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NEW YORK, JULY 2, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Here is the address Archbishop Celestino Migliore, permanent observer of the Holy See at the United Nations, delivered Thursday before the high-level segment of the Economic and Social Council Substantive Session for 2010.
* * *
Mr. President,
This year's substantive session is particularly pertinent leading up to the long expected World Summit on the MDGs. All women and girls who are affected by the MDGs look forward towards an increased recognition of their value and equality as well as their dignified role in development. Any deliberation on the matter will be incomplete without ensuring the advancement of women, who are dynamic agents of development in the family, society and the world.
Ever since world leaders committed their governments to the ambitious objective of attaining the MDGs, some remarkable progress has been achieved in mainstreaming women's perspectives in development both in multilateral and national policies. Even those countries lagging behind in many aspects of development are giving more prominence to the role of women in public life, especially in the political arena.
The empowerment of women presupposes universal human dignity and, thus, the dignity of each and every individual. The notion denotes complementarity between man and woman, which means equality in diversity: where equality and diversity are based on biological data, expressed traditionally by male and female sexuality, and on the primacy of the person. It concerns also roles to be held and functions to be performed in society. In that regard, equality is not sameness, and difference is not inequality.
Empowerment of women for development means also recognition of the gifts and talents of every woman and is affirmed through the provision of better health care, education and equal opportunities. Empowering women and respecting their dignity mean also honoring their capacity to serve and devote themselves to society and to the family through motherhood which entails a self-giving love and care-giving. Altruism, dedication and service to others are healthy and contribute to personal dignity. If domesticity can be considered a particular gift of mothers in cultivating a genuine intrapersonal relationship in the family and society, then family-friendly working arrangements, shared family-care leave and redistribution of the burden of unpaid work will be given the attention they rightly deserve.
The Holy See notes with concern that inequalities between individuals and between countries thrive and various forms of discrimination, exploitation and oppression of women and girls persist, which must be addressed by the provision of adequate social protection measures for them, as appropriate to national contexts.
In the health sector there is a need to eliminate inequalities between men and women and increase the capacity of women to care for themselves principally by being afforded adequate health care. Scientific studies have shown remarkable improvement in the reduction of maternal and infant mortality, revealing the importance of complementary investing in other areas relevant to women and girls including nutrition, general health and education. The real advancement of women is not achieved by concentrating on a particular health issue to the neglect of others but by promoting their overall health which necessarily includes giving more attention to addressing women-specific diseases.
Women's economic empowerment is essential for the economic development of the family and of society. Access to land and property, credit facilities and equal opportunities for financial services for women will help ensure their economic stability. In this process, the whole household and community must support their entrepreneurship. The ethical dimension of their development and economic empowerment as well as their service to the family must not be overlooked.
Tragically, violence against women, especially in the home and work place, and discrimination in the professional field, even on the pay and pension scale, are growing concerns. Through adequate legal frame-works and national policies, perpetrators of violence must be brought to justice and women must be afforded rehabilitation. Women and girls must be guaranteed their full enjoyment of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights including equal access to education and health.
My delegation supports the initiatives in favour of the rights in particular of women migrants and refugees and women with disabilities. Human rights learning campaigns especially for girls and women must be promoted, even from early school days and also through non-formal education. Civil society and NGOs, women's associations and faith-based organizations can contribute a great deal in human rights learning and in quality education.
In concluding, Mr. President, the more the dignity of women is protected and promoted, the more the family, the community and society will truly be fostered.
Thank you, Mr. President.


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Lighthouse Baptist Church is a warm and caring fellowship of believers committed to the truth of God's Word. We really are committed to standing on the Word of God without compromise.
We are reaching out, in love, to those in need of Christ through many different ministries. Our focus is Christ and His work. Our field is the world.
We invite you to browse the pages of this website and then stop by our church for worship service or just to say "Hello."
Come see...and feel for yourself the warmth of Lighthouse Baptist Church.

subset: commoncrawl


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Fox Still Misrepresenting NLRB's Case Against Boeing
Written by Chelsea Rudman & Melody Johnson
Fox News has repeatedly suggested that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is engaging in unlawful or "anti-American" activity by filing a complaint against Boeing for deciding to build a new plant in the "right to work" state of South Carolina. But the NLRB complaint alleges that Boeing moved to South Carolina in retaliation for union workers' decision to strike, and experts say that allegations in the case represent an "absolutely standard violation" of federal labor law.
Fox Attacks NLRB Case Against Boeing As A "Political Maneuver" And "Anti-American"
Kilmeade: "It Seems Anti-American To Think [Boeing] Can't" Open A Plant In South Carolina "For Whatever Reason." On the June 21 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends, co-host Brian Kilmeade interviewed Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) about the NLRB's case against Boeing. After a clip was played showing Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) saying that "Boeing is not above the law" and should not receive "preferred treatment," Kilmeade said: "Above the law? If Boeing wants to expand and go to South Carolina for whatever reason, it doesn't -- it seems anti-American to think they can't." [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 6/21/11, via Media Matters]
Fox Hosts Former Bush NLRB Chair To Attack Case Against Boeing. On the June 20 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends, co-host Steve Doocy teased an upcoming interview by saying: "Meanwhile, big labor taking on Boeing, suing to keep the company from moving to another state where they don't have to use union workers. But some union people say the lawsuit is bad for the country. We're going to talk to one next." Guest host Martha MacCallum then interviewed Peter Schaumber, who was the NLRB chair under President George W. Bush. Schaumber claimed that Boeing has "every right" to open its plant in South Carolina and claimed the decision would "chill investment" in the U.S.. After the clip of Rep. Maloney saying Boeing is "not above the law" was played, MacCallum said:
MACCALLUM: So the basic issue here is that they want to open this South Carolina plant for 787 -- 787 assembly plant for Boeing. It would be a huge boon to jobs in South Carolina, and because it's a right to work state, the contention is that Boeing is somehow trying to punish their workers in Washington state who are unionized by moving this Boeing plant, or opening a Boeing plant, I should say, in South Carolina. Why would Carolyn Maloney be saying that this is, you know -- that they shouldn't think that they're above the law? Don't they have every right to do that?
SCHAUMBER: They certainly have every right to do it, and the Congresswoman really should not have said that. It doesn't further debate -- further the debate. It doesn't help resolve the matter. You know, members of Congress should not be accusing Boeing of violating the -- the law and simply adopting a union position because it's a union position. They should avoid doing so because the union's position is inconsistent with the law. It's wisely so inconsistent with the law, and it's going to chill investment in the United States.
MACCALLUM: I mean, a company has the right to act in its own best interest and in shareholders' best interest and in the best interest of their employees to keep their business growing and thriving. Does it not?
SCHAUMBER: It certainly does. [Fox News, Fox & Friends, 6/21/11; Law Memo, accessed 6/21/11]
Fox Hosts Former CBO Director To Suggest Obama's Refusal To Stop NLRB Decision Is "A Purely Political Maneuver." A segment about the NLRB case against Boeing on the June 17 edition of Fox News' America's Newsroom began with a video of Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) suggesting that Obama has "an enemies list" and South Carolina might be on it because "South Carolina appears to be a Republican state." Co-host Bill Hemmer then interviewed former Congressional Budget Office (CBO) director Doug Holtz-Eakin, who suggested that Obama's refusal to stop the NLRB complaint is "a purely political maneuver." From America's Newsroom:
HEMMER: In a word, can the president stop this or is it outside of his jurisdiction?
HOLTZ-EAKIN: He could clearly stand up and say stand down. He hasn't. It's hard to understand this other than as a purely political maneuver. Boeing negotiated with the unions in Washington state about having this facility, and they would not guarantee that it would be uninterrupted production. Despite that, Boeing has built one production line in Washington state. It's built a third surge line in Washington state, and over in South Carolina, it's got a 1.2 million square foot facility, 1,000 workers that it's trained and has ready to go and now at the last minute, the government goes after them and says, "You've got to stop this." [Fox News, America's Newsroom, 6/17/11, via Media Matters]
But Complaint Actually Alleges That Boeing Moved Work To SC In Retaliation For Union Workers' Decision To Strike
NLRB General Counsel's Office Complaint Alleges Boeing "Threatened Or Impliedly Threatened" Workers That They "Would Lose Additional Work In The Event Of Future Strikes." From the complaint against Boeing filed by the NLRB general counsel's office:
On or about the dates and by the manner noted below, Respondent [Boeing] made coercive statements to its employees that it would remove or had removed work from the Unit because employees had struck and Respondent threatened or impliedly threatened that the Unit would lose additional work in the event of future strikes. [The Boeing Company NLRB General Counsel's Office Complaint, 4/20/11]
Complaint Alleges Boeing CEO Said He Was Moving "787 Dreamliner Work To South Carolina Due To 'Strikes Happening Every Three To Four Years' " In Washington State. From the complaint:
[Boeing President, Chairman, and CEO, Jim McNerney] made an extended statement regarding "diversifying [Respondent's] labor pool and labor relationship," and moving the 787 Dreamliner work to South Carolina due to "strikes happening every three to four years in Puget Sound." [The Boeing Company NLRB General Counsel's Office Complaint, 4/20/11]
Complaint Alleges Boeing Executive Vice President Said Boeing Relocated Dreamliner Production To South Carolina "Because Of Past Unit Strikes, And Threatened The Loss Of Future Unit Work Opportunities Because Of Such Strikes." From the complaint:
[Boeing Executive Vice President Jim Albaugh] stated that Respondent decided to locate its 787 Dreamliner second line in South Carolina because of past Unit strikes, and threatened the loss of future Unit work opportunities because of such strikes. [The Boeing Company NLRB General Counsel's Office Complaint, 4/20/11]
Complaint Alleges Boeing Decided To Transfer 787 Production To SC Because Washington State Employees "Engag[ed] In ... Lawful Strikes." From paragraph 7 of the complaint:
(a) In or about October 2009, on a date better known to Respondent, but no later than October 28, 2009, Respondent decided to transfer its second 787 Dreamliner production line of 3 planes per month from the Unit to its non-union site in North Charleston, South Carolina.
(b) Respondent engaged in the conduct described above in paragraph 7(a) because the Unit employees assisted and/or supported the Union by, inter alia, engaging in the protected, concerted activity of lawful strikes and to discourage these and/or other employees from engaging in these or other union and/or protected, concerted activities.
(c) Respondent's conduct described above in paragraph 7(a), combined with the conduct described above in Paragraph 6, is also inherently destructive of the rights guaranteed employees by § 7 of the Act. [The Boeing Company NLRB General Counsel's Office Complaint, 4/20/11]
And Experts Say Allegations In NLRB Complaint Are An "Absolutely Standard Violation" Of Federal Labor Laws
Labor Law Professor Brudney: "Relocating Work Away From A Plant Because Of Too Much Lawful Union Activity Would Be A Classic Violation" Of Federal Labor Laws. In a telephone interview with Media Matters, James J. Brudney, the Newton D. Baker-Baker & Hostetler Chair in Law at Ohio State University's Moritz College of Law, said: "Relocating work away from a plant because of too much lawful union activity would be a classic violation of 8(a)(3)" of the National Labor Relations Act, which makes it illegal for employers "to discriminat[e] in regard to hire or tenure of employment or any term or condition of employment to encourage or discourage membership in any labor organization." [Media Matters, 5/11/11]
Labor And Employment Law Professor Fisk: If NLRB General Counsel's Complaint Is True, This Is An "Absolutely Standard Violation" Of Federal Labor Laws. In a telephone interview with Media Matters, University of California-Irvine Chancellor's Professor of Law Catherine Fisk said that if the NLRB general counsel's complaint is true, this is an "absolutely standard violation of Section 8(a)(1) [of the National Labor Relations Act], which has been in the statute since 1935 and prohibits retaliation against employees for protected activities" such as forming a union, engaging in collective bargaining, and striking. Fisk also said that she saw "nothing controversial" about the complaint. [Media Matters, 5/11/11]
Fisk: Company Violates Federal Labor Laws If It Relocates Work For Purposes Of "Seeking To Stop Workers From Engaging In Unionizing, Collective Bargaining, And Striking." Fisk also said that the case against Boeing is "all about whether the company was retaliating for the workers' decision to unionize" or engage in another protected activity like striking. She said, "It is permissible for an employer to move work to find lower wages," but it violates labor laws if they do it for the purpose of "seeking to stop workers from engaging in unionizing, collective bargaining, and striking." [Media Matters, 5/11/11]
Labor Law Professor Secunda: Complaint Against Boeing Shows The NLRB Is "Carrying Out Its Congressionally Mandated Mission To Protect The Right Of Workers To Engage In Concerted Activity." From a Seattle Times editorial by Marquette University Law School associate professor Paul Secunda:
The National Labor Relations Act gives workers the unequivocal right to engage in concerted activity -- including the right to strike. Boeing stated publicly that it was moving production away from Washington because its workers there previously went on strike and could go on strike again in the future.
Such comments amount to an admission from the company that it was intentionally retaliating against employees and trying to limit their rights -- a clear affront to the law that the NLRB is charged with enforcing.
At the end of the day, what we are seeing is the agency carrying out its congressionally mandated mission to protect the right of workers to engage in concerted activity for mutual aid and protection. The agency is simply enforcing the law, providing balance and fairness for workers and businesses alike. [The Seattle Times, 4/29/11]
Labor Law Professor Hirsch: Boeing Allegations Involve A "Relatively Straightforward Case Of An Employer Punishing Workers For Striking." From a post on the Workplace Prof Blog, by University of Tennessee College of Law associate professor Jeffrey Hirsch:
I've been surprised at how much attention is getting paid to the NLRB General Counsel's complaint against Boeing. Based on what I've seen, the conservative uproar to what, based on the allegations is a relatively straightforward case of an employer punishing workers for striking (with admittedly large potential economic impacts), is way out of proportion. But this editorial from the Wall Street Journal (subscription required, but if you Google the title, you can find it free) and the legislation it describes, has now entered the bizzaro stage.
As for the editorial, even taking into account the normal tenor one would expect from a WSJ editorial, I honestly don't ever remember seeing any piece of writing with so many inaccuracies. For instance, there's the title, which states that there is a Board ruling (it's just a GC complaint); the description of the remedy to shut down production in South Carolina (the GC doesn't seek that, it would just require Boeing to maintain production in Washington; and the argument that the complaint requires employers to stay in non-right-to-work states (I don't even know where to begin). Two minutes with a fact-checker would've had these cut, although that would've undermined the purpose of the editorial and its support for the legislation. [Workplace Prof Blog, 5/4/11]


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Hugo went for his first solo walk through the farm. Just when I began to think he should be back I heared his gravelly little voice calling from outside, "Mum, I have a present for you". He had picked lots of flowers on his walk and had even found a ladybird to eat my aphids. He felt very grownup.
Today has been spent out in the garden just as we had hoped. Jonno and I piled a trailer with weeds and pruning and felt most triumphant as it lurched precariously toward the sky. Archie went on a long walk with his cousin and Hugo spent the day with a hose and slide (until his lips turned so blue he had to be brought back to life in a nice warm bath.
Strawberries, icecream, abandoned wet towels. The summer season has really begun.
Love Kate xxooxxooxx.


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Pomegranate Ratafia
Serves 8
A Mediterranean specialty, ratafia is a sweet, aromatic drink that is meant to be sipped before a meal as an aperitif. Traditionally red-wine-based, ratafias are made by infusing alcoholic beverages with seasonal fruits and spices. Variations are numerous and in this nonalcoholic rendition, pomegranate juice — a wonderfully flavorful and healthy alternative to wine — is used as the base.
If you can't find a sweetened pomegranate juice such as Pom Wonderful, you'll need to add a touch of sugar to taste while simmering. A 32-ounce bottle will provide the perfect amount per person, but if you think your ratafia will prove a particular hit, or you're expecting extra guests, you can certainly double the recipe. Keeping the vanilla bean whole will allow you to use it for another purpose after it has dried.
One 32-ounce bottle sweetened pomegranate juice
1 whole vanilla bean, uncut
1 small orange or clementine, cut into pieces, pulp and skin included
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1. In a large saucepan, combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to sit, uncovered, for 2 hours or until the ratafia is at room temperature.
2. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a glass container (or the original juice bottle) fitted with a funnel and chill. Can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Serve well-chilled in port or juice glasses.


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Conservative media unleash anti-gay rhetoric in attacks on Jennings
Written by Jocelyn Fong
The latest target in the Glenn Beck-driven conservative media witch hunt for Obama administration "czars" is Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools director Kevin Jennings. In their attacks on Jennings, numerous conservative media figures have resorted to thinly veiled homophobic appeals to paint Jennings, who is gay, as a "radical" "gay activist" with an "agenda" of "promoting homosexuality in schools," and have misrepresented or distorted Jennings' previous comments about religion and tolerance.
In 1995, Jennings noted right wing's use of code words to fearmonger about school safety programs for LGBT students
WorldNetDaily's Bob Unruh quoted the following from a 1995 speech delivered by Jennings at a Human Rights Campaign Fund Leadership Conference:
"If the radical right can succeed in portraying us as preying on children, we will lose. Their language -- 'promoting homosexuality' is one example -- is laced with subtle and not-so-subtle innuendo that we are 'after their kids.' "
"We must learn from the abortion struggle, where the clever claiming of the term 'pro-life' allowed those who opposed abortion on demand to frame the issue to their advantage, to make sure that we do not allow ourselves to be painted into a corner before the debate even begins." [WorldNetDaily, 9/17/09]
Media conservatives attack Jennings with extreme, fearmongering rhetoric
Erik Rush: Jennings is a "radical homosexual druggie." Rush wrote in a WorldNetDaily commentary that Jennings is "a radical homosexual who ... has advocated promoting homosexuality in schools, and written unapologetically about his own drug use." Rush added, "One has to ask oneself why it is that Obama repeatedly chooses some of the most wildly inappropriate individuals one could conceive of to serve in high-level positions. A radical homosexual druggie for his 'safe schools czar'? It's practically inconceivable." Rush continued, "Obama, being a creature of the farthest left, has no qualms whatever about allowing activist homosexuals -- or people who are soft on drugs -- to set the moral agenda for this country; the more dysfunctional and enslaved to sensualism we are, the more easily manipulated we will be. And going after the children, as we have learned, is nothing new." [WorldNetDaily, 10/1/09]
Washington Times: "Jennings has made extremely radical statements promoting homosexuality in schools." The Washington Times editorial board wrote, "Mr. Jennings has made extremely radical statements promoting homosexuality in schools and about his utter contempt for religion that render him unsuitable for a prestigious White House appointment." [The Washington Times, 9/28/09]
Limbaugh: Jennings "is a guy promoting homosexuality in the schools." Rush Limbaugh stated: "[I]f you wonder why the libs are really ticked off that [director] Roman Polanski might be extradited to face the music on that long-ago act with the 13-year-old girl, Quaaludes and rape, understand that Obama's safe school czar is a guy promoting homosexuality in the schools and encouraged a 15-year-old kid to have a homosexual relationship with an older man, and even facilitated it. As I say, Snerdley, I wasn't even going to get to this today, but you asked me about Polanski, and that's that." [Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show, 9/28/09]
Hannity: "[T]his is a guy that's advocated promoting homosexuality in schools." Fox News' Sean Hannity stated that "this is a guy that's advocated promoting homosexuality in schools. This is a guy we have talked about his past. He's had contempt for religion, et cetera, et cetera. ... Isn't the issue here that what they're teaching oftentimes, value-wise, contradicts what parents are teaching? And isn't that morally wrong?" He later added, "I don't know what it is about liberals. I think they think they have the right to raise our kids. I mean, you know, the idea that you would promote whatever your agenda, on sexuality, any controversial issue." [Fox News' Hannity, 9/25/09]
Malkin: "[C]ontroversial homosexual rights' advocate" Jennings founded "controversial" organization which "aggressively pushes sexually explicit" books. As an example of the Obama administration's "radicalism," Michelle Malkin wrote that "the White House has embraced controversial homosexual rights' advocate Kevin Jennings as 'Safe Schools czar.' Jennings founded the controversial GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network), which aggressively pushes sexually explicit, age-inappropriate books and lesson plans on alternative lifestyles." [MichelleMalkin.com, 9/25/09]
Dobbs guest Tony Perkins says "bizarre" Jennings seeks "to mainstream homosexuality in schools." On his radio show, Lou Dobbs stated, "There's suddenly a major political storm around him, charges that he has promoted homosexuality in schools, acknowledged past drug abuse, at one time demonstrating contempt for religion itself. Can any of that be true?" Perkins replied: "Well, unfortunately it is. I mean, this guy is bizarre, and it shows just how radical this administration is in pushing forward policies. ... This guy -- he established GLSEN ... to mainstream homosexuality in the schools." Perkins added, "This is an agenda that is being targeted all the way down to kindergarten. So this is -- the idea that this guy is heading up a safe and drug-free school program, and that he is advocating the expansion of homosexuality in the school and the curriculum" and that "people send their kids to school to get an education, and not to be recruited into a network of sexual behavior, whether it's homosexual behavior or heterosexual behavior." [United Stations Radio Networks' The Lou Dobbs Show, 9/24/09]
Fox News' Kilmeade claims Jennings "promoted homosexuality in schools" and "expressed contempt for religion." During a Fox & Friends segment, co-host Brian Kilmeade stated, "[T]he safe school czar position was actually from George Bush's administration in 2002. President Bush said we need something like this. But maybe this wasn't the job -- this wasn't the resume he thought he'd get: Former schoolteacher who has promoted homosexuality in schools. Also, he has a -- he details a report on how he did not report an incident with an underage student who had sex with an older man, and also has expressed contempt for religion. So, as you expand the resume, it might not be the perfect candidate." [Fox News' Fox & Friends, 9/24/09]
FoxNews.com: Jennings "has advocated promoting homosexuality in schools." FoxNews.com reported that Jennings "is a former schoolteacher who has advocated promoting homosexuality in schools, written about his past drug abuse, expressed his contempt for religion and detailed an incident in which he did not report an underage student who told him he was having sex with older men." The article also stated that GLSEN "has also been accused of promoting homosexuality in schools." [FoxNews.com, 9/23/09]
On Hannity, Noelle Nikpour said "gay activist" Jennings is Obama's most dangerous czar. On his Fox News show, Hannity asked Republican strategist Noelle Nikpour, "Who do you think is the most dangerous?" Nikpour answered: "Well, I think it's Kevin Jennings. Not only that, that he's a gay activist, but he was part of the GLISTEN. He was the former director for GLISTEN. They held a conference in which techniques for, I think it was, homosexuality, how to perform different techniques. That's insane." The Wall Street Journal's Stephen Moore then added, "Remember, we -- used to be that sex education was putting condoms on bananas. Lord knows what they're going to do now." [Hannity, 9/18/09 (from Nexis)]
WorldNetDaily: Jennings boasted about "us[ing] the concept of 'safety' in schools to promote homosexual advocacy in public schools." In a WorldNetDaily "exclusive," Unruh wrote that GLSEN "promotes homosexuality in schools" and that Jennings "once boasted that he introduced homosexual advocacy into the school system in Massachusetts by manipulating the message presented to lawmakers. ... [H]e gave a speech in which he described how he has used the concept of 'safety' in schools to promote homosexual advocacy in public schools in Massachusetts." [WorldNetDaily, 9/17/09]
New American: Jennings is "devious," "career homosexual activist" with "subversive agenda." Calling on Jennings "to be expelled from the nation's classrooms," William Jasper wrote that Jennings "admits to using deception when pushing a subversive agenda that would be rigorously opposed by the vast majority of Americans if honestly promoted under its true colors." Jasper added, "What is Jennings agenda? Promoting homosexuality (in all its various permutations) under the guise of promoting 'safe schools.' " Jasper wrote that Jennings intends to use his position in the administration "to greatly expand the GLSEN program of subverting and perverting their captive public-school audience." Jasper wrote of Jennings' 1995 speech, "It is this deviousness of Jennings and GLSEN & Co. that is most alarming, especially now that they have captured citadels of power inside the massive federal bureaucracy of the U.S. Department of Education and appear to have the full blessings of the Obama White House to work their way with our children." [New American, 9/11/09]
Conservative media distort Jennings' remark about "promoting homosexuality"
Conservative media echo FRC's "Stop Jennings" campaign. Media conservatives' baseless claim that Jennings "promoted homosexuality in schools" echoes the Family Research Council's "Stop Jennings" campaign, which quoted Jennings saying during October 25, 1997, remarks at GLSEN's mid-Atlantic conference, "I can envision a day when straight people say, 'So what if you're promoting homosexuality?' ... That is our mission from this day forward" [ellipsis in original].
But Jennings actually expressed hope that some day "most straight people ... wouldn't necessarily equate homosexuality with something bad." FRC distorted Jennings' remarks, as the blog Good As You noted. In his remarks, Jennings was actually calling for tolerance; he talked about countering "stereotypes and misinformation" in order to change peoples' views about homosexuality over time and stated that GLSEN's "mission from this day forward" was "[t]o not lose our faith, to not lose our belief that the world can, indeed, be a different place." Jennings also spoke in reference to a day when "most straight people, when they would hear that someone was promoting homosexuality ... wouldn't necessarily equate homosexuality with something bad that you would not want to promote" and "a day when straight people say, 'So what if you're promoting homosexuality?' Or straight kids say, 'Hey, why don't you and your boyfriend come over before you go to the prom and try on your tuxes on at my house?' " Peter LaBarbera, president of a group that seeks to "expos[e] and counter the homosexual activist agenda," published a transcript of Jennings' 1997 remarks that LaBarbera said were reprinted from the Lambda Report.
From LaBarbera's transcript of Jennings' remarks, with the portions FRC quoted in bold:
JENNINGS: Two years ago, one of our board members, one named Ann Simon, was called to testify before Congress when they had hearings on the promotion of homosexuality in schools. And we were busy putting out press releases, and saying, 'We're not promoting homosexuality, that's not what our program's about. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.' And my best friend, who's a straight women [sic] who lives in London, e-mailed me ... and she said, 'So what if you are?' And I thought of how I can get so wrapped up in my own defensiveness, and ... the day-to-day struggle, and stuff, that being finished might some day mean that most straight people, when they would hear that someone was promoting homosexuality, would say 'Yeah, who cares?' because they wouldn't necessarily equate homosexuality with something bad that you would not want to promote. And when we were talking there, and Mike said, 'You know, and I'd like five years from now -- right now let's face it, for large swells of people they think of GLSEN and kids, and they think, 'GLSEN is bad for kids.' They do because of their stereotypes and misinformation -- I'd like five years from now for most Americans when they hear the word GLSEN to think, 'Ooh, that's good for kids.''
JENNINGS: All of us who are thinking this way are crazy, because you know what? Sane people keep the world the same [sh*tty] old way it is now. It's the people who think, 'No, I can envision a day when straight people say, 'So what if you're promoting homosexuality?' Or straight kids say, 'Hey, why don't you and your boyfriend come over before you go to the prom and try on your tuxes on at my house?' That if we believe that can happen, we can make it happen. The only thing that will stop us is our lack of faith that we can make it happen. That is our mission from this day forward. To not lose our faith, to not lose our belief that the world can, indeed, be a different place.
Conservative media misrepresent Jennings' remarks about religion
Think Progress: Jennings indicated that "he later returned to religion," and he went on to join a Protestant seminary. Many media figures have claimed that Jennings, in Kilmeade's words, "has expressed contempt for religion" -- which is based on a statement Jennings made in his memoir, Mama's Boy, Preacher's Son, and has also been a component of FRC's campaign against Jennings. FRC quoted a passage from Jennings' memoir, in which Jennings writes: "God ... had done nothing but cause me pain and anguish through His inaction and malevolence throughout my childhood. ... What had he done for me, other than make me feel shame and guilt? Squat. Screw you, buddy -- I don't need you around anymore, I decided. " However, as the blog Think Progress noted, FRC ignored "what Jennings writes a few sentences later: that he later returned to religion." Think Progress also noted that Jennings "went on to serve as an active member on the board of the Union Theological Seminary (UTS) in New York, the nation's most prestigious Protestant seminary."


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More than 4,000 preventable mistakes occur in surgery every year at a cost of more than $1.3 billion in medical malpractice payouts, according a new study.
How preventable? Well, researchers call them "never events" because they are the kind of surgical mistakes that should never happen, like performing the wrong procedure or leaving a sponge inside a patient's body after surgery.
But researchers found that paid malpractice settlements and judgments for these types of never events occurred about 10,000 times in the U.S. between 1990 and 2010. Their analysis estimates that each week surgeons:
- Leave a foreign object like a sponge or towel inside a patient's body after an operation 39 times
- Perform the wrong procedure on a patient 20 times
- Operate on the wrong body site 20 times
"I continue to find the frequency of these events alarming and disturbing," says Donald Fry, MD, executive vice president at Michael Pine and Associates, a health care think tank in Chicago. "I think it's a difficult thing for clinicians to talk about, but it is something that must be improved."
Surgical Mishaps Happen
In the study, researchers looked at malpractice claim information for surgical never events from the National Practitioner Data Bank from 1990 to 2010. The results are published in Surgery.
Malpractice settlements and judgments relating to leaving a sponge or other object inside a patient, performing the wrong operation, operating on the wrong site or on the wrong person were included in their analysis.
The results showed a total of 9,744 paid malpractice judgments and claims for these types of never events were reported over the 20-year period, totaling $1.3 billion.
Based on these results, researchers estimate that 4,044 surgical never events occur each year in the U.S.
Researchers say the actual number of these surgical mistakes is likely even higher.
"What we report is the low end of the range because many never events go unreported," says researcher Marty Makary, MD, MPH, associate professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Makary says by law, hospitals are required to report never events that result in a settlement or judgment.
But not all items left behind after surgery are discovered. They are typically only reported when a patient experiences a complication after surgery, and doctors try to find out why.
"We believe the events we describe are real," says Makary. "I cannot imagine a hospital paying out a settlement for a false claim of a retained sponge."
The consequences of surgical mistakes ranged from temporary injury in 59% of the cases to death in 6.6% of the cases and permanent injury in 33% of people affected.
When Mistakes Occur
The study showed surgical mistakes happened most often to people between the ages of 40 and 49. Surgeons in this same age group were also accountable for more than a third of the never events compared with 14% for older surgeons over age 60.
"Surgeons involved in retained sponges tended to be in the middle part of their career, dispelling the idea that surgeons at the beginning or end of their careers have most of these events," says Makary.
Nearly two-thirds of surgeons involved in a surgical mistake had been cited in more than one separate malpractice report in the past, and 12.4% were named in more than one surgical never event.
How to Prevent Surgical Mistakes
Researchers say most medical centers have long had patient safety procedures in place to prevent surgical mistakes, such as mandatory "time-outs" in the operating room to make sure medical records and surgical plans match the patient on the table.
In addition, counting sponges and other equipment before and after surgery, using surgical checklists, and indelible ink to mark the site of the surgery are also common safety procedures.
Fry says even with these precautions in place, mistakes still happen.
"Even with marking the surgical site there are reports of the wrong site still being operated on, and you have to say it's a lack of attention to detail when it happens," he says.
Makary says new technology, like surgical sponges with radiofrequency tags that can be detected by a scanner, should help reduce the number of common surgical mistakes as they are adopted.
In addition to adopting new technologies to increase patient safety, Makary says a new standardized system of reporting surgical mistakes is needed to properly measure and address the problem
Finally, Makary and Fry say greater attention should be paid to the culture of safety and teamwork among nurses, surgeons, and everyone else in the operating room.
Meanwhile, Fry says it's not out of line to speak up and discuss safety concerns with your surgeon prior to surgery.
"I do think it's always appropriate for concerned patients to discuss the issues about what will be done to make sure that this doesn't happen to me or my family member," says Fry.


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I want to send messages from C program and from Perl script to a file (for example, /var/log/my_log). I don't have access to the syslog daemon configuration, so I think in launch a differente syslog daemon (syslog-ng).
I'm able to send messages from the command line, using logger
command and its -u
option. This log messages are logged on my_log instead of the usual messages file, but I cannot reproduce the same behavior from C or Perl.
The openlog function, apparently, doesn't have any option to specify a socket for logging, or the PID of the log process or something that allows me to send the messages to my own log instead the system log.
Can it be done or is it impossible using syslog


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May 18, 2019
Thank you for your patience during the last week while we have been experiencing technical difficulties with both the main website and the app functions. Below is a summary of what has occurred:
This week warmshowers.org experienced a significant surge in the amount of activity, specifically from the mobile apps. In addition, the mobile apps were trying to connect into the website in a way that was causing errors with the private messaging functionality, which decreased the overall performance of the system. To remedy these issues, we have disconnected the apps from the website and are bolstering the security of every access point into the system.
The security of our platform and access to reliable information remains a top priority at Warmshowers. For the time being, the apps will NOT be accessible. Please go directly to our website through your browser to access your profile.
Do to the difficulties this week, we have extended the bike give-away for an additional week to ensure everyone has a chance to enter the draw. There are two ways to enter:
- Any donation will be automatically entered into the draw.
- Mail a postcard to our mailing address (see below) and include your username on the postcard.
Thank you to everyone who has entered the draw for a new Trek 520. We are excited to be drawing a winner soon - entries will be accepted until end of day on Friday, May 24th!
Our goals this year continue to focus on technology, security of the tech and ease of use. We are working to develop a sustainable plan for accessing a mobile version of our site and/or apps, to facilitate use on the road. We also have heard the concerns about the ability of cyclists to get ahold of hosts. We are working currently on improving categorizing users so that everyone can stay involved even if they can no longer host or tour. We have an incredible community network of hosts and cyclists. We continue to work to improve the ease of use of all of the technology and get it working well together and with the varieties of tech accessing the platforms.
We are excited about the enthusiasm in the community and the eagerness to get more involved by many. We are developing ways for people to help in our strategic objectives this year and into the future as we add nearly 100 new users DAILY!
The growth of Warmshowers community is incredible with 130,000 registered users. It's a long way from a spreadsheet of 250 hosts. It means that we can all access hosts worldwide and create new friendships and connections. It's a community filled with kindness and gratitude.
While Warmshowers continues to be a lean organization, the growth is forcing the organization to evolve. The donations received support the technology and enable Warmshowers to continue expanding.
~Warmshowers Board of Directors


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New product
3 Pack Microphone cable
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Nori seaweed sheets are used primarily for sushi. Like the tea industry, they are cultivated by initial producers (fishermen) in the sea and processed into dried sheets that are uncut. Factories then buy these unrefined sheets at auction, grade, cut, and refine them further before packaging for retail sale and to restaurants.
Recommended with Kameya Foods' Grated Wasabi and delicious Premium Shoyu from Fundodai Goyo
- Allergen risk: May contain trace amounts of small shrimp and other crustaceans
- Grade: IMPERIAL, Premium, Standard
- Softness: 5 / 5 stars
- Umami flavor: 5 / 5 stars
- Thickness: 5 / 5 stars
- Deepness of color: 5 / 5 stars
- Rarity: 5 / 5 stars
- Region: Seaweed grown in the Ariake Sea; Nori graded, cut and packed by Mikuniya in Hiroshima.
- Approximate size: 21 cm x 19 cm
About Mikuniya
A century ago, Mimura Masutaro established his seaweed (nori) business in Asahi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, on the Setouchi Sea where seaweed farms and fisheries had supplied Japan since the era of Japan's samurai.
Masutaro lived thru a tumultuous period of history and was forced to close his business, but after World War II, his son Yoshihito revived his father's business establishing a refinement factory and wholesale business, successfully distributing Hiroshima-made Nori throughout the country. Land reclamation projects in Hiroshima destroyed seaweed cultivation in the area and the family was forced to seek out quality raw material from other parts of Japan.
Today, 4th generation Mimura Ichiro continues his family's processing and wholesale business using delicious Nori seaweed grown in the Ariake Sea in the southernmost island of Kyushu.
Payment & Security
Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.


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... loading movie ...
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1 - Compared to Intel HD 4000 Integrated Graphics.


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(CNN) – More than 1,000 veterans may have died in the last decade because of malpractice or lack of care from Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers, a new report issued by the office of Sen. Tom Coburn finds.
The report aggregates government investigations and media reports to trace a history of fraudulent scheduling practices, budget mismanagement, insufficient oversight and lack of accountability that have led to the current controversy plaguing the VA.
The VA has admitted that 23 patients have died because of delayed care in recent years, but the report, titled "Friendly Fire: Death, Delay, and Dismay at the VA," shows many more patient deaths have been linked to systemic issues affecting VA hospitals and clinics throughout the U.S.
Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican and physician, says that if the VA's budget had been properly handled and the right management had been in place, many of these deaths could have been avoided.
"Over the past decade, more than 1,000 veterans may have died as a result of VA malfeasance," said Coburn, a three-time cancer survivor who says the government should offer veterans access to private hospitals.
"Poor management is costing the department billions of dollars more and compromising veterans' access to medical care," he said.
Since November 2013, CNN has been reporting on how veterans wait excessive periods for VA health care, causing some to die in the process.
Coburn's office says the VA has allocated about $20 billion since the beginning of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to numerous non-health-related projects, such as office makeovers, unused software licenses, undocumented purchases on government debit cards and the funding of call centers that received an average of 2.4 calls per day, among others.
In 2013, four VA construction projects in Las Vegas, Orlando, Denver and New Orleans cost an extra $1.5 billion because of scheduling delays and excessive expenditures, the report shows.
Additional funds have been funneled into legal settlements. Since 2001, the VA has paid about $845 million in malpractice costs, of which $36.4 million was used to settle claims involving delayed health care.
Criticism of the VA's budget has increased in light of a controversial performance bonus system that allegedly created financial incentives for managers to hide the fact that patients were waiting months for care.
At a congressional hearing Friday, Gina Farrisee, the VA assistant secretary for human resources and administration, confirmed that 78% of VA senior managers qualified for extra pay or other compensation in fiscal year 2013, despite ongoing delay and malpractice controversies.
Former VA Regional Director Michael Moreland received a $63,000 bonus in 2013 for infection prevention policies, for example, but the VA's Office of Inspector General concluded that his policies failed. Moreland presided over the Pittsburgh VA, where an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease killed six veterans in 2011.
The report identifies crimes committed by VA staff, including drug dealing, theft and sexual abuse of patients dating back many years. Earlier this year, one former staffer at the Tampa, Florida, VA was sentenced to six years in federal prison for trading veterans' personal information for crack cocaine.
A CNN investigation recently uncovered an additional scheme at the Phoenix VA hospital, where records of dead veterans were changed to hide how many died while waiting for care.
The VA's inspector general is investigating 69 medical centers for allegations that administrators altered appointment data to make patient wait times appear to be shorter.
A letter released Monday by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel rebuked the VA's medical review agency for refusing to admit that delays in care have affected veterans' health.
Acting VA Secretary Sloan Gibson said in a news conference in Washington last week that he plans to remove more VA officials from their positions once he receives more information from the inspector general.


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Fitzstock Charts now has over 1,000 different stock options that have DOUBLED from our suggested entries, while some options have returned over 600%
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text:
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Editor's Note: Anne Marie Roderick tells her story of why she's NOT part of the 20 percent of Americans who identify with "no religion in particular." Find more stories (or share your own) HERE. Read about the study HERE.
It's not surprising that a third of my peers say they are religiously unaffiliated. Our religious lives are too complex these days to fit in neat boxes with one-word labels. I may be a "Christian," but does that mean that I am like other Christians? Not necessarily. There is sometimes more truth in being a "none" — in stating what we are not — rather than trying to pin down exactly what we are. But, I choose to affiliate anyway. Here's why I am not a "none:"
1) Tradition matters.
Regardless of how complicated my Christian identity may be, I find stabilizing hope and inspiration in the saints and teachers who have come before me, in the rich traditions, rituals, and practices of the liturgical year, in the Book of Common Prayer, and in the old hymns and spirituals I was raised singing.
Young people and young adults can choose to be the inheritors of our religious traditions, whatever our faith inclinations may be. As inheritors we join a lineage of seekers, teachers, singers, thinkers, poets, and activists who have made religious faith and practice relevant for their times; now it's our time to carry the tradition forward, to breathe new life into the wisdom of the past.
I am not a "none" because I know that my story is bound to the stories of those before and those who will come after me.
2) Forgiveness.
Our religious traditions have failed us; we have to be honest about that. As a Christian in the Protestant tradition, I have often mourned the ways my faith community has failed its people, especially those close to me. But my faith calls me to be part of a dynamic process of forgiveness that allows me to both stick with the church and hold the church accountable for its role in the world, past and present.
I am not a "none" because the church needs people like us — to challenge, to listen, to find new meaning, to seek justice, and to ask forgiveness.
In my generation's post-post-whatever reality, pinning down exactly who we are and what we believe, even as individuals, isn't easy. We're changing just as quickly as the world around us, and the task of naming our identities through check-box labels doesn't cut it anymore. We are no longer satisfied with being told what our identities mean, especially as they relate to religious faith and affiliation.
Instead, we are digging deeper: What has being a Christian meant for me, in my life? How has my Christian identity informed my unique experiences and my relationships with others? What are the stories that form my faith journey and how can I give voice to those stories, how can I bring those stories into dialogue with others?
It is crucial that young adults continue to ask big questions and seek satisfying answers, but we don't have to do that floating alone somewhere in none-land. We can return to our religious traditions for support and guidance, and our traditions will be better because of it.
Anne Marie Roderick is a former editoral assistant for Sojourners.
Got something to say about what you're reading? We value your feedback!


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I left the office one evening a few weeks back, and while I was walking up the street, James Box cycled past, waving a hearty good evening to me. I didn't see him at first. I was in a state of maximum distraction. For one thing, there was someone walking down the street with a magnificent Irish wolfhound. If that weren't enough to dominate my brain, I also had headphones in my ears through which I was listening to an audio version of a TED talk by Donald Hoffman called Do we really see reality as it is?
It's fascinating — if mind-bending — stuff. It sounds like the kind of thing that's used to justify Deepak Chopra style adventures in la-la land, but Hoffman is deliberately taking a rigorous approach. He knows his claims are outrageous, but he welcomes all attempts to falsify his hypotheses.
I'm not noticing this just from a short TED talk. It's been one of those strange examples of synchronicity where his work has been popping up on my radar multiple times. There's an article in Quanta magazine that was also republished in The Atlantic. And there's a really good interview on the You Are Not So Smart podcast that I huffduffed a while back.
But the most unexpected place that Hoffman popped up was when I was diving down a SETI (or METI) rabbit hole. There I was reading about the Cosmic Call project and Lincos when I came across this article: Why 'Arrival' Is Wrong About the Possibility of Talking with Space Aliens, with its subtitle "Human efforts to communicate with extraterrestrials are doomed to failure, expert says." The expert in question pulling apart the numbers in the Drake equation turned out to be none other than Donald Hoffmann.
A few years ago, at a SETI Institute conference on interstellar communication, Hoffman appeared on the bill after a presentation by radio astronomer Frank Drake, who pioneered the search for alien civilizations in 1960. Drake showed the audience dozens of images that had been launched into space aboard NASA's Voyager probes in the 1970s. Each picture was carefully chosen to be clearly and easily understood by other intelligent beings, he told the crowd.
After Drake spoke, Hoffman took the stage and "politely explained how every one of the images would be infinitely ambiguous to extraterrestrials," he recalls.
I'm sure he's quite right. But let's face it, the Voyager golden record was never really about communicating with an alien intelligence …it was about how we present ourself.
This was originally posted on my own site.


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La Guns - Big House (4 12) lyrics
Talib Kweli
Black Star
Reflection Eternal
[Chorus: x2]
I am what you want to be but you can't though
Prime example
You cats can't flow but you get an "E" for effort
(from mah say till efforts we stay?) together reign forever
[Talib Kweli]
You think I give a fuck about your Clown Posse? You insane!
You acting like a journalist and racking my brain
since I was tagging my name on the back of the train
like my man in (Lahane?) packing the same
Little Gat that put me back in the frame of mind to say "Fuck the Five-O"
Let me explain the rhyme
Yo, cut the nice flow like Bob Marley
I'm the black star they probably follow my every move
like I'm the son of John Gotti
Escape to Paris like a jazz man round midnight
[Queen?] banging like Josephine Baker raising the kids right
Attack the dreaming
Rap through the demons
See the situation and extract the meaning
Internationally known trees actually grown
through the cracks in the sidewalk
See it in my walk
Hear it in my talk
Bet you cats feel it in my rap flow
You can throw me a spliff but you can keep your tobacco
[Talib Kweli]
Are y'all with me tonight?
Et vou avec moi?
Y'all love the children and dance like a (labor?)
Say Ma where you goin with that flavor
These cats ain't in my league, this here is major
Mind state of the art
Yeah I play my part with razor-sharp words
shot straight for the heart
Beautiful like chords played on a harp with trumpets blaring
Angels preparing for the fate we all sharing at
one time or another through sunshine or thunder
Ain't got no time for the blunders
Then bond with one another to make the classical track
*What?* The battery in my back
I'm Eveready already plus magical (adapt?)
like mushrooms from the plush womb of the sweet
The city workers pushing dust brooms in the street
We complete the cipher
Push up your lighter
Throw your vanity in the bonfire
[Chorus x3]


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PHILADELPHIA -- A federal judge will hear oral arguments in about two months on requests to throw out lawsuits by thousands of former NFL players regarding concussions suffered while playing for the league.
U.S. Eastern District Judge Anita Brody in Philadelphia on Tuesday scheduled an April 9 hearing on motions to dismiss filed by the NFL Inc., NFL Properties Inc. and All American Sports Corp.
Players say they've developed dementia and Alzheimer's disease, or are worried about developing them.
They argue it's not a labor dispute that's governed by the collective bargaining agreement, but an issue that should be resolved through the courts.
The NFL has argued it didn't intentionally mislead the players and took steps to protect their health.
More than 100 lawsuits against the league are consolidated before Brody. And more than 3,500 former players have sued the NFL, alleging that not enough was done to inform them about the dangers of concussions and not enough is being done today to take care of them.


text: At least two people were killed, four seriously wounded and five people had minor injuries in a shooting near the Empire State Building. Among the dead were the gunman, who police say was a disgruntled employee of a local clothing store, and his manager. Police identified the shooter as Jeffrey Johnson, 58, of Manhattan. The shooting occurred outside the Empire State Building, not inside as initial reports said. Police said Johnson shot his former manager at Hazan Imports on West 33rd St., and a nearby construction worker heard the shots and ran to the Empire State Building and alerted the police there. When police arrived, they said Johnson allegedly turned his gun, a .45 magnum, on police before they shot and killed him. New York City Michael Bloomberg said it appears that all those wounded are expected to survive.


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Here is the direct MP3 download for the Evil Genius Chronicles podcast, August 30, 2013.
This episode covers my time in the Portland OR area and my very pleasant interactions with PDX fandom.
You can subscribe to this podcast feed via RSS. To sponsor the show, contact BackBeat Media. Don't forget, you can fly your EGC flag by buying the stuff package. This show as a whole is Creative Commons licensed Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported. Bandwidth for this episode is provided by Cachefly.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Mary Rosenblum
- K.W. Jeter
- Mark Bourne
- Orycon
- Mary Robinette Kowal
- Auphonic podcast production tool is so good!
- Dog Days of Podcasting
NewSponsor: Audible.com! Go to audiblepodcast.com/egc for your free trial and free download! -
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download


text:
Voici la version en français.
When the Bloc Québécois is a Nuisance for Quebeckers' Interests: The Top 20 Countdown
Translated from the French version by Hugo Shebbeare
On the 13th of August 1990 , the Bloc Québécois became the first political party in Canadian history to be elected to Federal Parliament in Ottawa that was openly dedicated to the separation of the province of Quebec , by means of the election of a certain Gilles Duceppe, on the chance of a partial election within Laurier-Sainte-Marie district.
Ever since this day, the Bloc Québécois has presented itself as a party, as if it was the only party which was capable of representing the interests of Quebec . Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. The Bloc does not represent the interests of Quebeckers, and it has proven this on countless occasions since the party's creation.
If the electors have the right to vote for the Bloc, they also have the right to an impartial and just understanding with respect to its intentional expressed positions and political gestures over the course of the past two decades.
This is why it is convenient to profit from this most historical event, the 20th anniversary of Gille Duceppe's election, to demonstrate to what extent the Bloc Québécois has interfered with Quebec's development within Canada by reminding the whole community of certain key moments where the interests of all Quebeckers were not at all the priority of the Bloc. You will also be saying to yourself that 'I remember' (the famous phrase 'Je me souviens').
Over the next twenty days, from the 25th of July to the 13th of August 2010 , I will present my own top 20 countdown of these remarkable moments. For each day, I'll be adding an event to mark each one of these 'hits', or misses rather, that have touched me personally.
Give yourself a present for this 20th Anniversary! No matter what your political affiliation is, let me help you dig deep into your memory, and in your personal archives, to reload these moments that clearly indicate how the Bloc Québécois has missed its target, with respect to interests of Quebec as a whole. Please help us commemorate the key events that may have touched you personally by means of adding comments in the area below.
20th position – The Bloc Rejects the Progressive Majority Government
On the 11th of October 2008, Gilles Duceppe affirmed, in the middle of his election campaign, that Quebeckers would be better served by a minority government, afraid of a conservative majority government. If he really had at heart the interests of Quebeckers, he would have confirmed loudly that a progressive, human, and responsible Federal government should be elected to the majority. Such a declaration was a demonstration that the Bloc's Chief would always put the interests of his party over those of the interests of all Quebeckers.
Here, in an interview, he justifies his opinion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gPfyxE9mtg&NR=1
19th Position – The Bloc Plays the Identity Card to Obtain Votes
The 15th of October 2007, just before the return to Parliament, the Leader of the Bloc Québécois, states loudly enough to attract media attention, which party intends to play the identity card to counter the conservative vote. Such a confirmation made it crystal clear to which totally irresponsible extent the weight of playing the politics of ethnic division is to this party. In fact, it is a card the Bloc holds dearly, since playing the identity card signifies the division of Quebeckers between those deemed 'pur laine', and the 'others' (i.e Allo/Anglophone minorities). With respect to the best interests of Quebeckers of all origins, and the mutual respect that comes from such a modern politique, even concerning
18th Position – The Bloc Attempts to Block the Diplomatic Efforts of Canada
The 13th of May 2010, Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe asserts that Canada does not merit a seat on the United Nations Security Council under a Conservative government. This outburst goes against the peace and security interests of Quebeckers and their shared concerns with all fellow Canadians to exercise their influence in the World by means of our country's pioneering diplomatic efforts. Quebeckers, as do all Canadians, need a government that is capable of having its voice heard at the most important international forums, including the 15-member U.N. Security Council. One can criticise the existing government without blocking significant diplomatic efforts that would raise the profile of Canadian influence in the world.
17th position – The Fake Victories of the Bloc Québécois
The 14th of April 2010, the Bloc announces on their web site that an imminent victory awaits, this time in favour of the creative arts and artists. Such misconduct should be denounced because the reason behind this victorious rhetoric has no association with a concrete victory that actually modifies the quality of life for the concerned groups. All the while, the Bloc cries victory in their name with ceaseless announcements, for each little parliamentary procedure that moves forward, and for each vote at the first reading of proposed legislature. Duceppe and his team create the illusion in the hearts and minds of citizens, that although stuck in an eternal opposition party position, they can bring some concrete results to the people, when the truth is nothing of the sort. Most of the Bloc's supposed victories are nothing more than simple parliamentary procedures of trivial consequence to the lives of constituents. How can it be in the interest of Quebeckers to be kept in a 'we always win' bubble?
Had enough of false Victories? The Bloc thinks you need more, here's yet another example:
16th Position – The Bloc Attacks Multiculturalism
On the 11th of October 2007 , the Leader of the Bloc Québécois turns his back to the interests of Quebec 's ethnic minorities by attacking the politics of multiculturalism, by asking that Quebec be exempt from the rest of Canada 's open-armed approach to different cultures establishing themselves in their new homeland. As he suggests Quebecois values exclude the multi-cultural base (i.e. integrate with the ethnic majority or leave), Mr Duceppe ignores the proven positive effects of the multicultural approach to integration of these minority communities. The Bloc leader refused to take into consideration the interests of ethnic communities in Quebec , and francophones who appreciate multicultural diversity. Insisting that this goes against Quebec values to allow immigrants to maintain their respective cultures on Canadian soil, and using the strawman of survival of Quebec's French speaking culture, is absolutely contrary to the reality and interests of modern Quebec.
15th Position – The Bloc Québécois Drops the Ball on the Homeless
Despite the explicit demands from Quebec's organisations fighting for those living on the street and having hard times finding affordable housing, the 5th of May 2010, the Bloc Québécois joins the Progressive Conservatives under Prime Minister Harper to vote against legislation (Bill C-304) aiming to ensure all Canadians access to safe, adequate and affordable housing. According to the Front d'action populaire en réaménagement urbain (FRAPRU), "We estimate that between 150,000 and 300,000 persons become homeless each year in Canada ." The Bloc opposed this proposed legislation change, simply because it was afraid of a National policy. The Bloc did not only block Quebeckers' access to the aid of their own government, they blocked all attempts made to put in place such a progressive policy that would benefit all Canadians, under the cynical pretext that it was a pan-Canadian solution; which under the psyche of a Bloquiste, forever designates 'to the detriment of Quebec' .
Gilles Duceppe, Aug 11th, 24-heures.ca - http://tinyurl.com/2d7pz4l
The Liberal Party of Canada voted for this bill, that the Bloc killed.
See the FRAPRU's Press Release asking for collaboration with parliament: http://www.frapru.qc.ca/spip.php?article507
14th Position – Shadow Cabinets, Voilà All That The Bloc Québécois Can Offer Us
The 7th of August, 2004, the day after an election where it has carried the majority of seats in Quebec, the head of the Bloc unveils his Shadow Cabinet - or better yet, dubbed by the Devoir, literally a Ghost Cabinet, or cabinet fantôme. The attribution of posts on the whole for his deputies serves perhaps their careers and the acquisition of parliamentary professional experience, but the women and men of Quebec deserve better than to be represented by such appearances in a mock cabinet that, at the end of the day, can merely act as a powerless detractor, moreover having no effect, factually, on the result of the parliamentary decision making process. Duceppe, the Leader of such a 'Fantom' Cabinet, cannot seriously pretend to be defending the interests of Quebeckers with this approach. Are they going to 'haunt' us for a long time with these scary and immobile cabinets?
13th & 12th Position - Two Missed Opportunities to Serve the Best Interests of Quebec
On the 14th of June, 2005, and the 12th of May 2007, elected MP Gilles Duceppe puts an end to the suspense regarding the future of his career in Federal politics, by remaining at the helm of the Bloc Québécois. By opting to stay in Federal politics, at both possible junctures to return to his beloved Quebec, in an arrangement that will never truly exert power (since basking in weakness seems to be Duceppe's forte, and reminding everyone that he speaks for a majority of Quebeckers, when he no longer does), the Bloc Leader falls short on the concrete leadership indispensable to pursue the welfare of Quebeckers. In becoming a head of a provincial party, his parliamentary and political experience could have been put to greater the benefit of his province, as is moreover the case for his 120 elected bloquiste MPs over the years. From the chronicles of the prolific Chantal Hébert: [this party] "represents an enormous waste of talent, in the measure where the most of the Bloc's members will never know another life, than that of an opposition deputy, and will never have the chance to put their imposing baggage to the service of a government." Is this squandering of talent really in the interest of the
11th Position – The English Speakers of Quebec, the Anglophones: the Minority the Bloc Refuses to Accept Exists
You only have to look briefly at the Bloc's site to understand the type of society this party proposes: a society where prejudice against Quebec 's English speaking population continues, and that it is acceptable they be treated as second class citizens. Anglophones, along with their fellow Quebeckers, don't they have an interest to know the Bloc's position regarding the Economy, the Environment, and Culture? How can the Bloc pretend to defend the interests of Quebec while affirming, that Anglos are a spoilt, over-funded minority, whereas at the same time, they refuse to address them in English through their tools of communication? What Federal political party writes off an entire part of the population that represents between 1 Million English speakers (+ 2 Million Bilingual persons) within their own province of 7.5M, by not even providing a link to English on their website? When Mr Duceppe speaks in English (and even admits his heritage is part Anglophone, the Rowlands), it is not to speak with his provincial Anglophone neighbours, but to sell the idea of separation to the rest of Canada and abroad, even from his Ottawa office! What possible credibility does the Bloc Québécois have, when it demands that our francophone brethren across Canada be respected, when this party's own segregation-is-the-only-answer position is nothing other than pure hypocrisy? Their idea of a unilingual Quebec is not what our society represents, thus, a vote for the Bloc means swallowing the 'Anglos do not matter to me' pill.
10th Position – 1 in 195, the Bloc's Legislative Batting Average
On November 7th 2003, Bill C-459, the law initiating Holocaust Memorial Day received Royal Assent. The distinguishing feature of this bill is that it is the only enacted law that has come into force from a Bloc Québécois deputy. Si nce the statistics regarding which Bills have actually made it through the Parliamentary process are available online for ten years now, we can clearly see that Bloc's deputies have introduced 195 bills. Yet, of this admirable number introduced, only a single (1), the Act to establish Holocaust Memorial Day in
To access the statistics from LEGISinfo, regarding our 37th -40th (current 3rd session) parliaments, please consult: http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/LEGISINFO/index.asp?Language=E
9th Position – The Bloc Searches for Division, Rather than Sharing or Solidarity
In the bulk of the dossiers in which the Bloc intervenes, their deputies incessantly state that Canadians and Quebeckers are a different people, and that their differences are irreconcilable. With what interest in mind can the people of Quebec have such a divisive fabrication of reality rammed down their throat? Do Canadians across all our provinces and territories not have the right to live in a healthy environment, free from such disruptive harassment with multiple attempts at forced segregation? Do low income families not have the right to equal access to low cost housing or co-operatives? Does not each Canadian have the same interest as their compatriots for a healthy food supply? Are researchers from Quebec not concerned with close Pan-Canadian cooperation, to improve their knowledge and scientific advancements together concurrently, instead of the Bloc's isolationist approach? We all share the interests and goals coming from the fruits of this collaboration, yet the Leadership of the Bloc seems more preoccupied with the deterioration of the result of our desires for a better tomorrow, before they can even mature.
8th Position – The Bloc, Ally of Big Tobacco Instead of Supporting the Tobacco Act
My dearest fellow Quebeckers, when the Bloc insists it is looking after your best interests; please take a moment to question their objectives! In December of 1996, Jean Chrétien's government, in its first term, decided to attack a major problem affecting the health of Canadians, especially with respect to the younger generation: tobacco use. With the introduction of Bill C-71 (The Tobacco Act), the Minister of Health at the time was looking to reduce the exposure of our youth to Tobacco related advertising, targeting particularly the sponsors of sport and cultural events. For the Bloc, however, this was an unnamable assault against Quebec interests, estimating that forbidding sponsorship and advertising in this way by Big Tobacco would gravely undercut the tourist and cultural industries for the province. Strong from the political support of Bloc deputies and from the opposition they waged against groups lobbying for the promotion of health for all Canadians, Big Tobacco abused its influence by forcing the government to push back the complete enforcement of the new Act over an extraordinary long transition timeframe of five years, even up to the Autumn of 2003. In sum, the economic cataclysm predicted by the Bloc did not happen at all, in fact, it was quite the contrary, and for once Big Tobacco took a hit, instead of Quebeckers. It is important to note that the Bloc was not in a position to comprehend what really was found to be the interests of the people of Quebec, when we understand that Tobacco products take the lives of more persons in the province than do road accidents, suicides, alcoholism, and HIV-AIDS combined.
For more from the Parliamentary debates, please read: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hc-ps/pubs/tobac-tabac/pleadings-argumentation/appendix-annexe7a-eng.php
6th & 7th Position - When the Captain of the Bloc Sells Separation to the Rest of Canada
In January 2005 and April 2010, the head of this misguided party takes it upon himself to tour across all four corners of Canada. A majority of Quebeckers want nothing to do with another referendum and less still with the separation of Quebec; however Gilles Duceppe decides to enrobe himself as the salesman of sovereignty in 'foreign territory.' Rather than look forward with other Canadians seeking progress, development and solidarity, or to place a stake in projects/solutions to universal problems that would benefit us all, Mr Duceppe prefers to use these ostentatious tours to explain to his compatriots that Canada would be more prosperous without Quebec. However, Canadians living outside of Quebec know clearly how much this man is mistaken, but their acquiescence and indifference vis à vis separatism leaves those preoccupied with Canadian Unity flabbergasted. A leader who has the interests of Quebec at heart would look for opportunities, above all, to promote expertise of his constituents, to learn equally from his fellow Canadians and collaborate with them to advance the entire multi-nation state's felicity in which we all benefit. This knowledge and competence transfer between those of the province he is thought to be representing and the rest of Canada is sadly inexistent from 'la mentalité bloquiste' (Bloc Québécois mentality), and nothing illustrates better this absence than the two previous cross-Canada trips of this deputy from Laurier-Sainte-Marie.
5th Position – The Bloc Capitulates to American Interests by Supporting the Softwood Lumber Agreement Pushed Through by Harper's Minority Government
By supporting the conservatives under Stephen Harper and his Softwood Lumber Agreement on the 27th of April 2006, the Bloc Québécois deprived the Canadian Forest Industry of $1.2 Billion Dollars of the $5.2BN illegally collected by the U.S. Commerce Department; only $4BN was to be returned in the Agreement. This huge compensation was fully entitled to by the Canadian Forest Industry, yet completely ignored by the Bloc. Despite multiple World Trade Organisation and North American Free Trade Association rulings/panels/appeals that had supported Canada, and most importantly, the Quebec Forest Industry Council's lack of support for such a deal, the Bloc Québécois, worked against Quebec's interests all over again. A large part of this justly due $1.2BN settlement rebate was given directly to the Canadian Forest Products Industry's American competitors instead of investing locally to cash-strapped companies that were established, some for over a century even, in numerous Forestry-dependent rural communities across Canada, indirectly contributing to several Quebec Sawmill closures. Thus, this sum went directly to these competitors, who had already benefited from the anti-competitive 27% tariff unilaterally imposed by the United States Government in 2002. These U.S. companies used this sum to improve their infrastructures and productivity. This aggravated the impending financial crisis of 2008 far more that it should have for an already weakened industry, which BC, ON and QC are the key provincial beneficiaries, and incidentally, Canada's largest export Industry - still larger than Oil exports, and the largest Forest Products producer in the world. A Party that is responsible and truly susceptible to defend the interests of Quebec's Forest Industry through sustainable development for their livelihood would have not accepted such an agreement, and would have pressed the government for a fair deal instead of undercutting Canada's International Forestry strength. By succumbing to the pressure exercised by the Conservative minority government and the attraction of a Lumber Rebate that would engage the Forest Industry for years, the Bloc contributed a reduced amount to solve the structural problems of the industry, all the while instilling fear and destabilisation of the major players in the Canadian Industry and the hundreds of thousands of jobs dependant on the Forestry within the provincial economy. These key players within the Quebec economy, weakened already, had already demanded that they not be subject to more concessions of this type in future conflicts – their demands fell on deaf ears in Ottawa, no thanks to the Bloc.
4th Position - The Bloc Québécois Wishes to Make the Feds Disappear from the Quebec Landscape
At every chance and every opportunity, Bloc deputies demand that any sight in Quebec of the Federal government be wiped out, or any Federal involvement in the lives of Quebeckers vanish. A recent example can be found by means of the demands in February 2009, regarding federally owned lands in the region of Quebec City. Presenting the Federal government as if it were a `foreign nation', the Bloc demands in warrior-like rhetoric that the Plains of Abraham and the lands surrounding it and including the Quebec National Assembly be ceded to the Province. The Plains of Abraham, a Canadian National Historic site, are managed and maintained by National Battlefields Commission since its creation in 1908, with the goal of honouring the memory of soldiers from both sides of the decisive battle in 1759, and preserving the site for future generations. This sad tendency to strive for the disappearance of any Federal presence from the province applies also to Canadian Flags, which the presence, as minimal is it is already in the province of Quebec, would be considered an insult, or worse still, as a declaration of war by the Canadian Federal government according to the Bloc. Having voted against separation, not once, but twice and witnessed their willingness to stay within a United Canada, do Quebeckers not have the right to proudly raise the Canadian Flag? Considering that, the central Maple Leaf design itself originated from Ottawa-based francophone Jacques Saint-Cyr, and that our Canadian National Anthem originated from Quebec, or is this perhaps yet another part of history the sovereigntists have tried to cyclically brainwash the populace to forget, anywhere they wish in Quebec?
3rd Position – Since No Man is a Prophet in his Own Country…
Realising that perhaps (yes, everyone is allowed to dream) Quebeckers have become indifferent to the efforts of this party we know as the Bloc over the past twenty years to promote the succession of Quebec from Canada, the Chief of the Bloc recently decided to orient his 'movement', considering the lack of wind in its' sails locally, to convince the international community of the necessity for a third referendum. On the 9th of June, this very year, he [ab]used his position as the Head of a Federal Party by spamming with Coat of Arms of the House of Commons from his office in Ottawa to deceitfully legitimise the promotion of sovereignty for Quebec to about 1600 international personalities, including Heads of State, Parliamentarians, Journalists, and Trade Union Leaders across the Globe, by explaining to them in a letter which is loaded with separatist revisionist history ink ('à l'encre souverainiste'). The message this letter forgot to specify, is that a clear majority of Quebeckers have no wish for the succession of Quebec from Canada, and certainly not a third referendum on this question. What interest could Quebeckers have that they be wrongfully represented with this false need for separation, a partisan policy, when addressing the international community? We Quebeckers are a clear and qualified majority that believe our interests are not defended by the Bloc Québécois' conceited international propaganda.
Please join the Facebook Group to denounce this ridiculous international propaganda: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=134525013225749
1st & 2nd Position – A Lost Referendum, A Presence that Drags On Without a Raison D'Être
To finish the top twenty, two dates that leave their mark. On October 30th, 1995 the second referendum regarding the sovereignty of Quebec. The active participation of over fifty Bloc Québécois Members of Parliament on the referendum campaign, then the official opposition in Ottawa, contributed to leading the country being almost torn apart. This would have had grave economic, legal, and social consequences for Quebeckers, according to an overwhelming majority of experts analysing the impacts of multiple referendums. Considering that the Bloc deputies, then constituting more than two thirds of the province's deputies, were not able to convince a simple 50% majority of its citizens of the value of their sovereigntist option, witnessing the lag that exists, and exists always, between the population of Quebec on the whole and those voted in to represent the only separatist party in Ottawa. Referendum after referendum, poll after poll, with a few rare exceptions, which correspond only to the ephemeral push of nationalistic fever, a majority of Quebeckers insist that they do not want separation from Canada, yet the Bloc persists since its creation to claim the contrary.
Sore losers, on the 31st of October 1995, the day after the referendum, the Bloc deputies deny they have been misguided, refuse to admit defeat by packing their bags to head home. This is quite surprisingly ironic however, to note that one of the engagements of its founder, Lucien Bouchard was that their presence in Ottawa would only be temporary: no question to drag things on, since they were on the verge of victory. However, from this time, the Bloc has neither advanced the succession of Quebec, nor has it make real progress for Quebec within Canada. This is the heart of the drama à propos the Bloc's presence in Ottawa: its incapacity to exert serious and positive influence on the political choices taken in the name of Quebeckers and Canadians.
Ever since this late October day in 1995, the energy that has been wasted, the potential of these competent human resources squandered by means of these 120 duly elected bloquistes to show value for their sovereigntist option prevents Quebeckers from contributing to the advancement of their country...still waiting ad vitam aeternam for the winning conditions of another referendum, or the slow fading away of the Bloc when Quebeckers have come to the realisation as to what point this inutile party has no genuine concern in working for their best interests.


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What's the definitive source for names of geographic objects on the moon?
Reason: As a computer graphics project I've rendered a scene based on LROC terrain data. I want to know what I'm looking at.
The most detailed atlas I can find online is this one:
...but it's not brilliant and there are lots of small but prominent craters and ridges which aren't labelled. It may be the some of these simply don't have names, but it's also plausible that there are simply too many to list in that atlas. How can I find out for sure?


text:
Who says soap can only be used for cleansing?As you can see it makes for
great material when you have an artistic sense. Some of you may not be
impressed by all these pieces, but I for one never looked at soap as
anything but something to help me get squeaky clean, so I'm genuinely
impressed to see art in something so common.I wonder how much one of
these babies costs and if anyone really uses them when they bathe? I
doubt it.
Source : http://amazingdata.com


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ELIZABETH, N.J. – The unlikely pair -- an itinerant hitchhiker turned Internet celebrity and a lawyer three times his age -- met amid the neon lights of Times Square and headed back to a squat brick home on a quiet New Jersey cul-de-sac, authorities say.
Days later, the lawyer was found beaten to death in his bedroom, wearing only his socks and underwear. The hitchhiker was arrested Thursday and charged with his murder.
Caleb "Kai" McGillvary took a star turn in February when he became known to millions as "Kai the Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker" after intervening in an attack on a California utility worker. McGillvary described using a hatchet he was carrying to repeatedly hit a man who had struck a worker with his car, fending off a further attack.
Once lauded as a hero, McGillvary, 24, was arrested at a Philadelphia bus station Thursday evening and charged with the murder of Joseph Galfy Jr., a 73-year-old attorney.
"I believe that everyone is a little safer with this person off the streets," said Union County Prosecutor Theodore J. Romankow.
McGillvary will be processed in Philadelphia and sent to back to New Jersey in the coming days, Romankow said. His bail is set at $3 million.
Galfy was found dead in his Clark, N.J., home Monday, two days after authorities said he met McGillvary in New York City. Galfy, who lived alone, was found by police who went to his home to check on his well-being, Romankow said.
Statements posted on McGillvary's Facebook page following the homicide were "sexual in nature," Romankow said.
McGillvary's last post, dated Tuesday, asks "what would you do?" if you awoke in a stranger's house and found you'd been drugged and sexually assaulted. One commenter suggests hitting him with a hatchet -- and McGillvary's final comment on the post says, "I like your idea."
It was a hatchet that helped give McGillvary a brief taste of fame in February when he gave a rambling, profanity-laced interview to a Fresno, Calif., television station about thwarting an unprovoked attack on a Pacific Gas & Electric employee. The interview went viral, with one version viewed more than 3.9 million times on YouTube. McGillvary later traveled to Los Angeles to appear on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"
Kimmel asked him what people were saying to him since the Feb. 1 encounter. "Hey, you're Kai, that dude with the hatchet," he responded.
Romankow declined to say what object was used in Galfy's beating.
Romankow said McGillvary, who said in his TV appearance he prefers to be called "home-free" instead of homeless, traded on his fledgling celebrity to meet fans across the country.
Authorities know he was in Times Square based on witness accounts, the prosecutor said.
"He was well-known," Romankow said.
McGillvary spent at least two nights in Galfy's home in Clark, 20 miles west of New York, Romankow said. The dark brick home is neatly landscaped, with carefully-pruned bushes lining a path to the entrance. Red tape labeled "evidence" now is affixed to the front door.
Authorities believe McGillvary took two trips to meet a fan in Asbury Park; Galfy picked him up after the first trip, Romankow said.
On Tuesday, McGillvary boarded a train in New Jersey bound for Philadelphia, Romankow said.
In the popular February interview, McGillvary told the Fox affiliate in Fresno that he was traveling with a man who veered into the utility worker.
After the driver got out of the car, he walked up to the utility worker and allegedly said, "I am Jesus and I am here to take you home." McGillvary pulled a hatchet from his backpack and struck the driver in the head several times to subdue him, The Fresno Bee reported.
"That woman was in danger," McGillvary told KMPH. "He just finished, what looked like at the time, killing somebody, and if he hadn't done that he would have killed more people."
The driver is now facing charges including attempted murder. Last month, he entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, the newspaper reported.
McGillvary also told the television station that he once came upon a man "beating on this woman he calls his" in an orchard and intervened.
"I started smashing him in the head and the teeth," McGillvary said.
In a Facebook post from May 10, written from a mobile phone, McGillvary thanked the people who "invited me in, partied hardy with me," and kept him grounded even though he realized how "crazy fame can be in flippin ones life upside down."
"ive met some of the greatest people in my life in these last three months," he wrote, "and i wouldnt trade these experiences with you for all the money in hollywood."