Ireland: Environment Minister Phil Hogan restricts political donations and seeks 30% women candidates in general elections

The Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government Phil Hogan TD has announced further electoral reforms as part of the most significant political reform package announced in decades. The decisions taken by Government will restrict corporate donations significantly and cut political party funding by half unless 30% of general election candidates are women.


Speaking following Cabinet approval on the Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011, Minister Hogan said; ‘In line with the Government’s commitment to significantly reform political funding in Ireland, this bill will implement commitments from the Programme for Government and recommendations made in the Moriarty Tribunal Report.


“Following 14 years of a complete absence of reform, this Government will implement a number of further initiatives, making this political reform package the most significant introduced in decades. The bill aims to increase transparency among all donations to ensure there is no question of unhealthy relationships. All political donations will now be done in an open and transparent manner.

“To increase the participation of women in politics, Parties will see their state funding halved if they do not meet the new requirements to have at least 30% women and 30% men candidates at the next Dáil general election. This will rise to 40% after seven years. This initiative is a groundbreaking political opportunity to incentivise a shift towards gender balance in Irish politics. Women make up 50% of our population and they are significantly underrepresented in our political institutions. This will have a positive impact on women’s participation in local elections also.”

The Bill will significantly reduce the maximum amount that can be accepted as a political donation. The thresholds for the declaration of donations are also being reduced. Among the measures being introduced are:

1.A reduction in the limits on political donations that may be accepted: from €6,348.69 to €2,500 by a political party and €2,539.48 to €1,000 by an individual

2.A reduction in the thresholds at which donations must be declared to SIPO from €5,078.95 to €1,500 by a political party; and from €634.87 to €600 for an individual

3.A ban on the acceptance of donations by political parties over €200 from all sources unless the body has been registered with the Standards in Public Office Commission.

4.A requirement that to qualify for full State funding under section 17 of the Electoral Act 1997 a qualifying political party will have to have at least 30% women candidates and at least 30% men candidates at the next general election. This will rise to 40% after seven years.

Other initiatives already announced as part of the Governments overall reform package, the most significant in decades are:

1.Changing the terms of reference of the Constituency Commission which will result in a reduction in the number of TDs

2.The reduction of the presidential election spending limit

3.The introduction of a six month time limit to hold bye-elections

4.The removal of the automatic entitlement of Ministerial cars and drivers

5.Cutting the pay of the Taoiseach, Ministers and Ministers of State

6.The removal of severance pay for Ministers

7.The Government will establish a Constitutional Convention to consider a comprehensive constitutional reform and will hold a referendum on the abolition of the Seanad.

Medjugorje Visionary Marija Pavlovic in Val di Sole in the the Alps-May 20, 2011

Apparition of the Virgin in Ossana in the midst of woods and fields near the Natural Park Adamello Brenta.

Irish Tourism-Trips to Ireland increase by 8.6% in Quarter 1 2011 according to CSO

In the first quarter of 2011, the total number of overseas trips to Ireland increased by 8.6% to 1,177,600, an overall increase of 92,800, compared to the same period twelve months earlier. Visitors from North America increased by 11.9% to 153,600 while trips from residents of Other Europe and Great Britain were up by 8.9% to 399,000 and 7.2% to 564,300 respectively. Trips by residents from Other Areas rose by 12.0%.
(Source:CSO)

Girl Scouts USA, Planned Parenthood and Abortion

Sydney and Tess Volanski are two amazing young girls who are standing up for the truth--even though it may be unpopular. These teen girls just launched the website Speak Now: Girl Scouts to document Girl Scouts USA's not-so-secret support of Planned Parenthood and abortion. Sydney and Tess were Girl Scouts for 8 years before they discovered this shocking information---but as soon as they did, they refused to continue to support the organization, left their troop, and are telling the nation the truth about Girl Scouts.(Source: Live Action)

Read more about Speak Now Girl Scouts here.

Iceland’s Grimsvotn volcano: Live Satellite Image

Click here to see live video of volcanic eruption as viewed from outer space

Iceland’s Grimsvotn Volcano

On May 21, 2011, Iceland’s Grimsvotn Volcano erupted, sending an ash plume 12 miles (20 kilometers) high and closing Keflavik Airport, Iceland’s largest. Ash fell on much of Iceland, with some areas pitch black at midday on the 22nd. This eruption is not expected to disrupt air travel as much as taht of Eyjafjallajokull in 2010 because the Grimsvotn ash particles are larger and settling out of the atmosphere more quickly.

This natural-color satellite image, acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Terra satellite, shows the towering ash plume at 1:00 p.m. local time. Beneath the ash plume, clouds cover much of the scene. Lingering snow is visible beneath the clouds to the northeast (upper left). Brown ash covers a portion of the Vatnajokull Glacier near the Atlantic coast (lower right).

Grimsvotn is Iceland’s most active volcano, but it hasn’t erupted so forcefully since 1902. The lava is basaltic, which typically erupts in non-explosive, Hawaiian-style eruptions. Grimsvotn is located beneath a glacier, however, and the interaction of melting ice with the lava can create an explosive eruption, at least in the initial stages.(NASA)
Image Credit: NASA, GSFC, MODIS Rapid Response Team

Fatima: The Sun Danced In The Sky Again-Friday May 13, 2011.

Fatima: The sun started to dance in the sky as if celebration of  Beatification of John Paul II.

A Portuguese friend went to Fatima for the great celebrations of May 13, the anniversary of the 1st appearance of Mary in 1917. But this year, Fatima also celebrated the Beatification of John Paul II. Giant screens were used to transmit the images of the Beatification, and 20,000 pilgrims were gathered close to the basilica. Our friend told us that at about 1:30PM, when the images of John Paul II appeared on the screens, a very broad luminous circle formed suddenly around the sun, it was like an arc in the sky which projected rays of all colors. The sun started to dance in the sky as if joining the celebration. The media of Portugal broadcasted this same information.


As we know, John Paul II was very linked to Fatima! Following the attempted assassination of May 13, 1981, he always attributed his protection to Our Lady of Fatima. “A hand shot, he said, a maternal hand guided the bullet's path”. Did the pope of Totus Tuus (totally yours Mary) want to give us a sign? Already, on October 13, 1917, at the time of 6th and last appearance of Mary in Fatima, 70,000 people saw the sun dance! Interesting, isn't?

(Source: Children of Medjugorje, May 2011 Newsletter ©

English Band Yes: Wonderous Stories (Original Sound)

Ireland-Obituary of Former Fine Gael Taoiseach Dr Garret FitzGerald

This RTE video gives a flavour of the real Garret Fitzgerald. He was a politician of the highest integrity. I did not agree with his support for divorce, which is inimical to marriage. His greatest achievement was undoubtedly the Anglo Irish Agreement. Garret and British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher signed the agreement on 15 November 1985 at Hillsborough Castle. The revolutionary agreement established the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference which was made up of officials from the British and Irish governments.
It was a form of joint rule which triggered massive Unionist opposition. However it achieved its aims. It essentially depowered the Unionists who could not pull down the new structure. The Unionists could only replace the Agreement if they were to offer a meaningful role to the Catholic minority in Northern Ireland. Gradually Unionist leaders such as David Trimble and later Ian Paisley began to accept the view that the best way to get rid of the Anglo Irish Agreement was to offer a fair deal to Northern Nationalists. So it achieved its objective of helping to break the logjam. This paved the way for the succeeding Peace Process. Garret had a great understanding of the Northern Unionist mentality as his mother was a Northern Protestant. Throughout his life (even when it was not popular) Garret built bridges with Northern Unionists. He realised that it was necessary to unify people. (RIP)

Ave Maria of Fatima

John Paul II and the statue of plaster from Medjugorje that cried blood

Pope John Paul II venerated this image of the Virgin of Civitavecchia. It's a statue of plaster from Medjugorje that supposedly cried tears of blood in 14 different cases.

This is according to the book titled "La Madonnina de Civitavecchia. The true story of a painful drama of love." It was written by Monsignor Girolamo Grillo.

He says the pope's personal secretary, Stanislaw Dziwisz, asked him to take the statue to the Vatican. It was June 9, 1995, three months after the bishop saw the weeping statue with his own eyes.

What God Means to Me! Article By Aoife Beglin in Alive

Like so many before me who have written for this column, I am privileged to have been raised in a loving, practising Catholic family and since childhood I was blessed with a profound love of my faith.


My parents were instrumental in this grounding of faith: we prayed the Rosary together every evening, attended Mass every Sunday and as a family said the Divine Mercy chaplet in the car on the way to school.

I served at Mass, sang in the choir and all the while I felt a genuine pleasure in helping my friend, God. Although we attended novenas and visited Knock shrine when we were younger, it was in 2005, aged 15, that I first saw other young people’s faith, on a visit to Medjugorie with my grandparents.

This was my first real exposure to other young Catholics being witnesses to the Church.

The peace I felt there was indescribable and I carried it home with me, especially when I attended Adoration. After this kind of religious experience I longed for more.

Not long after that I visited Fatima with my family where I again observed young people who, in their worship, radiated vibrancy and energy and it was exhilarating to be a part of this. In 2009 I attended my first Youth Forum in Paray-le-Monial, the birthplace of devotion to the Sacred Heart. I returned again last summer. Paray is a very special place. I know that the Lord guided me there for a reason and many wonderful things have developed from my time there.

My continuing involvement in Catholic youth movements such as Pure In Heart and the Emmanuel Community has deepened my relationship with God the Father. My love for Mass and Adoration has continued to grow and in Adoration I feel the great love of Jesus fill my soul and am often overwhelmed by his presence.

I have come to realise the tremendous courage and wisdom that can be attained by truly listening to the Holy Spirit’s guidance and what he is telling me. Currently, I am studying science in Trinity College, Dublin. It was during my first year there that I began to have difficulties for the first time in my schooling career.

While I love my course, the scientific community is very atheistic and the exclusion of God makes the collegiate arena a little less meaningful to me. However, the Catholic chaplains have been a great support. It is sad that a prevailing culture of secularism exists in college where religion can be seen as a destructive force and is denigrated.

I cannot understand how so many of my contemporaries go through life without the support and love of Jesus. It saddens me that many of them are so lost and turn away from the only source of true happiness.

I hope that I will continue to be able to share my faith with other young people in the future, as it is not something that I can keep to myself! Walking a Christian path presents many challenges, but only this path brings the freedom, peace and joy which our superficial world of image, gain and self-indulgent pleasure cannot give.

Growing up, my mother always used to say to us: “Give freely to God because whatever you do for him, he will return a thousand-fold”. I know this is true. Nothing in this world is more fulfilling or rewarding than spending time with my friend Jesus – he takes care of me in a way that no other person could ever do.

So far in my life I have encountered no major faith challenges, and the moral guidance and truth which the Church teaches provide me with a stable framework for my life.

No words can adequately express the importance of God to me. My life would mean nothing without my faith, it is an intrinsic part of me. It shapes all my decisions and it cannot be separated from who I am.

I am so grateful to our Lord for the many blessings he has bestowed on me and no matter what the future holds, I know that God will always be there with me.

Aoife Beglin, 20, is studying science in Trinity College. (Source Alive)

Ave Maris Stella (Hail Star of the Sea)

Ave Maris Stella (Hail Star of the Sea)-Sung by the Daughters of Mary

Baby Kelsey is Born Without a Heartbeat - But Then a Miracle Happened

Kelsey was born with no heartbeat and pronounced basically dead. But 20 minutes later, she was revived and the rest is a miracle. The video shows the events from birth through miracle. Praise God.

Video: Finding Fatima Official Trailer

This DVD contains the following language tracks: English with English or Spanish subtitles
Produced by the award-winning filmmakers of the highly acclaimed feature film The 13th Day, this is a powerful and in-depth new documentary that combines archival footage, dramatic reenactments, original interviews with Fatima experts and stunning visuals to tell the whole story of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima. With high production values and a beautiful look, artists and filmmakers Ian and Dominic Higgins present a compelling docu-drama on all the crucial details about the appearances and messages of Our Lady in Fatima in 1917, a message of prayer, penance and conversion that is desperately needed in our modern world. From the initial apparitions of the Angel who prepared the children for Our Lady's coming, to the Miracle of the Sun, including moving film footage from The 13th Day, this illuminating and inspiring film will impact all those who see it to personally take heed of the critical messages of Our Lady of Fatima. Available from Amazon

Hell Burns Blog has an excellent review of the film

Canon Sydney MacEwan: Bring Flowers of the Rarest - Queen of the May

This beautiful Catholic hymn is a hymn to Mary the mother of Jesus with a beautiful touch of Spring. It is often sung during the month of May, which is dedicated to her: "Queen of the May".
Canon Sydney MacEwan(19 October 1908 – 25 September 1991) was a Scottish tenor and singer of traditional Scottish and Irish songs.His mother was Irish, from near Portadown
in Co. Armagh

Bring flowers of the rarest,
Bring blossoms the fairest,
From garden and woodland and hillside and dale;
Our full hearts are swelling,
Our glad voices telling
The praise of the loveliest flower of the vale.
O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,
O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,

Their lady they name thee,
Their mistress proclaim thee,
Oh, grant that thy children on earth be as true
As long as the bowers
Are radiant with flowers
As long as the azure shall keep its bright hue.
O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,
O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,
Sing gaily in chorus,
The bright angels o'er us
Re-echo the strains we begin upon earth;
Their harps are repeating
The notes of our greeting,
For Mary herself is the cause of our mirth.

Another version:
Bring flowers of the fairest,
Bring flowers of the rarest,
From garden and woodland
And hillside and dale;
Our full hearts are swelling,
Our Glad voices telling
The praise of the loveliest flower of the vale.
O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,
O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,

Our voices ascending,
In harmony blending,
Oh, thus may our hearts turn
Dear Mother, to thee;
Oh, thus shall we prove thee
How truly we love thee,
How dark without Mary
Life's journey would be.
O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,
O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,

O Virgin most tender,
Our homage we render,
Thy love and protection,
Sweet Mother, to win.
In danger defend us,
In sorrow befriend us,
And shield our hearts
From contagion and sin.
O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,
O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,

Of Mothers the dearest,
Oh, wilt thou be nearest,
When life with temptation
Is darkly replete?
Forsake us, O never!
Our hearts be they ever
As Pure as the lilies
We lay at thy feet.
O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,
O Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May,.

Ireland: Government Jobs initiative -Sinn Fein’s Pearse Doherty in more Shinner Spin (May 10, 2011)

The following are the main points of the governments job initiative:

• 0.6% levy on private pension funds: Intended to raise €470m a year for each of the next four years.
• Air travel tax will be reduced to zero: This measure is taken provided airlines open new routes and boost passenger numbers.This measure will be reviewed at the end of 2012.
Cuts in the lower rate of VAT: Rate to be reduced from 13.5% to 9% on a range of tourism-related goods and services. Mr Noonan said the tourism sector can make a substantial contribution to our economic recovery. This measure will be reviewed at the end of 2012.
• Cuts in lower rate of PRSI: Halving of employers' PRSI for low-paid workers below €356 a week will affect 600,000 workers.
• Reversal in the cut in the minimum wage: The minimum wage will be restored to €8.65 per hour from 1 July, 2011.
• Extra for school-building/improvement programmes and transport networks: There will be €30m made available for school works this summer. There will also be an additional €60m made available for regional roads.
• New SME loan scheme: Mr Noonan announced the creation of a new loan scheme for small and medium-sized enterprises. Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton is to provide further details.
• More training and internship places: Mr Noonan announced the setting-up of an internship programme. He said those who take part will be paid €50 per week on top of their social-welfare
• Mr Noonan stated that the 12.5% Corporation Profits Tax will not be increased.

Sinn Fein's Pearse Doherty in more Shinner Spin

The government has never claimed that this small jobs initiative would solve the unemployment crisis. The idea is to try and kick-start the domestic economy. Because of the strict financial constraints imposed by the IMF/EU deal the government had to generate sufficient funds without resorting to further borrowing. This has been done via the pension levy.

It was particularly interesting to watch the reaction of the various interest groups. The Sinn Fein reaction took the biscuit. Pearse Doherty the party's Spokesman on Finance claimed that the initiative would only create 430 jobs. Now of course this is pure balderdash. The idea was to imprint this figure in the public consciousness and undermine the plan. The Sinn Fein approach in the Dail is to criticise every decision of the government and to offer nothing constructive. Just negativity followed by more negativity.

Sinn Fein then drew attention to the FG five-point plan to create 100,000 jobs and claimed that the party had reneged on its pre election promises. This is a further misrepresentation of the facts. The Programme for Government has committed the new government to sell non-strategic state assets to raise 2 billion euro for further economic investment. This is a slow process and cannot be done in eight weeks. Sinn Fein has now given new political terminology to the English language-Shinner Spin (A Goebbels like orchestrated misrepresentation of an opposing political party policy or decision)

It is time for Sinn Fein to drop the Shinner Spin and to come up with something constructive for a change.

Ireland: Professor Morgan Kelly Budget Deficit Proposal Nonsensical

Professor Morgan Kelly has a fascinating article in the Irish Times titled
Ireland's future depends on breaking free from bailout. His analysis of the economic problems besetting Ireland is fundamentally sound. However some of his prescriptions leave much to be desired.
He states:

National survival requires that Ireland walk away from the bailout. This in turn requires the Government to do two things: disengage from the banks, and bring its budget into balance immediately..

So as part of his solution to our economic problems he is suggesting that
government should eradicate the budget deficit of €18.5 billion at the stroke of a pen? This suggestion is both impractical and nonsensical.It would be impossible to attain this target in the short term.
Unemployment would hit one million within a few weeks as the economy collapsed. Several hundred thousand people would default on their mortgages. Thousands on social welfare would would go without.
All grand in theory. Sadly not practical. No economy could survive a shock of those proportions. The economy is barely turning over at present after Brian Lenihan’s last budget. Try bringing in a budget 3 or 4 times more severe than the last and visualise the impact. Interestingly the national media has failed to pick up on Morgan Kellys 19 billion euro deficit proposal. This is part of the soft underbelly of the Kelly plan. His proposal is thus fatally holed under the water. There is a tendency in the media to assume that because Professor Kelly forecast the economic crash, that his economic prescriptions hold water. In fact they are deeply flawed.

Professor Kelly has failed to spell out how he would cut the deficit by €18.5 billion at the stroke of a pen. Can we have a media discussion of this proposal please?  He has failed to outline IN DETAIL the consequences for the economy of such a decision.
His proposals on disengagement from the banks are fraught with difficulties and could lead to a total collapse.

He is of course correct to state that by 2014 the national debt will become unsustainable unless the EU changes its attitude to Ireland.
The EU will eventually be forced by the economic realities to restructure the bank element of the sovereign debt. This must be cut by 30% and the repayment period lengthened to 25 years with EU APPROVAL. The government must increase its efforts to bring this about.

Kelly has not got the answer. He is correct in his analysis of the problem. However his "solution" is even worse than the appalling bailout. He argues that  we can just walk away from the bailout. What would fund services?
So in summary he argues that

• we should wipe out the deficit  of €18.5 billion in one  fell swoop. This would wipe out all economic activity  and is a stupid suggestion
• He further argues that we must  walk away from the bailout. This would mean that the state could not fund health and education services and social welfare. He has of course given no indication of where alternative funding would come from.

Interestingly the media reaction has failed to focus on either.

We are all aware that the debt burden will become unsustainable. The difficulty is to engineer a workable solution.
Before the property crash  Morgan Kelly was unfairly criticised for his analysis. He correctly forecast the property crash.
Now however the country has gone to the opposite extreme. Professor Kelly is now God.  He can say or do no wrong.  Well in this case he has not put forward a workable solution. It is time for people to use their critical faculties and wake up.
The Kelly Kamikaze approach would finally polish off the patient.
Link to Irish Times article: Ireland's future depends on breaking free from bailout

US: Sarah Palin outlines Five Key Foreign Policy Principles (Colorado Christian University (CCU) on May 2, 2011)

First  we should only commit our forces when clear and vital American interests are at stake. Period.

Second, if we have to fight, we fight to win. To do that, we use overwhelming force. We only send our troops into war with the objective to defeat the enemy as quickly as possible. We do not stretch out our military with open-ended and ill-defined missions. Nation building is a nice idea in theory, but it is not the main purpose of our armed forces. We use our military to win wars.

And third, we must have clearly defined goals and objectives before sending troops into harm’s way. If you can’t explain the mission to the American people clearly and concisely, then our sons and daughters should not be sent into battle. Period.

Fourth, American soldiers must never be put under foreign command. We will fight side by side with our allies, but American soldiers must remain under the care and the command of American officers.

Fifth, sending in our armed forces should be the last resort. We don’t go looking for dragons to slay. However, we will encourage the forces of freedom around the world who are sincerely fighting for the empowerment of the individual. When it makes sense, when it’s appropriate, we will provide them with material support to help them win their own freedom.

We are not indifferent to the cause of human rights or the desire for freedom. We are always on the side of both. But we can’t fight every war. We can’t undo every injustice around the world. But with strength and clarity in those five points, we’ll make for a safer, more prosperous, more peaceful world because as the U.S. leads by example, as we support freedom across the globe, we’re going to prove that free and healthy countries don’t wage war on other free and healthy countries. The stronger we are, the stronger and more peaceful the world will be under our example.
Full Speech available Here

US: No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act-How They Voted in the House (May 4, 2011)

The House has just passed the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (H.R. 3). It passed by a large margin – 251 to 175. Every Republican member supported the legislation and Democrats opposed it by a 175- 16 margin.
This historic pro-life legislation establishes a permanent, government-wide ban on taxpayer funding for abortion, bans federal subsidies for health plans that include abortion, and strengthens conscience protections for health care workers. The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act now moves to the Senate.

Here is how they voted in the House:

Yes Votes:

Adams Aderholt Akin Alexander Altmire Amash Austria Bachmann Bachus Barletta Bartlett Barton (TX) Bass (NH) Benishek Berg Biggert Bishop (UT) Black Blackburn Bonner Bono Mack Boren Boustany Brady (TX) Brooks Broun (GA) Buchanan Bucshon Buerkle Burgess Burton (IN) Calvert Camp Campbell Canseco Cantor Capito Carter Cassidy Chabot Chaffetz Coble Coffman (CO) Cole Conaway Costello Cravaack Crawford Crenshaw Critz Cuellar Culberson Davis (KY) Denham Dent DesJarlais Diaz-Balart Dold Donnelly (IN) Dreier Duffy Duncan (SC) Duncan (TN) Ellmers Farenthold Fincher Fitzpatrick Flake Fleischmann Fleming Flores Forbes Fortenberry Foxx Franks (AZ) Frelinghuysen Gallegly Gardner Garrett Gerlach Gibbs Gibson Gingrey (GA) Gohmert

Goodlatte Gosar Gowdy Granger Graves (GA) Graves (MO) Griffin (AR) Griffith (VA) Grimm Guinta Guthrie Hall Hanna Harper Harris Hartzler Hastings (WA) Hayworth Heck Heller Hensarling Herger Herrera Beutler Holden Huelskamp Huizenga (MI) Hultgren Hunter Hurt Issa Jenkins Johnson (IL) Johnson (OH) Jones Jordan Kaptur Kelly Kildee King (IA) King (NY) Kingston Kinzinger (IL) Kline Labrador Lamborn Lance Landry Lankford Latham LaTourette Latta Lewis (CA) Lipinski LoBiondo Long Lucas Luetkemeyer Lummis Lungren, Daniel E. Mack Manzullo Marchant Marino Matheson McCarthy (CA) McCaul McClintock McCotter McHenry McIntyre McKeon McKinley McMorris Rodgers Meehan Mica Miller (FL) Miller (MI) Miller, Gary Mulvaney Murphy (PA) Myrick Neugebauer Noem Nugent

Nunes Nunnelee Olson Palazzo Paul Paulsen Pearce Pence Peterson Pitts Platts Poe (TX) Pompeo Posey Price (GA) Quayle Rahall Reed Rehberg Reichert Renacci Ribble Rigell Rivera Roby Roe (TN) Rogers (AL) Rogers (KY) Rogers (MI) Rohrabacher Rokita Rooney Ros-Lehtinen Roskam Ross (AR) Ross (FL) Royce Runyan Ryan (WI) Scalise Schilling Schmidt Schock Schweikert Scott (SC) Scott, Austin Sensenbrenner Sessions Shimkus Shuler Shuster Simpson Smith (NE) Smith (NJ) Smith (TX) Southerland Stearns Stivers Stutzman Sullivan Terry Thompson (PA) Thornberry Tiberi Tipton Turner Upton Walberg Walden Walsh (IL) Webster West Westmoreland Whitfield Wilson (SC) Wittman Wolf Womack Woodall Yoder Young (AK) Young (FL) Young (IN)

No Votes:

ckerman Andrews Baca Baldwin Barrow Bass (CA) Becerra Berkley Berman Bishop (GA) Bishop (NY) Blumenauer Boswell Brady (PA) Braley (IA) Brown (FL) Butterfield Capps Capuano Cardoza Carnahan Carney Carson (IN) Castor (FL) Chandler Chu Cicilline Clarke (MI) Clarke (NY) Clay Cleaver Clyburn Cohen Connolly (VA) Conyers Cooper Costa Courtney Crowley Cummings Davis (CA) Davis (IL) DeFazio DeGette DeLauro Deutch Dicks Dingell Doggett Doyle Edwards Ellison Engel Eshoo Farr Fattah Filner Frank (MA) Fudge

Garamendi Gonzalez Green, Al Green, Gene Grijalva Gutierrez Hanabusa Hastings (FL) Heinrich Higgins Himes Hinchey Hinojosa Hirono Holt Honda Hoyer Inslee Israel Jackson (IL) Jackson Lee (TX) Johnson (GA) Johnson, E. B. Keating Kind Kissell Kucinich Langevin Larsen (WA) Larson (CT) Lee (CA) Levin Lewis (GA) Loebsack Lofgren, Zoe Lowey Luján Lynch Maloney Markey Matsui McCarthy (NY) McCollum McDermott McGovern McNerney Meeks Michaud Miller (NC) Miller, George Moore Moran Murphy (CT) Nadler Napolitano Neal Olver Owens Pallone

Pascrell Pastor (AZ) Payne Pelosi Perlmutter Peters Pingree (ME) Polis Price (NC) Quigley Rangel Reyes Richardson Richmond Rothman (NJ) Roybal-Allard Ruppersberger Rush Ryan (OH) Sánchez, Linda T. Sanchez, Loretta Sarbanes Schakowsky Schiff Schrader Schwartz Scott (VA) Scott, David Serrano Sewell Sherman Sires Slaughter Smith (WA) Speier Stark Sutton Thompson (CA) Thompson (MS) Tierney Tonko Towns Tsongas Van Hollen Velázquez Visclosky Walz (MN) Wasserman Schultz Waters Watt Waxman Weiner Welch Wilson (FL) Woolsey Wu Yarmuth

Didn't Vote:

Bilbray Bilirakis

Emerson Giffords

Johnson, Sam Petri

Video: Apparition to Mirjana at Medjugorje May 2, 2011

Message to Mirjana - May 2, 2011

Our Lady apppeared to the visionary Mirjana Soldo and delivered the following message to the world:

"Dear children; God the Father is sending me to show you the way of salvation, because He, my children, desires to save you and not to condemn you. That is why I, as a mother, am gathering you around me, because with my motherly love I desire to help you to be free of the dirtiness of the past and to begin to live anew and differently. I am calling you to resurrect in my Son. Along with confession of sins renounce everything that has distanced you from my Son and that has made your life empty and unsuccessful. Say 'yes' to the Father with the heart and set out on the way of salvation to which He is calling you through the Holy Spirit. Thank you. I am especially praying for the shepherds, for God to help them to be alongside you with a fullness of heart."

1906 San Francisco Earthquake: video newsreel film

NB Click on Picture to play video

Videos:1988 documentary about Medjugorje in four parts

Religious Song: Charlie Landsborough- My Forever Friend

My Forever Friend-Lyrics

Everybody needs a
little help sometime
No one stands alone
Makes no difference if
you're just a child
like me
Or a king upon a throne
For there are no exceptions
We all stand in the line
Everybody needs a friend
Let me tell you of mine
-------
CHORUS:
He's my forever friend
My leave-me-never friend
From darkest night to rainbow's end
He's my forever friend
-------
Even when I turn away
He cares for me
His love no one can shake
Even as I walk away He's by my side
With every breath I take
And sometimes I forget Him
My halo fails to shine
Sometimes I'm not His friend
But He is always mine
-------
REPEAT CHORUS:
If you still don't know the
one I'm talking of
I think it's time you knew
Long ago and far away upon a cross
My friend died for you
So if you'd like to meet Him
And don't know what to do
Ask my friend into you heart
And He'll be your friend too
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REPEAT CHORUS:

He's My Forever Friend