Calvatia gigantea

So, what is that next to the soccer ball? I admit I was completely creeped out to find a gigantic mushroom in my backyard. Actually not just one but 5! So, with a little sleuthing and help from a neighbor, I *think* its a calvatia gigantea.  According to the mushroom expert.com,

"The giant puffball, Calvatia gigantea, is easily recognized by its size and shape. Typical specimens are about the size of a soccer ball, and more or less round. However, it can be much larger (a 5-foot, 50-pound specimen is on record!). Like all puffballs with white interiors, Calvatia gigantea is edible before the flesh begins to darken and turn into spore dust. In fact the giant puffball can be found in farmers' markets across the Midwest in late summer. It is frequently sliced into "steaks" that are then battered and fried in butter. The fact that puffballs are tasteless, and that the resulting morsel tastes more like batter and butter than anything else, does not seem to deter."

So, anyone have some butter and a frying pan?

Ok, Im still creeped out!

A focus on women's issues: VAWA

You know I consider integrity and truth telling along with the major economic crisis we are in to be critical life issues... but lets get to those another day, hopefully soon. I want to to focus on women's issues since i started that research a few weeks ago. I didnt get as much done on this as I wanted. Life is a little out of control for me these days so I will only look at two issues:

1. Violence against women

2. Equal pay for equal work (on the next post, hopefully tomorrow)

For the record, I dont claim objectivity. Yes, the voting records below stand for themselves, but I have only pulled a few instances which I know are politically charged. So I stand guilty on that account. Also, I am not going to take up a woman's right to her own reproductive freedom (which should include a focus  on  health care coverage of birth control, medically accurate sex ed, financial support for pregnant teens or for the reduction in teen pregnancy). I don't want to side track the discussion of these other critical issues because of the often times polemic nature of the debate.

Violence Against Women

25% of all women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. Approximately 1,400 women a year - four every day - die in the United States as a result of domestic violence.  (For an explanation of this and other facts, see the information available at the National Institutes of Health ).

These numbers are surprisingly high -- and yet the topic gets such little air time or resources.  In 1994 The Violence Against Women Act [VAWA] was passed and signed into law. It was reauthorized by Congress in 2000 and 2005. As most people now know, this legislation was drafted and sponsored by Joe Biden. John McCain voted against VAWA in 1994 and 2000.  Biden, as sponsor of the legislation voted in favor.

VAWA created new penalties for gender-related violence and new grant programs encouraging states to address domestic violence and sexual assault such as the  the National Domestic Violence Hotline and grants to battered women's shelters. Since VAWA was passed the number of cases of domestic violence in the US has dropped by 25%.

There are many other issues that are covered in VAWA -- one of which is the requirement that rape victims should not have to pay for their own rape kits.  Rape kits are those kits that provide the items necessary for forensic and medical experts to gather and preserve physical evidence following a sexual assault. They also contain emergency contraceptives to prevent rape induced pregnancy.

In the US, when an on offense is committed against person or property crime scene investigation is paid for by the city. Why should rape be any different? It is a brutal offense against the individual involved, in most, but not all cases women. It is also notable then that the then Mayor Sarah Palin went against Alaska state law (instituted as part of VAWA) to require rape victims in her city to pay for their own rape kits (about $500 to $1200). Alaska state law made it illegal for any law enforcement agency to bill victims or victims' insurance companies for the costs of examinations to collect evidence of a sexual assault or determine if a sexual assault actually occurred.

This is slightly off topic... but whether you think Palin will make a good VP or not, you've gotta agree that she has been treated in a sexist and chauvinistic manner by John McCain. Its rare that I agree with CNN's analysis on things (they tend to be fairly conservative), CNN's Campbell Brown finally called a spade a spade earlier this week. Free Sarah Palin. Honestly, I want to know what she knows and thinks. Its a bit jarring to me that a candidate for the second highest office in our land has not held a single press conference since accepting the nomination. I think the American people and Sarah deserve better treatment than that!

"Tonight I call on the McCain campaign to stop treating Sarah Palin like she is a delicate flower that will wilt at any moment," said Brown. "This woman is from Alaska from crying out loud. She is strong. She is tough. She is competent. And you claim she is ready to be one heart beat away form the presidency. If that is the case, then end this chauvinistic treatment of her now. Allow her to show her stuff. Allow her to face down those pesky reporters... Let her have a real news conference with real questions. By treating Sarah Palin different from the other candidates in this race, you are not showing her the respect she deserves. Free Sarah Palin. Free her from the chauvinistic chain you are binding her with. Sexism in this campaign must come to an end. Sarah Palin has just as much a right to be a real candidate in this race as the men do. So let her act like one."

FREE SARAH PALIN!

Since Ive taken so long to post this, Palin has done an interview with Katie Couric (although still doesnt freely Q and A as the other candidates do) to add to her interviews with Gibson and Hannity. Watch that interview here and tell me what you think!

If you are interested in foreign policy you might want to watch this clip.

Watch CBS Videos Online

what do you think?

Im still working on my next post focused on unpacking pro-life, which will cover women's issues, although I probably should focus on the economy given the recent failure of major banking and insurance industries. But I started on my research on women's issues last week, so Im going to get that done before I move on. Im not quite done though. So, in the interim I will post this brief video I found put out by Catholic women:



They take John McCain to task for his unwillingness to truly be pro-life. What do you think?

Also, in the mean time I came across an interesting article by Steven Waldman, "a conservative Reagan administration official and leading pro-life legal scholar." [I found this as I was searching out some more conservative view points]. He chronicles how he was publicly chastised by his parish priest and refused communion in church because he supports Barack Obama.

Waldman focuses primarily on the issue of how pro-life cannot end with birth, and makes the claim that "The irony of ironies was that my motivation for the endorsement [of Obama] was entirely Catholic. No, Obama doesn't share the Catholic faith, but he certainly campaigns like he does. As reflected in his book, the Senator is focused on the human person, on the common good, on the social justice of economic arrangement. All is so very Catholic."

What is also profound about Waldman's argument (and he is a conservative legal scholar on abortion issues) is that he states "Obama's "abortion reduction" agenda will have more impact on abortion in the short run than the traditional battles against Roe v. Wade." This is also a great point because the real issue is "unwanted pregnancies" not "sinful" and "uncompassionate" women who need to be regulated. To actively reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies thereby reducing the want for abortion is a powerful and important step forward. It surprises me that the republican caucus has so consistently voted against legislation that will support medically accurate sex education, teen pregnancy, and access to birth control. Lets not even talk rape kits with emergency contraception.

I wish the pro-life wars would move beyond abortion (and euthanasia) only, although I urge those who are "pro-life" to not unfairly equate "pro-choice" with "pro-abortion". It unfairly caricatures the pro-choice stance and minimizes respect for women.

nature center, part 3!

The girls made bird houses last weekend for our nature center! They
painted them vibrant pinks and greens and blues. Im hoping the birds
will be attracted to them. Oh, and they also put glitter on them!
Does any one have ideas on how to keep squirrels out of the bird
houses???

How do children matter?

So I have been compelled by the popular memes in the political campaigns this year to unpack for myself what exactly does it mean to be pro-life? I know some define it as being against abortion. But I defer to the teachings of liberation theologists in the good catholic tradition to think about pro-life as covering "womb to tomb".  With that said, I decided I needed to get some of the facts, and so on this post I thought I would start with, how are children valued in the national agenda? Here is an interesting way to look at it: How are the current senators rated by the non partisan Children's Defense Fund on their efforts to support quality of life for children?

In 2007, the Children's Defense Fund rated every congress person on whether their voting record positively or negatively impacted children.  John McCain scored  last in the Senate: a dismal 10% out of a possible 100%. Barack Obama received a 60%. Now arguably, both Obama's and McCain's scores are a bit lower than they might be otherwise because they both have missed votes while out on the campaign trail (in the CDF's formulation, you miss a vote, you lose the same points as if you voted against). So a more accurate figure might be 2005's rating from the Children's Defense Fund, when neither were on the campaign trail (Sen. Obama: 100 % Sen. McCain: 22 %) and 2006 (Obama: 100 % McCain: 10%).  I think a clear pattern emerges here. On a side note, I was proud of our Michigan delegation (Levin and Stabenow) both of whom scored 100% all three years.

Ratings were based on ten categories:
   1.      Increase minimum wage (H.R. 2)
  2.      Increase funding for children with disabilities (S. Con. Res. 21)
       3.      Protect children from unsafe medications (S. 1082)
      4.      2008 Budget resolution (S. Con. Res. 21)
        5.      SCHIP Reauthorization (H.R. 976)
        6.      College Cost Reduction and Access Act (H.R. 2669)
       7.      SCHIP (H.R. 976 - motion to concur)
     8.      DREAM Act (S. 2205)
     9.      Funding child health and education (H.R. 3043)

        10.      Improving Head Start programs (H.R. 1429)

I was told once by a superintendent in NYC when we were talking about some work we would be doing in her school, that "the children don't have the time". What she meant was she wanted to see immediate outcomes on our research intervention. Her point was well taken then, and it applies now. The children do not have the time. 4, 8, 12 years is a long time in the life of a child.

this one is for the community organizers

This post is for all of the community organizers who have worked tirelessly to build a better, more just, more humane world -- Dorothy Day, MLK, Susan B Anthony, and for the many good folks I know so well -- Carmen, Melinda, Deb and others -- who do their work without recognition, day by day, with youth and their families. Your work matters. Your work is central to supporting a culture of life for all people. Whether its children in need quality education,  families in need of health care, children living in the asthma zones of our biggest cities, or families on the brink of homelessness because of job loss or house foreclosure, you are there working against economic, social, and environmental injustice.