Magic Statistics

Robert Mugabe has arrived in Lisbon to attend this weekend’s EU-Africa summit, despite the fact that he has been banned from travelling to any EU member state.  So, what’s the point of the travel ban anyway?

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will stay away from the meeting to avoid seeing Mugabe gloat over his propaganda victory.  European Commission president José Manual Barroso says he “fully respected” Mr Brown’s decision to boycott.  Yeah, right!

Gordon Brown should learn that dealing with dictators like Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe is an inevitable part of being a world statesman, the president of the European Commission has said.
. . .
"If you are an international leader then you are going to have to be prepared to meet some people your mother would not like you to meet. That is what we have to do from time to time," he said.

Neville Chamberlain couldn't have said it better.

What does Mr Barroso say when he does not “fully respect” decisions by European heads of state?

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• Mugabe miffed because not invited to France-Africa summit
• Mugabe to Annan: Get lost

The Most Rev Lucius Ugorji, Roman Catholic Bishop of Umuahia Diocese, Nigeria, has urged his country to resist "intense international pressure to legalise abortion".

He accused the wealthy nations of the West of promoting the use of contraceptives and legalization of abortion and using it as political tool to manipulate poorer nations, adding that sometimes these are made conditions for foreign aids to induce and compel poorer countries to legalise abortion and popularize the use of contraceptives.

He said for the church, abortion remains a sin, arguing that an unborn child has an inalienable right to life and accused the Western nations of promoting anti-child mentality by popularizing contraceptives.

Delivering this year’s Kolping Society Family Lecture, "The challenges to the Institution of marriage and family in our present day society", Bp Ugorji spoke against erosion of the family by contemporary social influences, including mass media, secularism, and a spirit of freedom without responsibilities.

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• Akinola battles influence of America’s "wild libertine philosophy"
• UN pressures Nicaragua to legalise abortion
• Leftists turn against Daniel Ortega

In the past few months, safety concerns have prompted recalls of many Chinese-made products, including pet food, toothpaste, tires, and Mattel toys.  Today Starbucks issued a recall of 167,000 Chinese-made coffee mugs because the handles can break off when the mug is full of hot liquid.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Starbucks has received 23 reports of the handles detaching, including nine that resulted in minor burns.

The recalled mugs are 14-ounce Fusion Coffee Mugs with a ”Starbucks Coffee” stamp on them. They were sold at Starbucks stores nationwide from February 2007 through November 2007 for about $11.

The Fusion mugs (at right) were sold in the US and Canada.

In October, Starbucks recalled 250,000 Chinese-made children’s plastic cups because of choking and laceration hazards.

Previous related posts:

• Most Canadians have unfavourable view of Chinese products
• Please don’t contaminate that food you’re selling me

The collect for today, the Feast Day of Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra (d. c. 326), Bishop (source):

Almighty Father, lover of souls, who chose your servant Nicholas to be a bishop in the Church, that he might give freely out of the treasures of your grace: make us mindful of the needs of others and, as we have received, so teach us also to give; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The Epistle: 1 St John 4:7-14
The Gospel: St Mark 10:13-16

Artwork: Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Stories of Saint Nicholas: The Saint Provides a Dowry for Three Poor Girls, c. 1327-30, Tempera on wood, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence.

In this panel, St Nicholas is throwing gold into the house of a poor man whose three daughters were facing prostitution to support themselves.  The future saint did the same on three consecutive nights, providing dowries so the girls could marry.  Ambrogio Lorenzetti painted four scenes from the life of the saint as an altarpiece for the Church of San Procolo.  The paintings have been in the Uffizi since 1919.

Dr James Galyon at 2 Worlds Collide has the full story of the saint behind the legend of Santa Claus.

Previous related post: Santa Claus smacks down heresy