The Good
Pope on global warming: ‘We have exploited nature too much’
- www.ksla.com/story/27844261/pope-watch-
pope-given...
BUDDHIST TEMPLE'S HIGHEST HONOR. Pope Francis made a last-minute ... seeking an all-Buddhist Sri Lanka ... hotel received a room downgrade to a jail ...
-----------------
The bad
from Canada with love- our f**king environment matters #killthekcup
Kill The K-Cup
Published on Jan 7, 2015
In 2014 the use of the K-Cup reached unparalleled levels. Output became so high that there was enough discarded K-Cups to circle the earth 10.5 times. The numbers continued to grow until the day of the invasion ...
---------------------
AND... THE UGLY..
Well there's Climate
Change's Credibility all shot 2 hell.... at least Harper's honest... WTF??? and
China??? and Europe with your
fracking??? WTF???
Obama hearts Big Oil in the
Arctic, and other reasons to fear for humanity
----------------------
Artists call for Gros Morne protection
Group urges Harper to create a buffer zone around the UNESCO world site in N.L.
Group urges Harper to create a buffer zone around the UNESCO world site in N.L.
SUE BAILEY THE CANADIAN PRESS
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — Canadian artists, writers and musicians ranging from Hey Rosetta to novelist Joseph Boyden are pushing for action to protect Gros Morne National Park in western Newfoundland.
They’ve signed an open letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Premier Paul Davis urging a buffer zone to prevent hydraulic fracturing and other development near the UNESCO world heritage site.
Gros Morne received that designation from the United Nations in 1987 and draws thousands of visitors each year. Its famous hiking trails wind through thick forests and across stunning clifftop views over glacier-cut fjords.
Its 1,800 square kilometres also feature geological wonders such as the Tablelands that have helped scientists understand how the Earth’s outer shell has shifted over millions of years.
“Gros Morne National Park is one of the national treasures that make us proud to be Canadians," says the letter dated Jan. 5 and publicly released Monday.
“We were shocked, therefore, to learn about a proposal in 2013 to conduct oil drilling and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) activities next to the park, considering the threat that this would pose to its ecosystems, its pristine natural beauty, and the thriving local tourism economy." The letter urges Harper and Davis to help create a buffer zone around Gros Morne “that will be kept permanently free from industrialization."
Its 32 signatures include those of astronaut Roberta Bondar, writer Lawrence Hill of The Book of Negroes, musician Tim Baker of Hey Rosetta and actor Greg Malone of Codco.
The letter is copied to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. It recommended last June that the federal government create a permanent protective zone around the park.
Neither the Prime Minister’s Office nor the premier responded to requests for comment.
The province announced in November 2013 a temporary halt to potential fracking applications while it internally reviewed regulations and potential impacts. While the government had received no formal proposals to frack wells, exploration licences granted in what’s known as the Green Point shale near Gros Morne touched off intense debate.
Many residents raised concerns about groundwater pollution and other risks. Hydraulic fracturing or fracking pumps massive volumes of water combined with nitrogen, sand and chemicals at high pressure to shatter shale rock, allowing gas or oil to flow through well bores to the surface.
It’s believed Newfoundland’s west coast has deep shale formations that hold potentially huge reserves of oil, unlike more shallow coalbed gas deposits in western Canada and parts of the U.S.
The provincial Progressive Conservative government has stressed it puts health and environmental safety first but wants a balanced approach to industrial development.
Groups such as the Newfoundland and Labrador Oil and Gas Industries Association say thousands of wells have been fracked in western Canada without environmental damage.
But the Council of Canadians and other critics warn a lack of independent research and baseline measurements before and after fracking cast doubt on any safety assurances.
Last October, the province named a five-member external panel with environment, geology, engineering and public health expertise to report within a year on the implications of fracking in western Newfoundland.
Eric Hebert-Daly, executive director of the watchdog group Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, helped co-ordinate the open letter as part of a broader campaign for a Gros Morne buffer.
The park’s coveted UNESCO status depends in part on its preservation, he said in an interview.
“This seems like a no-brainer. We really just need to find the time and the effort on the part of both governments to find the solution to what that buffer zone needs to look like, and get on with it."
Malone said Gros Morne is a place like no other, especially as development erodes what remains of the globe’s wilderness.
“Encroaching on the very few areas we have preserved as outstanding examples of the natural world is just, in my view, unacceptable greed," he said in an interview. “We don’t need to do that."
Encroaching on the very few areas we have preserved as outstanding examples of the natural world is just, in my view, unacceptable greed.
Greg Malone Actor
A couple walk along a boardwalk on their way to Western Brook Pond in Gros Morne, N.L. JONATHAN HAYWARD • CP
--------------------
- www.facebook.com/jesuischarliehalifax Cached
Je suis Charlie / Halifax - I am Charlie/Halifax. ... Halifax Grand Parade in Halifax, Nova Scotia 42 people are going. Like · Comment · Share · 1.
----------------------
CANADA'S MACLEAN'S SAYS IT BEST....
Charlie Hebdo harsher with
Christianity than Islam
The magazine has, at times, loudly defended the
Muslim faith
January
9, 2015
A few
weeks before two gunmen broke into its offices and murdered the near entirety
of its staff, the profane geniuses of Charlie Hebdo were busy sullying
an established Abrahamic religion with a bloody history of punishing
non-believers. Drawn by the cartoonist Riss—his real name is Laurent
Sourisseau, and he was injured in the Jan. 7 attack—the cover depicts a smiling
baby Jesus exploding out of the Virgin Mary’s lady parts. “[D]id you know that
the Baby Jesus was a child of sin, scourge of dragons, sandpit faith-healer,
child-killer, blinder of men, hyperactive child-king, tormentor of his
teachers, and apprentice prophet?” read the inside copy.
This, my
friends, is how you demean a religion: put its central figure between the legs
of his sainted mother, herself a gap-toothed dolt, and say he is a product of
carnal, not celestial, coupling. Make him simply, wretchedly human, in other
words—thereby calling into doubt the intelligence of anyone who worships this
being.
Juxtapose
this with the Charlie Hebdo treatment of the prophet Muhammad over the
years. As with the magazine’s critiques of Christianity, there are many
examples from which to choose, so it’s best to go with the most contentious,
printed in 2006.
Here we
see a distraught Muhammad, head in his hands, weeping. “It’s hard being loved
by idiots,” he says. The headline: “Muhammad overwhelmed by extremists.”
Inside, the editors published the infamous Muhammad cartoons, many of which
spoke to the same point: Islam has been hijacked by extremists who are as
thin-skinned as they are misogynist and violent. In 2007, the French Council
for the Muslim Faith sued Charlie Hebdo and lost, arguably in part
because the magazine was critiquing not the faith but the more extremist of its
followers.
My point
here isn’t only that Charlie Hebdo is an equal opportunity offender of
religions, a fact repeatedly borne out in the magazine’s archives. It’s also
this: over the years, Charlie Hebdo has been far harsher with
Christianity than it has with Islam. Catholic organizations have sued the
magazine 13 times, and only once by Muslim groups. That the magazine was both
firebombed (in 2011) and its staff attacked and killed (2015) by apparent
adherents of Islam only speaks to Charlie Hebdo’s central point: it’s
not the religion that’s the problem—though there’s that too—but its most
extreme adherents. “French Muslims are sick of Islamism,” read the first cover
sell in one issue.
French
society might well be anti-Islam. Muslims, who make up 12 per cent of the
country’s population, account for about 60 per cent of its prison population.
Many of Paris’s infamous banlieues are petri dishes of relative poverty
and exclusion. French politicians, eager to curry to the public’s favour, have
been far too quick in appealing to its baser fears; Nicolas Sarkozy’s outright
burqa ban is but one example of this.
But Charlie
Hebdo is hardly a reflection of this hate. In fact, when it wasn’t
pillorying him for being an image-obsessed, pro-American patsy, Charlie
Hebdo was at its best when it pointed out in brilliant and profane
Technicolor how Sarkozy was guilty of scapegoating Muslims and the Roma for the
sake of an election. Here
is one example.
There’s a
sad irony for you: far from being anti-Islam, Charlie Hebdo was perhaps
the loudest defender of those who practice it.
-----------------------
Just like we had 2 search and search 4 the good news on our troops 4 so many years and the pocketfuls of miracles done 4 so many folks of Iraq and Afghanistan by the troops on the ground...here's the good news on this day...imho
Thousands of
Muslims attend rallies to show Islam is religion of peace
<iframe
src="http://globalnews.ca/video/embed/1767544/" width="670"
height="437" frameborder="0"
allowfullscreen></iframe>
-------------------------
And that's the truth- It will take religions seeing what they have in common for the World to see peace AND TERRORISM HAS NO RELIGION.... imho
------------------
JANUARY 11TH- 2015
NO MORE
SNOWDEN WARNED US
OBAMA LIED AND DECEIVED US
AND THE BEAT GOES ON
--------------------------
LONDON GUARDIAN OPED
Jan 10, 2015IF CHARLIE HEBDO ATTACK WAS A STRIKE AGAINST FREE SPEECH, WHY IS THE RESPONSE MORE SURVEILLANCE?
By Trevor Timm
Let’s not avenge the deaths of journalists by trying t
o curtail the very rights for which the world has praised them
Here are some excerpts from Mr Timm’s excellent column…
“the threat of terrorism has led to draconian laws all over the world over the last decade – but this time around, the speed and breadth by which politicians praised free speech out of one side of their mouths, while moving to curtail rights out of the other, has been quite breathtaking.”
“Former NSA director (and prolific liar) Michael Hayden went on national television to argue the NSA collecting the phone records of every single American “doesn’t look so scary now”, despite the reality that its decade-old mass surveillance program that violates the privacy of hundreds of millions of people every day has never having stopped a terrorist attack.”
“Similarly, the New York Post called on the NYPD to re-institute its suspicionless surveillance program that blanketed the city’s entire Muslim population, while forgetting to mention that in the years it was active, the program never produced a single promising lead, let alone stopped an attack.”
“And Fox News was wall-to-wall “more guns, more surveillance, more race profiling”.
READ MORE…
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jan/10/charlie-hebdo-attack-free-speech-surveillance?CMP=ema_565
----------------
...2 all those waiting.... we'll see ya soon.... and Rita MacNeil ... looking 4ward 2 some kitchen music with Johnny, Waylon, Keith Whitley and the boys.... and Stomping Tom... behave yourself... just cause u can outdrink God don't mean u got to...
... and 2 all the soldiers, friends, tramps and thieves and families.... which includes most of ya.... 2 day we are holding our soldiers of suicide real close and hugging our wounded and loving our children a whole lot...
have a great week.... have been blogging and writing since 2001 because of September 11, 2001- and am still here.... now our brave hearts are almost home.... and we are thankful.... it's time 2 build up our Canada and make her strong and educate our children and fix our own.... imho... have a great week...
... an old song my Uncle - that old war dog used 2 love especially when he was in his cups....
OLD DOGS AND CHILDREN AND ... WATERMELON WINE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nizxZImh5N8
----------------------
QUOTE I LOVE.... Jamie Lee Burke (a favourite author).... "But this is no ordinary AA Group...
The failed, the abherant, the doubly addicted and the totally brain friend whose neuroses didn't even have a name found their way 2 'WORK THE STEPS OR DIE MOTHERFU*KER' meeting- from Burke's Jolie Blon's Bounce
The Serenity Prayer- am a friend of bill w. Peace of Christ and love brothers and Sisters. Been there, done that... and somehow survived 2 tell the tale- God helps His tattered and tarnished angels... and holds His arms out waitin on us 2 wander the heavens in joy, and love and redemption and renewal's sweet sounds.... Peace of Christ everyone... and u that have no religion... Peace of Christ anyway...
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen.
SUNDAY MORNING COMING DOWN- 1970
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbqGWTxwZEA
-------------------------
U Are a Child of the Universe u Matter- Desiderata- Max Ehrmann- 1927
Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsgs7vtqKGA
-------------------
BLOGGED:
LISTEN UP WORLD- GOD'S NOT DEAD- God see the Movie- be reminded and proud of your Christian roots born 2 u - that your forefathers built ur nations on- their bare hands, the Bible and a dream- Catholic and Dr. SM Lockeridge 1976 - that's our King- Do u Know Him
http://nova0000scotia.blogspot.ca/2014/03/listen-up-world-gods-not-dead-god-see.html
----------------
A Little Good News- Anne Murray
--------------------
sometimes old friends and family... are all you need.... and good memories.... and a thrown a way pet or two...
------------------------------
Now Playing | My Husband's Not Gay 01:09
"My Husband's Not Gay" follows four men living
in Salt Lake City, Utah, who don't identify themselves as homosexual despite
having an attraction to men.
----------------
TV show upsets gay activists
My Husband’s Not Gay profiles spouses staying with wives
despite allure of men
LINDSAY WHITEHURST THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SALT LAKE CITY — Preston (Pret) Dahlgren has led what
might seem like a picture-perfect Mormon life: He met his high school
sweetheart in Sunday school as a teenager, completed his mission and married
her. He is active in the church and the proud father of two young daughters.
Dahlgren also is attracted to men.
His story is the subject of a new TV show called My
Husband’s Not Gay, which gay-rights advocacy groups are calling irresponsible
and dangerous. They want the TLC cable network to pull the plug on the program
before it airs Sunday.
Dahlgren and another Mormon man from Utah featured in the
show say they’re happy in their marriages, and they hope the program gives
stories like theirs a foothold in the conversation about sexuality.
Dahlgren said he’s known he was attracted to men since he
was about 12 years old, but he also always wanted the kind of family he grew up
in: a father, mother and children.
“There are a lot of stories out there, and this just
isn’t one of them," Preston Dahlgren, 32, said in an interview with The
Associated Press this week.
The gay rights group GLAAD, however, says the show sends
the wrong message and is a sad reminder of so-called gay conversion therapy,
often faith-based efforts designed to change sexual orientation that can be
emotionally scarring. New Jersey and California in 2013 banned therapists
from practising gay conversion therapy on children and teenagers. The American
Medical Association and the American Psychological Association do not support
the therapy.
“No one can change who they love, and, more importantly,
no one should have to," GLAAD president Sarah Kate Ellis said in a
statement. “By investing in this dangerous programming, TLC is putting
countless young LGBT people in harm’s way."
The organization pointed to a change.org petition asking
TLC to cancel the show that so far has gathered more than 80,000 signatures.
Responding to GLAAD, the network says it will tell compelling stories about
different ways of life, and the four men on the hourlong show speak only for
themselves.
Jeff Bennion, 44, met his wife, Tanya, more than 13 years
ago after he had dated men. He told her he was attracted to men after they’d
been dating for about a year and a half.
“I was devastated because I didn’t know what that meant
for me," said Tanya Bennion, 42. She worried that he’d cheat on her with a
friend but said the couple’s strong connection helped her work through her
questions.
Megan Dahlgren says her marriage remains strong,
including the physical aspects of their relationship. “We do have a happy,
healthy sex life," she said.
Dahlgren and Bennion both said their upbringing in the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints was a big part of why they wanted
to remain in a husband- and-wife relationship.
“I would say it was part of my decision early on,
especially, and a big influencer of that," Dahlgren said. “It certainly
helped guide me toward where I’m at today, no doubt about it."
Church spokesman Eric Hawkins said in a statement Tuesday
that marriage is deeply personal.
“While the church does not promote marriage as a
treatment method for same-sex attraction, couples who are trying to be lovingly
supportive of each other while being true to their religious convictions
deserve our support and respect," Hawkins said.
Jeff Bennion said he would be horrified if a parent told
a gay child that they should be more like one of the men on the show.
“That’s not anything that I would support or agree
with," he said.
But Bennion said that he’s happy with his wife and their
6-year-old son. “I can’t believe how lucky I am," he said.
My Husband’s Not Gay is not the only show about people
from Utah in unusual marriages. TLC also airs the shows Sister Wives and My
Five Wives about polygamous unions.
No one can change who they love, and, more importantly,
no one should have to. By investing in this dangerous programming, TLC is
putting countless young LGBT people in harm’s way.
Sarah Kate Ellis GLAAD president
Preston (Pret) and Megan Dahlgren hold their daughter
Naomi near Salt Lake City. Two Utah men set to appear in the reality TV show My
Husband’s Not Gay, say they’re fulfilled in their relationships to their wives
even though they’re attracted to other men. The show’s concept has come under
fire since it was announced by the TLC network last month. RICK BOWMER • AP
Powered by TECNAVIA
----------------------
https://www.lifesitenews.com/.../my-husband-divorced-me-for-his-gay-lover-then-took-our-children - Cached
18 hours ago ... But behind those big smiles and
sunny photographs are other, more painful stories. ... In an instant, the world that I had known and loved—the
life we had built ... This is also true of same-sex couples who use assisted
reproductive ... Such processes exploit men and women for their
reproductive potential, ...
-----
www.slate.com/.../straight_spouse_network_helps_partners_of_gay_people_cope_after_they_come.html - Cached
9 Oct 2014 ... (Gravallese and his ex-wife also
appeared in the straight spouse ... Many gay men deeply love their wives, but as Gravallese
points out, .... has left her young children at home for the night with her husband, who came
out to her two months ago. ... Award-winning film about two cowboys who become lovers.
-------
19 Feb 2010 ... (A lot of gay men who marry women
feel this way towards their wives; there ... I also have a Gay Boyfriend: handsome, charming, brilliant
on my hair colour and my .... It was painful because we were so close – I still love her
– but eventually we split up. .... I feel we have a responsibility to our children
as well.
---
7 Mar 2006 ... Soon afterward, 10 days before she gave
birth to her second child, Mrs. Remmele's husband went off to spend a couple of nights with his new boyfriend.
... "These men genuinely love their wives," said
Joe Kort, a clinical ... This is cold comfort to women who lose not only the men they love, but
also their faith ...
-------
----------------
Many Couples Must Negotiate Terms of 'Brokeback'
Marriages
By Katy Butler
| March 7, 2006
One hour into "Brokeback Mountain," Amy Jo
Remmele began to cry, and not just for the woman on-screen, standing in a
doorway in Riverton, Wyo., watching her husband embrace a man.
"When I saw that look in her eyes, I thought, 'Oh,
yeah.' Even though I never saw my husband with another man, I knew exactly how
that woman would have felt," said Mrs. Remmele, a respiratory therapist in
rural Minnesota.
On June 1, 2000, Mrs. Remmele, then 31, discovered her
husband's profile on the Web site gay.com. The couple stayed up all that night
weeping and talking. Soon afterward, 10 days before she gave birth to her
second child, Mrs. Remmele's husband went off to spend a couple of nights with
his new boyfriend. "I tried to talk him out of it, and he left
anyway," Mrs. Remmele said. "I was devastated." Three months
later the couple divorced.
Mrs. Remmele now married to a farmer who raises cattle,
corn and soybeans is one of an estimated 1.7 million to 3.4 million American
women who once were or are now married to men who have sex with men.
The estimate derives from "The Social Organization
of Sexuality," a 1990 study, that found that 3.9 percent of American men
who had ever been married had had sex with men in the previous five years. The
lead author, Edward O. Laumann, a sociologist at the University of Chicago,
estimated that 2 to 4 percent of ever-married American women had knowingly or
unknowingly been in what are now called mixed-orientation marriages.
Such marriages are not just artifacts of the closeted
1950's. In the 16th century, Queen Anne of Denmark had eight children with King
James I of England, known not only for the King James Bible, but also for his
devotion to male favorites, one of whom he called "my sweet child and
wife."
Other women include Constance Wilde, Phyllis Gates, Linda
Porter, Renata Blauel and Dina Matos McGreevey, wed respectively to Oscar
Wilde, Rock Hudson, Cole Porter, Elton John and James E. McGreevey, the former
governor of New Jersey.
Although precise numbers are impossible to come by,
10,000 to 20,000 such wives have contacted online support groups, and increasing
numbers of them are women in their 20's or 30's.
On the whole these are not marriages of convenience or
cynical efforts to create cover. Gay and bisexual men continue to marry for
complex reasons, many impelled not only by discrimination, but also by wishful
thinking, the layered ambiguities of sexual love and authentic affection.
"These men genuinely love their wives," said
Joe Kort, a clinical social worker in Royal Oak, Mich., who has counseled
hundreds of gay married men, including a minority who stay in their marriages.
Many, he said, considered themselves heterosexual men with homosexual urges
that they hoped to confine to private fantasy life.
"They fall in love with their wives, they have
children, they're on a chemical, romantic high, and then after about seven
years, the high falls away and their gay identity starts emerging," Mr.
Kort said. "They don't mean any harm."
Helen Fisher, a research anthropologist at Rutgers
University, said in an interview that human partnerships are shaped by three
independent neurochemical brain-body systems, responsible respectively for
sexual attraction, romantic yearning and long-term attachment.
"The three systems are very fickle. They can act
together, or they can act separately," Dr. Fisher said. This, she said,
helps explain why people can be wildly sexually attracted to those they have no
romantic interest in, and romantically drawn to or permanently attached to
people who hold no sexual interest.
"Once the system is triggered, it's so chemically powerful
that you can easily overlook everything about that person that doesn't work for
you," Dr. Fisher said. "Even straight people have fallen in love with
people they could never make a life with," she said.
This is cold comfort to women who lose not only the men
they love, but also their faith in how to parse reality. "A lot of women
feel that they were just used as covers, but I know in my heart of hearts he
loved me," Mrs. Remmele said. "You can't fake the way he used to look
at me.
"I had no suspicions whatsoever. He's very masculine
looking. It's not like he had Barbra Streisand or show tunes on."
Mr. Kort, however, said that women should look deeper.
"Straight people rarely marry gay people accidentally," he wrote in a
case study of a mixed-orientation marriage published last September in
Psychotherapy Networker, a magazine for which this reporter is the features
editor.
Some women, Mr. Kort said, find gay men less judgmental
and more flexible, while others unconsciously seek partnerships that are not
sexually passionate.
But that sort of speculation infuriated Michele
Weiner-Davis, a marriage therapist and author. "That's psychobabble,"
Ms. Wiener-Davis said. "A lot of gay people don't know they're gay. So how
in the world are their spouses supposed to have some sort of gaydar?"
She continued, "Therapists should deal with the real
issues the shock to her system, that her husband wasn't who she thought he was
and the impact on her own identity."
In the months after the discovery, Mrs. Remmele said, her
husband left her alone with the baby on many evenings as he explored desires he
had never dared to acknowledge. "So many of the gay spouses, they've
denied themselves for so long, and it's like they're going through
teenage-hood," Mrs. Remmele said. "I don't know if they really
realize how much they're hurting their spouse."
At first, Mrs. Remmele told nobody. "We live in a
small rural community, and people just aren't openly gay here," she said.
"I didn't want people making fun of him."
About two-thirds of the women who contact the
International Straight Spouse Network in El Cerrito, Calif., eventually
divorce, said Amity Pierce Buxton, 77, a retired school administrator who
founded the group in 1992 and has been researching the topic since 1986.
Despite their shock and their anger, many women,
especially those criticized by gay husbands for being too sexually demanding, are
relieved to understand what was wrong.
The remaining third of those she has studied try to
preserve their marriages, Dr. Buxton said. Half of those stay married for three
years or more. More than 600 such couples belong to online support groups.
In a 2001 study, published in The Journal of Bisexuality,
of 137 still-married gay and bisexual men and their wives, Dr. Buxton found
that most lived in suburbs and medium-size cities and had been married for 11
to 30 years. Only tiny percentages lived in rural areas, where family privacy
may be harder to maintain.
The survival of even a small minority of these marriages
calls into question the conceptual shoe boxes into which human partnerships,
affection, attraction, commitment and sexuality are often jammed. Describing
their permutations and combinations turns out to be much more complicated than
checking a box on a form labeled "gay," "bisexual" or
"straight."
One woman in her 50's, who asked to be identified only as
Trillian, out of concern for her husband's privacy, said that she and her
husband formally divorced after she discovered his secret sexual life seven
years ago, but they quickly decided to stay together. She has a satisfying
monogamous sexual relationship with him, while he also has sex with men.
"He tried to go back in the closet, but the more
research I did on the subject, the more I realized this is an integral part of
the person," she said. "You can't just turn it off like a light
switch. My husband is the man of my dreams, and I could not face the rest of my
life with the man of my dreams being miserable and guilt ridden over being
gay."
She and her husband, together for 24 years, live in Ohio
and work in manufacturing plants.
Paulette Cormack, a teacher who lives in Napa, Calif.,
has been married to her husband, Jerry, a retired city planner, for 36 years.
For 34 years, Mrs. Cormack said in an interview, she has known that although
she and her husband are sexually active together, his erotic desires otherwise
focus almost exclusively on men. "It's not easy, but I truly do love
him," Mrs. Cormack said.
Mr. Cormack is now involved with another married gay man,
and Mrs. Cormack has had extramarital relationships. Neither has explicitly
discussed this with their son, who is 25.
They remain intensely committed to each other. Last year
Mr. Cormack nursed Mrs. Cormack through four months of treatments for cancer of
the fallopian tubes. She eventually made a full recovery.
"What is intimacy?" pondered Mr. Cormack, as
the couple sat in a coffeehouse in Berkeley, Calif., after watching
"Brokeback Mountain" with others in similar situations.
He added: "I am totally committed on all levels to
Paulette. I felt so intimate with her when I was caring for her during her
cancer treatments to me, that's a stronger expression of love than whether I'm
having anonymous sex with a man."
---------
POLYGAMY- COUNTRIES LEGAL... COUNTRIES ILLEGAL 
| Description |
English: Map showing the legality of polygamy or bigamy - full labels/key with notes are localized.
Polygamy permitted and practiced
Legal status unknown or ambiguous
Polygamy generally illegal, but practice not fully criminalised
Polygamy fully outlawed/abolished and practice fully criminalised
Notes:1India, Singapore, and Sri Lanka: illegal in all forms, except for Muslims. 2Federal Eritrea: law bans polygamous marriage but certain countries and regions with Sharia allow it. Muslims only may legally contract polygamous marriages. 3Mauritius: polygamous unions are not legally recognized. Muslim men may "marry" up to four women, who do not however enjoy the legal status of wives. ]] |
| Date | |
| Source | From blank map of the world, simply filled in. |
| Author | Own work |
-----------------
CANADA
Laws governing polygamy in
Canada and other countries
Disclaimer:
The following essay is for general
information only. Do not use it to make any personal decisions without first
consulting a lawyer knowledgeable about family law in your country.
Canada:
The Criminal Code of Canada is in force
in every province and territory in Canada.
Right after Section 289 "venereal
diseases," -- now called STDs and STIs -- which has been repealed, comes a
series of "Offences Against Conjugal Rights." Section 290 discusses
bigamy. Section 293 covers polygamy. The latter states:
Every one who:
(a) practises or enters into or in any
manner agrees or consents to practise or enter into
(i) any form of polygamy, or
(ii) any kind of conjugal union with more
than one person at the same time, whether or not it is by law recognized as a
binding form of marriage, or
(b) celebrates, assists or is a party to
a rite, ceremony, contract or consent that purports to sanction a relationship
mentioned in subparagraph (i) or (ii), is guilty of an indictable offence and
liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years.
Where an accused is charged with an
offence under this section, no averment or proof of the method by which the
alleged relationship was entered into, agreed to or consented to is necessary
in the indictment or on the trial of the accused, nor is it necessary on the
trial to prove that the persons who are alleged to have entered into the
relationship had or intended to have sexual intercourse. 1
Section 293 was added to the Criminal
Code in the late 19th century, allegedly to keep Mormons out of Canada. No
charges have been laid under this law since the late 1940s. 5
It is unclear to us, from a literal
interpretation of the section 289, how it would differentiate among:
bullet One man and two or more women
participating in a marriage-like commitment ceremony.
bullet Five adults engaging in a ritual
to sign an agreement to create an intentional community.
bullet A group of university students of
both genders signing a joint lease on a house in a student ghetto, in the
expectation that some relationships may well develop among the group.
bullet A man who is married to one woman
and has carried on a long-term adulterous relationship with another.
Polygamy has been openly practiced in
British Columbia (BC) for many decades by members of the Fundamentalist Church
of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints (FLDS).
It is less openly practiced by a minority
of Muslim families scattered across Canada. In 2008-MAY, Toronto imam, Aly
Hindy, told the Toronto Star that he had officiated at or "blessed"
more than 30 polygamous marriages over the past five years. 3
Brian Hutchinson of the National Post
newspaper commented on Section 293:
"... some legal scholars say it is
unfair, illogical and anachronistic."
"Written in 1892, Section 293
prohibits individuals from entering into a 'conjugal' relationship with more
than one person at a time. This applies formal marriages as well as common-law
relationships, but not to adulterous ones."
"In other words, it's a crime to
have more than one 'spouse,' as loosely as that term is now defined, but it's
not a crime to have intimate relationships with more than one partner,
simultaneously. Still, there is no popular movement afoot to strike or alter
the existing law."
"Until recently, there's been little
desire to apply it. For years, legal experts and special prosecutors have advised
B.C. attorneys-general not to lay polygamy charges in Bountiful, on grounds
that Section 293 would not survive a constitutional challenge. The Canadian
Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees religious freedom, within reason. It
has been the opinion of many scholars that polygamy, as it has been practiced
for decades by Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
members in Bountiful, would survive the legal test of reasonable religious
practice." 4
If Section 293 were declared unconstitutional
because it unduly restricts religious practice, there is a good chance that the
federal government might invoke the "not-withstanding" clause to
re-criminalize polygamy.
This clause, to our knowledge, is unique
in the world. It enables the federal government or a province to pass
legislation that knowingly violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
-- Canada's constitution, as long as the bill states that it is in direct
conflict with the Charter, and as long as a new not-withstanding bill is passed
every five years. It has been used only once: Quebec passed Bill 101: the
"Charter of the French Language" in 1977. It banned commercial signs
written in English on the exterior of stores, even if the proprietor and public
prefer multi-lingual signs.
In 2009, a reference case was filed with
the British Columbia Supreme Court to test the constitutionality of Section 293
of Canada's Criminal Code -- Canada's anti-polygamy law. The court ruled that
the law, as applied to the fundamentalist Mormon form of polygamy is
constitutional. However, Chief Justice Bauman commented that an egalitarian
form of polygamy called polyamory, that does not include the various forms of
abuse found in fundamentalist Mormon types of polygamy, should be legal as long
as the persons involved refrain from celebrating marriage ceremonies.
Laws concerning polygamy in other
countries:
Most Muslim authorities interpret the
sayings of Muhammad as permitting a Muslim male to marry up to four wives, as
long as he can treat them equally and be able to afford a reasonable quality of
life for all. Polygyny -- the marriage of one man and multiple women --
continues to be practiced in many predominately Muslim countries. However, such
marriages remain in a minority. Polyandry -- the marriage of one woman and
multiple men -- is forbidden.
Norway, Britain, and some other European
countries are making allowances for the practice of polygyny among their Muslim
families, most of whom have immigrated to the West from North Africa, the
Middle East, and the Far East.
An unusual event occurred in Britain in
late 2011. Emily DiSanto, 25, an American neopagan woman, became pregnant, came
to Britain on a visitor's visa, and started to live with the father-to-be and
his wife. All three are neopagans and worship a pantheon of Norse deities
including Odin and Thor. The court learned that the Caulfields were no longer
living as "man and wife" but are sharing a home together. The
religious beliefs of the married couple, Alan and Anne-Marie Caulfield,
prohibit divorce. Government officials denied Emily's request to stay in the
country. She appealed the decision twice and finally won her case on the basis
that forcing her to return to the U.S. would violate her human right to a
family life. A government spokesperson said:
"We are disappointed by the court’s
decision in this case. For too long Article 8 has been used to place the family
rights of immigration offenders above the rights of the British public. This is
why we will change the immigration rules to reinforce the public interest in
seeing those who have breached our immigration laws removed from this
country." 6
It is unclear exactly what rights of the
British public were bent out of shape by the three adults living together with
their two children.
References used:
"Unofficial versions of the Criminal
Code of Canada, sections 279 to 317," at: http://lois.justice.gc.ca/
"Polygamy in Canada: Hunting
Bountiful. Ending a half a century of exploitation," The Economist,
2004-JUL-8, at: http://www.economist.com/
Lena Sin, "Polygamy in Canada
stretches beyond Bountiful," Canwest News Service, 2009-JAN-08, at: http://www.nationalpost.com/
Brian Hutchinson, "Polygamy and the
legal wrangling that surrounds it. Blackmore case tests constitutional
law," National Post, 2009-JAN-09, at: http://www.nationalpost.com/
"Let's talk about polygamy,"
National Post, 2009-JAN-09, at: http://www.nationalpost.com/
David Barrett & Claire Duffin,
"Pagan wins 'family life' human rights case," The Telegraph,
2011-DEC-18, at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
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A Marriage Made in Heaven Quotes
A Marriage Made in Heaven Quotes (showing 1-4 of 4)
“...I remember thinking how often we look, but never see...we listen, but never hear...we exist, but never feel. We take our relationships for granted. A house is only a place. It has no life of its own. It needs human voices, activity and laughter to come alive.”
― Erma Bombeck, A Marriage Made in Heaven: Or Too Tired for an Affair
“In all honesty, men changed a few rules when they became what was referred to as househusbands. Bill didn't make beds, cook, dust, do laundry, windows or floors, or give birth. What he did do was pay bills, call people to fix the plumbing, handle the investments and taxes, volunteer big time, take papers to the garage, change license plates, get the cars serviced, and pick up the cleaning. If women had had that kind of schedule, who knows, we'd probably still be in the home.”
― Erma Bombeck, A Marriage Made in Heaven: Or Too Tired for an Affair
“After twenty-two years of marriage, we had outgrown the challenge of making something out of nothing. The nesting instincts just weren't there anymore. I no longer hyperventilated over a melon keeper that I bought at a Tupperware party. I now worshipped at the shrine of convenience and Sara Lee. Bill no longer rushed home to make bird houses in the basement. He wanted to sleep in his BarcaLounger so he wouldn't be so tired when he went to bed.
It was as if we were closing the door on the years of struggle. It wasn't fun anymore.”
― Erma Bombeck, A Marriage Made in Heaven: Or Too Tired for an Affair
“...the words of young Ted Kennedy, Jr., who lost his leg to cancer. "People are taught we should look perfect," he said. "I wondered who would ever go out with a kid with one leg.”
― Erma Bombeck, A Marriage Made in Heaven: Or Too Tired for an Affair
books.google.com/books/about/A_Marriage_Made_in_Heaven.html?id... - Similar
Rating: 3.5 - 17 reviews
Now, in her most
autobiographical book, Erma Bombeck puts it all in loving and ... Erma and Bill Bombeck first
plighted their troth, their marriage has weathered ...
---------------------
---------------------
CANADA AND CHILDREN
Age of Consent
to Sexual Activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the "age of consent"
or "age of protection" mean?
The age of
consent, also known as the "age of protection", refers to the age at
which a young person can legally consent to sexual activity. All sexual
activity without consent, regardless of age, is a criminal offence.
To what kind of sexual activity does
this apply?
The age of
consent laws apply to all forms of sexual activity, ranging from sexual
touching (e.g., kissing) to sexual intercourse.
What is Canada's age of consent?
The age of
consent for sexual activity is 16 years. It was raised from 14 years on
May 1, 2008 by the Tackling Violent Crime Act.
However,
the age of consent is 18 years where the sexual activity
"exploits" the young person -- when it involves prostitution,
pornography or occurs in a relationship of authority, trust or dependency
(e.g., with a teacher, coach or babysitter). Sexual activity can also be
considered exploitative based on the nature and circumstances of the
relationship, e.g., the young person's age, the age difference between the
young person and their partner, how the relationship developed (quickly,
secretly, or over the Internet) and how the partner may have controlled or
influenced the young person.
Are there any exceptions to this?
The Criminal
Code provides "close in age" or "peer group"
exceptions.
For
example, a 14 or 15 year old can consent to sexual activity with a partner as
long as the partner is less than five years older and there is no
relationship of trust, authority or dependency or any other exploitation of the
young person. This means that if the partner is 5 years or older than the 14 or
15 year old, any sexual activity will be considered a criminal offence unless
it occurs after they are married to each other (in accordance with the
"solemnization" of marriage requirements that are established in each
province and territory, governing how and when a marriage can be performed,
including the minimum age at which someone may marry).
There is
also a "close-in-age" exception for 12 and 13 year olds: a 12 or 13
year old can consent to sexual activity with another young person who is less
than two years older and with whom there is no relationship of trust,
authority or dependency or other exploitation of the young person.
Are 16 and 17 year olds also protected
against sexual exploitation?
The Criminal
Code protects 16 and 17 year olds against sexual exploitation, where the
sexual activity occurs within a relationship of trust, authority, dependency or
where there is other exploitation. Whether a relationship is considered to be
exploiting the 16 or 17 year old will depend upon the nature and circumstances
of the relationship, e.g., the age of the young person, the age difference
between the young person and their partner, how the relationship developed and
how the partner may have controlled or influenced the young person. As well, 16
and 17 year olds cannot consent to sexual activity that involves prostitution
or pornography.
What are the actual Criminal Code
offences against child sexual abuse and exploitation?
The Criminal
Code protects all Canadians, including children, against sexual abuse and
exploitation. For example, the Criminal Code contains offences that
protect everyone against all forms of sexual assault (section 271); sexual
assault with a weapon, threats to a third party or causing bodily harm (section
272); and aggravated sexual assault (section 273), voyeurism (section 162),
obscenity (section 163) and trafficking in persons (section 279.01).
Children
are also protected by child-specific offences in the Criminal Code.
These offences include the following:
·
Sexual
Interference (section 151) -
no one can touch any part of the body of a child under the age of 16 for a
sexual purpose. The penalty for this offence is a mandatory minimum period of
imprisonment of up to a maximum of 10 years;
·
Invitation
to Sexual Touching (section 152) -
no one can invite a child under the age of 16 to touch himself/herself or them
for a sexual purpose. The penalty for this offence is a mandatory minimum
period of imprisonment of up to a maximum of 10 years;
·
Sexual
Exploitation (section 153) -
no one in a position of trust or authority over a 16 or 17 year old (for
example, a teacher, religious leader, baby-sitter or doctor) or upon whom the
young person is dependent, can touch any part of the body of the young person
for a sexual purpose or invite that young person to touch himself/herself or
them for a sexual purpose. The penalty for this offence is a mandatory minimum
period of imprisonment of up to a maximum of 10 years;
·
Incest
(section 155) -
no one may have sexual intercourse with their parent, child, brother, sister,
grandparent or grandchild. The penalty for this offence is a maximum of 14
years imprisonment;
·
Child
Pornography (section 163.1) -
no one may make, distribute, transmit, make available, access, sell, advertise,
export/import or possess child pornography. Child pornography is broadly defined
and includes materials that show someone engaged in explicit sexual activity
who is, or seems to be, under the age of 18 years; or show a young person's
sexual organ or anal region for a sexual purpose. Child pornography also
includes written and audio material that encourages others to commit a sexual
offence against a child, or is primarily a description of unlawful sexual
activity with a child that is intended for a sexual purpose. The penalties for
these offences are mandatory minimum periods of imprisonment and vary up to a
maximum of either 5 or 10 years;
·
Luring
a Child (section 172.1) -
no person may use a computer system, such as the Internet, to communicate with
a young person for the purpose of facilitating the commission of a sexual or
abduction offence against that young person. This offence is sometimes called
"Internet luring". The penalty for this offence is a maximum of 10
years imprisonment;
·
Exposure
(subsection 173(2)) -
no one may expose their genital organs for a sexual purpose to a young person
under the age of 16 years. The penalty for this offence is a maximum of 6
months imprisonment;
·
Procuring
(sections 170, 171, 212(2), 212(2.1) and 212(4) - it is against the law for
parents and guardians to procure their child under the age of 18 years to
engage in illegal sexual activity. It is also against the law for anyone to
offer or obtain the sexual services of a young person under the age of 18 years
(i.e., prostitution). The penalties for these offences are mandatory minimum
periods of imprisonment and vary up to a maximum of 14 years imprisonment;
·
Bestiality
(section 160) -
it is against the law for anyone to engage in sexual activity with an animal,
including making a child do this or doing this in front of a child. The
penalties for these offences vary up to a maximum of 10 years imprisonment;
and,
·
Child
Sex Tourism (subsections 7(4.1) - 7(4.3) - it is against the law for a Canadian to travel
outside of Canada and engage in any sexual activity with a young person that is
against the law in Canada. If the Canadian is not found guilty of committing
such a sexual offence in the country where it occurred, the Canadian could be
convicted in Canada and would face the same penalty as if that offence had
occurred in Canada.
In
addition to these criminal laws against child sexual abuse and exploitation,
each province and territory has its own laws to protect children against abuse,
exploitation and neglect.
Date
modified:
2015-01-07
FOR KIDS EVERYWHERE....
www.kidshelpphone.ca/Teens/...jobs.../The-law-and-your-body.aspx - Cached
The age at which a
young woman can get an abortion without her parent's consent or knowledge ...
AND..
Classified - Inner Ninja ft. David Myles
COMMENT:
Great song from Canadian rapper Classified.
nobody's gonna see me coming.
nobody's gonna hear a sound.
no matter how hard they tryin,
nobody's gonna bring me down.
Couldn't have been said (or sung) much better kids.
nobody's gonna see me coming.
nobody's gonna hear a sound.
no matter how hard they tryin,
nobody's gonna bring me down.
Couldn't have been said (or sung) much better kids.
CLASSIFIED- INNERNINJA- THE PERFECT KID VIDEO ON
BULLYING... WITH DAVID MYLES- Classified has spent a long time helping homeless
kids and kids and youth in jeopardy...... Classified’s 3’Tall plays it
hard against abuse of women and children and bullying..... and Classified’s
/David Myles Inner Ninja... and The Day Doesn’t Die on ... youth... don’t give
up... inspires the world on this day..
- NO MORE BULLYING AND BULLYCIDES-
LINKS ON BULLYING AND CHILD ABUSE- (Mind
Rape/Physical Torture/Sexual Assault)
FOR KIDS- TWEENS-TEENS-YOUNGBLOODS- But perhaps
most of all..... each and every Canadain Adult- we must take more
responsibility and be more vigilant:
To learn more about bullying and if u r being
abused- check out:
RespectED: Violence & Abuse Prevention
The Day I Taught How Not to Rape
Read how a ninth-grade teacher helped her class
confront the issues. Seehttp://accidentaldevotional.com/2013/03/19/the-day-i-taught-how-not-to-rape/
If you are a victim of bullying, call The Kids Help
Phone at 1-800-668-6868.
----------------
www.aboutkidshealth.ca/.../rightsofchildren/pages/the-rights-of-children-part-three-child-sexual-exploitation-and-the-age-of-consent.aspx - Cached
- Similar
In efforts to protect children from sexual exploitation,
is changing the age of ... The focus of disagreement has centered on Canada's age of sexual
consent law.
-------------
The age at which a young woman can get an abortion
without her parent's consent or knowledge ...
-------------------
NOVA SCOTIA- THE JOY OF RIDING THE BUS...
Bus
rides provide opportunities to shine
Transit offers examples of both the good and bad behaviour of fellow passengers
Transit offers examples of both the good and bad behaviour of fellow passengers
Every day can be a new year, if the morning dawns with such brightness that we promise ourselves to resist losing the light in the murk of little disappointments, unnecessary conflicts and superficial annoyances that inevitably threaten our happiness.
Today I will be kind to everyone I meet. All day. And every day. Even if I fail sometimes, the effort will be worth it if I coax a smile from just one person with a sad and gloomy face. That’s my New Year’s resolution, not just as 2015 begins, but all year long — for as long as I’m given.
Taking the bus offers a shining example, and occasionally a testing ground, of kindness to one’s fellow creatures. I’m very happy to say that since I began this column in April 2013, the 40 Halifax Transit routes I’ve travelled through many communities in sprawling Halifax Regional Municipality have offered me much more of the former than the latter.
So with kindness as the yardstick, here’s a look at bus behaviour that can make or menace a good mood. I’ll start with the bad stuff, so we can get it out of the way.
SEAT-HOGGING
The worst culprits are young, fit passengers sitting up front and letting an elderly or disabled person stand, hanging on to a pole and swaying precariously. A fellow traveller usually straightens that out right quick.
A close second are those who don’t move from the front seats when a wheelchair user or parent with a stroller gets on the bus. The driver takes care of this with a curt “Move to the back, please," but shouldn’t have to.
Almost as bad, and rarely addressed because most people are too polite, are those who take up two seats — one with belongings — especially if the articles are placed on the outside seat, somewhat sheltering the offender.
One man on the No. 22 Armdale simply said, “Move your stuff," serenely ignoring the glowering glance from the guy who ungraciously moved the backpack and shopping bags stacked next to him.
EXIT-BLOCKING
Just about every bus I’ve taken, crowded or almost empty, at any time of the day, sees the phenomenon of two to three people plunking themselves at the front and back doors, then turning reluctantly and ineffectually when someone has to get off. Sometimes I point out empty seats to them, but they don’t usually hear because their headphones are on.
SWEARING
I’m familiar with many of the epithets I hear on the bus, but I don’t normally hear them three to four times in a single sentence or with older people or children nearby. And “nearby" is a relative term, since these potty-mouthed passengers favour volume as well as frequency. Again, it mostly falls to the poor bus driver to handle the situation (often with an invitation to disembark), since an objection from a mere passenger is usually met with an extra earful.
And now, the bouquets:
GOOD SAMARITANS
There are few buses I’ve taken without an example of kindness that goes beyond the expected.
There was the young girl waiting in the rain for the No. 23 Timberlea at the Mumford terminal who gave up her place at the front of the line when an elderly woman approached. And she insisted on giving up her umbrella too.
A man who’d just sat down on the No. 20 Herring Cove at Greystone noticed a young woman holding a toddler and scraping the bottom of her change purse for the fare. He sprang to his feet, dropped the money in the slot, then made sure they had a seat.
Two teens getting on the No. 51 Windmill saw a man running down Princess Margaret Boulevard toward the bus and asked the driver to wait.
A young man bolted off the No. 14 Leiblin Park on Ridge Valley Road to return the purse of a woman who was already at the next block. The driver thanked him when he climbed back up the steps, huffing and puffing.
And just about every passenger rose as one when a senior tripped on the No. 59 Colby and fell in the aisle; some helped him back to his seat, others retrieved his belongings and a nurse on her way to work at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre checked him over to make sure he was all right.
EVERYDAY KINDNESS
Halifax Transit drivers rule. I can’t even count the times they’ve helped me sort out my route, told me when my stop is approaching and even pointed me in the right direction when I get off at an unfamiliar intersection. They say hi and bye, wish us a good morning or a Merry Christmas or a Happy Canada Day, and smile. A lot.
No wonder most of us thank them when disembarking. I’ve taken buses in 10 different cities around the globe and I’ve never seen that wonderful ritual carried out anywhere else. And for good reason: Our bus drivers are the best.
Our passengers are too, not only the good Samaritans, but the everyday travellers as well.
We get to know people who travel the same routes that we do every day. For example, there’s a slim, well-dressed woman with a white bob and very youthful face who travels with me on the 52 from the Dartmouth bridge terminal. We sit together and chat till we reach Northwood in Halifax, where I’m guessing she’s a caregiver, and we say goodbye with a smile and wave.
It’s not names and histories and long, involved discussions, just the kind of pleasant daily exchange that lights up a day.
Even with total strangers, there are usually pleasant greetings, compliments about outfits, a few words about the news or weather and the simple courtesy of moving to the back with a smile to make room for other travellers.
These are just a few of the simple ways we try to show our goodwill.
And goodwill, after all, is the heart of kindness.
ON THE BUS
LIANE
HELLER
lheller@herald.ca @CH_LianeHeller Liane Heller is a poet and an editor with the Chronicle Herald.
lheller@herald.ca @CH_LianeHeller Liane Heller is a poet and an editor with the Chronicle Herald.
---------------------
JANUARY 13, 2015-
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE-
PASSIONATE ACTIVIST
Re: Ryan Taplin’s photo accompanying the Jan. 9 article by reporter Bill Power, “Groups urge aquaculture action." Please put a name to a face. Longtime community activist Susan Hauer of Wolfville, and Great Island in Queens County, is the unnamed woman holding a sign in support of the recently released final report of the Independent Aquaculture Regulatory Review for Nova Scotia. Ms. Hauer’s sign reads, “People from the Valley support the report. It is time to act NOW!"
Mr. Power notes that 400 people were present from community organizations across Nova Scotia. Although not formally linked to any one of these groups, Ms. Hauer learned of the meeting from her son Ned Zimmerman in Montreal and she and her husband, William Zimmerman, drove into Halifax on their own dime.
They represent many more Nova Scotians who stand together on an issue that concerns all who value pristine coastal waters and who seek to protect them “NOW!" I’d like to applaud all those who drove miles in cold weather to attend the news conference at the Lord Nelson Hotel.
And thanks to The Chronicle Herald for now putting a name to a fierce and a beautiful face.
Laura McLauchlan, Little Harbour, Shelburne County
AND..
UNITED AQUACULTURE FRONT
They’d planned for 150, apparently. They’d hoped for 200 secretly. They would have been thrilled with 300, undoubtedly. But when 400 Nova Scotians walked through those doors of the historic Lord Nelson, organizers of the news conference in support of the Doelle-Lahey aquaculture reform report knew something significant was happening.
There were wild salmon enthusiasts, lobster fishers and dealers, university professors and citizen activists. They came from communities all over Nova Scotia, from Cape Breton to Digby Gut. They were as inclusive a group as you could possibly muster in this remarkable province surrounded by water. It made one proud to be a part of it.
They were upbeat. They were respectful. They were engaged and focused. And they had a heartwarming message on the coldest day of the year. That message was incredibly straightforward and not a bit nuanced for the government: Doelle-Lahey reforms should be embraced and enacted and ultimately enforced with a regulatory passion. And let’s strike right away while the iron is hot.
Stewart Lamont, Tangier
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE-
PASSIONATE ACTIVIST
Re: Ryan Taplin’s photo accompanying the Jan. 9 article by reporter Bill Power, “Groups urge aquaculture action." Please put a name to a face. Longtime community activist Susan Hauer of Wolfville, and Great Island in Queens County, is the unnamed woman holding a sign in support of the recently released final report of the Independent Aquaculture Regulatory Review for Nova Scotia. Ms. Hauer’s sign reads, “People from the Valley support the report. It is time to act NOW!"
Mr. Power notes that 400 people were present from community organizations across Nova Scotia. Although not formally linked to any one of these groups, Ms. Hauer learned of the meeting from her son Ned Zimmerman in Montreal and she and her husband, William Zimmerman, drove into Halifax on their own dime.
They represent many more Nova Scotians who stand together on an issue that concerns all who value pristine coastal waters and who seek to protect them “NOW!" I’d like to applaud all those who drove miles in cold weather to attend the news conference at the Lord Nelson Hotel.
And thanks to The Chronicle Herald for now putting a name to a fierce and a beautiful face.
Laura McLauchlan, Little Harbour, Shelburne County
AND..
UNITED AQUACULTURE FRONT
They’d planned for 150, apparently. They’d hoped for 200 secretly. They would have been thrilled with 300, undoubtedly. But when 400 Nova Scotians walked through those doors of the historic Lord Nelson, organizers of the news conference in support of the Doelle-Lahey aquaculture reform report knew something significant was happening.
There were wild salmon enthusiasts, lobster fishers and dealers, university professors and citizen activists. They came from communities all over Nova Scotia, from Cape Breton to Digby Gut. They were as inclusive a group as you could possibly muster in this remarkable province surrounded by water. It made one proud to be a part of it.
They were upbeat. They were respectful. They were engaged and focused. And they had a heartwarming message on the coldest day of the year. That message was incredibly straightforward and not a bit nuanced for the government: Doelle-Lahey reforms should be embraced and enacted and ultimately enforced with a regulatory passion. And let’s strike right away while the iron is hot.
Stewart Lamont, Tangier
----------------
FISH FARMING REPORT EXCELLENT....
The Doelle-Lahey report is available at www.aquaculturereview.ca.
and..
NO MORE PRETEND FISH DESTROYING OUR ENVIRONMENT AND OUR
FISH- USING NOVA SCOTIA TAX $$$$ -LIKE COOKE- 4 God's sake look at the mess of
China-
More than 400 call for new rules on fish farming in Nova
Scotia
BILL POWER BUSINESS REPORTER
Published January 8, 2015 - 6:17pm
Last Updated January 8, 2015 - 11:00pm
A woman holds a sign in support of the recently released
final report of the Independent Aquaculture Regulatory Review for Nova Scotia
during a news conference at the Lord Nelson Hotel in Halifax on Thursday.
Hundreds of people representing dozens of community groups and organizations
from around the province attended the conference. (RYAN TAPLIN / Staff)
More than 400 people from community organizations across
Nova Scotia turned out for a rally in Halifax on Thursday to issue a joint call
for aquaculture reform.
The head table at a news conference organized by the Nova
Scotia chapter of the Atlantic Coalition for Aquaculture Reform included dozens
of representatives of conservation groups, commercial fisheries organizations
and even tourism operators.
It was a massive show of support for the final report of
the Independent Aquaculture Regulatory Review for Nova Scotia panel, released
Dec. 16.
“We do not want these critical recommendations to
languish in some bureaucratic backroom,” Raymond Plourde, with the Ecology
Action Centre in Halifax, told participants.
There were repeated calls from a series of speakers for
the province to adopt all recommendations included in the report, which
Dalhousie University law professors Meinhard Doelle and William Lahey wrote.
“This is government’s opportunity to demonstrate
leadership in producing a world-class regulatory system,” said Gloria Gilbert
of Coastal Community Advocates.
The Doelle-Lahey report recommended protection of wild
fish and lobster from the negative affects of fish farms.
It included, among other things, a call for regulations
favouring aquaculture operations with low environmental impact and high
economic value to the province.
“The report attempts to balance environmental concerns
with the need to have a strong economy, and we support its immediate
implementation,” Wendy Watson Smith, with the Association for the Preservation
of the Eastern Shore, told participants.
The coalition organized the rally as a prelude to a
strategy session for the organization in Halifax on Friday.
Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Keith Colwell said at
the legislature a departmental review of the report was underway and due for
completion in April.
“We’re very happy with the recommendations put forward,
and we’re reviewing every item.”
Colwell said it was too early to comment on the
coalition’s call for provincial adoption of all recommendations for regulatory
reform recommended in the report.
The Doelle-Lahey report is available at www.aquaculturereview.ca.
With Michael Gorman,
provincial reporter
----------------------
EDITORIAL: Aquaculture report nets a consensus
THE CHRONICLE HERALD
Published January 9, 2015 - 5:29pm
A woman
holds a sign in support of the recently released final report of the
Independent Aquaculture Regulatory Review for Nova Scotia during a press
conference at the Lord Nelson Hotel on Jan. 8. Hundreds of people representing
dozens of community groups and organizations from around the province attended
the press conference. (RYAN TAPLIN/Staff)
Darrell
Dexter got a failing grade from voters as premier. But he did have a knack for
picking commissions and panels that produced good work on important, thorny
issues — for the next government.
The Ivany
commission on economic renewal and the Wheeler panel on fracking are two
examples, with different outcomes. Ivany’s advice was embraced by the Liberal
government that replaced Mr. Dexter’s NDP. Wheeler’s balanced recommendations
on shale development were regrettably ignored when the Liberals chose the
politically expedient route of a hasty fracking ban.
But
there’s a third jewel in this good-advice crown — the regulatory review on
aquaculture conducted by Dalhousie law professors Meinhard Doelle and Bill
Lahey, who handed their report to the government in December.
The
excellence of their work was plain to see Thursday at a gathering of the Nova
Scotia Coalition for Aquaculture Reform at the Halifax Lord Nelson Hotel.
Dozens of
community, fishing and conservation groups and hundreds of people who want
open-pen fish farms banned were there to call on the government to adopt
Doelle-Lahey’s framework for regulating aquaculture — even though it doesn’t
recommend banning open-pen farms.
These
critical stakeholders were saying they’re prepared to give the “regulatory
excellence” proposed by D-L a chance to prove itself — as long as the
government doesn’t cherry-pick the recommendations.
They have
good reason to want the report left whole. D-L’s regulatory framework is an
impressively comprehensive effort to ensure aquaculture has a “social licence”
(i.e., takes the interests of its neighbours seriously) and achieves the big
goal of becoming a low-impact, high-value industry.
The
report, for example, proposes a proactive rating system to determine which
coastal sites are suitable for fish farms and which are not — independent of
any licence applications.
It also recommends
legislated rather than discretionary licensing requirements, better containment
systems to prevent interbreeding and spread of disease to wild fish, tougher
rules on chemicals, and separation of government promotion and oversight of
aquaculture.
It
advocates transparent reporting on performance, and, indeed on all aspects of
regulation.
It would
require fish farms to meet water-oxygen standards. That limits the number of
healthy fish a site can support.
D-L says a
regulatory advisory committee should include community stakeholders. The public
should have a process to seek revoking of licences when there is a pattern of
non-compliance. Licences should be terminated for ongoing violations.
The head
table at Thursday’s conference seemed as long as the carrier USS Nimitz — and
the message it repeatedly launched was a feeling that D-L consultations
seriously listened to community concerns. “We finally felt we were being
heard,” said Wendy Watson Smith of the Association for the Preservation of the
Eastern Shore.
For
Doelle-Lahey to convince this broad swath of Nova Scotia to give credible
aquaculture regulation a chance is a real achievement, given the strong
opposition to open-pen farms. The government, too, should give the full D-L
package a chance to create an industry that does live up to the low-impact,
high value ideal.
--------------
BLACK: Fact-based decisions best fish-farming model
BILL BLACK
Published January 9, 2015 - 5:24pm
The final report on aquaculture by Dalhousie professors
Meinhard Doelle and William Lahey says a fundamental “overhaul of the
regulation of aquaculture” in Nova Scotia is needed. (ADRIEN VECZAN / Staff)
Aquaculture represents one of the best opportunities for
sustainable development in Nova Scotia. It can be a valuable source of jobs in
rural communities.
It needs effective regulation that is open and
transparent to communities, ensures acceptable impact on the coastal
environment and other users, and nevertheless facilitates healthy growth in the
sector.
The final report on aquaculture by Dalhousie professors
Meinhard Doelle and William Lahey provides an excellent framework for achieving
these goals.
The aquaculture industry has expressed its support for
the direction of the recommendations. Some environmentalists would have
preferred a ban on marine-based salmon farms, but they also feel that the
process leading to the report was good and the proposed direction represents a
big improvement. They are emphatic that they would like the recommendations
implemented without exception.
Minister Keith Colwell of the Department of Fisheries and
Aquaculture says that the government is in broad agreement with the
recommendations and accepts that the more robust proposed regulatory framework
will need greater funding.
All this can lead to decisions about growing the economy
while respecting the environment being made by knowledgeable people working
with the needed information.
It does not always work that way.
Consider, for example, the important business of
regulating what goes into a sewer. Triangle Petroleum has for several years
been looking for a way to properly dispose of the wastewater left from its
fracking operations in 2007 and 2008. Some of the water has been treated with a
process called reverse osmosis that leaves the potential contaminants behind
and brings the water to drinking quality standard. They proposed to then
dispose of it through Amherst’s sewer system.
One would think that flushing drinking water down the
toilet would not represent much of a risk to a municipal sewer system. But the
citizens of Amherst, which would have benefitted to the tune of $500,000 under
the proposal, would have none of it.
Mayor Rob Small, supported by knowledgeable experts,
tried to explain the process at a town meeting last fall seeking public input.
The crowd, animated by a Facebook campaign replete with misinformation, voted
almost unanimously against.
One attendee nicely summed up the crowd’s perspective: “I
want to hear what they have to say, but there is not a thing they could tell me
that would convince me otherwise.” This is just as illogical as it sounds.
The environment is much worse off if the fluid is left
untreated in holding ponds than if it is managed as proposed.
It is in this context that we should examine the
Doelle-Lahey recommendations. The principal focus is on marine-based finfish,
primarily salmon, which is the area of both greatest economic opportunity and
potential opposition on environmental grounds.
The report is clear that the present regulatory process
at the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture (DFA) is neither adequate, nor
transparent, nor sufficiently engaged with communities where aquaculture is
proposed. It recommends that all citizens have access to the application and
relevant information at every stage of the approval process, and that they be
invited to provide representations to DFA as part of that process.
That decision on each application should be based on
compatibility with other uses of coastal resources, environmental
sustainability and socio-economic benefits to the community.
The DFA would be required to explain how its decisions
address these licensing principles and any other issues raised by communities.
Not on the list of factors is a count of how many people
demonstrate for or against the project at a town meeting. In other words, the
decision is ultimately to be based on a knowledgeable evaluation of the
relevant facts.
Appeals would be possible. The report is unsure whether
these should be to the minister or to an independent aquaculture review board
(with a final appeal to the provincial Supreme Court available in either case).
Appeals through an independent board are much to be
preferred. Appeals to the minister could start a whole new round of political
lobbying to undermine an otherwise well-constructed process.
For example, the Liberals’ former minister of energy, if
allowed, would have overridden the recent decision by the Utility and Review
Board on electricity rates, even though that decision was supported by the
facts and by all representatives of customers at the hearing.
The general direction of the aquaculture report has been
known since August. No new salmon farms can be developed until the new
regulations are in place. It is disappointing that the minister cannot
confidently predict completion of those regulations before the end of 2015.
But at least we are pointed in the right direction.
Any good regulatory process for resource industries
should insist on the right of citizens to provide their input, whether
well-informed or wilfully ignorant. But the process should then make and
communicate a decision based solely on the relevant facts, and the policy
framework recommended by Doelle and Lahey.
Done well, this process can boost rural employment in
aquaculture and set the example for development of other resource industries.
comment:
It really is too bad such a good opportunity to try and
prevent rural NS from sinking has become a lightning rod for well monied
sophisticated hypocrites linked to NIMBY. The truth is, NS needs economic
growth more than overregulation of an industry that is facing tough challenges.
It would be great to have economic viability along with a gold standard
environmental regime, I doubt if we can have both. Truth is, other users of the
ocean are polluting as much or more everywhere, there is a lot of garbage
dumped by the fishing industry, around wharf areas and waterfronts, including
petroleum, sewer from cottages, farm manure, and point source leakage into
marine areas remains a big problem, but that is OK . Huge areas remain closed
to shellfish harvesting, but not from aquaculture. The actual inherent
cumulative footprint impact is small, far less than Bedford Basin and really,
even if the industry was unregulated, the overall impact would be minor
compared to the desperate need for anything that can exist in rural areas. With
power rates, taxes and labour rates and regulations as they are, the on land
concept often pointed to is a red herring, it can't work, unless the market
prices for a product would be extremely high. So we will grind it into the dust
slowly but surely.
-----------------
AQUACULTURE REGULATION
D-L report nets a consensus
Darrell Dexter got a failing grade from voters as
premier. But he did have a knack for picking commissions and panels that
produced good work on important, thorny issues — for the next government.
The Ivany commission on economic renewal and the Wheeler
panel on fracking are two examples, with different outcomes. Ivany’s advice
was embraced by the Liberal government that replaced Mr. Dexter’s NDP. Wheeler’s
balanced recommendations on shale development were regrettably ignored when
the Liberals chose the politically expedient route of a hasty fracking ban.
But there’s a third jewel in this good-advice crown — the
regulatory review on aquaculture conducted by Dalhousie law professors
Meinhard Doelle and Bill Lahey, who handed their report to the government in
December.
The excellence of their work was plain to see Thursday at
a gathering of the Nova Scotia Coalition for Aquaculture Reform at the Halifax
Lord Nelson Hotel.
Dozens of community, fishing and conservation groups and
hundreds of people who want open-pen fish farms banned were there to call on
the government to adopt Doelle-Lahey’s framework for regulating aquaculture —
even though it doesn’t recommend banning open-pen farms.
These critical stakeholders were saying they’re prepared
to give the “regulatory excellence" proposed by D-L a chance to prove
itself — as long as the government doesn’t cherry-pick the recommendations.
They have good reason to want the report left whole.
D-L’s regulatory framework is an impressively comprehensive effort to ensure
aquaculture has a “social licence" (i.e., takes the interests of its
neighbours seriously) and achieves the big goal of becoming a low-impact,
high-value industry.
The report, for example, proposes a proactive rating
system to determine which coastal sites are suitable for fish farms and which
are not — independent of any licence applications.
It also recommends legislated rather than discretionary
licensing requirements, better containment systems to prevent interbreeding and
spread of disease to wild fish, tougher rules on chemicals, and separation of
government promotion and oversight of aquaculture.
It advocates transparent reporting on performance, and,
indeed on all aspects of regulation.
It would require fish farms to meet water-oxygen
standards. That limits the number of healthy fish a site can support.
D-L says a regulatory advisory committee should include
community stakeholders. The public should have a process to seek revoking of
licences when there is a pattern of non-compliance. Licences should be
terminated for ongoing violations.
The head table at Thursday’s conference seemed as long as
the carrier USS Nimitz — and the message it repeatedly launched was a feeling
that D-L consultations seriously listened to community concerns. “We finally
felt we were being heard," said Wendy Watson Smith of the Association for
the Preservation of the Eastern Shore.
For Doelle-Lahey to convince this broad swath of Nova
Scotia to give credible aquaculture regulation a chance is a real achievement,
given the strong opposition to open-pen farms. The government, too, should
give the full D-L package a chance to create an industry that does live up to
the low-impact, high value ideal.
----------------
good old Nova Scotia
bird watching
----------------
CREEPY-ewwww UNITED NATIONS HAS 2 GO..... Saudi Arabia has caused more Muslim baby killing than any other nation..... and owns United Nations... IMAGINE THIS.... Amnesty complains 2 UN Human Rights Council.... of which.... Saudi Arabia is a member...
China, Cuba, Russia, Saudi Arabia elected to U.N. Human
Rights Council
By Louis Charbonneau
UNITED NATIONS Tue Nov 12, 2013 6:26pm EST
U ALL REALIZE???-
China, Cuba, Russia, Saudi Arabia elected to U.N. Human Rights Council
By Louis Charbonneau
UNITED NATIONS Tue Nov 12, 2013 6:26pm EST
QUOTE
In New York, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the UN
secretary-general, told reporters on Friday that the UN human rights office was
“very concerned about the flogging” and that it has previously raised concerns
about harsh sentences in Saudi Arabia for human rights defenders.
Saudi blogger endures public flogging
Aya Batrawy THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published January 9, 2015 - 4:51pm
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