Senomyx Soylent Green Update

Two companies have now "ended their partnership" with Senomyx after the outcry by COGFL. Sadly, Pepsi was not among them. I'm drinking Coke ...

LARGO, Florida, March 30, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – After the release of information yesterday on corporations partnered with a biotech company found using aborted fetal cells lines in food flavor testing, LifeSiteNews.com has learned that two of those companies – Solae and Campbell Soup – are no longer partnered with the unethical testing company.

Solae wrote LSN that while their company did sign an agreement with Senomyx biotech company in 2007 and is listed on their website as a partner, they have not been in partnership for over a year.

“This letter is to inform you that Solae does not currently have an active relationship with Senomyx nor do we have any plans for one in the future at this time,” wrote Media Relations Specialist, Jennifer Starkey.

Write to these companies and tell them not to do business or testing using unethical means. No babies in the blender!

Kent Snyder, CEO
Senomyx
4767 Nexus Centre Drive
San Diego, California 92121

Paul Bulcke, CEO
Nestlé USA
800 North Brand Boulevard
Glendale, CA 91203

Jamie Caulfield, Sr.VP
PepsiCo, Inc.
700 Anderson Hill Road
Purchase, NY 10577

Irene Rosenfeld, CEO
Kraft Foods/Cadbury Chocolate
Three Lakes Drive
Northfield, IL 60093

24:15 More Joe Six-Pack Answers

There never seems to be enough time; I’ve been working long hours with nothing left over at the end of the day. So lots of things have gotten short shrift the last few weeks. All the more reason to have a ready defense and explanation for the Faith especially for those too busy to listen.

With that, I give you 10 more Joe Six-Pack Answers: short, sweet, and to the point.

1. If God could appear to us as any thing, why does he come to us as bread in the Eucharist? So we’ll eat it. If our first parents, Adam and Eve, died as a result of eating the wrong thing, Jesus promises us we’ll live by eating the right thing: Him.
2. If God is never lonely, why did he create us? Because He thought we’d like it.
3. If God is all-loving, why does he allow some people to go to Hell? Because we’re not robots. God wants us to love Him, but that love has to be a free choice. In order for there to be a free choice, there has to be the possibility of not choosing God. That’s what Hell is: the torment of being apart from God forever and knowing that you chose it.
4. How can being Catholic be any good when you’re so bad / mean / hypocritical? Imagine how bad I’d be if I wasn’t Catholic.

Continue reading >>>

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Lawn Stripes

Right now my yard looks a bit ridiculous.

It's been raining like the dickens which has made the grass grow like crazy. However, my lawn tractor is currently busted so it's gotten rather high. I've been working overtime, so there has been no time during the week to cut it, and it keeps raining on the weekend.

I got a bit desperate and tried to hand mow the front at dusk by doing a pop-a-wheelie with the mower (very dangerous and the awkward position led to some pulled muscles).  Of course I ran out of light and had to stop. Then it was a few more days before I could try again. I got halfway through the back when I ran out of gas. One tank doesn't go far enough when you're mowing the same section 3 times with differing height mower wheelies.

So now I've got a 3-tiered lawn. I may just put some stripes on it and call it a golf course: fairway, rough, and lost-ball-in-the-high-weeds.  Maybe I'll just call it art.

Ok, the lawn tractor guy is coming out this week ....

Liberalism, Intolerance, and Despotism

Not much has changed since 2009. Re-posted from "way back".
================
 Some days I have the attention span of a gnat, just like the majority of the American political landscape; other times I can dredge up stuff from my personal "wayback" machine with astounding clarity. In this case we're only talking about four months.

Three is a magic number which tends to trip my internal filter mechanism and I say: I've seen this before. The latest instance of this happened when I noticed voices in the Church speaking on the same theme from three different corners of the world: the relationship between liberalism, intolerance, and despotism.

The first instance happened when Pope Benedict XVI was commenting in a letter sent to Italian philosopher and senator Marcello Pera on his latest book Why We Must Call Ourselves Christians: Liberalism, Europe, and Ethics.

VATICAN CITY, DEC. 2, 2008 (Zenit.org).- At the heart of liberalism is the Christian image of God, and rediscovering that is the key to overcoming the current crisis of ethics in Europe and the world, says Benedict XVI.
"With irreproachable logic, you show how liberalism loses its base and destroys itself if it abandons this foundation," he added.
"This has generated what is known as the phenomenon of anti-clericalism, and anti-clericalism has generated another: what in the book I call 'secular equation,' namely, 'liberal equals non-Christian.', [Pera said.]"

The second instance came from the Australian Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell in an address at a conference in Oxford on "Varieties of Intolerance: Religious and Secular."

LONDON, MARCH 12, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Modern liberalism has strong totalitarian tendencies, according to the archbishop of Sydney.

"Some secularists seem to like one way streets," he added. "Their intolerance of Christianity seeks to drive it not only from the public square, but even from the provision of education, health care and welfare services to the wider community. Tolerance has come to mean different things for different groups."

The cardinal noted how particularly in the United States, members of Church organizations are facing more and more legal obstacles when it comes to following their consciences.

Following close on the heels of that, "USCCB President Francis Cardinal George, Archbishop of Chicago, warns that President Obama is moving towards despotism in removing conscience protections from medical providers who choose not to provide abortion services" (H/T: Thoughts of a Regular Guy by Paul, just this guy, you know?:

On Friday afternoon, February 27, the Obama Administration placed on a federal website the news that it intends to remove a conscience protection rule for the Department of Health and Human Services. That rule is one part of the range of legal protections for health care workers—for doctors, nurses and others—who have objections in conscience to being involved in abortion and other killing procedures that are against how they live their faith in God.

As Catholic bishops and American citizens, we are deeply concerned that such an action on the government’s part would be the first step in moving our country from democracy to despotism.

Anybody noticing a trend here?

It may have been obvious from the start or not, but societies tend to follow broad movements; once started, thoughts and attitudes roll on under their own momentum (or constant agitation from a vocal minority) until something radical shifts its course.

Intellectual, political, and religious beliefs have practical consequences in real life. That is why totalitarian regimes shoot the dissidents even for their own private thoughts. Thoughts lead to action.

The fight to legitimize gay "marriage" is not simply a case of civil rights or "live and let live" -- it is about reshaping the entire culture; it would require sweeping changes in law, finance, education, politics, and even impinge on freedom of religion.

The rescission of conscience clauses in public law is a transparent attempt not only to silence the practice of religion in the public sphere but also to compel doctors and health care workers to be complicit in the crime: It is not enough for you to let us kill -- you must pull the trigger, wield the knife.
So it's a fight and make no mistake. And yet to return to the words of our Holy Father: At the heart of liberalism is the Christian image of God, and rediscovering that is the key to overcoming the current crisis.

By ourselves, we are nothing -- but we are not alone. Christ crucified was as alone and abandoned as a man can be: Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? (Mark 15:33-34,37-39 RSV) Now Christ is resurrected, and we will never need be alone again. So although it may seem that now "there was darkness over the whole land", yet we will persevere.

For Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. (1 Cor 1:22-25)

Bourbon Is For The Lips

No! No! NO! You drink the bourbon, put gas in the car ...

Kentucky Man Invents Bourbon Powered Junk Car

[iSpyce] With fuel prices rising like they are going crazy, a man from Kentucky probably came up with what is thought to be a solution to gas prices of today. A 62 year-old man, Mickey Nilsson, of Bardstown, Kentucky, made a bourbon-powered junk car. He got the idea from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (a movie from 1968 directed by Ken Hughes and staring Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Lionel Jeffries and Benny Hill) and the stars of American Pickers. Nilsson said that his inspiration came from a character played by Dick Van Dyke in the classic Disney movie. The character in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang assembled a flying car from junk parts.

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival #104-105

This week on Sunday Snippets, WBN presents: Easter Tidings of Great Joy!

• Breathe Deep: Incense Anti-depressant
• There Be Dragons 
• The Earth Mourns
• Christos anesti! Alithos anesti!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival is a weekly opportunity to share your best posts with the wider Catholic blogging community.
To participate, create a post highlighting posts that would be of interest to Catholics and link to the host blog at http://rannthisthat.blogspot.com/. Go to the host blog and leave a comment giving a link to your post

Christos anesti! Alithos anesti!

Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!
(Traditional Greek Easter greeting) Picture of the Holy Sepulchre.

Happy Easter, all. Read more Paschal greetings worldwide.

The Earth Mourns

Today is Good Friday. Supposedly it is also Earth Day (not that I care).

Here the skies are cold, grey, overcast, and raining. I prefer it this way; nothing is more incongruous than a bright, sunny, Spring day on the anniversary of the saddest event in the history of the world.

To me the coldness recalls the chill of the tomb in which Our Lord lay. The Light of the World has gone, symbolized by the veil of clouds over the sun. The rain that falls are like tears from Heaven, or like the whole world mourning for the innocent Lamb that was slain for our sins.

The world is a dark, cold, and lonely place without Him. At the church, the tabernacle lies open and empty; you can feel the desolation radiating from the place. Or perhaps more accurately, you can feel the lack of His presence.

Christ has died ... and it's all our fault.

Mea culpa. Forgive us, O Lord.

There Be Dragons

The real life of Saint Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer is the stuff of movies ... oh, wait, now it is one.

"This is the official movie trailer for the upcoming May 6 U.S. theatrical release of There Be Dragons. Roland Joffe, the director who brought us the highly acclaimed and deeply spiritual film The Mission has returned to his roots with the epic movie There Be Dragons, a powerful story of war, tragedy, love and redemption.

"Featured in the NY Times, the $35 million Dragons is rated PG-13 and planned for release in theaters worldwide in Spring, 2011. Set during the turmoil of the Spanish Civil War (early 1900s), Dragons tells the story of two childhood friends who become separated during the political conflict to find themselves on opposite sides as war erupts.

"One chooses the path of peace and becomes a priest while the other chooses the life of a soldier driven by jealousy and revenge. Each will struggle to find the power of forgiveness over the forces that tore their lives and friendship apart."

Breathe Deep: Incense Anti-depressant

I like it. Incense may be an anti-depressant. I know I'm happy when I'm breathing deeply of incense -- usually that's because I'm in the Presence of God.

h/t Mystagogy

Incense Found To Be Psychoactive

21 May 2008
by Kate Melville
Science A Go Go

Biologists from Johns Hopkins University and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem have discovered that burning frankincense (resin from the Boswellia plant) activates poorly understood ion channels in the brain that alleviate anxiety and depression, suggesting that an entirely new class of medicinal drugs might be right under our noses.

Reporting their findings in The FASEB Journal, the researchers said that the active compound - incensole acetate - significantly affected areas in the brain known to be involved in emotions as well as in nerve circuits that are affected by currently prescribed anxiety and depression drugs.

"In spite of information stemming from ancient texts, constituents of Boswellia had not been investigated for psychoactivity," said researcher Raphael Mechoulam. "We found that incensole acetate, a Boswellia resin constituent, when tested in mice lowers anxiety and causes antidepressive-like behavior. Apparently, most present day worshipers assume that incense burning has only a symbolic meaning."

 

Continue reading >>

Not Dead Yet

I'm not dead yet, just working some loooong hours. Yeesh, I'm tired.

My Mistress Beckons

I can't help it -- I went to the garden nursery today to pick up some seeds, and the old longing came over me again. 

I'm starting with lettuce, strawberries, blueberries, banana peppers, sweet red peppers, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, better boys, parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, cilantro, asparagus, purple passion asparagus, ...

Re-posted from 2009.
===============
I have a mistress to whom my wife bids me go; "Indeed", she says, "you have been away too long".

It is not a lady that beckons, but rather the earth in my garden. For three years she has lain fallow; no crops, no food, no fruit of the earth has she given me. "Alas", I sigh, "my lady lies barren, my mistress comforts me not."

A man comes from the earth, made by the effortless hand of God; a man toils in the earth to bring forth its fruit by the sweat of his brow -- such is his doom. And yet the garden is his refuge, he longs to feel the land beneath his feet; to plant and to furrow; to take delight in the tender shoots from the earth; to reap and to gather the work of his hand.

If God in His mercy sends His rain in due season, yet shall she bear forth. My fields are plowed, my garden prepared -- let the sowing begin! "Come.", my mistress beckons, "Come and let it begin again."

Zebra Barcodes

This just makes me laugh. Or is it too obvious?

A team of computer scientists and biologists have developed a barcode-like scanning system called Stripespotter that automatically identifies individual zebras from a single photograph. [source]

Apparently this works with giraffes and tigers as well. Yes, but the big question is: do they come up as on sale?

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival #103

This week on Sunday Snippets, WBN presents: Ready, Set, Action Bible!

• Abby Johnson's Open Letter
• 24:15 Joe Six-Pack Answers 
• The Action Bible

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival is a weekly opportunity to share your best posts with the wider Catholic blogging community.
To participate, create a post highlighting posts that would be of interest to Catholics and link to the host blog at http://rannthisthat.blogspot.com/. Go to the host blog and leave a comment giving a link to your post

The Action Bible

The Action Bible just came in the mail today from Amazon. This is going to be so cool -- the Bible as an action comic! The kids are not going to be able to put this down.

I've been looking long and hard for good Catholic comics, but they are hard to come by. Arcadius Press had some good looking ones (Stories of the Saints), but they went out of business a couple of years ago before I started looking. (Anybody got one?)

There is a Catholic comic company that puts out Manga-style graphic novels of Paul: Tarsus to Redemption and Judith: Captive to Conqueror.  I got one of Paul, but I'm not wild about Manga.  I like Marvel style better. On the other hand, this company is making a Pope Benedict XVI Manga comic available at World Youth Day in Madrid.

In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy The Action Bible illustrated by Sergio Cariello -- and the kids will too.

24:15 Joe Six-Pack Answers

The Catholic faith is beautiful, intelligent, deep, nuanced, and mysterious. We’ve got thousands of years of thinking, writing, reflecting, and praying to choose from for both Testaments. It is a glorious story of Love of our Creator for His beloved — a searing, passionate romance.  

All of which makes it really hard to explain in 30 seconds.

But sometimes that’s all the chance you have with people, a mere two minutes, one minute, half minute. Maybe the length of an elevator ride; as captive an audience as you’ll ever have.

1 Peter 3:15 exhorts us to “being ready always to satisfy every one that asks you a reason of that hope which is in you.” Some topics are so complex that they defy easy explanation. Some explanations, no matter how lengthy, are doomed to be misunderstood or not understood at all.

If people were curious, they must want some answer. Give them too much and you scare them away. Give them too little and they dismiss it as unconvincing.

There must be a way to answer in a short way that is satisfying on the surface, that points to a deeper truth, AND that can be understood by the average guy on the street without a degree in theology, philosophy, or rocket science.

In short, we need some Joe Six-Pack answers.

Continue reading >>>

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Abby Johnson's Open Letter

Abby Johnson, the former Planned Parenthood director turned pro-life activist, is laying out the bald truth on The Hill's Congress Blog in an open letter.  She lays bare the real Planned Parenthood business model and asks Congress to do the math.

Planned Parenthood’s bottom line is numbers. And, with abortion as its primary money-maker, that means implementing a quota. I know this is true because I worked at one of their Texas clinics for 8 years, two as the clinic director.

Though 98 percent of Planned Parenthood’s services to pregnant women are abortion, Planned Parenthood and its political allies have sworn up and down that taxpayer dollars do not to pay for abortion. But of course they do. Planned Parenthood gets one-third of its entire budget from taxpayer funding and performed more than 650,000 abortions between 2008 and 2009.  An abortion is expensive. Its cost includes pay for the doctor, supporting medical staff, their health benefits packages and malpractice insurance.  As clinic director, I saw how money affiliate clinics receive from several sources is combined into one pot, not set aside for specific services.

Planned Parenthood’s claim that abortions make up just 3 percent of its services is also a gimmick. That number is actually closer to 12 percent, but strategically skewed by unbundling family planning services so that each patient shows anywhere from five to 20 “visits” per appointment (i.e., 12 packs of birth control equals 12 visits) and doing the opposite with abortion visits, bundling them together so that each appointment equals one visit. The resulting difference between family planning and abortion “visits” is striking.

But that’s not the only deception Planned Parenthood is spreading.

It also claims to help reduce the number of abortions. Not only is this not what Planned Parenthood actually accomplishes, but its goal couldn’t be more opposite.  As a Planned Parenthood clinic manager, I was directed to double the number of abortions our clinic performed in order to drive up revenue.  In keeping, Planned Parenthood headquarters recently issued a directive mandating that all of its affiliates provide abortions by 2013.

We've been hearing dueling radio spots between Planned Parenthood and Abby Johnson for a week or two now. It's funny to hear them back to back because it couldn't be more obvious PP is in damage control mode.

As far as doing the math is concerned, politicians like Harry Reid already know the truth, they just don't care because they are for abortion. (Harry Reid already said he'd shut down the government over PP.) The only people who care is pro-lifers and a few citizens who care about what taxes are actually used for.

But you just keep telling the truth, Abby. Good things will happen.

Quote

"It's a dog-eat-dog world out there, and I'm wearing Milk Bone underwear."  -- Norm

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival #102 & Saturday Night

This week on Sunday Snippets, WBN presents Mood Food.

• Digital Soda Jerk
• Smoking Scotch 
• Senomyx Redux

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival is a weekly opportunity to share your best posts with the wider Catholic blogging community.
To participate, create a post highlighting posts that would be of interest to Catholics and link to the host blog at http://rannthisthat.blogspot.com/. Go to the host blog and leave a comment giving a link to your post

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THE SATURDAY EVENING BLOG POST, vol. 3, issue 3

 

Welcome to THE SATURDAY EVENING BLOG POST!

This is where bloggers gather on the first Saturday of each month to share their favorite post from the previous month! Today we’re sharing our favorite post from March 2011!