Is Barack Obama The Messiah?

Check out this satirical blog, which examines the mania surrounding the Obama campaign.

Even Hillary Clinton has been picking up on this.



I'm still praying neither one of them will be president.

Trees sentenced to death for shading solar panels

Which is more important? Preserving carbon-reducing trees, or maximizing the use of (carbon footprint minimizing) alternative energy sources?

In my home state of California, a six year legal battle ended when the court ruled that a couple must cut down redwood trees on their property that deprived their neighbor's solar panels of the light that makes their existence meaningful. (Read the story here.)

Once again, environmentalist principles have left people stuck between a rock and a hard place, pitting one of nature's largest and most beautiful trees against a synthetic device meant (perhaps ironically) to help mankind take advantage of what nature has to offer.

In this case, technology won, which means another manufactured device will soon be used to sacrifice these trees for the sake of our efforts to preserve the planet for their leafy bretheren.

It just goes to show that you can't make a vegan tofu scramble without killing a few soybeans.

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Related: Redwood National Park.

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In other news:

• Population reducing birth control pills poison aquatic environments.
• Environmental preservation may present environmental hazard.
• Squirrel bridges and other innovations: The dangers of protecting endangered species.

Another Study Confirms Estrogen Footprints

This time at the University of New Brunswick. See the story at LifeSite News. and also at the Gulf of Maine Times, MedicalNewsToday.com. Looking for a non-pro-life source? Even the American Association for the Advancement of Science, which supports embryonic stem cell research is covering this on their EurekAlert news site.

To review: Women take the pill, and the hormones are excreted into the sewage system. They do not get filtered out by water treatment processes, and end up back in the environment, where they do bizarre things to fish populations. To top it off, people who eat the fish, also eat the hormones.

I posted on this twice before. The first time, I linked to a report from Canada's Freshwater Institute Fisheries and Oceans on the effects of synthetic hormones on aquatic life.

The second post links to a Scientific American article that discusses potential breast cancer risks for human populations that ingest fish from waters contaminated with synthetic hormones. Hormones which are classified as known carcinogens by the World Health Organization, according to documents from a Mayo Clinic Study which I have cited previously.

That's three separate studies so far, people.

Think about it.

Nod: Tito

A little Chesterton

There are two rooted spiritual realities out of which grow all kinds of democratic conception or sentiment of human equality. There are two things in which all men are manifestly and unmistakably equal. They are not equally clever or equally muscular or equally fat, as the sages of the modern reaction (with piercing insight) perceive. But this is a spiritual certainty, that all men are tragic. And this, again, is an equally sublime spiritual certainty, that all men are comic. No special and private sorrow can be so dreadful as the fact of having to die. And no freak or deformity can be so funny as the mere fact of having two legs. Every man is important if he loses his life; and every man is funny if he loses his hat, and has to run after it. And the universal test everywhere of whether a thing is popular, of the people, is whether it employs vigorously these extremes of the tragic and the comic.

-- G. K. Chesterton, Charles Dickens

Nod: PhatCatholic

Pope Benedict XVI is the Cat's Meow!

A biography of the Holy Father for children will be published later this month. The twist? His story will be told from the perspective of his cat Chico. Insight Scoop, the Ignatius Press blog, describes the book as follows:


"In this beautifully illustrated book for children, Chico the cat describes the life of his "best friend", Pope Benedict, in this authorised biography of the Pope for young people approved by the Vatican.

"Dear Children, here you will find a biography that is different than others because it is told by a cat and it is not every day a cat can consider the Holy Father his friend and sit down to write his life story," the Pope's personal secretary, Monsignor Georg Ganswein, says in the foreword."

Read the entire post here.

That's right, ladies and gentlemen! Vatican approved!

Being a both an educator and a lifelong cat person myself, I love this idea. Most children I have ever seen have a natural fondness for animals. The use of a cat as narrator will help to make the story accessible to children, while allowing them to see the Pope as a person worthy of both affection and great respect.

And if it's fun to read, hey, that's one more way to encourage kids to open a book once in awhile.

Birth control pills and hair loss in women

According to the American Hair Loss Association, "Women who are predisposed to hormonal related hair loss or who are hypersensitive to the hormonal changes taking place in their bodies can experience hair loss to varying degrees while on the pill or more commonly, several weeks or months after stopping the pill."

Now, while there are potential side effects that are much more serious than this (increased risk of breast cancer, heart attack, stroke, osteoporosis, environmental damage, etc.), it gives women with a family history of hair loss one more reason to consider alternatives to oral and other hormone based contraceptives. Like maybe Natural Family Planning, which has "perfect use" rates rivaling those of the pill, according to a German study.

Revival of Marriage?

Catholic Mom posts on generational differences among American Catholics with respect to marriage. I think she gets it.

I would also add, however, that I think lessons learned from the mistakes of an older generation may have something to do with it as well.

Birds, Bushes, and Blooms

It's Valentine's Day!

Here is my post from last year on the origins of the holiday and its connection to the bird mating season.


In some regions, Valentine's day is the time to prune any rose bushes in your garden.

With that thought, I shall leave you with a lovely rose photograph taken by my brother:

2008 Presidential Rat Race: A review.

Last spring I posted information on candidates' positions on non-negotiables. I re-post a shortened version of that chart featuring the current pool of major candidates, and the addition of one minor candidate.

******************************************

Candidate	Abortion	Embryonic Stem Cell Research	Same-Sex Marriage
Hillary Clinton D	Pro-Abortion	Supports..	Voted against constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. Supports gay domestic partnership benefits.
Mike Huckabee R	Moderately pro-life. Supports abortion when the life of the mother is endangered. Opposes public funding for abortions organizations that advocate or perform abortions. Source	Opposes, accepts campain funds from stems cell researchers	Opposes same-sex marriage. Says we should “support gay couples”
John McCain R	Moderately Pro-Life. 75% rating from NRLC.	Supports on existing lines, opposes on new.	Supports civil unions, opposes gay marriage.
Barack Obama D	Pro-Choice. 100% ratings from Planned Parenthood and NARAL	Supports	Opposes gay marriage, supports civil unions.
Ron Paul R	Mostly Pro-Life. Voted to oppose parental consent law.	Opposes expansion	Supports Civil Unions
Mitt Romney R	Pro-abortion as Mass. Governor. Flipped to Pro-life when running for President.	Vetoed a Mass. Stem cell research bill.	Supports domestic partnerships, opposes marriage and civil unions. Supports homosexual adoption.
Alan Keys R	Pro-life. Opposes Roe. Supports Human life Amendment to constitution. Opposes Euthanasia.	Opposes. From Campaign Website: "No medical advance, and certainly no material profit, justifies denying the claim to humanity of the embryonic human person."	"The effort to equate homosexual and lesbian relations with legal marriage represents a destructive assault on the heterosexual, marriage-based family"

The information here was taken from SelectSmart.com and the Alan Keys campaign website.
Their source references are duplicated here, where possible. Such sources include public statements by candidates, satisfaction ratings from organizations, and public voting records. They also link to candidate websites.

******************************************

National Right to Life has a table with more specific information on the candidates' stands on pro-life issues, including parental consent laws, public funding, etc. Click here to see this. (PDF file. You will need Acrobat Reader).

Before you sign that donor card:

The notion of being able to save the lives of others even after we ourselves have left this life is a noble one. However, in the name of saving one life, one should always be careful to avoid the unjust taking of another.

In the wake of the Terri Schiavo case, it is especially clear that some people are in great danger of losing their lives to unethical medical practices.

Which is why some ethical questions are being raised about how organs are harvested.

Nod: Christina Dunigan

Fighting carelessness with stupidity

A proposed law in Mississippi would forbid restaurants from serving obese persons.

The trouble with this bill it assumes restaurants are the problem, and gives little credit to the eater for her choices and habits. It is possible to go out to eat, and still eat healthy. It is possible to eat at home all the time, and eat nothing but junk. Both phenomena occur daily across this fruited plain of ours. (Uh-oh, better hide the fruit, someone might make a dessert out of it!)

Modern Commentaries says all that really needs to be said on the matter.

I particularly enjoy the reaction of one of Amy's commenters, who says of the bill's sponsor:

I wonder when he's going to sponsor a bill forbidding bars to serve alcoholics (wouldn't that close down every Amvets and VFW in the country!), forbidding casinos to allow gambling addicts in, and forbidding stupid people from becoming politicians.

Government officials are perhaps the best illustration of the fact that legislation is not an antidote to foolishness.

35 years

I sat down at my computer a few minutes ago to write a brilliant post on the 35th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade. 35 is a round number, it seems like it demands something special.

But as I sit here wondering what to say, thinking about the great weight of those 35 years, I find myself just feeling tired. Maybe those nice round numbers are heavier than others.

But I will share this: I was reminded today of the beautiful job F. Scott Fitzgerald did when he wrote The Great Gatsby. He lived at a time when modern culture as we know it was just beginning to emerge, and carelessness, consumerism, and corruption were tarnishing the American Dream. Two of his characters are charming yet vapid, prejudiced, selfish people who wouldn't know the dignity of others if it walked up and slapped them in the face, or surprised them with a sincere gesture of affection. They break people the way spoiled children break toys, and after a brief moment of shock at the consequences, they move on to the next bigger, better human toy without so much as a backward glance, and it is the powerless who pay the greatest price.

Gatsby is a warning. Materialistic hedonism destroys, and in the Great Gatsby, it destroys human life.

G.K. Chesterton saw this coming too, before Fitzgerald even published Gatsby. Dale Ahlquist very eloquently explains:

Eugenics and abortion is about the tyranny of the elite deciding who shall live and who shall die. And if it's about the elite, it's about money. It was the Rockefellers and the Carnegies and other capitalist lords who funded eugenics research in the early 20th century. They went on to be major supporters of Planned Parenthood. Chesterton says that wealth, and the social science supported by wealth tries inhuman experiments, and when they fail, they try even more inhuman experiments. They are inhuman because they are godless. But they are godless because they don't want to face how inhuman they are. The wealthy industrialist became agnostic, says Chesterton, "not so much because he did not know where he was, as because he wanted to forget. Many of the rich took to scepticism exactly as the poor took to drink; because it was a way out."


Chesterton foresaw that society would begin to view human beings as commodities. That school children would eventually be seen as industrial tools to be churned out by public institutions, rather than thinking individuals; that the poor and the weak and the elderly would be seen as unsightly burdens, to be abandoned and left to the care of government bureaucracies; that women, facing untimely pregnancies would be bombarded with messages telling them that their usefulness to themselves and society (or their unborn child's usefulness) will be reduced to nothing if they embrace motherhood and give birth.

I am the child of a "crisis" pregnancy, born after the Roe decision, in a state where abortion was already legal before the infamous Supreme Court case made its mark on American history. In the time since Roe, over 48 million human beings, many of whom might have been my friends, have lost their lives. It is true that we in the post-Roe generation have not lived in a world without legalized abortion, and we do not remember what a world without it would be like. But we do know that in an age of legalized abortion, we are lucky to be alive at all.

I cannot embrace the hopeless and selfish utilitarian attitude of the age in which I live, and the society that tried to convince my mother it would have been okay to kill me in the womb. I and the many young people who have been and will be marching for life this week every year will not give in to "the tyranny of the elite deciding who shall live and who shall die". We want to say to our children, "See? We have given you a world that will protect your very life--your entire life, more than it protected ours."

Related:
Pro-life feminist Serrin Foster on the betrayal of women by the "pro-choice" cause.
Dale Ahlquist's lecture one Chesterton's "Eugenics and other Evils"

Sarah Weddington, Traitor to her Sex

Weddington's Betrayal of Women
Serrin M. Foster
President
Feminists for Life of America

On the thirty-fifth anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion, many will focus on the undeniable humanity of the unborn child now seen clearly by millions through sophisticated sonograms on Oprah as well as in Life and Newsweek cover stories.

Meanwhile, I will be reflecting on the impact of the choice made by attorney Sarah Weddington in 1973.

As her arguments for abortion before the Supreme Court made clear, Weddington saw the discrimination and other injustices faced by pregnant women. But she did not demand that these injustices be remedied. Instead, she demanded for women the “right” to submit to these injustices by destroying their pregnancies.

Weddington rightly pointed out the unmet needs of students: “…there are many schools where a woman is forced to quit if she becomes pregnant.” But Weddington didn’t argue against pregnancy discrimination or even for alternate solutions for a pregnant student.

Weddington did no better for women in the workplace. “In the matter of employment, she often is forced to quit at an early point in her pregnancy. She has no provision for maternity leave… She cannot get unemployment compensation under our laws, because the laws hold that she is not eligible for employment, being pregnant, and therefore is eligible for no unemployment compensation.”

For women with serious medical needs, she further noted: “There is no duty for employers to rehire women if they must drop out to carry a pregnancy to term. And, of course, this is especially hard on the many women in Texas who are heads of their own households and must provide for their already existing children.”

Weddington clearly saw the bind low-income women face when experiencing unplanned pregnancy: “At the same time, she can get no welfare to help her at a time when she has no unemployment compensation and she's not eligible for any help in getting a job to provide for herself.”

Weddington repeatedly said that women need “relief” from pregnancy, instead of arguing that women need relief from these injustices.

What if Weddington had used her legal acumen to challenge the system and address women’s needs?

By accepting pregnancy discrimination in school and workplace and the lack of support in society for pregnant women and parents, especially the poor, Weddington and the Supreme Court betrayed women and undermined the support women need and deserve.

Since then, millions of women have paid the price, struggling in school and the workplace without societal support. After all, when “it’s her body, it’s her choice,” it’s her problem.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, the research arm of Planned Parenthood, the largest provider of abortion in America, half of all abortions are performed on college-age women.

Since 1994, Feminists for Life has worked to address the unmet needs of pregnant and parenting students and staff on college campuses. For the past decade FFL’s Pregnancy Resource Forums on campuses across the country have revealed the still-unmet needs of pregnant and parenting students — especially a lack of housing, child care, telecommuting options, maternity coverage and medical riders for additional children. FFL found there is rarely a central place on campus for pregnancy and parenting resources. Even when resources are available, they are often not publicized. For pregnant and parenting students kept in the dark about the help they need and deserve, perception is their reality.

This March, which is Women’s History Month, Feminists for Life is helping college students make history for women by hosting Rallies for Resources on campuses across the country — so that women don’t feel driven to choose between sacrificing their children or their education and career plans.

The proposed Elizabeth Cady Stanton Pregnant and Parenting Student Services Act, a bipartisan effort led by Senators Elizabeth Dole and Ben Nelson and Representatives Marcy Kaptur and Sue Myrick, would make grants available for up to 200 colleges and universities to host pregnancy resource forums, create resource centers on campus, and communicate available support on and off campus.

There was one thing Weddington got right. “Whether she's unmarried; whether she's pursuing an education; whether she's pursuing a career; whether she has family problems; all of the problems of personal and family life, for a woman, are bound up in the problem of abortion.”

Abortion is a reflection that we have not met the needs of women.

Thirty-five years after Weddington capitulated to inherently unfair practices against pregnant and parenting women, those on both sides of the abortion debate should unite and say “no” to the status quo. Clearly women deserve better.

© 2008, Feminists for Life of America. This article may be reprinted in its entirety, including the author’s name and title, the organization name, and a link to www.feministsforlife.org.

The 35th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade is in two days. Injustices faced by pregnant women have not been minimized by legal abortion, and the people who perpetrate them are now protected by the legal and social expectation that women facing crisis pregnancies should terminate them.

Nice work, Ms. Weddington.

Via: Christina Dunigan

Notes to the Fashion Industry: Or, Why I love Sewing

I hate department stores.

I hope the corporate offices of the major ones are reading this, because I know I am not the only woman who is beginning to detest the monumental waste of time and energy that shopping for clothes is becoming.

Granted, we are part of the problem. We'll stay in those stores for two or three hours sometimes hoping against hope that we will find that particular shirt or that elusive pair of perfect jeans. Men (at least most of the ones that I know) do not generally do this. If they can't find the item they want within 20 minutes, they often leave the store. I think I actually see more women in the men's department than actual men. The fashion industry knows this, and so far has done nothing but made the hunt for female attire more and more difficult, thought it works so hard to give the appearance of the contrary.

Since when did the American Dream get twisted in to this exhausting chase after life, liberty, and the perfect little black dress?

This is why I now own a sewing machine. To decrease my dependence on a fashion industry gone berserk.

So here are a few suggestions I offer to the makers and sellers of ladies' clothing, should they wish to make their places of business more pleasant for their customers, in case they wish to win back the business of those who share my frustrations.

1. Clearly labeled Sizing. When my husband needs jeans, undershirts, or anything else, he can match the size of his clothing to his (listen carefully now) ACTUAL MEASUREMENTS for his chest, waist, inseam, or whatever. We women, on the other hand, have to deal with obscure sizes like '2' and 'medium', with no reference whatsoever to the actual size and shape of our person. This leads to endless time spent trying on garments that do not fit.
2. End Size Creep. To make matters worse, the actual size of a '2' or a '6' or whatever can vary from one brand to another, and even from one year to an other. When I was I was 12 , I wore a number size distinctly larger than what I am now, and despite the increase in my physical size, the number on my jeans has actually gone down. This could only be possible if there were size creep going on. Don't try to flatter my by telling me I'm smaller. My tape measure doesn't lie. But the label on my pants probably does.
3. Petites are young people too. Why is it that most of the petite items look like they were made for someone's grandma? I hope to be one someday, but let's not get ahead of ourselves now.
4. While we are on the subject of height, women come in a variety of height, width and shape combinations. There is, for instance, such a thing as a tall thin person. I don't happen to be tall myself, but I know a tall woman who has a really hard time finding tall pants in a size 6. .
5. Speaking of shapes, curvy women come in all sizes too. (Jean designers should pay especially close attention to this. The back waist of a pair of jeans should not leave enough extra space for me to carry a sandwich. Ladies, you know what I mean.
6. Spandex should be illegal. Especially in regions with hot, humid summers. Why on earth is is so hard to make 100% cotton jeans and tank tops?
7. Quality. As a garment sewer I am learning what this looks like, and I hate to say that I am seeing cheap work in stores that should know better. Seams should hold. Fabrics should be pre-shrunk. Colors should stay. Period.
8. Value. I should not have to pay $100 for a garment that fits me. That may work for fashion magazines and makeover shows, but it sure adds up fast out here in the real world. This kind of pricing becomes especially ridiculous to the person who knows she can custom make a similar item for herself for half the money, and a quarter of the frustration.
9. Brand power does not mean as much as you'd like to think. I'll put it to you this way. If you think the chest of my shirt or the butt of my jeans are advertising space, you the company should be paying me for the use of it. That means you, Tommy Hillfiger, Abercrombie, Nike, and Hollister. (and Esprit, back in the 80's) I am certainly not paying you extra money for the privilege of giving you free marketing.
   

There it is, fashion marketing executives. Free of charge, though you are welcome to pay me if you like.

I must end this post, though with a call to women to stand up for themselves here. Nobody said you have to waste your life at the mall looking for something that isn't there, probably putting enough strain on your feet to require a visit to a podiatrist. If you can't find what you are looking for in 30-60 minutes, politely inform the manager that the store needs to be more friendly to the needs of its busy female customers, and leave with your hard-earned money still in your wallet.

Maybe you'll save enough for a sewing machine.

Birth Control and Bone Loss

The couple that taught our NFP (Natural Family Planning) class had three children, which they planned and conceived using NFP after the wife went off of the birth control pill.

Unfortunately, she already had such severe osteoporosis that her ability to hold and carry her youngest child while standing was severely limited, under the orders of her doctor.

She wasn't even 40 yet when my husband and I took the class. Her back was already showing early signs of the "dowager's hump" that is often very pronounced in older women with advanced bone loss.

Part of the reason for her early osteoporosis was her long-term use of The Pill, according to her doctor.

Back in 2005, the connection between Birth Control Pills and bone loss was documented in a Purdue University Study, and also in 2001

This article, dated in 2007, refers to Loyola Marymount University research published in the journal Osteopororsis International that finds the same. This study was of women aged 18-25, a critical time (in addition to the teen years) for women to be doing everything they can to build up their bone mass.

Imagine what could happen with women who started taking the Pill for acne (or other reasons) as early as 12 or 13 and have spent almost their entire post-pubescent lives on the Pill. I hope someone will study that next.


Some recommend taking extra calcium and getting extra exercise to minimize this rather frightening side effect. Why not just ditch the pill, so the calcium-rich diet and exercise (which are generally good for us women anyway) can have their full effect?

Who knows, maybe one less Pill now could mean we're less likely to need one more (i.e. osteoporosis pill) later.

Magic School Musical...

...the Puppet Show!



Via Alive and Young

One Tough Mama

Give Jane Hambleton of Des Moines Iowa a round of applause for her responsible and creative parenting.

When she found booze in ther teenage son's car, she took out an ad in the paper, stating:

"OLDS 1999 Intrigue. Totally uncool parents who obviously don't love teenage son, selling his car. Only driven for three weeks before snoopy mom who needs to get a life found booze under front seat. $3,700/offer. Call meanest mom on the planet."

(Read the full story at CNN)

Naturally, her son is not pleased with the arrangement, but this is one mother who is decidedly not intimidated by her child's whining. Not even when he claims that the alcohol was left by a passenger. Dumb excuse anyway. He had been told that there would be no tolerance for alcohol in the car, and he should not have allowed it. Whether the booze was his or his friend's, it was still just as illegal. Until he learns this, he should not be driving, and his mother is taking that very seriously.

This is quite refreshing, considering the lengths to which some youth will take their whining, and the absurd frequency with which this works on (what should be authoritative) adults.

Take it from a teacher who sees kids when their parents aren't looking. Be firm when you teach them right from wrong. Most likely, they'll recover.

They may even thank you for it someday.

What to teach your kids about Myspace.

I think "Online" by Brad Paisely sums it up nicely. The video, complete with celebrity cameos, makes the message even clearer. (Click here to watch it on YouTube--there is some mature humor, by the way.)


Here are the lyrics:

I work down at the pizza pit
And I drive and old Hundai
I still live with my mom and dad
I 5'3 and overweight

I'm a Sci-fi fantatic
Mild athsmatic
Never been to 2nd base
But there's a whole nother me
That you need to see
Go check out MySpace

Cause online I'm down in Hollywood
I'm 6'5 and I look damn good
I drive a Mazarati
I'm a black belt in Karate
And I love a good glass of wine

It turns girls on that I'm mysterious
I tell 'em I don't want nothing serious
Cause even on a slow day I can have a three way
Chat with two women at one time

I'm so much cooler online
So much cooler online

I get home, I kiss my mom
And she fixes me a snack
I head down to my basement bedroom
And fire up the mac

In real life, the only time I
Ever even been to LA
Was when I got the chance with the marching band
To play tuba in the Rose Parade.

Online I live in Malibu
I posed for Calvin Kline, I've been in GQ
I'm single and I'm rich
And I got a set of six pack abs that'll blow your mind

It turns girls on that I'm mysterious
I tell 'em I don't want nothing serious
Cause even on a slow day I can have a three way
Chat with two women at one time

I'm so much cooler online
Yeah I'm cooler online

When you got my kinda stacks, it's hard to get a date
Let alone a real girlfriend
But I grow another foot
And I lose a bunch of weight everytime I log in

Online I'm out in Hollywood
I'm 6'5 and I look damn good
Even on a slow day, I can have a three way
Chat with two women at one time

I'm so much cooler online
Yeah I'm cooler online
I'm so much cooler online
Yeah I'm cooler online

St. Cassian of Imola, pray for us!

Image Source: Wikipedia

That the patron saint of teachers would be a man who was martyred by his own students, who stabbed him to death with their writing instruments, seems quite appropriate. :)

His feast day is in August, not long before many of us in the teaching profession are called back to work from our much needed summmer vacation.

Read more here:
Patron Saint of Teachers: Or, On the Meaning of the Second Semester

A post revisited: Tolkien's Women

As we draw closer to the end of the Christmas season, in which we honor our Savior and the mother who bore Him, I humbly offer the following post from last June for the perusal of my fellow Tolkien Geeks:

Tolkien's Women: Marian Imagery in the Silmarillion

NFP good for women, couples, and environment.

There is a relatively decent article on NFP over at Lower Hudson Online.For its personal story, it revolves around a couple that uses the Creighton Model to track their fertility.

Here is an excerpt of the better parts of the article:

Some couples, such as the Antenuccis, had trouble getting pregnant. They wanted to learn the physical signs of a woman's fertile times of the month so they could target their efforts. Others, including David and Colleen Toder of New Paltz, sought an eco-friendly way to avoid pregnancy without the side effects associated with birth-control pills.

Both couples agree with the Pappalardos of Stony Point, who teach Natural Family Planning in Rockland County, that the methods promote healthier marriages because of the physical and emotional intimacy required to master the techniques.

"Theresa is our gift from NFP," Tracey Pappalardo, 43, said as her husband, Andrew, cuddled the sleepy toddler, their youngest of four children. "We decided to have her because NFP made us closer to each other, and more open to new life."

The Archdiocese of New York endorses the Creighton or the Sympto-Thermal methods, which use cervical mucus and temperature readings to determine when a woman is most likely to conceive so she can avoid or have sex on those seven to 10 days each month, depending on the desired outcome.

In contrast to the infamous calendar-based "rhythm method," which wrongly assumed all women had the same cycle, these recommended techniques boast contraceptive rates between the 99.6 percent reported in the American Journal of Reproductive Medicine and the 75 percent estimated by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

And, remember, NFP isn't just for Catholics, either:

David Toder, who grew up in a Reform Jewish family in Scarsdale, also argues that the Catholic connotations are secondary to the benefits of practicing environmentally friendly parenting that strengthens a couple's emotional bond.

"Contraception puts a barrier between the couple," he said. "With NFP, you have to work together and trust each other. And, there's a cyclical relationship - a dating and a honeymoon - and that adds to the spice of life and the appreciation you have, and your relationship is well-rounded."

That's good stuff. But we can't have a complete article without the usual dose of doom, gloom, condescension, and skeptical lecturing from the Left:

The American Fertility Association doesn't oppose Natural Family Planning, but Pamela Madsen, executive director, expressed concern that women most drawn to these methods might also be the least likely to use them effectively to avoid pregnancy.

"Many women who are engaged with Natural Family Planning tend to be more conservative and may not be as comfortable in getting to know their bodies in the way that is recommended," she said, adding that she also fears that women trying to get pregnant could waste time on these techniques when they really need medical help.

Since when does conservatism entail being afraid of one's body? Madsen is not basing her opinion on facts. She is working from the popular stereotype of conservative women as being squeamish about anything having to do with their bodies, especially their reproductive health. This is a fallacy.

If anything, it is the use of artificial birth control that suggests fear of one's body, because it allows one to suppress or block natural functions that one does not understand or wish to face. Women who are afraid of their bodies (and men who are afraid of women's bodies and can't even handle the idea of mucous) do not use NFP. Instead, they usually give up before they've even tried it , and go back to artificial methods. If Ms. Madsen spent even five minutes talking to couples at an NFP class, (and five more talking to other couples about why NFP scares them) she would see that her own fears are largely unfounded.

Her other concern, that women would use NFP as a substitute for necessary medical advice is also highly pessimistic, and gives little credit to women or NFP itself. Daily tracking of one's fertility signs allows a person to be more in touch with her body than ever. Speaking from my reading and from personal experience, I can say that it can actually improve doctor-patient communication by allowing women to know when they really do need to go to the doctor. If one is using NFP to get pregnant, for example, and it is still not working, one knows that it is time to see a fertility specialist to discuss any medical problems that could interfere with conception. Not only that, but NFP allows women to be more in touch with their cycles. This allows them to spot some abnormalities that they may not have noticed otherwise, and discuss these with their doctors. In short, NFP makes women more aware, not less, of when they "really need medical help"--and can help doctors to make that medical help more effective.

Madsen's head is so buried in her prejudices (or whatever else) that she is unwilling to give modern conservative women credit for their brains, or science credit for its discoveries.


But at least her comments, despite being strategically placed for maximum dramatic effect, sound properly negative next to comments like this from couples who are throughly familiar with the pros and cons of NFP (I don't hear any fear of the body, do you?):

"With your body, with NFP, you're a gift to your spouse," he said. "It's so important for a husband and wife to be gifts to each other. And children become the fruit of that covenant."

Amen.

Hat Tip: Dawn Eden.

More Chesterton on Christmas

"There is no more dangerous or disgusting habit than that of celebrating Christmas before it comes, as I am doing in this article. It is the very essence of a festival that it breaks upon one brilliantly and abruptly, that at one moment the great day is not and the next moment the great day is. ..."

Read the rest here: http://catholic-forum.com/saints/gkc16035.htm


Via Tito.

Merry Christmas!

In the round of our rational and mournful year one festival remains out of all those ancient gaieties that once covered the whole earth. Christmas remains to remind us of those ages, whether Pagan or Christian, when the many acted poetry instead of the few writing it. In all the winter in our woods there is no tree in glow but the holly.

--G.K. Chesterton

Shopping for the men we love.

While you think about what kind of tie/socks/sweater to get your husband/dad/brother for Christmas this year, "Desperate Irish Housewife" Susan Vigilante has some funny things to say about being a woman shopping for a man's gift.

Three little words: Natural Family Planning

Someone dropped by searching for "How to get pregnant". Assuming this person is interested in fertility information, and already knows how the basic process works, I recommend that he/she have a look at the Natural Family Planning links in my sidebar. (Scrolling may be necessary.) I duplicate the list here for your convenience:

• Book: Fertility, Cycles and Nutrition by Marilyn Shannon
• Book: The Art of Natural Family Planning (Symptothermal)
• California Association of NFP
• Couple to Couple League (To search for a Symptothermal Method Teaching Couple in your area, click here)
• Creighton Model
• Family of the Americas Foundation (Ovulation Method)
• NFP and More
• NFP Resource Manual (PDF. from the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston)
• One More Soul (Has directory of NFP Teachers, and NFP-friendly doctors in many states)
  
• Pope Paul VI Institute

Basicallly, what NFP allows people to do is track the woman's cycle, looking for signs of fertility, and then act accordingly. These signs usually include basal body temperature and/or cervical mucous. It requires that both spouses be aware and respectful of the woman's fertility.

Any one of the available methods for tracking female fertility can allow couples to maximize (or minimize if they wish to space their children) the potential of their efforts to conceive.

While NFP is often touted as a Catholic thing, there are many non-Catholics who choose to use it. In addition to the many religious and moral reasons for using NFP, there are other practical concerns. Some use it because they find it is beneficial for their marriages. Others choose it because of medical concerns or even for the sake of the environment (you'd be surprised at where those hormones go). Couples who are interested in natural and organic living may find NFP particularly appealing, because it does not involve the ingestion of any synthetic hormones, or the use of man-made barrier methods.

On a side note, I personally find it to be a handy tool for me as I monitor my reproductive and general health. It has been interesting to see the not-immediately-obvious effects that stress, illness, weight, and diet can have on my body. (Stress, for instance, sends my basal body temp on a wild roller-coaster ride.) Closely observing and charting my cycle has allowed me to spot early signs that something may be negatively affecting my health, and this has allowed me to take care of problems before they get out of hand.

Potential droolfest for fans of Peter Jackson

Today's "Spit Happens" moment is brought to us by Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema, via Jeff Miller:


Jackson and New Line have apparently just reached an agreement for Jackson to make "The Hobbit".

See, I warned you. I'll wait while you run for a bib.

...

Having enjoyed "The Lord of the Rings" very much, I would have to say that I am looking forward to seeing the results. I do have to admit, however, that my enjoyment was somewhat marred by the more drastic liberties good ol' "P.J." took with plot and character in "The Two Towers" and "Return of the King". I thought the story lost a little of its original depth. Still, the films were revolutionary in their special effects, unless I'm mistaken, and I absolutely loved the visual depiction of Middle Earth. While the changes took some of the meaning out, Jackson still made considerable effort to remain true to the thematic material--much more effort than most filmmakers, in my opinion. To be fair, it should also be said that it would be nearly impossible to capture the fullness of Tolkien's work in any movie.

I have to echo Jeff Miller's hope that Sir Ian McKellen will be willing to participate in this again. I also hope that there will be some continuity between Ian Holm's version of Bilbo, and whatever new performances may be in the new movie.

At the very least, this is a good opportunity for New Line to redeem itself after The Golden Compass.

At the most, this could be one butt-kicking movie. :)

Belated Post: The rising cost of higher education...

I saved this post for publication a few days before I was admitted to the hospital for appendicitis. That was about three months ago now. I never got around to making my final edits and hitting the "Publish" button. Whoops. :) It's all done now:


----------------------------------------


The rising cost of higher education apparently includes stupid behavior.



To women seeking higher education:

College is meant for education. While it's a bit silly (o.k. VERY silly) to go just to find a husband, at least it isn't completely illogical and counterproductive. College education can and often does come in handy when one is a wife and mother.

However, there is no point in going if all you are going to do while you are there is turn yourself into a mindless sex object for some guy(s). There is no use improving your brain if you don't plan to use it.

Speaking of brains, for those of you who think you have to be "doing it" along with all of the other college lemmings, here's something to put in your bong and smoke while you still have parts of your brain left:

It is possible to live without sex. It is impossible to get pregnant if you aren't having any. Think about that before you start whining to your university about how much your birth control costs. What's next? Asking the university to provide beer and pot money?

Rats, I'm probably giving someone ideas.

Your college budget would be better spent on a class in accounting or economics.

*End rant.*

Hat tip: Catholic Mom.

Related: Reasons to stay away from birth control Pills, Brain Chemistry and bonding During Sex

Wisdom from Across the Pond

In a refreshing display of real tolerance, non-Christian religious leaders in the UK defend the right of Christians to celebrate Christmas as freely and openly as they themselves would wish to celebrate their own holidays.

"It's time to stop being daft about Christmas. It's fine to celebrate and it's fine for Christ to be star of the show," said Trevor Phillips, chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

It's nice to see people with enough common sense to realize that a society that is willing to tell Christians to celebrate in the closet will probably be willing to harass people of other faiths as soon as it becomes fashionable or politically correct to do so. It is in everyone's best interest to defend religious freedom, even for people who do not share one's own beliefs.

Maybe Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) (FL), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA), Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA), and Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), and anyone who will still vote for them after recent events, should listen.

Hat Tips: Modern Commentaries, Pertinacious Papist

When a bad film is a good thing.

I overheard a conversation among some younger (as in, old enough to go to movies semi-unsupervised, but not to drive themselves there) persons today who, after seeing it over the weekend, decisively proclaimed the new Golden Compass movie to be "soooo BORING!".

No apparent interest in the books for them, it would seem. I have yet to see interest in a book sparked by a boring movie.

Rumor has it that the movie isn't doing too well in the box office, according to USA Today and Reuters. Between the outrage in the Christian community, and reviews like this, how could it be otherwise?

I think I can leave the told-you-so's to my fellow bloggers.

Light a candle for them:

So when we stop using electricity in order to preserve the planet, I guess working (or praying) by candlelight instead is out now:


'Green Hanukkia' campaign sparks ire'


I wonder what they'd say about the Day of the Candles celebrations in Colombia.


Via: Catholic Pillow Fight, Modern Commentaries