RESOLUTION 26 DEFEATED IN MISSISSIPPI

From WWLTV:

Mississippi voters shot down a referendum Tuesday that would have effectively banned abortions in the state, rejecting an initiative that said life begins at conception.

The so-called personhood initiative was rejected by more than 55 percent of voters. If it had passed, it was virtually assured of drawing legal challenges because it conflicts with the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established a legal right to abortion. Supporters of the initiative wanted to provoke a lawsuit to challenge the landmark ruling.

The measure divided the medical and religious communities in this Bible Belt state and caused some of the most ardent abortion opponents, including Republican Gov. Haley Barbour, to waver with their support.

Opponents said the measure could make birth control, such as the morning-after pill or the intrauterine device, illegal. It could also deter physicians from performing in vitro fertilization because they would fear criminal charges if an embryo doesn't survive.

Yes! I was worried about this vote, but I'm pleased to see that the people of Mississippi voted the resolution down by a large margin.

WELCOME, LAURA!

We welcome to No Anglican Covenant Coalition, Laura Sykes, who blogs at Lay Anglicana. Laura, a lay member of the Church of England, adds her knowledge, intelligence, and energy to our efforts at NACC to defeat the the adoption of the Anglican Covenant by as many of the the churches in the Anglican Communion as possible.

We're pleased to have you with us, Laura.

SCIENCE HUMOR

Click on the cartoon for the larger view.

Don't blame me. Blame Doug.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - HERMAN CAIN

I confess I'm a bit sorry to say good-bye to Herman Cain as a viable Republican candidate for president. I rather hoped Cain would be Obama's opponent.

BOROWITZ REPORTS...

November 8, 2011

Berlusconi Steps Down; Will Run National Restaurant Association

‘A Dream Job for Me,’ Says Italian PM

Oh boy! Did I ever need this laugh!

Read it all at Borowitz Reports.

HYPOCRITE OF THE YEAR AWARD - REP. JOE WALSH

From Think Progress:

In July, the press learned that Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL), a Tea Party freshman in Congress, owed $117,000 in unpaid child support to his ex-wife. Walsh, despite earning a hefty salary as a member of Congress, has continued to refuse to pay his ex-wife to support his children. Now, it appears, an influential Christian right lobbying group is lending some support to the deadbeat congressman.

The Sun-Times reports that the Family Research Council, a social conservative advocacy nonprofit headed by CNN pundit Tony Perkins, has awarded Walsh a 100 percent rating as a “True Blue” member of Congress. The FRC said it gave the honor to Walsh because of his “unwavering support of the family”

What a role model! What an example to us all! Joe Walsh receives the "True Blue" award for supporting 'the family'. One wonders what his own family, his children think about his true blueness.

From the Family Research Council:

As our Mission Statement declares, "Family Research Council champions marriage and family as the foundation of civilization, the seedbed of virtue, and the wellspring of society."

What were the folks at the FRC thinking to choose Joe Walsh as an model of 'unwavering support of the family', when he doesn't support his own family?

Paul Krugman tries to understand:

There’s a big difference between the left and the right in such matters, one that I don’t fully understand, although I’m trying. Here’s how it goes: if a liberal politician is caught behaving badly — enriching himself while preaching the need to help the poor, or just in general showing himself less than admirable by having an affair, visiting call girls, whatever — his career is over.

But if a conservative politician who preaches stern traditional morality is caught engaging in actions that are at odds with what he preaches — buying sex, taking wide stances in restrooms, or, in this case, stiffing his family even while preaching family values — he may well ride right through the scandal.

Does any group give an award for the Hypocrite of the Year? No? Well, I'll take it upon myself to designate Joe Walsh as my Hypocrite of the Year for having the chutzpah to accept the award. Shame on you, Joe. Take care of your own family before you interfere in the family lives of the rest of us.

OH YES! THANK YOU, BISHOP GENE ROBINSON

Bishop Gene Robinson, of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, hits the nail on the head and explains in simple terms that we can all understand what Occupy Wall Street is about.

H/T to Jim Naughton at The Lead.

GHOST

There was a haunted house on the outskirts of town which was avoided by all the townsfolk: The ghost which 'lived' there was feared by all.

An enterprising journalist decided to get the scoop of the day by photographing the fearsome phantom. When he entered the house, armed with only his trusty camera, the ghost descended upon him, moaning piteously, clanking chains, and generally being hauntingly obnoxious. The reporter interrupted the moaning and said, "Hold on a minute! I mean you no harm. I just want your photograph for the newspaper. You'll be a sensation!"

The ghost was quite happy at this chance to make the headlines and posed for a number of ghostly shots.

The happy journalist rushed back to his darkroom and began developing the photos. Unfortunately, however, they all turned out to be black and underexposed.

So what's the moral of the story?

The spirit was willing but the flash was weak.


Cheers,

Paul (A.)

I know, I know. Halloween is past and gone, and if Paul (A.) wasn't a bit under the weather, I'd ask him to leave the stage. Perhaps, my posting his past sell-by date and corny joke will cheer him up and make him feel better. He is such a hero. His lovely wife Catherine said:

Paul(A.)'s lovely wife has been completely swamped with grading papers for the last few days, so Paul (A.) has arisen from his sickbed to make me dinner Friday, breakfast Saturday, and breakfast and dinner today. I may finish the grading in time to go to school tomorrow. God Bless Paul (A.)!

'DANSE MACABRE' FROM MR CATOLICK

Excellent video from Mr CatOLick.

The gentlemen in the danse are Bishop of London, Richard Chartres, former Canon Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral, Giles Fraser, and former Dean of St Paul's, Graeme Knowles.

WAXING GIBBOUS MOON

The picture shows the moon as it looked when I walked tonight.

Waxing gibbous moon
The words themselves a poem
Turning full moon soon

A repost which I use from time to time when the gibbous moon shines in the night sky.