Catholic Opposition to Fast-track authority for the Trans-Pacific Partnership

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops voices opposition to granting "fast-track" authority for the Trans-Pacific Partnership: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-seufert/president-obama-catholics_b_7130558.html

Opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership

And here are some of the politicians who oppose this deal:
http://time.com/3833807/trans-pacific-partnership-republicans/

I am the Soil, and I am alive.

Another brilliant film by Conservation International. Edward Norton is the soil. Turning to dust.

The Ocean is Speaking

A punch to the gut from the Ocean, the Source. Courtesy of Conservation International.

The Redwood Is Speaking, and Joni Mitchell warned us.

What would a redwood's perspective be, given its life span?

Joni Mitchell warned us 45 years ago about what we were doing.

Big Yellow Taxi
Joni Mitchell

They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique
And a swinging hot SPOT
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got ‘til it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

They took all the trees
And put them in a tree museum
Then they charged the people
A dollar and a half just to see 'em
Don't it always seem to go,
That you don't know what you've got ‘til it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

Hey farmer, farmer
Put away that DDT now
Give me spots on my apples
But LEAVE me the birds and the bees
Please!
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got ‘til its gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

Late last night
I heard the screen door slam
And a big yellow taxi
Come and took away my old man
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got ‘til it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

I said
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got ‘til it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

Mother Nature is Speaking

"One way or the other, your actions will determine your fate. Not mine. I am nature. I will go on. I am prepared to evolve. Are you?"

The more things stay the same

This says it all.

Municipal Courts in St. Louis County

Since the killing of Mike Brown, one of the issues that has garnered attention is the way that many municipal courts work as debtor's prisons that generate vital revenue for tiny cities and police departments throughout the St. Louis region. For instance, witness the use of bail amounts in Velda City: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/velda-city-sued-in-federal-court-over-bail-amounts/article_995390e1-af64-591d-a5f2-6f71234b3996.html

A few days ago, 80 of the 82 municipalities announced that they had agreed to a uniform fine structure. http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/st-louis-county-municipal-courts-agree-to-uniform-fines-court/article_7851b8a5-52d3-59e6-804c-4f2883acbc77.html

This voluntary action comes with the looming possibility that the Missouri legislature may enact further limits upon the allowable uses of revenue from traffic fines and the like, a tightening of the so-called "Mack's Creek" law that was named after a notorious speed trap: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/municipal-court-revenue-limits-debated-in-jefferson-city/article_73a15a44-87f5-57fc-9dc6-7fa7e83238e5.html

What will be the effects? Unsurprisingly, some of these small communities may have to disband, which points to the fact that their police departments have been revenue generators.
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/with-court-revenue-facing-limits-budgets-look-tenuous-in-many/article_97ada24f-14b8-5737-b14d-e67da840b15f.html

The killing of Eric Harris

On April 2, a "reserve officer" in the Tulsa Sheriff's Department, who had basically bought his way into the program by donating cars, computers, and weapons, was allowed to participate in a sting operation while armed with a gun and a Taser. Claiming that he meant to use his Taser on a fleeing suspect, he instead shot him with his pistol and killed him.

After nearly two weeks of being defended by his friend, the sheriff, on April 13, he was charged with 2nd degree Manslaughter.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/homepagelatest/reserve-deputy-bought-cars-equipment-for-undercover-unit/article_e33ab05d-dcb1-588f-9096-89e051104409.html

The Tulsa World now claims that some of the documentation of Bates' training was falsified. This link will take you to a succession of brief video news reports from CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/16/us/tulsa-shooting-robert-bates-training/index.html

The killing of Walter Scott

On April 4, 2015, North Charleston police officer Michael Schlager pulled over a car for a broken taillight. Within four minutes, the driver was dead, shot in the back 8 times. The officer claimed that the victim had been shot while scuffling over his Taser.

Unknown to the officer, a bystander filmed the last fatal confrontation, which told a different story from the officer's initial report. Once that video became public, the officer was fired and charged with murder. Here is the story from CNN:

Here is a timeline of events, from abcnews: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/key-events-police-shooting-walter-scott-30261852

The psalmody of Isaac Watts: "My Shepherd Will Supply My Need," Psalm 23

This was sung in the National Cathedral on September 14, 2001 at a prayer service for the victims of the attacks of September 11.

"My Shepherd Will Supply My Need"
Isaac Watts


My Shepherd will supply my need:
Jehovah is His Name;
In pastures fresh He makes me feed,
Beside the living stream.
He brings my wandering spirit back
When I forsake His ways,
And leads me, for His mercy’s sake,
In paths of truth and grace.

When I walk through the shades of death
Thy presence is my stay;
One word of Thy supporting breath
Drives all my fears away.
Thy hand, in sight of all my foes,
Doth still my table spread;
My cup with blessings overflows,
Thine oil anoints my head.

The sure provisions of my God
Attend me all my days;
O may Thy house be my abode,
And all my work be praise.
There would I find a settled rest,
While others go and come;
No more a stranger, nor a guest,
But like a child at home.

Prayer based upon Psalm 23

Inspired by the 23rd Psalm:

O Lord, You are our shepherd; 
    help us to be better sheep.
When You give us green pastures,
    help us to be grateful and not refuse to eat.
When You lead us beside still waters, 
    help us quiet our souls and be refreshed.
When our cups run over, 
    help us not to obsess about the mess 
    but shout for joy at the abundance you give us always.
When You lead us to right pathways, 
    help us not to be hardheaded and go astray.
When we are in the darkest valley, 
    help us to remember that You are ALWAYS with us. Help us to stop bleating long enough 
    to hear Your voice calling us to You. May we remember that your goodness and mercy 
    follow all of us all the days of our lives.
Amen. 


I wrote this as part of my intercessory prayer project that I have done since January 2013: This is also cross posted at my personal blog at http://abidinginhope.blogspot.com/2015/02/prayer-757-last-day-of-epiphany.html .

The Selling of the World: The Trans-Pacific Partnership

If you have never heard of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, you are not alone. It has been negotiated in secret by industry lobbyists who work for multi-national corporations.

What would it do? Robert Reich explains briefly: