Heart thread - 09/04/2009

Let us pray for firefighters and those endangered by or homeless from wildfires.

Firefighters gaining on Los Angeles-area wildfire
The Associated Press - Raquel Maria Dillon - ‎1 hour ago‎
LOS ANGELES - Fire bosses say they are making progress in taming the 226-square-mile arson fire north of Los Angeles that has led to a homicide investigation into the deaths of two firefighters.
Los Angeles Wildfire Sends Pollution 1000 Miles East to Denver Bloomberg

The extended family continues to grow. My niece Paula notes the following on FB:

Have a new niece born this morning to my brother's son BJ and his wife Tracey. Haven't heard the full name yet, but her middle name will be Hallie after my maternal grandmother who shared the same birthday as BJ. She weighed in at 8 pounds 1 oz. This has been a great week...twin nephews born one week ago and today a niece. Just too cool. :-)

...

Add to that Nicole's new nephew -- who by the way is another cutie patootie, and that makes 4 babies in a week. Crazy...

So another grandnephew of mine, BJ, has become a dad too. And my grandnephew Nate is a new uncle. Joy in seeing a whole new generation arrive. And mortality too as I realize my generation, that of the great-grandparents, is not getting younger.

My cousin Maureen pointed out that her niece, cousin Dan's daughter Jennifer Hallie, also has that middle name after my mom. My own niece Paula and nephew Glen Paul and I all are named for my dad, Paul Victor (my middle name is different). Mother, in turn, was named for her Aunt Hallie, who was also named for her Aunt Hallie in the generation before that.

It is nice to see family names carried on, though a colleague who has "IV" behind his name implies it can go too far. LOL.

Welcome to the next generation!

O God, you have taught us through your blessed Son that whoever receives a little child in the name of Christ receives Christ himself: We give you thanks for the blessing you have bestowed upon this family in giving them a child. Confirm their joy by a lively sense of your presence with them, and give them calm strength and patient wisdom as they seek to bring this child to love all that is true and noble, just and pure, lovable and gracious, excellent and admirable, following the example of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Let us pray for the unemployed.

Unemployment Rises to 9.7 Percent; 216000 Jobs Lost in August
Washington Post - Neil Irwin - ‎17 minutes ago‎
The job market continued its long, steep decline in August, with the jobless rate soaring to 9.7 percent and employers continuing to shed jobs, albeit at a slower rate than expected.

For a cessation of war.

Report of civilian deaths after NATO airstrikes kill 90 in Afghanistan
Los Angeles Times - ‎37 minutes ago‎
KABUL, Afghanistan - NATO airstrikes on a pair of hijacked fuel tankers killed up to 90 people early today, according to Afghan authorities.

For a very soon return of sanity to this nation.

Obama's speech scares the wingnut parents
Kansas City Star - Yael T. Abouhalkah - ‎53 minutes ago‎
It's Day 3 of the whipped up frenzy over President Barack Obama's planned stay-in-school message to K-12 students. Conservative parents are whipping up on their schools boards -- in the ...

I checked a NYT article when GHWB gave a speech to students in 1989 and the synopsis of a news broadcast on it. While there seems to have been concern in some quarters about GHWB's approach to drugs (his topic) and a drug raid timed to bolster his speech, there was no hysteria or calls to pull children out of school, etc. Senator Byrd said Bush's drug proposal did not go far enough. Democrats in Congress accused Bush 41 of using government money for political purposes. Students were rather unimpressed with the "just say no" content of the President's speech. A commenter at one site vaguely remembers it.

I was only 10 at the time, and we had just started 5th grade.
But I remember all of us gathering in the cafeteria (it was a small Catholic elementary school - maybe 120 kids total in grades K - 6) and watching this on the TV.

But shielding students from what he had to say? No. When it comes to the reaction there is no qualitative equivalency so don't let someone pass off the current frenzy as the same-o same-o. False equivalencies must be rejected; they do not stand up to scrutiny.

Has the entire nation gone off its meds against medical advice?

One of my friends writes at FB:

Erik ... thinks ALL media needs to look at what they are doing and STOP flaming the fires of hate, discrimination, controversy and stupidity. REPORT the facts... STOP SENSATIONALIZING!

I thank those praying for me as I go through dental work. I was all brave and calm yesterday but last night I lost several hours of sleep because of pain. Today I will accept the doc's offer of stronger analgesics (the ones I turned down yesterday). I will be going in to work later, assuming I can talk without such an intense distraction since we are short-staffed today.

Let us remember all who are ill and those who do research to combat disease and suffering.

H1N1 has killed 2837, virus has not mutated-WHO
Reuters - Stephanie Nebehay, Laura MacInnis - ‎1 hour ago‎
GENEVA, Sept 4 (Reuters) - H1N1 flu has killed at least 2837 people but is not causing more severe illness than previously and the virus has not mutated, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday.

Antibodies found that prevent HIV from causing severe AIDS
Los Angeles Times - Thomas H. Maugh II - ‎13 hours ago‎
Scientists were able to isolate two antibodies responsible for resistance to the disease in an African patient. The discovery could be key to the development of a vaccine.

LJ notes at FB:

According to the New York Times, the lack of medical insurance coverage in the US is the direct cause of 18,000 unnecessary deaths a year. That’s more than five times the number of people killed on 9/11. Each year.

From the Prayer List at OCICBW:

From BAD ALICE:

It's Bad Alice again. The hospital discharge nurse called me about my brother and SIL and told me they have to release them into someone's care because they aren't competent to take care of themselves. My SIL possibly has the beginnings of dementia. Neither has been taking their medications properly or eating properly. This has probably been going on for a while, hidden by the fact that on the surface they seem okay. I will be sitting down with doctors today to learn more about their actual diagnoses, and eventually with a case worker from their insurance company and a social worker. It's probable that she will need some sort of assisted living. I'm not looking forward to trying to explain any of this to my brother or SIL.

In other words, it's a mess and I feel like sitting down and crying.

+ + +

Viv:
Last night I also ended up in hospital myself after I passed out with pain on the landing. It’s probably either the endometriosis again or a cyst bursting but my blood pressure went through the basement and I was unable to move or talk for some time. I’m ok again now and aiming to be back at work tomorrow but why oh why do these things always come at the same time???

+ + +

Posted by Charlotte at THEATRICAL MILESTONES:

... one of my best friends--let's call him Randy--is involved in an abusive relationship with a junkie. ...

+ + +

Posted by THE EPISCOPAL PRINCESS on her blog:

... I am finding it so hard to put into words all the things which are blowing about in my brain right now. In no particular order... anxiety, fear, sadness, excitement. Okay so all of those are pieces of anxiety. I cannot put them in order because quite frankly the order changes from minute to minute. I keep remembering the song my mother used to sing when we were being particularly difficult "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha, Ha". It feels so appropriate right now.

I am scared of change, it is one of my huge challenges and not one that I relish.

+ + +

Margaret notes Bishop Paul Jones in the TEC calendar today:

Today I give thanks for +Paul Jones (1880-1941), young priest, younger bishop, who spoke peace and non-violence in the early days of WWI. He was forced to resign as bishop because of the conflict he caused preaching peace.

Take heart you bishops that are fearful to act or speak plainly, or believe you are working a "process."

Today is also the feast of the Translation of Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne. On this day in 1104 his relics were moved to their new shrine in Durham Cathedral. The icon shown below, through the hands of this unworthy presbyter, was laid on Cuthbert's grave in the cathedral in summer of 1997 as I prayed for everyone and everything I could imagine. St Cuddy is one of the saints famous for healing. May his prayers for this hurting world continue.

Conclusion
A Lindisfarne Litany

Most High and Glorious,
Lowly and Generous,
Sweet God,
Strong and Swift to Save,

By your joy in making all things,
By your passion in saving all things,
By your grace in keeping all things,

Hear the prayers of your servant,
Give ear to the prayers of your friends,
Hearken to the voice of those who love you,
And show mercy to those who know not your love;

Fashion anew your Image in us,
Keep us by your tender love,
Save us and guide us safely home;

For your own sake, Who pity mortal flesh,
For your own dear sake, Who took our mortal flesh,
For your mercy's sake, Who are the Life of mortal flesh,

Holy and Glorious, Gracious Three,
Save us and guide us safely home,
Save us and guide us safely home.
Amen.

--the BB