But if Obama is saying that "mental distress" is already not a legal exception for abortion bans, then what was the point of what he told Relevant?

If Obama's position is that late-term abortion shouldn't be allowed for women who are "feeling blue," and he believes that late-term abortions currently aren't legal for women who are "feeling blue," then why did he say it was appropriate for states to prohibit late-term abortion as long as there is a well-defined health of the mother exception which shouldn't include "mental distress?"

Last January, I began reporting on the first vaccine to prevent an STD: Gardasil by Merck, to fend off HPV, the human papillomavirus.

Living in IL, I smelled a rat when bills began simultaneously popping up in state legislatures across the U.S. to mandate the 3-shot Gardasil regimen to all 11- and 12-year-old girls. I, along with several others, started blogging against the liberal and MSM tide, even getting a mention in the New York Times. Was the vaccine safe? Was it smart? Was there quid pro quo?

After TX Gov. Rick Perry went so far as to sign an executive order forcing the vaccine, it came to light that Merck had financial ties to the poke pushers.

Perry's exec order was overturned, Merck called off its legislative whores, and pro-family proponents won the day, even while liberals and MSM grumbled at our ignorance.

Well MSM is grumbling no more. Our concerns about the safety of Gardasil were warranted. Reported Katie Couric at CBS News last night:

Also read CNN, ABC News, and U.S. News & World Report, to name a few.

Nothing in the New York Times, though.

[HT: American Papist]

Press release received today:

The Gerard Health Foundation will award up to $600,000 in prizes to one to six individuals or organizations distinguishing themselves in preserving a culture of life.

Natick, MA - The Gerard Health Foundation today unveiled Life Prizes, a program that will award up to $600,000 to those who have succeeded in awakening the conscience of America to uphold and preserve the sanctity of human life through their leadership and advances in public advocacy, scientific research, outreach and public disclosure activities, legal action and other noteworthy achievements....

The inaugural award will be named the "Norinne A. and Raymond E. Ruddy Memorial Pro-Life Prize" to memorialize Mr. and Mrs. Raymond E. Ruddy, strong believers in the pro-life cause and parents of Raymond B. Ruddy, a pro-life philanthropist who has long supported and donated to life causes and charities throughout the world. In addition to recognizing those on the front lines of saving lives and who have most significantly advanced pro-life principles and practices, the initiative seeks to encourage and inspire the next generation of youth to accomplish great things in the name of life....

Cathy Ruse, a prominent lawyer in the pro-life movement who has held several high-level positions promoting life causes, has accepted the position of Executive Director of Life Prizes.

"Life Prizes is an idea born from Mr. Ruddy, who has worked for many years assisting numerous groups and organizations through his business savvy and generous philanthropy. Our primary objective is to reward those who are preserving the culture of life through their charitable enterprises or through advocacy programs that defend and preserve the sanctity of human life. We also hope to encourage young people to embrace and create a culture of life for future generations to come," said Ms. Ruse.

Life Prizes is already being well received among some of the nation's top pro-life and pro-family leaders and icons.

"I'm thrilled to see a program that will recognize those who have accomplished incredible feats in the name of life," stated Dr. Jack Willke, President of Life Issues Institute and former president of National Right to Life Committee. "The Life Prizes program will elevate the pro-life commitment in remembering the significant victories we have achieved and demonstrates that there are many fruits to be harvested by the next generation in carrying the pro-life torch and taking the movement to a new level."

Peggy Hartshorn, President of Heartbeat International, is in agreement that Life Prizes shows great promise. "The program will not only honor the sacrifices of those who have devoted their lives to save others, but it will also spur the life-saving heroes of tomorrow on to even greater accomplishments."

"We are building incredible momentum among today's youth in the pro-life movement," stated Kristan Hawkins, Executive Director of Students for Life of America. "Life Prizes can transform that momentum into inspiration for today's teenagers, college students and young professionals."

According to Cathy Ruse, nomination packages have been sent to over 100 leaders of pro-life organizations and are due back in mid-August. The selection committee will announce Life Prizes winners in October, and awards will be given at a ceremony to be held in Washington, DC in January of 2009.

How Life Prizes Will Be Awarded

Nomination Process

Life Prizes will accept nominations from a pre-selected group of more than 100 nominators, chosen by mostly leaders of pro-life groups who support the same values and principles represented by the Gerard Health Foundation, and will be encouraged to nominate at least one worthy candidate by August 15, 2008. Nominees will be evaluated by their advances in public advocacy, scientific research, outreach and public disclosure activities, legal action or other noteworthy achievements.

Selection Committee

After the nomination deadline, the Gerard Health Foundation will carefully review all submissions and select a group of approximately 20 finalists, which will then be evaluated by a prestigious selection committee who will select up to six award recipients.

Awards and Ceremony

Awards totaling up to $600,000 will be presented to winners of the Life Prizes at an awards ceremony held in conjunction with Students for Life of America's annual conference during the week of the March for Life in Washington, DC. Recipients have the option to designate their prize money to a charity that is consistent with the Gerard Health Foundation's objectives and funding policies.

The Gerard Health Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving lives through the funding and financing of pro-life initiatives throughout the world, including extensive support of HIV/AIDS prevention and ranging from activities such as pregnancy resource centers, international pro-life education, youth outreach and development, judicial reform, abstinence education, and supporting children's hospitals in Africa. Life Prizes is their newest initiative and is already being championed by a number of devoted pro-life leaders from various branches of the movement.

To interview Cathy Ruse, Executive Director of Life Prizes, please contact Colleen O'Boyle at (703) 683-5004 ext. 122

My post earlier today about the newly opened Denver Planned Parenthood referred to PP CEO Leslie Durgin who stated the building was "on budget".

Wait, not so fast, unless "on budget" means a 50% cost overrun.

Projected budget when this story first broke last August:

And two newspaper accounts within the last two weeks on the actual cost:

[HT: Will Duffy]

9News.com today called the newly opened Denver Planned Parenthood "Fort Knox," referring to its $300k security system. Of course, the real Fort Knox is tightly protected because of all the gold it stores, a fitting analogy to PP all the way around.

Denver PP CEO Leslie Durgin said the new abortion big-box, at 50k sq. ft. -- more than double the previous U.S. PP big-box record holder in Aurora, IL, at 22k sq. ft. -- was completed three months ahead of schedule and within budget.

Certainly, the schedule and budget were made generous, due to anticipated pro-life aggravators. Amplified by the added impetus for speedy construction to quell the pickets (which aren't going to stop, as promised) and negative PR, and that's not saying anything.

Click on image below to link to video:

Will Duffy and The Collaborators Project are to be commended for their tireless efforts in picketing PP construction aides like Weitz execs....

This Rocky Mountain News story protested too much, making it appear as if pro-life pickets are almost good for business. Sorry, not buying it.

Nor is at least one other major U.S. construction company, as the impact of the diligence of Denver pro-lifers spreads. Reported the Associated Press June 30:

A construction company set to help build a Planned Parenthood clinic in northeast Portland [OR] has dropped the project, citing pressure from anti-abortion activists....

Walsh Construction Co. owner Bob Walsh, said he was approached two years ago to build a medical clinic. But when PP of the Columbia/
Willamette signed on as the anchor tenant, Walsh said he called other builders who had dealt with aggressive anti-abortion activists. He was told that protesters had gone as far as staking out contractors' homes.

"It's disruptive and very threatening," he told The Oregonian. "I just didn't want to put my family through that."

Walsh said his decision was not based on moral judgment.

[Architectural rendering of Portland PP courtesy of KATU.com]

I always look forward to reading what Hollywood stars, being way more inventive than me or most I know, will name their children. Some are real misses, like the names Julia Roberts picked for her twins: Hazel and Phinneas. But some are real hits.

Here's one, as reported by Us magazine, July 7:

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban chose a "really adorable and original" baby name for newborn daughter Sunday Rose, baby name expert Pam Satran, coauthor of Cool Names and The Baby Name Bible, tells Usmagazine.com.

"Sunday [is] a choice to rival Tom and Katie's Suri and Brad and Angelina's Shiloh," Satran says.

Kidman, 41, gave birth to Sunday - who weighed 6 pounds, 7 ounces - on Monday morning. It is the first child for the actress and Urban, 40. (Kidman has two adopted children - Connor, 13, and Isabella, 15 - with ex Tom Cruise.)...

"Sunday is one of the next generation of word names," explains Satran. "But it also harkens back to the ancient tradition of day-naming as practiced by many African tribes and originally brought to America by the early slaves."

Other famous day names? Actress Tuesday Weld, the character Wednesday Addams and Robinson Crusoe's Friday.

"Some modern parents like Sunday because of its spiritual element, which connects to such other starbaby names as Angelina and Brad's son Pax and pop names like Nevaeh," Satran adds.

Sunday emulates Suri because both "unusual first names begin with Su and have two syllables," says Satran.

The name also represents Whitsundays, an island chain off the coast of Queensland, Australia - where Kidman and Urban celebrated her 40th birthday - and it is a day of prayer in Kidman's Catholic religion.

Satran says Rose is the "starbaby middle name of the decade."

The daughters of Michelle Pfeiffer, Teri Hatcher, Ewan McGregor and Eric Clapton all have Rose as their middle name. Sylvester Stallone... has 3 daughters with the middle name Rose.

The couple's decision to give Sunday Rose both of their last names "is a signal that this is a marriage of equals," Satran says.

[HT: proofreaders Laura Loo and Angela; Urban/Kidman photo courtesy of Huffington Post; Stallone family photo courtesy of celebrity-babies.com]