Degrees of Disagreement
A pair of California scientific argue in a leading scientific journal that the current 2-degree Celsius target for limiting global warming should be scrapped because it is impractical and unachievable. David Victor and Charles Kennel, both from the University of California in San Diego, wrote in Nature that just as human health is measured by factors other than temperature, such as blood pressure, ;heart rate and body mass, "a similar strategy is now needed for the planet." Several climate scientists around the world slammed the propsal, saying the arguments behind it were flawed. And since the 2-degree target is the only one governments have ever agreed to, some argued that scrapping it could impede further efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Governments have pledged to finalize a treaty to limit climate change by late 2015 at a summit in Paris.
Eruption Threat
Unrest within Mayon volcano prompted Philippine authorities to move nearby residents and farm animals away from areas threatened by what appeared to be an impending eruption. Approximately 55,000 people have been relocated since the 8,081-foot mountain began rumbling. Evacuees have been housed in makeshift centers, typically schools and other government buildings.
Earthquakes
One person was killed and hundreds of others were injured by a 6.0 magnitude quake that wrecked buildings in China's Yunnan province.
* Earth movements were also felt in the western Philippines, northern New Zealand, northwestern and southeastern Mexico and southern Nevada.
Hopping Return
The offspring of frogs airlifted off the Caribbean island of Montserrat in 2009 to save them from a deadly,invasive fungus have been returned to their historic habitat. The mountain chicken frogs (Leptodactylus fallax) are the national dish of Montserrat and nearby Dominica. They are so named because they reportedly taste like chicken and make a clucking noise in the rough terrain of the British territory. They were nearly wiped out by both overhunting and a chytrid fungus that has ravaged amphibian populations worldwide. After being bred in U.K. zoos from just two females, 51 frogs were returned to the island with GPS locators. Scientists say they are hopeful the frogs won't be eaten or die from the pathogen. "The fungus hasn't gone away, but frogs are surviving," said Ben Tapley, head of herpetology at the Zoological Society of London. "It could be because they are living in microclimates that are not ideal for the fungus. Or they could be developing immunity."
Arctic Carbon Trap
Findings that show Arctic sea ice helps remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere have some scientists concerned that its recent record melt could accelerate global warming. Danish researcher Dorte Haubjerg Sogaard says that while it has long been known that Earth's oceans are able to absorb huge amounts of CO2, sea ice was thought to be impenetrable to the greenhouse gas. But Sogaard and colleagues found that a combination of chemical and biological processes extract the gas from the atmosphere, sending the carbon tothe ocean floor. She said the finding should be taken into account when predicting future CO2 accumulations.
Tropical Cyclones
Typhoon Phanfone left at least seven people dead and dozens of others injured after it lashed a long stretch of Japan, including metropolitan Tokyo.
* Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands were drenched by developing Typhoon Vongfong, which later became the world's strongest tropical cyclone of the year while taking aim on Japan.
* Remnants of Hurricane Simon brought flash flooding to parts of northwestern Mexico and the Desert Southwest.
* Cyclone Hudhud threatened to strike eastern India late in the week as a Category-3 storm.
Chernobyl Legacy
Reindeer and other grazing animals in Norway have shown a sudden spike this fall in the amount of the radioactive isotope cesium-137 found in their bodies. Scientists at the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority say there has been a fivefold increase in the amount of contamination from the 1986 Chemobyl nuclear disaster than was measured just two years ago. Lesser amounts of the isotope were found in some of the country's sheep. Scientists point to a bumper crop of mushrooms this year as the reason for the increase. The mushrooms readily absorb the contamination in the ground as they grow, and are later eaten by reindeer and other grazers. Scientists say they are a little surprised by the magnitude of the increase, given that cesium-137 has a half-life of 30 years. The Chemobyl disaster happened nearly 30 years ago, meaning about half of the radioactivity should have decayed by this time.
Thursday, October 30, 2014
F. Y. I.
Quotable
by Mignon McLaughlin, American journalist and author (1913-1983)
"We lavish on animals the love we are afraid to show to people. They might not return it; or worse, they might."
Behind the Name
The name pumpkin comes from the Greek word "pepon," meaning "large melon."
Fearful Condition
Samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween.
Vanishing Act
The famous magician Harry Houdini died on Halloween night.
On the Cheap
The mask used for the Michael Myers character in the 1978 movie "Halloween" was actually William Shatner's "Star Trek" mask, the cheapest option for the film's tight budget.
Still on the Books
In Cleveland, women are forbidden from wearing patent leather shoes lest men see reflections of their underwear.
by Mignon McLaughlin, American journalist and author (1913-1983)
"We lavish on animals the love we are afraid to show to people. They might not return it; or worse, they might."
Behind the Name
The name pumpkin comes from the Greek word "pepon," meaning "large melon."
Fearful Condition
Samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween.
Vanishing Act
The famous magician Harry Houdini died on Halloween night.
On the Cheap
The mask used for the Michael Myers character in the 1978 movie "Halloween" was actually William Shatner's "Star Trek" mask, the cheapest option for the film's tight budget.
Still on the Books
In Cleveland, women are forbidden from wearing patent leather shoes lest men see reflections of their underwear.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Question & Answer
What does it mean to be like Jesus?
One reason Jesus came among us was to tell us about God and to lead us to Heaven. Jesus hoped we would do what he did.
For example, Jesus asked us to love one another as he did. Some ways Jesus showed love were lending an attentive ear, showing patience in irrtating situations, helping people make good decisions. Demonstrating love every day is imitating Christ.
Jesus had few possessions himself and sent his disciples out to preach with almost nothing. He didn't want them to get distracted. He knew that the more goods we have, the more we'd think about God. Consider getting rid of what you don't need, and buy only items that replace what is worn out or broken.
Jesus often went off to be alone with God. Take time each day to keep company with God. Even as few as 15 minutes will keep you connected to your loving Father.
Doing these things are steps toward living like Jesus.
One reason Jesus came among us was to tell us about God and to lead us to Heaven. Jesus hoped we would do what he did.
For example, Jesus asked us to love one another as he did. Some ways Jesus showed love were lending an attentive ear, showing patience in irrtating situations, helping people make good decisions. Demonstrating love every day is imitating Christ.
Jesus had few possessions himself and sent his disciples out to preach with almost nothing. He didn't want them to get distracted. He knew that the more goods we have, the more we'd think about God. Consider getting rid of what you don't need, and buy only items that replace what is worn out or broken.
Jesus often went off to be alone with God. Take time each day to keep company with God. Even as few as 15 minutes will keep you connected to your loving Father.
Doing these things are steps toward living like Jesus.
Feasts & Celebrations
In October we celebrate the Rosary with the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7. The Rosary helps us meditate on the mysteries of our salvation --- Jesus' birth, life, death, and resurrection. And we also ask for Mary's intercession --- the most powerful of all the angels and saints.
October 19 ---- Saint John de Brebeuf and Saint Isaac Jogues and their companions (1652).
Six Jesuits and two laymen were unwelcome missionaries to Native North American tribes and suffered harassment and torture. St. John de Brebeuf won the Iroquois' respect with his courageous death. St. Isaac Jogues escaped but was murdered when he returned to his ministry.
October 28 ---- Saint Simon and Saint Jude (1st century).
St. Simon was a Zealot ------- Jews who believed that the Messiah would free them from political oppression. St. Jude was a fisherman. After being called by Jesus to be apostles, they eventually ended up in Persia where they evangelized until they were martyred.
October 19 ---- Saint John de Brebeuf and Saint Isaac Jogues and their companions (1652).
Six Jesuits and two laymen were unwelcome missionaries to Native North American tribes and suffered harassment and torture. St. John de Brebeuf won the Iroquois' respect with his courageous death. St. Isaac Jogues escaped but was murdered when he returned to his ministry.
October 28 ---- Saint Simon and Saint Jude (1st century).
St. Simon was a Zealot ------- Jews who believed that the Messiah would free them from political oppression. St. Jude was a fisherman. After being called by Jesus to be apostles, they eventually ended up in Persia where they evangelized until they were martyred.
From Scripture
Matthew 22:34-40.
Jesus takes on Jewish tradition
In their first meeting with Jesus, the Pharisees wanted to get him to say something illegal, something against Jewish law. It would be the perfect excuse to discredit him. The lawyer they sent knew that there were 613 commands in the Jewish law and generations of Jews had debated fruitlessly about which was the most important. He was just toying with Jesus when he asked his opinion.
Jesus silenced them all by saying everything starts and ends with love --- love of God and love of each other. Even the Pharisees couldn't argue with that.
To love God is to love one another. They are as inseparable as the beams of the cross. While it is easy to love God, loving others is more difficult.
But true love of neighbor is measured by how we treat those who are neither family nor friends. It means including people when the natural inclination is to exclude or avoid them. Jesus loved prostitutes, thieves, lepers, even his political enemies. This is how God loves and he calls us to do no less.
Jesus takes on Jewish tradition
In their first meeting with Jesus, the Pharisees wanted to get him to say something illegal, something against Jewish law. It would be the perfect excuse to discredit him. The lawyer they sent knew that there were 613 commands in the Jewish law and generations of Jews had debated fruitlessly about which was the most important. He was just toying with Jesus when he asked his opinion.
Jesus silenced them all by saying everything starts and ends with love --- love of God and love of each other. Even the Pharisees couldn't argue with that.
To love God is to love one another. They are as inseparable as the beams of the cross. While it is easy to love God, loving others is more difficult.
But true love of neighbor is measured by how we treat those who are neither family nor friends. It means including people when the natural inclination is to exclude or avoid them. Jesus loved prostitutes, thieves, lepers, even his political enemies. This is how God loves and he calls us to do no less.
Will you know God when you meet?
Elijah hid in a cave, fleeing for his life. The Lord had promised to be with him, so he waited for God in the cave. A powerful wind, an earthquake, and a great fire all passed by the mouth of the cave but Elijah knew God was not in those great events. Then, he heard a "still, small voice" and he stepped out to meet his Lord (1 Kings 19:1-11).
A desire for God.
How did Elijah know God was not in the powerful acts of nature? Elijah loved God so much that he knew him well. He knew that God's greatest power is in the truth of his Word.
A search for peace.
Elijah was in trouble because he had stood up for God's truth. He defeated the prophets of Baal, who were turning people against God. Although a great victory, it earned him powerful enemies. So he turned to God. When our world is falling apart, we can always find peace in the protection of our beloved God.
A desire for God.
How did Elijah know God was not in the powerful acts of nature? Elijah loved God so much that he knew him well. He knew that God's greatest power is in the truth of his Word.
A search for peace.
Elijah was in trouble because he had stood up for God's truth. He defeated the prophets of Baal, who were turning people against God. Although a great victory, it earned him powerful enemies. So he turned to God. When our world is falling apart, we can always find peace in the protection of our beloved God.
Why Do Catholics Do That?
What do Catholics believe about war?
The Fifth Commandment is clear that life is sacred and must be preserved. Jesus said, "if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Matthew 5:39).
As a rule, Christians condemn violence and promote peace whenever possible.
However, evil cannot be allowed to remain unchecked. Public authorities have the right to take actions necessary for national defense. Those sworn to serve their country contribute to the common good and the maintenance of peace.
The Fifth Commandment is clear that life is sacred and must be preserved. Jesus said, "if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Matthew 5:39).
As a rule, Christians condemn violence and promote peace whenever possible.
However, evil cannot be allowed to remain unchecked. Public authorities have the right to take actions necessary for national defense. Those sworn to serve their country contribute to the common good and the maintenance of peace.
The pursuit of happiness
Even when we have everything we need, we can still feel that our life is incomplete. If only we had more money, a better job, the right spouse, a nicer home.........then we would be truly happy. In fact, if we look outside ourselves, there will always be one more something that will seem necessary for happiness. Instead, look at being happy as a choice.
Live in the moment.
It's important to plan, set goals, and prepare for the future responsibly. Yet always focusing on the future means missing precious moments that are happening now. Living each moment as it occurs allows us to prolong its value and make it more meaningful.
Live for others.
Jesus said, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). Jesus wants us to be his heart and hands to others and share his love with those around us. He has given each of us gifts to be used to serve others. As a plus, making others happy makes us happy, too.
Live for God.
We were made by God for God. The desire for him is written on our hearts. He never ceases to draw us to himself. Only in God will we find the true happiness for which we yearn.
Live in the moment.
It's important to plan, set goals, and prepare for the future responsibly. Yet always focusing on the future means missing precious moments that are happening now. Living each moment as it occurs allows us to prolong its value and make it more meaningful.
Live for others.
Jesus said, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). Jesus wants us to be his heart and hands to others and share his love with those around us. He has given each of us gifts to be used to serve others. As a plus, making others happy makes us happy, too.
Live for God.
We were made by God for God. The desire for him is written on our hearts. He never ceases to draw us to himself. Only in God will we find the true happiness for which we yearn.
One Minute Meditations
St. John Paul II
A contemporary saint, Karol Jozef Wojtyla was a gifted student but worked in a quarry and chemical factory when the Nazis closed the University he attended in 1939. Secretly he enrolled in an underground seminary and was ordained a priest in 1946. He continued studies after the war. In 1978, Karol became Pope John Paul II, serving for 27 years. Despite deteriorating health, he wrote 14 encyclicals, five books, canonized 482 saints, beatified 1,338 people and visited 124 countries.
Feel discouraged?
Your life can be fixed no matter how bad it seems, but you can't do it alone. Ask for God's help and he will empower you to make the needed changes. All things are possible with him.
"In the silence of the heart God speaks. If you face God in prayer and silence, God will speak to you. Souls of prayer are souls of great silence." St. Teresa of Calcutta
A contemporary saint, Karol Jozef Wojtyla was a gifted student but worked in a quarry and chemical factory when the Nazis closed the University he attended in 1939. Secretly he enrolled in an underground seminary and was ordained a priest in 1946. He continued studies after the war. In 1978, Karol became Pope John Paul II, serving for 27 years. Despite deteriorating health, he wrote 14 encyclicals, five books, canonized 482 saints, beatified 1,338 people and visited 124 countries.
Feel discouraged?
Your life can be fixed no matter how bad it seems, but you can't do it alone. Ask for God's help and he will empower you to make the needed changes. All things are possible with him.
"In the silence of the heart God speaks. If you face God in prayer and silence, God will speak to you. Souls of prayer are souls of great silence." St. Teresa of Calcutta
New way of STEALING.........
ESPECIALLY LOOK AT SCENE THREE..........Quite interesting.
SCENE 1.
A friend went to the local gym and placed his belongings in the locker. After the workout and a shower, he came out, saw the locker open, and thought to himself, 'Funny, I thought I locked the locker.............
He dressed and just flipped the wallet to make sure all was in order. Everything looked okay --- all cards were in place............
A few weeks later his credit card bill came ----- a whooping bill of $14,000!
He called the credit card company and started yelling at them, saying that he did not make the transactions.
Customer care personnel verified that there was no mistakes in the system and asked if his card had been stolen........
'No,' he said, but then took out his wallet, pulled out the credit card, and yep --- you guessed it ---- a switch had been made.
An expired similar credit card from the same bank was in the wallet. The thief broke into his locker at the gym and switched cards.
Verdict : The credit card issuer said since he did not report the card missing earlier, he would have to pay the amount owed to them.
How much did he have to pay for items he did not buy? $9,000! Why were there no calls made to verify the amount swiped?
Small amounts rarely trigger a 'warning bell' with some credit card companies. It just so happens that all the small amounts added up to big one!
SCENE 2.
A man at a local restaurant paid for his credit card. The bill for the meal came, he signed it and the waitress folded the receipt and passed the credit card along. Usually, he would just take it and place it in his wallet or pocket. Funny enough, though, he actually took a look at the card and, lo and behold, it was the expired card of another person.
He called the waitress and she looked perplexed. She took it back, apologized, and hurried back to the counter under the watchful eye of the man.
All the waitress did while walking to the counter was wave the wrong expired card to the counter cashier, and took out the real card.
No exchange of words -------- nothing! She took it and came back to the man with an apology.......
(This scenario actually happened to me at a local restaurant ---- Falls Terrace-- between the waitress and the front desk cashier.)
Verdict : Make sure the credit cards in your wallet are yours.
Check the name on the card every time you sign for something and/or the card is taken away for even a short period of time.
Many people just take back the credit card without even looking at it, 'assuming' that it has to be theirs.
FOR YOUR OWN SAKE, DEVELOP THE HABIT OF CHECKING YOUR CREDIT CARD EACH TIME IT IS RETURNED TO YOU AFTER A TRANSACTION!
SCENE 3.
Yesterday I went into a pizza restaurant to pick up an order that I had called in.
I paid by using my Visa Check Card which, of course, is linked directly to my checking Account.
The young man behind the counter took my card, swiped it, then laid it on the counter as he waited for the approval, which is pretty standard procedure.
While he waited, he picked up his cell phone and started dialing. I noticed the phone because it is the same model I have, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then I heard a click that sounded like my phone sounds when I take a picture.
He then gave me back my card but kept the phone in his hand as if he was still pressing buttons.
Meanwhile, I'm thinking : I wonder what he is taking a picture of, oblivious to what was really going on. It then dawned on me : the only thing there was my credit card, so now I'm paying close attention to what he is doing................
He set his phone on the counter, leaving it open. About five seconds later, I heard the chime that tells you that the picture has been saved.
Now I'm standing there struggling with the fact that this boy just took a picture of my credit card.
Yes, he played it off well, because had we not had the same kind of phone, I probably would never have known what happened.
Needless to say, I immediately canceled that card as I was walking out of the pizza parlour.
All I am saying is, be aware of your surroundings at all times.
Whenever you are using your credit card take caution and don't be careless.
Notice who is standing near you and what they are doing when you use your card.
Be aware of phones, because many have a camera phone these days.
FORWARD THIS TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN THINK OF.
LET'S GET THE WORD OUT!
JUST BE AWARE.
Never let your card out of your sight.......................
Check and check again!
Scary isn't it....................
New way of STEALING..............
SCENE 1.
A friend went to the local gym and placed his belongings in the locker. After the workout and a shower, he came out, saw the locker open, and thought to himself, 'Funny, I thought I locked the locker.............
He dressed and just flipped the wallet to make sure all was in order. Everything looked okay --- all cards were in place............
A few weeks later his credit card bill came ----- a whooping bill of $14,000!
He called the credit card company and started yelling at them, saying that he did not make the transactions.
Customer care personnel verified that there was no mistakes in the system and asked if his card had been stolen........
'No,' he said, but then took out his wallet, pulled out the credit card, and yep --- you guessed it ---- a switch had been made.
An expired similar credit card from the same bank was in the wallet. The thief broke into his locker at the gym and switched cards.
Verdict : The credit card issuer said since he did not report the card missing earlier, he would have to pay the amount owed to them.
How much did he have to pay for items he did not buy? $9,000! Why were there no calls made to verify the amount swiped?
Small amounts rarely trigger a 'warning bell' with some credit card companies. It just so happens that all the small amounts added up to big one!
SCENE 2.
A man at a local restaurant paid for his credit card. The bill for the meal came, he signed it and the waitress folded the receipt and passed the credit card along. Usually, he would just take it and place it in his wallet or pocket. Funny enough, though, he actually took a look at the card and, lo and behold, it was the expired card of another person.
He called the waitress and she looked perplexed. She took it back, apologized, and hurried back to the counter under the watchful eye of the man.
All the waitress did while walking to the counter was wave the wrong expired card to the counter cashier, and took out the real card.
No exchange of words -------- nothing! She took it and came back to the man with an apology.......
(This scenario actually happened to me at a local restaurant ---- Falls Terrace-- between the waitress and the front desk cashier.)
Verdict : Make sure the credit cards in your wallet are yours.
Check the name on the card every time you sign for something and/or the card is taken away for even a short period of time.
Many people just take back the credit card without even looking at it, 'assuming' that it has to be theirs.
FOR YOUR OWN SAKE, DEVELOP THE HABIT OF CHECKING YOUR CREDIT CARD EACH TIME IT IS RETURNED TO YOU AFTER A TRANSACTION!
SCENE 3.
Yesterday I went into a pizza restaurant to pick up an order that I had called in.
I paid by using my Visa Check Card which, of course, is linked directly to my checking Account.
The young man behind the counter took my card, swiped it, then laid it on the counter as he waited for the approval, which is pretty standard procedure.
While he waited, he picked up his cell phone and started dialing. I noticed the phone because it is the same model I have, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then I heard a click that sounded like my phone sounds when I take a picture.
He then gave me back my card but kept the phone in his hand as if he was still pressing buttons.
Meanwhile, I'm thinking : I wonder what he is taking a picture of, oblivious to what was really going on. It then dawned on me : the only thing there was my credit card, so now I'm paying close attention to what he is doing................
He set his phone on the counter, leaving it open. About five seconds later, I heard the chime that tells you that the picture has been saved.
Now I'm standing there struggling with the fact that this boy just took a picture of my credit card.
Yes, he played it off well, because had we not had the same kind of phone, I probably would never have known what happened.
Needless to say, I immediately canceled that card as I was walking out of the pizza parlour.
All I am saying is, be aware of your surroundings at all times.
Whenever you are using your credit card take caution and don't be careless.
Notice who is standing near you and what they are doing when you use your card.
Be aware of phones, because many have a camera phone these days.
FORWARD THIS TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN THINK OF.
LET'S GET THE WORD OUT!
JUST BE AWARE.
Never let your card out of your sight.......................
Check and check again!
Scary isn't it....................
New way of STEALING..............
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Kennections
All five correct answers have something in common.
Can you figure out what it is?
1. In March 2014, what movie passed Toy Story 3 to become the highest-grossing animated film ever?
2. In 1954, Roger Bannister made history by running a mile in less than what amount of time, a long-standing barrier?
3. In Great Britain, Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding, in 2011, was considered an extra "bank" what?
4. What TV series about New York firefighter Tommy Gavin was cocreated by its star, Denis Leary?
5. What fashion magazine has Anna Wintour edited since 1988?
Bonus : What's the "Kennection" between all five answers?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Answers : 1. Frozen
2. 4 Minutes
3. Holiday
4. Rescue Me
5. Vogue
Bonus : All are Madonna songs
Can you figure out what it is?
1. In March 2014, what movie passed Toy Story 3 to become the highest-grossing animated film ever?
2. In 1954, Roger Bannister made history by running a mile in less than what amount of time, a long-standing barrier?
3. In Great Britain, Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding, in 2011, was considered an extra "bank" what?
4. What TV series about New York firefighter Tommy Gavin was cocreated by its star, Denis Leary?
5. What fashion magazine has Anna Wintour edited since 1988?
Bonus : What's the "Kennection" between all five answers?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. Frozen
2. 4 Minutes
3. Holiday
4. Rescue Me
5. Vogue
Bonus : All are Madonna songs
F. Y. I.
Lasting Sufficiency
Galapagos tortoises sleep for 16 hours a day and can go a year without food or water.
Strange Lists
The five most-stolen items in a drug store : batteries, cosmetics, films, sunglasses and Preparation H.
Lore Has It
Wedding veils originated in Rome, where they were intended to keep the bride's face hidden from evil spirits.
Quotable
by James Baldwin, American writer and civil rights activist (1924-1987)
"Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within."
Still on the Books
In Chico, California, it is illegal to own a green or smelly animal hide.
Modern Afflication
Nomophobia is the fear of remaining out of touch with technology.
Galapagos tortoises sleep for 16 hours a day and can go a year without food or water.
Strange Lists
The five most-stolen items in a drug store : batteries, cosmetics, films, sunglasses and Preparation H.
Lore Has It
Wedding veils originated in Rome, where they were intended to keep the bride's face hidden from evil spirits.
Quotable
by James Baldwin, American writer and civil rights activist (1924-1987)
"Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within."
Still on the Books
In Chico, California, it is illegal to own a green or smelly animal hide.
Modern Afflication
Nomophobia is the fear of remaining out of touch with technology.
Weird News
Suspected drug dealer found packin' pocket pet
Lawrence, Mass. ------------------------ Police searching the pockets of a suspected drug dealer in Lawrence, Mass., got an unusual surprise.
An officer pulled out a tiny 3-week-old pit bull puppy and handed it over to animal control.
The little dog was separated from its mother too soon and got sick and dehydrated, but is now recovering at Blue Pearl Veterinary Partners in Waltham.
Veterinarian Kristina DePaula estimates the dog is no more than 3 or 4 weeks old.
The puppy, dubbed Pocket, of course, should be ready for adoption within a few weeks.
Police finally have a handle on potty thefts
St. Petersburg, Fla. --------------on------- Police say they've flushed out a man accused of stealing the handles and pipes of toilets in parks and restaurant restrooms around a Flordia city.
St. Petersburg police said they arrested a 28-year-old homeless man. He is a accused of stealing plumbing from Cracker Barrel, Burger King, Bob Evans and other restaurants. Police released a photo of a pile of metal toilet parts that they say Brian Rinda stole.
Police say Rinda caused about $1,000 in damage and traded the brass valve and piping at a county recycling center.
Rinda was charged with eight counts of grand theft and one count of petty theft.
Cowabunga ! Turtle needed some pizza money
Lafayette, La. --------------------------- A Louisiana teen is behind bars after police say he donned a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle mask and used a stick wrapped in plastic to rob a convenience store.
Lafayette police say Lacorrion Detron Turner, 18, is charged with first-degree robbery. Police say he was able to force his way behind the counter with the stick. He then tried ---- and failed ---- to open the register.
Police say Turner fled on foot after taking two wallets from underneath the counter.
Officers arrested Turner a short time later.
What's in a name? Freedom, apparently
Uniontown, Pa. ------------------------- A western Pennsylvania woman has been sentenced to 9-to-24 monthss in state prison for taking advantage of county jail guards who were confused by her similar-sounding name and released her to a bail bondsman looking for another inmate.
The Uniontown woman signed herself out of the jail on June 6 when a bondsman showed up to post $500 bail on behalf of another inmate, Maretta Ruth Gambel.
The warden says Campbell stepped forward when guards called for Gambel, then escaped after telling the bail bondsman she didn't have identification before he let her sign the release papers.
Campbell returned the next day and confessed.
Lawrence, Mass. ------------------------ Police searching the pockets of a suspected drug dealer in Lawrence, Mass., got an unusual surprise.
An officer pulled out a tiny 3-week-old pit bull puppy and handed it over to animal control.
The little dog was separated from its mother too soon and got sick and dehydrated, but is now recovering at Blue Pearl Veterinary Partners in Waltham.
Veterinarian Kristina DePaula estimates the dog is no more than 3 or 4 weeks old.
The puppy, dubbed Pocket, of course, should be ready for adoption within a few weeks.
Police finally have a handle on potty thefts
St. Petersburg, Fla. --------------on------- Police say they've flushed out a man accused of stealing the handles and pipes of toilets in parks and restaurant restrooms around a Flordia city.
St. Petersburg police said they arrested a 28-year-old homeless man. He is a accused of stealing plumbing from Cracker Barrel, Burger King, Bob Evans and other restaurants. Police released a photo of a pile of metal toilet parts that they say Brian Rinda stole.
Police say Rinda caused about $1,000 in damage and traded the brass valve and piping at a county recycling center.
Rinda was charged with eight counts of grand theft and one count of petty theft.
Cowabunga ! Turtle needed some pizza money
Lafayette, La. --------------------------- A Louisiana teen is behind bars after police say he donned a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle mask and used a stick wrapped in plastic to rob a convenience store.
Lafayette police say Lacorrion Detron Turner, 18, is charged with first-degree robbery. Police say he was able to force his way behind the counter with the stick. He then tried ---- and failed ---- to open the register.
Police say Turner fled on foot after taking two wallets from underneath the counter.
Officers arrested Turner a short time later.
What's in a name? Freedom, apparently
Uniontown, Pa. ------------------------- A western Pennsylvania woman has been sentenced to 9-to-24 monthss in state prison for taking advantage of county jail guards who were confused by her similar-sounding name and released her to a bail bondsman looking for another inmate.
The Uniontown woman signed herself out of the jail on June 6 when a bondsman showed up to post $500 bail on behalf of another inmate, Maretta Ruth Gambel.
The warden says Campbell stepped forward when guards called for Gambel, then escaped after telling the bail bondsman she didn't have identification before he let her sign the release papers.
Campbell returned the next day and confessed.
Monday, October 13, 2014
Question & Answer
Is the Church always right?
At the Last Supper, Jesus promised his disciples he would send the Holy Spirit to guide them "to all truth" (Jn 16:13). "The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name ----- he will teach you everything and remind you of all that [I] told you" (John 14:26). The Apostles handed on their authority and mission to their successors, ---- the pope and the bishops. Together, they are responsible for "giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God" (CCC #85; Dei Verbum, 10, S 2). The whole Church, because it is under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, cannot err in matters of faith and morals.
Also, "The whole body of the faithful.........cannot err in matters of belief. This characteristic is shown in the supernatural appreciation of faith (sensus fidei) on the part of the whole people" (CCC 92). That means that individual members may make mistakes, sometimes publically. Then the Church must clarify" what has always and everywhere been believed by all" (St. Vincent of Lerins).
At the Last Supper, Jesus promised his disciples he would send the Holy Spirit to guide them "to all truth" (Jn 16:13). "The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name ----- he will teach you everything and remind you of all that [I] told you" (John 14:26). The Apostles handed on their authority and mission to their successors, ---- the pope and the bishops. Together, they are responsible for "giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God" (CCC #85; Dei Verbum, 10, S 2). The whole Church, because it is under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, cannot err in matters of faith and morals.
Also, "The whole body of the faithful.........cannot err in matters of belief. This characteristic is shown in the supernatural appreciation of faith (sensus fidei) on the part of the whole people" (CCC 92). That means that individual members may make mistakes, sometimes publically. Then the Church must clarify" what has always and everywhere been believed by all" (St. Vincent of Lerins).
Feasts & Celebrations
July 6 ----- St. Maria Goretti (1902).
Twelve year-old Maria was attacked by a neighbor who tried to defile her. When she fought rather than submit, he stabbed her repeatedly. She forgave him before dying shortly after. Her attacker dreamed of Maria while in prison and his first act when released 30 years later was to beg Maria's mother's forgiveness. He wept tears of joy when he attended Maria's canonization.
July 22 ------ St. Mary Magdalene (1st century).
Jesus expelled seven demons from Mary (Luke 8:2) and she supported his ministry with her own money. She stood by his Cross with his mother and was the one who informed the Apostles of his Resurrection.
July 25 ------- St. James (42).
St. James and his brother left their father in a fishing boat to become Jesus' Apostles. St. James was one of three apostles to witness Jesus' transfiguration, the raising of Jairus' daughter, and the agony in Gethsemani. St. James was the first Apostle to be martyred.
Twelve year-old Maria was attacked by a neighbor who tried to defile her. When she fought rather than submit, he stabbed her repeatedly. She forgave him before dying shortly after. Her attacker dreamed of Maria while in prison and his first act when released 30 years later was to beg Maria's mother's forgiveness. He wept tears of joy when he attended Maria's canonization.
July 22 ------ St. Mary Magdalene (1st century).
Jesus expelled seven demons from Mary (Luke 8:2) and she supported his ministry with her own money. She stood by his Cross with his mother and was the one who informed the Apostles of his Resurrection.
July 25 ------- St. James (42).
St. James and his brother left their father in a fishing boat to become Jesus' Apostles. St. James was one of three apostles to witness Jesus' transfiguration, the raising of Jairus' daughter, and the agony in Gethsemani. St. James was the first Apostle to be martyred.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
From Scripture
Matthew 13:44-52,
Hidden treasure.
In this Gospel reading, Jesus described several scenarios of extraordinary good fortune and compared that feeling to discovering the kingdom of God. When people from Judah were sent into exile in 587 BC, some buried their treasures in the hope of returning. People in Jesus' audience would have known that coming upon such a treasure would have changed their lives. So, discovering the hidden treasure of the kingdom now revealed through Jesus can give new meaning to our lives.
In a barter-based economy like that of ancient Israel, a merchant's fortune depended upon the quality and desirability of what he had to sell.
Discovering a valuable pearl would have been irresistible to him. Also irresistible would be the answers to someone searching for truth when he or she discovers the reign of God. When we posses Godly treasure, we are truly rich.
Then Jesus described the seperation between the evil and righteous like the sifting that takes place when a catch is brought ashore. The message of the Kingdom now takes precedence over any old messages and gives them new meaning.
Hidden treasure.
In this Gospel reading, Jesus described several scenarios of extraordinary good fortune and compared that feeling to discovering the kingdom of God. When people from Judah were sent into exile in 587 BC, some buried their treasures in the hope of returning. People in Jesus' audience would have known that coming upon such a treasure would have changed their lives. So, discovering the hidden treasure of the kingdom now revealed through Jesus can give new meaning to our lives.
In a barter-based economy like that of ancient Israel, a merchant's fortune depended upon the quality and desirability of what he had to sell.
Discovering a valuable pearl would have been irresistible to him. Also irresistible would be the answers to someone searching for truth when he or she discovers the reign of God. When we posses Godly treasure, we are truly rich.
Then Jesus described the seperation between the evil and righteous like the sifting that takes place when a catch is brought ashore. The message of the Kingdom now takes precedence over any old messages and gives them new meaning.
How "poor" is your spirit?
To be "poor in spirit" conjures up images of people who are depressed or down-hearted with little or no spiritual life. In fact, people who live this beatitude are spiritual giants fully aware of their absolute need for God and live with complete dependence upon him. In that way, they grow stronger through their trials and personal crosses. When we live this beatitude we are most likely living the other seven, too.
Happy to live in union with God.
Poor in spirit means that we depend upon God for all our needs and we are happy to live our lives joined to him. Someone who lives in union with God knows that there is nothing the world has to offer that can compare.
Happy to be secure with God.
Poor economy, bad health, loneliness, insecurity in an imperfect world can rob us of safety and happiness in the world. Yet, when we rely on God for what we need, nothing can steal the joy or happiness that he provides. Nothing.
Happy to live in union with God.
Poor in spirit means that we depend upon God for all our needs and we are happy to live our lives joined to him. Someone who lives in union with God knows that there is nothing the world has to offer that can compare.
Happy to be secure with God.
Poor economy, bad health, loneliness, insecurity in an imperfect world can rob us of safety and happiness in the world. Yet, when we rely on God for what we need, nothing can steal the joy or happiness that he provides. Nothing.
Earthweek:A Diary of the Planet (Oct. 3, 2014)
Warming Extremes
New reports have found evidence for the first time that some extreme weather can be attributed to ritish man-made global warming. Experts have long maintained that no single event, like a drought, heat wave or storm, could be linked to climate change. But a growing number now say their thinking has changed, thanks to better computer models. The Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society released on Sept. 29 looks at 22 studies on 2013 climate extremes. While scientists say they could not find a global warming link to events such as an early South Dakota blizzard, freak storms in Germany and a cold British spring, other weather extremes had clear finger-prints of climate change. By running multiple global climate models, five independent studies found that decades of burning fossil fuels have made heat waves like those that baked eastern Asia, Australia and New Zealand in 2013 far more likely. A Stanford study found greenhouse gas emissions now make rain-blocking ridges of high pressure three times more likely to bring drought to California.
Deforestation Halt
Five leading palm oil producers announced they will stop expanding their plantations through deforestation --------- a move hailed by environmental groups. The five join other corporations, including Cagill, that had already agreed to stop. Palm oil is used in cooking and various products. It's among the consumer items that create the greatest ecological damage. Deforestation has endangered a third of all mammals in Indonesia, including orangutans. It's estimated that the record deforestation accounts for 85 percent of Indonesia's contribution to global warming. Palm oil deforestation in Malaysia ranks a close second.
Deadly Eruption
At least 47 people perished around the summit of Japan's Mount Ontake volcano when the mountain erupted without warning during a busy hiking weekend. Dozen of others sustained injuries in the disaster, including people who were hit by flying stones and inhaled hot, poisonous fumes. But many of the hikers survived by taking refuge in mountaintop shelters. Volcanologists say the disaster was not caused by rising magma, but was instead due to what's called a phreatic eruption, in which steam is the main force. Ground water within the volcano boiled and built up pressure until it exploded as water vapor, launching ash and hot stones high into the air. Such a blast often occurs without warning. Despite the 12 seismometers positioned around the slopes of Mount Ontake, the only warning hikers had of the eruption was a thunderous explosion moments before the ash began billowing out of the crater.
Earthquakes
At least eight people were killed when 4.9 magnitude quake wrecked homes and other buildings in Peru's southern village of Misca, near the popular Andean tourist destination of Cuzco.
* Earth movements were also felt in western Bolivia, the northern Netherlands, western Montana, north-central Oklahoma and the Sierra Nevada range in central California.
Tropical Cyclones
Typhoon Phanfone formed north of Guam, then threatened Japan's eastern Honshu Island late in the week. Tropical Storm Kammuri passed over the same region days earlier.
* Hurricane Rachel formed well to the west of Baja California.
Biodiversity Destruction
Loss of habitats, hunting, fishing and climate change killed off more than half of the world's wildlife populations between 1970 and 2010, according to a new report by the World Wildlife Fund. The group's Living Planet Report 2014 also cautioned that stress from man-made exploitation of the environment is now 50 percent greater than nature can withstand. It points towholesale felling of the world's forests, groundwater pumping, nitogen pollution from fertilizers and greenhouse gas emissions as some of the main perils facing the planet. The worst wildlife decline was found among freshwater species, which plunged by 76 percent during the 40-year period. Wildlife on land and in the oceans dropped by 39 percent.
Ringing Condemnation
The iconic cowbells ringing around the necks of Swiss cows could become a thing of the past following a study that finds the bells destroy bovine hearing and affect feeding habits. Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich found the bells create a noise level of 100 to 113 decibels ------ basically equivalent to that of a chainsaw and far in excess of safety standards. Agricultural scientist Julia Johns told Schweizam Sonntag that thousands of Swiss cows may have been made deaf by the bells. "We didn't need long university research to tell us that the bells are not beneficial to cows," says Lolita Morena from a Swiss animal protection group. She told the Swiss site The Locals: "Farmers will just have to spend a bit more time finding their cows in bad weather, like shepherds do. It's difficult work .......... but they chose it."
New reports have found evidence for the first time that some extreme weather can be attributed to ritish man-made global warming. Experts have long maintained that no single event, like a drought, heat wave or storm, could be linked to climate change. But a growing number now say their thinking has changed, thanks to better computer models. The Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society released on Sept. 29 looks at 22 studies on 2013 climate extremes. While scientists say they could not find a global warming link to events such as an early South Dakota blizzard, freak storms in Germany and a cold British spring, other weather extremes had clear finger-prints of climate change. By running multiple global climate models, five independent studies found that decades of burning fossil fuels have made heat waves like those that baked eastern Asia, Australia and New Zealand in 2013 far more likely. A Stanford study found greenhouse gas emissions now make rain-blocking ridges of high pressure three times more likely to bring drought to California.
Deforestation Halt
Five leading palm oil producers announced they will stop expanding their plantations through deforestation --------- a move hailed by environmental groups. The five join other corporations, including Cagill, that had already agreed to stop. Palm oil is used in cooking and various products. It's among the consumer items that create the greatest ecological damage. Deforestation has endangered a third of all mammals in Indonesia, including orangutans. It's estimated that the record deforestation accounts for 85 percent of Indonesia's contribution to global warming. Palm oil deforestation in Malaysia ranks a close second.
Deadly Eruption
At least 47 people perished around the summit of Japan's Mount Ontake volcano when the mountain erupted without warning during a busy hiking weekend. Dozen of others sustained injuries in the disaster, including people who were hit by flying stones and inhaled hot, poisonous fumes. But many of the hikers survived by taking refuge in mountaintop shelters. Volcanologists say the disaster was not caused by rising magma, but was instead due to what's called a phreatic eruption, in which steam is the main force. Ground water within the volcano boiled and built up pressure until it exploded as water vapor, launching ash and hot stones high into the air. Such a blast often occurs without warning. Despite the 12 seismometers positioned around the slopes of Mount Ontake, the only warning hikers had of the eruption was a thunderous explosion moments before the ash began billowing out of the crater.
Earthquakes
At least eight people were killed when 4.9 magnitude quake wrecked homes and other buildings in Peru's southern village of Misca, near the popular Andean tourist destination of Cuzco.
* Earth movements were also felt in western Bolivia, the northern Netherlands, western Montana, north-central Oklahoma and the Sierra Nevada range in central California.
Tropical Cyclones
Typhoon Phanfone formed north of Guam, then threatened Japan's eastern Honshu Island late in the week. Tropical Storm Kammuri passed over the same region days earlier.
* Hurricane Rachel formed well to the west of Baja California.
Biodiversity Destruction
Loss of habitats, hunting, fishing and climate change killed off more than half of the world's wildlife populations between 1970 and 2010, according to a new report by the World Wildlife Fund. The group's Living Planet Report 2014 also cautioned that stress from man-made exploitation of the environment is now 50 percent greater than nature can withstand. It points towholesale felling of the world's forests, groundwater pumping, nitogen pollution from fertilizers and greenhouse gas emissions as some of the main perils facing the planet. The worst wildlife decline was found among freshwater species, which plunged by 76 percent during the 40-year period. Wildlife on land and in the oceans dropped by 39 percent.
Ringing Condemnation
The iconic cowbells ringing around the necks of Swiss cows could become a thing of the past following a study that finds the bells destroy bovine hearing and affect feeding habits. Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich found the bells create a noise level of 100 to 113 decibels ------ basically equivalent to that of a chainsaw and far in excess of safety standards. Agricultural scientist Julia Johns told Schweizam Sonntag that thousands of Swiss cows may have been made deaf by the bells. "We didn't need long university research to tell us that the bells are not beneficial to cows," says Lolita Morena from a Swiss animal protection group. She told the Swiss site The Locals: "Farmers will just have to spend a bit more time finding their cows in bad weather, like shepherds do. It's difficult work .......... but they chose it."
How Old is too Old ?
In a controversial article in the October issue of The Atlantic, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel writes, "Seventy-five. That's how long I want to live: 75 years."
The controversy is not strictlly because of the sentiment he expresses; many people feel the same way he does about growing old. Even Psalm 90 in the Bible describes a similar life span for man: "The days of our years are threescore years and 10 (70); and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years (80), yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
Nor, to his credit, does Emanuel draw cheap attention to himself by advocating for legalizing euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. He has always been against those movements and in favor of improving hospice and end-of-life care.
But his remarks are provocative because he is one of the most influential doctors in America ----- a key health adviser to President Barack Obama, as well as brother of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. When he advocates life past 75 is not worth living, at some point there may be public-policy implications.
In the article, he writes, "The fact is that by 75, creativity, originality, orginality and productivity are pretty much gone for the vast, vast majority of us. ....... It is true, people can continue to be productive past 75 ------- to write and publish, to draw, carve, and sculpt, to compose. But there is no getting around the data. By definition, few of us can be exceptions."
Before consigning everyone over 75 to the fate of Soylent Green (if you're under 50, Google that reference), Emanuel should be reminded what his world might look like were it not for those exceptional people over 75.
When he was over 75, President Ronald Reagan gave his famous speech challenging Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall. No speech was more crucial to ending 20th century European communism.
While Emanuel, a Democrat, may hold no special fondness for Reagan, in terms of political balance, he need only look at Edward Kennedy, the longtime Democratic senator from Massachusetts. In 2008, he compared Obama to his brother, President Jphn F. Kennedy. The senator then made the momentous decision to endorse Obama for the Democratic nomination for president at the expense of Hillary Rodham Clinton. Without the Kennedy endorsement, Obama might not have won the nomination and become president.
In his 80s, British leader Winston Churchill completed one of the 20th century's greatest historical works, "A History od the English-Speaking Peoples." Astronaut John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, became the oldest person to fly in space at the age of 77. In a remarkable and under-reported life, adventurer Barbara Hillary, having survived cancer, became the first African-American woman to reach the North Pole at the age of 75. Four years later, she made it to the South Pole, becoming the first African-American woman to visit both poles.
In The Atlantic, Emanuel despaired of the declining contributions of elderly scientists. Yet when he was 88, Dr. Michael DeBakey, America's greatest heart surgeon, supervised Russian cardiac surgeons who performed bypass surgery on Russian President Boris Yeltsin. Debakey practiced medicine, lectured and wrote well into his 90s. His medical career alone spanneed Emanuel's natural life span of75 years. Barbara McClintock won the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine when she was in her 80s for her groundbreaking work in genetics.
If any group has the right to take issue with Emanuel, it is attorneys. When he was 78, Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. issued an opinion, familiar to every law student, that outlined the limits of free speech: He wrote that the First Amendment "would not protect a man falsely shouting fire in a theater and causing a panic." His colleague, Louis Brandeis, served on the court for 23 years, well into his 80s. Four of the nine current Supreme Court justices are over 75.
Great authors including George Bernard Shaw and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe did some of their best writing after they were 75, and two of the immortal artists of the Renaissance, Michelangelo and Titian, worked prolifically until they were nearly 90.
But put aside all the accomplishments of the extraordinary eldelrly. Emanuel has overstepped his bounds for reasons other than those "exceptions." Simply consider ordinary people over 75 ------- all the love and affection others give to them. Imagine how much poorer our country would be without that love.
Emanuel's ostensibly commonsense advice that people should not live past 75 brings to mind what the philosopher Bertrand Russell once wrote: "This is one of those views which are so absurd that only very learned men could possibly adopt them." Russell happened to be 87 when he wrote that.
The controversy is not strictlly because of the sentiment he expresses; many people feel the same way he does about growing old. Even Psalm 90 in the Bible describes a similar life span for man: "The days of our years are threescore years and 10 (70); and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years (80), yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
Nor, to his credit, does Emanuel draw cheap attention to himself by advocating for legalizing euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. He has always been against those movements and in favor of improving hospice and end-of-life care.
But his remarks are provocative because he is one of the most influential doctors in America ----- a key health adviser to President Barack Obama, as well as brother of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. When he advocates life past 75 is not worth living, at some point there may be public-policy implications.
In the article, he writes, "The fact is that by 75, creativity, originality, orginality and productivity are pretty much gone for the vast, vast majority of us. ....... It is true, people can continue to be productive past 75 ------- to write and publish, to draw, carve, and sculpt, to compose. But there is no getting around the data. By definition, few of us can be exceptions."
Before consigning everyone over 75 to the fate of Soylent Green (if you're under 50, Google that reference), Emanuel should be reminded what his world might look like were it not for those exceptional people over 75.
When he was over 75, President Ronald Reagan gave his famous speech challenging Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall. No speech was more crucial to ending 20th century European communism.
While Emanuel, a Democrat, may hold no special fondness for Reagan, in terms of political balance, he need only look at Edward Kennedy, the longtime Democratic senator from Massachusetts. In 2008, he compared Obama to his brother, President Jphn F. Kennedy. The senator then made the momentous decision to endorse Obama for the Democratic nomination for president at the expense of Hillary Rodham Clinton. Without the Kennedy endorsement, Obama might not have won the nomination and become president.
In his 80s, British leader Winston Churchill completed one of the 20th century's greatest historical works, "A History od the English-Speaking Peoples." Astronaut John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, became the oldest person to fly in space at the age of 77. In a remarkable and under-reported life, adventurer Barbara Hillary, having survived cancer, became the first African-American woman to reach the North Pole at the age of 75. Four years later, she made it to the South Pole, becoming the first African-American woman to visit both poles.
In The Atlantic, Emanuel despaired of the declining contributions of elderly scientists. Yet when he was 88, Dr. Michael DeBakey, America's greatest heart surgeon, supervised Russian cardiac surgeons who performed bypass surgery on Russian President Boris Yeltsin. Debakey practiced medicine, lectured and wrote well into his 90s. His medical career alone spanneed Emanuel's natural life span of75 years. Barbara McClintock won the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine when she was in her 80s for her groundbreaking work in genetics.
If any group has the right to take issue with Emanuel, it is attorneys. When he was 78, Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. issued an opinion, familiar to every law student, that outlined the limits of free speech: He wrote that the First Amendment "would not protect a man falsely shouting fire in a theater and causing a panic." His colleague, Louis Brandeis, served on the court for 23 years, well into his 80s. Four of the nine current Supreme Court justices are over 75.
Great authors including George Bernard Shaw and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe did some of their best writing after they were 75, and two of the immortal artists of the Renaissance, Michelangelo and Titian, worked prolifically until they were nearly 90.
But put aside all the accomplishments of the extraordinary eldelrly. Emanuel has overstepped his bounds for reasons other than those "exceptions." Simply consider ordinary people over 75 ------- all the love and affection others give to them. Imagine how much poorer our country would be without that love.
Emanuel's ostensibly commonsense advice that people should not live past 75 brings to mind what the philosopher Bertrand Russell once wrote: "This is one of those views which are so absurd that only very learned men could possibly adopt them." Russell happened to be 87 when he wrote that.
Saturday, October 11, 2014
F. Y. I.
Quotable
by George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright (1856-1950)
"A life spent in making mistakes is not only more honorable but more useful than a life spent doing nothing."
Name Change
The original name for ABC's hit drama "Grey's Anatomy" was "Complications."
Ancient Species
Sharks inhabited the earth 200 million years before dinosaurs appeared.
Permanent Switch
Comedian Groucho Marx created his signature thick fake mustache from black grease paint after he arrived too late to a stage production to glue on his normal fake one.
Pounding It
A hungry tiger can eat as much as 60 pounds of meat in one meal.
Still on the Books
Flirtation between men and women on the streets of Little Rock, Arkansas, may result in a 30-day jail term.
by George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright (1856-1950)
"A life spent in making mistakes is not only more honorable but more useful than a life spent doing nothing."
Name Change
The original name for ABC's hit drama "Grey's Anatomy" was "Complications."
Ancient Species
Sharks inhabited the earth 200 million years before dinosaurs appeared.
Permanent Switch
Comedian Groucho Marx created his signature thick fake mustache from black grease paint after he arrived too late to a stage production to glue on his normal fake one.
Pounding It
A hungry tiger can eat as much as 60 pounds of meat in one meal.
Still on the Books
Flirtation between men and women on the streets of Little Rock, Arkansas, may result in a 30-day jail term.
Weird News
Spider invasion in Missouri home
Weldon Spring, Mo. ---------------- A family was driven from their suburban St. Louis home by thousands of venomous spiders that fell from the ceiling and oozed from the walls.
Brian and Susan Trost bought the $450,000 home overlooking two golf holes at Whitmoor Country Club in Weldon Spring in October 2007 and soon afterward started seeing brown recluse spriders everywhere, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
The home, now owned by the Federal National Mortgage Association, was covered with nine tarps this week and workers filled it with a gas that permeated the walls to kill the spiders and their eggs.
"There'll be nothing alive in there after this," said Tim McCarthy, president of the company hired to fix the problem.
When your gargoyles go missing
Worcester, Mass. ------------------ Church officials and preservationists are trying to figure out what happened to several 1 1/2-ton gargoyles from a Massachusetts church.
The church in Worcester is a one-fifth-scale replica of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. It was built in the 1890s and was formely known as the Chestnut Street Congregational Church. It now is owned by an Assembly of God congregation and is on the market for $2.5 million.
The crumbling building was slated for demolition a decade ago but was saved with the help of Preservation Worcester.
The group's director told the Telegram & Gazette the 3,000-pound gargoyles were removed for safety reasons. The company's assets were sold at auction, and the fear is the gargoyles were, too.
Don't question the King's rings
Bloomfield, N.M. ------------------- A New Mexico man is suing Burger King after he says a manager attacked him for complaining about cold onion rings.
KRQE-TV reports the lawsuit filed in state district court says Robert Deyapp was assaulted in June 2013 when he told a manager at the fast-food restaurant in the northwestern New Mexico city of Bloomfield about his cold order.
The lawsuit claims that when Deyapp asked for a refund, manager Francisco Berrera lunged at him with a stun gun and switchblade.
We forgive you, news-napper
Lakeland, Fla. ---------------------- Some 54 years after stealing several newspaper racks, a U.S. Navy veteran has sent a letter of apology and a check for $200 to the Ledger of Lakeland, Fla.
Bernard Schermerhorn says he's followed the rules for most of his 73 years, but caved to peer pressure as a teenager and went along with a friend's scheme to steal several racks from the Ledger.
Schermerhorn, who lives in Le Mesa, Calif., told the newspaper the check would more than cover the damage and theft of about $10.
Publisher Kevin Drake says he's sending Schermerhorn a thank-you letter and will donate the money.
Weldon Spring, Mo. ---------------- A family was driven from their suburban St. Louis home by thousands of venomous spiders that fell from the ceiling and oozed from the walls.
Brian and Susan Trost bought the $450,000 home overlooking two golf holes at Whitmoor Country Club in Weldon Spring in October 2007 and soon afterward started seeing brown recluse spriders everywhere, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
The home, now owned by the Federal National Mortgage Association, was covered with nine tarps this week and workers filled it with a gas that permeated the walls to kill the spiders and their eggs.
"There'll be nothing alive in there after this," said Tim McCarthy, president of the company hired to fix the problem.
When your gargoyles go missing
Worcester, Mass. ------------------ Church officials and preservationists are trying to figure out what happened to several 1 1/2-ton gargoyles from a Massachusetts church.
The church in Worcester is a one-fifth-scale replica of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. It was built in the 1890s and was formely known as the Chestnut Street Congregational Church. It now is owned by an Assembly of God congregation and is on the market for $2.5 million.
The crumbling building was slated for demolition a decade ago but was saved with the help of Preservation Worcester.
The group's director told the Telegram & Gazette the 3,000-pound gargoyles were removed for safety reasons. The company's assets were sold at auction, and the fear is the gargoyles were, too.
Don't question the King's rings
Bloomfield, N.M. ------------------- A New Mexico man is suing Burger King after he says a manager attacked him for complaining about cold onion rings.
KRQE-TV reports the lawsuit filed in state district court says Robert Deyapp was assaulted in June 2013 when he told a manager at the fast-food restaurant in the northwestern New Mexico city of Bloomfield about his cold order.
The lawsuit claims that when Deyapp asked for a refund, manager Francisco Berrera lunged at him with a stun gun and switchblade.
We forgive you, news-napper
Lakeland, Fla. ---------------------- Some 54 years after stealing several newspaper racks, a U.S. Navy veteran has sent a letter of apology and a check for $200 to the Ledger of Lakeland, Fla.
Bernard Schermerhorn says he's followed the rules for most of his 73 years, but caved to peer pressure as a teenager and went along with a friend's scheme to steal several racks from the Ledger.
Schermerhorn, who lives in Le Mesa, Calif., told the newspaper the check would more than cover the damage and theft of about $10.
Publisher Kevin Drake says he's sending Schermerhorn a thank-you letter and will donate the money.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Why Do Catholics Do That ?
Why do Catholics say that Jesus is true God and true man?
Jesus, as the Son of God, assumed a human nature and became one with us in all things except sin (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #470).
That made him true God and true man.
This is a great mystery of our faith: (John 1:14).
The divine nature and human nature united in the person of Jesus "without confusion or division" (Council of Chalcedon, A.D. 541).
Jesus is "Emmanuel," God with us.
Jesus, as the Son of God, assumed a human nature and became one with us in all things except sin (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #470).
That made him true God and true man.
This is a great mystery of our faith: (John 1:14).
The divine nature and human nature united in the person of Jesus "without confusion or division" (Council of Chalcedon, A.D. 541).
Jesus is "Emmanuel," God with us.
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Growing strong through spiritual trqaining
The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation (Confession) is a place where we can speak directly to God and get his invaluable help for renewing our lives. To truly benefit from this connection, it's best to approach this Sacrament with sincerity, openness to change, and to welcome the inevitable trials that help us resist temptation.
Sincerity is the key.
Holiness, like healthiness, is an ongoing process. It starts with a sincere desire to live the way God wants not the way society suggests. Progress toward holiness means avoiding sin but also living with virtue.
Keep moving forward.
Although we may want to be healed, if we continue to damage our souls by not avoiding temptation, we won't progress. We must change. Fortunatelly, we can seek forgiveness in Confession and start fresh.
Seek the priest's advice.
After all, it is Jesus speaking through him. This is our special time with the Lord who wants to help us overcome our weaknesses.
View trials as training.
Jesus wants us to use Confession to learn to overcome all that separates us from him. When we fail to resist temptation, we can thank God for the trial and start again. Jesus wants so much to help us to grow closer to him. He created this Sacrament as a way for him to lead and guide us.
Sincerity is the key.
Holiness, like healthiness, is an ongoing process. It starts with a sincere desire to live the way God wants not the way society suggests. Progress toward holiness means avoiding sin but also living with virtue.
Keep moving forward.
Although we may want to be healed, if we continue to damage our souls by not avoiding temptation, we won't progress. We must change. Fortunatelly, we can seek forgiveness in Confession and start fresh.
Seek the priest's advice.
After all, it is Jesus speaking through him. This is our special time with the Lord who wants to help us overcome our weaknesses.
View trials as training.
Jesus wants us to use Confession to learn to overcome all that separates us from him. When we fail to resist temptation, we can thank God for the trial and start again. Jesus wants so much to help us to grow closer to him. He created this Sacrament as a way for him to lead and guide us.
One Minute Meditations
St. Joachim and St. Anne
What we know of these two saints comes from tradition. We know that they were Jesus' grandparants and that they raised Mary, Jesus' mother. We also know that they were faithful jews who raised their daughter in a devout jewish home. Her unshakeable faith, her devotion to the laws of her religion, her comfort with being mother and wife, and her steadiness in moments of crisis indicate the values with which she was raised.
Remember..............
Jesus gave us a great gift when he created the Sacrament of Confession (John 20:23). He knew we would want to hear the words of absolution to know he forgives us. Remember that no matter what happens, you are just one Confession away from coming home.
Begin to change
"Yesterday is gone. Tommorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin." Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
What we know of these two saints comes from tradition. We know that they were Jesus' grandparants and that they raised Mary, Jesus' mother. We also know that they were faithful jews who raised their daughter in a devout jewish home. Her unshakeable faith, her devotion to the laws of her religion, her comfort with being mother and wife, and her steadiness in moments of crisis indicate the values with which she was raised.
Remember..............
Jesus gave us a great gift when he created the Sacrament of Confession (John 20:23). He knew we would want to hear the words of absolution to know he forgives us. Remember that no matter what happens, you are just one Confession away from coming home.
Begin to change
"Yesterday is gone. Tommorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin." Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
F. Y. I.
Actually Stated
by Sienna Miller, actress
"I think the more positive approach you have to smoking, the less harmful it is."
Still on th Books
In Kalamazoo, Michigan, it is against the law to serenade your girlfriend.
Table Tidbits
The first tomatoes imported into Europe were golden in color, prompting the nickname "golden apples."
Swooping In
A peregrine falcon can dive up to 200 miles an hour to capture prey in flight.
Famous First
The world's first shopping cart appeared in the aisles of the Piggly Wiggly supermarket in Oklahoma on June 4, 1937.
Traded Title
Rodin's sculpture "The Thinker" was originally called "The Poet," intended to depict Dante as he pondered his epic poem "The Inferno."
by Sienna Miller, actress
"I think the more positive approach you have to smoking, the less harmful it is."
Still on th Books
In Kalamazoo, Michigan, it is against the law to serenade your girlfriend.
Table Tidbits
The first tomatoes imported into Europe were golden in color, prompting the nickname "golden apples."
Swooping In
A peregrine falcon can dive up to 200 miles an hour to capture prey in flight.
Famous First
The world's first shopping cart appeared in the aisles of the Piggly Wiggly supermarket in Oklahoma on June 4, 1937.
Traded Title
Rodin's sculpture "The Thinker" was originally called "The Poet," intended to depict Dante as he pondered his epic poem "The Inferno."
F. Y. I.
Quotable
by Henry Miller, American Writer
"All growth is a leap in the dark, a spontaneous unpremeditated act without benefit of experience."
Celebrate This
Sept. 30, is Ask a Stupid Question Day.
Longstanding Habit
Male emperor penguins will stand without eating for up to two months while the female goes to feed.
Symbol Of Old
Crossing one's fingers, a modern gesture for good luck, was once used as a sign of peace among believers during ancient Christian persecution.
Far-Fetched Phobias
Globophobia is the fear of balloons popping.
True HeartBreak?
It does not actually break, but after an emotionally traumatic event, the heart is temporarily shocked by the release of stress hormones into the bloodstream.
by Henry Miller, American Writer
"All growth is a leap in the dark, a spontaneous unpremeditated act without benefit of experience."
Celebrate This
Sept. 30, is Ask a Stupid Question Day.
Longstanding Habit
Male emperor penguins will stand without eating for up to two months while the female goes to feed.
Symbol Of Old
Crossing one's fingers, a modern gesture for good luck, was once used as a sign of peace among believers during ancient Christian persecution.
Far-Fetched Phobias
Globophobia is the fear of balloons popping.
True HeartBreak?
It does not actually break, but after an emotionally traumatic event, the heart is temporarily shocked by the release of stress hormones into the bloodstream.
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