Une loi interdisant l'immense majorité des avortements entre en vigueur au Texas

Les anti-avortement avaient manifesté fin mai au Texas. SERGIO FLORES / AFP
LE FIGARO : La plupart des avortements sont devenus illégaux mercredi dans le vaste et très conservateur État américain du Texas, où une loi sans précédent, qui encourage la population à dénoncer les contrevenants, est entrée en vigueur dans la nuit.

Elle peut encore être bloquée par la Cour suprême des États-Unis, qui a été saisie en urgence lundi par les défenseurs du droit à l'avortement. Sans attendre sa décision, le président Joe Biden a fustigé une loi «radicale», aux dispositions «honteuses», et a promis de «protéger» le droit des femmes à avorter.

Grossesse interrompue à six semaines

Le texte, signé en mai par le gouverneur républicain Greg Abbott, interdit d'interrompre toute grossesse une fois que les battements de cœur de l'embryon sont détectés, à environ six semaines de grossesse, alors que la plupart des femmes ne savent même pas qu'elles sont enceintes. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | mercredi 1 spetembre 2021

Le Texas adopte une loi interdisant d'avorter après six semaines de grossesse »

Supreme Court, Breaking Silence, Won’t Block Texas Abortion Law

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The law, which prohibits most abortions after six weeks and went into effect on Wednesday, was drafted by Texas lawmakers with the goal of frustrating efforts to challenge it in federal court.

A “Bans Off Our Bodies” protest at the Texas State Capitol in Austin on Wednesday. Montinique Monroe for The New York Times
The Supreme Court refused just before midnight on Wednesday to block a Texas law prohibiting most abortions, less than a day after it took effect and became the most restrictive abortion measure in the nation.

The vote was 5 to 4, with Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. joining the court’s three liberal members in dissent.

The majority opinion was unsigned and consisted of a single long paragraph. It said the abortion providers who had challenged the law in an emergency application to the court had not made their case in the face of “complex and novel” procedural questions. The majority stressed that it was not ruling on the constitutionality of the Texas law and did not mean to limit “procedurally proper challenges” to it.

But the ruling was certain to fuel the hopes of abortion opponents and fears of abortion rights advocates as the court takes up a separate case in its new term this fall to decide whether Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision establishing a constitutional right to the procedure, should be overruled. It also left Texas abortion providers turning away patients as they scrambled to comply with the law, which prohibits abortions after roughly six weeks.

All four dissenting justices filed opinions. » | Adam Liptak, J. David Goodman and Sabrina Tavernise | Wednesday, September 1, 2021

I find the extreme right-wing positions taken in American politics very disturbing. As my followers know by now, I do not like extreme politics, either on the left or right. I believe in the golden middle way wherever and whenever possible. I certainly do not think that politicians should be meddling in medical matters relating to a woman's body. This should be left to the medical doctors and specialists who know far better than judges, law-makers or politicians what course of action is correct for their patients.

One gets the feeling that these legislarors are in serious competition with the Taliban!

We've just had to live through four years of that awful man, Trump, in power; now this draconian law! This law puts medical doctors in an invidious and extremely difficult position. Whilst I do believe that abortions should be avoided whenever possible, there are times when a mother's life is at risk of death if she continues to carry the baby full-term. And what if the mother's death will leave her other children without a mother? Have these lawmakers really thought this through? Also, if a young girl gets raped and ends up pregnant as a result of the rape, she will now have to carry the rapist's child for the full nine-month term and be its mother for the rest of her life. What a burden to bear! Who'd want to be a doctor in Texas? Or a mother in Texas, for that matter!

So what do they want to ban next? Alcohol? Gay weddings? Tobacco?

The Prohibition didn't stop the drinking of alcohol in America in the Twenties and early Thirties. It just drove drinking underground. Until the stupid law had to be repealed. This law is equally stupid. Just as the Prohibition didn't stop drinking; this law will not stop abortions. All it will do is drive the aborting of unwanted babies underground: to the backstreets! We'll be back to primitive ways of aborting babies next, like hot baths, bottles of gin, and knitting needles! I believe that this is how many an unwanted baby was aborted in years gone by. Further, this is a regressive measure because it will hit the poorest in society the most. Rich women will be able to travel out of state for their abortions, or even travel abroad to get them. Such a solution will probably not be affordable for the poorest women in society. In short: The Prohibition didn't stop the drinking of alcohol; and this law will not stop abortions either! It will stop some, but it will cause unspeakable misery for those who will be unable to circumvent the law. "I rest my case."

I feel very sorry to have to say this, but I fear that the USA has seen its finest days. It used to be the wellspring of forward thinking and fresh ideas. Now it seems to have taken on the röle of being the wellspring of oppression and suppression. – © Mark

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A Beautiful, Colourful Basket of Gourds

Photography by Garry Gay.
With thanks to fineartamerica and Pinterest for this lovely photo. The company’s website can be found here.

Happy Together after Tying the Knot

Happy holding hands after the wedding ceremony.
My thanks go again to Love Inc. for the great photo of the same gay wedding.

The Nuptial Kiss

A romantic gay wedding kiss.
Many thanks to Love Inc. for this super photo.

The Most Wonderful Kiss of All ?

Le baiser le plus merveilleux de tous ? / Der wunderbarste Kuß von allen?
This morning, I decided to take another look at this incredible ‘kissathon’. I thought you might like to take another look at it, too. (It's such a long kiss that I'm still working my way through it!) Two beautiful men, one beautiful, long, loving kiss. Watch the wonderful ‘kissathon’ here.

Lionel Richie : Deep River Woman

Views on YouTube: 743,081

Out and About This Winter – in Style!

A loden cape / poncho for men.
With thanks to Pinterest for this lovely, stylish modern twist on a gentleman’s cape.
And for more info on loden, click here: Gentleman’s Gazette.

Rachmaninoff : Piano Concerto No. 3 – Daniil Trifonov

Mar 6, 2018 • Daniil Trifonov performs Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor opus 30 with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France conducted by Myung-Whun Chung. Live recording on June 19, 2015 at the Philharmonie de Paris.

Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto is one of the most challenging works of the piano repertoire. Despite the seeming simplicity of the first theme, it requires a great virtuosity from the performers, especially for the cadenza in the first movement. After playing it for the first time in a concert on 1909, Rachmaninov himself couldn’t play any other piece, because his fingers were suffering.

Gay Dreams

Feb 17, 2014 • Photo collage of vintage gay couples to the tune of "Dream A Little Dream of Me" by Nat King Cole Trio (1946). Pictures from late 1800s (not confirmed) to mid-1900s. Enjoy the love! Views on YouTube: 19,313

Most Extreme Abortion Law in US Takes Effect in Texas

THE GUARDIAN: US supreme court fails to act to block near-total ban that allows private citizens to sue abortion providers

The most radical abortion law in the US has gone into effect, despite legal efforts to block it.

A near-total abortion ban in Texas empowers any private citizen to sue an abortion provider who violates the law, opening the floodgates to harassing and frivolous lawsuits from anti-abortion vigilantes that could eventually shutter most clinics in the state.

“Abortion access will be thrown into absolute chaos,” says Amanda Williams, executive director of the abortion support group the Lilith Fund, a plaintiff in the suit that challenged the law. “Unfortunately, many people who need access the most will slip through the cracks, as we have seen over the years with the relentless attacks here in our state.

“It is unbelievable that Texas politicians have gotten away with this devastating and cruel law that will harm so many.” » | Mary Tuma | Wednesday, September 1, 2021

Abtreibungen selbst nach Vergewaltigung illegal: In Texas dürfen Frauen von der sechsten Woche an nicht mehr abtreiben. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt wissen viele aber noch nichts von ihrer Schwangerschaft. Überhaupt ist das neue Gesetz umstritten – von Denunziantentum ist die Rede. »

Die Alpen: Leben im Extremen | Faszination Wissen | Doku | BR

Apr 27, 2015 • Die Alpen. Beliebtes Urlaubsziel und extremer Lebensraum. Menschen, Tiere und Pflanzen sind gleichermaßen herausgefordert, wenn sie hier überleben wollen. Der Klimawandel macht es ihnen nicht einfacher. Autor: Arno Trümper.

Coq au vin - Chicken Braised in Red Wine | Classic French Recipes

Many variants exist using local varietals, such as coq au vin jaune (Jura), coq au Riesling (Alsace), coq au pourpre or coq au violet (Beaujolais nouveau), coq au Champagne, etc.

History:

Various legends trace coq au vin to ancient Gaul and Julius Caesar, but the recipe was not documented until the early 20th century. However, it is generally accepted that it existed as a rustic dish long before that.

A somewhat similar recipe, poulet au vin blanc, appeared in an 1864 cookbook. Coq au vin is traditionally made with a rooster, but it can be made using a good quality chicken.

Always buy the best quality chicken possible to make sure the meat does not fall apart during cooking. It is very important to know how to make a coq au vin properly.

Before attempting this recipe, there are some things that need to be prepared usually the day before to ensure your coq au vin turns out well. But don't worry, coq au vin is not a difficult French recipe; it is just time consuming.

Frankly, if you make sure you prepare these two things the day before you will find making coq au vin with chicken pretty easy.

Things to do the day before you make coq au vin: Marinate your chicken in red wine; and prepare a brown chicken stock from scratch. If you have these two items ready, just follow the video and you will prepare pretty authentic coq au vin.


Recipe for coq au vin »

Red wine marinade for coq au vin and boeuf bourguignon »

The French Cooking Academy »

Der Westen muss mit den Taliban reden, jede Hilfe und Kooperation aber an harte Bedingungen knüpfen

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: Sollen Europäer und Amerikaner die Taliban nach ihrer Machtübernahme in Afghanistan anerkennen oder einmal mehr politisch isolieren? Keines von beidem! Aus humanitären und sicherheitspolitischen Interessen ist ein vorsichtiger Mittelweg gefragt.

Taliban-Kämpfer nach dem amerikanischen Abzug am Kabuler Flughafen. | Khwaja Tawfiq Sediqi / AP
KOMMENTAR
Die letzten westlichen Truppen sind aus Afghanistan abgezogen, und die Taliban wollen dieser Tage ihre Regierung präsentieren. Damit rückt für Amerikaner und Europäer die heikle Frage in den Vordergrund, wie man dem neuen Regime in Kabul begegnen will. Soll man pragmatisch sein und die neuen Herrscher am Hindukusch anerkennen? Oder soll man die Islamisten, die das Land zwanzig Jahre lang mit Krieg und Terror überzogen haben, weiterhin ächten und isolieren? Beide Wege bergen beträchtliche Risiken. Der Westen muss deshalb einen Mittelweg suchen.

Von der Realität eingeholt

Bis vor kurzem hatten die USA und die EU noch bekräftigt, sie würden keine Regierung anerkennen, die gewaltsam an die Macht gekommen sei. Dann fiel Kabul innert weniger Tage, und die Realität holte sie ein. Wenn die Politiker in Washington, Brüssel, Paris und Berlin die Afghaninnen und Afghanen nicht völlig im Stich lassen wollen, wie sie bei jeder Gelegenheit beteuern, müssen sie mit den neuen Machthabern reden oder gar kooperieren. Um die Evakuierung der eigenen Bürger zu ermöglichen, hat man dies in den letzten Tagen ja auch bereits getan. Auch im Bereich der humanitären Hilfe sollte man pragmatisch sein. » | Andrea Spalinger | Mittwoch, 1. September 2021

Comment les talibans ont repris si vite l'Afghanistan

LE FIGARO : Dimanche 15 août, Kaboul est tombé en quelques heures, scellant la victoire des talibans. Ils sont parvenus aux portes de la capitale afghane au terme d’une offensive éclair et se sont emparés de toutes les grandes villes d’Afghanistan en seulement dix jours. Comment les talibans ont-ils pris si rapidement le pouvoir? Pourquoi sont-ils si forts? Réponses, dans Factu. Regardez la vidéo » | Publié : lundi 30 août 2021 ; mis à jour aujourd'hui, mercredi 1 septembre 2021

Biden Defends Afghan Pullout and Declares an End to Nation-Building

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The president offered a glimpse of a different American foreign policy in the post-9/11 world, one that he said would be guided more by competition with China and Russia.

President Biden, delivering a speech at the White House on Tuesday, said that he believed with “all of my heart” that he made a wise decision. Doug Mills/The New York Times
WASHINGTON — President Biden on Tuesday forcefully rejected criticism of his decision to end America’s 20-year war in Afghanistan, hailing what he called the “extraordinary success” of the evacuation of Kabul and declaring the end of an era in which the United States uses military power “to remake other countries.”

Speaking to the nation less than a week after a terrorist bombing killed 13 service members at the Kabul airport during a chaotic rush to leave the country, Mr. Biden said the costs to the United States would have been even higher if he had allowed the nation to remain mired for years in a civil war that has dragged on for decades. In blunt terms, he claimed the only alternative to the departure he oversaw was another escalation of the war.

“When I hear we could have, should have continued the so-called low-grade effort in Afghanistan, at low risk to our service members, at low cost,” Mr. Biden said in the 26-minute speech, “I don’t think enough people understand how much we’ve asked of the 1 percent of this country who put that uniform on.”

“There’s nothing low grade or low risk or low cost about any war,” he continued. “It’s time to end the war in Afghanistan.” » | Michael D. Shear and Jim Tankersley | Tuesday, August 31, 2021

En Afghanistan, les États-Unis avaient le choix entre «le départ ou l'escalade» militaire, selon Biden »

Nach dem Chaos beim Abzug aus Afghanistan: Biden rechtfertigt erneut seine Entscheidung: Der amerikanische Präsident hat sich am Dienstag zum Ende des amerikanischen Kriegseinsatzes in Afghanistan geäussert. Er räumte Fehleinschätzungen ein, rechtfertigte aber seine vielerorts kritisierte Entscheidung. »

Vintage Gay: Two Handsome, Contented Men in Repose

Two men in love is one of the most natural things in the world! It’s only screwed-up, formal and organised religion that tries to force people to turn away from their natural impulses. Fie on the man-made nonsense – the claptrap!
With thanks to BosGuy for this wonderful, vintage photograph.

Gay Wedding Bliss

Pleasure and happiness are palpable in this wonderful photograph.
Many thanks to The Knot on Pinterest for this lovely photo. Here’s The Knot’s website where you can arrange your own gay wedding.

Great Gay Quotes

“If you are in the closet and fall in love with someone of the same gender, it doesn’t automatically remove the shame and fear that’s kept you locked away. The love you are experiencing encourages you to face the reality that this is who you really are and also has the power to set you free. The richness, beauty and depths of love can only be fully experienced in a climate of complete openness, honesty and vulnerability. Love, the most powerful of human emotions, is calling you to freedom and wholeness.” – Anthony Venn Brown, a former Australian evangelist in the Assemblies of God and an author whose book, A Life of Unlearning, describes his experience in Australia’s first ex-gay program.

Thanks and gratitude go to Queer Culture Chats for this great and wise quote.

Great Gay Quotes

Anderson Cooper, award-winning journalist, television personality and author. In 2012, Cooper publicly came out as gay.
With many thanks and much gratitude to Queer Culture Chats and Google Images for this great quote.