Brutally Honest

Komen sez goodbye to Planned Parenthood

Big tip of the hat to the breast cancer awareness charity:

In what looks to be a break between two organizations dedicated to women's health, a national breast cancerawareness group said it would stop providing funds to Planned Parenthood centers for breast cancer examinations and other breast health services.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a leader in fundraising for breast cancer research and famous worldwide for its iconic pink ribbon, said Tuesday that it was halting all partnerships with Planned Parenthood affiliates because of recently adopted criteria that forbid it from funding any organization under government investigation.

In September, Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) launched an inquiry to determine whether Planned Parenthood uses public money to fund abortions. Planned Parenthood receives federal money but cannot use it to provide abortions.

Komen has a long history of providing funding to various Planned Parenthood affiliates for such services as manual breast exams and referrals for mammograms and biopsies to check suspicious lumps for cancer. Although that money is not used for abortions, the Komen Foundation may have yielded to demands from antiabortion groups to sever its ties to Planned Parenthood.

"We had the sense this was coming and that they were under pressure," said Sue Dunlap, chief executive of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles. "I find this really disappointing. I think when women's health is more of a political conversation than a conversation about healthcare and taking care of people, then we've gone too far."

Actually, going too far is couching an organization purposed in killing the unborn as one that takes care of people.  Death is on the docket for every abortion planned.  50% of patients involved in an abortion are killed.  100% of those under the age of infancy.

Taking care of people my arse.

Crossposted at Wizbang.

Seal Team rescues American hostage in Somalia

MSNBC:

In a daring nighttime raid Tuesday, U.S. Navy SEALs rescued two hostages, including one American, who were being held by kidnappers in Somalia, U.S. officials tell NBC News.

American Jessica Buchanan, 32, and a 60-year-old Dane, Poul Thisted, were working for a Danish relief organization in northern Somalia when they were kidnapped last October. U.S. officials described their kidnappers as heavily armed common criminals with no known ties to any organized militant group.

According to the U.S. officials, two teams of Navy SEALs landed by helicopter near the compound where the two hostages were being held.  As the SEALS approached the compound on foot gunfire broke out, the U.S. officials said, and several of the militants were reportedly killed. There is no word that any of the Americans were wounded.

The SEALs gathered up Buchanan and Thisted, loaded them onto the helicopters and flew them to safety at an undisclosed location. The two hostages were not injured during the rescue operation and are reported to be in relatively good condition.

The two had been working for the Danish Refugee Council on a demining project in northern Somalia. The humanitarian group has been providing relief to some 450,000 refugees in the Somalia-Kenya border region.

No word yet if Obama suffered any injuries in rushing to make sure the rescue becomes fodder for his re-election campaign.

Crossposted at Wizbang.

A happy update to my step-daughter's hospitalization last fall

By allyHM

Some of you may remember Mr. BH posting about my oldest step-daughter when she nearly died this past September. She is fully recovered now, and today, her 8-year-old son was honored by Fire Station 30 that responded when he called 911 for his mother.

Our local paper already has the story up:

When Stephen Flanner's mother suffered a severe asthma attack in September, the 7-year-old boy ran to his grandmother's home nearby, but not before he called 911.

His mother, Kristin Metcalf, spent the next four days on a respirator in a drug-induced coma and has since recovered. But the outcome, authorities say, would have been catastrophic if not for Stephen's actions.

"He called and actually told them what was going on. We knew what to expect when we got there," said Rob Smiley, one of the Marion County Fire Rescue paramedics who responded to the call in Summerfield.

Stephen, now 8, was recognized by firefighters Tuesday at a ceremony at Spruce Creek Station 30. That station, along with South Forest Station 6, responded to his 911 call.

We are very proud grandparents (and very thankful parents).

Focus on the Family's hit commercial

Capitalizing on the Tebow/John 3:16 focus from last week:

Outstanding!

When is bad news really good news?

When bad news is being reported by the fetus destroyers of Planned Parenthood:

Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America: “…unprecedented attacks on Planned Parenthood. Politicians escalating their anti-women rhetoric as they try to outdo each other in their attacks on Planned Parenthood and women’s health.”

Peter J. Durkin, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Gulf Coast: “2011 was one of the most discouraging years ever.”

Jeffrey Hons, president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood Trust of South Texas: “It doesn’t take much reflection on any of our parts to say we’ve never seen a year like this.”

Terrible isn't it that so many mothers in 2011 avoided that depicted in the following tell tale image.

Here's to 2012 being a worse year for the cult of death and their psychophantic enablers.  They should each be glad their mothers chose not to visit a Planned Parenthood clinic.

Oh Happy Day!

Let's all pray that this is true... Dear God, let it be so:

Alexandra Pelosi, daughter of House Minority Leader and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, told Big Government this week that her mother wants to leave Congress–and that she remains in Washington only at the behest of her campaign donors.

During a telephone interview, Ms. Pelosi–speaking from a friend’s home in New York City–described her mother’s predicament:

She would retire right now, if the donors she has didn’t want her to stay so badly. They know she wants to leave, though. They think she’s destined for the wilderness. She has very few days left. She’s 71, she wants to have a life, she’s done. It’s obligation, that’s all I’m saying.

The reference to her donors wanting her to stay so badly is intriguing given her status as a 1%-er:

According to the Center For Responsive Politics, our San Francisco reps have a total net worth of greater than $310 million. That includes Pelosi's whopping net worth of $196,299,990...

It brings up questions as to how she acquired her wealth but for another day... let's hope this is real... let's hope Nancy Pelosi's desire for a life is fulfilled... and let's hope she takes Harry Reid with her.

Post-haste.

"Awake, mankind! For your sake God has become man."

Fr. Longenecker is playing alarm clock by looking to St. Augustine:

Awake, mankind! For your sake God has become man. Awake, you who sleep, rise up from the dead, and Christ will enlighten you. I tell you again: for your sake, God became man. You would have suffered eternal death, had he not been born in time. Never would you have been freed from sinful flesh, had he not taken on himself the likeness of sinful flesh. You would have suffered everlasting unhappiness, had it not been for this mercy. You would never have returned to life, had he not shared your death. You would have been lost if he had not hastened to your aid. You would have perished, had he not come. Let us then joyfully celebrate the coming of our salvation and redemption. Let us celebrate the festive day on which he who is the great and eternal day came from the great and endless day of eternity into our own short day of time.

Awake Brutally Honest readers... and truly enjoy a most Merry Christmas.

Tebow - "The legend continues to grow"

John Peele of the Durango Herald says politics, economy? Forget all that, let's talk about Tim Tebow:

Talk about a conversation-starter. Say the name in a crowded room and prepare to be bombarded.

Do you love him for his family values or gutsy play? Do you hate him for his proselytizing or gaps in talent? Can you not get enough? Do you want him to go away?

He’s the talk of the state. The sensation of the nation. Turn on ESPN, open a sports magazine, and it’s not long before you get a dose of Tebow.

After another confounding victory Sunday, the legend continues to grow.

If you don’t know about him – you seriously don’t? – he’s the quarterback of the Denver Broncos – a mediocre football team in a very mediocre division in the National Football League.

He’s more polarizing than Sarah Palin, almost as big as the Beatles. By now, his face has launched a thousand quips, a million sportswriter analyses and a hundred websites. He’s also the inspiration for the cover of the most recent Sports Illustrated.

He’s won football games. He’s awakened a moribund football franchise. He’s created the worldwide sensation of Tebowing – kneeling in prayer, Tebow-like, elbow on knee, fist on forehead. Check out tebowing.com. No joke.

...

Hall of Famer John Elway, now the Broncos’ vice president of operations, last week refused to anoint Tebow as the team’s quarterback of the future. Elway sparked a firestorm with his comments, but he’s right: Tebow needs to learn to pass accurately, read defenses, etc.

But Elway is one to talk. Any fan of Mark Twain can tell you that “there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.” Still, check out this quick comparison of the two in their first nine NFL games.

Elway: 87 completions in 181 attempts (48 percent), 4 touchdown passes and 9 interceptions.

Tebow: 97 completions in 207 attempts (47 percent), 12 touchdown passes and 4 interceptions.

...

Is it a fad or is he here to stay? Most Broncos fans remain unconvinced, but each time the team pulls out an unlikely victory – such as Sunday’s 16-13 overtime win at San Diego – it gets harder not to believe.

So what the heck. Talking Tebow is more fun than talking about politics, wars, the economy.

Just smile, sports fans, and enjoy the ride – however long it lasts.

I'm definitely enjoying the ride and hoping it continues.

Crossposted at Wizbang.

Occupy Black Friday backlash

This can't be pleasing the Occupidiots:

Sales rose an estimated 6.6 percent to a record $11.4 billion on Black Friday, typically the busiest shopping day of the year for Americans, while the traffic at stores rose 5.1 percent, according to ShopperTrak.

The day's sales growth was the strongest percentage gain since 2007, when sales rose 8.3 percent on the day after Thanksgiving, said Ed Marcheselli, chief marketing officer at ShopperTrak, which monitors retail traffic.

You might recall seeing something like this earlier in the week:

CNBC’s Cadie Thompson reported Tuesday that some Occupy demonstrators planned to target retail stores today to protest against corrupt capitalist greed and companies that “are in the pockets of Wall Street”. According to Thompson, Occupy Black Friday protesters are encouraging everyday American consumers “to either occupy or boycott retailers that are publicly traded”.

The Occupy Black Friday movement even set up a website and a Facebook page to further its agenda. Occupy Black Friday’s website assures observers that the movement is “NOT anti-capitalist. Just anti-crapitalist”.

From the movement’s Facebook page:  “The idea is simple, hit the corporations that corrupt and control American politics where it hurts, their profits.” The movement’s Facebook page continues, “Black Friday is the one day where the mega-corporations blatantly dictate our actions, they say ‘shop’ and we shop! Pushing their ledgers from red to black.”

Chalk up yet another anti-crapitalist craptacular Occupy Failure.

An epic series

If you're Catholic and passionate about it, you'll love Father Robert Barron's series called Catholicism.

If you're Catholic and not passionate about it, the series may enflame your passions.

If you're Catholic and don't much care, then... well... why are you Catholic?  Seriously.

I've started watching the series on EWTN this week and am enthralled.  Father Barron is captivating and informative.  The scenery pictured is beautiful and in fact a Catholic travelogue.  The Cathedrals shown are breath-taking.  The diversity of the people presented telling.  The history compelling. 

If you're not Catholic, I think you'd enjoy it too.  You'll certainly learn a lot, not just about Catholicism but about Chrisitianity in general.  

And hey, it'd make a great Christmas gift (hint to my boys).

Watch it.  Learn from it.

Maybe even be changed by it.