Odds and Ends 6/25/10

Solon to Luistro: View sex education with an open mind

MANILA, Philippines--A staunch advocate of reproductive health in the House of Representatives urged newly-appointed Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Armin Luistro to view with open mind the need to pursue sexuality education for children.

“Sex or reproductive health education is one aspect our society direly needs . . .This, I believe is something that Secretary Luistro will consider,” Iloilo Representative Janette Garin said in a text message.

Garin says view sex education with an open mind - as opposed to viewing sex education with a closed mind? Of course what the "open-minded" solon means is that all those who oppose sex education are closed-minded people. If we go by the declaration of this solon (a rabid advocate of contraceptives) who feels she and her RH-bill cohorts are the only thinking persons around, the only thing to do for the incoming DepEd Secretary is to approve of the UN-prescribed brand of sex education, otherwise he must be automatically branded as closed-minded. Again, again, again: The church is not against sex education per se. Catholic schools have been teaching sex education for a long time. What the church is against is the faith-incompatible instruction (read:immoral teaching) that goes along with their version of secular sex education. Show us the modules if it ain't so.

"...direly needs....", my foot.
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Tennis: Longest-ever match finishes after 11 hours 5 minutes

LONDON—(UPDATE) The longest tennis match in history finally finished on Thursday after an epic 11 hours and five minutes at Wimbledon, with John Isner beating Nicolas Mahut by an incredible 70-68 in the final set.

American Isner dropped his racquet and fell to the ground in delight before embracing his opponent at the net when the marathon match ended at last – two days after it had begun.

A host of tennis records were shattered in an extraordinary contest which finally ended at 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7/9), 7-6 (7/3), 70-68, a record unlikely ever to be beaten.

Had this been a basketball game, it would be a lot like going through 20 overtimes. These two guys hit more than 200 aces between themselves, and it appears neither of them lost their serves that much. This thing can only happen in the fast surfaces of Wimbledon. At least it was also an historic treat for the spectators, whose tickets were good for 3 days. Bravo!
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Lasers Reveal First Icons of Sts. Peter and Paul
Vatican Unveils 4th Century Paintings found in Chamber Beneath Office Building in Downtown Rome

(AP) Twenty-first century laser technology has opened a window into the early days of the Catholic Church, guiding researchers through the dank catacombs beneath Rome to a startling find: the first known icons of the Apostles Peter and Paul.

Vatican officials on Tuesday unveiled the paintings, located in an underground burial chamber under an eight-story modern office building on a busy street in a working-class neighborhood of Rome.

The images, which date from the second half of the 4th century, were uncovered using a new laser technique that allowed restorers to burn off centuries of thick white calcium carbonate deposits without damaging the brilliant dark colors of the original paintings underneath...

Monsignor Giovanni Carru, the No. 2 in the Vatican's Pontifical Commission of Sacred Archaeology, which maintains the catacombs, said:

"The Christian catacombs, while giving us value with a religious and cultural patrimony, represent an eloquent and significant testimony of Christianity at its origin,".

Awesome.
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