ANOTHER CHANCE FOR MATT'S TREES

Today, I received a lovely email from Matt Sloan's mother, Judy, thanking me for my posts last month on behalf of Matt's Trees in the contest to win $50,000 to replant trees in New Orleans. Sadly, Matt passed away last June, and his family chose to continue the work he started in New Orleans by establishing the nonprofit.

Since Pepsi carried the top 100 vote-getters in December to the January competition, the organization has another chance to win the contest and more time for us to vote. Matt's Trees stands at no. 68 now. Let's get him higher. The contest runs until January 31. The links on the flyer above are not live; please use the widget below to reach the site to cast your vote. You may vote once a day, every day until the end of January. If you have more than one email address, you may vote more than once.


Thanks for voting.

THE INTERN WHO HELPED REP. GIFFORD

From AXCentral.com comes the account by Daniel Hernandez, an intern for Gabrielle Giffords. Daniel was near Rep. Giffords when she was shot and gave her first aid until the paramedics arrived.

Daniel Hernandez had been U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' intern for five days when she was shot Saturday outside Tucson.

The junior at the University of Arizona was helping check people in at the "Congress on Your Corner" event when he heard gunfire. He was about 30 feet from the congresswoman. When the shots began, he ran toward them.

Read his moving account of helping Giffords and of the scene of the shooting.

Thanks to Ann V. for the link.

QUOTE OF THE DAY - FEAR OVER REASON

"It's very hard to unscare people.... [P]eople are far more compelled by their fears than by their reason." (Dr Paul Offit)

As Athenae at First Draft reminds us, it's not just Sarah Palin, and I add, Glenn Beck, and their ilk, who speak out in public forums in misleading or outright false statements, laden with militaristic references and imagery, with the intention to promote fear and deep distrust amongst the American people, but also those who supply the money, some of whom prefer to remain in the background, out of the limelight:

It's about the people who fund the tea party and every other ultra-right-wing movement in this country.

Jane Mayer in The New Yorker writes at length about the billionaire Koch brothers, David and Charles:

In Washington, [David] Koch is best known as part of a family that has repeatedly funded stealth attacks on the federal government, and on the Obama Administration in particular.

Bear with me as I take a detour to address an article in USA Today which concerns the study that linked certain vaccines for children to autism, which has since been proved to be "an elaborate fraud," but which nevertheless caused, and still causes, many parents to avoid having their children vaccinated.

Last year, The Lancet issued a formal retraction. British medical authorities last year also found the study's lead author, Andrew Wakefield, guilty of serious professional misconduct, stripping him of his ability to practice medicine in England.

Now, the BMJ (a British medical journal) reports that Wakefield, who was paid more than $675,000 by a lawyer hoping to sue vaccine makers, was not just unethical — he falsified data in the study, which suggested that children developed autism after getting a shot against measles, mumps and rubella.

Vaccination rates fell in Britain and the US, leading to outbreaks of measles in Britain and Ireland, which caused many children to become ill and even a few deaths. Paul Offit, a pediatrician at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, says:

...it may take years to rebuild trust in vaccines. "It's very hard to unscare people. You can do study after study, but people are far more compelled by their fears than by their reason."

Now, turn your attention to the myths and falsehoods promulgated about health care reform:

1: There is no health care crisis

2. Health care reform will impose rationing

3: Health care reform provides for euthanasia, "death panel"

4: Health care reform legislation will cover undocumented immigrants

5: Health care reform will raise your taxes

Cont....

Altogether, Media Matters lists 15 myths about health care reform. Read the rest at their website. No matter how many facts were offered to those who spread the falsehoods around, they persisted in their beliefs(?) and their versions of "the facts".

Which leads me back to my quote for the day. Slightly edited, Dr Paul Offit's quote applies to the political situation in the US today"

"It's very hard to unscare people.... [P]eople are far more compelled by their fears than by their reason."

Thanks to Canon Alan Perry, who blogs at Insert Catchy Blog Title Here, who called my attention to the quote. He applied the quote to the situation today in the Anglican Communion, where it seems just as pertinent. Dr Offit's words seem very wise to me.

OFF TOPIC UPDATE: Alan Perry has a series of excellent posts on the Anglican Covenant which are well worth reading.

TIME TO "DO A LITTLE SOUL SEARCHING"

From the AP via the Times Picayune:

[Gabrielle] Giffords has drawn the ire of the right in the last year, especially from politicians like former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin over her support of Obama's health care reform bill.

Her Tucson office was vandalized a few hours after the House voted to approve the health care law in March, with someone either kicking or shooting out a glass door and window. In an interview after the vandalism, Giffords referred to the animosity against her by conservatives. Palin listed Giffords' seat as one of the top "targets" in the November elections because of the lawmakers' support for the health care law.

"For example, we're on Sarah Palin's targeted list, but the thing is, that the way that she has it depicted has the crosshairs of a gun sight over our district. When people do that, they have to realize that there are consequences to that action," Giffords said in an interview with MSNBC.

Image from Sarah Palin's Facebook page, which I posted back in March 2010.

From Crooks and Liars:

[Sheriff Clarence] Dupnik called the shooting a "very sad day for Tucson" and a "horrendous, horrendous, senseless, unbelievable crime." And then he blamed the crime on the rhetoric -- presumably political rhetoric -- in the country.

"When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government," he said. "The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on this country is getting to be outrageous and unfortunately Arizona has become sort of the capital. We have become the Mecca for prejudice and bigotry."

Mr. Dupnik said it is time for the country to "do a little soul searching."

He added: "The vitriolic rhetoric that we hear day in and day out from people in the radio business and some people in the TV business ... This has not become the nice United States that most of us grew up in."

Later, he said: "It's not unusual for all public officials to get threats constantly, myself included. That's the sad thing about what's going on in America: pretty soon we're not going to be able to find reasonable decent people willing to subject themselves to serve in public office."

Watch the video of Sheriff Dupnik's press conference.

PRAY FOR THE WOUNDED AND DEAD IN ARIZONA

From the New York Times:

Representative Gabrielle Giffords, an Arizona Democrat, and 18 others were shot Saturday morning when a gunman opened fire outside a supermarket where Ms. Giffords was meeting with constituents.

Six of the victims died, among them John M. Roll, the chief judge for the United States District Court for Arizona, and a 9-year-old girl, the Pima County sheriff, Clarence W. Dupnik, said.

A 22-year-old suspect was in custody, law enforcement officials said. But at a Saturday evening news conference, investigators said they were looking for an accomplice, believed to be in his 50s, who may have assisted in the attack.

What a terrible, terrible tragedy.

Let us pray for the family and friends of those who were injured and those who died.

Let us pray for the violence in our country to stop.

Let us pray for the person(s) who did the shooting.

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

UPDATE: From Penelopepiscopal:

These are the names of the dead in Arizona: Christina Taylor Greene (age 9); Dory Stoddard; Dorothy Morris; Phyllis Scheck; Gabe Zimmerman; and Chief Judge John Roll of the U.S. District Court for Arizona.

Representative Gabrielle Giffords remains unconscious after surgery, in critical condition. Four others are also in critical condition and five others are in serious condidion.

PLEASE PRAY...

From Dora (Rudo):

My father who suffered a stroke just before Christmas died on January 4 and the funeral service took place yesterday, January 7. My brother and I arrived home on December 31st and we thank God that we were able to see and talk to him for 4 days before his final departure. Thanks for the prayers. He did not suffer much pain. He opted for cremation, which is very rare for an African person, because of the struggles in the Anglican Church in Zimbabwe. Since Kunonga has barred the Anglican Diocese of Harare from using the church property, including burial sites, my father could not be buried on the site where my mother is buried. He was cremated today and we will receive his ashes tomorrow. The service was beautiful although it took place in a big tent at our family home in Harare.

Please continue to pray for those left behind, including my three brothers and their wives and children and all his friends who loved him deadly are still struggling to come to terms with such a sudden end to the physical presence of their loved one.

Again thanks for the prayers

Rudo (Dora)

Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servant Lawrence. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming. Receive him into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. Amen.

May his soul and the souls of all the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Let us also pray for all who mourn, that they may cast their care on God, and know the consolation of God's love.

We asked for prayers for Lawrence here, and we prayed that Dora and her brother would reach his side before he passed away.

PLAN V. REALITY

THE PLAN:

1. Take Grandson and Granddaughter Christmas shopping. The two wanted to pick out their own gifts, and we did not have time to do so before Christmas, as they were at their mom's house.

2. Take Granddaughter to her friends house for the gathering before the Sadie Hawkins dance at her school (her first date!)

3. Bring Grandson to my house to stay until his dad got off work.

Simple.

THE REALITY:

1. Arrived at the home of GD and GS to learn that GD had typical symptoms of a bladder infection, so we had to make a detour to the Urgent Care Clinic. TBTG for the clinic, because we avoided the nightmare of the ER. Indeed, GD had a high infection count.

2. While we waited our turn at the clinic, GS became bored and restless, so I called Grandpère to pick him up and prevailed upon him to take GS to the game store to buy his Christmas present.

3. Dropped off prescriptions at pharmacy.

4. Went to Walmart for items GD had to have.

5. Returned to my house to wait for medications to be ready.

6. Picked up prescriptions.

7. Returned to the home of GS and GD to pick up GD's clothes for the dance and for spending the night at her friend's house and to pick up GS's game player, so he could play his new game at my house.

8. No time for Christmas shopping with GD.

9. Finally ate lunch around 4:00 PM.

10. Took GD to her friend's house.

All for the love of the two pictured above in the pool from a few years ago. Not quite so simple as I planned, but all's well that ends well - I guess.

I know. This post is boring. But I feel better.

NO FAIRNESS HERE

From Brave New Foundation.

We're not all in this together. The pain is not spread around. Some, like the bankers, prosper, as others suffer. The bankers prosper on the taxpayers' nickel. It ain't right. It jes' ain't right.

"WE DON'T HAVE NAZI GROUPS EITHER"

From Xtra!:

With the world’s spotlight on the It Gets Better campaign and gay teen suicides, the urgency for schools to create gay-straight alliance (GSA) groups seems obvious.

But while the Ontario Ministry of Education thinks GSAs are important, the Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB) takes a different view.

The HCDSB feels the groups are harmful and has issued a ban on GSAs altogether.

“We don’t have Nazi groups either,” rationalizes board chair Alice Anne LeMay. “Gay-straight alliances are banned because they are not within the teachings of the Catholic Church.”

“If a gay student requests a gay-straight alliance they would be denied,” she says flatly.

“It’s not in accordance with the teachings of the church. If they wanted to have a club outside of school, fine, just not in school.”

What to say? For a school board member of a so-called Christian school to equate the Gay Straight Alliance with Nazis is not against the teachings of the church? Truly, I'm rendered speechless.

H/T to Rob Tisinai at Box Turtle Bulletin, who says:

Thank you Alice Anne LeMay, thank you. Not everyone can make our opponents look so ridiculous in so few words.

OF CARNIVAL AND KINGS AND CAKES

From History of the King Cake:

(The above link for the quote below went missing and is now dead. I can't find the source in a web search. Sorry.)

When Christianity extended its influence and began overshadowing the religions that came before it, many of the local customs were not outright abolished, but instead were incorporated into Christian tradition and given a new spin. This even happened to the tradition of Mardi Gras, and from what we have researched so far seems to be the case, but that's another story. Catholic priests were not predisposed to human sacrifice, so the King's Cake was converted into a celebration of the Magi, the three Kings who came to visit the Christ Child.

In 12th century France where the cake would be baked on the eve of January 6 to celebrate the visit to the Christ Child by the three Kings. A small token was hidden in the cake as a surprise for the finder.

French settlers brought the custom to Louisiana in the 18th century where it remained associated with the Epiphany until the 19th century when it became a more elaborate Mardi Gras custom. In New Orleans, the first cake of the season is served on January 6. A small ceramic figurine of a baby is hidden inside the cake, by tradition. However now, the tradition is giving way to the baby being supplied and the customer placing the baby were ever they wish in the cake. Whoever finds the baby is allowed to choose a mock court and host the next King Cake party the following week (weekly cake parties were held until Mardi Gras).

In 1870, the Twelfth Night Revelers held their ball, with a large king cake as the main attraction. Instead of choosing a sacred king to be sacrificed, the Twelfth Night Revelers used the bean in the cake to choose the queen of the ball. This tradition has carried on to this day, although the Twelfth Night Revelers now use a wooden replica of a large king cake. The ladies of the court pull open little drawers in the cake's lower layer which contain the silver and gold beans. Silver means you're on the court; gold is for the queen.

Jane R. at Acts of Hope posted a picture of the French version of the cake, la galette des rois, which looks delicious.

The king cake consists of coffeecake dough, which is then shaped into strips and twisted to form an oval or circle. The original king cakes were decorated with only granulated sugar dyed purple, gold, and green, the official colors of the New Orleans Carnival season. Today most king cakes are covered with icing of some sort, like the cake pictured above, with the dyed sugar topping the icing. Other present-day variations on the original include cakes with fillings of all sorts, from cream to fruit-flavored jelly and whatever else the bakers may dream up.

The funniest commentary I've ever read about a king cake is about the baby, which was once baked into the cake, but is now, for fear of litigation, placed somewhere in the package or box for the customer to place in the cake, thus making the customer liable, rather than the bakery or the market. Here's the link to the commentary by blondiusmaximus at Live Journal. I must warn you that the post is x-rated and forbidden to my readers under the age of 14. And no lying about your age!