property-seekers want to be in cities, or if nothing else be able to park their money in one (real estate being a good place to hide it). It may be a cliche to talk about the divide between rich and poor in places like London, New York, and San Francisco, but some cliches bear restating, especially when the divide seems increasingly inconceivable in its breadth -- the very function of a system engineered to practically ensure its further expansion. "Darwinian upscale urbanism," as Martin Filler termed it in the New York Review of Books in April, referring specifically to former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg's vision for the city he ran -- a place where the wealth of wealthy property owners was to trickle down to residents but instead, a researcher found, had "deleterious effects... on small business, the middle class, and taxpayers."
It may not be easy to dig an enormous basement or live in a condo eighteen-hundred feet above street-level, but it would be even harder if there were not banks, developers, lawyers, real-estate firms, contractors, and politicians dedicated to making it possible.Read more
Now on the homepage
We've just posted three new stories to the homepage.
1. In his latest Letter from Rome, Robert Mickens suggests the possible reasons behind the Vatican Secretary of State's "apocolyptic assesment of the the Irish referendum" is culture, "particularly Italian culture," because Italy is "the most conservative country in all of Europe when it comes to social conventions and customs," especially concerning the family.
Mickens also reveals who exactly has been holding "secretive meetings and initiatives" in the run-up to October's Synod on the Family that deal with "some of the more thorny issues" the bishops will be debating, including the Kasper proposal.
Read the full Letter from Rome here, and if you need to catch up, here's all of them.
2. The Editors present reasons, if the Amtrak derailment isn't enough of one, for why the U.S. government's failure to invest in infrastructure must change:
The United States now spends less than 2 percent of its GDP on infrastructure, less than half of what Europe spends—and less than half of what we were spending in the 1960s....The American Society of Civil Engineers gave [the nation's infrastructure] a grade of D+... [and] noted that the average age of the country's 84,000 dams is fifty-two, and that one in nine of its bridges is considered structurally deficient. Every few years one of these bridges collapses, occasioning a brief outburst of bipartisan concern on Capitol Hill. Then nothing changes.
Read all of 'Signal Failure.'
3. George Dennis O'Brien, pondering the future direction of Catholic education, looks backward:
The dominant style of higher education in the ancient world was not academic but humanistic, directed at educating future political leaders who needed to learn the art of persuasion.... [T]he humanistic "classical curriculum" dominated American colleges from colonial times until the end of the nineteenth century.
Are Catholic institutions replacing the humanistic style with the "academic style of close argument and verifiable truths"?
Read all of 'Incarnation U,' and if you want more of the higher education debate, read Jackson Lears's excellent review of William Deresiewicz's Excellent Sheep.
New issue is live
We've just posted our June 1 issue to the website. Among the highlights:
Amanda Erickson describes the struggle of a Catholic parish community in Freddie Gray's Baltimore neighborhood to respond adequately, in the wake of the riots, to the root causes of hopelessness there:
The life expectancy of those born in Sandtown-Winchester is thirteen years shorter than the national average. Those are problems that can't be fixed by one man, or in one morning. So instead, Rev. Bomberger grabbed a broom and headed across the street.
Andrew Bacevich reviews Andrew Cockburn's "imperfect but exceedingly useful book," Kill Chain: The Rise of the High-Tech Assassins, about the motives behind and justifications for targeted assassinations and drone warfare—now common practices in U.S. foreign policy.
Cockburn quotes one U.S. Air Force general bragging, "We can now hit any target anywhere in the world, any time, any weather, day or night." Yet why bother with bombing bridges, power plants, or communications facilities, when taking out Mr. Big himself provides the definitive shortcut to victory? Here was the ultimate critical node: Decapitate the regime. As an approach to waging war, what could be more humane, not to mention efficient?
Plus: New poetry from Marie Ponsot, Celia Wren explains why the once-promising plotlines of Mad Men hit a dead end, Paul Johnston reviews the latest from Reading Lolita in Tehran author Azar Nafisi, Molly Farneth reviews the latest, uncomprehensive but newly non-Eurocentric Norton Anthology of World Religions, and Charles Morris reveals the dirty little secret of major-league banking bankers don't want to believe.
See the full table of contents here.
New stories on the website
We've posted two new stories to the website.
First is Robert Mickens's latest Letter from Rome, in which he tracks the angry reactions of traditionalist-leaning Catholics to certain words from an archbishop (one of Francis's most trusted theologians) interviewed by an Italian newspaper. He also examines the continuing threats of schism from these Catholics "should Pope Francis and the Synod of Bishops allow for changes in church teaching on marriage" and gives an interesting look into how Opus Dei has taken advantage of the saint-making process, which was streamlined by St. John Paul II in 1983.
Read the whole thing here.
Next, the editors weigh in on the European Union's welcome, if belated, announcement to take an active role saving refugees and expediting asylum requests for the hundreds of thousands fleeing war, poverty, and religious and ethnic persecution in Africa:
…certainly the nations that are blessed with relative economic strength—and whose military and political missteps have helped bring about the crisis in [Africa]—owe it to the afflicted to stop the loss of lives at sea.
Could the Obama administration's response to the migration crisis in Central America be a useful model for European nations dealing with their own migration crisis?
Read the whole editorial here.
Putnam and Poverty, Part 1
It's not often a 74-year-old professor gets a standing ovation from a public audience for an hour-long lecture with many graphs. But Robert Putnam gave a barnburner of a speech last night at Georgetown University's Strategic Summit of Catholics and Evangelicals on Poverty. John Carr, the Initiative's director, called Putnam "an Old Testament prophet with charts," and he certainly had the fervor, but appealingly, the lecture was more earnest exhortation than prophetic denunciation. In an age where prophetic denunciation gets more headlines, Putnam is trying to tell a story about poverty – and specifically kids in poverty – that can unite us as a society. Anger is not front and center; rather earnestness and clear vision are his hallmarks. And he can still get a standing ovation.
Putnam's talk kicked off two days of meetings, which will today include the President, on how Catholics and Evangelicals together can address the "purple problem" of kids in poverty. As Michael Gerson on the panel after Putnam's talk put it, Putnam "has given us an ideologically inclusive account of the problem." Many of the panelists wrestled with precisely this conundrum: how much of this problem has to do with individual bad behavior, and how much of it has to do with structural problems (of many sorts).
The summit promises to move this conversation forward via the both/and on this question, which is frankly a really exciting prospect. In fact, Carr formulated an image of contemporary society as a table held up by four legs: individuals and families, civil society groups, market actors (businesses), and government actors. The problem, Carr says, is "in DC, everyone falls in love with one leg of the table." Carr, and his Evangelical counterpart in organizing the Summit, Leith Anderson, want the churches to help break this impasse.
Putnam is helping in two key ways. First, his entire presentation (and book) frames the issue of inequality in a particular way. Americans, he says, are by and large comfortable with some significant degree of inequality of outcome, but that our comfort with this is based on the idea that everyone gets an equal shot. That is to say, we are much more committed to equality of opportunity – and our acceptance of inequality of outcome is based on this. An example? Nothing will get many of my male students more up in arms than sports stars who are "cheaters" – students almost uniformly think that baseball players like Barry Bonds have done something very wrong. Add to this the recent "Deflategate." The problem in both cases is the same: the cheating meant that not everyone started in the same place. Some people got a head start. And we generally do not like that.Read more
Gustavo Gutiérrez awarded President's Medal at Fordham
Last night at Fordham University, Fr. Gustavo Gutierrez was awarded the President's medal—an award given about thirty times in the university's history. The award came as a surprise, at the conclusion of a conversation he had with Fordham theologian Michael Lee. Gutierrez, widely regarded as the father of liberation theology, spoke softly in a thick Peruvian accent. He was very expressive with his hands, and hit the table often, drumming a rhythm to his words. He repeated words, and simple phrases. By academic standards, the conversation didn't "say anything new" but it said the important stuff Jesus had to remind his disciples of all the time, over and over again: that God loves everyone, especially the poor.
The auditorium was packed with theology students, professors, priests, journalists, a significant number of bright-suited nuns and Commonweal editors (including Grant Gallicho who live-tweeted and took some video), readers, and writers. Gutierrez's fame meant the event was oversubscribed. So when he first spoke, I felt a slight, guilty, let down. I expected an orator, someone who would rouse in me the kind of inspiration "liberation theology" ought to inspire. This happened, but quietly.
The talk came a week before Gutierrez will travel to Rome to meet with the pope and speak at the annual gathering for Caritas Internationalis. Pope Francis has chosen him to be one of the lead figures in the upcoming Holy Year of Mercy.
Lee began by asking about Gutierrez's relationship with Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, current prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF). Last year, when Gutierrez was a surprise guest speaker at the cardinal's book launch, the irony wasn't lost on many who remembered when the liberation theologian was investigated by the CDF under Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. He's been friends with Mueller since "1988, the last century," and said the cardinal is "one of the best" when it comes to understanding the perspective of liberation theology. He also praised Mueller for spending his summers teaching theology in parts of Peru where even some Peruvians won't go. "I have never seen one liberation theologian take his vacations on the beach."
Other subjects avid readers of the Catholic blogosphere might find most interesting, he found less interesting. When asked whether, as some have recently claimed, his 1971 book A Theology of Liberation, was authored by the KGB, he swatted the air and twirled a finger around his temple: "I have to laugh." When asked about the last time he spoke with Archbishop Oscar Romero, he made sure to qualify the story afterward: "But my personal relations with Romero aren't important." What's more important is the meaning of "the poor, the painful riches of the church, the Latin American martyr…there are hundreds of thousands." When asked what advice he would give to future theologians: "I don't care about the future of liberation theology. All I care about is my country and my people." He told the story of the time a U.S. Evangelical theologian asked him what liberation theology had to say about the conflict in Israel and Palestine—he responded, "Do you think liberation theology is a political party and I'm its general secretary?"
No, what he kept returning to was the preferential option for the poor. He spoke at some length about the meaning of the preferential option: Jesus saves all of humanity, but he is very close to the poor; the church is a church of everyone, especially a church of the poor. "The preferential option for the poor is 90 percent of liberation theology; it comes from the Bible…. When we take the question of the poor it is not an obsession, it is to underline the central point of Christianity." But, he points out, "preference does not conflict [or] contradict with universality. Are they in tension?" He shakes both fists "Yes!" "Even the poor must make the option for the poor," he continued. "It's one universal question; the poor are also first for the Christian poor…the option for the poor is a theocentric option…. We believe in the God of justice who is the source of this. We have human resources, but there is pride. It's a problem…. I have great respect for non-Christian believers doing the option for the poor."
With this core principle established, Gutierrez spoke about what liberation theology actually is: "Maybe we don't need the name 'liberation,' because it means salvation. The theology of liberation is the theology of salvation, which is to say communion with God, between us." He reminded the audience that his theology of liberation originated "not in theological institutions," but in the concrete experience of poor people. Other theologies of liberation: Black theologies, feminist theologies, mujerista theologies, these also come from the experience of being poor, of being "a person who does not even have the right to have rights," as he paraphrased Hannah Arendt.
Gustavo Gutierrez did not propose a theory of implementation of, raise an argument for, or give a defense of Liberation Theology in the context of the modern world. But he made a clear point.
New issue, new stories
On the website now, our May 15 issue. Here are some of the highlights:
Jo McGowan examines the effects violence against children has on society at large—effects so drastic it is being treated as an "any other epidemic," "says forensic psychologist Karen McCluckey:
Isolate the contagion. Prevent transmission. Treat outbreaks instantly and aggressively.
Jerry Ryan reflects on his struggle to discover "what the person of Jesus means" to him, spiritually and theologically:
Classical theology has the angels deciding their destiny in a single, unalterable choice. I sometimes dream of being able to imitate such an act, one that would free me from all my ambiguities and contradictions, my half-hearted aspirations and ineffectual resolutions. This is not the way things work, however...
Read all of "Knowing Jesus" here.
Eve Tushnet reviews an exhibit produced by over 40 artists at the National Museum of African Art that recreates Dante's Divine Comedy on three floors:
I'm sitting in hell with a couple of little boys, who are trying to prove they're not scared. We're watching a cloth-wrapped figure prostrate itself and bang its fists against the floor, as sobs and wordless singing give way to a howled "I, I, I surrender!"
Read about the beautiful, horrific, beatific and redemptive show here.
Also in the May 15 issue: James Sheehan on how Greece and Ukraine are "testing Europe"; reviews of books about abortion, the short history of the black vote, a young Lawrence of Arabia, and secular humanism—plus poetry from Michael Cadnum, Thomas Lynch, and Peter Cooley; and Elizabeth Kirkland Cahill reflects on bodily decrepitude and wisdom.
Also featured on the site now, the latest from E.J. Dionne Jr., who writes about a senator's sensible stance on faith and secularism. Read the whole thing here.
More new stories on the website
E.J. Dionne Jr. provides a deeper look into social problems in Baltimore--how globalization of the economy, technological change, and deindustrialization have taken manufacturing jobs out of the city without ever replacing them. Dionne interviews Thomas J. Vicino, author of Transforming Race and Class in Suburbia: Decline in Metropolitan Baltimore, who explains:
"This is a double-whammy for poor black people left in the city....They are not in a position to share in the development downtown and, with the loss of manufacturing jobs, they are left, at best, with access to relatively low-paying service jobs. This, in turn, creates a spiral for those left behind, damaging families and devastating neighborhoods."
This cycle hurt working-class whites as well, Vicino added, "but whites were in a better position to move elsewhere, whereas black mobility was limited by housing discrimination."
Reading all of "The Roots of Baltimore's Anguish" is worth your time.
Also, in "Does the Earth Have Rights?," Robin Darling Young writes on the anticipation (and political polarization) surrounding Pope Francis's upcoming encyclical on the environment. Both Climate skeptic Catholics and non-Catholics with assumptions about the church's views on science will be surprised to learn just how traditionally Catholic progressive scholarship is. In Young's view this raises serious questions:
How [are we] to balance individual moral responsibility, described in the moral teachings of the church, against a general Catholic or human responsibility as developed in more than a century of modern Catholic social teaching?
More broadly and just as important:
What could it mean for nature itself to have rights—rights that are being flagrantly violated by human beings? And what could it mean for Catholic theology if a pope says this?
Read the whole thing (and get thinking) here.
Virtue among the rich and poor
In a recent column, David Brooks wades into the debate on the huge gaps in income and opportunity that have arisen in the United States. He focuses on the plight of the poor, and his argument is essentially that the problem is not so much money and policies as norms and virtues.
In other words, he blames the poor for their own plight, and Elizabeth Stoker Bruenig immediately pounces. She argues, quite persuasively, that the moral values of the poor do not differ from the moral values of the rich, and that what keeps the poor down is daily grind of poverty and its soul-destroying burden. On this point, Paul Krugman is in complete agreement—he had noted for a while that social dysfunction can be traced to collapse in decent jobs rather than a collapse in virtue.
But I think that Brooks nonetheless makes a good observation. The cause of much of our social and economic malaise is indeed a breakdown in social norms, the habituation of some wholly unvirtuous behavior. He's right that we need to look at this through the lens of virtue ethics, especially when he asks core questions like: are you living for short-term pleasure or long-term good?
The only problem is, Brooks singles out the poor, when the real culprits are the rich. The real breakdown in social norms over the past few decades has come from the top.Read more
Koched up.
In the fall of 2013, the Catholic University of America announced a $1 million pledge from the Koch Foundation, one of the many not-for-profit outfits with strong ties to the billionaire libertarians David and Charles Koch. The money, according to the university, would go to the business school, allowing it to hire professors and offer a course on "principled entrepreneurship." You may remember the Kochs from their charitable efforts to undermine public-employee unions, to support a campaign against renewable-energy standards, to suppress the vote, or to discredit the minumum wage (which the U.S. bishops want to raise).
A group of about fifty Catholic theologians certainly remembered. They sent a disapproving letter to Catholic University, voicing their concern that by accepting the grant, the university was sending "a confusing message to Catholic students and other faithful Catholics that the Koch brothers' anti-government, Tea Party ideology has the blessing of a university sanctioned by Catholic bishops." But university president John Garvey and business-school dean Andrew Abela remained unmoved. They replied by pointing out that several of the professors cash paychecks from universities that accept Koch money, and accused them of trying to "score political points."
If any of those theologians were clinging to the hope that, given enough time, Garvey and Abela might come around to the idea that there's something odd about a Catholic business school accepting money from people who are so deeply committed shrinking the social safety net, cutting taxes, weakening environental regulations, ending the minimum wage, and busting unions, they can let go now. Because Catholic University's business school recently accepted another $1.75 million pledge from the Charles Koch Foundation (in addittion to $1.25 million from other donors).Read more
Paul Ryan, America & the Option for the Poor
Well, kudos to America magazine and to Rep. Paul Ryan for their mutual engagement---with each other and with Pope Francis---on the issue of poverty.
That said, it appears Rep. Ryan's "big idea" for how the federal government can help the poor is by blockgranting federal aid to the poor and letting state governments "try different ways of providing aid and then to test the results—in other words, more flexibility in exchange for more accountability". Not only is this an old conservative policy idea; it's one that doesn't help the poor. (It can, on the other hand, be helpful to state governments that want to cut their own spending on the poor.)
There's also no mention in Ryan's America essay of his fervent desire to cut taxes for wealthy Americans. In an August interview with The Weekly Standard, Ryan stated that cutting the top marginal income tax rate is "even more pressing now" than it was during the Reagan administration. Tax cuts---especially for the rich---are in Ryan's view "the secret sauce" that yields "faster economic growth, more upward mobility, and faster job creation".
Ryan does engage with the Church's teachings on subsidiarity and solidarity in his America piece. Opinions will vary as to how successfully; but given that Ryan will take over budget and tax policy for House Republicans in January, it's worth paying attention to what he's thinking and doing.
The archdiocese & the arts: What's your angle?
Peter Steinfels's post on CNN's framing of a report on the multimillion-dollar residences of U.S. archbishops got me thinking about coverage of another story concerning use (and re-use) of church property. Here in New York, the annual International Fringe Festival opens tomorrow, and among the more than twenty venues at which performances will be staged is the new Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Center, "a 25,000-square-foot arts center at Bleecker and Elizabeth streets with two theaters and four rehearsal studios available for rent" operated by the Archdiocese of the City of New York.
The quoted passage above comes from a March 16 Wall St. Journal report, a straightforward account focused mainly on the center's mission as "'a place to showcase Christian humanism—the true, the good and the beautiful,'" said executive director Msgr. Michael F. Hull." (Hull later in the story describes himself as "a card-carrying member of MoMA," the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art.) Six paragraphs into the story—after information on artistic director Jessica Bashline and the type of events she'd like to see staged—the reporter notes that the building is located "near the Bowery" and "dates to the early 1920s, when it served as a parish school and center for the Italian-American community. In 1938, it became a shelter for homeless men and remained as such until 2009." And that paragraph is followed by this one:
"It wasn't viable to run it, and the neighborhood had changed so much," said Msgr. Hull, describing the evolution of the build's use as a reflection of the changing needs of New York. "We served the Italian immigrants, then homeless men, and now the arts community."
The story then gets to the arts-community angle: how expensive it is to find rehearsal and performance space in New York as real estate costs have shot up, how even though Fringe Festival content might "raise the eyebrows of conservative churchgoers" the only caveat from the archdiocese on style and content is that there's nothing "hateful about one group of people." Headline of the Journal piece: "A Marriage of Church and Stage."
Fast-forward to August 3, when the New York Times ran a story concerned less with the cultural center's mission and performance schedule than the history of that "building near the Bowery" and the community it once served. Headlined "On the Bowery, Questions About the Church's Shifting Mission," the piece quotes several people who either worked at or found meals and showers at the former shelter, which was called (a detail not noted in the Journal story) the Holy Name Center for Homeless Men.Read more
Cheney's chutzpah and the public debate over Iraq
Do read the new column from E. J. Dionne about "Dick Cheney's Chutzpah," because it's as angry as even-tempered E. J. ever gets. And with good reason. In a field crowded with shameless hawks, cheering for more military action in Iraq while ignoring the consequences of their past enthusiasm for war, Dick Cheney stands out as perhaps the most shameless of all. He and his daughter Liz wrote an op-ed for yesterday's Wall Street Journal, published with a subheadline that left even the most cynical liberals sputtering:
(To be fair, it does say "rarely," which you might read as a concession that it has happened before.)
Is Dick Cheney in any position to be lecturing Barack Obama about fecklesness in foreign policy? Of course not. But his motives for doing so are clear enough. He, like many of the other neocons and Bush-era hawks now pointing fingers at Obama, has a reputation to think about, and a deep investment in shifting the blame for the mess in Iraq onto someone else's shoulders. Embracing a revisionist history of Bush-era foreign policy could have dreadful consequences for most Americans, and especially for the men and women in the military -- not to mention for the people of Iraq and neighboring countries. But it can only be good for Dick Cheney. Here's Dionne on how they'd like the debate to be rigged:
Thanks to the Cheney op-ed, we can see how Obama's hawkish critics are out to create a double standard. Whenever they are called out for how mistaken they were about Iraq in the first place, they piously lecture against "relitigating the past" and say we must instead look forward. At the same time, many of them feel perfectly free to trash the president in extreme and even vile terms.
A lot of liberals and media types have spoken up in exasperation after watching unreformed and unreflective hawks like John McCain, Bill Kristol, Paul Wolfowitz, and so on appear on the Sunday-morning shows and on op-ed pages as if they were still respected authorities, with no hard questions about the disastrously wrong predictions they made so confidently before the (last) invasion of Iraq. James Fallows says: "we are talking about people in public life—writers, politicians, academics—who got the biggest strategic call in many decades completely wrong.... we now live with (and many, many people have died because of) the consequences of their gross misjudgments a dozen years ago. In the circumstances, they might have the decency to shut the hell up on this particular topic for a while." (He links to a lot of other people making similar arguments, including our own Andrew Bacevich -- and, yes, go read that now if you haven't already.)Read more
UPDATED Melinda Henneberger to speak on Pope and Politics (Fordham)
UPDATE: event to be rescheduled due to weather and campus closing on February 3.
In the past month, several major news outlets have raised the question of whether Pope Francis is having an effect on political figures in the United States. Kathleen Hennessey's A1 story in the Los Angeles Times reported on how and why President Obama, for example, had come to quote the Pope.Read more
On the homepage: Minimal wages; Kaveny on ACLU & bishops
Two new items featured on the homepage today. First, the editors on working for less than a living wage:
Contrary to popular misconceptions nourished by some in the media, most of the low-wage workers who would benefit from a higher minimum wage are not teenagers earning a little pocket money and learning some basic job skills. More than 90 percent of them are adults and almost a third are parents. The federal government spends around $7 billion a year on public assistance just for the families of fast-food workers. If conservative lawmakers are serious about streamlining entitlement programs and promoting self-reliance, they should be lining up behind proposals to raise the minimum wage.
So why aren't they? It isn't for lack of public support. A large majority of voters from both parties are in favor of raising the minimum wage. Whatever their opinions about welfare, most Americans agree with Adam Smith that those who work for a living should actually make one. Opponents of a higher minimum wage say it will only hurt the poor by reducing the number of jobs: when labor costs are higher, they warn, employers will hire fewer workers. This argument has a certain intuitive force, but several recent studies suggest that modest minimum-wage increases have no significant effect on employment levels. Lobbyists for retailers and fast-food restaurants also argue that higher wages will drive up business costs, which will be passed along to consumers as higher prices. But research suggests that a $10.10 minimum wage would add only a few pennies to the price of a hamburger. The lobbyists don't mention that the big corporations they represent could also absorb some of the higher labor costs by accepting lower profit margins.
Read the whole thing here.
Also, Cathleen Kaveny looks deeper into the ACLU's complaint against the USCCB in the case of Tamesha Means, who allegedly received medically negligent treatment in the course of her pregnancy and miscarriage at a Catholic health facility:
The alleged negligent act: promulgating the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services.
According to the complaint, the USCCB is responsible because it "directed the course of care Plaintiff received." ... According to the plaintiff, Directive 27 does not require Catholic hospitals to disclose the option of a "previability pregnancy termination," because (she claims) the church does not see it as morally legitimate. The plaintiff also blames Directive 45, which prohibits abortion. That directive reads: "Every procedure whose sole immediate effect is the termination of pregnancy before viability is an abortion, which, in its moral context, includes the interval between conception and implantation of the embryo." The plaintiff contends that Directive 45 prevented [the hospital] from either completing the miscarriage or referring her to a place that would do so.
But has Means identified the right defendants? Contrary to popular belief, the USCCB does not have the power to tell individual bishops—or Catholic health-care systems—what to do and what not to do.
Read the whole thing here.
- 1 of 2
- next ›


text:
Summer Institutes for Teachers
This summer, you can enroll in courses that will build your knowledge in content area and improve your instructional skills.
Molloy College Summer Institutes may be taken for graduate credit or on a non-credit basis for in-service credit. All of the Summer Institutes are offered in an intensive, one-week format at either our Rockville Centre Campus or at our Suffolk Center on the grounds of Republic Airport in East Farmingdale.
The Summer Institutes are generally offered during the months of June, July and August. The course descriptions, schedule of classes and tuition rates are generally available by late winter/early spring each year.
The Summer Institutes for Teachers are broken-down into three main categories:
Advanced Placement (AP) Summer Institutes
Molloy College, in cooperation with the College Board, is offering Advanced Placement Summer Institutes to teachers of Advanced Placement courses in eighteen (18) subject areas for the summer of 2016. Click here for more information.
Summer Institutes (Non-AP)
The Summer 2016 Summer Institutes (Non-AP) are offered in the subject areas listed below, as well as in a general interest area. The 2016 Summer Institute schedule of classes is now available. Click here for more information. Click here to download the Summer Institutes for teachers brochure.
- Elementary Grades (K-6) (13 Institutes Offered)
- English Language Arts (7 Institutes Offered)
- Math (7 Institutes Offered)
- Science (13 Institutes Offered)
- General Interest (4 Institute Offered)
- Special Education (2 Institute Offered)
- Social Studies (1 Institute Offered)
- TESOL (5 Institute Offered)
Click here to download the Summer Institutes for teachers brochure. The brochure will automatically be mailed in early March, 2016 to teachers on our mailing list. To be placed on our mailing list, please call 516.323.3554 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
National Grid Foundation - Teaching Green Institute Grant Program (TGI)
Molloy College and the National Grid Foundation continue an innovative institute that was founded in 2011: The Molloy College: National Grid Foundation Teaching Green Institute (TGI). TGI is designed to train middle school and high school teachers in environmental issues and to provide suggestions on incorporating environmentally focused curricula into their classrooms.
Molloy College has applied for another National Grid Foundation grant for 2016. However, we do not expect to hear on the status of the grant until late March, 2016. Once we do hear about the status of the grant an email announcement will be sent out to teachers who have taken the program in the past, as well as to teachers who have expressed an interest.
As was done in previous years, it is planned that two Institutes will be offered: one for middle school teachers and one for high school teachers. The Institutes will be offered Monday-Thursday, from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. each day at Molloy's Suffolk Center campus in East Farmingdale. The Institutes may either be taken by teachers as a 3 credit graduate course or on a non-credit basis for 2 in-service credits. The institutes offered this year will cover new topics not covered in the 2015 institutes.
Once we do hear on the status of the grant for 2016, teachers will be asked to complete a short one-page preliminary application. Upon receipt of the preliminary application teachers will be notified within two weeks of their acceptance into the program, their scholarship amount and any other paperwork that will need to be completed. The application deadline is: June 1, 2016. The application, as well as further information on our program for 2016, can be found on our website at: www.molloy.edu/ce/summer/TGI.
Contact email@example.com or call Cindy Thomas at 516.323.3554 for more information.
Contact Us
Have questions about anything here? Feel free to drop us a quick note!
Of course, feel free to Contact Us.Off-Campus Programs
7180 Republic Airport Farmingdale, New York 11735-3930

subset: commoncrawl


text:
TAIGH AN TOBAIR (HOUSE BY THE WELL), detached cottage, with stunning views, woodburning stove, and garden, in Colbost, Ref 14611
From $500 / week
Description from the manager
Description from the manager
Bedrooms: 3/
Bathrooms: 1/
Sleeps: 5/
Type: House
This detached cottage is set in the village of Colbost on the Isle of Skye and sleeps five people in three bedrooms. Taigh an Tobair (House by the Well) is a detached cottage situated in the village of Colbost, five miles from the village of Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye. This single storey cottage sleeps five people in three bedrooms, consisting of one king-size double, one double and one single, as well as a family bathroom. The cottage also has a kitchen with dining area and a sitting room with woodburning stove. Outside is ample off road parking and a lawned garden with furniture. Taigh an Tobair (House by the Well) boasts stunning views and ...Read more
About the manager
About the manager
Sykes Cottages
Sykes Cottages
- Response rate : 100%
- Response time: A few hours
- Calendar updated: today
Overall rating:


text:
We take great care to ensure you receive the right auto parts the first time. We never give out personal information on our customers to anyone. Auto parts and more specifically Mercedes S350D Head Gasket parts are what we do best. When you order Mercedes S350D Head Gasket parts from us, we will ship it from the closest warehouse we have it in stock. AutohausAZ values its customers. Find out why other Mercedes S350D Head Gasket parts customers order from us by ordering your Mercedes S350D Head Gasket parts on our web store. Our extensive Mercedes S350D Head Gasket auto parts inventory is sure to satisfy the most fanatical of car hobbyists.
Mark A. - Zeeland, MI: Thanks for the order of my Saab fog lamp. Everything worked out great and your price was the best!!
Hector S. - Carolina, PR: Helen thanks a lot to you and autohaus staff for excellent communication and service. Will definitely recommend. Thanks again.
Follow-Up: Thanks again for your excellent, professional and fast service. Great honest team!!


text:
Recap: Seinfeld S 5 E 22 The Opposite
Elaine gets a raise at Pendant Publishing, which is merging with a Japanese conglomerate to avoid bankruptcy, and is publishing Kramer's coffee table book. She has also reunited with her boyfriend Jake Jarmel. (It is never revealed how they got over their exclamation point dispute.) George returns from the beach and decides that every decision that he has ever made has been wrong, and that his life is the exact opposite of what it should be. George tells this to Jerry in Monk's Cafe, who convinces him that if every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right. George then resolves to start doing the complete opposite of what he would do normally. He orders the opposite of his normal lunch, and he introduces himself to a beautiful woman (played by Dedee Pfeiffer) who happens to order exactly the same lunch, saying, "My name is George. I'm unemployed and I live with my parents." To his surprise, she is impressed and agrees to date him.Jerry loses a stand-up gig and five minutes later is asked to perform another one on the same night, for the same pay, prompting Kramer to call him "Even Steven". This causes Jerry to start noticing how everything always ends up turning out exactly the same for him as originally planned, never losing or gaining. George continues to do the Opposite on his date with Victoria. He stops shaving, yells at noisy cinema patrons, and refuses to come up to her apartment. Meanwhile, Elaine, upon hearing that Jake has been in an accident, quickly buys some Jujyfruits from the concession stand before heading to the hospital. Jake takes extreme exception to her lack of consideration and breaks up with Elaine on the spot because of it.The next day, Kramer appears on Regis and Kathie Lee to promote his book. After kissing Kathie Lee on the mouth, he accidentally burns his mouth on the hot coffee and spits it all over Kathie Lee. This leads to a premature cancellation of his book tour. Thanks to his date, George gets an interview at the New York Yankees, where he also does the opposite of his instincts and criticizes George Steinbrenner (voiced by Larry David) about his management practices, thus landing him the job of Assistant to the Traveling Secretary. He moves out of his parents' house, making sure to tell them how much he loves them, again, an example of "opposite" behavior.Elaine finds out that she is being kicked out of her apartment building. The list of grievances includes putting Canadian quarters into the washing machine and buzzing a jewel thief and a group of Jehovah's Witnesses past security, after which "[they] couldn't get them out of the building." Later, when her boss (Mr. Lippman) forgets his handkerchief in her office, Elaine (her mouth full of Jujyfruits) cannot tell him to take it. Later, when he sneezes without his handkerchief, he will not shake hands with his Japanese counterpart (and spread germs); the Japanese executive takes this as a sign of disrespect and becomes angry, refusing to close the deal, thus putting an end to Pendant Publishing. By the end of the episode, Elaine claims that she has "become George," but Jerry can only marvel at how things always even out for him: first, Elaine was up and George was down; now, George is up and Elaine is down, but his life is exactly the same.
This episode features examples of the following tropes:
- Badass Boast: George's rant to the noisy patrons in the movie theater."If I have to tell you again, we're gonna take it outside and I'm gonna show you what it's like!"
- Call Back: George mentioned doing the opposite of his instincts in the pilot, but also mentions he never actually tried it.
- Nothing Is the Same Anymore: The status quo is massively shaken up by George getting a steady job and Pendant Publishing going under.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: George gives one to Steinbrenner. The response: "Hire this man!"
- Shout-Out: George's aforementioned movie theater rant is a reference to an infamous tape recording of Buddy Rich chewing out his band mates.


text:
H+- and Ca2+-induced fusion and destabilization of liposomes.
Citations & References
- Authors: Ellens H, Bentz J, Szoka FC
- Journal: Biochemistry (1985) 24:3099-3106
Note: You clicked on an external link, which has been disabled in order to keep your shopping session open.
Paste HTML to embed link in website
Paste link in email or IM
Citations & References
To have the best experience possible while visiting our website, please tell us where you are located. Please enable cookies* (if disabled) and then select your location.
Please sign in to your account to order this product line. Or, continue as a guest buyer to shop for other products.


text:
The man who bears the ultimate responsibility for the gassing of his countrymen in Syria has been told by the White House that the bell does not toll for him. The Americans are coming and people will die. But he will not be one of them. Not this time, anyway.
"I want to make clear that the options that we are considering are not about regime change," White House spokesman Jay Carney said Tuesday.
The Wall Street Journal notes that Bashar Assad can pick his leaker and major media source for inside information on just how the Americans will be conducting their attack on his country.
An American military attack on Syria could begin as early as Thursday and will involve three days of missile strikes, according to "senior U.S. officials" talking to NBC News. The Washington Post has the bombing at "no more than two days," though long-range bombers could "possibly" join the missiles. "Factors weighing into the timing of any action include a desire to get it done before the president leaves for Russia next week," reports CNN, citing a "senior administration official."
We are all familiar with the concept of "surgical strikes." This is more like scheduled surgery. Outpatient style. Assad may not even need to change his dinner plans.


text:
Bangladesh: Court bans use of religion in politics
Bangladesh's dozens of Islamic political parties must drop Islam from their name and stop using religion when on the campaign trail following a court ruling, the country's law minister said on Monday. The Supreme Court on Sunday upheld an earlier ruling by the High Court from 2005 throwing out the fifth amendment of the constitution, which had allowed religion-based politics to flourish in the country since the late 1970s. "All politics based on religion are going to be banned as per the original constitution," Law Minister Shafique Ahmed said.
The verdict does not affect constitutional amendments that made Islam the Muslim majority nation's state religion in 1988 and incorporated a Quranic verse in the constitution. The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which is allied with two Islamic parties, said it would appeal the verdict. Bangladesh's original constitution barred the use of religion in politics.
"We want to reinstate the original constitution. Secularism was a pillar of the 1972 constitution," said Mr Ahmed. The move follows the Awami League's sweep to power in 2008 elections, which saw them beat the BNP with a landslide. The new government outlawed a controversial Islamic party, accusing it of destabilising the country. Four other Islamic organisations, including the Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), were earlier banned after they carried out a series of nationwide bombings that left 28 people dead in 2005.—AFP
Tuesday, 05 Jan, 2010
Related Actions
- Saudi Arabia: Release Maysaa Alamoudi and Loujain Alhathloul
- SIGN THE PETITION: President Hamid Karzai: We call on you not to sign the new Law on Criminal Procedures
- Egypt: Postpone the 15 December referendum on the draft Constitution!
- Women Living Under Muslim Laws Statement on Libya
- Saudi Arabia: WLUML/VNC Statement: 'We Say "Yes" to Women's Full Enjoyment of their Rights'


text:
The Blackhawk Canteen features BPA-free impact-resistant Tritan Copolyester construction that resists unwanted tastes and smells.
- Military standard 1 qt. capacity and design
- Military thread configuration to accommodate issued (NBC) caps
- Translucent color shows fluid level and cleanliness
- Temperature range of -40??F to 212??F (can both freeze and microwave)
- Dishwasher safe away from heating element (top rack)
- Looped top allows for easy carrying by hand or carabiner
- Sized to military specifications to fit in issued canteen cups and pouches
- Blackhawk logo on front
- Made in the USA
COLORS: Coyote Brown or Foliage
Write Review


text:
Login to my profile
Thank you for recommending "Everything for people who love horses from expert advice on horse care and horse riding to recent equine news.". Your recommendation has been successfully processed.
Friend 1
--the way you see the world--which he uses for just a small area in front of his head). That's why he may spook at something that he's already walked past and reacted to once: He's seeing it for the first time--with his other eye. (How to know whether he's looking with one eye or two? As he tries to focus with both eyes on something, he pricks both ears straight ahead.)
Withers are often overlooked as a cause of trouble, but even...
Read More >
Show jumping trainer John Madden answers your questions from...
First Name
Last Name
Sign Up
Don't be stranded with 24/7 Roadside Assistance from USRider.
webHorses for Sale | EquiSearch | EquineNetworkStore | DiscoverHorses.com | MyHorse.com | Horse Journal | USRider | Stable Management
magAmerican Cowboy | Dressage Today | EQUUS | Horse&Rider | Practical Horseman | Spin-to-Win Rodeo | EquiManagement | The Trail Rider
navAbout EquiSearch | Contact Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Subscriptions | Advertise | Customer Service


text:
AdBlock blows! Please disable the add-on to ensure you get the most out of Tube8's features and functionality. Read about why you shouldn't use AdBlock. Close
Add to Favorite List:
Create a new folder:
Next »
Diora Baird Young People Fucking
Recognize a pornstar in this video?
Help make pornstars easier to find on Tube8 by telling us who is in this video.
Thanks! The pornstar names will be added to this video when enough users submit the same names.
You must enter a pornstar name that already exists in our database.
- Category: Erotic
- Views: 36,154
- Added: 4 years ago
- Description: Diora Baird lying on her side in bed wearing just a black bra as a guy has sex with her from behind and both she and the guy reach a hand between her legs.
- Tags: celeb, celebrity, celebs, celebrities, nude
- Pornstars: Add Pornstar
- Favorite by: 10
- Report This Video
Video Comments
All Video Comments (0)


text:
The nation will soon know whether or not President Obama will authorize a strike on Syrian military forces. What he will tell us on Tuesday evening, few can factually predict. But if the outcome of his deliberative process does not pose his favored verdict, no one would be surprised if he just did as he originally wished to begin with.
But even that is truly a mystery. After all, chemical weapons attacks have been occurring in Syria since March, and it's only now that we must make some sort of demonstrable stand so that future rogues don't think we're sissies or something.
But President Obama's team has always been sissies. They have been since the days of Joe Kennedy, President Wilson, and World War I. Their sissiness was present when John Kerry begged for his purple hearts and ticket home from Vietnam, and reinforced when he lied to Congressional committees about American forces and the crimes he accused them of.
Then Presidential candidate John Kerry showed special sissiness when he was attempting to claim he was against the war in Iraq that he called for, warned of consequences of not initiating, and then voted to authorize. His overly limp salute when he "reported for duty" at his Presidential nominating convention also had sissy written all over it.
That same progressive is now Secretary of State and attempted to win his losing argument by claiming that if we don't bomb the Syrian military (the enemy of Al Qaeda) that we will embolden Al Qaeda and their ranks will grow.
I know... I'm trying to figure that one out for myself.
How exactly does becoming Al Qaeda's air-force deter them from victory in Syria, and hence another victory whereby they chant things like "death to America" in madrasas while grooming another generation of suicide bombing, Allah worshiping, haters of all things western.
Then there are the progressive sissies in Hollywood. Though they are major funding sources for all things of the progressive movement, you could not find bigger bunch of bloviating loudmouths when President Bush was in office. They complained that as President he dragged us into war.
Bush mocks Rubio and his fans: Stop whining that it's "unfair" that you're being attacked by another candidate's Super PAC | Allahpundit


text:
Skip to content, or skip to search.
Home >
Restaurants >
Capsouto Frères
You are requesting that we remove a reader's review from the site.
If this is not what you want, please return to the listing page.
Re: Just stopped in to check it out
Date: 11/21/11
By: BFritze
A Review of: Capsouto Frères
If you selected "factual error" or "other", please explain:
Copyright © 2016, New York Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.


text:
|Quick links:
Latest Team Rankings
Free Rivals Alerts
Member Services
|ShopMobileRadio RSSRivals.com Yahoo! Sports
|College Teams
|High Schools
Chris Keys #32
The Latest: Keys, Robinson leave football team — 6/6/2006
According to a press release issued by the University of Alabama's media relations department Tuesday morning, two Crimson Tide football players have left the program. Head coach Mike Shula announced that sophomore linebacker Chris Keys has been dismissed from the team for violating team policy and...[details]


text:
Small school struggles with low enrollmentDecember 25,2013ROCHESTER One of Vermonts smallest K-12 schools is trying to transform itself to attract more students as townspeople prepare to discuss its future.
The Valley News reports that residents will discuss the Rochester School on Jan. 13 and then vote the next day on a non-binding referendum on whether to continue to operate a high school or cut back to grades K-8. The school currently has 147 students, with only 55 in high school.
Principal Catherine Knight is leading a thorough reorganization of the school, creating three academies that will focus on technology, the performing arts and sustainability. She says the school doesnt have the teachers or the classes but it can be more creative.MORE IN This Just InWATERBURY CENTER Vermont State Police say a toddler is in critical condition after being found ... Full StoryBERLIN A hypodermic needle was found in a baby changing table of the Berlin Mall on Friday,... Full StoryBURLINGTON The University of Vermont recently produced a new publication highlighting... Full Story
- Most Popular
- Most Emailed


text:
Spicy Buffalo Chicken Ranch SlidersAngie McGowan
I've been a little obsessed with anything buffalo lately. I've done a meatloaf, hummus and popcorn all in the past 2 weeks. And today I'm sharing these spicy little buffalo sliders. These are super easy ground chicken burgers with a few extra ingredients. I've slathered them in buffalo wing sauce and ranch dressing. They are so good, and not all that spicy if you don't add the additional wing sauce after cooking.
You can find my recipe for these buffalo chicken ranch sliders over on my blog today, Eclectic Recipes.
Read more from Angie on Eclectic Recipes!
Follow Angie on Facebook and Twitter for updates!
Don't miss the latest from Family Kitchen Like Us on Facebook!
More on Family Kitchen:
Buffalo Ranch Popcorn
Buffalo Hummus
Article Posted 4 years Ago


text:
Newegg.com - A great place to buy computers, computer parts, electronics, software, accessories, and DVDs online. With great prices, fast shipping, and top-rated customer service - once you know, you Newegg.
If you are reading this message, Please click this link to reload this page.(Do not use your browser's "Refresh" button). Please email us if you're running the latest version of your browser and you still see this message.
Newegg.com - Computer Parts, Laptops, Electronics, HDTVs, Digital Cameras and More!
Sold and Shipped by Front Source Tech
The DELL Latitude E5400 notebook delivers fantastic mobile computing with better flexibility. Compatibility with family of docks ensure easy shift between mobile and desktop computing. Plus, advanced end-point security features allow you to sleep easy.
Filter Results
In reply to Kyles review
This review is from: DELL Laptop Latitude E5400 Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 (2.00 GHz) 2 GB Memory 80 GB HDD 14.1" Windows 7 Professional
Pros: It's an affordable laptop that will do whatever you need aside from not having a camera.This is not a gaming machine.
Cons: No camera.
Other Thoughts: While Kyle rated this laptop as a 1 it is unfair and not true.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Did you?
Do not Buy
This review is from: DELL Laptop Latitude E5400 Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 (2.00 GHz) 2 GB Memory 80 GB HDD 14.1" Windows 7 Professional
Pros: Very portable
Cons: PAINFULLY slow
2 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Did you?
This item is eligible for Newegg Premier benefits. Are you a Newegg Premier Member? If not, sign up today and get:
Your request will be processed within the next 24 hours.
Please add "firstname.lastname@example.com" to your address book to ensure delivery.See Today's E-Blast Promo


text: …some stress relief! Just like those Wine of the Month or Flower of the Month clubs, I'd like someone to sign me up for a Massage of the Month. Where the masseuse comes to my house! If you guys could have any beauty-related thing in the world as a holiday gift, what would you want?


text:
Miss Martian by naomi-Sakurai18Watch
©2013-2016 naomi-Sakurai18
It took me 2 days to finish this, and I have to say it looks pretty good since I really put a lot of effort on this drawing. Miss Martian is not one of my favourite characters, but I LOVE her powers
Miss Martian belongs to Young Justice, not me!
Miss Martian belongs to Young Justice, not me!
I love it!
This looks really nice actually, unlike you Miss Martian IS one of my favorite characters. I think she's the most well rounded and developed character on Young Justice. and this does her pretty well.
Thanks! I don't have anything against her, I think she's really interesting, even though she made serious mistakes during the second season. But I have to say that she was AWESOME in the last episode!
Eh see she wouldn't be near as interesting or well developed had she not made the mistakes she's made, it's all part of her character arc. And who on the team hasn't made a ton of mistakes, cept for Aqualad I guess.
But it's not that I have anything against her, but I prefer other characters. And you have to take into account what kind of mistakes they have done, anyways we would have to hate all of them. If Nightwing is making mistakes is because he has to take some risks for the sake of the world (although I don't like what he did to Arsenal during the last episode), but Megan invaded Superboy's mind, that's something completely different. Even Arsenal's mistakes are more reasonable, and he risked the team's life.
Ah while that is more morally aggreious it was less dangerous to the team overall than the stuff Arsenal did or even the stuff Dick did (though I agree Dick botched that, he should have waited and consulted Superboy and Miss Martian, they are afterall senior members). Really though I don't particularly care what kind of mistakes they made when it comes to judging them, I judge characters based on how well I perceive them to be written mainly. So like I kinda place Miss M and Artemis at the top since I think they are the most fully fleshed out members of the cast. Aqualad and Nightwing are right bellow them. below that my opinions change all the time.
I can see the effort, it's pretty good ^-^b


text:
I am writing on behalf of myself to thank you and your wonderful staff for making me surprise travel. The fruits, chocolate you placed in my suite were gorgeous and delicious, and the view was spectacular. The room that manager Tony,set up for me was perfect, and I am very impressed with this. The food was absolutely scrumptious and the... More
Top-rated Attractions Nearby
Top-rated Restaurants Nearby


text:
Lightweight Wide Stripe Silk, Wool & Linen Mix Scarf in Pink and Fuchsia
Make a comfortable statement of style and elegance with our lightweight Wide Stripe Scarf in Pink and Fuchsia. Woven in Scotland from a blend of Silk, Wool and Linen, this ladies lightweight scarf is the perfect accessory for wrapping up in style this winter.
Product Dimensions: 72" (L) x 20" (W)
RRP:£49.00Reason For Sale: Discontinued, Brand New!
Payment Policy
- Only PayPal is Accepted
- Immediate Payment is preferred, if any longer than 7 days the Item will be automatically relisted
- Item will be shipped immediately on the same or next business day of receiving full payment
Shipping Policy
- Shipping to UK and all international countries
- No P.O. Box Delivery
- No FPO Delivery
- Paypal Confirmed Addresses Only
- Items Will be Shipped by DHL
- DHL Tracking Number will be provided
- Signature required upon receipt
- Delivery is Mon-Fri 9-5. If no one is there to sign for this the driver will leave a card for you to contact them. This will be left at the depot until contact is made by the person who has purchased it. DHL use tracking numbers. If you require any assistance regading any listings, delivery and future listings please e-mail me or call direct on 01428 648176
Returns Policy
- If you are unhappy with your purchase we have a 7 day returns policy.
- Address to Return to is on all invoices sent to Customers
- If you have any queries regarding returns please e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com
Terms & Conditions
Payment is expected within 5 days of auction close, unless prior arrangements had been made. If payment is not received within 7 days a Non-Paying Bidder warning will be filed with eBay. Communication channels are open and clear, I have no problems accomodating special circumstances.
By entering a bid, you are entering into a legal binding contract to purchasing the item described above. Please do not bid if you are unable to comply with the terms of the sale and eBay policies, or are unsure/unable to pay, or have no intention to purchase the item
Aspinal of London is a Seconds site. All of the items listed by us are either damaged, personalised or marked in some way. This means that we do not have a guarentee for our products on eBay. If however you are not happy with your purchase we offer a 7 Day returns policy.


text:
LEESBURG, Va. -- The experts tell us that newborn infants like Sarah Jane cannot really distinguish what's before them when they open their eyes. These same experts also say the little smile I see on her tiny lips is just a sign she needs to be burped. Maybe.
I choose to think our beautiful little (6 pounds, 8 ounces, 19 inches long) newborn grandchild really can see me -- and is smiling at her granddad. I really don't know, of course, but I do know I'm looking at the future. And someday, God willing, Sarah Jane will pull this column out of an old album and smile at her grandfather's unfounded concerns for her prospects.
So, Sarah Jane, here is a quick recap of what happened this week -- in the days before and since you were born -- and why I pray so hard for you, your four siblings and your seven cousins:
Shortly before you arrived -- early (what a wonderful surprise) -- I was in Arizona with our Fox News team documenting an invasion across our southern border. Instead of helping to defend our country from Mexican cartels engaged in kidnapping, drug smuggling and human trafficking, our president brought a federal lawsuit against the state of Arizona. Though he's supposed to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, he evidently doesn't understand the second clause of Article 3, Section 2: "In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction."
Sarah Jane, when you can read, I'll give you a copy of that magnificent document your dad and I took an oath to support and defend. And when you are old enough, I'll teach you to shoot and safely handle a firearm. You will need to know how.
On Tuesday morning, the day you were born, I had a doctor's appointment to check on my progress in treatment for prostate cancer. The doctors who care for me are really good, and I'm doing fine. But it also turns out that under the new health care reform law, I probably won't be eligible for the treatment. It's not that I'm not worthy -- just too old. I hope your mom and dad never will be "too old" for medical care.
That afternoon, when your mom astounded your dad by announcing it was time to go to Loudoun Hospital Center, your grandmother "Nan" and I were in a meeting with our attorney, a financial planner and accountants. We were trying to figure out how we can preserve some of what we have worked so hard for so that you, your brothers and sisters and your cousins can benefit from it.
Oliver North is a nationally syndicated columnist, the host of War Stories on the Fox News Channel, the author of the new novel Heroes Proved and the co-founder of Freedom Alliance, an organization that provides college scholarships to the children of U.S. military personnel killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty. Join Oliver North in Israel by going to www.olivernorthisrael.com.


text: Just got back from a trip to the Alisal Ranch. Whole family loved it. Kids can't wait to get back. Rides were great. Service was amazing- no request was too much. The staff really went above and beyond. We were there just before they were closing for a week. Food was fantastic first two nights and ok but definitely lesser quality the final night. Overall really a wonderful treasure of a place.


text:
Search My Blog
2012- What's the Real Truth
Top Posts & Pages
- The Unfortunate Truth About Bernie Sanders
- List Of Military Elite Purged And Fired Under Obama, Compiled By General Paul Vallely, 3-17-14
- US Reported In Panic After Chemtrail Planes Forced Down In India, Nigeria
- Who killed JFK? And why did they do it?
- THE VATICANS NEW WORLD ORDER - THE KNIGHTS OF MALTA - a well-researched history that may shed light on Masonry. At least it is a jumping off point to understanding. . . ~J
- The Problem of Jesus' Last Name ~ From: Putting on The Mind of Christ, by Jim Marion
- KALI YUGA: Age of Quarrel and Conflict
- 4 - The Great Con of Man, by Bradley Loves
- 6 - THE "KEY" TO OUR ENSLAVEMENT IS THE SEXUAL ENERGY, by Bradley Loves
Recent Posts
- UPDATE, December 27, 2015
- UPDATE, October 19, 2015
- UPDATE, October 3, 2015
- Two more important new posts at Co-Creating . . . ~J
- Here are ALL the Dun and Bradstreet Reports/Screenshots that PROVE Thomas Deegan's case! Download them; enlarge them; share them widely!
- A new post from Scanned Retina regarding Thomas Deegan's false arrest . . .with a comment from ~Jean
- UPDATE from ~Jean, August 31, 2015
- UPDATE from Jean, August 12, 2015
- UPDATE from ~Jean, July 23, 2015
- A MESSSAGE from ~Jean
- A quick update from ~Jean :)
- My new blog is now open, and I welcome your visit . . . ~Jean
- Thank you — and a bit of news about my new blog, from ~Jean
- It's time for me to hang out the sign, Gone Fishin', from ~Jean
- Five Justices Vow to Protect Felon Senators
- Citizen speaks out about Sandy Hook hoax at Connecticut State Committee Hearing
- The Vaccine Culture War in America: Are You Ready?
- Pilots, Doctors & Scientists Tell Truth about Chemtrails [Excerpts]
- The Oracle Report, Wednesday, March 11, 2015
- Bittersweet Records Radio Hour, March 11, 2015
- He Found 2 Baby Bears Next To Their Dead Mother, Words Can't Describe What Happened After
- PressTV: Americans seek treason charges against 47 Republican senators
- The Clinton Chronicles . . . unbelievable! ~J
- Take Your Word? CNN Blames State Department Hack on Russia Without Evidence / Sputnik International
- Abu-Jamal on Obama, Ferguson, and How African-Americans 'Live in Hell' / Sputnik International
- RT: News Headlines (late day), March 11, 2015
- Fire in Iron Mountain's Argentine Storage Facility at the Center of Major International Corruption and Money Laundering Web
- Kenny Rogers – The Gambler . . . I think in reference to Putin :) ~J
- PressTV: Iran stopped ISIL invasion spread: Larijani
- NATO So Busy Playing War Games, Unable to Confirm Where Armor Withdraw Sputnik International
- An EU Army to face Russia? Who do you think you're kidding, Mr Juncker? – Nigel Farage
- We Demand: President Putin Release Documents Vital to World Peace
- Zerohedge: 7 Signs That A Stock Market Peak Is Happening Right Now, plus a brief comment from ~Jean
- Very brief note from ~Jean
- ANGELIKA – RUSSIAN STATE ANTHEM (soul version)
- Splitting the Atlantic Alliance NATO Lies and Provocations
- 'Start Killing Russians': Outrageous Outburst by Fox News Military Analyst / Sputnik International
- Life 'Under a Reign of Terror': What Nuland Doesn't Want You to See / Sputnik International
- PressTV: Iraqi forces liberate Tikrit center from ISIL hold
- How Iran and the US intersect in "Syraq", by Pepe Escobar
- US Intel Vets Oppose Brennan's CIA Plan
- Zarif to U.S. senators: You are ignorant of international law
- RT – BREAKING: Massive tanker fire on I-94 outside Detroit, both directions shut down
- The Coming Revolution, by Jon Rappoport, March 10, 2015
- The passive android and the creative force, by Jon Rappoport , March 9, 2015
Tag Archives: Great Comet
Anonymous 2014 Mass Cabal Arrests Message To People of the World
Published on Oct 11, 2014 Thanks to C. Hello citizens of the world. we are anonymous. We bring you this message in peace, and we hope it finds you well. Currently as we are sure you have heard at this … Continue reading
NorthPoint Astrology Journal: Your Guide to Planetary Energies for November 18 – 24, 2013, by Pam Younghans
Today's photo: Comet ISON as seen from Kahler Asten, Germany on November 16, 2013 (photo by Waldemar Skorupa, posted on SpaceWeather.com) COMET ISON has just increased its brightness tenfold after an unexplained "outburst" on November 13 and 14. It is now bright enough … Continue reading
Posted in Ascension, Spiritual Tagged C/2012 S1, Comet ISON, Earth, Great Comet, Kahler Asten, Kuiper Belt, Oort Cloud, Sun 3 Comments
Hercolubus: The Greatest Mystery Of The Modern Era
Posted on October 18, 2013 by cosmicconvergence2012Thanks to several readers. The Final Shift Fast Approaches We live in a time when common sense has become quite rare. Likewise, the human faculty of reason has fled humankind. For these reasons the following essay will be … Continue reading
Emerald Tablets Of Thoth, 50,000 Year Old Tablets Reportedly From Atlantis
Posted on July 18, 2013 by BH Source: BryanHallsAwakening I believe BH is the same BH who comments here on my own blog! My thanks to him and to M for bringing this to my attention ! June, here is more info about this … Continue reading
Posted in Ascension, Spiritual Tagged Atlantis, Bermuda, Egypt, Emerald Tablet, Great Comet, Gulf of Aden, Human, Thoth 7 Comments
Energy Forecast – The Great Emotional Cleanse
a message from Emmanuel Dagher Tuesday, 2 July, 2013 (posted 3 July, 2013) Peace and Blessings my friend, It's such an honor for me to connect with you in this way again. Wow, are we in some extraordinary times or what? There is … Continue reading
Posted in Ascension, Spiritual Tagged Energy, Great Comet, July 2013, Mental confusion, Reactive mind, Sun, They (2002 film), Tough love 2 Comments
SOURCE: ANIMUS VALLEY INSTITUTE Guiding the Descent to Soul Since 1980 Bill Plotkin Author of Soulcraft: Crossing into the Mysteries of Nature and Psyche (an experiential guidebook), Nature and the Human Soul: Cultivating Wholeness and Community in a Fragmented World (a nature-based stage model of … Continue reading
Posted in Ascension, Spiritual Tagged Business, Dell, Family, Great Comet, Home, Magazines and E-zines, Michael Steinberg, Parent 2 Comments
@MIn News, January 4, 2013
Published on Jan 4, 2013 ORIGINAL OWNER AND VIDEO HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVO05EMEFfI http://www.youtube.com/user/Suspicious0bservers The Solar Killshot: http://youtu.be/X0KJ_dxp170 TODAY'S LINKS: Iran: http://phys.org/news/2013-01-tehran-governor-shutdown-pollution.html Mississippi: http://www.weather.com/news/mississippi-river-low-levels-20130103


text:
Advanced Search
The Houston Independent School District (HISD) will be monitoring the whereabouts of its school buses wirelessly. The district has signed a contract for AT&T fleet management services, enabling the school district to wirelessly monitor its fleet of 1,100 school buses and vehicles by using GPS technology over the AT&T wireless network.
The AT&T solution enables HISD to remotely track, in real time, the location and speed of its vehicles and confirm that its buses are traveling along scheduled routes and stops. Additionally, the school district can monitor when a vehicle's ignition is turned on or off and whether or not safety lights and exit doors are working properly.
"The insight delivered from this solution is invaluable--providing control, insight, and accountability for managing our buses and other vehicles," said Aric Taylor, manager of routing and scheduling for the district. "Remotely tracking our vehicles and drivers enhances our ability to deliver Houston ISD students to school on time and keep them safe, which is our top priority."
The district also expects to reduce fuel and maintenance costs with the fleet management solution by routing its vehicles more efficiently. It also plans to evaluate locations of its school bus stops to see whether they should be moved to safer, more accessible locations. Real-time communication with safety officers, whose vehicles are equipped with GPS technology, could enable HISD to complete bus stop evaluations in less than a day, a task that normally could have taken a week or more.
The Houston Independent School District, the largest school district in Texas, encompasses 296 schools and 200,000 students.
About the Author
Dian Schaffhauser is a writer who covers technology and business for a number of publications. Contact her at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Sign up for our newsletter.
I agree to this site's Privacy Policy.
All Webcasts
Find out why over 900 educators in 48 states say they could be better equipped for emergencies – and what stands in their way. Plus, learn how your school can improve safety, emergency preparedness and everyday efficiency in this just-released report. Download the results and see how your school communications compare.
Read more...
All Whitepapers


text:
Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (edition 2011)
by Rebecca Skloot
Work details
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
» 23 more
Top Five Books of 2013 (131)
Books Read in 2015 (65)
Books Read in 2014 (99)
Books read in 2015 (17)
Carole's List (331)
To Read - Medicine (10)
Top Five Books of 2015 (209)
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
370 pages
★★★★ ½
HeLa cell - a cell type in an immortal cell line used in scientific research. It is the oldest and most commonly used human cell line.
Of course, many people I know have read this book so most are probably aware of what it's about. Henrietta Lacks was an African- American woman who in the early 1950s got cervical cancer and during her treatment her doctors didn't think twice about taking her cells and doing with them as they pleased. Quickly, the person became an unknown figure while her cells grew and contributed so very much to the science and health community. It would take over 50 years for the story of this extraordinary woman to come out, and it wouldn't be an easy journey to get there at times.
I have wanted to read this book for some time but I never got around to it and the wait at the library was crazy. I finally got an audio copy from my library and I started listening to this right away. I had high expectations since so many people I knew had raved about this book. Luckily it hit those high expectations. What a wonderful story about a wonderful woman who was forgotten in history. This is much more than just about Henrietta Lacks but what her cells have done for medical research and what it's done to her living family. If you're one of the few who have yet to read this non-fiction book, I say, now is the time! It reads so smoothly that it is often hard to see it as a non-fiction and more as a novel, so this is a good one for many and a story that deserves to be told.
As a note on the audio version: The narrator is soothing. Not particularly bad, unless you're tired. Then, her soothing voice may just put you straight to sleep.
Found this an accessible and complelling read. Interesting and informative and opened up a few questions about what happens in Britain to our cells?!
A HeLa cell is a cell type in an immortal cell line used in scientific research. It was derived from the cancer cells of the poor black woman Henrietta Lacks. I did not know anything about HeLa or Henrietta, everything was absolutely new to me. A very interesting and disturbing book.
Narrated by Cassandra Campbell. A compelling and sometimes distressing story about bioethics and race. It's hard to imagine being in the Lacks family's shoes on learning that Henrietta's cells have been used worldwide for decades to advance medical science without their knowledge or consent. The author did a respectful job sharing the Lacks story which adds heft and humanity to the scientific story. The science described is not too complicated for laymen readers to follow, although I did gloss over some of those passages while listening. Narrator Campbell reads with such compassion and earnestness that I could believe it was the author herself reading.
I really enjoyed that the author was able to take a topic that is difficult for many to follow and humanize it as the story of Henrietta and her family. As the author was herself part of the work, it was more like story-telling and carried the reader along without getting too heavy in the science and ethical portions. The historical aspect of the birth and evolution of this area of cell biology that made so many other things possible was very engaging, the whole concept of what was accepted practice at the time, and how "the time" could change so quickly....
Skloot narrates the science lucidly, tracks the racial politics of medicine thoughtfully and tells the Lacks family's often painful history with grace. She also confronts the spookiness of the cells themselves, intrepidly crossing into the spiritual plane on which the family has come to understand their mother's continued presence in the world. Science writing is often just about "the facts." Skloot's book, her first, is far deeper, braver and more wonderful.
I put down Rebecca Skloot's first book, "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks," more than once. Ten times, probably. Once to poke the fire. Once to silence a pinging BlackBerry. And eight times to chase my wife and assorted visitors around the house, to tell them I was holding one of the most graceful and moving nonfiction books I've read in a very long time.
Writing with a novelist's artistry, a biologist's expertise, and the zeal of an investigative reporter, Skloot tells a truly astonishing story of racism and poverty, science and conscience, spirituality and family, all driven by a galvanizing inquiry into the sanctity of the body and the very nature of the life force.
Henrietta Lacks died of cervical cancer in a "colored" hospital ward in Baltimore in 1951. She would have gone forever unnoticed by the outside world if not for the dime-sized slice of her tumor sent to a lab for research eight months earlier. ...
Skloot, a science writer, has been fascinated with Lacks since she first took a biology class at age 16. As she went on to earn a degree in the subject, she yearned to know more about the woman, anonymous for years, who was responsible for those ubiquitous cells....
Skloot tells a rich, resonant tale of modern science, the wonders it can perform and how easily it can exploit society's most vulnerable people.
Has as a reference guide/companion
References to this work on external resources.
Wikipedia in English (5)
No descriptions found.
Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer, yet her cells--taken without her knowledge--became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first "immortal" human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer and viruses; helped lead to in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions. Yet Henrietta Lacks is buried in an unmarked grave. Her family did not learn of her "immortality" until more than twenty years after her death, when scientists began using her husband and children in research without informed consent. The story of the Lacks family is inextricably connected to the dark history of experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics, and the legal battles over whether we control the stuff we are made of--From publisher description.… (more)
(summary from another edition)
Amazon Kindle (6 editions)
Audible (2 editions)
CD Audiobook (12 editions)
Project Gutenberg (0 editions)
Google Books — Loading...
Popular covers
2 editions of this book were published by Audible.com.
Is this you?
Become a LibraryThing Author.