HAMSTERS JUST GOTTA HAVE FUN! Crops of Their Very Own—and a “Hamster Hotel” for Wannabes

June 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

A pesky little rodent from a small enclave in eastern France has nibbled its way into the hearts of the European Court of Justice—and the French government had better protect them, or else!

I’m talking here about the Alsatian hamster, a 10-inch bundle of fur that has been having a tough time in France’s rich farmland, especially since farmers began growing summer corn.  Planted later in the year, the cornfields yielded no seeds for the hamsters when they woke from their winter hibernation in the spring.

Long considered pests, the hamsters were trapped and poisoned by farmers until the early 1990s, when they were listed as an endangered species.  Expanding population centers had encroached on their breeding grounds and resting places, and their burrows along the river were destroyed.

So in 2008, the European Court demanded that the French government step in to protect the hamsters.  One approach was to encourage farmers to grow winter crops and alfalfa, so that the rodents would find plenty of seeds on which to feast when they awoke from their winter naps.  To this end, the French government ended subsidies to growers who produced summer-ripening maize.

But alas, this wasn’t enough!  Although the population of hamsters in Alsace increased threefold in the past few years, this progress was too little for the European Court, which threatens to impose stiff fines if decisive action isn’t taken to boost the hamster population.

So the furry little guys will be protected, even nurtured, in France—the same country which developed mifepristone (RU486, the “French abortion pill”) in 1980 to enable French women to kill their preborn children in the comfort of their homes.

It boggles the mind.

*      *     *     *     *

In another [related] development, I thought you’d like this article about the “Hamster Hotel.”  Located in Nantes, France, the hotel offers guests the opportunity to become a hamster for a  day—playing in a human-sized hamster wheel, sleeping in haystacks, even feeding on hamster grains.  All this for the bargain price of just 99 Euros a night.

 

Filed Under: Environmentalism, Hamsters Tagged With: , , , , , Leave a Comment

LIKE DAY AND NIGHT: Two Catholic Groups in Detroit This Weekend

June 9, 2011 By 1 Comment

This weekend, there will be two major Catholic conferences in the Archdiocese of Detroit.  Because I think the Detroit News coverage has been so patently slanted, I wanted to point out important differences between them.

#1 – CALL TO HOLINESS

The Call To Holiness Conference conference will be held on Saturday, June 11, at Burton Manor Conference Center in Livonia.  Call To Holiness, which draws hundreds or thousands of participants each year, is one of the most dynamic events in the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Detroit.

CTH features solid Catholic speakers who are in conformity with the teachings of the Catholic Church, including (among others):

  • Al Kresta, host of “Kresta In the Afternoon” on Ave Maria Radio
  • Jeff Cavins, founding host of EWTN’s “Life On the Rock” and Relevant Radio’s “Morning Air” and author of popular books on Catholic apologetics
  • Raymond de Souza, founder and director of the international apostolate St. Gabriel Media, host of a program on EWTN, progam director for Human Life International
  • Johnette Benkovic, founder and president of Living His Life Abundantly, a Catholic apostolate with outreaches in television, radio, print and internet communications, and founder of Women of Grace, a Catholic women’s apostolate
  • Fr. Clement Machado, S.O.L.T., who has served as parochial vicar in Montreal and as parochial administrator in Ottawa, and who now works with Vatican Radio in Rome. 
  • Fr. Edmund McCaffrey, Ob.S.D., Ph.D., president Eternal Life, political scientist, scholar, writer, retreat master.  Strong proponent of Marian devotion.

 

Archbishop Vigneron has sent a message of welcome to Call To Holiness, saying,

“It is a blessing for me to be able to greet all of you who are participating in the 13th annual Call To Holiness Conference, “Call to Fidelity: The Power of Truth.”  This conference promises to be a powerful catalyst for growth in holiness and a deepened conviction about our need, particularly in these difficult times, to persevere in fidelity to Jesus Christ who is the truth incarnate.  Please know of my prayers for all of you.”

 #2 – AMERICAN CATHOLIC COUNCIL

The American Catholic Council meets June 10-12 at Cobo Hall.  Declaring itself a “grassroots movement of Catholics,” the dissident group is releasing their own “Catholic Bill of Rights and Responsibilities” demanding, among other things:

  • Primacy of Conscience – Every Catholic has the right and responsibility to develop an informed conscience and to act in accord with it.  (No need to follow the laws of the Church.)
  • Community – Every Catholic has the right and responsibility to participate in a Eucharistic community and the right to responsible pastoral care. 
  • Freedom of Expression – Every Catholic has the right and responsibility to freedom of expression and the freedom to dissent.
  • Sacraments – Every Catholic has the right and responsibility to participate in the fullness of the liturgical and sacramental life of the Church.  (No doubt, here again comes the “women’s ordination” canard, as well as priesthood for women, communion for divorced, etc.)
  • Reputation - Every Catholic has the right to a good name and to due process.  (Hailing back to handling of the clergy abuse crisis.)
  • Governance - Every Catholic and every Catholic community has the right to a meaningful participation in decision making, including the selection of leaders.  (They would like the community to elect pastors and bishops.)
  • Participation - Every Catholic has the right and responsibility to share in the interpretation of the Gospel and Church tradition.  (So you get to decide what the scripture really means.)
  • Councils.  Every Catholic has the right to intervene and speak in assemblies where diverse voices can be heard.
  • Social Justice.  Every Catholic has the right and the responsibility to promote social justice in the world at large as well as within the structures of the Church.

 I think there is a church like that– It’s just not the Catholic Church. 

Speakers at the ACC Conference include:

  • Hans Kung, widely-recognized and highly controversial Swiss theologian/priest.  The Vatican has rescinded his authority to teach Catholic theology, but he retains the title of “professor of ecumenical theology.”
  • Anthony Padovano, former Catholic priest, founder of CORPUS, now pastor of The Inclusive Community where Catholics and Protestants worship together
  • Jeanette Rodriguez, scholar whose work specializes in liberation theology (denounced by the Church), previous chair of Pax Christi, a peace group which advocates civil disobedience.
  • James Carroll, scholar-in-residence at Suffolk University, columnist for the Boston Globe.  In a 2009 book, he denounced Pope Benedict XVI as “the chief sponsor of the new Catholic fundamentalism, enforced with no regard for the real cost to human beings.”
  • Kathleen Kennedy-Townsend, eldest daughter of Robert and Ethel Kennedy, vociferously pro-abortion former Lieut. Gov. of Maryland.
  • Joan Chittister, Benedictine nun, author and speaker.  Outspoken advocate for women’s ordination, etc.  Founder of Benetvision, which encourages spirituality through a feminist perspective.
  • Matthew Fox, former Dominican priest, now a member of the Episcopal church.  Advocate for New Age “Creation Spirituality,” which is aligned with ecological and environmental movements and with a focus on “deep ecumenism” that embraces numerous spiritual traditions around the world, including Buddhism, Judaism, Sufism, and Native American teachings.

 

Archbishop Vigneron has cautioned Catholics about this so-called “Catholic” group and has issued a strong warning to priests and deacons not to participate in their liturgy this weekend.  He writes, in part:

In order to fulfill my responsibilities, so clearly enunciated by the Second Vatican Council, of fostering of communion with both the local and the universal Church, I am compelled to caution any priests or deacons who may be considering participation in this liturgy.  It is not being celebrated with my permission as required by the law and the good order of the People of God.  Further, clergy should be aware of the impact of forbidden concelebration with those who are not in full communion (canons 908 and 1365).  This is a serious delict, for which recourse to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is required, and which may result in dismissal from the clerical state (cf. Sacramentorum Sanctitatis Tutela, 2001 and 2010). 

Filed Under: Catholic, Dissidence, Rights Tagged With: , , , , 1 Comment

UP IN THE TREES WITH PEANUT BUTTER

June 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I can almost hear it now.  That staccato bell, the brazen metallic scream, telling children what they want to hear:  SCHOOL’S OUT! 

As the academic year drew to a close, my children—like yours, too, I’ll bet!—gleamed at the prospect of happy days spent doing wonderful new things.  The zoo, the ice cream parlor, the movies, the swimming pool, the mall…. 

I have a desk job now—but in those years of careful parenting, I was trying so hard to stay at home with our children; and that meant that money was tight.  The idea of buying treats or paying admission fees every day was just not tenable, but I really wanted summer to be FUN!

As children escape the classroom for new adventures in the Summer of 2011, perhaps some of my tried-and-true ideas will help you to keep

Costs Down

and

Good Times Up!

I taught part-time when our children were young; and after some bad experiences with babysitters, I concluded that I could do a better job!  For a few years, I supplemented the family income by caring for other people’s children.  I was determined that we would not depend on television, that we would eat healthy and creative lunches, and that we would enjoy the days we spent together. 

This is how we did it—Perhaps moms and dads out there will have other great suggestions for making the summer a time for fun AND learning.

FREE STUFF TO DO

Picnics – One day, I packed a lunch for our group:  peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, an apple, a cookie and some juice.  Off we went to the nearby Henry Ford Estate, on the grounds of the University of Michigan Dearborn.  (You probably have such a fantastic and unexplored site in your neighborhood, too!)

Once there, we made a beeline to a nearby apple orchard, where low-growing branches spread their arms wide.  It was easy to lift each toddler into a tree, where he or she could sit happily on the lowest branch and eat a sandwich while enjoying a commanding view of the ground below.  Afterwards, we had time for a peek into Clara Ford’s playhouse and a short hike down to the river.  Cost:  $0

Water!—There’s nothing that says fun like water games!  Some options:

  • Splash in a garden sprinkler.  With a rotating or oscillating sprinkler, there’s no danger, even for the youngest children.  And all the games children can play in a dry backyard are even more fun when they’re wet. 
  • Wash rocks.  What, you don’t see the fun in washing muddy stones from the flower bed?  When they’re wet they take on a mysterious deep color.  And only the cleanest, shiniest stones can be turned into tokens for a good game of hopscotch. 
  • Squirt guns.  Not such a good idea if you’re pairing dainty little girls with gung-ho boys; but if the kids are evenly matched (and willing to endure a good soaking), this can be a lot of fun.
  • Obstacle course.  Left foot in the bucket; toss a water balloon through the hole in a cardboard box; quick through the hose!  Keep going—You get the picture.
  • Play in the rain!  This won’t work if there’s lightning, but a gentle shower is a great excuse for some horseplay.

Nature Experiments—

  • Plant sweet peas, water them, watch them grow.  Practice math skills, using a ruler to measure the vines each week.   How long will the vine be by this time next week?
  • Find a caterpillar.  What will he eat?  The caterpillar of the Monarch butterfly is striped like a convict—but emerges as a beautiful orange/black butterfly in just a few weeks. 

Crafts – Here’s where popsicle sticks, buttons, paper and glue all come into play.  Getting ready for the Fourth of July?  You’ll need lots of red, white and blue glitter.  Got a cricket that needs a home?  A popsicle cage in a dark corner of the basement may be just the palace he’s looking for.

Summer Reading Club – Your local library probably offers storytelling, and certificates or prizes for children who read a certain number of books each week.  You can take them to these weekly get-togethers, or organize a Reading Club in your own home.  Add special elements:  bake cookies just like the ones in your favorite story, or write a letter to one of the characters.

Community Events – The city parks commission probably has a bunch of free things going on.  Learn about bird songs; hike through the “woods” at a local park; join a bicycle parade. 

One really great event that just happened to work out for us:  One summer day in 1984, the Olympic Torch passed in parade just a block from our home!  We walked over, youngest kids in a stroller, and watched as the mayor, city officials, local beauty queen, marching bands, and the Olympic Torch—en route to Los Angeles—passed by!

THE SUMMER HAT CLUB

One year, we tried something different: After all the stay-at-home fun, I established a club, titled the Summer Hat Club.  We established certain rules for the Summer Hat Club—something like these:

Rules

  1. Our Club will be named the Summer Hat Club.
  2. The Summer Hat Club will have a weekly Thursday Field Trip to a surprise location.
  3. All Field Trips will be free of charge.  No admission fees will be paid.
  4. Club members will not argue with one another.  Refusal to accept this rule means that the excursion will end earlier than expected.
  5. Each member may invite one friend to Summer Hat Club activities.
  6. All participants—members and their guests—must wear a hat.  This hat can be homemade or funny or cute—surprise me!

Filed Under: Adventure, Family, Friends Tagged With: , , , Leave a Comment
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