Perpetual Thursday (PT) is a log of Patrick J. Simmons' thoughts, ideas, opinions, commentary, doings, and so so forth. In short, rambling, ranting, nonsense, and bunk.
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Labels: Politics
Full Post: Hillary Clinton Hostage SituationFriends, family, fellow bloggers, readers, and whoever else bothers reading Perpetual Thursday: I'm back. I'm settled in the new house, my schedule is somewhat regulated again (ok, once I get a job again, that's going to go haywire, but for the moment anyway, I'm good), I've got internet access, and I'm ready to start posting.
Well, they've done it again - the Russians have done something really, really cool, and as usual, everyone else (esp. the U.S. and Canada) are green with envy. This time, instead of going up, they went down - to the tune of 4,261 meters below the North Pole. From the BBC:
"Russian explorers have planted their country's flag on the seabed 4,200m (14,000ft) below the North Pole to further Moscow's claims to the Arctic.
The rust-proof titanium metal flag was brought by explorers traveling in two mini-submarines, in what is believed to be the first expedition of its kind.
Both vessels have now rejoined the expedition's ships, completing their risky return journey to the surface. "
Now, if you ask me, that is just plain awesome. But apparently not everyone thinks so:
"Canada, which also claims territory in the Arctic, has criticized the mission. 'This isn't the 15th Century,' Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay told the CTV channel. 'You can't go around the world and just plant flags and say "We're claiming this territory",' he said. "
As always, the minute something neat happens, someone has to make a fuss over it. Can't anybody appreciate, even for a moment, the achievement made?
"'This may sound grandiloquent but for me this is like placing a flag on the moon, this is really a massive scientific achievement,' Sergei Balyasnikov, spokesman for Russia's Arctic and Antarctic Institute, told Reuters...
...Soviet and U.S. nuclear submarines have often traveled under the polar icecap, but until Thursday none had reached the seabed under the pole."
Read the full Reuters article...
To me, that's enough - something amazing's been done, and I'm happy enough to just be impressed by it.
Ok, so maybe I'm a bit jealous too. So much for my country of Patazstan flag.
Well, that about wraps it up for the moment. For those of you looking for something to read between my amazing posts here (I'm assuming that you are hanging on my every word, right?), I'd recommend my little brother's blog: Bling's Blog. It's an amazing combination of spelling errors, odd grammar, bizarre subjects, and more - don't miss it: http://blingsgotblog.blogspot.com/
Also, don't forget to check out the Alternative-Internet.com team blog, This Blog is Not Pornography, at:
http://www.alternative-internet.com/blog/
There you can find out about my various Alternative-Internet.com projects (including my upcoming webcomic and my latest stories), as well as check out my weekly feature: Paddy's Pic of the Week.
Before I close, I'd like to mention that I'm going to start using labels for my posts. At first, this won't affect anything, but eventually I'll add a list a labels to the sidebar so you can just directly to posts concerning the topics that matter to you: religion, politics, philosophy, news, humour, Blogs of Note, and so on. Keep an eye out.
I should be posting again later this week, so until then, may all your Thursdays be Perpetual.
Labels: Politics
Full Post: Ok, But We Get The Moon!
,
Go get a bucket. Hell, get a bleeding dump truck. You'll need it.
Recently a website called MassResistance posted two clips (totaling almost 16 minutes) from a video produced by Women's Educational Media called It's Elementary. The clips can be found at:
http://www.massresistance.org/media/video/brainwashing.html
I would heavily recommend watching both of them. I realize that it may take a good while to download, but you should still watch both clips, all the way though. There are also four small clips (one of them, titled "Stomach," is included one of the two bigger clips) that can be viewed on the video's official website:
http://www.womedia.org/itselementary.htm, I'd take a moment to see them as well.
According to Women's Educational Media, It's Elementary is a "documentary for educators that shows how acknowledging gay and lesbian people in schools prevents prejudice and violence." More correctly, it's a documentary that shows a) how to brainwash children, and b) how easily children become pawns.
Children are easily swayed by what they are told, and, when subjected to biased information (in the case of It's Elementary, homosexual propaganda) how they are quick to accept, and furthermore defend, what they are told.
Generally speaking, kids cannot be expected to know more than they are told. They take the information given to them and accept it. You can't expect a child to research an issue.
You can tell a child that the moon is made of cheese, and they are likely to belie it. Certainly, they will later come to realize that this is not true, but at first, having no reason to belie otherwise, they will take what is told to them at face value. It must be true, because it is what they are told.
As children grow up, they continue to absorb more information, they begin to research for themselves, they begin to learn more and more. However, what they are told when they are children remains, and continues to influence their line of thought.
If, as they grow, they are continually subjected to more and more biased information on an issue, then they will only become more firmly rooted in their faith in it. Like unto clay, children as molded with ease, but as they clay hardens, it becomes harder to change it's form.
To shape a future, you shape children. To save a future, you must shape children to uphold good, steadfast morals.
Parents, grandparents, older brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles, godparents, priests, teachers: you hold the clay, how will you form it?
(Thanks to The Evil Traditionalist for the link.)
Full Post: Get em' while they're young! ,
Recently the news seems to be brimming with reports of presidents making stands for what they believe is right. Just a few to note:
- President Elias Antonio Saca of El Salvador recently made the following comment: “We are an army of defenders of our Christian faith, we are an army opposed to abortion.”
(Lifesitenews.com, SAN SALVADOR, May 2, 2007)
- President Giorgio Napolitano wrote that "...Italy will not leave Archbishop Bagnasco alone..." in reference to threats made against the Archbishop for his opposition to homosexuality.
(Lifesitenews.com, ROME, May 1, 2007)
- President Vaclav Klaus of the Czech Republic came out against the "religion" of Environmentalism saying it is: "a way of introducing new forms of statism, new forms of masterminding human society from above."
(Lifesitenews.com, LONDON, March 12, 2007)
- President Lech Kaczynski of Poland has come out against homosexuality many times, from his banning of a "gay" pride march, to his statement regarding homosexuality: “If that kind of approach to sexual life were to be promoted on a grand scale, the human race would disappear.”
(Lifesitenews.com, DUBLIN, February 21, 2007)
(Lifesitenews.com, BERLIN, Germany, March 10, 2006)
(Lifesitenews.com, BRUSSELS, October 26, 2005)
- President Vaira Vike-Freiberga of Latvia vetoed a bill of EU demands to put "sexual orientation" into anti-discrimination and employment laws. The Latvian Parliament also refused the demands (previous to the veto).
(Lifesitenews.com, LATVIA, June 22, 2006)
(Lifesitenews.com, LATVIA, June 16, 2006)
- President Enrique Bolanos of Nicaragua signed a bill eliminating the "therapeutic abortion" exception in their code, hence, banning all abortion (including in cases of rape and even if doctors certify a risk to 'life or health'). The bill was signed after passing the National Assembly with a vote of 52 in favor, 9 abstentions, and 0 against. You read it right: all abortion banned. ZERO against.
(Lifesitenews.com, MANAGUA, November 20, 2006)
Note that though all of the links I gave were to LifeSiteNews coverage, there has been coverage by other news agencies that you can easily find with about ten minutes of Google searching.
Pretty amazing stuff, though, isn't it? So, now that we've seen other countries' presidents make their stands, let's see what a couple of other presidents are doing:
- President Michelle Bachelet of Chile signed a decree authorizing the distribution of "morning-after" pills to girls 14 and up without parental consent.
(Lifesitenews.com, SANTIAGO, Chile, January 31, 2007)
- President George Walker Bush of the United States of America said at a press conference that he supported the decision of FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach to allow the Plan B over-the-counter early abortion pill to be sold to women over 18 without a prescription. He also said: "I believe that Plan B ought to be -- ought to require a prescription for minors, is what I believe."
(Lifesitenews.com, WASHINGTON, August 21, 2006)
Originally, I put the following at the begriming of the post, but after some thought, I moved it to the end. Better to prove my point, then make it, in this case:
"I am consistently amused by people who call the United States of America "God's Country." I'm not sure we're the worst country on the chart, but I wouldn't call us God's Country. Not by a long shot."
Labels: Politics
Full Post: Countries & PresidentsI'm about to say something that, at first, might scare some of you. Ready? Here goes: Feminism is a good thing.
No, really - I'm serious. Feminism can be a good thing. That brings me to the title of this post: Feminism v.s. Femi-nazi-isim. Femi-nazi-isim is a bad thing, obviously, but what is it? In its essence, femi-nazi-isim is today's feminism.
Femi-nazi-isim is best expressed using a real-life example, such as, say, Linda Hirshman:
"NEW YORK, June 20, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Linda Hirshman, a feminist US writer on cultural issues, has told the world why she thinks staying at home with the children is an occupation 'not worthy of the full time and talents of intelligent and educated human beings.' She complains at length that the feminist movement, while making some gains in public life through legal activism, has largely failed in the one area where it counts most: the family.
She upbraids women who stay at home for failing the feminist agenda, saying, 'They do not require a great intellect, they are not honored and they do not involve risks and the rewards that risk brings.'"
Ann Coulter put it very well when she said, “Hirshman isn't just expressing an opinion about what she thinks is best, she is saying that any woman who makes a choice different from what she espouses is unequivocally ‘wrong.’”
That's femi-nazi-isim. It isn't about giving power to women - in a way, it's about forcing power upon them - like it or not.
If a women wants to be a stay at home mother, she must be anti-femi-nazi - a traitor to women everywhere. How horrible of her to stay at home and care for her family.
In an article in the National Post, author Caitlin Flanagan said: "If you love your work and you love your child and you decide to give your child less of you to go to work, you missed something big and important and so did your child."
Flanagan is a staff writer for The New Yorker and the author of To Hell with All That: Fearing and Loathing Our Inner Housewife.
In her book, she points out that: "When a mother works, something is lost."
Of course, if femi-nazi-isim was about helping women, staying home would be her choice - and good for her if she makes it. But it isn't about helping - it's about 'empowering', which in the strange language of the femi-nazi's means 'getting careers and ditching family life, no ifs, ands, or buts.'
So what is feminism - what is the "good thing" I said it can be? Well, let's look at Eva Herman - a leading German TV moderator and anchorwoman:
"BERLIN, Germany, March 20, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com)...
Eva Herman published her account of the fatal flaws in a career-oriented lifestyle in a bestselling book entitled 'The Eva-Principle: Towards a New Femininity', released last year...
In The Eva-Principle, Herman tore open the issue of abortion as a violation of the woman, blaming pro-abortion laws for minimizing the trauma of abortion as nothing worse than going to the dentist.
Her book was founded on a rejection of the feminist goals of emancipation, career success and self-fulfillment, replacing them instead with the 'radical' goals of motherhood, home-maker and marriage-partner.
'Let's just say it loud,' Herman wrote. 'We women have overburdened ourselves -- we allowed ourselves to be too easily seduced by career opportunities.'"
Eva Herman has, of course, outraged femi-nazis with her book (and it's sequel, Dear Eva Herman, a collection of responses from women who were relived to admit that professional success didn't make up for the loss of family life), which, as it's title says, leads towards a "New Feminity." That would be good feminism.
Feminism fights thing that hurt women, like pornography and prostitution. Doesn't the destruction of family hurt women too?
Femi-nazi-isim fights the family, and thus, in essence, fights women. Herman knows that. Flanagan knows that. Coulter knows that.
If only everyone else would figure it out.
Labels: Politics
Full Post: Feminism v.s. Femi-nazi-isim ,
,
VanityGoddess,
"NEW YORK, January 19, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The New York Times has once again published another 'hit piece' on the institution of marriage, alleging that for 'the first time more American women are living without a husband than with one'. However, US census data for 2005 shows that the January 16th front-page story in the New York Times is just another disturbing showcase of the Times’ tolerance for 'journalistic malpractice'."
There is an expression, which I'm sure you've heard, that says to 'take everything with a grain of salt'. In other words, don't just go believing everything you hear (or read, or see, or whatever). What's sad is not a lot of people do it. "The New York Times is a huge, reputable paper, so it couldn't lie to me, right?"
Recently I've started writing again, and I've just got the first part of my current project, The Wrong Turns, typed-up and online. You can check it out at: http://www.alternative-internet.com/reading/patrickjsimmons/2007/wrongturnsintro.php
I'm also writing a short story about one of my co-workers, Paul. It is barely started, as I'm working to finish the Wrong Turns before I get on it, but it's going to be in the general style of Styrofoam Dreams.
It feels good to be writing again, not that blogging doesn't count, but writing stories is a bit different. Because of school and working a lot, I've been half too busy and half just not interested in writing for a while, but I've got my spark back and am pretty happy about it.
To wrap up this post, I want to recommend a really nifty video over at Weebls Stuff called Patrick Moore. The animation is neat, but where it really shines is the music.
Anyway, I'll be back later this week with more, providing I find something interesting to post about.
Labels: Politics
Full Post: Journalistic MalpracticeFirst off, happy new year!
Now for the juicy bits...
I've mentioned once or twice before that the removal of Saddam Hussein in Iraq was NOT really a 'good thing.' Not because Saddam was a great guy - he wasn't at all - but because he was better than many other options, such as the state we've managed to get Iraq in now. Saddam allowed Christians to practice their faith in Iraq, something not all Middle Eastern leaders allow them to do.
From the California Catholic Daily:
"Kamal Alsawaf, 52, a native of Mosul, Iraq, has lived in El Cajon since 1979. Although he is no fan of Saddam Hussein, Alsawaf says that Christians had a much easier life under Saddam’s regime and that of his predecessor, Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr. 'Under the Ba’th party, we weren’t truly free, because like the rest of the country, we knew we were being watched, but Christians had the freedom to practice their religion,' said Alsawaf. 'We’d mind our own business and nobody bothered us.'...
...Hussein’s fall ended any tolerance for Christians. Barka says that first they would be told that they had to shut down their businesses. 'Now their houses are threatened and told they have to move. You will find a letter at your door that says, "Leave your house and move from this area."'"
Now for some light hearted enjoyment - a book review: I've just finished reading Just One More Thing by Peter Falk. If you don't know who Peter Falk is, then you probably haven't seen Columbo. If you haven't seen Columbo (even if you do know who Peter Falk is), then you are deprived, because it is the best detective television show ever. Just One More Thing is a fantastic read, and is written in an unusual style - chapters are short, normally between one and four pages, and are composed of short little stories from Peter Falk's life, generally in no particular order. This makes for great before-bed reading, when you're too tired to read more than a few pages anyway. Its also perfect to read on 15-minute breaks at work. The stories themselves are side-splittingly funny, and I couldn't help buy laugh out loud at quite a few of them. Peter Falk's life is a blast to read about, not only in its humor, but in the immensely bizarre situations he has gotten in (how many times have you built railroads in Yugoslavia?). Peter Falk's style of writing perfectly fits the stories he tells (which can be expected, really, since they are his stories), and wraps it up as an amazing book. Definitely worth picking up, even if you don't know who Peter Falk is.
Full Post: Christian's & Saddam HusseinFrom the BBC News:
"Iran is hosting a two-day conference which is likely to question whether the Holocaust actually happened.
Organisers say the event will offer a chance to discuss "questions" about the Holocaust without restrictive taboos.
The conference has been condemned by Germany - where denying the Holocaust is illegal - and by Israel and the US.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who backs the conference, has publicly questioned the scale of the Holocaust, in which six million Jews were killed.
Mr Ahmadinejad has repeatedly downplayed the extent of the Holocaust, describing it as a myth used to justify the existence of Israel and oppression of the Palestinians. "
Let me start by saying that I do not deny the Holocaust. Yes - it happened. Yes - it was horrible. So about this conference: frankly, it is total garbage, pointless nonsense, and a waste of time. But it Iran wants to have it, that is fine with me. I could care less.
That's just it: why does anyone care? Note that it says in Germany denying the Holocaust is illegal. In Austria they sent historian David Irving to jail for three years for denying it. Three years in jail for saying something didn't happen. That's completely moronic!
Some people need to learn to let it pass by. So what if people deny it? Let em', it doesn't change anything. It happened, so their denying it should mean nothing, correct?
Of course, we can't have that. This very post is probably anti-Semitic and I should go straight to jail for writing it.
Looking at it from another perspective, it isn't fair either. If you deny the Holocaust, you go to jail, you get shunned, you are labled anti-Semitic and evil. You cannot say anything to hurt the Jews.
But what about Catholics? If one denies that Christ existed, one does not go to jail. More likely, one gets a TV special. If one claims that Catholics were not persecuted in Rome, or during the French Revolution, nothing happens. More likely, one gets a book deal.
The blame for this situation is spread far and wide. But Catholics cannot not refuse to take our share. In today's world, a Catholic is probably more likely to defend the Holocaust then to preserve their own faith. Now what matters is appeasing other religions, instead of preserving one's own.
Iran holds a Holocaust conference, and countries condemn it.
If someone holds a Roman Persecution conference, would they condemn it?
More importantly: would any Catholics be present, to defend the truth?
Would you?
Full Post: "Holocaust Conference"?Scroll down for a moment - there is a big yellow image in the left side column. (If you're using a text-only browser or a screen reader, then just know its there - Lynx users, I salute you). The button reads, for those of you who cannot be bothered to look: "Save the Internet - Don't let Congress gut the Internet's First Amendment. CLICK HERE TO PRESERVE NET NEUTRALITY". Now to explain why I put this rather large advertisement in my blog.
Net Neutrality is a big issue right now (esp. in America, but internationally as well), but most of the general public doesn't know what it is, or how it effects them. As a matter of fact, a lot of the people who are making the legal decisions about it are oblivious about it as well.
To illustrate what net neutrality is, let us say that AT&T runs your internet service. Furthermore, let us say that AT&T has a partnership with Yahoo. Now, obviously, it is in AT&T's best interests that you use Yahoo instead of another site, say Google, right?
Well, net neutrality means that though they may want you to go to Yahoo instead of Google, there isn't anything they can really do about it, because all websites are to be treated neutrally.
But let's say there is no net neutrality... One day you pop on your computer and connect, through AT&T, to the web. First thing you head over to Google to do a search - but Google won't load! Instead you get a message saying that Google has been blocked by your internet provider, AT&T. Now what? Well, you end up using Yahoo instead, whether or not you want to. (I should note that, to the extent of my knowledge, AT&T does NOT have a partnership with Yahoo - I just though of Yahoo first.)
That's a pretty big problem, right? Think about it, big companies could block any website they want, and force you to go to their sites instead. Want to get your news from LifeSiteNews or WorldNetDaily? Too bad! AT&T says you're using FOX News instead! Feel like reading Fidelity to the Word? Natta! No small time bloggers, religious or otherwise, allowed! AT&T would rather you stick with the reporters they employ. After all, you never know what bloggers may say...
Obviously, net neutrality is important - not just for internet addicts and bloggers, but for the general public. Whether you use the internet every day or once a year - if net neutrality goes, who knows what will follow.
Labels: Politics, Tech/Internet
Full Post: Net NeutralityFrom LifeSiteNews.com:
"President George W. Bush has appointed a physician with close ties to the pro-life movement to supervise federal family-planning programs.
The President has named Dr. Eric Keroack to be the assistant secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. In that post he will supervise the disbursement of $283 million in annual federal grants to family-planning programs."
I've been saying for a while that George Bush is a horrible president, and is too occupied with the Iraq war to do anything to stop abortion, and that he isn't going to change.
Well, it looks like I might be wrong. This is defiantly a step in the right direction (though there is still a lot more that needs to be done); I applaud the president for taking it, and pray he keeps going.
For once, I wouldn't mind being wrong.
In other news, according to CNNMoney.com the U.S. mint is going to put out another 1$ coin. In fact, several of them:
"The Mint on Monday revealed the design of the new U.S. $1 coin, which will be issued in a series that will eventually include the faces of each U.S. president.
It will release four new presidential dollars each year, starting with George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in 2007. The Van Buren dollar will be released in 2008 and the Fillmore in 2010.
Richard M. Nixon, who resigned in disgrace in 1974 in the wake of the Watergate scandal, will appear on the coin in 2016."
Nixon on a coin? Awesome. I'll be making sure I get my hands on one of those.
No, I'm serious.
But who cares about me, what about everyone else in the U.S.? That's quite a move for the mint, considering the it didn't work so good when the Susan B. Anthony and Sacagawea 1 dollar coins we released.
At the very least, it will be interesting to see how it pans out - and to collect the new coins.
Labels: Politics
Full Post: Bush Does Something Right Quezon,
I've got plenty to rant about today, but fear not: I've got a bit of fun to offset my news! Let's kick it all off the the news that's everywhere. No, really, it seems every news source has at least some note on this one: the Pope's comments! Now there is quite a lot of blabber floating out there for those of you who really want to read it up, but for those of you who haven't already heard the story, and don't want to look it up, I'll give a quick summary: the Pope gave a delightful speech at the University of Regensburg, Germany, during which he quoted a dialogue between Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Paleologus and 'an educated Persian' on the subject of Christianity and Islam. His quotes from the emperor included: "Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."
There were other anti-Muslim (esp. anti-jihad, or 'holy war') quotes as well, and none said without reason. The Pope's speech was a good one, (you can read the whole thing at Zenit.org) and was worst a read. Sadly, I'm not posting this because the Pope made good speech (lots of people make good speeches), I'm posting it because his speech has caused some problems. These problems take the form of massive throngs of Muslims calling for an apology. By, apology, of course, I mean that they wanted Pope Benedict's head on a platter, on fire, and with a spear shoved trough it. After the speech crowds of Muslims began gathering bearing signs with happy saying such as "Butcher Those Who Mock Islam." (Link is to kreuz.net, a German Catholic site, translated to English with Google.com.)
Of chouse, the Vatican backtracked almost instantly. (Link is to a CNN press statement from the Vatican.) That, in my opinion, is the sad part of this story. Why backtrack? What the Pope said was completely true. I'm not surprised at all, but I am disappointed by all this 'We're so sorry' nonsence. Sorry for what? For saying that Mohammed's teachings were "evil and inhuman?" (Heck, the pope didn't even say it first himself, he quoted it!) So what? Its TRUE, isn't it? This is where the Church seems to be at today, though. No more brave Crusades, only meek ecumenism.' Any outspoken truths are instantly apologized for. "We're so sorry someone stated what Catholics should (and once did) belive, we won't do it again. We love everybody, really, we do!"
I have a (possibly-vain) half-hope still in me that the Pope will retract the Vatican-issued apology, but I doubt it will happen, which is sad. We need someone to speak the truth - and we don't need anyone to apologize for it.
(As an off-to-the-side note, the Vatican apology didn't seem to 'cover it' for all the Moors. While some were appeased, other weren't, with situations such as arson attacks on five Churches in West Jordan and the Gaza Strip. You can read more about that on kreuz.net)
Ok, now for a fun thing to break it up: Ben Hur Live! Its true: Frenchman Robert Hossein is putting on the show "with a cast of hundreds recreating a battle at sea, a gladiatorial combat in ancient Rome and a live chariot race in the 17,940 square yard (15,000 square meter) arena." (CNN.com) The live version will take place in a football stadium in Paris, France, though plans are underway to take it abroad. I personally, hope it works out - I'd go see it in a heartbeat! Its an amazing undertaking, as though of you who have seen the film or read the novel will know - esp. the chariot race, which will be a 14-minute long part of the stage show, complete with Messala falling from his chariot and being drug through the dirt. Oh, and yes, they are using real horses.
Now for more news - the news this posts title is referring to: Sunday Shopping. Now, in today's godless culture, most people don't see any problem with heading to the mall on a Sunday afternoon. As a matter of fact, its a pretty normal occurrence. Really, how bad could a little shopping on Sunday be?
Bad, say Jonathan Gruber (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and Daniel M. Hungerman (University of Notre Dame) in their report titled: The Church vs. the Mall: What Happens When Religion Faces Increased Secular Competition? (From the University of Notre Dame website, the final official document, published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, can be purchased at their website for 5$.)
So, what does happen? Well, in places where laws against Sunday shopping had existed, but were eliminated, church attendance went down to 32%, from about 37% when laws were in place. In addition, Marijuana use increased by 11% among church goers, cocaine use by almost 4%, an alcohol consumption by around 5.5% - and the more faithful people were beforehand, the more likely they were to fall.
Wow. Makes you think, doesn't it. Maybe going to Church, on Sunday, is important... Maybe next time you think: "Well, the sale ends today, so I'll head to the mall after Church." You'll remember that it may quickly turn into: "Well, the sale is only on Sunday, so I'll go to Church on Saturday instead of Sunday to get the deals," and sooner then you think into "I'll skip Church, I've got to shop/watch football/sleep in/ect..."
For those of you wish it, you can read coverage of the report at LifeSiteNews.com and washingtonpost.com.
And to rap it up, one more fun thing! (Yay.) I'm like computer games. I do. I know, I'm bad, but there it is. Now normally I enjoy two general types of games: Games that require thought or strategy (like war situation, such as Age of Empires, and puzzle games, such as Myst) and games I can play online against real people (such as WarRock). True, I occasionally enjoy a stupid blow-something-up game to relive stress, but I'm speaking generally. Every once in a while, though, I find a short little skill game that really catches me. Recently, I found Gentleman. I have many reasons to love this game, among theme: great graphics, original idea, smooth gameplay, nice music and sound, and the ability to use German or English (menus and such, the actual game requires no reading). Plus, its free and make with one of my favorite game creation tools, GameMaker.
In Gentleman, you are a gentleman (la duh, to quote Lissa). Your job? Help old ladies across the street. The problem? They walk slowly and if a raindrop hits them they get knocked out. True, most real old ladies aren't so... fragile. But these are. This game has some great quirks, such as ladies with dogs and bags and suitcases, plus multiple sizes of umbrella for you to earn. Its a wonderful quick break for those times when you've been performing some repetitive or lengthy task on the computer... Such as writing this long post. So on that note, I go to play. Until next time, may all your Thursdays be Perpetual.
Full Post: Drugs, Alcohol, and Shopping Grant,
Grant,
,
H.B.,
,
(Hey notice the post titles? I made them blue! Nifty, huh?)
"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A "morning-after" contraceptive can be sold to adults in the United States without a prescription, health officials ruled on Thursday, ending a three-year fight over wider access and use by teenagers.
The Food and Drug Administration said Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s Plan B pills must stay behind pharmacy counters to prevent girls under 18 from getting the drug without a doctor's order."
...and there you have it. The FDA has caved. The good news, if you could call it that, is that the pill must still be kept behind counters so girls under 18 cannot get the pill without a doctors order.
Obviously, pro-abortion groups and Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. (the company that makes Plan B) are not happy about that, and want more.
"Women's groups said wider access could reduce unwanted pregnancies and abortions....
...'There's no scientific or medical reason' for the age limit, said Amy Allina, program director for the National Women's Health Network.
Barr plans studies to back non-prescription use by a broader age group, said company spokeswoman Carol Cox."
However, pro-life groups such as the Christian Medical Association disagree with Allina and Barr, as reported by Lifesitenews.com:
"Both the Christian Medical Association, an association of 17,000 doctors, and Concerned Women for America (CWA) have criticized the FDA’s absurd rationale in distributing Plan B without medical supervision, which requires medical oversight for lower doses of progestin (the hormone in birth control pills) in order to protect women from serious health complications such as blood clots and stroke."
Another interesting bit of the Lifesitenews.com article states:
"CWA president Wendy Wright also criticized the FDA’s rules which make keeping Plan-B out of the hands of minors seem just as effective as preventing minors from receiving cigarettes.
'Any adult male who is having sex with a minor could walk into a pharmacy, buy the drug, and coax the girl into taking the pill,' said Concerned Women for America’s Wendy Wright. 'Parents have the right to know their daughter’s medical needs and to support them in the process. The FDA’s irresponsible action today takes those rights out of a parent’s hands and gives them to ill-intentioned perpetrators.'"
Now for the kicker, in the form of a previous little bit of news from Lifesitenews.com:
"At a White House press conference this morning, the President was asked by Bill Sammon a reporter from the Washington Examiner about Plan B and his new FDA commissioner (Andrew von Eschenbach) who supports its over the counter status. "Mr. President, some pro-life groups are worried that your choice of FDA Commissioner will approve over the counter sales of Plan B, a pill that, they say, essentially can cause early-term abortions," said the reporter. "Do you stand by this choice, and how do you feel about Plan B in general?"
The President replied, "I believe that Plan B ought to be -- ought to require a prescription for minors, is what I believe. And I support Andy's decision."
Gotta love that! Makes you wonder, really, if Kerry would have been worse? After all, these are the kind of things we would expect from him, and we're apparently getting them anyway. (Plus, things haven't exactly gone uphill in Iraq, but back on topic...)
Here another fun part - Bush, in his usual mode, tried to get off the subject ASAP: right after saying he supported "Andy's" decision he said: "Thanks for letting me come by the new digs here. They may be a little too fancy for you."
Ahhh, change the subject. Smooth, Bushy-boy, smooth. If you're really interested, you can read the entire press conference at the WhiteHouse.gov website.
And here's the really sad thing: some pro-lifers will continue to think Bush is a wonderful president. And nothing, nothing is going to change their minds.
(Boy, that was dismal.)
Full Post: Guess it's time for Plan B... Emily,
Emily,
Grant,
Grant,
,
H.B.,
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H.B.,
Grant,
H.B.,
From LifeSiteNews.com:
"LANCASTER, England, August 21, 2006 – A pack of animal rights activists brazenly assaulted anglers in the latest incident of an increasingly brutal campaign waged by animal rights activists across the United Kingdom.
According to the Telegraph, a small number of families and anglers were fishing at the Bank House fly fishery at Caton near Lancaster, when a pack of 35 masked animal rights activists armed with stones and bats viciously set upon them...
...A spokesman for Countryside Alliance said, 'It does seem to be the way animal rights extremists are heading. Their issue is not animal welfare - it is about hating people. They simply want to cause trouble.'"
One thing worth noting appears near the end of the article: "Lancashire police revealed that the animal rights extremists moved to attack the fishermen after having failed to disrupt a grouse shoot earlier in the day."
Yup, we're afraid of people with guns, but we would be happy to torture people holding sticks. Pity nobody fishing had a filet knife...
Its worth reading the whole article to hear the details of the attack, but I wanted to give you an idea and note that quote: "It is about hating people."
I wouldn't argue. Animal Rights activists are causing more than their fair share or problems, and not just in England - the NPR (National Public Radio) has a report on their website (its in audio format) about animal rights activists in Los Angles. "Radical animal activists and their enviormentalest counterparts are the top domestic terrorist priority."
Looks like you should start to carry a gun when you're hunting.
Oh, wait...
Labels: Politics
Full Post: Animal Welfare/Human Hatred Grant,
Grant,
Jeff Kelly is my hero. There is a very good chance you have no idea whatsoever who I'm talking about, so let me remedy that...
In the Thursday, August 10th, 2006 issue of the Dearborn County Register, a local paper, on page 6A, the Forum for Opinion, a section titled Look Who's Talking posed the following question: "What can or should be done to alleviate the situation in the Middle East?" Following were answers from five diffrent people. One of these people, was Jeff Kelly. His responce to the question, appearing first of the five, right over a picture of his smiling face, read: "Nuke them all until they glow." That was it. No more, no less.
I wonder if he would be willing to run for president?
Labels: Politics
Full Post: "Alleviate the Situation"Labels: Politics
Full Post: Lord of the Stem Cells ,
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Labels: Politics
Full Post: Turin or Torino? Emily,
Labels: Politics
Full Post: bird flu measures Emily,
Emily,
Emily,
Labels: Politics
Full Post: "deal to free hostages"
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