Wednesday, November 02, 2005
The Ombudsmen's Annual Report has lashed the Government for its suppression of official information, with the Dominion Post labelling it as subverting democracy. The report says: "We feel that holders of official information need to be reminded that by denying citizens access to information they are in fact denying those same citizens their right to participate in democratic processes."
Further to the item about some of the oddball "spokesmanships" the various political parties have come up with, Lyndon Hood has some ideas for other creative ministerial posts.
Catholic bishops say that while the Church is suffering from a worldwide shortage of priests, allowing marriage is not the answer. Instead, the 250 prelates meeting in the Vatican, reaffirmed the principle of celibacy within the clergy. They also called on lawmakers to protect marriage and the family, and outlaw abortion and euthanasia. Their three-week gathering or synod, which closed with 50 proposals, was the first since Pope Benedict's election.
Nearly a year after local Muslims first asked that an Islamic holiday be recognized by the school district - just like Yom Kippur for Jews and Good Friday for Christians - Hillsborough School (Florida) board members have voted to end vacation days for all religious holidays. The board approved a 2006-07 calendar that substitutes three secular vacation days for three Christian and Jewish holidays.
Religious belief may not only be good for our spiritual health, it may also bring positive effects for the body. "With certain regularity, studies appear on the scene indicating that prayer or regular participation in religious services can assist believers' health. Not everyone agrees with such studies. Some researchers point to methodological failures in various studies that purport to show a correlation between religion and health benefits. Even the studies themselves warn that it is hard to pinpoint the precise relationship between the two. Still, the number of reports showing positive effects is substantial.
The queen of occult writing has been gone awhile. What's Anne Rice been up to? Getting healthy, finding God — and writing her most daring book yet, a life of the young Jesus.
Ray Kurzweil the developing integration of human and computer will create a "Human 2.0". "We are making exponential progress in every type of information technology. Moreover, virtually all technologies are becoming information technologies. We can reliably predict that in the not too distant future we will reach what is known as "The Singularity". This is a time when the pace of technological change will be so rapid and its impact so deep that human life will be irreversibly transformed. We will be able to reprogram our biology, and ultimately transcend it. The result will be an intimate merger between ourselves and the technology we create."
Further to the item about some of the oddball "spokesmanships" the various political parties have come up with, Lyndon Hood has some ideas for other creative ministerial posts.
Catholic bishops say that while the Church is suffering from a worldwide shortage of priests, allowing marriage is not the answer. Instead, the 250 prelates meeting in the Vatican, reaffirmed the principle of celibacy within the clergy. They also called on lawmakers to protect marriage and the family, and outlaw abortion and euthanasia. Their three-week gathering or synod, which closed with 50 proposals, was the first since Pope Benedict's election.
Nearly a year after local Muslims first asked that an Islamic holiday be recognized by the school district - just like Yom Kippur for Jews and Good Friday for Christians - Hillsborough School (Florida) board members have voted to end vacation days for all religious holidays. The board approved a 2006-07 calendar that substitutes three secular vacation days for three Christian and Jewish holidays.
Religious belief may not only be good for our spiritual health, it may also bring positive effects for the body. "With certain regularity, studies appear on the scene indicating that prayer or regular participation in religious services can assist believers' health. Not everyone agrees with such studies. Some researchers point to methodological failures in various studies that purport to show a correlation between religion and health benefits. Even the studies themselves warn that it is hard to pinpoint the precise relationship between the two. Still, the number of reports showing positive effects is substantial.
The queen of occult writing has been gone awhile. What's Anne Rice been up to? Getting healthy, finding God — and writing her most daring book yet, a life of the young Jesus.
Ray Kurzweil the developing integration of human and computer will create a "Human 2.0". "We are making exponential progress in every type of information technology. Moreover, virtually all technologies are becoming information technologies. We can reliably predict that in the not too distant future we will reach what is known as "The Singularity". This is a time when the pace of technological change will be so rapid and its impact so deep that human life will be irreversibly transformed. We will be able to reprogram our biology, and ultimately transcend it. The result will be an intimate merger between ourselves and the technology we create."
