There Goes the Forest: Bush Administration Opens 3 Million Acres to Logging

Any hopes that President Bush might choose to salvage his tattered environmental credentials were dashed when his administration announced plans to open more than 3 million acres of Alaskan forests to logging, mining and road building.

The Guardian reported that the plan will open 3.4 million acres of the Tongass National Forest, a haven for a variety of vulnerable species, to logging and other development, 2.4 million acres of which are currently pristine.

The area had previously been granted protection by the Clinton administration under its "Roadless Rule" provision.

Claims by supporters of the plan that it would help bolster and sustain Alaska's economy were quickly shot down by environmentalists, who pointed out that logging makes up only around 1% of the state's economy - a far cry from the much more significant share made up by other activities that will be put at risk by the move, such as commercial fishing and tourism.

State of the Union

“Our security, our prosperity and our environment all require reducing our dependence on oil.”

President GEORGE W. BUSH in his final State of the Union address

[And he has done everything to make sure that we stay dependant on oil (from his friends). He can say we need to reduce, but does everything to make sure we stay dependant. Isn’t that part of the reason California is suing the EPA?]

Bill offers rebates, exacts fees based on car emissions

Buyers would get money back on autos with lower emissions and be charged extra on higher polluters.

This week, the California Assembly is expected to vote on the California Clean Car Discount Act, which, if passed, would be the nation's first "feebate" law, imposing charges and granting rebates based on a vehicle's emission of carbon dioxide and other gases.

One-time registration fees of up to $2,500 would be levied on new gas guzzlers, such as Hummers, Dodge Vipers and Chevy Tahoes. Some cleaner sport utility vehicles, pickups and minivans would be exempt from any charge, while the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra and other fuel-efficient cars would get hefty rebates.

The bill, AB 493, is among a raft of measures under consideration in the Legislature and, behind the scenes, by officials at California's powerful Air Resources Board, to press the auto industry to do its part to fight global warming."

We put 1.8 million vehicles a year on the road in California," said Assemblyman Ira Ruskin (D-Redwood City), the bill's author. "We have to find ways to get more clean cars on the road and more dirty cars off. There's no time to waste if we're to avoid the catastrophes ahead from global warming."

Feebate laws have been enacted in Canada, Finland and France, and in the European Union overall, countries are moving to tax cars based on carbon emissions. In the United States, feebates have also been considered in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont.

"Industry argues that market signals don't exist for consumers to buy low-greenhouse-gas and fuel-efficient vehicles," said Daniel Sperling, director of the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies and a member of the Air Resources Board. "This bill fixes the market forces."

Even if California is able to enact limits on tailpipe emissions, other strategies would be needed to meet the state's broader commitment to slash heat-trapping gases to 1990 levels over the next 13 years, officials say. That goal requires radical cuts in transportation emissions, which are responsible for about 40% of California's carbon footprint, according to the air board.

California Primary

Dear Kevin,

I am contacting you today with a nonpartisan Presidential Primary Voters' Guide that reviews eight positions held by the major candidates on a wide variety of issues: A human life amendment, traditional marriage, gun rights, business freedom, taxes, gay pride, the Iraq war and education. The voter guides are approved for distribution by everyone, including churches and nonprofit organizations. I hope this guide helps you in making a decision in voting. Feel free to forward this Voters' Guide to your friends. (PDF) to see the voters guide.

I hope you will exercise your right to vote by participating in the Primary Tuesday, February 5. By all means, be sure to vote.

To help you find the location of the Primary in your area, simply click on the political party of your choice below and follow instructions. For more information about the Republican and the Democratic Primary February 5 including locations:

California Republican Party

(818) 841-5210

Website: www.cagop.org

California Democratic Party

(310) 407-0980

Website: www.cadem.org

[You have to check out the PDF – it is very hard to say it it nonpartisian. The majority of the questions deal with homosexuality.]

Possible HIV Treatment Advance

“There are 5,700 deaths a day from HIV-AIDS — that's the equivalent of an Indonesian tsunami hitting the shore every day.”

DR. WARNER GREENE, director of the Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology at the University of California, San Francisco, after a research team in Texas successfully used a common antiretroviral drug to halt the transmission of HIV in lab mice

Bye-Bye Rudy: Slips To Third In Florida

Rudy Giuliani has hit the skids in a Florida freefall that could shatter his presidential campaign and leave a two-man Republican contest in the state between John McCain and Mitt Romney, a Miami Herald poll shows.

Despite hovering over Florida voters for weeks, Giuliani is tied for third place with the scarcely visible Mike Huckabee in a statewide poll of 800 likely voters.

With his poll numbers slipping back home in the Northeast, Giuliani's campaign will implode if he can't turn it around in the six days left before Florida's Jan. 29 vote, the final gateway before a blitz of primaries around the nation that could sew up the race.

Gay Marriage Bill Introduced In Maryland

Legislation was introduced in both houses of the Maryland legislature Friday that would allow same-sex couples to marry. Called the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act it would allow churches opposed to same-sex marriage to refuse to perform weddings.

Marijuana Machines in California

Starting on Monday, people who have medical conditions such as glaucoma, cancer, and the deadly not-stoned-enough virus can start getting their fat buds from special "AVMs."

These electronic drug dealers won't be out on the street next to a Pepsi machine, of course. No, they'll be "housed in standalone rooms, abutting two dispensaries and protected by round-the-clock security guards." To use them, you'll need to go with a prescription in hand, get fingerprinted and get a prepaid credit card that's loaded up with your dosage and what strain of weed you want.

In the future, the machines may also be outfitted to sell other popular drugs such as Viagra, Vicodin and Propecia.

Diocese of North Carolina calls for public liturgies blessing same-sex unions

The following resolution was approved at North Carolina's diocesan convention, which took place on January 18-19, 2008:

Resolved by the 192nd Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, that the Diocese continue to demonstrate its commitment to radical hospitality and, that in accordance with the House of Bishops' Statement, Fall 2007, we "proclaim the Gospel that in Christ all God's children, including gay and lesbian persons, are full and equal participants in the life of Christ's Church" by:

1) Urging the Archbishop of Canterbury to extend to the duly elected and consecrated Bishop of New Hampshire an invitation to full participation in the Lambeth Conference of 2008;
2) Encouraging our Deputies to the 2009 General Convention to ensure compliance with Title III. Canon I. Section 2, which supports the full and equal participation of all persons regardless of sexual orientation in all aspects of the Church's ministries, lay and ordained;
3) Encouraging the General Convention to call for the development of public liturgies for the blessing of same sex unions.

Bush & Co. Lied 935 Times In Run Up To War

“The cumulative effect of these false statements — amplified by thousands of news stories and broadcasts — was massive.”

A study by two non-profit journalism organizations that found President Bush and top administration officials issued hundreds of false statements about the national security threat from Iraq in the two years following the 2001 terrorist attacks

Hyundai i30: 2007 Green Car (and Car) of the Year

If you can’t wait for the commercial arrival of Trey, the renewal energy vehicle, then roadsters in places like the UK and Australia may wish to consider the Hyundai i30, which picked up both the 2007 Car of the Year and 2007 Green Car of the Year in Australia.

Although claimed to have a fuel consumption of 4.7 litres per 100km, the i30 1.6-litre turbo-diesel managed to complete the 2007 World Solar Challenge conventional vehicle class on a smell-of-an-oily-rag 3.2litres/100km (73.5 mpg!), while producing 97g/km of emissions. For comparison a Prius petrol hybrid averaged 5.6litres/100km with emissions of 146g/km.

So for Australians this means traveling from Melbourne to Brisbane on less than a tank of petrol, (Britons could do London-Paris return!) and with the cost of fuel on the rise this fuel economy should appeal to many.

The Hyundai i30 won the 2007 Green Car of the Year not only because of its spectacular fuel efficiency but because it matched this with pretty efficient pricing too. In Australia the i30 CRDi costs $21,490, while the Prius goes for about $37,400. (In the UK it looks like £12,995 on-road for the Hyundai i30 1.6 CRDi Manual.)

Apparently the judges arguments against hybrids like the Prius and Honda Accord were “the initial cost premium, the lesser benefits in long, open-road runs and the issue of battery life and disposal.” In the final analysis the Hyundai i30 won on real-world benefits. “The car is big enough and practical enough for a family, it provides the strength of diesel performance and strong torque that keeps gear changes and accelerator mashing to a minimum, and it offers its responsible carbon footprint on every drive.”

[73 miles to the gallon and it is not a hybrid! I don’t understand why we can’t get cars like this in the United States… besides the obvious answer of the oil and American automotive lobbies!]

Whole Foods sacks plastic bags

There's a familiar question that Whole Foods will stop asking shoppers: Paper or plastic?

Tuesday, Whole Foods will announce plans to stop offering disposable, plastic grocery bags in all 270 stores in the USA, Canada and United Kingdom by Earth Day — April 22. That means roughly 100 million plastic bags will be kept out of the environment between that date and the end of 2008, the company says.

"This is something our customers want us to do," says A.C. Gallo, Whole Foods co-president. "It's central to our core values of caring for communities and the environment."

In place of the fly-away plastic bags scorned by many environmentalists, Whole Foods will offer several options: free paper bags in four sizes made from 100% recycled paper, reusable bags 80% made from recycled plastic bottles for 99 cents and canvas bags selling for $6.99 to $35. It encourages consumers to bring their own bags by taking 5 cents to 10 cents off the bill for each.

The move comes as cities, states and even countries are trying to eliminate non-biodegradable plastic bags from cityscapes, waterways and landfills. San Francisco banned them. Oakland is considering a ban. New York and New Jersey require retailers to recycle them. China announced a ban this month.

Among other retailers, most Trader Joe's stores use paper bags, though some offer plastic. Ikea's U.S. stores charge 5 cents for plastic bags, which is mostly donated to a conservation group.

Huckabee Faces Financial Woes

Two weeks ago, Rudy Giuliani's campaign as humiliated when we learned that it was so broke, senior campaign aides would not get paid for the month of January. Now, Giuliani isn't the only one suffering from serious financial difficulties.

Some of Mike Huckabee's top advisers are working without pay and some field directors have been let go entirely, the campaign said today, as money woes have taken hold.

[Another one soon to bite the dust?]

L.A. Catholics sell headquarters for abuse funds

This is the archdiocese's first major sale to pay for sex abuse settlement

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has sold its 12-story administrative headquarters building to help pay last year's $660 million settlement with people alleging sex abuse by clergy, a spokesman said Tuesday.

The Archdiocesan Catholic Center was sold to Jamison Properties of Los Angeles for $31 million, archdiocese spokesman Tod Tamberg said.


First major sale to pay for settlement

Cardinal Roger Mahony announced last year that the archdiocese would sell the Catholic Center and other church properties to raise money to settle hundreds of sexual abuse lawsuits. Church officials had identified about 50 other nonessential properties that could be sold to fund settlements.

The deal reached last year with sexual abuse plaintiffs settled all 508 cases that remained against the archdiocese, which also paid $60 million in 2006 to settle 45 cases that weren't covered by sexual abuse insurance.

The Catholic Center is the archdiocese's first major sale aimed specifically at paying for the settlement, Tamberg said.

[Good riddance! I can’t say that I am a bit sad.]

L.A. story: $1.5 billion lost due to the strike

'People are scared and angry — and some will be losing their houses soon'

According to one estimate, the writers' strike has resulted in a $1.5 billion hit to the Los Angeles economy. Now that the Directors Guild of America has reached an accord with Hollywood studios, the striking writers have returned to the bargaining table in the hopes of pounding out an agreement with the studios.

A settlement won’t come a moment too soon for those affected by the walkout.
“The writers’ strike is having a much larger economic impact on L.A. than its direct impact on writers and studios,” said former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich. “The L.A. economy revolves around entertainment, and entertainment depends to a large extent on entertaining scripts. Without the latter, the entire economy becomes more fragile.”

Opinions vary as to whether the 11-week-old writers’ strike has had a seismic or modest effect on the Los Angeles economy. Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp., estimates that to date the strike has resulted in a $1.5 billion hit to the local economy. But a forecast put out by the UCLA Anderson School of Management suggests that the number is much lower — an estimated loss of $380 million if the strike lasts until March — and that several factors will offset the impact of the work stoppage.

Ban or No Ban: The Debate over Plastic Bags in LA

Will Los Angeles follow San Francisco's lead and become California's second major city to adopt a plastic bag ban? After some initial progress, the measure seems to have hit a wall: a vote by the LA County Board of Supervisors to determine whether disposable plastic bags should be taxed or outright banned has been cast into doubt after the supervisors made a last-minute decision to water down some of the pollution plan's key provisions.

Several local environmental groups are urging supporters to attend a rally at noon to protest the supervisors' decision to back down on the measure and to advocate for a complete ban.

Al Gore Voices Support For Gay Marriage

Former Vice President Al Gore has come out in favor of same-sex marriage. "I don’t understand why it is considered by some people to be a threat to heterosexual marriage to allow it by gays and lesbians," Gore said. "Shouldn’t we be promoting the kind of faithfulness and loyalty to one’s partner regardless of sexual orientation?"

"[T]he loyalty and love that two people feel for one another when they fall in love ought to be celebrated and encouraged and shouldn’t be prevented by any form of discrimination in the law," Gore said in the video posting.

In 2000 when he ran for president Gore said he supported civil unions or contracts but not marriage.

Thompson drops out of GOP presidential race

Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson quit the Republican presidential race on Tuesday, after a string of poor finishes in early primary and caucus states.

"I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort," Thompson said. "Jeri and I will always be grateful for the encouragement and friendship of so many wonderful people."

[One down… a couple more to go. Please the man had NO chance of ever being president.]

Cheney emails missing from day leak probe started

Last week, House Oversight Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) revealed that the White House failed to preserve emails for at least 473 separate days. Waxman’s report said “Vice President Cheney’s office showed no electronic messages on 16 occasions from September 2003 to May 2005.” Among the sixteen days for which email are missing from Vice President Cheney’s office “is Sept. 30, 2003, the same day the day the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced they were investigating who outed former CIA officer Valerie Plame Wilson.”

[Realllllly, I can’t imagine that.]

Widespread Support For Gay Marriage In Sweden

As the Swedish government prepares to take up legislation that would allow same-sex couples to marry a new poll shows the idea has the support of 70-percent of the electorate.
The new survey indicates a marked increase in support for marriage equality over the past two years. In 2006 a similar poll found that 46 percent of Swedes were supportive of gay marriage, while 31 percent were opposed. The remainder were undecided.

The public opinion polling company Sifo conducted the most recent survey of 1000 people between January 14 and 17. Same-sex marriage currently is legal in five countries - the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, South Africa and Canada.

Like most European countries Sweden allows civil partnerships. Under a law enacted in 1995 same-sex couples haves most of the rights and obligations of marriage to gay and lesbian couples who register. But it did not provide for adoption of IVF.

In 2003 the law was amended to allow registered partners to adopt children and since 2006 women in registered partnerships have been allowed to receive in vitro fertalization.
A parliamentary committee studying the issue has called civil partnerships outdated and recommended Parliament allow same-sex marriage.

Six of Sweden's seven political parties support the legislation that would allow same-sex couples to marry, leaving only the small Christian Democratic Party opposing the measure.

Although tiny in numbers the Christian Democrats form part of a four party coalition government and the party has been successful in thwarting government attempts to bring in a gay marriage bill.

The opposition parties say they intend to introduce their own bill. That would break the deadlock and allow the measure to advance. A vote in Parliament would have little difficulty in passing.
The proposed legislation would create gender-neutral marriage, allow churches to perform ceremonies, provide same-sex couples with the right to adopt children and allow lesbians to have artificial insemination.

Last month the powerful Church of Sweden voiced its approval for gender neutral church weddings but said its liturgy would call them partnerships and reserve in the word marriage for opposite-sex marriages.

The denomination describes itself as Evangelical Lutheran and its membership includes about 75 percent of Sweden's population.

Same-sex couples as committed as straight ones

Same-sex couples are just as committed in their romantic relationships as heterosexual couples, a new report has revealed.The finding disputes the stereotype that couples in same-sex relationships are not as committed as their heterosexual counterparts and therefore not as psychologically healthy.

The study examined whether committed same-sex couples differed from engaged and married opposite-sex couples in how well they interacted and how satisfied they were with their partners.

Researchers from the University of Illinois compared 30 committed gay male and 30 committed lesbian couples with 50 engaged heterosexual couples and 40 older married heterosexual couples, as well as with dating heterosexual couples.

Results of a questionnaire and a laboratory task showed that same-sex relationships were similar to those of opposite-sex couples in many ways.

All had positive views of their relationships but those in the more committed relationships (gay and straight) resolved conflict better than the heterosexual dating couples.

The notion that committed same-sex relationships are "atypical, psychologically immature, or malevolent contexts of development was not supported by our findings," lead author Glenn I. Roisman told PA."

Compared with married individuals, committed gay males and lesbians were not less satisfied with their relationships."

He added: "Gay males and lesbians in this study were generally not different from their committed heterosexual counterparts on how well they interacted with one another, although some evidence emerged the lesbian couples were especially effective at resolving conflict."

Congregation headed to court

The Petaluma congregation that split from the Episcopal Church over the issue of homosexuality, taking a landmark downtown church with it, has rejected an offer to return the building, and the two sides appear headed to court, a local vestry member said Monday.

The impasse between St. John’s Anglican Church and the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California is part of the national schism that began with the ordination of a gay bishop in New Hampshire in 2003 and church support for gay unions.

Following the lead of several dozen congregations nationwide, St. John’s Anglican’s 240 members voted in 2006 to cut ties with the national organization, renaming itself while holding on to the 117-year-old church. The congregation last month turned down an offer from the diocese for the building and refused efforts at mediation, said John Mills, a leader among Petaluma parishioners who did not secede.

At a meeting of the St. John’s Episcopal vestry last week, Mills reviewed a lawsuit against St. John’s Anglican that could be filed as soon as Monday.

“They just said, ‘We’re not interested,’” Mills said. “No discussion. No counter-offer. No anything. So we are moving forward with a lawsuit to retain the property.”

The Rev. David H. Miller of St. John’s Anglican did not return calls Monday seeking comment.

[Seriously, we want to leave and take your property with us... the California courts have already said that is not going to happen. They will learn soon enough.]

Second Great Grandchild

At my grandmother's 90th birthday party, my brother put in her card that her second great grandchild was on the way... I love this picture of her when she found out.

"A Hand To Guide Me"

The following is a passage written by Whoopi Goldberg for Denzel Washington's book on mentoring, “A Hand To Guide Me.”

In grammar school there was a boy in my class named Robert. He wasn't particularly popular and I wasn't particularly popular either, and we were friends. We were 8 or 9 years old and we were not in the crew. We were our own little world.

One day we went on an outing with the rest of our school. On that day somehow I was running with the popular folks. You know how that is. Every now and then, there are satellite groups hovering around the popular folks, and on that day I was one of the satellites. I was in the crew. Robert was not. And I didn't treat Robert very well. At all. It wasn't overt. We weren't hitting him or making fun of him. He just didn't exist. It's like I left him behind.

I remember getting home and my mother was kind of cool to me. I asked her about it because she seemed kind of distant. I said, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she said. "How was the day? Tell me about the trip."

"Oh, the trip was great," I said. "We had a great time."

She said, "Do you think everybody had a great time?" in a leading kind of way, like she knew something. She always knew when something was up.

I kind of shrugged and said, "Oh yeah, it was just so great."

"What about Robert?" she said. "Did he have a great time?"

I kind of shrugged again, I guess because I realized where she was going with all this and because I had left my friend behind.

And she said, "Well, you were one of the popular people today, huh? Everyone was your friend?"

"Yes," I said.

"But they're not like that every day, are they?" she said.

"No," I said.

"And do you remember how you feel when they're not like that?"

I nodded.

"Like you made Robert feel today?"

It was like being kicked in the stomach. It never occurred to me that I had done to my friend what these folks had always done to me. That on this day at least I was part of that group of kids who could on occasion make me cry, just by the way they treated me. It really messed me up. I went to school the next day and talked to Robert. I made sure he knew that I knew I'd messed up. I apologized, but it was a kid apology.

A kid apology is different from an adult apology. A kid apology is, "Yo, let's go over here and get some pretzels." An adult apology would be, "Oh, I realize the ramifications of our relationship have changed ..." and blah, blah, blah. But he was cool about it and that was the end of it. I guess it might have taken him a while to trust me, but for the most part that was the end of it.

Over the years it's stayed with me, what I put Robert through. From that day forward I've been really, really careful about all my friendships and really, really conscious of other people's feelings. If I mess up I try to cop to it. I'm a human being, so I make lots of mistakes. But if I've unknowingly been neglectful or cruel or hurtful to someone, I try to rectify it as soon as I'm aware of it.

[I just liked the message of the passage from Whoopi.]

Study: Gay unions healthier than straight

A recent University of San Diego study revealed some discoveries that demonstrate how same-sex relationships may be healthier than straight ones, according to an article by United Press International.

The study found that couples in same-sex relationships were more flexible in terms of gender roles, parenting and household responsibilities.

It also found that lesbian couples are emotionally closer than gay male couples, who, in turn, are emotionally closer than heterosexual married couples.

"It all comes down to greater equality in the relationship," Robert-Jay Green of Alliant International University's Rockway Institute said to UPI. "Research shows that lesbian and gay couples have a head start in escaping the traditional gender role divisions that make for power imbalances and dissatisfaction in many heterosexual relationships."

According to the article, the researches concluded, "heterosexual couples could learn from gay couples about sharing housework and child care, using softer communication in conflict, and having more nurturing behaviors toward one another and their children."

Huckabee gets scarier the longer this goes on

“The radical view is to say that we're going to change the definition of marriage so that it can mean two men, two women, a man and three women, a man and a child, a man and animal.”

MIKE HUCKABEE, Republican presidential hopeful, defending his view of marriage

Calling this bluff: Bishop Schofield inhibited

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori on January 11 inhibited Diocese of San Joaquin Bishop John-David Schofield.

In the text of the inhibition, Jefferts Schori wrote: "I hereby inhibit the said Bishop Schofield and order that from and after 5:00 p.m. PST, Friday, January 11, 2008, he cease from exercising the gifts of ordination in the ordained ministry of this Church; and pursuant to Canon IV.15, I order him from and after that time to cease all 'episcopal, ministerial, and canonical acts, except as relate to the administration of the temporal affairs of the Diocese of San Joaquin,' until this Inhibition is terminated pursuant to Canon IV.9(2) or superseded by decision of the House of Bishops."

Jefferts Schori acted after the Title IV Review Committee certifies that Schofield had abandoned the communion of the Episcopal Church. On January 9, Upper South Carolina Bishop Dorsey Henderson, committee chair, wrote to Jefferts Schori, telling her that the nine-member committee had met that day and that a majority agreed that the documentation provided to them "demonstrated that Bishop Schofield has abandoned the communion of this Church by an open renunciation of the Doctrine, Discipline or Worship of this Church."

Jefferts Schori needed, in accordance with Title IC, Canon 9, Sec 1, the consent of the three senior bishops of the church with jurisdiction (as opposed to being retired or not in diocesan seats) to issue the inhibition. She noted in the inhibition that Leo Frade of Southeast Florida, Peter Lee of Virginia, and Don Wimberly of Texas gave their consents January 11.

"I think what is crucial for us is that the bishop was presented with potential consequences of his actions long ago and repeatedly, and now the review committee has indeed made their determination, which will go forward to the House of Bishops," the Rev. Dr. Charles Robertson, canon to the Presiding Bishop, told ENS. "The three senior bishops have given their consent to his inhibition and, again, the ministry of the Episcopal Church continues and moves forward."

At Schofield's urging, the convention of the Diocese of San Joaquin voted December 8 to leave the Episcopal Church and to align with the Argentina-based Anglican Province of the Southern Cone.

Jefferts Schori warned Schofield of the possible consequences of his actions prior to the convention via a letter and then asked him on December 14 to confirm her understanding that he had left the Episcopal Church and was no longer functioning as a member of its clergy.

Mike Glass, a San Rafael, California attorney who represents congregations and individual Episcopalians who wish to remain in the Episcopal Church, welcomed the actions.

"The Title IV Review Committee's certification of abandonment is the first step in clarifying and resolving John-David Schofield's canonical status. The accompanying inhibition will provide safety and assurance to those who are working toward the continuance of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin in the Episcopal Church," Glass said. "The inhibition also provides a safe space for those who wish to remain Episcopalian, but may have otherwise felt they could not speak their true heart for fear of retribution. My clients, Canon Robert Moore and I will use this time to continue our efforts to reach out to those individuals, missions, and parishes."

Moore was appointed by Jefferts Schori as an interim pastoral presence in San Joaquin. He, Glass and House of Deputies President Bonnie Anderson plan to gather with Episcopalians in the diocese at a previously planned January 26 event titled "Moving Forward, Welcoming All." The event is being organized by Remain Episcopal, an organization that has been a rallying place for San Joaquin Episcopalians who did not want to follow Schofield out of the church.

Anderson first came to the diocese to support those Episcopalians in February 2007 at Remain Episcopal's invitation. Since then she has been in contact with the organization on a regular basis to provide the members spiritual, pastoral and organizational support.

"I know that this clarification of the bishop's status will be a relief to many Episcopalians in the diocese," Anderson said. "That clarity will help them in their ministry to each other and beyond in the continuing Diocese of San Joaquin. I look forward to being back in the diocese on January 26, and I hope that people will see this meeting as a chance for them to join with other Episcopalians who want to participate in rebuilding the diocese."

On the afternoon of January 11, the Presiding Bishop called Schofield at the diocesan offices in Fresno, California, to notify him of her action, Robertson said. Schofield was not in the office and Jefferts Schori left a message with a staff member, telling the bishop that he would receive copies of the certification and inhibition yet that day via email and fax, and by overnight mail on January 12.

"To everyone involved and everyone throughout the church, again, our focus has been and continues to be the mission of the church in spreading the good news of God in Christ, of feeding the poor, of helping the marginalized, and that work has not stopped and will not stop within the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin and throughout the larger church," Robertson said.

Schofield now has two months to recant his position or renounce his orders by way of Title IC, Cannon 8, Sec 2 or Title III, Canon 12, Sec 7. He can also declare that the Title IV's assertions are false.

The two-month time frame refers the days remaining until the House of Bishops' next meeting March 7-13 at Camp Allen outside Houston in the Diocese of Texas. "The House of Bishops will review and vote on the findings of the review committee," Robertson said.

If a majority of the House concurs, the Presiding Bishop must depose Schofield and declare the episcopate of the diocese vacant.

Those remaining in the Episcopal Church would be gathered to organize a new diocesan convention and elect a replacement Standing Committee, if necessary. An assisting bishop would be appointed to provide episcopal ministry until a new diocesan bishop search process could be initiated and a new bishop elected and consecrated.

A lawsuit would be filed against the departed leadership and a representative sample of departing congregations if they attempted to retain Episcopal Church property.

The first section of Title IV, Canon 9 says that a bishop abandons the communion of the Episcopal Church if he or she takes one of the following actions:
1. open renunciation of the Doctrine, Discipline, or Worship of the Church;
2. formal admission into any religious body not in communion with thesame; or
3. exercising episcopal acts [which include primarily Holy Orders and Confirmation] in and for a religious body other than the Episcopal Church or another Church in communion with the Church so as to extend to such body Holy Orders as this Church holds them, or to administer on behalf of such religious body Confirmation without the express consent and commission of the proper authority in this Church.

WWF - Evolution

Buffalo Churches Apologize & Welcome Gay People

In an open letter to gay people in Western New York, leaders of Episcopal congregations in Buffalo offered an apology and asked forgiveness from gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. The letter further emphasized that they offer gay people, welcoming and loving religious congregations.

An Open Letter to the GLBT Community:

We leaders of Episcopal congregations in Buffalo want to offer our apology and ask forgiveness from the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender community. For centuries the institutional church and organized religion have slandered, tortured, disenfranchised and sometimes murdered members of the community. We ask forgiveness for using our Sacred Scriptures to wrongly justify hatred, bigotry, prejudice and violence against those of different affectional orientation and gender identification, both in the past and, unfortunately, still today.

As leaders of congregations, some of us openly gay and lesbian, we are humbled and vow to use our influence to change not only our religions but our laws that seek to marginalize the GLBT community. If you would like to seek an organized religion, we would urge you to attend as many different denominations and spiritual paths as you can. There are several that will welcome you. If you wish to seek an Episcopal Church, those of us listed below promise a welcoming and loving community for you, and/or your partner and your children.

Tata

“The cheaper and cheaper vehicles become, the quicker those pollution levels will increase.”

JAMIE LEATHER, a transport specialist with the Asian Development Bank, after India's Tata Motors unveiled its $2,500 car

Tata

“The cheaper and cheaper vehicles become, the quicker those pollution levels will increase.”

JAMIE LEATHER, a transport specialist with the Asian Development Bank, after India's Tata Motors unveiled its $2,500 car

Global Warming

“Things are definitely more serious now than 5 years ago.”

ERIC RIGNOT, polar ice sheet expert at NASA, on concerns that the global warming-induced melting of Greenland glaciers is accelerating

Plastic Bags Banned in China

Starting in June, all shops will be forbidden from offering free plastic bags. Meanwhile, super-thin bags have been banned. Consumers are being asked to "go back to" using cloth bags and baskets. Meanwhile, Tibet's provincial government announced that it intends to ban all plastic bags period.

By targeting those pesky bags, China joins a growing club that includes Ireland, Uganda, South Africa, Russia, Hong Kong, and San Francisco. With the right enforcement -- that's always the tricky part -- and education campaigns, the upshot in China could be huge: China Trade News estimates that the country of 1.3 billion people must refine 5 million tons, or 37 million barrels, of crude oil every year to meet demand for plastic bags, which are used at a rate of 3 billion bags every day. Three billion. If that estimate is right, that means China uses as many bags in two weeks as the U.S. uses in a year--or that would mean that each Chinese citizen uses twice the amount of bags Americans use every day.

The Compressed Air Car is Here

Anyone interested in a car that costs $3 to fill up, goes 125 miles between fill-ups and does not emit any pollution? Oh yeah, and it only costs about $7000. Any takers?

Tata's $2,500 Car

The New York Times notes that Tata’s new car is "expected to retail for as little as the equivalent of $2,500, or about the price of the optional DVD player on the Lexus LX 470 sport utility vehicle."

How do they do it? Strip it of safety and environmental standards and just about everything else.

NJ Lawmakers Urged To Move On Gay Marriage Bill

The group that won a New Jersey Supreme Court ruling in 2006 that said same-sex couples must have the same legal rights as married pairs is urging the state legislature to move forward on a marriage equality bill.

Following the high court ruling the legislature passed civil unions bearing the rights of marriage but not the name. Since then, despite the law, gay and lesbian couples say they are not being treated on an equal footing with married couples.

Lambda Legal which won the 2006 ruling this week called on lawmakers to amend the law to provide for full marriage.

"Marriage equality for same-sex couples in New Jersey is inevitable ---- prolonging the wait leaves countless families across the state without the security and dignity of being able to explain to their children, their neighbors, or their children's teachers that they are married," said Lambda Legal Executive Director, Kevin Cathcart in a letter to members of the legislature and Gov. Jon S. Corzine.

"Civil unions label same-sex couples as different and inferior and no amount of tinkering with the rules and benefits can erase that stain of inequality.

"While the civil union law helped immensely to reduce the harm that New Jersey causes same-sex couples, most New Jerseyans will never read the law. Instead, they know gay people were denied marriage, and they take away a discriminatory message from that.

Corzine has said he expects that eventually the law will be amended and at least one openly gay lawmaker is reportedly working on a bill.

But it is doubtful any legislation will be introduced before the November election.

"Grandma, my teacher said if grandpa was a girl that's ok, you can still be married,'" the voice says. The announcer then returns to say: "Our kids will be taught a new way of thinking: 'God creating Adam and Eve is so old-fashioned.'"

"Thinking the unthinkable: 'If my dad married a man, who would be my mom?'" The ads were paid for by the National Organization for Marriage.

Lawmakers are awaiting a report from a commission it set up when the civil union law was passed to monitor whether civil unions are meeting the requirements set down by the court.
It is widely expected the commission will recommend amending the law to provide for marriage.
At public hearings throughout the state last year commissioners heard from same-sex couples who faced discrimination.

Garden State Equality said more than 300 same-sex couples have complained to it that employers won't recognize their civil unions and refuse to provide insurance for their parters and children.

"When the government itself discriminates, it sets an example for others to follow, and causes more discrimination everywhere else. The harm has only just begun, and it will never stop as long as same-sex couples are assigned a separate status," the letter from Lambda Legal to lawmakers this week said. "The New Jersey Legislature and the Governor should end the harm it created with the civil union law by ending discrimination in marriage."

Proteins Found That HIV Preys On

The AIDS virus has to hijack human proteins to do its damage, but scientists until now have known only a few dozen of its targets. On Thursday, Harvard researchers unveiled a surprisingly longer list, an important first step in the hunt for new drugs.

HIV is on its face a simple virus, consisting of just nine genes. Yet it makes up for that bare-bones structure in a sinister and complex way - by literally taking over the cellular machinery of its victims so it can multiply and then destroy.

The proteins it exploits have been dubbed HIV dependency factors, and 36 had been discovered. The new research, published online Thursday by the journal Science, found 273 of these potential HIV targets.

Led by geneticist Stephen Elledge of Brigham and Women's Hospital, the team used a technique called RNA interference that can disrupt a gene's ability to do its job and make a protein. One by one, they disrupted thousands of human genes in test tubes, dropped in some HIV, and watched what happened. If HIV couldn't grow well, it signaled the protein that the gene that had failed to produce must be the reason.

It will take far more research to figure out the role each of these proteins plays in HIV's life cycle.

But most of today's AIDS drugs work by targeting the HIV virus itself. In August, the government approved sale of the first drug that works by blocking an HIV dependency factor, a cellular doorway called CCR5. The hope is that this longer list of those factors will point toward spots where similar drugs might work.

WWF - Adam and Eve

They Are Coming To A Town Near You

Roman Catholic bishop in Spain is in trouble

There is outrage in parts of Spanish society following declarations made over Christmas from the Bishop of Tenerife, Bernardo Álvarez.

His comments were that there are youngsters who want to be abused, and he compared that abuse to homosexuality, describing them both as prejudicial to society. He said that on occasions the abuse happened because the there are children who consent to it. “There are 13 year old adolescents who are under age and who are perfectly in agreement with, and what’s more wanting it, and if you are careless they will even provoke you,” he said.

Episcopal Leader Defends Gay Bishops

“There's certainly a double standard.”

KATHERINE JEFFERTS SCHORI, presiding bishop of the U.S. Episcopal Church, defending the church's appointment of a gay bishop and calling on other Anglican churches who have criticized the move to be more open about their own gay clergy

Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori says her church has been unfairly singled out for criticism because it is honest about consecrating gay bishops.

Jefferts Schori told BBC Radio 4's PM program that the New York-based church, which is the Anglican body in the U.S., is far from the only Anglican province that has a bishop with a same-sex partner. In 2003, Episcopalians elected the first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, causing an uproar that has pushed the Anglican family toward a split.

''He is certainly not alone in being a gay bishop; he's certainly not alone in being a gay partnered bishop,'' Jefferts Schori said in an interview broadcast Tuesday. ''He is alone in being the only gay partnered bishop who's open about that status.''

Most Anglicans are traditionalists who believe Scripture bars gay relationships. Liberal-leaning Anglicans believe the Bible's social justice teachings on acceptance should apply to same-sex couples.

The national Episcopal Church has not developed an official public prayer to bless gay couples churchwide. However, Jefferts Schori and other Episcopal leaders acknowledge that such ceremonies take place in many parishes. She said other Anglican churches do the same.

''Those services are happening in various places, including in the Church of England, where my understanding is that there are far more of them happening than there are in the Episcopal Church,'' Jefferts Schori said.

Expect Gas Prices To Surge In Spring

Gasoline could average $3.75 a gallon across the U.S. in a few months, pushing the price in California up and over the $4 mark, energy analysts said Wednesday.

Several factors point toward a nightmarish spring for motorists, they said, including persistently strong crude oil costs and the fact that the traditional December drop in pump prices didn't materialize."If anyone expects gas to be less than a new record, they are not thinking," said Fadel Gheit, senior energy analyst for Oppenheimer & Co. "There is no question it will be much higher than last year."

Americans will start 2008 paying about 65 cents more a gallon than they did in January 2007, according to the forecasts, and by April could see self-serve regular selling for $3.50 to $3.75 a gallon.

2007: The Good, The Bad, and the Gay

Following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, 2008 promises to be a perilous year for LGBT people and everybody else. But before we look forward, let's revisit the gayest moments of 2007.

1. Among the many scandals Republicans faced in 2007, U.S. senator Larry Craig of Idaho was the center of the storm. He was arrested in June for lewd conduct after an undercover police officer claimed that Craig tried to tap-dance his way to sex in a Minneapolis airport bathroom. He later pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct and as of now appears set to stay in office through his term, which expires in 2008.

2. At a September visit to Columbia University in New York, Iranian president Mahmoud Amadinejad wowed the crowd with this whopper: "In Iran we don't have homosexuals like in your country." Saturday Night Live stars Andy Samberg and Fred Armisen parody accordingly.

3. Logo and the Human Rights Campaign hosted the first presidential forum concerning LGBT issues in August. New Mexico governor Bill Richardson tripped up during his turn in the hot seat when he said that being gay is a choice. He promptly visited The Advocate's office the next day to apologize for his blunder, which he attributed to fatigue.

4. After much revision and debate, in November the House passed Rep. Barney Frank's version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which does not include protections for transgender workers. Not only will the bill come up against a tougher vote in the Senate, President Bush has vowed to veto it if it lands on his desk.

5. Gay marine Eric Alva, the first American service member wounded in Iraq, urged Congress in February to lift the ban on gays in the military.

6. In the same month, former NBA center John Amaechi released the book Man in the Middle, in which he announced he is gay.

7. In June, Cyndi Lauper launched a 16-city tour benefiting HRC featuring other acts, including Erasure, Debbie Harry, the Dresden Dolls, and Margaret Cho.

8. In January, following a Golden Globe win for Grey's Anatomy, star Isaiah Washington brought up the f word, claiming to reporters that he’d never used the word back in October 2006 to describe costar T.R. Knight during a spat with fellow actor Patrick Dempsey. Washington was given his walking papers. Knight came out and became a new gay hero.

9. Lesbian-bashing Penn State basketball coach Rene Portland resigned in March, two months after the university settled a suit with former player Jennifer Harris, who accused Portland of "humiliating, berating, and ostracizing" her because Portland perceived Harris to be gay.

10. Finance guru and media favorite Suze Orman came out in an interview with The New York Times Magazine, explaining how she and her partner would lose half of their shared earnings at death because they cannot legally marry.

New Years 2008 in Lake Arrowhead

Third year of spend my birthday and New Years with the boys. The past two years were in Palm Springs, but the house we rented was sold, so we headed up to Lake Arrowhead... in the cabin owned by the nuns.

I have to thank Albert for the pictures... and I loved his comments, so I will add them also. ;-)

Kevin, Andy, and Boris Nelson

Tequila!

Andy and Nick planned the camo-wildernesss--mexican theme for my birthday. Margaritas from the dispens-arita and tequila shots... when do we ever do tequila shots?

Nick demonstrates proper technique.

My Birthday!

This mexican dress was a gift from Nelson and Juan. Andy is pulling down the front of the dress to show off my cleavage.

Lotta candles...

"There should only be 29 candles, bitch!"

"Does this muumuu make me look fat?"

On new year's eve, we did a little shopping in Lake Arrowhead.

Bounty - we always have plenty to eat.

Happy New Year!

Andy's outfit...

...made our eyes hurt...

...causing us to hit the bottle.

Alien love

Daniel wears the new Elton John line

Juan looks dapper in his new Prada antenna

The New and Improved Village People: Teacher, Social Worker, Engineer, Psychologist, Whatever Nelson Does, and another Engineer for safe measure.

Seriously, Greg, we believed you when you told the story the first time.

Kevin: "Chin chin!" Albert: "That's racist."

Kevin and Sean

Sean drove up to the cabin on New Year's night to join in the festivities.

Morning Coffee

Bunny ears

We were trying to watch the Rose Parade.

I am very fortunate to have such good friends and truly appreciate the time that I spend with them. It was nice having Sean with us... and me.