More on Sr. Prejean, Duluth Diocese

Well, I never did hear back from Democracy Now! However, I did find one news outlet which covered the story, the Duluth News Tribune. This afternoon I called the Catholic Diocese of Duluth to ask about the story. The person I spoke with confirmed that Sr. Prejean is not going to speak at the dinner on October 1st and the bishop's reasoning was that he wants to maintain a nonpartisan atmosphere, the separation of church and state and that the ad in which her name appeared on was quite inflammatory. I said "so it really was because of her opinion of Bush, and not because the ad supported abortion/contraception" and the spokesman said "well, that would have been another reason to withdraw our invitation but Sr. Prejean has disassociated herself with that statement." So it seems that Democracy Now! reported accurately.

Here is the ad [pdf].

Now, here's the question: How do you feel about this? Do you think that any person who makes a public statement like Sr. Prejean's should be labeled as a partisan figure? Webster's definitions of "partisan" in the political sphere include "a person who supports a political party or cause over other parties or causes" and "partial to a particular party or person, often political in nature." But denouncing the actions of a public figure without advocating a specific replacement, is that partisan? Another question, does it never matter how badly a politician acts, members of the Church can never specifically name that person and condemn his actions? This is probably somewhat like the controversy over giving pro-choice politicians communion. I'm not sure what to think, but I do get an uneasy feeling when I reflect over Sr. Prejean's situation.

An Open Letter to Democracy Now!

Hello,

Thank you so much for all of the good work you do; I listen to your program very often and am grateful to have your resource which, among others, helps me to become a better informed citizen.

Today you mentioned this story at the end of your "Headlines" segment:

In Minnesota, the Catholic Church of Duluth has uninvited the well-known nun, Helen Prejean, from speaking at an upcoming fundraising dinner. Sister Prejean is the author of the book Dead Man Walking. The church said it canceled her speech after her name appeared in ad in the New York Times calling for the removal of President Bush from office.

I was alarmed when I heard this and tried to find something online to confirm the report. I came across Sr. Prejean's own statement regarding the ad:

http://www.prejean.org/

Prejean statement. 11 August 2006

On August 3, 2006, an ad titled "The World Can't Wait! Drive Out the Bush Regime!" appeared in the New York Times. The ad carried the endorsement of 90 individuals, including that of Sister Helen Prejean, a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille. Since the ad was published, Sister Helen has asked that her name be withdrawn from the ad. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille regret any concerns that this misunderstanding may have caused for those who share in our ministries to bring all people into union with God and with one another.

The text of Sister Helen's statement follows:

Recently my name appeared on a New York Times ad urging citizens to call for the removal of George W. Bush from office. The reasons cited are many, among them:

-his reckless pursuit of war in Iraq, which has helped to destabilize the entire middle East
-his approval of torture
-his zealous promotion of imprisonment and executions
-his fiscal policies which make the wealthy people more wealthy and poor people poorer
(During the past six years poverty in the U.S. has risen 17%)

There is, however, one issue addressed in the ad that I cannot endorse, which if I had seen the final version of the ad would have led me to withhold my signature. The statement reads: "Your government is moving to deny women here and all over the world the right to birth control and abortion." The life issues involved in the beginning of life are exceedingly complex. My stance on abortion is a matter of public record. I stand morally opposed to killing: war, executions, killing of the old and demented, the killing of children, unborn and born. As I have stated publicly many times, I stand squarely within the framework of "the seamless garment" ethic of life. I believe that all of life is sacred and must be protected, especially in the vulnerable stages at the beginning of life and its end.

I signed the ad because as a follower of the way of Jesus and a U.S. citizen, I cannot stand by passively and silently as I witness my government wage such grievous oppression and violence. It has been this same spirit of engaged citizenship that has for the past twenty years led me to speak out against the death penalty while encouraging my fellow citizens and my church to deeper reflection on the issue by the books and articles I have written and numerous public lectures.

For me, personally, it would be sinful not to raise my voice publicly in opposition to the life-destructive policies and practices of the Bush administration. That is what led me to sign the ad calling for his removal.

When I signed my endorsement of the ad, the conversation focused on the abuses of the Bush administration. I understood that the draft form of the ad which I signed was an intent of my willingness to sign the ad; however, I expected to be given a final version to critique before affixing my signature. Since that opportunity was not granted, I feel the need to issue this clarification.

Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ

Are you certain that the Diocese (I assume you meant the Diocese of Duluth when you said "The Catholic Church of Duluth") uninvited Sr. Prejean because of her stance on Bush, or could it have been because the ad included a pro-choice statement? Also I cannot find anything online which confirms your story, only that Sr. Prejean's own calendar still has her speaking at an Education Dinner in Duluth on Oct. 1.

If the invitation was indeed withdrawn and the real reason being that Sr. Prejean was associated with the pro-choice statement, not because of her opinion of President Bush, I expect that you will issue clarification to your listeners because I'm sure that you'll agree the original report is misleading. I have faith that Democracy Now! is a reputable organization which values, above all, broadcasting the most accurate information possible.

Thank you,

- Kristin _____

[You can see the transcript of the headlines here, at the very bottom. I plan on contacting the Diocese myself in 48 hours if Democracy Now! does not reply. I'll let you know any updates.]

On Excellent Homilies, and Moving...

This past Sunday our priest gave the most wonderful homily. The gospel reading was Jn 6:51-58 and the homily was all about transubstantiation vs. consubstantiation, the tabernacle as the heart of the community and ourselves, the need to receive Jesus reverently with examples of irreverence, emphasis on having a pure soul at the time of Communion, even "accidents" and "substances". It was really amazing. There was a silence so thick you could cut it with a knife amongst the congregation.

But as I heard it I couldn't help feeling a little sadness. We are soon to be moving (we hope...) and our experiences here in this particular diocese have been so deliciously orthodox that we are afraid to be leaving. The parish I attended growing up never had homilies remotely like this one, that I recall, and wherever we have attended outside this diocese be it visiting family or on vacation, it always seems to be significantly more lukewarm and the message "watered down." And there are always the little things which nag me, like the tabernacle off to the side where you can barely see it (and it takes a few minutes to figure out where it is initially), or the glass chalices, or the zillion Eucharistic ministers. I try to look past it all and see that this Mass is just as valid as any other, and the consecration is valid, and Jesus is no less here! but still I pine for homilies which go beyond feel-good fuzziness or extremely vague correction. Knowing how badly informed I was about what the Catholic church believes, years after confirmation and with a very Catholic father! sometimes I wish priests would go into uncomfortable areas more often and speak about things like our priest just did this weekend... basically knocking people over the head with the clear pronouncement "Jesus is this Bread." There are so many parts of our faith I would love to hear clear pronouncements of from the lectern!

But then again, I remember that I am also to blame for these priests who don't preach the way I would like them to. How easy it is to lay the blame on them when so few are praying for them. It is a sad admission that I struggle to remember to pray for the priests that I know, and the priests of the whole world.

Where Does Your Meat Come From?

From The Catechism of the Catholic Church
339 Each creature possesses its own particular goodness and perfection. For each one of the works of the "six days" it is said: "And God saw that it was good." "By the very nature of creation, material being is endowed with its own stability, truth and excellence, its own order and laws."208 Each of the various creatures, willed in its own being, reflects in its own way a ray of God's infinite wisdom and goodness. Man must therefore respect the particular goodness of every creature, to avoid any disordered use of things which would be in contempt of the Creator and would bring disastrous consequences for human beings and their environment. [emphasis added]










The modern hen laying eggs for human consumption is far removed from the Burmese jungle fowl from whom she derives and the active farmyard fowl of recent memory. Rather, she is an anxious, frustrated, fear-ridden bird forced to spend 10 to 12 months squeezed inside a small wire cage with three to eight or nine other tormented hens amid tiers of identical cages in gloomy sheds holding 50,000 to 125,000 debeaked, terrified, bewildered birds. By nature an energetic forager, she should be ranging by day, perching at night, and enjoying cleansing dust baths with her flock mates--a need so strong that she pathetically executes "vacuum" dust bathing on the wire floor of her cage.

Caged for life without exercise while constantly drained of calcium to form egg shells, battery hens develop the severe osteoporosis of intensive confinement know as caged layer fatigue. Calcium depleted, millions of hens become paralyzed and die of hunger and thirst inches from their food and water. Read more.

Must see video. [footage of dead and dying birds, no slaughterhouse] The footage at the end with the "rescued" chickens fully recovered, being chickens out on grass is truly a testament to the quote from the Catechism. Each animal in these pictures is God's creation and even though they are "only chickens" or "only pigs" they are still complex mysteries which cannot be confined, moved, and used like inanimate objects.

A factory tour




A mother pig, or sow, spends her adult life confined to a tiny metal crate. She will never feel the warmth of a nest or the affectionate nuzzle of her mate—she will spend her life surrounded by thick, cold metal bars, living on wet, feces-caked concrete floors. When she is old enough to give birth, she will be artificially impregnated and then imprisoned again for the entire length of her pregnancy in a “gestation crate,” a cage only 2 feet wide—too small for her even to turn around or lie down in comfortably. Read more.

Click The Pig Picture for video [no slaughterhouse scenes]. The footage of the hog giving birth in the metal cage, and the newborn piglet struggling to get to her is especially wrenching.




The veal crate is a wooden restraining device that is the veal calf's permanent home. It is so small (22" x 54") that the calves cannot turn around or even lie down and stretch and is the ultimate in high-profit, confinement animal agriculture.(1) Designed to prevent movement (exercise), the crate does its job of atrophying the calves' muscles, thus producing tender "gourmet" veal. Read more.

Thinking Outside the Crate video [no slaughterhouse scenes]

More cattle footage [with slaughterhouse and other graphic scenes]


They Die Piece by Piece' In Overtaxed Plants, Humane Treatment of Cattle Is Often a Battle Lost

Now, confession time. I enjoy meat very much and I come from a heavily meat-eating family. Most of our meals growing up were planned around meat - you'd ask what we were having and it would generally be "chicken" or "beef" or "pork." I do not remember many full days passing without eating any kind of meat, even those Lenten days when we were to fast from meat the void was usually filled with fish. After observing myself for a while now I've come to the conclusion that I'm even protein-oriented biologically, as I seem to function best when I've had a high protein meal (not every person does best with high protein, some are better with grains and others with vegs/fruits). So it has been quite a journey coming to where I am now.

At first I ate meat from the grocery and coming from a thrifty background, at any good meat sale you'd see me there stocking up the freezer. Then I went into a "less refined foods" stage which didn't affect my meat consumption at all, then into "organic/antibiotic-free" which helped me look more at labels than I had been, and pay more than I had been. I still bought meat occasionally from the grocery when I was there and something looked good. Now I've reached the point where I try to exclusively buy locally produced meat, from farms I can visit and farmers I can talk to (though I do not always follow through with questions I should be asking, yet), and overall I am purchasing and eating less than I ever have. We have 2-3 meatless days a week at this point. The days we do eat meat it is usually only at one meal. We are also trying more and more ways of using the whole animal, from experimenting with organ meats to rendering lard and making stock. It has been a real change for me and my motivation is partly the articles, pictures and videos above. Part of it is the fact that we are heading toward owning our own small farm, and I know that if we try to eat mostly what we produce, meat will not always be available for the table. There will be a season for meat, and a season for other things, so best that I learn how to do without it now. Part of it is just the acknowledgement that I eat far too much meat, and if everyone ate as much as I have it would not be sustainable. Now I know that this isn't stellar progress, but I figure with baby steps I'm more likely to keep these habits permanent.

Probably the most important step in all of these was the switch to locally produced meat, dairy and eggs. If I want to see a farmer's operation, I can go and see it. I can verify for myself that his animals are out on pasture, on large lots, healthy and contented. I can go to the butcher and ask questions, and I can choose which butcher my animal goes to. I can stock my freezer once and forget about it. Buying locally puts wealth into the local economy. It keeps that small farmer alive when he may be struggling to make it, year after year. It saves all of the oil and gas which go into transporting meat across the country to a grocery store.

I can't wait until the day that we raise our own animals. I will know exactly how they're treated and if I do my job right, there will be no underlying questions when we have an animal in front of us at the dinner table. I want to be able to look the animal in the eyes at the end of its life, to thank it for what it gives me, and also to know that I have done right by it. I also want to remove myself from this insulated world we live in, where meat is packaged aseptically at the store and you see some animals as you drive down the road, or in a petting zoo, but you don't have the experience of what it takes to convert one into the other. How many Americans, upon killing and dressing an animal themselves, would continue to eat meat? How many Americans would be able to eat all the edible parts of that animal, wasting nothing? Where is the dignity of the living animal in the steak which sits in its plastic tray 200 miles away from where it lived and died?

If you live in Illinois, this is a helpful resource in finding locally produced animal products, and many other foods. It is very easy to order a half or quarter of an animal; you just order it from the farmer and pick it up. The hardest part is probably deciding which way you want your portion cut and/or cured, but he will help you understand the differences.

Ask Farmer Brown, a nice little website with the motto "Putting the Family Back in Farming."

I intend to write a follow-up post in the future with more ideas in taking the emphasis off of meat in the diet and some recipes which we enjoy.

Bat... Again

Well, we had a nice surprise visit from a bat tonight. I was in the kitchen with my son and there was a quick shadow over by the basement door and after a few seconds, there it was, flitting quickly throughout the house. I had to crawl to get my shoes and flashlight so we could go outside to the garage in search of my large insect net (yes, I used to enjoy collecting insects, pre-child that is) but it wasn't there. Headed back inside, avoiding the very large orb spider and web just outside the back door and we were back to crawling. Luckily the net was in the laundry room. So this bat was much nicer than the one we had in summer 2004 because it actually landed somewhere (mini blinds). I was able to slowly maneuver the net over it and catch it without much trouble. Then Ds came over and took a good look, and I released it outside. Again I am amazed at how loud a captured bat can be, and how large they look when flying but are really the size of mice on the ground. They're so cute when they crawl too. Now Ds keeps telling the story over and over in an excited voice: "We CAUGHT it!" "Put the bat OUTSIDE!" "Flew AWAY!"

Earlier in the year we had a "bat in the belfry" at our church during Sunday Mass. It just started flying around really low after the readings. Most everybody was freaked but of course Dh and I just looked at each other and smiled, remembering the bat that was in the house when Ds was a couple months old. Unfortunately somebody used a collection basket to whack it down with all his might. Once it was no longer stunned and started wailing under the basket it was obvious that Mass was still being disrupted, so the men clumsily got it outside. I still wince when I remember it; felt so bad for the poor thing. I could have just gone home for the net.

The picture is actually of our first bat. I'll never forget waking up in the middle of the night thinking how did one of those big Saturniid moths get in here? Wait, it's not hitting the walls or the ceiling fan... uh oh...

These bats were all likely to be either Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus fuscus) or Little Brown Bats (Myotis lucifugus).

Eclectic Collection I

I always end up with an accumulation of random interesting websites so every week I'll be putting up one of these lists, hopefully with some short previews. Maybe these annoy you, or maybe you look forward to my finds. Either way, I'm postin' em'. I'm going to entitle them from now on "Eclectic Collection" without any more explanatory intro's. [By the way, did you know that synonyms of "eclectic" include "catholic" and "liberal"?]

Town shuts down 13-year-old's $5-a-month worm-selling business because the small cardboard sign on his lawn violated zoning laws

But the town's planning commission sees it differently. The sign Joe stuck in his front yard on Washington Road to advertise his business, commission members said, violated local regulations on home businesses. Joe's stepfather, August Reil III, described the sign as a placard about 18-by-18-inches, that read "Nite Crawlers" and listed Joe's phone number.

"What kind of town am I living in where they're going to put the kibosh on a 13-year-old's worm business?" Reil said. "It was just to teach him the values of working and getting paid for it."

[It will cost the kid $130 to appeal the ruling.]

Which Travelers Have 'Hostile Intent'? Biometric Device May Have the Answer

At airport security checkpoints in Knoxville, Tenn. this summer, scores of departing passengers were chosen to step behind a curtain, sit in a metallic oval booth and don headphones.

With one hand inserted into a sensor that monitors physical responses, the travelers used the other hand to answer questions on a touch screen about their plans. A machine measured biometric responses -- blood pressure, pulse and sweat levels -- that then were analyzed by software. The idea was to ferret out U.S. officials who were carrying out carefully constructed but make-believe terrorist missions. [...]

Even though his expertise is in human observation, U.S. behavior-recognition expert Dr. Ekman says projects like Cogito deserve a shot. He expects technology to advance even further, to devices like lasers that measure people's vital signs from a distance. Within a year, he predicts, such technology will be able to tell whether someone's "blood pressure or heart rate is significantly higher than the last 10 people" who entered an airport.

Gallup: Many Americans Harbor Strong Bias Against U.S. Muslims

[Now this is really incredible. I have to post it in its entirety. Emphasis added.]

By E&P Staff

Published: August 10, 2006 10:40 AM ET
NEW YORK A new Gallup poll finds that many Americans -- what it calls "substantial minorities" -- harbor "negative feelings or prejudices against people of the Muslim faith" in this country. Nearly one in four Americans, 22%, say they would not like to have a Muslim as a neighbor.

While Americans tend to disagree with the notion that Muslims living in the United States are sympathetic to al-Qaeda, a significant 34% believe they do back al-Qaeda. And fewer than half -- 49% -- believe U.S. Muslims are loyal to the United States.

Almost four in ten, 39%, advocate that Muslims here should carry special I.D. That same number admit that they do hold some "prejudice" against Muslims. Forty-four percent say their religious views are too "extreme."

In every case, Americans who actually know any Muslims are more sympathethic.

The poll was taken at the end of July and surveyed 1,007 adult Americans.

Cat parasite may affect cultural traits in human populations

Although this sounds like science fiction, it is a logical outcome of how natural selection leads to effective strategies for parasites to get from host to host, said Lafferty. Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite of cats, both domestic and wild. While modern humans are a dead-end host for the parasite, Toxoplasma appears to manipulate personality by the same adaptations that normally help it complete its life cycle. The typical journey of the parasite involves a cat and its prey, starting as eggs shed in an infected cat's feces, inadvertently eaten by a warm-blooded animal, such as a rat. The infected rat's behavior alters so that it becomes more active, less cautious and more likely to be eaten by a cat, where the parasite completes its life cycle. Many other warm-blooded vertebrates may be infected by this pathogen. After producing usually mild flu-like symptoms in humans, the parasite tends to remain in a dormant state in the brain and other tissues.

Evidence for subtle long-term effects on an individual's personality, reported by researchers in the Czech Republic, inspired Lafferty to explore whether a shift in the average, or aggregate, personality of a population might occur where Toxoplasma has infected a higher proportion of individuals.

Are New Weapons Being Used in Gaza and Lebanon? [somewhat graphic photos of the injured]

On 7 July 2006, Gulf News reported a claim by Dr. Al Saqqa, Head of the Emergency Unit of El Shifa Hospital, Gaza that the Israeli Occupation Force was using a new 'chemical' weapon. He has worked at El Shifa for ten years. He had noted that two hundred and more casualties of Operation Summer Rain (sic) had unusual wounds. These numbers included about fifty children. Later evidence from Dr. Al Saqqa described surface wounds as having the general appearance of those due to 'shrapnel' - fragments from shell, missile or bomb casings - but no fragments were to be seen on x-ray. There were usually entry and exit wounds. When the wounds were explored no foreign material was found. There was tissue death, the extent of which was difficult to determine. It is vital, especially with deep wounds, to excise all dead tissue. A higher deep infection rate resulted with subsequent amputation. In spite of amputation there was a higher mortality.

New, Deadly Weapons Used by Israel on Lebanon, Gaza

By now there are countless reports, from hospitals, witnesses, armament experts and journalists that strongly suggest that in the current offensive, Israeli forces are using “new weapons” in Lebanon and Gaza.

New and strange symptoms are reported amongst the wounded and the dead.

Bodies with dead tissues and no apparent wounds; “shrunken” corpses; civilians with heavy damage to lower limbs that require amputation, which is nevertheless followed by unstoppable necrosis and death; descriptions of extensive internal wounds with no trace of shrapnel, corpses blackened but not burned, and others heavily wounded that did not bleed.

"Witness of Those Two Days"

Witnesses' personal accounts of the immediate aftermath of the atom bombs upon Hiroshima and Nagasaki, links at the top of the page. Not for weak stomachs.

Hello In There

Every time I listen to Joan Baez/Kris Kristofferson sing this duet, I get a little weepy. Partly because I empathize with the elderly and partly out of sadness because I know I don't often take the initiative to socialize. I'm an INFJ so it's always been "against the grain" to strike up conversations with strangers. Sometimes when I find myself making excuses I remember Lizzy and Darcy's exchange,

"I certainly have not the talent which some people possess,'' said Darcy, "of conversing easily with those I have never seen before. I cannot catch their tone of conversation, or appear interested in their concerns, as I often see done.''

"My fingers,'' said Elizabeth, "do not move over this instrument in the masterly manner which I see so many women's do. They have not the same force or rapidity, and do not produce the same expression. But then I have always supposed it to be my own fault -- because I would not take the trouble of practising. It is not that I do not believe my fingers as capable as any other woman's of superior execution.''

(If you've taken the Myers-Brigg test I'm curious to know your type, so I can learn more about you...)

Hello In There

We had an apartment in the city,
Me and Loretta liked living there.
Well, it'd been years since the kids had grown,
A life of their own left us alone.
John and Linda live in Omaha,
And Joe is somewhere on the road.
We lost Davy in the Korean war,
And I still don't know what for, don't matter anymore.

Ya' know that old trees just grow stronger,
And old rivers grow wilder ev'ry day.
Old people just grow lonesome
Waiting for someone to say, "Hello in there, hello."

Me and Loretta, we don't talk much more,
She sits and stares through the back door screen.
And all the news just repeats itself
Like some forgotten dream that we've both seen.
Someday I'll go and call up Rudy,
We worked together at the factory.
But what could I say if he asks "What's new?"
"Nothing, what's with you? Nothing much to do."

Ya' know that old trees just grow stronger,
And old rivers grow wilder ev'ry day.
Old people just grow lonesome
Waiting for someone to say, "Hello in there, hello."

So if you're walking down the street sometime
And spot some hollow ancient eyes,
Please don't just pass 'em by and stare
As if you didn't care, say, "Hello in there, hello."

Do you ever feel as if there are some forms of service to others that you were "designed" for and other services that don't seem to fit right? For instance, I've never felt comfortable going to nursing homes, but I really enjoy teaching NFP. I was part of an RCIA team for a while and it never seemed to "click," but I love to cook meals for people who need them. Do you think that it's selfish to choose one service over another because of personal preference, or do you think just having the preference of one over another is a form of specific calling?

Movie Scores I WANT

I've been spending some time over there at filmtracks.com listening to clips, and I have to say I'm seriously drooling over The Lady in the Water by James Horner - it sounds incredible. Soundtrack.net has a special promotion with :30 of each track. At first the main theme didn't sit well but after a few listens it's growing on me fast. I'm especially impressed with "The Blue World." A shame that it ends with several pop songs (I never like the pop songs, they take space away from more film music) but oh well. At least it's Bob Dylan. Lady in the Water is going to the top of my "to buy preferably used and cheap over Ebay" list. But who knows, maybe I'll buy my first new CD of the year. There is no desire to see the film, however.

Don't boys' choirs rock?

Otherwise I'm paying close attention to those auctions for Sommersby already running over $20 used and I wish, oh wish, for a chance to pick up an affordable copy of Black Beauty (difficult to find for less than $40). [For all at filmtracks.com you'll find audio clips on the left, about halfway down the page.] Both were films I teared up at and as always, if I become emotionally involved in a film the chances are high that it has a fine soundtrack. Did I mention I have a penchant for Danny Elfman (and expensive OOP CD's)? And I have a weakness for trumpet solos, such as the Sommersby title track. Maybe I'll just compromise and get Elfman's second compilation CD, Music for a Darkened Theater, Volume 2 which has arrangements from both films.

Ok, so getting away from Elfman... Long on my list have also been Willow (James Horner) (take a listen, you might recognize the march theme, though the clip I want to hear more of is "Bavmorda's Spell is Cast" as it descends into darkness); Vertigo (Bernard Herrman); Raiders of the Lost Ark (John Williams), "The Map Room" is incredible; LOTR, Return of the King (Howard Shore) just because I already own the first two; Anne of Green Gables (Hagood Hardy) for purely sentimental reasons, not to mention I'd love to own the DVDs.

Also I've read good things about The Gospel of John (Jeff Danna) and the clips are promising, but would need to watch the movie to make an executive decision... Anyone seen it and have an opinion? I feel the same way about Seven Years in Tibet (John Williams) but that's going to take some coaxing as I am not a Brad Pitt fan (ok, I liked Legends of the Fall but that's it, and I'm sure that the music had an influence); also Anna and the King (George Fenton); possibly Tombstone (Bruce Broughton) which was a movie I really enjoyed, but can't find any audio clips online so I guess I'll have to rent it again; possibly Gods and Generals (John Frizzell/Randy Edelman); The Magnificent Seven (Elmer Bernstein), we have the DVD and the music is very good.

Any other soundtrack-philes out there?

Catholic Conservation Center

Stumbled across this last night, Catholic Conservation Center, which attempts to make a case for environmental conservation/stewardship from Catholic sources, Scripture through to current Encyclicals. I think half of it is not so useful because it focuses on Creation as good, and Creation as reflective of Creator - something that would be hard for any Christian to dispute. The real arguments come with the meaning behind "subdue the earth" and whether the short term exploitation of resources at the possible risk of long term consequences is sinful, and whether there is ever such a thing as overpopulation. But there are some hidden gems here, I'll pull out a few:

[While reading this, bear in mind that our country with 5% of the world's population, consumes 25% of the world's energy. Consumption]

Respect for creation stems from respect for human life and dignity. It is on the basis of our recognition that the world is created by God that we can discern an objective moral order within which to articulate a code of environmental ethics. In this perspective, Christians and all other believers have a specific role to play in proclaiming moral values and in educating people in ecological awareness, which is none other than responsibility towards self, towards others, towards creation.

What is required is an act of repentance on our part and a renewed attempt to view ourselves, one another, and the world around us within the perspective of the divine design for creation. The problem is not simply economic and technological; it is moral and spiritual. A solution at the economic and technological level can be found only if we undergo, in the most radical way, an inner change of heart, which can lead to a change in lifestyle and of unsustainable patterns of consumption and production. A genuine conversion in Christ will enable us to change the way we think and act.

First, we must regain humility and recognize the limits of our powers, and most importantly, the limits of our knowledge and judgment. We have been making decisions, taking actions, and assigning values that are leading us away from the world as it should be, away from the design of God for creation, away from all that is essential for a healthy planet and a healthy commonwealth of people. A new approach and a new culture are needed, based on the centrality of the human person within creation and inspired by environmentally ethical behavior stemming from our triple relationship to God, to self, and to creation. Such an ethics fosters interdependence and stresses the principles of universal solidarity, social justice, and responsibility, in order to promote a true culture of life.
Declaration on the Environment, John Paul II and Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople

The protection of the natural environment has become a new and integral aspect of the development issue. When we pay proper attention to its ecological dimension, the struggle against hunger appears even more complex, and calls for the establishment of new bonds of solidarity. Concern for ecology, seen in connection with the process of development and in particular the requirements of production, demands first of all that in every economic enterprise there be a rational and calculated use of resources. It has become increasingly evident that an indiscriminate use of available natural goods, with harm to the primary sources of energy and resources and to the natural environment in general , entails a serious moral responsibility. Not only the present generation but also future generations are affected by such actions.

Economic activity carries with it the obligation to use the goods of nature reasonably. But it also involves the grave moral obligation both to repair damage already inflicted on nature and to prevent any negative effects which may later arise.
ADDRESS TO THE XXV SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE OF FAO, November 16, 1989, John Paul II


37. Equally worrying is the ecological question which accompanies the problem of consumerism and which is closely connected to it. In his desire to have and to enjoy rather than to be and to grow, man consumes the resources of the earth and his own life in an excessive and disordered way. At the root of the senseless destruction of the natural environment lies an anthropological error, which unfortunately is widespread in our day. Man, who discovers his capacity to transform and in a certain sense create the world through his own work, forgets that this is always based on God's prior and original gift of the things that are. Man thinks that he can make arbitrary use of the earth, subjecting it without restraint to his will, as though it did not have its own requisites and a prior God-given purpose, which man can indeed develop but must not betray. Instead of carrying out his role as a co-operator with God in the work of creation, man sets himself up in place of God and thus ends up provoking a rebellion on the part of nature, which is more tyrannized than governed by him.
Centesimus annus 37, John Paul II

Regrettably, advantaged groups often seem more intent on curbing Third World births than on restraining the even more voracious consumerism of the developed world. We believe this compounds injustice and increased disrespect for the life of the weakest among us.

The key factor, though not the only one, in dealing with population problems is sustainable social and economic development. Technological fixes do not really work. Only when an economy distributes resources so as to allow the poor an equitable stake in society and some hope for the future do couples see responsible parenthood as good for their families. In particular, prenatal care; education; good nutrition; and health care for women, children and families promise to improve family welfare and contribute to stabilizing population. Supporting such equitable social development, moreover, may well be the best contribution affluent societies, like the United States, can make to relieving ecological pressures in developed nations.

At the same time, it must be acknowledged that rapid population growth presents special problems and challenges that must be addressed in order to avoid damage to the environment and to social development. In the words of Pope Paul VI, "It is true that frequently an accelerated demographic increase adds its own difficulties to the problems of development: the size of population increases more rapidly than the available resources." In Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, Pope John Paul II has likewise noted "One cannot deny the existence, especially in the Southern Hemisphere of a demographic problem which creates difficulties for development." He has gone on to make connections between population size, development and the environment. There is "a greater realization of the limit of available resources," he commented, "and of the need to respect the integrity and cycles of nature and to take them into account when planning for development." Even though it is possible to feed a growing population, the ecological costs of doing so ought to be taken into account. To eliminate hunger from the planet, the world community needs to reform the institutional and political structures that restrict the access of people to food.

Thus, the Church addresses population issues in the context of its teaching on human life, of just development, of care for the environment, and of respect for the freedom of married couples to decide voluntarily on the number and spacing of births. In keeping with these values, and out of respect for cultural norms, it continues to oppose coercive methods of population control and programs that bias decisions through incentives or disincentives. Respect for nature ought to encourage policies that promote natural family planning and true responsible parenthood rather than coercive population control programs or incentives for birth control that violate cultural and religious norms and Catholic teaching.

Finally, we are charged with restoring the integrity of all creation. We must care for all God's creatures, especially the most vulnerable. How then, can we protect endangered species and at the same time be callous to the unborn, the elderly or disabled persons? Is not abortion also a sin against creation? If we turn our backs on our own unborn children, can we truly expect that nature will receive respectful treatment at our hands? The care of the earth will not be advanced by the destruction of human life at any stage of development. As Pope John Paul II has said, "protecting the environment is first of all the right to live and the protection of life.
Catholic Social Teaching and Environmental EthicsUnited States Catholic Conference

GOD DESIRES that all the world be pure in his sight. The earth should not be injured. The earth should not be destroyed... As often as the elements, the elements of the world are violated, by ill-treatment, so God will cleanse them. God will cleanse them thru the sufferings, thru the hardships of humankind.
Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179)

Fun Links For Today

Did you know that it is illegal for you or your business to boycott Israel?
Who Is Covered by the Laws?

The antiboycott provisions of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) apply to all "U.S. persons," defined to include individuals and companies located in the United States and their foreign affiliates. These persons are subject to the law when their activities relate to the sale, purchase, or transfer of goods or services (including information) within the United States or between the U.S. and a foreign country. This covers U.S. exports and imports, financing, forwarding and shipping, and certain other transactions that may take place wholly offshore.

Generally, the TRA applies to all U.S. taxpayers (and their related companies). The TRA's reporting requirements apply to taxpayers' "operations" in, with, or related to boycotting countries or their nationals. Its penalties apply to those taxpayers with foreign tax credit, foreign subsidiary deferral, FSC (Foreign Sales Corporation), and IC-DISC (Interest Charge-Domestic International Sales Corporation) benefits.

What do the Laws Prohibit?

Conduct that may be penalized under the TRA and/or prohibited under the EAR includes:

-Agreements to refuse or actual refusal to do business with or in Israel or with blacklisted companies.
-Agreements to discriminate or actual discrimination against other persons based on race, religion, sex, national origin or nationality.
-Agreements to furnish or actual furnishing of information about business relationships with or in Israel or with blacklisted companies.
-Agreements to furnish or actual furnishing of information about the race, religion, sex, or national origin of another person.
-Implementing letters of credit containing prohibited boycott terms or conditions.

The TRA does not "prohibit" conduct, but denies tax benefits ("penalizes") for certain types of boycott-related agreements.

What Must Be Reported?

The EAR requires U.S. persons to report quarterly requests they have received to take certain actions to comply with, further, or support an unsanctioned foreign boycott.

The TRA requires taxpayers to report "operations" in, with, or related to a boycotting country or its nationals and requests received to participate in or cooperate with an international boycott. The Treasury Department publishes a quarterly list of "boycotting countries."

Penalties

The penalties imposed for each "knowing" violation can be a fine of up to $50,000 or five times the value of the exports involved, whichever is greater, and imprisonment of up to five years. During periods when the EAR are continued in effect by an Executive Order issued pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the criminal penalties for each "willful" violation can be a fine of up to $50,000 and imprisonment for up to ten years.

On Prosecuting Detainees: Draft Bill Waives Due Process for Enemy Combatants
The draft initially said that only "alien enemy combatants" who are not U.S. citizens can be tried by military commissions. That phrase is crossed off in the text of this copy, and instead it appears to cover anyone "engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners" who violate the laws of war or provisions of this bill.

Soup kitchens serving the homeless have been banned in the US city of Las Vegas with fines coming into force for anyone caught giving hand-outs in its parks

Cell Phone Picture Called Obstruction Of Justice: Man Arrested For Shooting Photo Of Police Activity

Man Run Over By 3 Vehicles, No One Stops To Help

Beware of Dog

In the summer of 2001 I was down south in the Shawnee National Forest monitoring birds. The work involved being out in various sections of the forest for 8-10 hours a day, usually alone. I trained with two veterans who had been involved with this project for several summers. They impressed upon me early on that the most dangerous animal I was likely to come across while in the field was a stray dog, which surprised me quite a bit. I was taught that when stray dog came into the field of vision I was to slow or stop movement, orient myself somewhat away from the dog but never allow it out of my field of vision, and never appear to be directly looking at the dog. If it began running directly towards me, especially without barking I was to collapse into a ball and not move. I found it interesting that the strays I encountered made no attempt to conceal themselves from me or necessarily avoid me by a wide berth, while the coyotes always kept their distance and hid their presence. Luckily the dogs never seemed to be running in packs.

Ever since my experiences that summer I have been wary of strays. I was nervous around unleashed dogs before - when younger, we had neighbors who let their doberman pinschers run free in the front yard and they were aggressive at times (of course any complaints were met with "our dog would never hurt anybody"). Now it's a more fine-tuned awareness. Fast forward to life in our little Central Illinois town. When my son was very young I would put him in a sling and try to walk to church or to the grocery store when the weather was nice. On several occasions we were followed, barked at, chased, and nipped at by unleashed dogs in town. For the most part these dogs had owners who were yelling passively from the porch to "leave them alone," or owners running up to us but a little too late in catching them. Each time I kept walking without looking back, covering my son's dangling legs with my arms as well as I could to protect them from whatever the dog decided to do. There were some pretty tense moments and I know some owners could see the danger too, from the tone in their voices. All of the aggressive dogs here have been larger dogs, above knee height. Fortunately the owners started to keep their dogs contained once they realized I walked pretty regularly - I think concern for the little baby was what did it.

Last week I had a new experience. I was outside watering the garden, alone, when suddenly I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. It was a stray, looked like a lab-cross, dragging its leash, silently headed in a bee-line towards me. Of course my heart picked up speed and I tried to orient myself away from it. This dog came to the edge of the garden (within 6-8 feet) and began to circle it somewhat, obviously interested in me. I have never had a stray calmly come up so closely before (running up snarling is a different story). I tried to signal disinterest as well as I could, and after a couple minutes the dog headed away towards the road. Now if I had been in the woods and something similar happened, I would have been absolutely terrified and most likely lying on the ground tucked into a ball.

Sometime I'll be sure to tell you my turkey-and ostrich- attack stories.

Resource/Sectarian Map

I had some fun layering a map of Iraq's various religious sects with their oil resources (large image, 343kb). It's intended to be used as a tool to predict how civil war in Iraq would continue to affect oil production.

Pesto!

We tried our first homemade pesto the other day and it was wonderful. The best part is that you can make this in your blender (we don't have a food processor or a big mortar and pestle...). Be aware that everyone around you will be able to tell that you had this for dinner!

This does not make much (~1 cup) but with pesto, a little goes a long way.

1 pinch coarse sea salt
60 small or 30 large fresh basil leaves, stems removed
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons pine nuts or brazil nuts
1/4 cup parmesan
3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

Put all ingredients into blender except only 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Puree on lowest speed, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides with a spatula. Pesto should be thick and creamy, without recognizable sections of leaves. Don't blend so much that it becomes thin. Scoop out pesto into a bowl. Add remaining olive oil 1 tbsp at a time, stirring well, until desired consistency is reached. You want it thick enough to stick to pasta but thin enough to spread easily.

And here's the bonus: a recipe from an Italian coworker when I was monitoring birds in Southern Illinois... homemade Gnocchi [pronounced "nyoh-kee"], something like mini dumplings. This one's a little more open to interpretation. You'll need a few large potatoes or sweet potatoes, fine flour (if you use whole wheat, use WW pastry flour) and 1 egg.

Peel and boil potatoes, mash in a large bowl. Add as much flour as you have potato and add 1 egg. Lightly knead into dough, adding flour as necessary until dough is elastic and fluffy, but does not stick to your hands or the sides of the bowl. Meanwhile boil water in a large pot. Form 1 inch pasta with the dough using a floured surface if necessary. Making round flat "medallions" is easy, or 1" nugget shapes are fine. Boil gnocchi 10 minutes - stir often in the beginning as they will fall to the bottom and may stick to each other; they will float as they are cooked. Scoop out with a slotted spoon (they might fall apart in a colander) and toss with butter. Excellent with any kind of pasta sauce, including the pesto.

If It Looks Like "x" and Smells Like "x"...

Ok, so first the funny part. Some images of Donald Rumsfeld are just screaming to be made into Emperor Palpatine. Part of the credit goes to dh. I'm not so good with lightning...


Now, the not-so-funny part.

A few days ago I became aware of the following quote [7/25]:

Q: Is the country closer to a civil war?

SEC. RUMSFELD: Oh, I don't know. You know, I thought about that last night, and just musing over the words, the phrase, and what constitutes it. If you think of our Civil War, this is really very different. If you think of civil wars in other countries, this is really quite different. There is - there is a good deal of violence in Baghdad and two or three other provinces, and yet in 14 other provinces there's very little violence or numbers of incidents. So it's a - it's a highly concentrated thing. It clearly is being stimulated by people who would like to have what could be characterized as a civil war and win it, but I'm not going to be the one to decide if, when or at all.

Hearing echoes from Tony Snow... [7/24]:

Q: Obviously, in the last couple of weeks, there's been a U.N. report of a hundred people dying a day in Iraq, 6,000 in the last two months, the number of major attacks in Baghdad up 40 percent on a weekly basis. Does the administration think that Iraq is now in a civil war?

MR. SNOW: No. I don't want to get -- you're talking about in and around Baghdad. I know the Prime Minister has a piece today where he talks about turning Muthana province over, and there are several other provinces that are going to be under Iraqi control they think relatively soon. You have -- I think there's an attempt, and it's very alluring to politicians here to try to make the situation sound like civil war everywhere. No, there are parts of Iraq where life is proceeding with a fair degree of normalcy, where people are enjoying greater economic opportunity and they're enjoying the fruits of democracy. You've got a problem in Baghdad, and that is -- it's absolutely critical to address that.

Q: Yes, but it's not the politicians here who are calling it a civil war, it's politicians in Iraq. Iraqi politicians are saying --

MR. SNOW: Well, I'm not going to get into the labeling game. I think the most important -- because I don't know where you go with that, except you get a headline: "Administration says civil war." And it deflects from the real purpose here, which is to figure out how to create civil peace, and that is really the prime objective of everybody in the United States, every American who is working in and on the issue of Iraq.

Now, let's go back in time, shall we?

[1/19/93] [G. H. W. Bush] Asst. Secretary of State Patricia Diaz Dennis: In Bosnia, our report describes widespread systematic atrocities, including the rapes and killings of civilian victims to the extent that it probably borders on genocide. We haven't yet decided whether or not it's a legal matter. The conduct in Bosnia is genocide, but clearly the abuses that have occurred there over the last year are such that they, as I said, border on that particular legal term.

[4/1/93] [Clinton] Rep. Frank McCloskey: Previously to the Congress in response to a question as to whether or not genocide has taken place in Bosnia, the reply from State was that acts tantamount to genocide have taken place. I think that's not a clear answer to a very important and policy-driving question. Would you order a clear, explicit determination, yes or no, if the outrageous Serb systematic barbarism amounts to genocide?

Secretary Warren Christopher: With respect to the definition of the circumstances in Bosnia, we certainly will reply to that. That is a legal question that you've posed. I've said several times that the conduct there is an atrocity. The killing, the raping, the ethnic cleansing is definitely an atrocious set of acts. Whether it meets the technical legal definition of genocide is a matter that we'll look into and get back to you.

[6/10/1994] Reuters correspondent Alan Elsner: How would you describe the events taking place in Rwanda?

State Dept. Spokesman Christine Shelly: Based on the evidence we have seen from observations on the ground, we have every reason to believe that acts of genocide have occured in Rwanda.

Elsner: What's the difference between "acts of genocide" and "genocide?"

Shelly: Well, I think the-- as you know, there's a legal definition of this... Clearly not all of the killings that have taken place in Rwanda are killings to which you might apply that label... But as to the distinctions between the words, we're trying to call what we have seen so far as best as we can; and based, again, on the evidence, we have every reason to believe that acts of genocide have occurred.

Elsner: How many acts of genocide does it take to make a genocide?

Shelly: Alan, that's just not a question that I'm in a position to answer.

[at the time of the interview 200,000-500,000 Rwandans had been murdered.]

[6/30/04] [G. W. Bush] National Public Radio: The U.S., however, is very careful not to use the word, "genocide." Why is the Administration reluctant to call [the events in Sudan] genocide?

Colin Powell: Well, why would we call it a genocide when the genocide definition has to meet certain legal tests? It is a legal determination. And based on what we have seen, there were some indicators but there was certainly no full accounting of all indicators that lead to a legal definition of genocide, in accordance with the terms of the genocidal treaties. That's the advice of my lawyers.

NPR: For some, the reluctance to label this a homicide hearkens back to Rwanda.

Powell: It isn't a reluctance. It isn't a reluctance that, based on the evidence that is available, it doesn't meet the tests of the definition of genocide. It isn't reluctance. I can assure you that if all of the indicators lined up and said this meets what the treaty test of genocide is, I would have no reluctance to call it that. And the fact that we have not called it that is not based on reluctance. This is not Rwanda ten years ago; it is Sudan now.

NPR: I don't want to belabor this, but in diplomacy words do count, and as your -- as State Department counsel looks at this issue and determines whether this -- whether this should be labeled a genocide, does that carry a different weight and responsibility for the State Department and the U.S. if they make that determination?

Powell: The State Department has to weigh all of these matters carefully and what we try to do is to use labels with precision. There are some who, based on what they have heard about the situation in Darfur and their concern about the needs of these people, want to immediately call it a genocide, whether it fits the definition of a genocide or not. I'm more interested in taking care of the people.

Now, if it was a genocide and it met all the tests and we declared it that, we would certainly increase international pressure. But whether we would be doing more than we are now doing is a question that I can't answer. It doesn't open any real new authorities to me or give me any additional powers or responsibilities that I'm not now executing.

------------------
In the case of "genocide," after the U.S. finally ratified the Genocide Convention in 1988 it was required to actually do something if genocide was found to occur somewhere in the world. Thus the dodging and waffling you see above, even though it would have been nearly impossible for intelligence to not have known about the events taking place, especially in Rwanda. Rwanda was the most obvious example of genocide since the Holocaust.

In the case of Iraq, why would there be such reluctance to say a civil war is occurring? My guess is that it's an attempt by the Bush Administration to save some face at a time when support for the war is waning... It will be difficult extoll the virtues of "spreading democracy" and "winning hearts and minds" in the midst of a brutal civil war which probably would not have started had we not invaded Iraq. "By your fruits you shall know them." I am worried that what is now being labeled a civil war might actually be better defined as "ethnic cleansing" - just one short hop away from genocide. Of course I'll have to consult with my lawyers before giving you a more specific opinion...