Archives for September 2009

He has been extraordinarily courageous in his fight against cancer. He will be missed.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpmILPAcRQo]

“What this world needs is a little wonder,” so says the ringmaster of The Butterfly Circus.

It’s a movie under the theme of hope in a short film competition. (It says you need to log in to view, which I wanted to do, but before logging in, the movie started to play.)

I liked it, but I can’t tell you why, because it would spoil the ending.

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Brigitte would like to warn you: Make sure you grab your kleenex before hitting play, OK? What a beautiful little film.

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Andrea adds: I should add it’s a short film, just 20 minutes. And yes, I cried too, but wasn’t sure if I was just being overly emotional. Very moving.

I’m always interested in discussions of the intersection of the two. Here’s one, in case you are interested in such matters too:

What we have in two cases being deal with at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario is a case of the state trying to tell a church and a religious organization what to do and that is scary. One case involves the rights tribunal examining whether a Roman Catholic bishop should be forced to reinstate a gay man as an altar server, the other a non-Catholic trying to get tribunal to rule that a Catholic school cannot favour Catholic teachers in its hiring. Both should be thrown out, neither should have even been looked at.

From today’s Globe and Mail:

Contraception is a cheaper means of preventing climate change than conventional green technologies, The Daily Telegraph reports, according to research by the London School of Economics. “Every £4 [$7] spent on family planning over the next four decades would reduce global carbon-dioxide emissions by more than a ton, whereas a minimum of £19 [$34] would have to be spent on low-carbon technologies to achieve the same result, according to researchers. The report, Fewer Emitters, Lower Emissions, Less Cost, concluded that family planning should be seen as one of the primary methods of emissions reduction. The UN estimates that 40 per cent of all pregnancies worldwide are unintended.”

Just wondering: How do they estimate that number of unintended pregnancies? Do they go around asking pregnant women how they feel about things? Do they just pick a number at random?

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Tanya’s mind reels: What about the greenhouse gasses emitted during the production of these “family planning” methods? Oh, and the effects of their subsequent “disposal.” Did you know that 100% natural latex is completely biodegradable? But that nearly all condoms are not made of 100% natural latex, but contain synthetics? Furthermore, one of the main causes of yeast infections among women is condom and/or spermicide use. Clotrimazole, which is the leading treatment for yeast infections, is associated with major environmental risks. Oh, I could go on and on…

Watched ‘Glee’ last night. Was thouroughly entertained. Also came one step closer to deciding in favour of homeschooling my daughter.

Woke up this morning. Attempted to email a client to the sound of my daughter chanting, “Mommy, what are we doing today? And what am I wearing? Mommy. Mommy-mommy-mommy! Where are we going today? And what am I wearing?” Email attempt failed. Perhaps a public education wouldn’t be so bad.

After breakfast, read this article:

Children as young as five should be taught about explicit sex acts, according to guidelines from the United Nations.

The advice also calls for youngsters to learn about abortion, same-sex relationships and sexually transmitted diseases.

Yep. Chalked another one up to the “homeschool” column.

Apparently, there is a science to choosing the fastest checkout lane at the grocery store. I’m going to be trying this one.

Each person in a grocery store checkout lane approximates 48 seconds in addition to whatever is in his/her cart (this average time includes exchanged greetings and the payment process). Each item in a cart is only 2.8 seconds. Therefore, 17 items in someone’s cart is the same as an extra person. So, it is usually better to hop in line behind the one woman with 30 items (132 seconds) instead of the three-person Express Lane (which will be between 153 and 270 seconds).

This assumes clerks are similarly fast (not a rule where I shop). Also, it doesn’t say anything about those U-Scan self-checkout machines. I’d love to know how to spot the clueless before I stupidly park my cart behind them.

You know me: I’m not religious. Atheists and non-believers don’t bother me, and neither do most believers (I have some issues with those who can’t stop themselves from trying to convert me after I’ve asked them to desist, but fortunately these people are reasonably rare). But what I absolutely cannot stand are people who claim to be religious who turn around and behave as though they weren’t. Case in point, the new president of the Episcopal Divinity School (EDS) in Cambridge, the Rev. Dr. Katherine Ragsdale, who had this to say about abortion:

When a woman wants a child but can’t afford one because she hasn’t the education necessary for a sustainable job, or access to health care, or day care, or adequate food, it is the abysmal priorities of our nation, the lack of social supports, the absence of justice that are the tragedies; the abortion is a blessing.

“And when a woman becomes pregnant within a loving, supportive, respectful relationship; has every option open to her; decides she does not wish to bear a child; and has access to a safe, affordable abortion – there is not a tragedy in sight — only blessing. The ability to enjoy God’s good gift of sexuality without compromising one’s education, life’s work, or ability to put to use God’s gifts and call is simply blessing.

“These are the two things I want you, please, to remember – abortion is a blessing and our work is not done. Let me hear you say it: abortion is a blessing and our work is not done. Abortion is a blessing and our work is not done. Abortion is a blessing and our work is not done.”

Apparently, her appointment to the EDS has pro-life Episcopalians upset. I want to know why more people aren’t upset. “The ability to enjoy God’s good gift of sexuality without compromising one’s education”? What Bible is that from?

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Tanya has a sharp pain right between her eyes: “Abortion is a blessing and our work is not done.” All she’s missing is a pocketwatch swinging like a pendulum. Or eyeballs that light up like these (1 minute in):

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEp7QopOZ30]

Julie Desjardins wrote in to PWPL with her story yesterday. I asked if I could share it, and she has said yes:

I am a registered nurse who will soon be practising on a First Nations reserve in rural northern Manitoba and I am also a proud mother of a beautiful one year old son. I am in an exciting and wonderful season of my life but like many other people, I have had my share of other, darker times.

I grew up in an evangelical family and consequently would have considered myself pro-life however, in my twenties, away from my faith and living in the UK, I found myself pregnant and afraid.

What would not have been an option in another lifetime, suddenly became the only way out. With no counselling, no support and certainly no information, I chose to have an abortion. Of all the decisions and events in my life that I would change if I could – including the death of my beloved mother – this is the one thing I would change above all others. Of all the things I’ve said or done that are worthy of regret or repentance, this is the one thing that can consistently drive me to my knees.

I have never taken part in any public activism related to the abortion “debate” but whenever the conversation bends in that direction, I choose to tell my “story”; I find that an otherwise academic discussion, based on political correctness, can take on a human face and sometimes make a change of heart.

Because of this, I choose not to hide my own past but rather to speak openly of it in order that I might persuade people to take another look at our societal assumptions.

I think talking about this and choosing to not to remain anonymous are very courageous things. We as a society are making this “choice” without thinking, and those who advocate for “access” do so without thought for the long term consequences.

I would highlight there is a silver lining in Julie’s story too. Women who have had abortions are not condemned; they are not alone–and they can find redemption and go on to do great things as Julie is. I think that is important. Some might be incapacitated by fear and guilt; we know statistically that depression is more likely for women who have had abortions. And so I would somehow like those women who have had one to be encouraged. Mistakes are made in every life, and if we can admit to them, we can cope with them and move on.

Thank you to Julie for writing. She’s interested in hearing any comments/responses that come in even as she packs up to move, so I’ll make sure she gets them.