Monthly Archives: February 2021

Bachelorette Lexie Brown, before the reality kicked in. Photo / TVNZ

OPINION:

No. No, it hasn't got any better, not by a hair, not even by a Planck length (the smallest possible size for anything in the universe, equivalent to around a millionth of a billionth of a billionth of a billionth of a cm across), but a good and indeed very gratifying development of the latest series of The Bachelorette is that it hasn't got any worse.

Episode three on Monday night had a lightness of being, as though it had thrown in the towel. It didn't pretend it had much life left in it. It didn't rage against the dying of the light. It was as though the show had signed up for last year's referendum result: euthanasia.

Or maybe it bucked the result of that other referendum and was stoned.

Either way, it made for very mellow viewing. Hottie Lexie, the show's trophy bride waiting at the altar for her favoured drongo, went to the zoo with one of the drongos. I cannot remember his name. It may have been Jack, Jock, Spock or Sprongo.

They looked at some giraffes. The giraffes were very tall. There were trees in the background. The day was overcast. A zookeeper said a few words. Lexie and Jack/Jock giggled, dragged their feet, yawned.

There was something woozy about their date. At one point I thought the giraffes were going to say a few words, too, but it was possible to detect a harsh reality at the margins. That is: Spock/Sprongo doesn't stand a chance.

Their date was in the friend zone. It got nowhere near the erotic zone. It wasn't physical, it wasn't chemical, it just didn't look right. And actually, this crucial absence is beginning to look evident in a number of Lexie's eligible drongos.

There's that guy who got plastered in a previous episode on a glass and a half of red. He doesn't look right next to Lexie; she looks like she wants to run away, politely. There's that American guy who comes across as aggressive, surly, competitive, and those vibes don't make him look right next to chilled-out Lexie; she looks like she wants to run for the hills, fast.

And then there's that guy with an apartment in Paris. "I don't know if I'm cool enough for him?", said Lexie, her rising inflection soaring to the height of a giraffe. He's not that cool. He wore a pair of dungarees. But he doesn't look right next to her, either. She looks like she wants to run, and reflect on why it is that cool is often synonymous with deeply boring.

7 Feb, 2021 03:45 AMQuick Read

But the guy with his hair in a bun looks right next to her. He was the one who said to her the second they met, "Hello, gorgeous". She chose him as her very first date. The whole series could easily have wrapped up then and there. Jock/Spock, Plastered Guy, American Psycho, Cool Boring Guy and most of the others just don't measure up to Bun Guy.

The Bachelorette could be heading for a quick exit euthanasia, swiftly.

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Steve Braunias: Why The Bachelorette has me thinking about euthanasia - New Zealand Herald

Taking advantage of the re-election of President Marcelo Rebelo for a second term as head of state, the Portuguese Parliament has just voted for the decriminalization of euthanasia in the country. A decision that comes as the health system is at the end of its rope due to the virulence of the COVID-19 epidemic, which has resulted in a record number of deaths since the start of 2021.

Do not speak of euthanasia but simply of a medically assisted anticipation of death, a soft way of designating the thing, voted on January 29, 2021 in a country at the head of which a fervent Catholic, in the person of Marcelo Rebelo, has just been re-elected.

The final version of the text, made public on January 26, and voted on three days later, provides that only national citizens legally residing in national territory, having made a free and informed decision, may have recourse to euthanasia. But in fact, it is much more a question of assisted suicide than euthanasia.

As the European Institute of Bioethics (IEB) notes, the new law does not require suffering to be caused by injury or disease, but only that it be concurrent with them. Likewise, it does not matter whether the patients suffering is able to be alleviated or not: suffering which is intolerable but which could be alleviated can thus pave the way for euthanasia.

Everything is based, in short, on a subjective assessment of the patient which must be validated by the medical profession: the door opens to all abuses, since the text even provides that psychological suffering is one of the causes of assisted suicide.

But thats not all: the existence of a terminal illness is not required for the law to apply, euthanasia being allowed for people with permanent injuries of extreme severity. Thus, a severely disabled person, physically or mentally, is eligible for euthanasia.

The law still provides for possible sanctions for health centers that fail to apply the new euthanasia provisions, even though conscientious objection is still recognized for health workers. This could pose formidable problems for Catholic clinics and hospitals.

After its adoption, the law will be sent to the Head of State, who will be responsible for promulgating it, and Portugal will then become the fourth country of the European Union (EU) to provide a legal framework for the physical elimination of the most vulnerable, after Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.

President Robelo does, however, have the option of vetoing the text, or sending it to the Constitutional Court for prior review. But the head of states veto could be overturned by a second MP vote.

The Portuguese Episcopal Conference (CEP) expressed sadness and indignation at the adoption of this law which violates the principle of the inviolability of human life enshrined in our fundamental law.

The CEP has appealed to protect life, especially when it is the most fragile, with all the means and in particular with access to palliative care, which the majority of the Portuguese population does not yet have.

As the IEB specifies, 70% of Portuguese patients likely to benefit from palliative care do not have access to it due to a lack of sufficiently trained staff. As it is well known that access to appropriate care provides relief to patients, who then no longer wish to be euthanized.

Read this article:

Portugal: Parliament Gives the Green Light to Assisted Suicide - FSSPX.News

Figures dont lie and liars dont figure.

That old expression is important when we quantify the accomplishments over the years at the Aiken County Animal Shelter. This success story is a result of the continuous dedication of the shelter staff, FOTAS cherished volunteers, our county government and a change in attitude throughout Aiken County.

FOTAS was formed in 2009 when the intake and euthanasia rates at the shelter were, putting it mildly, horrible. In 2014, because of the tremendous private/public relationship in the county, the much-needed new shelter was built.

Lets take a look at some comparisons between 2013 (the year before the new shelter) and 2020:

As you can see, too many animals still end up at the shelter as strays or surrenders, but the trend is (finally!) downward. Three specific reasons account for this downward trend.

1. TNR/RTF (Trap, Neuter, Return/Return-To-Field). Homeless, outdoor, community cats are trapped and brought to the shelter by a citizen. The cats are fixed at the shelter through the sponsorship of FOTAS and the county and then returned to their natural habitat. Spaying or neutering just one male and one female cat can prevent more than 2,000 unwanted births in just four years. The county began its TNR/RTF program in 2016. In 2020, 1,410 cats participated in this program.

2. Home-to-Home. FOTAS began its Home-to-Home program in 2019, where animal owners who can no longer keep their pet can go to the FOTAS website and promote their pet for rehoming free of charge. This program allows the pet to be adopted directly from the original owner to the new one, eliminating the trauma and stress (both owner and pet) of having to surrender a beloved friend to a public shelter.

3. Spay/neuter. More pet owners are fixing their pets. The county and FOTAS make it easier for citizens with financial need to fix their pets through their spay/neuter voucher and Fido-Fix-A-Pet programs.

While the number of animals adopted, transferred to no-kill partner shelters and returned to their owners has steadily increased, the changes in the number of animals saved or euthanized tells the most important story:

In 2020, the number of animals saved increased by 2,481, an increase of 148.56%.

In 2020, the number of animals euthanized decreased by 3,483, a decrease of 96.03%. Only 144 animals were euthanized in 2020 because they were too sick to treat or too dangerous/aggressive.

These two statistics speak for volumes about the dedicated support of the volunteers, fosters, donors, adopters and shelter staff as well as County Councils commitment to the betterment of the county shelter and the animals in need in our community. All the lifesaving programs, all the cooperation and all the love is working. On behalf of the homeless animals of Aiken County, THANK YOU!

Their lives are in our hands.

Visit link:

FOTAS: The real story behind the numbers | Features | postandcourier.com - Charleston Post Courier

He's expected to make the case about why the exotic animals housed at the facility belong to him personally.

INDIANAPOLIS Nearly one year to the day after WHAS11 first exposed allegations of neglect and abuse at Wildlife in Need in Southern Indiana, the non-profit's founder will face a judge for the final hearing in the state's case against him Monday morning.

The hearing will start at 9 a.m. in Indianapolis, where Tim Stark is expected to make a case about why the exotic animals previously part of Wildlife in Need belong to him personally and not the non-profit. The state is expected to argue that all animals and property were part of the non-profit which has officially been dissolved.

A Look Back At the Case

WHAS11 aired the two part investigation into allegations of neglect and abuse at Wildlife in Need in February of 2020, after interview seven former staff members. Their claims were backed by more than 500 pages of state and federal records.

"He's been operating since 1999- this has always been something that's been swept under the rug", former volunteer Jordan Jones told WHAS11 in January of 2020.

The former employees described dirty cages, injured animals that didn't get vet attention and a lack of food and water. The documents highlighted unethical euthanasia, missing or fabricated records and too few staff for too many animals, among other serious allegations. The failed inspection reports dated back nearly ten years.

When WHAS11 took the allegations to Tim Stark, he didn't deny them but blamed his staff.

Stark said, "Kind of funny how they'll sit there and say well look at this it wasn't clean, well look at that it wasn't done. Well- who's freaking job was it? It was theirs."

Then WHAS11 took the allegations the USDA and on the same day the investigation aired, the federal agency revoked Stark's exhibitor's license. Several days later, the Indiana Attorney General filed a lawsuit against him accusing him of embezzling non-profit money and aiming to shut him down for good.

Director and Chief Counsel of the Consumer Protection Division Betsy DeNardi said, "We include allegations that animals were neglected to show that the corporation, the non-profit is not fulfilling its mission."

The next month, March, an inspection at the Charlestown property proved animal experts' fears were validated and several months later the court approved a motion to move all of the animals to other sanctuaries for the remainder of the case... despite major push back from Stark.

"I'm losing my life right now. Everything I've worked for," Stark said, as animals were removed from the property in September.

More than 200 animals were ultimately removed during an operation that involved swat, police, and court officials.

But a final count showed not all animals were accounted for. Some were missing from the property. The judge asked Stark to turn them over or face contempt of court but that didn't happen. When deadlines were missed the judge issued a warrant for Stark's arrest and in September Stark fled the state.

"It's been a very unusual road and you're dealing with a character. A character who doesn't believe he needs to subject himself to the authority of the court and has indicated that numerous times", Scott Barnhart with the Attorney General's Office said.

Stark was eventually arrested in New York State in October and extradited back to Indiana. He faced jail time and apologized to the judge for his behavior, blaming bad medication.

Former Wildlife in Need volunteer said, "I think when he got into it he may have had good intentions but he let greed get the better of him and I think that's why we're here today- that's really why we're in Indianapolis and why he's in cuffs and why he's behind bars."

Wildlife in Need is officially dissolved on paper, meaning the non-profit cannot show animals to the public, host events or collect donations. But what happens to the animals? Who do they belong to? Those questions set to be answered in the courtroom starting Monday morning.

Follow this link:

Wildlife in Need's Tim Stark expected to make plea to keep animals during final court hearing Monday - WHAS11.com

Harmony Animals Matchmaker and Sanctuary, a non-profit shelter at 2527 W. Pinyon Ave., is opening a pop up thrift store for fundraising.

The shelter takes in small animals, mainly dogs, from higher capacity shelters and those on euthanasia lists. Founded in 2018, Harmony Animals is operating out of Director Danielle Dyers dog daycare and groomer Barks Play and Stay.

Dyer wants to move to a larger operating space, so the nonprofit has been lent a spot at an old food bank at 562 W. Crete Circle No. 102 for the thrift store. Harmony Animals needs to raise $250,000 by June 1 to facilitate the move. Theyve raised $7,000 so far, Dyer said.

You can get T-shirts, facemasks, and just about anything you need, she said. Were taking all kinds of donations, which are tax deductible. Were also looking for volunteers.

The thrift store is open Wednesday-Saturday from 11 a.m. 7 p.m. but donations are accepted all week, Dyer said. For more information, you can call Harmony Animals at 970-783-1919 or email the shelter at info@harmonyanimals.com

n The employment agency Express Employment Professionals has announced the promotion of Sara Ogdon to operations manager of its Grand Junction office at 725 Pitkin Ave.

Her new role will include setting goals and prioritizing activities for the office, according to a news release.

Ogdon is a very dedicated individual with commitment to job seekers and employers in the grand valley, Owner Nina Anderson said in the news release. She is committed to continuing the great customer service the community has come to expect from Express Employment.

For more information on Express and its services, you can call 970-242-4500 or visit its website expresspros.com/grandjunctionco.

n The law firm Ireland Stapleton is welcoming Sarah Abbott to its Grand Junction office, at 200 Grand Ave. Suite 202.

Abbott previously worked as an attorney in Denver and Montrose, according to her LinkedIn account. She has a variety of specialties, including drafting and negotiating commercial contracts, advising on employment matters, intellectual property and real estate, among others.

Were proud to have Sarah on the Ireland Stapleton team, Jeff Hurd, Director in the Grand Junction office, said in a news release. She combines in-depth knowledge of Western Slope business matters with extensive experience in corporate, real estate, and regulatory matters.

Abbot can be called at 970-822-1306 or emailed at sabbott@irelandstapleton.com.

n Grand Junction Volkswagen, at 653 Market St., has been recognized for its customer service.

It received a 2021 Consumer Satisfaction Award from the website DealerRater. The award is given to the top 10% of dealerships with the most positive reviews on the website, according to a news release.

Customer service is our top priority everyday. 2020 definitely created some unique challenges, Grand Junction Volkswagen Owner Ron Bubar said in a news release. We had to re-create our customer service experience by keeping our distance, while still delivering essential high quality auto service to our customers.

Grand Junction Volkswagen can be reached via phone at 970-255-6677 or you can visit its website grandjunctionvolkswagen.com.

Do you know about an area business opening, closing, moving or changing? Email bizbuzz@gjsentinel.com.

Read more:

Bizz Buzz Feb. 7, 2021 | Business | gjsentinel.com - The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel

Sorrow, outrage

After the Portuguese parliament legalised euthanasia the countrys bishops expressed sorrow and outrage: To legalise death in this context [of the pandemic], rejecting lessons this pandemic has given to us on the precious value of human life, which the community in general and health professionals in particular are trying to save with extraordinary efforts, is a contradiction.

The bishops stressed that the legalisation of euthanasia means giving up on alleviating suffering and giving the wrong idea that a life marred by pain, and suffering does not deserve more protection and becomes a burden on oneself, on other people, on health services and on society as a whole.

Now more than ever, we are determined to accompany the sick with care and love in all the phases of their earthly life and especially in the final one.

In his Angelus last Sunday, the pope said: Carry a copy of the Bible in your pocket or in your bag, in order to read it during the day, to listen to that authoritative word of Jesus. And then we all have our problems, we all have our sins, we all have spiritual malaises ask Jesus: Jesus, you are the prophet, the Son of God, he who was promised to us to heal us. Heal me! Ask Jesus for healing, from our sins, from our ills.

Speaking to Italian catechists, Pope Francis said: In this year marked by the isolation and sense of loneliness caused by the pandemic, we have often reflected on the sense of belonging that underlies a community. It has undermined established practices and habits and thus provokes us to rethink our community. We have realised, in fact, that we cannot get by alone, and that the only way to come out of crises better is to come out of them together no one is saved alone, we come out of it together re-embracing with more conviction the community in which we live.

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)

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Quotes and news - February 7, 2021 - Times of Malta