Friday Reads
Posted: December 24, 2010 Filed under: Barack Obama, Catfood Commission, Civil Liberties, Civil Rights, morning reads, Reproductive Rights, U.S. Economy | Tags: abortion rights, Deficit Reduction, Filibuster Reform, Senate Republicans, White House Staff shuffle, women's lives 58 Comments
Get Ready for a LONG weekend!!
Good Morning!!
I’m going to start off with some economics news for a change. This one is from The Economist. It’s a thread that lists the answers to a question asked of a group of economists: What do you expect to be the most significant economic developments in 2011?
I liked Mark Thoma’s contribution so here’s a bite.
I EXPECT one of the most significant developments of 2011 to be one I’d rather not see: deficit reduction.
Recovery from recessions brought about by financial panics is notoriously slow, and I don’t expect this recovery to be an exception to that general rule, though I’d be happy to be wrong about this.
Thus, rather than cutting the deficit, we need to take steps to increase the speed of the recovery or, at the very least, avoid doing things that will slow it down.
If Congress had credibility, there would be no need to worry about the trade-off between helping the economy escape the recession and reducing the deficit. Congress could do what is needed to help the economy now, and promise—credibly with specific plans—to reduce the deficit once the economy has recovered. That would give us the best of both worlds.
But, unfortunately, that’s not the Congress we have, credibility is not its strong suit, and legislators seem determined to demonstrate their intent with actions now rather than a commitment to take this up when the economy is stronger. This will place additional drag on an already slow recovery, and perhaps even send the economy back into recession.
So let’s hope we can at least realise the promise of gridlock and maintain the status quo until the economy is on better footing.
Yup, but that’s not what I expect given there’s hints that the State of the Union address will contain a presidential embrace of the cat food commission report and social security reductions. Let’s hope that’s just a bad rumor.
There’s an interesting analysis about Mitch McConnell up on Politico that I’m not sure about. It seems to imply that his ability to keep his Senate cronies in line may be fading. Will the NO Coalition fall apart? The analysis provides some examples from the lame duck session and then hints to one or two newcomers that could be thorns in McConnell’s side. One is Rand Paul who rides in on a tea party nag with some really wacky libertarian saddle baggage.
But the two lame-duck votes suggest that the GOP’s six-seat pick-up in November may, paradoxically, complicate matters for the man who had come to embody Republican resistance in the age of the Obama. And while nobody in the White House thinks McConnell has lost his grip, they see an opportunity to increase their leverage as McConnell finds himself squeezed between an incoming class of emboldened conservatives with a tea party tinge – and the eight to twelve Republicans who showed their independence on “don’t ask, don’t tell” and START.
After two years of nonstop Democratic infighting, the White House is clearly enjoying the possibility of a GOP family feud — and are closely watching how the old-school McConnell meshes with new-breed Republicans like Utah’s Mike Lee, a strict constitutionalist who won’t vote for anything James Madison would have rejected, and tea party idol Rand Paul, a fellow Kentuckian whose election McConnell initially opposed.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs on Wednesday suggested that McConnell “miscalculated” in the lame-duck by failing to “put aside partisan political interests” on START.
I admit to finding the Republican outrage on Ronald Reagan’s START Treaty a bit staged. Plus, the entire nightmare of having a group of Senators grandstand against dying 9-11 responders was unbelievable. Shep Smith of Fox even protested deep into the Republican belly so there had to be some indigestion there. Guess we’ll see when the Senate newbies hit town.
Another issue floating around the senate dream machine is finding some way to deal with filibuster reform. WaPo’s The Plum Line added this bit to the conversation.
There’s ongoing news for filibuster reform. Harry Reid is in active discussions with his caucus about moving forward with reform in the new year, and is currently devising a plan to do just that, a senior Senate Democratic leadership aide tells me.
At a caucus meeting this week attended only by Senators and no staff, Reid and fellow Dems devoted a significant chunk of time to a discussion about specific ideas on how to proceed, the aide says.
Word of Reid’s machinations comes after the National Journal reported yesterday that all the returning Democratic Senators have indicated support for efforts at reform, and are urging Reid to press forward at the start of the new year.
Though Reid has said in the past that he’s generally supportive of reform, it has been unclear whether he would support active measures to make it happen. But the senior Dem leadership aide says Reid is already working on specific steps forward.
Evidently there is a staff shuffle coming up at the White House shortly. This isn’t a surprise since there have been some recent departures–Summers, Rahm, Romer–and already announced departures like Axelrod.
A reshaping of the economic team, beginning by naming a new director of the National Economic Council, is among the most urgent priorities of the new year. Gene Sperling, a counselor to the Treasury secretary who held the position in the Clinton administration, is among the final contenders to succeed Lawrence H. Summers in the job, along with Roger C. Altman, a Wall Street investment banker who also served in the Clinton administration.
When Republicans assume control of the House on Jan. 5, ending four years of a full Democratic majority in Congress, the president’s approach to policy and politics is poised to change on several fronts.
The White House is hiring more lawyers to handle oversight investigations from the new Congress, even as the president sets up a re-election headquarters in Chicago and considers ways to streamline operations inside the West Wing.
“You’re not going to see wholesale changes, but there will be significant changes. I think that’s desirable,” said David Axelrod, a senior adviser who is leaving the White House next month. “This is a bubble. It’s been an intense couple of years, and there’s an advantage to bringing in folks who have a fresh set of senses — smell, touch and feel — about what’s going on out there.”
Investment bankers, old Clinton people … doesn’t sound like much of a change to me.
I had linked down thread the other day to a hospital in Arizona that has been punished for saving a woman’s life by giving her an abortion. The Bishop in question also excommunicated the Nun in charge. Nicholas Kristoff wrote an impassioned op-ed at the time.
Sister Margaret was a senior administrator of St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix. A 27-year-old mother of four arrived late last year, in her third month of pregnancy. According to local news reports and accounts from the hospital and some of its staff members, the mother suffered from a serious complication called pulmonary hypertension. That created a high probability that the strain of continuing pregnancy would kill her.
“In this tragic case, the treatment necessary to save the mother’s life required the termination of an 11-week pregnancy,” the hospital said in a statement. “This decision was made after consultation with the patient, her family, her physicians, and in consultation with the Ethics Committee.”
Sister Margaret was a member of that committee. She declined to discuss the episode with me, but the bishop of Phoenix, Thomas Olmsted, ruled that Sister Margaret was “automatically excommunicated” because she assented to an abortion.
“The mother’s life cannot be preferred over the child’s,” the bishop’s communication office elaborated in a statement.
The abortion procedure occurred awhile ago but the incident has led to a recent ACLU request to the Federal Government for help. The Hospital was just stripped of its Catholic status.
The American Civil Liberties Union on Wednesday asked federal health officials to ensure that Catholic hospitals provide emergency reproductive care to pregnant women, saying the refusal by religiously affiliated hospitals to provide abortion and other services was becoming an increasing problem.
In a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the ACLU cited the case of St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, which was stripped of its Catholic status Tuesday because doctors performed an abortion on a woman who had developed a life-threatening complication.
“We continue to applaud St. Joseph’s for doing what is right by standing up for women’s health and complying with federal law,” five ACLU attorneys wrote in a letter to Donald Berwick, the CMS administrator, and his deputy, Marilyn Tavenner.
“But this confrontation never should have happened in the first place, because no hospital – religious or otherwise – should be prohibited from saving women’s lives and from following federal law.”
I can only tell you that my last pregnancy was very high risk and there was no chance I was going to go to term. There was also no chance I would be able to delivery vaginally. I actually had a friend who had lost a baby under the same circumstances not too long before that. They could not rush her from North Platte to Omaha fast enough to save her pregnancy. I developed complication after complication at the onset. I can tell you that my insurance company at the time–Mutual of Omaha–basically wanted to force me to a Catholic hospital. I sent my husband to the people in charge of those decisions to flash his AVP ID and tell them to let me go to the Methodist one with its neonic and neonate on board and delivery rooms up the hall from the entrance to Children’s Hospital. Fortunately, we got the job done, we got the exception from Mutual of Omaha, and I carried youngest daughter far enough to term so that she was born very alive and healthy. I continued to have health problems; including the discovery of inoperable cancer throughout my reproductive organs.
Under no circumstances would I ever recommend to any woman with a functional uterus that they consider themselves safe at some religious hospitals unless the Federal Government steps in and enforces the law. St Joseph’s has basically disassociated from the church and continues its history of excellent care, but I wonder how many small town hospitals could afford to do the same. This situation bears watching and we may have to make some calls and write some letters as it develops.
Stay tuned.
As we enter the final week of 2010, I just want to say how much I appreciate the community of intelligent and insightful people that frequent Sky Dancing every day. Two months ago, I would’ve never envisioned this place being any thing more than my file cabinet. Today, we are a thriving community with a wonderful group of up and down page writers and sages. It has been a very rough year for me and having a place like this to relax with kindred spirits means so much to me. I look forward to reading what every one says every day. We’re growing leaps and bounds and are part of a bigger conversation as well. We’re trying to tackle and discuss tough issues in a place where strong opinions are cherished and met with civil discussion. I think you’ll be excited by some of the topics that are on deck and will be published soon. Grayslady will have her first official post up shortly. She’s been here behind the scenes for a bit but we get to read her on the front page and not just at her own wonderful blog. She and Sima have partnered on a topic that is an extremely important issue and I can’t want to get my eyes the results! I know it’s important and fortunately they’re experts who can explain the why to me! Of course, Bostonboomer and Wonk are busy with things and Zaladonis and mablue2 are here to delight us with their special blends of humor and opinions. (I frankly think Zaladonis has a book in him.) Oh, and did you know that we owe the morning news format to mablue2? Minx is busily working on something big too. She just told me about a file she downloaded to study and it’s huge! You’ll want to make a visit to check it out!
It’s always been about the community to me. Thank you for that greatest gifts any one could ever ask for!!! That would be your friendship, your time, and your tales! You’re my father and mother Christmases!! Whatever you celebrate–if you celebrate–this season, please have a good and safe one!!!
As we say around my household, FELIZ NAUGHTY DOGS!!! Merry Cat Mess!!!!! (It’s a long story and I’ve approached mablue2’s word count wall.)
peej
Carissa
ecocatwoman
mablue2
peggysue22
quixote
skydancingguestblogger
Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
My concern is that the Deficit / Debt story will take over all discussion and that drastic measures will have to be taken. I also have the view that the power base D or R do not have a clue or the political will to develop a credible plan for growth. Simply put the Tax Extensions are status quo and add nothing new. I ask the question, since they are in place, what have they done to induce growth.
My senior citizen experience in life says debt will kill you. This was fostered by parents and grandparents that lived through the depression. At holiday meals our older kids tell our grandchildren of the balony and soup years. They were refering to a time ( thier early grade scholl years) when my wife said the credit cards were to high and we paid them down over a two year period. By the way, christmas presents were bought on the 24th when the sales were on. Nothing fancy, but they were happy.
I think I am vindicated on the debt issue when we look how Home Equity Loans put people in dangerous conditions when the financial crisis hit. Many people have lost drastically. If they would have lived in their means (2003 – 2006) they would not be in trouble today. I am still reserving a special place in hell for the financial people who put us in this position. However the regular people always pay and that holds true today as it did in the depression.
I think the Federal debt is to a level where radical restucturing (default) will happen in the next two years simply because the government does not understand the magnitude of the problem to call for a fair shared sacrifice solution. They simply see the social security reserve as easy pickings
“I am reserving a special place in hell….” . So you’re the guy in charge of that huh? 😉
Shared sacrifice is not a concept in the vocabulary of my generation and after. It’s all about me me me. I see glimmers of that changing but we are not there yet.
It’s strange isn’t it? That a generation who did know deprivation managed to raise a few that don’t understand it. I don’t blame the parents though, I tend to think it’s a social trend and fostered by advertizing and big business and finance.
Dak – you understand the FED much better than all of us. There has been a lot of discussion on the FED printing money and the assertion that they are not. It is discussed in the following article
http://pragcap.com/morgan-stanley-the-fed-is-not-printing-money
Do you have any opinions regarding the significance of this discussion and the impact of Quantitative Easing at this time? My take is that the FED wants to induce inflation to kick start the spending. In deflation times or status quo, people sit on money. In inflation times they spend as current quantities will be worth less in the future. Deflation or status quo guarantees continuation of the crisis.
Let me go look!
Yes. Deflation or status quo does guarantee continuation and that article is pretty right. Because of our fractional reserve system, the Fed can only ‘create’ money when the banks are actively lending it out. Usually, if money is cheap (i.e. low interest rates) that means the banks will take the opportunity to lend the money rather than invest it in bonds. This is called the credit channel of monetary policy and it’s not functional at the moment. They’re sitting on the money so it’s not getting circulated. Second, if there’s money to lend, there also has to be demand for the loans and the loans have to be spent. That doesn’t happen if businesses don’t take the loans and use them for local activities and it doesn’t happen if people are saving or paying down debt.
There was a loss of weath during this recession. People lost wealth in their investment portfolios and their assets like homes. This makes them feel poorer. People don’t spend and borrow when they feel poorer. They hoard. Business don’t spend money if they don’t see customers. They hoard cash too. The Fed is limited when these conditions are in place. That’s why fiscal policy–stimulated domestic spending–is so important right now. Tax cuts aren’t really effective for similar reasons. Consumers can pay down debt or save which doesn’t simulate the economy. Business will hoard the cash or take it overseas where economies are booming. They make decisions purely on positive net value. Taxes and lax monetary policy don’t force that at all. And, if you don’t have incomes or revenues, what good is a tax break anyway?
Since capital can go any where now, all this silly Reagan style stimulus is just causing money to flow out the borders. That’s also why the international community isn’t happy. We’re creating inflation and problems in places like South Korea and doing nothing but building the deficit here.
In terms of the statement ‘the money multiplier is a myth’. That’s not really true. It’s just not functional right now because the money’s not circulating.
“The mother’s life cannot be preferred over the child’s,” the bishop’s communication office elaborated in a statement.
That says it all for me. Never a great choice to make. And almost never appropriately in the hands of a bishop.
dak, FELIZ NAUGHTY DOGS!!! Merry Cat Mess!!!!! to you too. Thank you for your resilience, vision and creation of this wonderful community.
I hope millions of people will continue to leave the Catholic church! They can still practice in their homes, but forget the church.
That little nugget from the bishop’s communication office is another crappy statement from the catholic church…along with the stuff that the pope said this week…it is all disgusting. It justs reaffirms my thoughts on the catholic church…and makes me relieved that I left it.
oh, what the pope said last week about pedophilia … evil evil evil!!! I don’t know ANY one with ANY morality at all that would consider children an appropriate focus of sexual drive. I can’t imagine a time when that was considered normal! People used to get married younger, but it’s always been portrayed as predatory. Even in the Fairy Tales and Myths!!!
I found that statement unbelievably appalling. I would hope that folks in Phoenix are de-funding his diocese and not providing any volunteer work.
I hope so as well. It’s sick, what he said and what the Pope has said recently. Can’t they get out of the frapping Middle Ages? (Yes, I love to study them, but the morality then leaves a bit to be desired).
Feliz Naughty Dogs to all!
“If Congress had credibility…” At face value, how remarkable is that statement? I know I will be emailing and contacting my reps (ugh… demint and wilson) more this coming year. The bubble surrounding them needs bursting and I’ll do my part.
A hospital stripped of “catholic” status. Very interesting. It’s my view that when the nuns actually run the show, things are “better”. My experience at our local sisters of providence hospital was very agnostic. I never saw a religous person during my stay and even was left alone on sunday morning when my id band had me listed as catholic. Kudos to that nun for respecting the wishes of the mother and her doctor.
Hat tip to our northen border patrol. I crossed into the US north of Niagara Falls yesterday, and all the updates they’ve installed made it the easiest crossing in 10 years. Now if we could just get rid of all this snow in Buffalo… haha!
You know I LOVE that pic! Thanks, Kat! Now, off to read…
Yup. Knew you would.
Wonderful post, Dak. I’m thrilled with our developing community too, as you know. This is exactly what I dreamed of for the past year or so–a group of writers with very different backgrounds and interests collaborating to cover serious issues and intelligent commenters who feel comfortable with open discussion and respect for each others opinions.
I stayed where I was for a long time simply because I felt a responsibility to the community and there were so many people that I felt attached to–I didn’t want to let them down.
But I grew tired of the repeated rehashing of 2008 and the silly animosity to other bloggers. I’m so happy now. Every day I look forward to interesting discussions with friendly people; and I don’t feel I have to avoid certain subjects to keep the peace.
Thanks, Dakinikat and all of you who are helping us build a blog that we can be proud of.
Thank you BB. You have been such a good friend and you’re such a terrific colleague and kindred. Without you talking sense at me, I’d probably still be enabling train wrecks and sneaking around to free the dissenting from banishment
I just want to say thank you Dakinikat for creating this blog to continue sharing your insightful knowledge in a grown-up way. Merry Christmas to you and yours. But especially, lets look forward to a happy and healthy, joyous New Year.
I will second that!
So pleasant to be able to read the insights of some truly talented writers and walk away feeling a little bit more informed. I might add that any “disagreement” that is expressed is not met with ridicule, snark, or derision.
The Catholic bishop merely underscores the belief that a woman’s right to healthcare is at the mercy of men who expose their lack of ethics, empathy, and integrity by placing her at risk for the sake of religious beliefs that place her needs last in their worldview.
Lastly, a sincere wish that everyone be able to enjoy the upcoming holidays to the best of their abilities and circumstance. The New Year promises more opportunitiesto “bash” the GOP as they take over congress and the candidates who will be crawling out to the woodwork with policies that are assured to deliver more angst over the next two years.
Actually, I created a file cabinet. We created a blog.
@ Glenn True Dat!
Although I’ve been reading for a couple of weeks, this is my first post. I found this place by searching after noticing the absence of Dak’s posts at the other site. I’m pleased to see other familiar posters here.
Merry Cat Mess and Feliz Naughty Dogs to all!
Welcome!
Glad to see you post!!!
Dakinkat, I am also glad I found you here. This is a great post. Most of us out in the real world don’t always realize that all of these issues can be very personal for so many. You share so much about your life that I know is so personal to you and I appreciate that. The issue of health care is a big one for me. My sister died an early death because she didn’t have insurance and put off going to the doctor for financial reasons. As far as I’m concerned all health care issues should be decided by the person it involves in consultation with his/her doctors or anyone else he/she lets into that world! It also should be a right not some act tied to retaining an insurance company.
On the issue of the economy I expect everything will hit the fan on March 4th when the budget will come home to roost and Republicans suddenly get all religious on debt reduction. It is going to hurt someone and they won’t be from the millionaire’s club as I like to call them!
Insurance companies are just about the ultimate evil. They’re like a crime syndicate! I kept begging my ex to find another job because I felt like I was taking blood money to live on … to profit off of some one’s poor health and make it nearly impossible for any one with a basically unnecessary product to die because they’ve screwed market pricing up so badly is just so bad as to be criminal.
Thanks for this wonderful place, dak and all the talented writers and contributors. Wishing the new year brings renewed peace and prosperity to all!
Merry Cat Mess, Feliz Naughty Dogs and our old favorite round these parts… Merry Chrismoose!!
Chrismooses are good too!!!
Thank you to those who worked so diligently to set up a fine blog. Your success is well deserved. I have been reading here almost from the start, and I only regret I didn’t make this move sooner. Have a great season, all.
It’s good to see you, mjames. Hope you enjoy the holiday season.
Here’s something I picked up on last night and hope to follow up on:
Mortgage lenders ordered to appear in NJ court”
The Supreme Court of NJ has ordered the 6 biggest foreclosing banks to show why their operations in NJ shouldn’t be suspended because of mass “robo-signing” practices. The Court’s action followed a report from NJ Legal Services (yaay for Legal Services!) detailing the practices and showing a pattern of abuses.
I posted more detail from the article over here.
Have to run for now but I’m hoping to check this story out more when back from the festivities.
I am going to follow this one! Thank you! I can’t believe how incredibly lax mortgage underwriting got. I can’t believe any stockholder of an institution that did that wouldn’t have a class action suit. Let alone the damage they did to people who are out on the streets!
That sounds very interesting. Looking forward to reading your piece, Valhalla.
Heh, you must be channeling the youngest of my little irreverants with Merry Catmas. He’s been chomping at the bit to make sugar cookies. Why? He plans on using the Halloween cat cookie cutter and adding Christmas sprinkles to make Christmas cats. Then there’s my window where another younger decided we needed to keep the fake blood up and add the snowflakes to enact the Christmas massacre. Can’t tell my two youngers are boys can ya?
The only redeeming thing about holidays is that we can have the ability arrange them so that kids can be kids!!! Those boys are lucky to have you! I’d rather have Christmas cat cookies than a Martha Stewart costathon holiday any day!!
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas – Happy Yule (Winter Solstice) to our pagan friends.
Dak, you and BB have created a wonderful place here, congratulations to all the front pagers. May the New Year bring better times.
Thanks for the recognition.
I actually remember those days fondly, because I used to have some time. My job wasn’t as consuming and draining as it has become.
I can’t believe I did the “Breakfast Read” by myself every day for a long time before even asking other people to jump in.
Yup, that was heroic duty. Once I started having to do them more than about once a week, I realized how valuable you were!!
I was doing four a week!
Yup. And they weren’t just primarily block quotes of other peoples stuff with a few pictures and a sentence of your own. These things are much more time consuming than people would think. Resplendent Heroic Duty abounds!!! I think had to do three a week at one point, and that just about did me in. You have to add something to the thing imho to make it worth looking at. It’s more than just posting youtubes, blockquotes, and pictures. All though, I’m still having a lot of fun posting gratuitous kitteh! and doggeh! pictures as a symbol of solidarity for those of us that faced regime suppression !!!!
I was really putting some thoughts even into the pictures.
Moreover, there were days were I had so much stuff that I needed figure out what to leave out.
I was always in awe when anyone else put up the News which tons of material because I knew what it took.
Wonk’s Saturday versions are amazing. She manages to find some of the most amazing articles and sites and she wraps them up into a coherent theme. She’s taken your format to her own art form.
and I still can’t believe some people think open threads with you tubes count as actual posts … there’s a difference between something that you actually spend time on and something you just throw up because you have an itch to scratch or you’ve got the blog version of dead air
I’m so sorry to hear you all were treated badly, especially since so many, like myself, were enjoying the fruits of your labor. I had no idea. But seeing the treatment of commentors lately, it’s becoming rather clear. I’m so glad you found a place and that you let us come and hang out with you. And post whatever damn picture you want!
Thanks to everyone and may next year be even better than the last!
Some times things change for the worse and some times for the better. What once was a refuge can later become a source from which you need refuge. Some form of change is the only thing you can bet on …
Luv those gratuitous kitteh and doggeh pics for what they are, and for what they represent! The canine up top reminds me of my border-collie best friend when I was a kid, back when the snows were deep and the creek was frosted with icicles and winters were winters.
Merry Holly Days to all in this blog community.
“Wonk’s Saturday versions are amazing. She manages to find some of the most amazing articles and sites and she wraps them up into a coherent theme. She’s taken your format to her own art form.”
*blush* Thank you, Kat. All I can say is…I studied under you guys who started before me so I learned from the best 😉
I want to also get my Holiday wishes out to everyone….Please take care, and be safe.
And in the words of that magnificent Marx Brother, Groucho….
“Let joy be unconfined. Let there be dancing in the streets, drinking in the saloons, and necking in the parlor.”
I hope you enjoy this clip!
And if you want to see the chaos that follows this scene….check this link out:
Oh and one more thing…after all that holiday partying, I certainly hope that you all do not look like that gypsy in the opera…you know the one….”Boogie Woogie Woogie! How would like to feel the way she looks?”
-Minx
It seems so strange now to look at all these festivities from the eye of a one who doesn’t do any of them. This time of year is just this time of year for me now and has been for about 12 years or so. The Christmas cookies were great. The massive bills and messes to pick up, not so great.
I went to my sister’s house between semesters a few years ago and got drug into her inlaws celebrations. It really made me appreciate that I give gifts when ever I want to for no apparent reason other than sincere appreciation of the person. I can toss January Credit Card statement shock in the dumpster. And the house cleaning and cooking and having to go to all these events, dressed, and cheery! What a bunch of pressure. The day I stopped decorating and realized that was one less mess I was going to have to deal with, is the day I experienced one of the biggest reliefs in my life. Just to let all that PRESSURE go!
That’s my wish for all of you that still embrace holidays. Just take a breath and let whatever pressure is there go!!! Keep the simple, cheap, and good stuff.
I’ve just come down to finding the best in every holiday and trying to make sure I keep it in my actions and heart 365 days of the year. Random day gift giving really is a fun thing to do!
How’d you get your family to go along with it?
I do really like some aspects of the Holiday season. I like getting together with friends, and I really enjoy the feasts my partner puts on. I love making my sister happy, and she does like opening presents. I wonder if I can get her to accept opening presents, but not obsess, on other days. Then we could have holidays any time!
I will risk having Bostonboomer tell me it’s not all about me and to get over myself by posting this link. The Church hierarchy should be ashamed of the actions they took against St. Joseph’s but Catholic hospitals deserve our support. They continue to provide much needed care to the poor and uninsured all over the country.
http://www.chausa.org/newsdetail.aspx?id=2147488971
I know that there are many dedicated nuns and priests that try to carry out their vows of charity and poverty. I don’t think the acts of one bishop reflect on all members of that religion or all clergy. One of my best friends (30 years) is a former nun and many of my friends from her are still nuns (Sisters of Mercy flavor) and they’ve done some incredible work in their day. For some reason there’s the hierarchy with all those old men that just can make some incredible messes too.
For a while I worked with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace. Some of the sisters went down to protest at the School of the Americas, as it was called then, and got arrested for doing so. They also did healthcare and education missions in Central America, and started a halfway house for women leaving domestic abuse, long before that started getting much attention.
They were true believers in love and compassion and had no patience for hellfire and brimstone theology. Wonderful women. Wish the rest of the Catholic Church was half as good.
Sorry you’re still upset about that Beata. I apologized to you at the time and I meant it.
I hope you enjoy your Christmas celebration, and have a great new year.
This is really a strange thing to see. The Mail on line has an old picture of Hitler celebrating Christmas in 1941. Wow, that’s just plain spooky. Hitler and his SS under a christmas tree in living color. And to think what they were doing to jewish people and moscow at that time. I just get the shudders from that. Guess he was trying to make it a solstice celebration and replace christmas with something less religious and they decked the halls with swastikas. What a haunting image!
Another great post and great comments. Merry Christmas to the religious, and Happy Holidays to all. I’ll be around, in and out over the weekend, but just wanted to give all of you my very best.
Same to you!!
Editor's Notes: Stranger than fiction
You all may want to check this out!