Goat cheese and asparagus both go well with Sauvignon blanc, so it is no surprise they go together as well. In this case I've made them into ravioli, delicate parcels of loveliness. To enhance the 'goatness' I made goat cheese ricotta, but if that is too much trouble for you it is perfectly acceptable to substitute with store-bought cow's milk ricotta.
To make goat's milk ricotta, pour half a litre of goat's milk into a saucepan.
Heat, stirring, to about 80C/180F. It should be scalding hot but not boiling — best to use a thermometer.
Now add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
You will notice curds forming.
Once cool, after two hours or so, drain using cheesecloth in the refrigerator.
Make 2 eggs worth of fresh pasta dough. Wrap it and allow to rest in the refrigerator for at least half an hour.
…but reserve the tips (about 7 cm or 3 inches).
Sauté the sliced asparagus in 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil for a couple of minutes.
Put the asparagus in a large bowl and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
In a food processor combine 1 egg, 125 grams goat cheese and 125 grams ricotta.
Add this mixture to the asparagus.
Stir to mix, then taste and adjust the seasoning, keeping in mind that ravioli stuffing should always be slightly more seasoned than you think. Cover and allow the filling to firm up in the refrigerator for about an hour.
Click here for instructions for making the ravioli.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Melt 70 grams of butter in a frying pan.
When the butter foams, add the reserved asparagus tips and stir over medium high heat for a couple of minutes until the asparagus are tender but still firm to the bite. Then turn off the heat. Lift the asparagus out of the pan with a strainer and set aside.
When the water boils, add salt and the ravioli.
Cook the ravioli for a couple of minutes, then fish them out of the pot with a strainer and add to the pan with the asparagus-flavored butter.
Sprinkle with a tablespoon of minced parsley.
Gently toss the ravioli to coat them with butter on all sides, then arrange the ravioli on preheated plates.
Briefly reheat the reserved asparagus tips in the remaining butter.
Arrange the asparagus tips on top of the ravioli and serve at once. You could sprinkle with some grated cheese if you like.
As already mentioned in the introduction, this is great with Sauvignon blanc. Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé are both great choices, but there are also some Sauvignon blanc from relatively cool regions in Chile or South Africa that have an aroma of green asparagus and would be a great match.
These ravioli stuffed with prosciutto and ricotta are an appropriate flashback for today's recipe.
It shows how talented at making pasta you are. I never could have handled that thin of a filling! A beautiful meal. I've never made goat ricotta, but I do love using goat milk often.
Thanks, Mimi. The filling should not have been as thin, but I had started too late to allow enough time for the ricotta to drain properly. And I didn't want to dilute the flavor by adding breadcrumbs. Goat ricotta has a nice hint of goatiness, if that is a word.
I can only imagine! There is nothing much better than goat cheese!
I love Ravioli. Seems delicious. So tempting. Goat cheese procedure is so helpful. Could u e share the ricotta cheese if u know?
Delicious. We have not had fresh asparagus for several months now so this will be shelved for me to try next year when it comes in once again.
Complimenti! Io non sarei mai riuscita a chiudere quel ripieno nella pasta senza rovinare tutto! Deliziosi senza dubbio.
Grazie Paola, sei troppo gentile.
What an elegant recipe oozing flavour from the page! Homemade ricotta probably won't come to pass in this house but even without am so looking forward to another of your ravioli dishes . . . our asparagus season just beginning . . .but SO wish we could buy bunches of this size and not be restricted to 6-8 stalks at an ever increasing price!


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AFP-NH Announces First Wave of Endorsements for State Offices
Jul 18, 2022 by AFP
Concord, NH—Americans for Prosperity-New Hampshire (AFP-NH) today announced electoral support for 19 candidates running for state offices.
All 19 candidates stood out as policy champions working to reduce state expenditures, cut taxes, and empower Granite Staters to live out their American Dream, free from government interference.
AFP-NH State Director Greg Moore made the following statement after the announcement:
"AFP-NH is proud to endorse this impressive slate of candidates to serve New Hampshire residents. From making New Hampshire the most hospitable state in New England for businesses and investment, to expanding educational opportunities for students, these candidates are going to keep the Live Free or Die state on its groundbreaking trajectory. These are true policy champions who put in the work to deliver on the New Hampshire Advantage.
"This election cycle, we are going to mobilize our network of grassroots activists and volunteers to elect leaders who will deliver policies that prioritize small government, fiscal responsibility, and individual liberty."
Exec. Councilor Dave Wheeler
Exec. Councilor Dave Wheeler is running for reelection in New Hampshire's 5th District. Councilor Wheeler is a champion on spending and regulatory reform, working to make sure that agency regulations align with legislative intent, while also championing spending constraints that keep the New Hampshire budget balanced and holding agencies accountable for strong performance outcomes.
State Sen. Gary Daniels
State Sen. Gary Daniels is running for reelection in New Hampshire's 11th District. He serves as Chair of the Finance Committee and also sits on the Capital Budget, Rules, and Ways and Means Committees. A true budget hawk, Daniels has helped reduce wasteful spending, lower taxes and ensure that every student has a chance to find an educational environment that best meets his or her needs.
House Majority Leader Jason Osborne
Majority Leader Jason Osborne is running for reelection in Rockingham 21. In addition to serving as House Majority Leader, Osborne serves as Vice-Chair of the Rules Committee and sits on the Legislative Administration and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committees. Osborne has opposed corporate welfare. He's also worked to lead efforts to provide employer tax relief, eliminate New Hampshire's only income tax and to deliver educational opportunity through education freedom accounts.
Asst. Majority Leader Keith Ammon
Asst. Majority Leader Keith Ammon is running for reelection to represent Hillsborough 42. Ammon is a true taxpayer champion, working to fight corporate welfare and reform property taxes. He has been a leader in ensuring that New Hampshire opens the door for new, innovative, technologies that position the state to be a leader in the new economy.
Majority Whip Jeanine Notter
State Rep. Jeanine Notter is the running for reelection to represent Hillsborough 12. As House Majority Whip, Notter has worked to bring key employer tax relief across the finish line. She also opposes energy policies that would increase energy costs for Granite State ratepayers.
State Rep. Matthew Santonastaso
State Rep. Matthew Santonastaso is running for reelection in Cheshire 18. Santonastaso is a labor reform champion, advocating for worker freedom and occupational licensing reforms that make it easier for workers and businesses to negotiate and broker mutually beneficial contracts.
State Rep. Keith Erf
State Rep. Keith Erf is running for reelection in Hillsborough 28. Erf is a policy champion on taxation, spending, and privacy. He's introduced legislation to protect consumer data privacy and limit warrantless government surveillance. At the same time, he's worked to cut taxes and strengthen entitlement programs by reducing wasteful spending.
State Rep. Mark McLean
State Rep. Mark McLean is running for reelection in Hillsborough 15. He is a champion on criminal justice reform, using his position as Vice-Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee to push for digital privacy protections and civil asset forfeiture changes that would better protect the civil liberties of Granite Staters. McLean has also been a leader in expanding health care options for New Hampshire residents.
State Rep. Jim Kofalt
State Rep. Jim Kofalt is an incumbent running for election in Hillsborough 32. He is a champion on health care reform, advocating for market-oriented solutions to expanding access to quality health care in the Granite State.
State Rep. Diane Pauer
State Rep. Diane Pauer is an incumbent running for reelection in Hillsborough 36. She is a champion on tax and labor reform. She has introduced important legislation to reduce taxes and reform occupational licensing laws that would continue to boost New Hampshire's economy and provide opportunity for Granite Staters to find the careers of their choice.
State Rep. Carol McGuire
State Rep. Carol McGuire is running for reelection in Merrimack 27. She serves as chair for the Executive Departments and Administration and Joint Legislative Rules Committees. From these positions, she has worked hard to reform occupational licensing, eliminate duplicative and burdensome agency regulations, and ensure that the state lives within its means by passing responsible budgets.
Former State Rep. Dan McGuire
Former State Rep. Dan McGuire left office in 2016. He is running again to represent Merrimack 14. He has been a reliable taxpayer and limited government champion, working to keep the state's spending under control while working to pass employer tax relief.
State Rep. Michael Vose
State Rep. Michael Vose is running for reelection in Rockingham 5. He serves as chair of the Science, Technology, and Energy Committee, where he worked to oppose energy subsidies and mandates. He's also fought to ensure regulations don't unduly burden businesses and cosponsored legislation to reduce taxes on businesses.
State Rep. Scott Wallace
State Rep. Scott Wallace is running for reelection in Rockingham 8. From his perch on the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee he has advocated for reforms to civil asset forfeiture and overcriminalization that restore due process to Granite Staters.
State Rep. John Potucek
State Rep. John Potucek is running for reelection to represent Rockingham 13. He serves as vice-chairman of the Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee, where he has worked to help ease regulatory burdens, lower health care costs, and support employer tax relief.
State Rep. Erica Layon
State Rep. Erica Layon is an incumbent running for election in Rockingham 13. She serves as vice-chair of the Health, Human Services, and Elderly Affairs Committee. She champions health care reforms that will expand access to quality health care in the Granite State. She's also worked to expand education options for New Hampshire's students by introducing legislation in support of education freedom accounts.
State Rep. Josh Yokela
State Rep. Josh Yokela is an incumbent running for election in Rockingham 32. He has championed occupational licensing reforms that would make it easier for professionals to have their professional licenses transferred to New Hampshire and encourage greater workforce participation. He has also been a leader in working to add to privacy protections for Granite Staters and to loosen housing regulations to reduce the housing crisis in New Hampshire.
State Rep. Len Turcotte
State Rep. Len Turcotte is running for reelection in Strafford 4. He has championed worker freedom, occupational licensing reform, and worked to limit government spending and return those savings back to taxpayers. He serves as Senior Advisor to the House Majority Office.
State Rep. Michael Yakubovich
State Rep. Michael Yakubovich is running to represent the 16th Senate District. He is a champion for New Hampshire workers and taxpayers by fighting burdensome occupational licensing requirements, reforming collective bargaining, and voting to reduce taxes that strangle economic growth.
In Case You Missed It: AFP CEO and AFP Action Senior Advisor Outlines Record-Breaking Grassroots & Political Engagement on "Ruthless" Podcast
Oct 6, 2022 by AFP
2021 election: Virginia voters want policies that empower them
Nov 10, 2021 by AFP
Integrity of America's political process is more important than any one outcome
Oct 27, 2020 by Christine Ravold

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Ontario Appeals Court rules doctors don't have right to remove life support
The Rasouli case was similar to the much-publicized Baby Joseph case, with doctors seeking permission to remove life-support against the family's wishes.
Wed Jun 29, 2011 - 2:59 pm EDT Sat Jun 19, 2021 - 10:15 am EDT
TORONTO, Ontario, June 29, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – In a decision that will have far-reaching effects for the province and all of Canada, Ontario's Court of Appeal judges ruled today that doctors do not have the unilateral right to remove life-support from a patient.
In the Rasouli case, which was similar to the much-publicized Baby Joseph case, doctors at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre were seeking permission to remove life-support from 59-year-old Hassan Rasouli who, they said, was in a vegetative state, with no hope of recovery.
Dr. Brian Cuthbertson and Dr. Gordon Rubenfeld claimed they should have the power to remove Rasouli from ventilator support, despite his family's objections. They were appealing a Superior Court decision from April that ruled the doctors needed the family's permission, or permission from Ontario's Consent and Capacity Board, in order to remove Rasouli from life-support.
Rasouli's family, however, disagreed with the doctors' diagnosis and would not give permission for the removal of his ventilator, arguing the action would violate his religious beliefs as a Shia Muslim. They said Rasouli, who suffered bacterial meningitis after surgery to remove a brain tumor, was able to communicate with them and showed progress in his recovery, although he required the assistance of a ventilator and feeding tube.
The three justices writing for the Appeal court unanimously upheld the Superior Court decision of Justice Himmel saying that withdrawing life-support constituted medical "treatment" and required the consent of the patient's family.
(Read the decision here)
When the family refuses consent, doctors must appeal to the Ontario Consent and Capacity Board for a decision, said the judges.
The Consent and Capacity Board is a group of lawyers, psychiatrists, and citizens in Ontario who are appointed by the province to resolve disputes such as in the Rasouli case between doctors and the family. Ontario is the only province with such a system. Rather than a lengthy court battle, which often ends with the death of the patient in question before a court ruling, the Consent and Capacity Board usually decides cases within a week.
"It is a very important point because a lot of these decisions do result in the direct death of the person,"Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, an intervener in the case, told LifeSiteNews.com. The court's decision extends beyond withdrawing ventilator support, he added, to other issues such as fluids, antibiotics, and other types of medical treatment.
"That does not mean that doctors can't go ahead to the Consent and Capacity Board," said Schadenberg, "but at least then [the family] will have the opportunity to try and hire effective counsel to try and defend their position."
Such was what happened with Baby Joseph. Unlike the Rasouli case, doctors in the Baby Joseph dispute were not assuming they had the right to pull his ventilator, but were seeking consent from the Board. Although the Board sided with the doctors, Baby Joseph's parents were given time to hire legal aid and appeal the decision.
The Rasouli ruling means that doctors will not have the sole right to decide end-of-life decisions, but will necessarily have to consult the family and the Board.
"It's going to affect Canadian law," said Schadenberg. "Families challenging doctors in other provinces will use this as the precedent case."
Schadenberg said he expects the doctors will appeal the Rasouli ruling at the Supreme Court of Canada; however, he hopes the Court will reject the hearing based on the unanimous decision of the Appeal Court judges.
Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
Joseph Maraachli


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Explore It
It Historical Context
'It' is known for its success as one of the scariest books ever written. The book became a best seller for its author Stephen King.
'It' was published in 1986 under Viking Publishers. Widely regarded as the king of horror, Stephen King took 'It' to another level by portraying a clown as the antagonist who killed and fed on children, with a group of 11 year-olds as the protagonists. 'It' made Stephen King a fortune, with the book being America's best-selling book of 1986.
The Coming of Age
One prominent feature in Stephen King's 'It' is the portrayal of coming of age. 'It' shows how each member of the Losers club went from childhood into adulthood, and the book gave a framed alternating timeline that focused on how each member matured twenty-seven years after they had faced a powerful evil.
From the summer of 1958 to 1985, each member of the Losers club changed in their ideologies and relationships. As the years transcended from a post-WWII era to an era coming out of recession, the Losers club went with the tide of change, and this change is notable with the difference between what they feared as children and adults.
Caged In the Past
Though there were changes in their lives, the members of the Losers club could not completely erase the memory of the childhood events that forged them into the adults they grew up to be. Bill became a great author, and though he wrote exceptional stories, each story resonated with the horror of him having to face It. The same for Beverly, who was in an abusive relationship twenty-seven years after she had escaped being abused by her father.
One of the greatest fears of the Losers Club as children were the social, family, and emotional problems surrounding them and their family and though they grew up to become adults, they were never truly free from the hold of their past childhood horrors.
A Fictional Town Called Derry
Stephen King described his fictional town, Derry, as a town twenty miles west of Bangor. However, in reality, the town is an entirely fictional replica of Bangor itself. With scenery from Derry such as the Paul Bunyan statue and Thomas Hill standpipe, Stephen King gave his fictional town life in the image of Bangor. Derry's history had been one filled with mass disappearances and deaths, and these tragedies had been edged deep into the town. From the disappearance of 340 settlers that had originally founded the town in 1741 to the death of 120 people who were shot in 1864, Derry's history was drenched in blood.
The Unbreakable Cycle
The unbreakable cycle is a feature that persists in 'It.' Derry was a town that could never escape its past. With the horrible deaths and the mass disappearances Derry experienced from its inception till 1985, no one seemed to be bothered and the people of Derry went on like there was nothing wrong.
Derry was at the center of a cycle that persisted even with the appearance of the Losers club. Bill, along with the rest of the group, traced a series of murders in Derry since its inception. Though they were able to link the murders to It, they could do nothing to warn people of the monster because the people of Derry had become used to the unbreakable cycle of terror and death.
History behind It
Taking him four years to write, 'It' remains one of Stephen King's best books. Stephen King stated his idea to write 'It' came from a children's story called Three Billy goats Gruff. Being under the influence of cocaine, Stephen King was an addict and a heavy user of drugs when he wrote the book. He decided to push through with the novel calling it his final exam on horror.
'It' has had a tremendous impact in shaping the horror world of both the writing and the movie industry. Having grossed over a billion dollars, 'It' chapters one and two remain the highest money-making horror movie of all time.
The story shaped a new ideology of horror, and Stephen King's idea to make a clown the main villain made the story all the more interesting, 'It' directly contradicted the purpose of what a clown should have represented, fun and exciting. 'It' has also impacted the American culture by shaping the societal view of what the horrors of life are imagined to be. Stephen King's 'It' not only showed the decadence and evil beneath a seemingly peaceful society, but it also showed that the worst horror one has to face is the monster that is within.
What inspired 'It' by Stephen King?
Stephen King's inspiration for It was a Norwegian fairy tale known as the Three Billy Goats Gruff.
How did Stephen King change the world?
With over 350 million copies of his books sold and many of his books turned into films, Stephen King has had a tremendous impact on pop culture and society at larger.
What was Stephen King's reason for putting the sex scene between the Losers Club?
Stephen King used the sex scene to mark the point where each member of the losers club came of age and got rid of their innocence.
Was Pennywise afraid of the Losers Club?
Yes he was, at a point in the story, It felt a new feeling of fear, seeing the Losers club as a real threat It sends Henry after them
Is 'It' by Stephen King interesting?
Of course, It is a very interesting and intriguing book that will grab your attention and make you feel as if you are part of the characters.
Categories It
Home » Stephen King » It » Historical Context
About Joshua Ehiosun
Joshua is an undying lover of literary works. With a keen sense of humor and passion for coining vague ideas into state-of-the-art worded content, he ensures he puts everything he's got into making his work stand out. With his expertise in writing, Joshua works to scrutinize pieces of literature.
Ehiosun, Joshua. "It Historical Context". Book Analysis, https://bookanalysis.com/stephen-king/it/historical-context/. Accessed 16 January 2022.


Although the federal government has been steadily tightening the health standards for the nation's water supplies, a recent study says local water systems across the country continuously fail to meet these requirements. RT America's Trinity Chavez reports.
The 5-3 Supreme Court ruling in Jennings v. Rodriguez reverses a lower court decision providing immigrants the right to bond hearings. Critics believe the ruling gives US authorities to right to detain immigrants indefinitely. For more, RT America's Ed Schultz is joined by the American Immigration Lawyers Association's Allen Orr.
As the Syrian army battles jihadist insurgents in Eastern Ghouta, the mainstream media is engaged in a widespread disinformation campaign. RT America's Dan Cohen reports.


An opportunity to purchase this CHARMING 18TH CENTURY TWO BEDROOMED FISHERMANS COTTAGE situated in the popular Seaside location. The property believed to be built around 1750 benefits from gas fired central heating, feature fireplace with original features including oak joinery throughout, original slate pitched roof and attractive courtyard garden to rear. The property is situated within close proximity to local amenities in nearby Seaside with the seafront being very close by. Eastbourne town centre with its mainline railway station and comprehensive shopping facilities is approximately half a mile distant.
Feature brick fireplace and tiled hearth, radiator, Sash windows to front, door providing access to front, half panelled walls, shelved recess.
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Brick block paving with flint walls to sides, covered area with slate roof.


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Judge in drug case takes 'unusual step in exceptional circumstances'
A Moira man who smuggled a powerful pain killer into jail for his friend escaped going to prison himself when the judge suspended his 12 month sentence.
Freeing 46-year-old Wayne Downey at Craigavon Crown Court, Judge Patrick Lynch QC said while he accepted the "misguided efforts" to smuggle Fentanyl patches into Maghaberry, the judge warned Downey "you cannot afford to get in the wrong side of the law again".
He told Downey, whose nephew Jamie stood in the very same dock two years ago charged with setting fire to Cody the collie dog, that bringing drugs of any type into a prison setting was serious of itself but that the supply of class A drugs "normally receives condign disapproval and punishment from these courts".
Judge Lynch added, however, that he believed the circumstances giving rise to Downey's two offences were exceptional so that allowed him to take the unusual step of suspended the jail sentence.
Earlier Downey, from the Moira Road in Lisburn, pleaded guilty to conveying a list A article into HMP Maghaberry and to supplying a class A drug, namely Fentanyl, to another on 28 November 2014.
That attempted smuggling came just a few weeks after his nephew was jailed for his role in the gruesome death of Cody.
Last Thursday, prosecuting lawyer Joseph Murphy told the court how Downey, a woman and a young child were visiting a prisoner when Downey "bought a number of items from the tuck shop including a packet of crisps."
"After he finished the crisps he removes an object from his sleeve, puts it in the packet and puts it in front of the prisoner and the prisoner is seen taking the object from the crisps and putting it in his sleeve," said Mr Murphy adding however that prison staff "intervened immediately".
Downey "made admissions immediately at the scene" and during later police interviews, claimed he had smuggled the class A drugs because his friend "was suffering from severe sciatic nerve problems".
Describing the case as unusual because it didn't involved the "usual cannabis or diazepam" being smuggled into jail, defence barrister Joel Lindsay told the court there was medical evidence that Downey's friend, who was also his employee, was genuinely prescribed the medication but had not been receiving it whilst he was in custody.
"His wife repeatedly rang the defendant saying 'you suffer from the same thing, could you bring him something to help him' and stupidly, he did that," said the lawyer.
Referring to the case where his nephew was jailed for six months for perverting the course of justice in relation to the horrific death of Cody the collie dog, Mr Lindsay revealed the last few years "have been a difficult time because of previous cases which have been through this court".
Last Thursday, Mr Lindsay described how as a result of the notoriety attached to that case Wayne Downey and his partner, who essentially "adopted" his nephew Jamie, had been "demented to such an extent text their house is up for sale and their business suffered significantly."
Fiancee of murder victim Nathan Gibson 'blown away by love and support'
While the patches Downey had smuggled in for his friend were, as the judge said he accepted, to be used as intended, there is documentary evidence that fentanyl infused transdermal patches are very often abused with users extracting the powerful painkiller from them.


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Lady Panthers win title
NEAL DENTON
ndenton@baxterbulletin.com
VIOLA — Both Norfork and Izard County had a lot to overcome in their 1A-2 North District championship game Saturday night at Viola's Longhorn Corral.
The Lady Panthers were an uncharacteristic 2 of 12 from 3-point range, while the Lady Cougars were without the services of star 6-foot forward Kennedy Cooper, who picked up four fouls in just her first five minutes on the court.
The Lady Panthers trailed almost the entire game, but the No. 2 seed regained the lead with 1:16 remaining and held on for a 46-43, upset victory over the top-seeded Lady Cougars.
After Cooper picked up two quick fouls in the first quarter, Norfork pounded the ball in to 6-1 sophomore Marleigh Dodson, who ended up scoring a game-high 22 points and also grabbed 13 rebounds for Norfork. Jen King, a 5-6 forward, led Izard County with 19 points in Cooper's absence.
"Knowing Izard County and how high-powered their offense is, that's a testament to our defense," Norfork head coach Josh Laymon said of holding the Lady Cougars to 43 points and Cooper to four. "The girls played really hard and at a high level and were able to protect the basket. We didn't have a ton of turnovers either. Shots are going to fall sometimes, and sometimes they aren't, but we did a good job of feeding the ball into the post."
Cooper had picked up her third and fourth fouls early in the third quarter, but Izard County led by as many as eight in the fourth before Norfork mounted its final rally.
Dodson scored in the paint to draw within 40-36, and after an Izard County free throw, Dodson hit a pair from the foul line with 3:55 left to pull within 41-38. Dodson scored again with 3:07 left, and after 1 of 2 free throws by Cooper, Dodson scored again to knot the score at 42-42 with 1:39 left.
Sam King missed a pair of free throws for Izard County — which shot just 5 of 12 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter — and Dodson willed her way to the hoop again to give the Lady Panthers a 44-42 lead with 1:16 remaining.
Jen King hit 1 of 2 free throws to bring the Lady Cougars within one, but Norfork turned the ball over with 38.2 seconds left to give Izard County another chance. Natalie Everett just missed on an outside shot with :18 left, and the Lady Cougars were forced to foul Ivy McGowan with :14.4 remaining.
McGowan missed the front end of the one-and-one, but the sophomore rebounded her own miss and got the ball to Macy Dillard, who was fouled with :04.9 left. The freshman made both free throws for a three-point lead, and Izard County got the ball in the hands of Cooper, who dribbled the sideline and pulled up from the right wing, barely missing as time expired.
"It shows development," Laymon said of his team's first win in three tries this season against Izard County. "For them, there's validation that they're working hard enough to be able to beat a team the caliber of Izard County. Coach (Tim) Massey does a great job, and coach (Tony) Booth did a great job in the past. To win this game is a great accomplishment."
The Lady Panthers will face Ridgefield Christian at 4 p.m. Wednesday in the opening round of the Class 1A Region 2 Tournament at Bay. The Lady Cougars will face Armorel at 7 p.m. Thursday in the first round.
Norfork took an early 3-0 lead, and Izard County did not score until Jen King filled the hoop at the 3:52 mark. King added another bucket to give Izard County its first lead, and the sophomore hit a 3-pointer for a 7-4 lead. The Lady Cougars held a 9-6 lead after one and kept their run going in the second, hitting four free throws and receiving another basket by King for a 15-6 advantage.
Izard County led by nine, when Dodson scored back-to-back baskets in the paint to climb within 17-12. Norfork pulled within 21-17 when McGowan hit a half-court heave at the halftime buzzer. Dodson scored to open the second half, and with 5:45 left in the third, Cooper picked up her fourth foul on a charge.
Norfork pulled even for the first time since the first quarter when Macy Dillard came up with a steal and layup to make it 23-23. Dillard and fellow freshman Kinley Stowers made several steals for the Lady Panthers.
"Having all the fresh bodies that can get out there and play with high intensity is great," Laymon said. "Every kid who has played through junior high and senior high has been in that same situation those ninth-graders have. The amount of support from the upperclassmen for the underclassmen is unbelievable. They're all excited to have everybody with the team."
King answered for Izard County with a 3-pointer, and Abby Brashear hit 1 of 2 foul shots for a 27-23 Lady Cougar lead. The Lady Panthers clawed within two twice more, but the Lady Cougars pulled to a 34-27 by the end of the third after King scored again and Kristen Caraway knocked down 3 of 4 free throws.
LADY PANTHERS (23-9)
Dodson 22, Scalf 5, Macy Dillard 5, Belding 4, McGowan 4, Stowers 4, Staples 1.
LADY COUGARS (33-5)
J.King 19, Thomason 5, Caraway 5, Everett 4, Cooper 4, S.King 3, Brashear 3.
IZARD CO.
Cougars 81,
Panthers 69
Top-seeded Izard County ran its streak to 26 straight against conference opponents with a high-scoring win over No. 3 seed Norfork.
The Cougars will face Ridgefield Christian at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the opening round of the 1A Region 2 Tournament at Bay. The Panthers will battle Maynard at 8:30 p.m. Thursday in a first-round matchup.
The Cougars stormed to a 17-6 lead midway through the first quarter, receiving eight from Andrew Walker, who knocked down a pair of treys. The Panthers trailed 21-10 going into the second period.
Wyatt Chapman scored twice to open the second, bringing the Panthers within seven, but the Cougars turned back the rally by scoring seven straight, capped by a 3-point play by Clay Mosley to make it 28-14 with 5:34 left in the half.
With Izard County leading 34-21, Travis Lewis and Grant Casey each drained 3-pointers to bring the Panthers within 34-27. Walker answered the Norfork surge with seven in a row as the 6-1 senior gave the Cougars a 41-27 advantage. The Cougars held a 43-29 lead at halftime.
Norfork was within 12 early in the third, but Izard County slowly stretched its lead and took a 50-31 lead on a bucket by Mosley. Norfork fought back to within 14 in the third and trailed 61-45 going into the final period.
Izard County stretched the lead to 19 again with a Mosley basket that made it 67-48, but the Panthers regrouped to climb within 72-58 on a 3-pointer by Chapman. The Cougars upped the lead to 16 again, and Norfork could climb no closer than 12.
Walker led all scorers with 34 points and Mosley added 19 for Izard County. Lewis and Chapman scored 27 and 20, respectively, to lead Norfork.
PANTHERS (19-12)
Lewis 27, W.Chapman 20, Casey 12, Belding 4, Standfield 4, Rhymer 2.
COUGARS (33-6)
Walker 34, Mosley 19, Reynolds 13, Jones 10, Brooks 3, Simino 2.


Olympic and World champion, Ma Long returns to international action; having not competed since August, when he departed in the opening round in Bulgaria, losing to England's Liam Pitchford, he is on duty at the forthcoming Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Swedish Open.
Matters commences in Stockholm on Thursday 1st November being preceded by three days of qualification.
The quest for Ma Long in the Swedish capital city is somewhat threefold, to return to winning ways, to match the record of Vladimir Samsonov of Belarus and to reserve his place in the US$ 1,000,000 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals to be staged in Incheon, Korea Republic in December.
Ma Long started the year in the manner to which we have become accustomed, quite simply, the backhand rock solid and the forehand on automatic pilot. On the Seamaster ITTF World Tour, he reserved the top step of the podium in both Germany and China but then in Japan, he was beaten at the quarter-final stage of the Men's Singles event by the host nation's Tomokazu Harimoto, before experiencing the early exit in Bulgaria.
A new day, a time away from the international arena, notably he did not compete in late August and early September in the Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia nor in the more recent Liebherr 2018 Men's World Cup in Paris. Ma Long has had time to recharge the batteries and is no doubt focused on regaining the title he won in 2011 when the tournament was also staged in Stockholm.
Furthermore, simply by competing in the Swedish capital city this year, he will reserve his place in the Grand Finals; it will mean he has met the minimum five appearance criteria. Furthermore, should he win, then he will match the record of Vladimir Samsonov; Ma Long has 26 ITTF World Tour Men's Singles titles to his name, Vladimir Samsonov has just one more.
Similarly, colleagues Fan Zhendong and Lin Gaoyuan will take a step towards booking their places in the Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals. Presently on the Men's Singles Standings, Fan Zhendong. beaten by Xu Xin also from China in last year's final, is listed in second spot, Lin Gaoyuan in fifth place. Both have to date only appeared three times on this year's ITTF World Tour but as well as competing in Sweden, their names appear on the ensuing Austrian Open list; thus they are in realistic terms Incheon bound.
In Stockholm, Fan Zhendong is the top seed, Lin Gaoyuan, the no.3 seed, with Xu Xin sandwiched in between; Germany's Dimitrij Ovtcharov is the no.4 seed but not having experienced the best of fortunes this year is not a current contender for the Grand Finals. Xu Xin, having played in six Seamaster 2018 ITTF World Tour Men's Singles events heads the Standings.
He is home and dry. Likewise on the Stockholm entry list, amongst the seeded players, Japan's Tomokazu Harimoto and Jun Mizutani, alongside Hong Kong's Wong Chin Ting and Germany's Patrick Franziska can cement their Incheon places. All have met the five appearance criteria, on the current Standings, Tomokazu Harimoto is in fourth spot, Patrick Franziska four places lower, ahead of Jun Mizutani, in 10th spot and Wong Chun Ting in 13th position.
Goals for Ma Long and there is one for Fan Zhendong, defeat in the final last year and also in 2013 when losing to colleague, Yan An but in both 2014 and 2015 he won. He seeks a third title, a feat since the tournament was first staged in 1954 only one player has achieved.
Compatriot Wang Liqin won in 1999 in Karlskrona, in 2001 in Skovde and in 2003 in Malmö; now Fan Zhendong for a third time?
Ma Long and Xu Xin, especially, might have other ideas in what is an incredibly strong entry; of the top 20 players on the current Men's World Rankings, a total of 17 compete in Stockholm.


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Most played PC games
Spotify's premium subscribers 2015-2020
Number of World of Warcraft subscribers
Best-selling Call of Duty Games 2019
Advertising spending in the U.S. 2015-2022
Video Game Industry - Statistics & Facts
Film Industry - statistics & facts
Books & Publishing
Daily newspaper circulation in the United Kingdom (UK) 2019
Published by Amy Watson, Jan 12, 2021
The Daily Mirror was the highest circulating daily newspaper in the United Kingdom as of April 2019. The Daily Mirror is a British national tabloid newspaper owned by Reach plc. In 2019, the Sunday Mirror, the sister paper of the Daily Mirror, ranked third among the highest circulating Sunday newspapers in the UK.
Newspaper circulation in the UK
Circulation is the number of copies distributed on an average day. It is not the same as copies sold, due to the fact that some newspapers are available to readers at no cost. On a year-on-year circulation growth basis, all newspapers in the United Kingdom have witnessed a decline in circulation in 2019 compared to 2018, with some seeing a decrease of as much as 18 percent.
Newspaper revenue and expenditure
Expenditure on newspapers in the UK based on volume has seen a decrease of about 2.6 billion British pounds during the last 10 years. Revenues from the printing of newspapers in the United Kingdom will fall to a forecasted 35 million U.S. dollars in 2023, down from over 152 million U.S. Dollars in 2011.
Circulation of daily newspapers in the United Kingdom (UK) as of April 2019 (in 1,000 copies)
Circulation in thousand copies
Figures have been rounded.
Newspaper industry UK
Leading newspapers ranked by print and digital reach in the United Kingdom 2019-2020
Leading newspapers ranked by reach in the United Kingdom (UK) 2019-2020, by platform
Advertising spending in the United Kingdom (UK) 1999-2019, by media
National newsbrands advertising revenue in the UK 2011-2021
Research expert covering media
Statistics on "Newspaper industry in the United Kingdom (UK)"
Newspaper consumption in the United Kingdom (UK) 2005-2019
Chained volume index of publishing GVA in the United Kingdom (UK) 2015-2019
Newspapers consumer price index (CPI) monthly in the United Kingdom (UK) 2015-2020
Newspaper and stationery retail store turnover in the UK 2008-2018
Number of newspapers and stationery retail stores in the UK 2020, by turnover
Number of journalists & editors in the United Kingdom (UK) 2011-2018
Newsbrand advertising revenue in the United Kingdom (UK) 2011-2021
Regional newsbrands advertising revenue in the UK 2011-2021
Leading spending advertisers in newsbrands in the United Kingdom (UK) 2018-2019
Purchasing books, magazines and newspapers online in Great Britain 2011-2019
Online news, newspaper and magazine consumption in Great Britain 2007-2020
Newsbrand readers via smartphone in the United Kingdom (UK) 2018, by age
Newsbrands readers via PC in the United Kingdom (UK) 2019, by age and frequency
Newsbrand readers via tablet in the United Kingdom (UK) 2018, by age
Leading weekly newspapers ranked by reach in the United Kingdom (UK) 2020
Leading daily newspapers used for news in the United Kingdom (UK) 2020
Number of newspaper brand readers in the United Kingdom 2019-2020
Newsbrands reach in the United Kingdom (UK) 2019-2020, by sector and nation
Newspapers ranked by circulation in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2019
Newspapers ranked by circulation growth in the United Kingdom (UK) 2019
Quality newspaper circulation in the United Kingdom (UK) 2019
Sunday newspaper circulation in the United Kingdom (UK) 2019
Reach of The Sun and The Sun on Sunday in the United Kingdom (UK) 2012-2020
Reach of Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday in the United Kingdom (UK) 2012-2020
Reach of the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People in the UK 2012-2020
Reach of The Times and The Sunday Times in the United Kingdom (UK) 2012-2020
Reach of The Telegraph newspaper in the United Kingdom (UK) 2012-2020
Daily newspaper circulation growth in the United Kingdom (UK) 2018
The Sun: Circulation in the United Kingdom (UK) 2003-2016
Ranking of national daily newspapers in Denmark 2019, by reader number
Daily newspaper share in Japan 2014, by type
The Daily Mail: Circulation in the United Kingdom (UK) 2003-2016
The London Evening Standard: Circulation in the United Kingdom (UK) 2003-2016
Mid-market newspaper circulation in the United Kingdom (UK) 2019
The Independent: Circulation in the United Kingdom (UK) 2003-2015
The Daily Express: Circulation in the United Kingdom (UK) 2003-2016
Tabloid newspaper circulation in the United Kingdom (UK) 2019
The Times: Circulation in the United Kingdom (UK) 2003-2016
Quality newspaper circulation growth in the United Kingdom (UK) 2019
Mid-market newspaper circulation growth in the United Kingdom (UK) 2019
Tabloid newspaper circulation growth in the United Kingdom (UK) 2019
Sunday newspapers circulation growth in the United Kingdom (UK) 2018
Daily national newspapers: monthly reach in France 2013-2014, by media
Survey on level of trust in national morning papers in Sweden 2016, by gender
Monthly print run of the newspaper Le Monde in France 2018
Daily newspaper purchases by type in Canada 2020
Turnover of the construction industry in the Netherlands 2010-2016
Newspaper industry UK Magazine industry in Europe Newspaper market in Europe Printed media in Europe Fake news in Europe
Newsworks. (May 22, 2019). Circulation of daily newspapers in the United Kingdom (UK) as of April 2019 (in 1,000 copies) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved January 20, 2021, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/529885/uk-daily-newspaper-market-by-circulation/
Newsworks. "Circulation of daily newspapers in the United Kingdom (UK) as of April 2019 (in 1,000 copies)." Chart. May 22, 2019. Statista. Accessed January 20, 2021. https://www.statista.com/statistics/529885/uk-daily-newspaper-market-by-circulation/
Newsworks. (2019). Circulation of daily newspapers in the United Kingdom (UK) as of April 2019 (in 1,000 copies). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: January 20, 2021. https://www.statista.com/statistics/529885/uk-daily-newspaper-market-by-circulation/
Newsworks. "Circulation of Daily Newspapers in The United Kingdom (Uk) as of April 2019 (in 1,000 Copies)." Statista, Statista Inc., 22 May 2019, https://www.statista.com/statistics/529885/uk-daily-newspaper-market-by-circulation/
Newsworks, Circulation of daily newspapers in the United Kingdom (UK) as of April 2019 (in 1,000 copies) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/529885/uk-daily-newspaper-market-by-circulation/ (last visited January 20, 2021)


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Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary
This Thursday is the feast of the
Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
We are celebrating Missa Cantata at 7pm.
Gossip Alert
Have you heard what goes on at that Church up the road?
A parishioner told me that while dining with friends from a neighbouring parish Church matters came up and the friends wondered how he managed at St Catherine's when all the Masses were in Latin (unspecified whether it was EF or OF). The parishioner explained that what they had heard on the liberal jungle drums was not quite true and explained what does actually happen here on a Sunday. A look of realisation began to dawn on the face parishioner from the neighbouring parish that what he had been told was perhaps a distorted picture.
So wicked to spread gossip - until one is sure of one's facts!
Not that there would be anything wrong, according to the Church rules presently in place, if all Masses here were in Latin - in either form of the Roman Rite but here is the reality for anyone interested enough to take the time to find out what actually goes on.
The first Mass is Ordinary Form in English - all said.
The second is Ordinary Form with music - mostly in English with sung Latin common parts, along with a hymn or two and sung Entrance Antiphon / Offertory / and Communion Antiphon (these are mostly in Latin, but on occasion now in the new English translation). The Canon of the Mass is, for the most part, in English, although on major Feasts it can be in Latin as well.
The third is in the Extraordinary Form. Usually Low Mass with the readings in English, occasionally a Missa Cantata.
They are all ad orientem.
Canon Law and Justice
The Holy Father arrives to address
members of the Roman Rota on Saturday
(Photo from L'Osservatore Romano)
Mention Canon Law in many circles of the Church today and you get a wrinkled nose and a turning away of the head that suggests there is a slightly unpleasant odour in the room. The implication is that you are a legalist, uncaring and unpastoral. That Canon Law has no real place in the modern Church and that much of it it is probably in direct opposition to the Gospel teachings of Our Lord. Well, at least that's often been my experience whenever I mention it!
The fact is that Canon Law is there to protect - laity, clergy and bishops. The trouble is that when you want to call upon it you have to go all the way to Rome. Most laity don't know how, most priests wouldn't risk the wrath of their bishop. What the Law says is good but if it's being ignored at a local level it's a very arduous process to appeal to Rome. I suppose it is true that access to the law is as important as the law itself.
However, the Holy Father has some excellent things to say in his annual address to the Roman Rota: "Christian Maturity Leads One to an Ever Greater Love of the Law."
You can read it on Zenit and at Vatican News but here is a précis of some interesting bits.
In recent times some currents of thought have warned against excessive attachment to the Church's laws, regarding it as a manifestation of legalism. Consequently, there have been proposals for approaches that are more in keeping with theological and pastoral intentions, leading to juridical creativity in which the individual situation becomes the decisive factor. It is worth noting immediately that this position does not overcome the positivism that it denounces, limiting itself to replacing the one positivism with another in which the human interpretive work comes to prominence in determining what is lawful. There is a lack of a sense of an objective law to be discovered since it is subjected to considerations that pretend to be theological and pastoral, but that are, in the end, exposed to the danger of arbitrariness. Thus legal hermeneutics is rendered vacuous: it can then be adapted to any situation, even one opposed to the law's letter.
There is another route, one in which the adequate understanding of canon law opens the way to an interpretive effort that inserts itself into the pursuit of the truth about law and justice in the Church. True law is inseparable from justice.
Something occurs that is similar to what I have said about the interior process of St. Augustine in biblical hermeneutics: "transcending the letter made the letter itself credible." Thus we confirm that even in legal hermeneutics the juridical truth can be loved, sought and served and provide an authentic horizon.
The dictum "sentire cum Ecclesiae" (thinking or feeling with the Church) is also relevant to disciplinary matters by reason of the doctrinal foundations that are always present and at work in the Church's legal norms. In this way, there must also be applied to canon law that hermeneutic of renewal in continuity, of which I spoke in reference to Vatican II, which is so closely connected to current canonical legislation. Christian maturity leads one to an ever greater love of the law and a desire that it be faithfully applied.
Pope John Paul receiving Holy Communion
from Cardinal Ratzinger.
(Courtesy of the Ratzinger Forum)
Ben Trovato has drawn attention to a petition requesting the Holy Father to consider removing the indult allowing communion in the hand. You can read about it at his blog but I thought I'd mention it here as well, presuming that some, at least, might want to sign it. I don't really suppose it will have much effect but it does point to a change in attitudes and brings those perceptions to the attention of the Holy See.
You can look at the petition details here:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/petition-to-the-holy-father/
There is also this site (on my sidebar) that gives some information and views on the manner of receiving Holy Communion.
Conversion by Architecture
I came across this interesting piece on Rome Reports.
Etsuro Sotoo was a professor of art at Kyoto University when he decided to travel in Europe. He arrived in Barcelona in 1978, he was so impressed with Gaudí's Sagrada Familia that he dropped everything to follow in the work of Gaudí as a sculptor. Ever since then he continued to learn more and more about the architect. Etsuro came from a cultural and religious traditions very different from that of Europe. As a result he had trouble connecting with the project in a manner faithful to the spirit of Gaudí. When he finally understood his real intention with the Sagrada Familia, it changed his life. Sotoo says that his commitment to architecture was the first step by which Gaudí helped him to rethink his values. After some time he converted to Catholicism. He is currently working on the main sculptures of the Sagrada Familia. A work that changed the course of his life.
I'm a little ambivalent about the architecture of the Sagrada Familia, although it was some years before the Holy Father consecrated the main church in 2010 that I last saw it. Although undeniably new in style it references the tradition of church buildings and its conception came from a mind that created it out of love of God. It is not a building thrown up at the cheapest possible cost but gives something of the best of the human spirit back to the Creator. It was a work of love and devotion for Gaudi and now for those who continue in his tradition.
In recent times we seem to have lost an appreciation of sacred space and architecture as a means of inspiration and evangelisation, with the focus shifting to the community that meets within the space. But this should surely not render the space itself of no interest or reduce it to the merely functional. A family that lives in a house is much more important than the house itself but the fact that the family lives there makes it a home and makes that building important, in its layout, in how we choose to beatify it - it becomes precious because of what we experience within its walls. The same must surely apply to our churches. The fact that we now build and remodel churches that are either purely functional or mimic secular buildings says that we have lost confidence. Lost confidence in the ability of the Faith to speak to others (and to us?) and therefore have lost confidence in the buildings in which we articulate that Faith. That we ignore a consecrated altar carrying within it the relics of some hero of the Faith and offer the Holy Sacrifice on a temporary wooden table is a weird situation to find ourselves in. To use the home analogy again, we ignore a fine dining room and always have a T.V. dinner on a tray.
Let's get back to some fine dining!
Etsuro Sotoo
"I know all the works, all the words, all the models, but I can't take another step. I can't come close to Gaudí. I decided not to look to him. So then where do I look? I tried to look in the way that Gaudí did. I'm a sculptor, I tried to do what he would have done. This was the magnificent and miraculous moment."
"I invite everyone who wants to understand Gaudí to not pick the wrong door. If you really want to know him, find the the door of spirit and faith."
"Why do we build the temple of the Sagrada Familia? A simple question: why do we build? We don't seek beauty in vanity of men. No, The Sagrada Familia is a tool for building us. Gaudí left the temple half finished, the temple of the Sagrada Familia perfectly built the man Gaudí."
Courageous Fathers
In a time when there are many in the Church lamenting the lack of male adults in our congregations, Zenit has an article on a new film that seems to be moving fathers to re-examine their lives in relation to their families. The focus on a more "touchy-feely" way of being Christian does seem to have put off some men from their Catholic Faith. It's not religion itself (after all Muslim men aren't afraid of being seen at prayer) but something that does at this present time appear to be lacking in our Catholic Faith. Not necessarily a macho element but a masculine way of thinking and doing things. The fullness of the Christian Faith and the teachings of Our Lord are, after all, anything but mamby-pamby!
The film looks very good - a little Americanised, certainly, but I shall look forward to seeing it and anything that promotes "Godly fatherhood" can surely only be a good thing.
The Zenit article follows after the dowloaded trailer and here is a link to the film site with some clips on it:
http://www.courageousthemovie.com/
Dads: Who Will Lead Your Family?
'Courageous' DVD Promotes Godly Fatherhood
By Genevieve Pollock
ALBANY, Georgia. Thousands of men are answering the call to rediscover God's plan for fatherhood, inspired by a new movie, "Courageous".
The film, which debuted in theaters Sept. 30, follows four men striving to fulfill their mission "to serve and protect," both as law enforcement officers and fathers.
Stephen Kendrick, producer and co-writer of the film, told ZENIT that every day he sees some 200 e-mails from "people sharing how the movie has impacted, inspired and blessed them."
"The stories they share are so heartfelt and moving," he said. "Countless dads are now reaching out to win the hearts of their children."
Kendrick continued: "One man realized he needed to step up and reconnect with the daughter he'd abandoned.
"Many have chosen to forgive their dads.
"Wives are saying that 'my husband was a good dad, but now he's becoming a great dad after seeing this movie.'
"Couples heading for divorce have reunited and said that they must resolve to leave a legacy of faithfulness to their children like the men in the movie. We thank God for this!"
Waging war
As policemen, the main characters must team up against gang members and drug dealers to protect the community. Yet even as they battle evil with their guns and Tasers, they learn to use Scripture to fight the demons within in order to become the men of integrity their families need.
"There is so much in Scripture about what fatherhood means, but most men have not taken time to search it out and then live it out," Kendrick stated. "'Courageous' shows it to them in living color."
He continued: "It is so incredible to see how a message about the importance of strong fatherhood is so deeply resonating with audiences.
"The issue of fatherhood touches the core of who we are. Millions of people have seen this movie and have gone on the emotional roller-coaster of laughter and tears as they watch five men trying to figure out what it means to be a great dad."
For actor Ken Bevel, who portrayed the cop Nathan Hayes, the movie was an opportunity to "help serve in turning the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers."
He explained to ZENIT: "As I look at the consistent decline of families and the minimal involvement of fathers in our communities, my heart is challenged -- challenged to the point of action. So, when God provided the opportunity to address biblical fatherhood through film, I was humbled that he would allow me to be used in such a task."
This role, Bevel said, "caused me to examine my own life and my role as a father."
He added: "I asked myself the question, 'Am I being completely intentional about fatherhood and leading my children to the Lord?' Unfortunately the answer was no. So, 'Courageous' has also challenged me to spend more time in Bible study with my family, while praying for wisdom in leading my children to the Lord."
Kendrick expressed the hope for this "life change," not only for all who worked on the movie, but also for all who view it.
The film's release on DVD will allow its viewing by greater audiences. Parishes, ministries and other groups are encouraged to show the movie and utilize the corresponding resources to help effect this life-changing experience.
Tremendous opportunity
One group, the Philadelphia-based Fatherhood and Leadership Initiative, sponsored a showing of the movie that drew the players of two football teams with their fathers, in addition to other families.
Jim Gabriele, one of the group's founders, told ZENIT that "the response was tremendous." People were moved not only by the film, he said, but also by "the underlying message of love of Christ and faith in him as the foundation of a man's most important vocation -- his family."
"This movie clearly brings people together," added Gabriele, "and challenges men in particular to be men of the kingdom, the Godly husbands and fathers we are all called to be."
He added that the "widespread release of the movie provides a tremendous opportunity to put the emotion we all felt at the end of the movie to practical use in our daily lives."
"It is an unbelievably easy tool to use for ministry, and the producers have provided outstanding resources to bring the movie to life via Bible studies, small group sessions, etc." Gabriele noted.
He continued: "Men are notoriously hard to reach in ministry, but the ability to invite men to an engaging movie, followed by structured discussions and the ability to delve more deeply into their faith and how it applies to marriage and fatherhood is an incredible gift."
He revealed to ZENIT that his group will be sponsoring an eight-week study series, available through the Internet as well, on scriptural fatherhood.
Kendrick expressed the hope that many of this generation of men will see "Courageous" and "learn that the role of father is irreplaceable."
He underlined the hope that the audience will see that God created fatherhood "to introduce the next generation to what their loving Heavenly Father is like: a loving Provider, a strong Protector, an honorable Authority, a great Example, a wise Teacher, and an intimate Friend."
The producer continued: "We hope that men get a vision for this and begin to step up with courage and begin to lead their families by example as God intended. This will positively affect the next generation in countless ways."
"We produced a movie," he concluded. "But only he can change a heart. To him alone be the glory!"
A Bishop who follows Pope Benedict's example
Bishop Antonio Keller at Mass this Christmas
The Eponymous Flower reports on Bishop Antonio Keller of the southern Brazilian Diocese of Frederico Westphalen following the example given By Pope Benedict. Apparently, a Pastoral Letter issued for Christmas explains that in his Cathedral Holy Communion will be given, as a norm, on the tongue and kneeling. This actually only reverts to the worldwide norm for the way in which Holy Communion is administered as the allowance for receiving in the hand is given by indult - which admittedly most diocese have applied for and received permission to do. To be honest, I'm not sure if kneeling falls into the same category, except that it is always permitted to kneel and no-one can be refused communion should they kneel to receive it (Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, written on 1. Juli 2002, Notitiae 2002, S. 582-585). The Bishop's letter also draws attention to other things that apply universally: to fast at least one hour before receiving communion and the necessity of having the right disposition at the reception of Holy Eucharist.
It might be that in times past the reception of Holy Communion was too infrequent because people thought themselves unworthy in their often sinful state . Perhaps today reception of Holy Communion is too frequent because people think themselves only too worthy and have no sense of personal sin at all. This was first noted by Pope Pius XII in a radio message of October 26, 1946, speaking of the greatest sin in the world today being the loss of the sense of sin: "forse oggi il più grande peccato del mondo è perdere il senso del peccato" (Discorsi e radiomessaggi di Sua Santità Pio XII, vol. 8, 1955–1959) and is a modern ill that has been commented on by successive Popes. I'm not sure many people think of their disposition before coming to Holy Communion: "Am I in a long-standing enmity with a family member?"; "Have I missed Sunday Mass with no good reason?"; "Have I prayed at all since last time I received Holy Communion?"; "When did I last go to Confession?"
In the past the Church enjoined people to go to Holy Communion at least once a year (and Confession beforehand - the "Easter Duties") but this was because people were minded not to come even once a year, so great was their sense of awe for the Holy Eucharist. Obviously, a sacrament that is never received is a bit pointless but then a sacrament that is never thought about is not going to be the means of channelling all the grace that it should to the recipient.
It does seem strange that at a time when modern western culture (if we can call it a culture - as Pope Benedict says) is almost obsessed with placing blame
- "who can I sue for the fact that I tripped up on a pavement"
and with making apologies for the past sins of our ancestors
- whether it be for colonialism or for offences committed against the long dead spirit of Galileo
We see sins out there but they are not ours. It seems that, like the greatest of the Saints, we are ready at any moment to be born, fully formed, into the glory of Heaven. As my family, friends, parishioners and, no doubt readers of this blog, might tell you - I am not!
My point is that the rules, which we seem so terrified of mentioning lest we "put anyone off" are actually means of focusing our thought, prayer and energy on the challenge of the Good News and the outward signs push us to recognise the unusual nature of what we are in contact with through the Sacraments - the awesome power and grace of God, the supernatural; literally, above nature. Certainly above our fallen human nature. A scraping of the knee and an hour's fast seem like small things to remind us of this.
The Year of Faith
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the faith has published a Communique today with pastoral recommendations for the YEAR OF FAITH which is to begin on 11 October 2012, the 50th anniversary of the opening of Vatican Council II, and will conclude on 24 November 2013, Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ Universal King. The Holy Father's aim in promulgating this Year is to focus the attention of the Church on the theme which, since the beginning of his Pontificate, has been closest to his heart: the encounter with Jesus Christ and the beauty of having faith in Him.
Some things I noted about it - with my emphasis and comments.
The Committee for the Preparation of the Year of Faith is, by pontifical mandate, under the auspices of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and includes among its members: Cardinals William Levada, Francis Arinze, Angelo Bagnasco, Ivan Dias, Francis E. George, Zenon Grocholewski, Marc Ouellet, Mauro Piacenza, Jean-Pierre Ricard, Stanisław Ryłko and Christoph Schönborn; Archbishops Salvatore Fisichella and Luis F. Ladaria; and Bishops Mario del Valle Moronta Rodríguez, Gerhard Ludwig Müller and Raffaello Martinelli.
Interesting that the Committee running the Year is under this Congregation.
After the Council the Church – under the sure guidance of the Magisterium and in continuity with the whole Tradition – set about ensuring the reception and application of the teaching of the Council in all its richness.
Stress on being in continuity with the WHOLE Tradition.
From the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Benedict XVI has worked decisively for a correct understanding of the Council, rejecting as erroneous the so-called "hermeneutic of discontinuity and rupture" and promoting what he himself has termed "the 'hermeneutic of reform', of renewal in continuity".
Implying that there has been an INCORRECT understanding of the Council in some quarters.
The Year of Faith will be a propitious occasion to make Vatican Council II and the Catechism of the Catholic Church more widely and deeply known.
Implying that there has been something lacking in the depth and width of knowledge about the Council and the catechism.
On the level of Episcopal Conferences, attention will be given to the quality of catechesis, and efforts will be made to examine local catechisms and various catechetical supplements in use in the particular Churches … to ensure their complete conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Presuming that some local catechisms and catechetical materials NEED re-examining and that some are NOT in conformity with with the catechism. Perhaps we can all think of one or two nominations!
At the diocesan level, the Year of Faith is considered, among other things... as a favourable time for «penitential celebrations … in which all can ask for God's forgiveness, especially for sins against faith».
Sins against THE FAITH! Not sins against one another, not sins against the world but sins against THE FAITH.
There is usually a lot packed into Vatican language - words are chosen carefully. This Communique doesn't sound like much until you read it carefully - and look at who is on the Committee.
Mass for the Epiphany
Adoration of the Magi by the Scottish painter John Duncan (1915)
"On the Twelfth day of Christmas my true love said to me...
... Please wait another two days!"
I am celebrating Missa Cantata of the Epiphany today at 7pm
- following the Traditional Calendar. The transferal of the Holy Days really does play havoc with the rhythm of the seasons and liturgical time and all for the sake of convenience.
I have noticed a theme running through my homilies this Christmas season - that of adoration and its outward expression though following the Scriptural injunction that "At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow". The Church instructs us to kneel during the Creed at Christmas at the words "Incarnatus est". On the Feast of Mary Mother of God, Mary is depicted in the crib scene kneeling before her infant child because he is the Word made flesh - true God and true man. Now for Epiphany the Magi "fall down and adore Him" (and in the Traditional Form of the Roman Rite all kneel at this point in the Gospel, in a beautiful physical expression that unites us with the Magi that first Christmas).
It seems such a pity that with so much encouragement from Scripture and Tradition that we don't naturally always fall to our knees when we are bold enough to come forward to receive the Lord of Life in Holy Communion.
I have, of course, posted about this before here but someone commenting on that post (the man responsible for the video presentation a post or two ago so I've added his blog to the side bar), added this further description:
According to Abba Apollo, a desert father who lived about 1,700 years ago, the devil has no knees; he cannot kneel; he cannot adore; he cannot pray; he can only look down his nose in contempt. Being unwilling to bend the knee at the name of Jesus is the essence of evil. (Cf. Is 45:23, Rom 14:11) But when we kneel at Jesus' name, when we bow down in service of others, and when we bend the knee in adoration, we are following in the footsteps of the Magi, we are imitating Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Saint Maximilian Kolbe, and all the saints and angels in heaven.
Incidentally, I came across another reminder of the Russian celebration of Epiphany which I think is kept on the 19th January and closely associated with the Lord's Baptism - hence their tradition of taking a plunge on the Epiphany. Not very convenient - perhaps they should move it to a warmer time of year. You can see more where these photos came from.
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Bishop of Lancaster on things Catholic in name only
Bishop Michael Campbell of Lancaster has issued a Pastoral Letter which has attracted some attention. It is principally about evangelisation and how the Church is to go about it in changing circumstances. He challenges his people to think about evangelising their lapsed family, friends and neighbours.
All of us know someone - a friend, family member, classmate, work colleague or neighbour - who used to be a practising Catholic, but isn't any more. For some who initially heard the incredible proclamation of Christ alive in the Church, the message has become stale. The promises of the Gospel seem empty or unconnected to their busy lives today. So, what is our response? Surely our love and concern for them means that they should be the primary object of our missionary or evangelising efforts, our energy and resources. The Church only exists to evangelise that means buildings, churches, parishes, schools and colleges are only valuable insofar as they help the Church in that mission of salvation!!
Evangelisation out in the world is surely one of the tasks that the Second Vatican Council reminded us was among the pre-eminent works that the laity are called to (as opposed to taking over the priest's sacramental jobs on the sanctuary!) The Bishop also questions the way our Catholic schools have, for the most part, developed:
Is it right or sustainable to expect our Mass-going population of 21,000 to support our schools and colleges in which often the majority of pupils, and sometimes teachers, are not practising Catholics? Is it time for us to admit that we can no longer maintain schools that are Catholic in name only?
"Schools that are Catholic in name only." Finally, a bishop who has had the courage to say it. What is the point of us maintaining schools that have the name "Catholic" on the sign outside (or more likely the reduced epithet "R.C.") while inside few of the teachers are Catholic and ninety per cent plus of the children and their families do not practice the Faith in any meaningful way. This situation could be seen as an opportunity to evangelise and call these lapsed children and their families back to the Faith but anyone who attempts to use our school system for this purpose immediately has the rug pulled out from under their feet.
1. Catholic Schools have been forced or have bought into the prevailing secular culture and management of schools and so there is no time and no ability to push a truly Catholic agenda (we cannot decide to only employ practising Catholics as teachers, for example, and the health and safety implications of allowing children to cross the road to serve Mass are momentous, not to mention that it clashes with the numeracy or literacy hour).
2. Most diocesan education structures do not envisage this or they even work against it. I've been told in the past that it is simply not acceptable to ask children in school if they were at Mass with their families on Sunday. I've been told that the school has an equal opportunities policy and therefore I may not recruit altar servers and only ask for boys - even though this contravenes the teaching of the Church on this matter (I wonder how I can, therefore, talk about vocation to the Priesthood in school, as only boys could apply - or nuns for Religious Life, as only girls could apply!) All this apart from the actual religious education programes that are for the most part not fit for purpose.
Whatever has happened to our Catholic Schools in recent decades, the fact is they are no longer doing what they are meant to do - teach the Catholic Faith along with giving an all-round education. Watered down elements of the Christian faith may be taught in our schools but the fullness of the Catholic Faith is not lived in our schools. How could it be and why should it be by people who may not be Catholics at all? How could it be by teachers who are lapsed? A truly Catholic ethos must surely mean so much more than vaguely "helping others" by CAFOD events in Lent and joining in Red Nose Day.
To the rest of the world - and no doubt to Rome on ad limina visits - the paper fact of so many Catholic schools with so many children in them looks fantastic. The reality, as Bishop Campbell points out, is rather different. Perhaps the time has come to abandon the pretense and start again by spending the money we now spend on schools on far fewer schools for those who actually are Catholic who practise their Faith and on catechetical programmes in parishes for children. In a sense, going back to how many of our schools started - for example in my own parish here when nuns bought a large house and started classes in it back in the 1940's.
You can read further excellent comment at:
Protect the Pope
Confident Presentation of the Faith
I can't recall when I last - if ever - went to an English diocesan website and thought, "Wow, that's really good!" But if you go the the Diocese of Lancaster site the home page greets you with this video unashamedly announcing who and what the Catholic Faith is. Words and claims for the Church not seen in ages are boldly announced:
We are sacred
We are obedience
We are joy
We are tradition
We are Papists
We are universal
We are strong
We are courageous
We are defenders of the Faith
... to name but a few.
The accompanying music is full-on modern and upbeat. All the images are not afraid of showing Catholics acting and dressed as Catholics - nuns, priests, marked with the Lenten ashes, Pro-Life - all positive and highlighting the vigour, youth, tradition, beauty, grandeur and struggle of the Church.
This is the sort of publicity we should be focusing on, a confident, joyful message embracing ALL of the Church's Tradition. If only we could have more like this instead of the mediocre, insipid and lowest common denominator offerings usually served up. Who knows, perhaps this sort of presentation might actually attract people to the Faith.
Confidence in the Faith and it's message is something that I think has been lacking in recent times. After the turmoil induced in the years following the Second Vatican Council the great hopes the modernisers held out for did not materialise - quite the opposite. The secular media is always ready to bash the Church on premises that are occasionally real but usually false or exaggerated. Many Catholics hardly seem to know what we are for and so no wonder we have trouble telling others why they should join up - why it might be imperative that they join up. Bishops, priests and laity, certainly in the Western world, seem to have lost confidence in the power of the message and so the temptation has been t0 compromise it and fit in - in how we look, in how we think, in how we act, even in how we worship. It's only now with a new generation is more confident - not disappointed by the lack of "success" after the Second Vatican Council because they never experienced the let down feeling - only saw their elders rather tired and a bit lost for words - or at least words that meant anything. Confidence doesn't have to mean Triumphalism - it can just mean confidence that the Church really is guided by the Holy Spirit. It is now and it always has been - even before Vatican II and even (if not especially!) in the election of Pope Benedict!
Well done Lancaster Diocese!
Pope John Paul receiving Holy Communion from Cardi...


A material called plaCoronary angiography (an-jee-OG-ra-fee) is a test that uses dye and special x rays to show the inside of your coronary arteries. The coronary arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to your heart.que (plak) can build up on the inside walls of the coronary arteries, causing them to narrow. When this happens, it's called coronary heart disease (CHD) or coronary artery disease.
CHD can prevent enough blood from flowing to your heart and can lead to angina(an-JI-nuh or AN-juh-nuh) and heart attack. (Angina is chest pain or discomfort.) Coronary angiography shows whether you have CHD.
Most of the time, the coronary arteries can't be seen on an x ray. During coronary angiography, special dye is injected into the bloodstream to make the coronary arteries show up on an x ray.
A procedure called cardiac catheterization (KATH-e-ter-i-ZA-shun) is used to get the dye to your coronary arteries. A long, thin, flexible tube called a catheter is put into a blood vessel in your arm, groin (upper thigh), or neck.
The tube is then threaded into your coronary arteries, and the dye is injected into your bloodstream. Special x rays are taken while the dye is flowing through the coronary arteries.
Cardiologists (heart specialists) usually do cardiac catheterization in a hospital. You're awake during the procedure. It usually causes little to no pain, although you may feel some soreness in the blood vessel where your doctor put the catheter. Cardiac catheterization rarely causes serious complications.


I have recently had the opportunity to teach a topic of cognitive psychology that I was unfamiliar with as my own research has not directly investigated this phenomenon. I had been taught some details throughout my university education, but as the area was not part of my own research in memory, I had not been able to take the time to look at the area in more detail. As I eventually aimed support students with their own independent learning alongside my colleagues, I had to make sure that I had a good understanding of the area myself. I decided to embark upon the very long (but interesting) task of developing my own independent research and reading skills within the area that I would be discussing with students.
The chosen topic area for the class I was working in, was a phenomenon known as 'change blindness' and it is one area of psychology that is slightly under-researched, in particular in relation to more recent years. Change blindness refers to when people fail to detect relatively large changes in visual scenes. For example, it has been shown that people can miss large animals being present in some parts of visual scene, such as a gorilla, and it has also been shown that even changes of faces can be difficult to detect within scenes. Usually, change blindness does not solely occur due to one reason. It could be present due to brain injury in some cases, or even eye or visual problems, but it can also occur if people simply find it difficult to take in all of the information within a scene in one go.
While reading around the area, I found it quite interesting that there are many factors which can influence a person's ability to view and perceive a full visual scene, so that means everything in their own visual field that they are currently looking at. When people are trying to look at a face within a visual scene, this can have an advantage over a non-face or object, and people are more easily able to see when someone's face has changed in comparison to a change of something that is not related to a face. When an object is changed in a scene, however, the difference in a person's view is quite distinct and a person may find it really hard to figure out that the original object is no longer there. Within psychology, there are two types of experiments which can be used to look at change blindness and one of the main experiments is called a flicker paradigm. In this paradigm, people are shown a still visual scene which shows alternating images of the same scene, some with changes and some without. It is then up to a person to decide if there has been a change and a person's reaction time is often recorded so that we can see how long it has taken them to find if there has been a change or not.
Studies, which I have read, have clearly suggested that people can detect a change of a face quicker than an object as people are more often around faces in real life than individual objects such as appliances or clothes. One reason for faces having an advantage over objects is that faces have meanings to them and it has been suggested that people can process faces in a different way to objects. Meanings of faces can convey emotions such as anger or happiness – expressions which a person would associate with different types of visual scenes.
Let's take this example here: If you were looking at a scene of a group of children playing in a park on a hot summer day, with one child looking angry or unhappy in comparison to everyone else. A person looking at the scene would automatically recognise this and would start to think about why the child was unhappy. Did they have a bad day? Has someone spoken to them in an unpleasant way? If this angry child then changes to a happy child, this again would be easily recognised as the expression of that child's face would have a meaning in relation to the scene. The child could simply be involved with the happy games being played by the children or they could be enjoying the sunshine, hence the happy expression on their face. Often, it's not just the visual details of a scene that people take notice of as it can also be the semantic information. When I talk about semantic information, I simply mean the information that can provide meanings to the visual information seen by a person, such as knowing that a smiling face can mostly mean that a person is happy.
It's not just the visual details of a scene that people take notice of as it can also be the semantic information.
I also found out that the amount of detail, in the scene being viewed, can impact the amount of information a person can remember and it can also influence a person's ability to decide if something has changed. If a person is viewing a scene which contains many different people, objects and background details then this can cause a person to miss some of the details which could be important in the scene. If an item is placed in the background of a scene in comparison to the foreground then this again can cause a person to miss a change, as people tend to pay attention to the things that are closest to them. For those of you who would like to read more about the theory behind the amount of information in a scene, please look at The perceptual load theory from Professor Nilli Lavie who has conducted extensive research on reasons why people can only pay attention to certain things.
So, is there any way in which we can stop people from missing important details in a scene or not realising when something has changed? The simple answer is no. The only thing we can do, as researchers, is investigate why people can miss important details in a scene. There are many ways in which this can be done, but one direction of interest to me is to look at the brain areas which could be related to visual scenes. Areas in the brain can be related to movement and visual images, and asking people to take part in experiments which show them irrelevant details can provide an insight into how the brain reacts in complex and simple visual situations. This will hopefully help us to understand change blindness in more detail in future years to come.
Dr Laura Jenkins is a Teaching Associate at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. She completed her PhD in Psychology (working memory) at Northumbria University in Newcastle where her research started to develop. Laura's research interests include looking at whether visual working memory is purely visual in nature, implementing experimental and neurological methods in her research. In her PhD, Laura looked at whether working memory can link to intelligence in a developmental sample of children aged 7–13 years, and her future research will aim to look at this in relation to a sample of both young adults and older adults. Dr Jenkins sits on the editorial board of Psychreg Journal of Psychology.