FrontPage magazine.com :: Why A Jew Supports Christian America by Don Feder

I found this article while surfing the news and may I say Don Feder is right on. He has an interesting quote: "Finally, I believe the safety of American Jews lies with Christian America.

In secular Europe, Jews are beaten in the streets. Our college campuses – dogmatically liberal – have turned into snake pits of anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism. The news media, which are so hostile to Christianity, are equally antagonistic toward Israel". This is truly the case in Canada; our's is a secular society and so we allow Islamic fundalmentalist groups at Concordia University to bar Israeli government leaders from appearing. They did this by first rioting and from then on by making threats of riots. The problem is the liberal administration is fearful of the violence. But if they had immediately put pressure on the Islamic groups not to riot, there would not be the problem.

The Jewish population of Canada would do well to follow the lead of this writer's article and support pro-Christian political parties. The mainstream media is worse in Canada, Christianity is viewed as dangerous to rights. Just consider the hostility being raged regarding same sex marriage; those who support the traditional view of marriage are pilloried as being totally out of touch. It is not a question of stifling freedom is having a point of view and yet in Canada if you possess a point of view that is outside of the CBC Toronto elite you are going to be villified.

Freedom of expression means freedom to express views that are contrary. Protect it.


Peace

The name is Francis Tolliver / Twas Christmas In The Trenches

Here's the song that has come to describe that amazing event.

HELLFIRE CORNER - The Christmas Truce - 1914

The spirit of humanity is still amazing. How soldiers stopped killing, not because of official orders but rather because they saw the humanity of each other.

Let's hope the same spirit of peace will fill this week.


Peace be to you all

Green Party of Canada - Parti Vert du Canada

With Christmas almost upon us, we need to remember all the organizations in our various communities who are doing something to deal with child poverty. The question is how many hampers were given to individuals across this nation? I know some groups, such as the Fraser Institute like to complain about the definition of poverty. They do this to claim there are far fewer people below the poverty level. The complain that those who 'inflate' the numbers do so for some personal gain, let me say something, no one 'inflates' the numbers for personal gain. There is none, in this day and age very few people care about the poor, especially with the media. The only time people care about the poor is when the poor interfere with their lives.

I know people talk about the fact the effort to eradicate child poverty is a pipe dream. They will further say there's not enough money to deal with the problem. However, it seems when a company such as Bombardier
needs money, it's always available.

We need to keep the pressure on our politicians and remind them that the goal of this nation is not to solve the problems of private industry, but to ensure no Canadian is left behind.


Peace

Sympatico / MSN : News : CTV.ca

I'm glad Paul is having such a great time with his new best friend Moammar. I mean poor Paul at home he faces questions about his choice of ministers and his view on different issues. He waffles more then the Waffle House and now he's in trouble again. He wanted to take his family to meet his new bestest friend and the best way to take them was on the government jet, yet all those nasty people in the opposition benches got all upset. I mean hey, so it cost a few bucks, it's not like the government is going broke; after all it does have a nine billion dollar surplus. For all that money, surely he can afford to take his family on some vacation.

Oh well, maybe same sex marriage will take the heat off.

Peace

Well, it's been a time hasn't it. I suppose I should give the excuses why I haven't been blogging over the last few days. The question could be asked, nothing outrageous from the Canadian government? Or has Paul Martin been a good little boy?

The answer to both is, no. Outrageous, of course, lots, there is still the Adscandel, which I promise never to forget. As for Paul, well he left the country again, after saying he should have been a bit more focused for his first 12 months. Actually Paul I think the country would be far off worse if you had forcused, but that's only me. Although why don't you get back to fixing the democracy deficit like you promised, or getting to the bottom of the scandel, or dealing with the deplorable state of the Canadian military. Speaking of which, in NATO nations, Canada ranks third from the bottom in military spending, only Luxembourg and Iceland is worse, and Iceland doesn't have a military. Yes, I always want to be better then Iceland.

But the reason why I haven't been blogging is two-fold actually. The first reason is I spent the weekend reading the DaVinci Code. May I say it was an amazing book, I couldn't put it down at all, I just had to read it and finish it. It was that good. Yes I know about the facts regarding the Holy Grail and the Knights Templars, still it makes for good reading. I was interested to learn that you can take DaVinci Tours and see all the sights mentioned in the book. Now that would be worth the money.

The second reason was I spent time installing Windows Pocket PC2003 on my Dell Axim X5. I wasn't sure if it would work, but after some time and the later realization I didn't need to stay up so late trying to do it, I got it up and running on my machine. It is different and there are improvements, although I'm still having problems with my wifi drivers and trying to connect, that may simply take time.

So, now that those two things are done, it's back to blogging.


Peace

I would be remiss not to mention this day, the 24th anniversary of the death of John Lennon. I remember it as a night of sadness and an end of an era. The workingclass hero himself was gunned down by a deranged "fan". The world had added to itself some more sadness.
I want to conclude this blog with the words of his famous song "Happy Christmas (war is over)


So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
Ans so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young

A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Christmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The world is so wrong
And so happy Christmas
For black and for white
For yellow and red ones
Let's stop all the fight
A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Christmas
And what have we done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
Ans so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young
A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
War is over over
If you want it
War is over
Now...

God Bless you John, sleep well tonight. We miss you.

 

Big Music Canada Fiasco

This is a great article, especially the last point: "That should read, Canadians demand Ottawa protect them from Big Music". First of all, I do understand politicians will always go where the money is, period. The average consumer, or perhaps a better word the average person who happenes to download music of the Internet is not by definition a wealthy person. Big Music is very wealthy, these clowns can buy and sell politicians at will. They say 'jump' and they get the government to look like a bunch of Jack Russel terriers. Jumping jumping jumping.

Now musicians are jumping into the fray by demanding protection from illegal copiers. Here's another quote: "In fact, the musicians haven’t really demanded anything. The cartel-owned CRIA (Canadian Recording Industry Association of America) is behind the massive PR exercise, having provided the musicians with its own self-serving and completely one-sided statistics with which to con the media and, through them, bring Canadian politicians into line - Big Music's line". this is funny, Big Music has been the enemy of musicians from almost day one. The idea of most of Big Music is to screw the musician out of their royalties. You can go through history, it wasn't just the black artists that got screwed, it was acts as recent as the Dixie Chicks, for example. Now they're singing BM's tune, give me a break. Big music is only interested in big Profit. How do you explain the sad state of creativity now? If the musicians want updates to the copyright law, their demand should be to own the copyright of their music. Most of the time, it's owned by the music companies and they do with as they please.

Let us always remember, Big Music IS the enemy. Keep downloading everyone, it's the one act of freedom you have. Rememeber you're already paying a levy on blank media, so you've paid for the right to share and download. So do it with aplomb. It's your way to liberate music from the chains of Big Music. The enemy is CRIA, RIAA and everyone initial.

Peace

Vancouver Sun: "Ji-Won Park "

If only Ji-Won Park was either a volunteer for the local Liberal candidate or a stripper, she'd have no fears of expulsion. Then again I guess it's hard to go door to door when you're a nearly totally paralyzed after suffering a severe beating at the hands of an assailant. Also, that sort of thing really mucks up dancing around a pole.

Contact your local MP and tell them to get the Immigration Ministry to get this poor woman landed immigrant status.

Peace

CTV.ca | Volpe ends foreign stripper assessment

Just a little life lesson here for everyone, including the Pimp Momma. You see when they start making announcements over you, it means you're done. Here is the case the Minister of another department stands up and deals with an issue that belongs in the case of the Immigration Minister, no more visas. You see, she's getting dragged over the coals and no one in the government is rushing to her assistance. They are announcing changes in policy that impact her department though, while she sits there being grilled. Why? For one simple reason, she is road kill. Trust me, next time Paul shuffles his cabinet Pimp Momma will be on the outside looking in. Everyone in the government now knows that as a fact. Where she resigns or is 'fired' is irrelevent, she is done.

You see it's always a bad thing when they talk about you in front of you, like you're not there, because in their eyes, you're not there. You are done, finished, stick a fork in her mommy cuz this bird is cooked.

Peace

The Globe and Mail: Strippers put Ottawa program at centre stage

The Pimp Momma herself Judy Sgro continues to make herself sounds like a total gnob every chance she gets. Listen to this little beauty: "Ms. Sgro reiterated that she is a supporter of women's rights, but noted that the exotic-dancing industry "has a need, and we have an obligation to fulfill that need whether I like it or not"". thank goodness we have such a minister.

I live near a border community which has from what I can see a fair number of strip, sorry exotic dance clubs. They seem to have enough dancers and yet we have the Minister of Immigration such weird and outlandish statements. I wonder if Pimp Momma reads what she says.

Judy, Judy, Judy. Give up.

Peace

London Free Press: News Section - Sgro defends strippers' right to work in Canada

Far be it for me to question the word of a minister of the crown but, HUH?????

This is beautiful, Sgro is defending the fact she fast tracked a woman, who is a stripper, into Canada because she just happened to work on her campaign. This is hilarious. I have a question, why can't she simply admit she was wrong?

What is interesting is the comment from the law professor, not that Canadian strippers would never do the demeaning things demanded of them, it's rather the quality of the stripper. I mean if true, these young women are teachers, nurses and other trained professionals. Look if they applied as a nurse, they would be turned down, because the medical professional is very protective. I mean, yes they complain about the lack of people, but trust me they don't want to have foreigners coming in to take 'their' jobs. Yet, because these ladies can take their clothes off, a skill most of us learn when we're three, they're allowed in. Because they will humiliate themselves to beer drinking beer bellied louts, who's 'managers' give money to the Liberal Minister of Immigration, they get in.

Judy, Judy, Judy. You were wrong. Admit it, resign will you. You're only making yourself look very very stupid.

You would think, waking up this morning and listening to the news, that a few feet of snow fell last night. In the nearby city, there are accidents on almost all the major roads. Yet a millimetre fall and its chaos out there. Here's an idea to all you drivers, slow down. Don't figure you can go 110 down those 50k roads like you do every other day of the year. You can't. Slow down and learn to drive safely for a change.  

U2 Lyrics - Yahweh Lyrics - Yahweh

I have been spending my time listening to the new CD "How to dismantle an Atomic Bomb" and the very last cut is the one that totally blew me away.

I know the first one 'Vertigo' has been getting all the play and certainly for very good reason. It's straight ahead RAWK that takes over your speakers and hits you hard and fast. It is righteous rock and played the right way.

However it's this last song that got to me. Here is Bono and Co sharing their unique brand of Christianity with the world. Here in North America we think all Christians are like Jerry Falwell and his ilk, mean-spirited hatemongers that have more in common with the Pharisees then Jesus. However the 'religious right' and I won't sully the name of Christianity by adding it to the usual title, don't or at least shouldn't have the market of Christian thought. We have Bono and U2, a third branch of Christianity, one that actually may be closer to the truth then many would want to believe.

The words are those of dedication to Yahweh, one of the names of God as revealed in the Old Testament. The name means "the Hebrew name God. It is usually explained as based on the Hebrew verb for “to be or become,” but it is not easy to translate. “The one who is” or “who causes to be” are possibilities.". The believer is coming to the One who Is and giving him or herself totally to Him, so that Yahweh can make them the person they ought. Just read the first verse of the song:
Take these shoes
Click clacking down some dead end street
Take these shoes
And make them fit
Take this shirt
Polyester white trash made in nowhere
Take this shirt
And make it clean, clean
Take this soul
Stranded in some skin and bones
Take this soul
And make it sing

Moving words that remind us that we do have a part to play in the plan of God. But before we can do this, we need to be fit vessels for His service.

May each of us be that fit vessel.


Peace

waving and singing 

Bono and band in action 

From the concert under the bridge in Brooklyn 

some more 

Some more photographs of U2 in concert 

Bono  

These pictures were sent to me of U2's concert in New York City.  

when the first notes of "Vertigo" hit my radio station I thought to myself, 'this is one CD I have got to purchase'. I've been a fan of U2 for going on 20 years and I have never been as excited as I am about this CD. Here the group is returning to the power and unique sound that has been the trademark of the group.

I remember buying "Pop" becoming aware that this is rather disappointing, I supposed it was only part of the wrong turn the group did with the 'Zootropia' tour and subsequent releases. As you know 'Zootropia' was a sort of parody they wanted to play on themselves and the pop culture world in general. But somewhere along the way the parody became themselves and they became rather self-absorbed. I disliked "Pop", in fact of the various Cd's I own, it may be the least played of them all.

Part of my faith was renewed with both the 1980-1990 'Best of.." and later "All that you can't leave behind". It was as if they were coming out of the wilderness and reminding themselves what made them one of the great rock bands of the ages. Now with "How to dismantle an Atomic Bomb" they come back with a vengence and a relevance that seemes to have been lacking. Here we have the vocals and lyrics of Bono, the unique guitaring of The Edge and the back up play of Larry Mullens and Adam Clayton. They are here to say, 'we are not parodies of ourselves, we are still U2'. The styles of the CD do go from the classic hard Rawkin' Vertigo to the soft ballad style of 'Some Times you can't make it on your own'. We must never forget there has always been a sensitive side to the group. They are introspective as well and this a good part of the mix. Perhaps they thought we needed to catch our breath after 'Vertigo'.

But rockers they are and the end the CD with a rock song 'Yahweh', a reminder that this is a band with a conscious and one that plays rock.

Enjoy it, you deserve to.

Peace

New York Daily News - News & Views - Stoolie: Canada pol in mob

Just when I thought it would be a quiet non blogging day there's this.

Thank you former PM Jean Chretien for putting a foot soldier of the Mob into sensitive government posts such as "Public Works" and "Labour", two areas the Mob has been trying to influence for years.

Was this to pay off some sort of debt you owed the GodFather??

Peace.

News | canada.com network

A moment of silence as we remember the political career of Carolyn Parrish. Bow your heads for just a moment.

Thank you.

You know here's a case of a person who didn't know where the line was drawn even after it was freshly painted and it was pointed out to her. I invite you to read the article to refresh yourself about her rather interesting career and the unique ability she had of walking and talking with feet in her mouth.

From early on it was obvious she didn't like George W. Bush, in fact I would say 'hate' would not be too far off the mark. Well she demonstrated her opinion by applying the boot of logic, leather too, to a GWB doll. Now people were crying for her head after that, but what really did it was when she expressed her opinon about the PM. Apparently she had some inside information as to where he was going to spend eternity. It seems Paul doesn't care too much for dissension in ranks. Oh well, so much for the "democratic deficit".

Well she's been banished to the back of the proverbial bus, she now sits as an independent. Now while the name indicates a certain strength of character and ideals if you wanted the truth a better name would be 'leper'. She will be treated like one and shunned like one. She will effectively disappear from the political stage since lepers, sorry, independents have absolutely no political clout. Also since she is not a 'Liberal', she will get no support for her nominations or even get anyone like the PM to sign off on them.

Oh well, enjoy the pension Carolyn, I think that's all you will have coming.


Peace

TheStar.com - Sensible helmet law

A little while ago, one of the MPP's in Ontario put forward a private members bill that would call for the mandatory wearing of bike helmets while riding bikes or going out on roller blades. Since that time the writers in my local paper have been almost unanimous in their criticism of this proposed measure. I can almost imagine the writers turning various shades of either blue or red as they work themselves up in a lather over this perceived violation of their cherished rights and freedoms. Often the writers will warn us of that this legislation is not as innoculous as we all presume it to be. In fact this law will put us on the slippery road to the establishment of a Soviet style Communist regime. We all know from reading our history books that it was only when Lenin ordered all cyclists in Russia to don on a bike helmet that he was able to established the Communist system.

Let me say a few things about this, I am a cyclist and I couldn't imagine going riding without my helmet. The purpose of the helmet is to protect the rider from serious head and brain injury. I started doing serious riding in BC, where it is mandatory and it makes a lot of sense. Not only that but helmets are made of light weight material and have enough air holes to ensure there is proper ventilation of there. Plus kids and adults wearing helmets are very cool. If you question that statement consider this, Alison Sydor wears a helmet. That makes it not only right but very very proper.

Mind you what I don't appreciate is the fact that the government wants to institute fines and all that for those scofflaws who refuse to wear them. That's good, it will either be a cheap ticket for the cops to give out when it's quota season, or unenforceable. I'm sure once the police solve all the murders, rapes and robberies, they'll get right after those nefarious cyclists without helmets.

Again, wear helmets guys and gals it will make you look very cool.


Peace

agt67

This was a wonderful experience for me, to have an email interview with Patricia O'Callaghan and to put it all together in a great issue of my ezine.

I recommend you find and purchase her latest CD, "Naked Beauty", it is wonderful and restores your faith in the music scene.

Peace

G4techTV - The Screen Savers

Let me tell you a little story: a few years ago my family and I were driving through northern Michigan. At night we stopped at a motel to relax and just sleep. The motel had satellite TV and I discovered this channel called "TechTV". I watched 'Max Headroom', 'Thunderbirds' and this other show called 'the ScreenSavers'. I was hooked. A channel that liked the same thing I liked, gadgets, technology and computers. I decided then and there if there was any chance I was going to get this channel. A year later we signed up for satellite. It was the Canadian provider StarChoice. As I went through the booklet I saw it, TechTV!. I immediately ordered that as part of the channels available. Since then I became an even bigger fan. I watched, "The ScreenSavers", "Call for Help", "Robot Wars", "XPlay" and even 'Unscrewed'. Now they had a few Canadian based programs such as re-runs of 'ShiftTV', let us bow for a moment of silence to that now defunct magazine, 'shift'.

Things went well until this spring, when news of merger with it and another channel called G4TV. This came to pass and alas things started to change, the first to go was Leo Laporte, who was both the host of 'the ScreenSavers' and 'Call for Help'. Then all these other shows started to appear like G4TV? Huh? The summer came and there was the promise of even more things, changes changes. 'Call for Help' also got rid of Cat Schwartz, they had Wil Wheaton, which wasn't all that bad.

So the summer came and late in it there was still rumours of change and some concrete news, one was that Leo was coming back with Call for Help, he announced he was coming back, 'Canada!'. The new 'the Screensavers' debuted with Kevin Rose, Sarah Lane and Alex Albretch. Okay it started slow, I mean Alex taking a sledgehammer to a Mac was not cool but they were beginning to gel as a team. Certainly the time Alex kept the thermal cam on Sarah was ummm interesting, you certainly got a good view of her perky nips that's for sure.

Now the news, 'The ScreenSavers' is in hiatus until the end of November and there will be change. There is already the news that Alex, modder Yoshi and Dan are gone! Now we are left to know, just what will those idiots at G4TechTV do next. You see G4 is a gaming network and hasn't a clue. The shows that they brought are stupid. Here's the list of their idiotic shows, G4TV, Players, Arena reveal a level of stupidity that is breathtaking.

I hate to think what will be next.

I'm waiting to pull the plug on G4TechTV.


Peace

Globetechnology

The typical response by Ottawa, slap a tax, sorry a levy on something. Here it is again, Ottawa is attempting to combat the fact that people are sharing files all over the Internet by making us pay a levy for the privilege to hook our computers onto the Internet. Let me say something first of all, if you want to quote what I say, you can, free of charge. That's right my wisdom for not a cent, nada.

The problem is there's already a levy on a lot of things. There a levy on blank cassettes and CD's. I'm sure there's a levy on MP3 players and anything that can play a MP3 file. Now this.

The question that comes to mind, who hands out the money. If the assumption is this is a levy that will be distributed to the owners of the copyrighted material, who is going to see that the right people get the money. Okay, the easy target is downloading music and software. Just send the money to Bill Gates and to Celine Dion, but what about photographs? What about documents? In other words what about the rest. Usually with photographs it's either offered for free or there is a charge to download. There are a number of online companies that sell photographs and you pay for that right.

Now this is interesting: "The committee's premise is that all work on the Internet is someone's property. You can read it or listen to it, but unless there is an explicit legal notice saying the material can be used, you would not be permitted to save a copy to disk or print it out without paying a copyright collective such as Access Copyright." True, but how many people make their material available free of charge. Creative people don't mind making it available for people to read, look, listen or watch thethey do it because they want to. I publish a web based ezine and I receive material from around the globe, from people who aren't looking for financial reimbursement, rather to get their work out into the public eye. Am I an evil person because I share their work, of course not. If I didn't that would defeat the purpose of the exercise. Here is our politicians listening to the special interest groups, read the ones with the money, rather then caring for the needs of ordinary people
Another good site is 'Canada wants an Internet levy -- fight back!'. There is a link to a petition that you can sign and send to Ottawa. Also it is a good idea to send your email to the Heritage Minister Liza Frulla @ Frulla.L@parl.gc.ca
. Let your voice be heard.


Peace and today, thank a Veteran.

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh month the guns fell silent over Europe and the horror that was the First World War came to an end.

However its promise as the "War to End all Wars" was broken twenty years later.

Today we remember those brave men who heard the call to defend freedom and took up arms. Many returned, many did not.



In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.


We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.


Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.




Peace

Solar Terrestrial Dispatch - Leader in Space Weather Forecasting Services

I had just returned from picking up my daughter from work when I happened to look up in the skies. I saw this wisp of something and wondered if it was the northern lights, then I looked a bit west and what a display. The sky was alive with Aurora. It was amazing. I quickly turned off the lights in the front of the house and just stood there. I was mesmerized by the sight, all this shimmering gossamer dancing and moving south. After about 20-25 minutes the front of the aurora reached Orion and it covered the constellation in a gauze of colour.
The Aurora was dancing and shimmering all around me, even straight above me was the aurora. I couldn't believe how much of the sky was covered with it. It stayed the green and then later on, some pockets of red began to appear and move, this was west of my position. I took some pictures but I haven't downloaded them to take a look. It was an amazing display, and from what I read, more of the same tonight. So guess what I'm doing tonight.

Earlier in the afternoon, my wife was complaining that the satellite was kicking out every so often, I think we now know the answer, must have been some solar wind storm.

So tonight all, get out and watch.


Peace.

I've been accused of not being a true blue conservative, you know that was the nicest thing a person has said to me all day. They stated that I gave my comment on the alledged 'faith' of one George W. Bush. I feel he is a charlatan, a man who mouths the right platitudes but it means nothing. He espouses 'Christian' values, however if you listen closely he actually espouses hate. Hate for anyone who isn't like him. That's an odd thing to call 'Christian'. I was watching a clip of the Reverands Jesse Jackson and Jerry Falwell; it was interesting. Falwell was going on about hunting down and killing 'those' in the name of the Lord. What was interesting is that if he wore a beard and had a turban on his head instead of a suit and said "Allah", you would have thought he was Osama. Then again I have a question for him and his followers; when he said 9-11 was God's "punishment" for the feminists and gays that New York City is filled with, is he saying the terrorists were doing God's will? Funny that's what the terrorist said. So how can he be against them when they are simply, by his own comments, doing the will of God.

As I have said in earlier blogs, I am a Christian and I consider myself an evangelical. However I don't believe faith should be used as a means of dividing people. It will divide people that's plain enough but it should never be the means of instilling hatred in people. Bush and the Republican party takes the name of God as justification for their evil ways. They say 'pro-life' when the only time they say that is for the unborn. Once they're born, they're fodder. There is no compassion, they demonize everyone who is 'different'. This is wrong. James said this "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep himself unspotted from the world.". This is true religion, maybe if Bush and his ilk practiced it, I would be less dubious of his claims.

Peace

CNN.com - Kerry calls Bush to concede - Nov 3, 2004

Full marks for John Kerry to put the country before any personal feelings or his ego. It's now up to President Bush to pull his country out of the doldrums. In a way it's only fitting, after all most of the mess the US is in, be it Iraq, or internationally, is due to him so now he has to clean it up.

It will be interesting to see what Iraq will be like in four years, a prosperous democratic nation, or the graveyard of many thousands of US troops.

Peace

Yahoo! News - Doonesbury

As a long time reader of "Doonesbury", I was really fascinating to read today's comic. Here is Mark Slackmeyer saying nice things about Richard M. Nixon. Now it's history lesson time everyone, but years and years and years ago, during the
Watergate scandel Mark gave a very interesting editorial. He was working for the Walden campus radio station when he gave his opinion of Nixon. The last panel showed Mark wild eye, pounding his desk, saying "that's guilty..guilty, guilty, guilty". This was in reference to Nixon.

Yet what a difference 40 years does make, Nixon was willing to put aside his personal desires for the nation. Can you imagine Bush doing something like that? Not in a million years, first of all, I think the handlers of both parties would rather litigate then step aside.

What an amazing election, when I woke up some Republican nob was going on about how the President won, yet the Electoral vote seems to indicate one thing, it ain't over guys and gals, so sit down. I think it's good that there is a concern to make sure the decision is the right one. However, let me say this, don't recount this to death, there will be a time when it's over and one side will win. To the other side, get over yourself, you've lost.

Another note of congratulations to all who voted, one of the best turn out in recent years, good going all. You are making a differenece.

I guess we'll just have to wait.


Peace

This is the BIG morning for the Americans. You have an opportunity to make a change in your nation. Personally and I write this as an outsider, I hope you consider the claims of John Kerry and vote accordingly.

As you know from previous blog I now don't support your war in Iraq, your brave soldiers are dying to make the world safe for companies like Haliburton. The war is a sham, an move to gain access to Iraq's Oil field. Period. There is no plan to establish a safe government that will be recognized as legitimate by the people. There is no exit plan and the result will be more death. I had a long talk with a Vietnam Vet and he shared his experience ( 3 tours of duty), he believes Iraq has the potential of being this generation's Vietnam. It is a war he believes the US should not engage in and it will only get bad. I asked him about John Kerry and his opinion following his experience; he said Kerry only voiced what a lot of vets felt about the War.

I would say to my fellow believers, you have been sold a bill of goods. If you listen to people like Jerry Falwell, you are making a big mistake. Republicans have done nothing for Christians; yes I know they push all the right buttons, abortion, private schools, prayer in schools and so on, but you know something, they have done very little. You want to know why, because if they actually did come through with these they would not have your support. They have no desire to do that. They want to keep you on their side and so they paint the Democrats as the devil incarnate when they have no interest in following through. The reason why so many televangelists support the Republicans comes from simply corruption- their money comes from monied interests. Big money has no interest in the gospel of Jesus. There are a number of reasons most of them being Money has always appointed the Gospel. I remind you the message of Jesus was good news to the poor and the Rich hate good news for the poor. Also the Republican Party is filled with bigots. It's interesting to note that in Ohio, the Republicans will have scrutineers ready to challenge the registration of any and all voters. Kind of reminds me of the Nazi's having their Brown Shirts out of polling areas to intimidate voters. It's the same thing. Why are they doing this, because they hate Blacks and poor people. They will intimidate anyone they feel won't be voting Bush. This is wrong. You let people vote. Period. You don't intimidate people you allow them the right to exercise their rights. You can read about it here. President Bush, call off their 21st century Brown Shirts. Let the people decide. That's what a democracy is all about, allowing people the right to choose without fear of intimidation. You might say I'm using that word a lot, well that's the word to be used. Don't you dare President Bush. You allow all people the privilege to vote. Tell your brother to knock off the crap in florida.

Well I'll be watching The Daily Show this evening at 10:00 PM. Should be good.


Peace

BostonHerald.com - Local/ Regional News: Time to turn clocks back

Just one more to add to this day's blog. Remember to set the clocks back before you go to bed. An extra hour of sleep. Whoo Hoo.

We have two cats in our household. This is an early photograph of the two of them. The one in the foreground is Eowyn and she is a muted tortoiseshell. The one at the back is Theo and he's all white. Eowyn annoys Theo. She is a kitten, she has a lot of energy and can't sit still. Theo hisses every so often at her when he's had enough. Eowyn takes no nonsence from Theo. It's rather entertaining at times. 

The scene of my backyard. The joy of trees means the work of raking leaves. It's part of the process of the season and to be expected. I must admit, when the weather is fine and the sun is shining, raking is a wonderful activity. How else can you get so close to nature? Fortunately where I live there is an extensive composting program. Every other week, grass clipping, food and other material is placed by the side of the road for pick-up At this time of year it includes leaves; yesterday I placed 11 paper bags of leaves and they were all gone this morning. Right now I have four packed and I've only just begun. 

while searching through Blogs, I came across this Link. The Internet is 35 years old. Today was the first time two computers at distant locations were connected and communicated with each other. The first act was an email from UCLA to Stanford. I liked what the person interviewed said, they had no earthshaking message, just 'log', 'in'. As Dr. Leonard Kleinrock they weren't prepared for any 'history-making' moment. I supposed they were more concerned whether the whole thing would work or not.

So, from that humble and bug filled beginning, it crashed, and my isn't that prophetic, we now have the World Wide Web, Blogs, Email, Spam, Adware, Spyware and the ability to communicate to anyone who has a computer attached to the Internet. I know I use capitals, I think Wired had decreed that 'Internet', would only be given in regular, not capitalized letters. Still it is a significant piece of communication and I think still worthy of being capitalized.

Happy Birthday Internet. May you grow, prosper and continue to keep us communicating with each other, even if it does mean I still get Viagra ads filling my inbox.


Peace.

bIPlog: Revolution is not an AOL Keyword*

came across this blog while looking at a t shirt from Jinx.com
the place for all your geek wear.

fascinating. take the time to read.

peace

Like a lot of other blogs and bloggers I want to give full props to Red Sox Nation today. It's been a long time between World Series hasn't it. I remember watching the series Baseball by Ken Burns. One of the episodes dealt with the Boston Red Sox. I recall Bob Costas saying, and this may not be an exact quote: 'to be Red Sox fan is to be involved in a Greek Tragedy, you constantly draw your eyes to the heavens and ask the question 'why?'. Certainly since the alledged curse of the Bambino, which started when the owner of the Boston Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees after the 1918 World Series. Certainly if one examines the recent and distant history of the BoSox, one has to wonder if there isn't some sort of truth to this talk of a curse. We all remember what happened to Bucky Dent in game six of the 1986 World Series, the ball dribbled through his legs and the Mets won that game, and won the next and thus another Series hope was dashed.

I heard a funny story, and this tells you something about the obsession of Red Sox Nation, on the Jim Rome Show. This fellow recounted the time he brought this girl from school to over to his house. His father was there and so the fellow introduced her to his dad. As they shook hands, the girl told the father that her father was a baseball game, I think she saw all the Red Sox material. He asked who he was and she replied, "Bill Buckner". In the middle of shaking hands, he exclaimed: "Bill F*****g Buckner!!!" and whipped his hand out of her's. Red Sox Nation does not easily forget or forgive.

Yet, all that is now in the past, BoSox fan you have at long last your World Series win, the curse has been broken. You will all remember last night, October 27, 2004 for two things, one the lunar eclipse and two, the night your beloved team finally won the world series.

Sleep well and enjoy Red Sox Nation, you have suffered a lot of abuse, from the hands of your enemies and from your memories. Sleep well.


Oh yes, before I sign off, I came across this quote from the Motley Fools: "Then, the fatality and inevitability that comes with being a Boston Red Sox fan -- our inability to win the World Series since 1918 is cloaked in sports' greatest mythology (the curse of the Bambino) and wrapped in heartbreak".


Also, Wired featured an article about a bet between Mike Elliot and Ted Danson. The wager was that the Men's Soccer team would win the World Cup before the Red Sox win the World Series. Looks like Ted Danson and his charity won finally.

Peace

This is the good thing about blogs, the fact that I can LAUNCH A RANT!!!!!!!. All under a certain level of protection which is afforded me until someone I'm ranting about reads it and realize I am talking about them.

So I went to my regional office to deal with some matters taking place where I work. I didn't go alone we were a delegation. We had been told the information to bring and what sort of presentation they expected. We were also told to be enthusiastic, which I did agree and so we all went.

For the most part the presentation was upbeat, there was a good deal of discussion, some give, some take and some openness. All of which is good, then came my time for presentation. It was going to be a good one as well, worked a few hours on it and had quotes from people like Alan Greenspan and Henry David Thoreau. I figure anytime you can drop a quote from the author of Walden, it's got to be a good thing. So I was reading and discussing when one of the panelists said this is not what they expected. He then proceeded to tell me what they had expected. Now there's nothing wrong with that, after all presentations should be geared to answer the question given. There was only one little problem, They did not ask me to answer that question. In fact that wasn't even to be dealt with!!!!! Understand I wanted to deal with issues but they should at least give me an idea what issues they wish to deal with. It was snarling time.

Then a request was made, and it was one the group needed an answer and we got a flat out 'no'. Again not a problem, however we had the resources in place to deal with the need. It was our funds but they refused to consider the issue. They made a proposal, which was so incredibly asinine that our delegation left with heads shaking.

One question was asked and that was if we were a stand-alone, not tied to their office would we be able to survive, the answer from one of the delegates and this was honest was, if we didn't have to pay so much money and waste capital dealing with the regional office and head, we could. Touche I say.

Well, that's out of my system. I feel so glad. They are still all a bunch of nobs.


Peace

This morning I went to a very interesting church service. It was a seminar that examined "The Christian Response to Israel". What is the response to Israel, certainly a look around would say the response is usually critical and nature of condemnation. Israel it appears can do no right in the eyes of the world.

Yet you have to wonder why the west joins in the condemnation, after all Israel is a modern western democracy that is surviving and perhaps even thriving, an island of freedom in a sea of tyranny. However every step the nation takes for survival and protection is questioned and as I said, condemned.

What is the stance of the church and of Christians, the speaker presented an examiniation of the spiritual response to Israel. Basically we should support Israel, after all, these are the people who gave the Messiah.

It is also the easiest way of blessing, Yahweh told Abraham, "I will bless them that bless you." ( Genesis 12:3). If for no other reason this alone stands true, the way to experience God's blessing is to bless His ancient people. There should also be an understanding that to curse His ancient people is to invite His curse. You look at the nations of the world and you see that.

We should also help Israel, and it is our duty, perhaps the most power verse the speaker gave was Romans 15:27:Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things. We owe the Jews much of our spiritual heritage and because of this, the call is to offer support to the ancient people of God. Believers need to stand up against anti-Semitism. We must but before we do that we must examine our own house. Sadly it's very easy to develop an attitude of hatred to the jews. We know the drill, they're rich, they're snobbish and of course the main one, they're the ones who killed Jesus. The last one is ironic because we don't say that to Romans or Italians. After all it was Romans that actually killed Jesus. Yet no one yells, "Christ Killer" at any Italians. We need to repent and rebuke that attitude in our fellowships.

We are also to comfor the Jews. We need to let them know that they are not hated and that there are people who support them.

The Bible says: "Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you".


It was an blessing to have attended this seminar.


Peace

Yahoo! Sports - MLB - Hard to believe: Yankees finally collapse!

Talk about getting a monkey off your back. Congratulations Red Sox Nation on the unbelieveable. After years of watching other teams win, the Sox did it.

What they did was simple, they punked the New York Yankees. Here they were the Yanks with a foot on their head ready to kick them into oblivion and yet they get up and deliver the boot to the groin to the Yanks.

This is a first, the only team to win after being down 3-0.

So way to go Red Sox. But you still have one more series before you put that curse to bed.


Peace

CBC.ca - The Greatest Canadian

so the list is out! the top ten finalists for the greatest Canadian, as chosen by you, the viewer, is now posted. It is an interesting list that is for sure. Some surprises that were pleasant, some that I knew would be there, both because it is the CBC and a few because they are great Canadians.

The surprise, Don Cherry. I think this is probably a bit of a 'screw you CBC for tying to get rid of him' vote. Still I suspect this may be an attempt to get the vote CBC really wants and that is that Pierre Trudeau be declared the "Greatest Canadian". Which is a crock by the way. i was surprised to see William L.M. King on the list, yes I know he was the longest serving PM, but he was also a fan of Hitler and was an anti-Semite. Then again that fits the mold of the CBC.

who would I choose? You know a number are great choices, Sir John A. MacDonald, for one, then there's Fredrick Banting, or Terry Fox, who exemplifies courage. I think Tommy Douglas the man who gave us Medicare would be up for contention.

Still I suspect Trudeau will win, after all Wendy Mesley had an orgasm when his name was announced. So tell you what vote early, vote often and DONT VOTE FOR PIERRE.

Peace

I finally watched Farhrenheit 9/11 over the weekend. I wasn't sure I wanted to watch because of my time at Ground Zero.
It is an amazing documentary. I can understand why Republicans hate Michael Moore. the movie exposes the war in Iraq as what it is, a sham. The war is based on 2 suppositions, weapons of mass destruction & a link with Al-Qaida. I do believe Saddam *did* have WMD but he either got rid of them or hid them very well. One problem is that before the invasion there was all these photos of alledged chemical laboratories. so where are they?
Also Saddam was never a religious fundamentalist. A bloodthirsty tyrant yes but a fundamentalist never.
The problem is that brave patriotic Americans are dying to make the profit line of Haliburton secure. I want to state that Rumsfeld, Bush & Cheney should be tried for war crimes.

Peace

I keep forgetting to post this, a couple of sunday nights ago I was outside looking at the stars. As I watched, I saw this one object passing overhead, I knew it wasn't an aircraft since there wasn't any blinking lights. However what was interesting was the fact that the object suddenly got very bright and large. I mean it went from a faint 'dot' to a fairly bright object in a matter of seconds. It then began to fade to the small dot in the same plan.

Let me say that it was not a UFO, I believe it was a satellite, one of the circumpolar satellites no doubt, but a satellite indeed.

As for the brightness, I wonder if it had some sort of solar panels and this was the reflection of the sunlight off them.

Still it was interesting.

Peace

It's seems I've been learning about pain and aches recently. Yesterday I was walking to work, which I normally do when my back went into some involuntary muscle spasms, not there's such as thing as voluntary muscle spasms. Talk about discomfort and pain, not at all nice.

It was so bad I had to go home and put myself straight to bed. I know that at first doesn't sound like a bad thing, after all what's bad about a day off, right? Lots when every move you make hurts, even after the Tylenol and the hot bath.

I did some research and here is what I learned. Another website called it weight lifters back. I must admit I do weight lift and have done it for over 20 years, but this was not the cause of the injury. The first article mentions that while the pain may come directly after the injury in some circumstances it may take a day or two. When I read that a light went on, I spent Monday going up and down a ladder carrying and tossing up boxes of material. I wonder just by the repetition and the hyper-extending myself that this could be the cause? Could be I suppose.

The good news is I'm feeling a little better today, although I have to watch out for the stretching. The bad news, no exercise either yesterday or today, obviously. I had two good runs this week and so it's not nice missing, plus the weight lifting. Ah well, there's always tomorrow.

Peace

The Very Un-Christian Jimmy Swaggart - Christianity.ca

This impresses me, that an evangelical magazine would be critical of Jimmy Swaggart. Let' s be honest Jimmy has not be a great spokesman of Christianity for the last few years. After all his little experience in the hotel room was not good. Now he wants to kill gay men who would look at him with 'lust in their eyes'. Got news for you Jimmy, don't think that would happen anytime soon.

For his defense, he did say he uses the expression, 'i'd kill someone and tell God he died'. You know what Jimmy that expression is very lame and not worth your position. I believe the Bible says something about putting a watch on your tongue. Try it one day, it may work.


Peace

News | canada.com network

this is very exciting news when you think about it, democratic elections taking place in Afghanistan.

What is even more interesting is those who once wanted to boycott them as being unfair want to now get involved and be part of the process. I think this may be due to the fact that the people wanted these elections to take place. It wasn't the Americans, or the Coalition. It was the people who got out and voted that proved these were something the people wanted to be involved in and wanted them to take place.

You have to understand and this is for politicians everywhere, your rhetoric means nothing when the people want to do something, they will do it, so either get with the program and or demonstrate to your people that you are a bunch of jerks.

I watched a re-run of "The Daily Show, with Jon Stewart" today, what a delight. Yes there was the usual barbs against GW but what made it wonderful was the presence of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, one of the leaders of the anti-aparteid movement in South Africa and a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. He was a delight to hear and what was so good was his truly humanness. There is no pretention in this individual, just goodness. He sees the goodness of people of individuals and reminds all of us that our cynicism can be very shallow. He talked about God and you felt it was not like a Jerry Falwell talking about God, but rather that thre is a true connection between Desmond and the Lord in Heaven.

Peace

Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Not such a bargain. One-owner sub in emergency callout: "'You just cannot beat the value of having a submarine that belongs to you, operating in your waters,'"

Rear Admiral Dan McNeil is absolutely right, there is value in having the best equipment possible to patrol your own waters and to ensure the flag is flying. However with one sub on fire and without power and this was it's maiden voyage, you have to wonder.

The joke once was there were more submarines in operation at Edmonton's West Edmonton Mall then were owned by the Canadian Navy. We can add this sad fact, none of the submarines at the West Edmonton Mall ever suffered a fire or lost the life of a crewmember.

God Bless Lt. Chris Saunders and his family.


Peace

Canadian sub fire kills lieutenant: "Lt. Chris Saunders"

I want to take a moment and pause to pray for the family of Lt. Chris Saunders. He was the first of perhaps a few casualties from the HMCS Chicoutimi. As you know a fire broke and and a few crew members have been airlifted due to smoke inhalilation. I believe it was this which ultimately cost Lt. Saunders his life.

While it is not time to make points, perhaps we should stop and remember the HMCS Chicoutimi is one of those submarines leased from the British government for millions and millions of dollars. They were supposed to be a cost saving measure that offered Canada a chance to modernize it's submarine fleet. To say this has been another disaster for the Canadian military would be an understatement. After years of refit and repairs, yes repairs the subs were supposedly ready for sea, however there has been nothing but delays. One article goes on and states that the Chicoutimi wasa so rusty that it was restricted in the depth it could dive to. So instead of going to the max, it was limited. The thing about submarines is they are supposed to go deep underwater. Remember the movie "Run Silent, Run Deep"? That's what they are supposed to do, if they cannot dive deep, then what's the use.

Here is another of the Chretien legacy coming to the fore, a government so cheap to our proud miilitary that they will pass second hand equipment and say its an improvement. It's a shame that not only a crewmember has died, but the sub is still adritf without power in the North Atlantic. I do understand a tug is there towing it to safety, somewhere. But this still begs the question, why. Why did a submarine, after having experienced millions of dollars for refit would catch fire on its maiden voyage, at least maiden under the Canadian flag.

I started with a moment of silence, let me say sorry Lt. Saunders that your life was considered not worth purchasing the best equipment possible for you.


Peace

I got this picture through email recently. I was thinking this is the power of nature. A massive block of ice coming loose from a glacier. This is brilliant. 

Montreal Expos : The Official Site

I wanted to say something about the Montreal Expos, kind of my way to say farewell.

I remember when the Expos came into the league, even though I was living in Ontario I was very excited to think that Canada was getting a team. This was very cool. I believe that year I bought an Expo hat, I was so excited. I followed the team closely through the newspaper. I wore that hat everyday. I knew the Expos played in Jerry Park, or Parc Jerry and it was a small intimate little baseball park. It was wonderful. My fave player was Rusty Staub, le Grande Orange as he was known. When Rusty was made the Expos All-Star Representative, it was like great.

Of course the first few years were horrible, but I believed, then the team got better...players like the Hawk were added. Those were great teams, the years they were in contention. so close that one year.

Then the first baseball strike and the play-off between them and the Los Angelos Dodgers. Yes "Black Monday" is still etched in my brain, Rick Monday's home run. yes I can still see it. Steve Rogers who was actually a starting pitcher was in relief.. the pitch carried over the wall...heart was broken.

But that was not the end of the good years, they contended but that was as close as they came.

Then there was the year they were so close, leading the NL East when baseball decided to go on strike again. Thus ending the Expos perhaps best chance of winning it all. But it was naught.

The rest is history, but what a team, I recall Pete Rose, Charlie Hustle was a member, and the Big Unit. A lot of great players have played on the Expos. And now it is history.

so I say, thank you Expos for all the good memories. And Washington, try not to screw this up!!!!.

Peace

Judicial Watch - Because no one is above the law!: "CHENEY ENERGY TASK FORCE"

There are times a person must do the right thing and so let me say, I am sorry. I want to apologize for supporting the US invasion of Iraq. This is not to say I think Saddam Hussein is an innocent person, he ruled the nation as a blood thirsty tyrant and while he is to be blamed for the sanctions and the distress they caused on his nation, this is was not the reason for the invastion.

Iraq was invaded to make the world safe for the American Oil Cartel. If you follow the link and go to the maps and charts you will read how Dick Cheney was preparing the dividing up of Iraq to his buddies. This Energy Task Force is part of an on-going lawsuit by Judicial Watch, what they want are the names of the participants. Which would be an interesting list.

I believe the whole thing of the Weapons of Mass Destruction, the links to Al-Qaida are all lies. Okay, yes I think Saddam did have Chemical-Biological weapons, but they were disposed of, and as for the link, no such thing. Hussein had nothing to do with 9-11.

The invasion was based upon lies and so the death of Iraqi citizens were part of this lie.

President Bush and VP Cheney are therefore war criminals and should be tried by the world as being such. Their actions and the fact they placed their own soldiers in harms was for ulterior motives makes their crimes even greater.

Peace.

TheStar.com - Crude dudes

If there's a better reason to develop alternative fuels such as hydrogen it's this. The Oil Business is flush with cash and looking for places to invest. Since they want to use their own money they need a secure place to make the investments. So, with oil people like Bush and Chenney running the show what better then to use the might of the US to make the world safe for Big Oil. Perhaps we'll see more wars and invasions in the near future, with the outcome being huge contracts for Halliburton and Exxon. After all, when you run the country you can get great deals.

Let's keep that in mind.


Peace

TheStar.com - Pollster pegs our social values

This is so good to know. We are all divided up into one of 66 groups. All this so the marketing departments of the world can garner their wares to dupe us into buyimg their schlock.

Still since this is the way things have been done, no sense getting too worked up about it. What bothers me is the people who come up with these characteristics usually put themselves in the best catagories possible. At least they thing it's the best catagory. Usually it's the groups that are into overconsumption and the continual destruction of the planet. Thanks a lot guys.

If you want to know which group you are follow the link. It's a pdf file so have acrobat reader installed on your computer. Have fun figuring out how you are to react to everything.

Peace

G4techTV - The Screen Savers

This past week on Screen Savers, Cat Schwartz was one of the co-hosts. The reason for this was due to the fact Sarah Lane lost her father to cancer. Certainly this is very sad news and my thoughts and prayers are for Sarah.

It was great to watch Cat in action, she is a breathe of fresh air. Let me say I'm not a big fan of the G4-TechTV merger. The stable of G4 shows are for the most part lame, and while I do appreciate the fact gaming is a huge business, to have a whole network for it is ludicrious. Shows like "Arena" and any of the Vic and Tommy review shows are awful. I mean X-Play with Adam and Morgan give far better reviews.

I can't believe the producers and directors allowed Alec to take a baseball bat to that Mac. I mean it was a beautiful machine wrecked for some dumb purpose. Cat sure wrapped her lovely arms around her iBook after that dispaly of wanton destruction. Iassure you they would never have allowed on that on the old "The Screen Savers", although that would be more due to the large and loud Mac audience they usually had. Can you imagine trying that when MacWorld was on and with all those MacGeeks in the audience. I'm sure more then a few would have thrown their bodies on the machine and the rest would have wrestled the bat from Alec and then applied a liitle noCal justice to him.

Still Cat was great this past week and I hope, hope that the powers that run G4TechTV will come to their senses and realize they've ruined some great chemistry. Bring back Cat! Bring back Patrick! I'm glad to see Leo back with Call for Help. The show is getting better and better. Keep Kevin. Keep Sarah.

Peace

The Leonard Cohen Files
Suzanne takes you down
to her place near the river
you can hear the boats go by
you can spend the night beside her
And you know that she's half crazy

I know this blog is a few days old and I should have mentioned this on the 21st but better late then never. So, Happy Birthday Leonard . Yes it was the 70th birthday of the Grand Man of Letters, Leonard Cohen. Anyone who read, or listened or watched anything on him knows what a great man he is. He had a collection of poems called "Death of a Ladies Man", and for him it's definately premature. He is still going strong, in fact he's bringing out a new collection of songs in October.

I suppose we all in Canada look to him as the source of inspiration. As I said, we watched his videos, or that great NFB documentary "Ladies and Gentlemen, Leonard Cohen". It was produced in 1965 and you see the artist as a young man. I watched on Bravo! a few years ago and it still reveals the power of this man.

So to you Leonard, we share the creative power of your words and voice. May you live long.

Peace

National Post

Poor Paul. After saying the right thing about Africa he faces the potential for revolt at home. Maybe he should take that gig with Bono and the guys.

Seriously it's a case of chickens coming home to roost isn't it. When he got rid of the Chretien loyalists, he made a lot of enemies. The one thing you have to understand about Liberals is they have very long memories. They don't forget and they never forgive.

Have a peaceful night Paul, it may be one of your lasts.


Peace

By the way, that was my 100th Blog. Whoo Hoo, let's hear it for me!!!

I know for many of you blog veterans, you're thinking, 'tah, I blog that many in a week'.

Hey, props to all those bloggers who exposed Dan Rather as the has been he is, he's no Walter Cronkite that's for sure.

Peace

News | canada.com network

For once a blog that agrees with Paul Martin. I know what you're think, better circle this date on a calendar. Let me give credit where credit is due, he is absolutely right. The UN and the Security Council are sitting around diddling about definitions when thousands of people are suffering. It is the killings, the ethnic cleansing, the rape and the displacement of people. This is another human tragedy, but this can be different, because the world can do something about it.

I thought the UN had learned from Rwanda but it seems the organization suffers deeply from NIMBY, if it isn't nearby, or if the nations or nation involved doesn't have oil, then quite frankly it doesn't matter.

Paul said this "Our common humanity should be a powerful enough argument and that is precisely what is missing. Put simply, there is still no explicit provision in international law for intervention on humanitarian grounds". You know what, right on Paul. Maybe he did learn something by hanging out with his pal Bono, or maybe all those lessons he leared from his father did come back to him.

Whatever the reason I do say, good on you Paul Martin. Keep telling them we need to get involved.


Peace

Talk Like A Pirate Day - September 19

Arrr me mateys. 'Tis the finest day of the year, the day all ye swashbucklers kin shed yr formals and talk like real men and women of the seas. Tis "Talk like a Pirate Day'". A day for rum and song. A day to remember all those who's passing we admire.

Follow the link if you dare, you scurvy dogs. Arrrrrr


Peace

CBC.ca - News

I decided to include this page to make mention of the fact that the health accord is now off the front pages. We have solved Canada's health problem. Hallelujah, now we can deal with what's really important like the hockey strike.

I've been thinking about the health accord, the plan to save the Healthcare system in Canada. I'm glad to read that Roy Romanow sees it as a set in the right direction. However I get the feeling there is still a lot of work to do. You see we have a program that is taking a lot of money but providing less and less. On one hand you hear that the provinces are spending more of their budget dollars on health care, which means they're either increasing taxes or cutting back other programs. Which ever means there is a problem. However, what is being provided is less. There are waiting lines, there are shortages of staff, but it's costing more and more.

There are intrinsic problems that may require more then just throwing money at it, and hope it goes away. What is the problem is the question, and perhaps if we could face this problem we could come to the answer. Here's what I hear and wonder about, they say that people are living longer and longer and procedures are becoming more technical, read expensive. With people living longer the potential for expensive sickness increases. Then there is the worry about the baby boomer, when we all turn 70+ are we simply going to swamp the system. It's like pensions, the huge baby boom generation is coming. Yet, when you think about it, this is the time to save for that future, after all the baby boomers are all in their 40's and 50's closing in on 60's. This same group is at their prime earning ages and so that means more disposable income which in turn means more taxes. Plus with the huge number of babyboomers plus the busters plus the gen-x'er means there's a whole lot of people paying into the system you would think there would be no problem. Yet we have a problem.

Perhaps part of it, and this has been discussed by others. It is too institutionalized. By this it means too hospital oriented. Hospitals are expensive to operate and so the rationale is to put all services into the hospital, such as MRI and Labs. But to do all this requires people, lots and lots of people. So expenses are up and this requires more funding. If anything goes wrong, you still have this behemoth consuming the income but not providing the services.

I think the most important part of the recent agreement is the transparency with every province but Quebec. This is part of the asymetrical federalism that is Canada. That means by the way that the rules don't apply to Quebec. So you got to know this is just waiting to be a problem.

I think I'm going to sleep on it and come up with the perfect solution tomorrow.


Peace

CBC News: Newspapers accused of misusing word 'terrorist'

And who said semantics is dead. Here's an interesting example of opinion colouring the news. Reuters is all upset that CanWest Global is changing the wording of their stories. Now, let's identify the players shall we, you have Reuters, a long time provider of the news, which now has been bought by Arab interests. So the news they send out over their wire services is going to have a particular bias. Shall we say more pro-Palestinian then objective. Then you have CanWest Global, owned by the Asper family, it bought Southam news from Conrad Black, including the National Post. The fellow who did this was Israel "Izzy" Asper. Now with a name like that you can assume it's bias is pro-Israel. I think that's fair. So you have a rather anti-Israeli organization complaining that it's bias is being changed to reflect the bias of another organization.

It gets even more interesting, now a group called Council on American-Islamic Relations Canada wants to complain as well, since the National Post tends to portray terrorists as Muslim, wow, imagine that.

I must admit, Reuters does have a point, if the Post is changing the bias to reflect its bias, there should be some mention of it. I believe that's only fair. However, the Post does have the right to make comment on the news, so that it reflects its unique view of the world.

To the busybodies of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Canada I have only one word of advice, the same word of advice the Dark Lord of Black once gave to Maude Barlow, "if you don't like what I print, start your own newspaper". Come on guys, you're getting Al_Jazeera, you'll be able to have all the strident anti-Israeli propaganda you want.


Peace

CBC News: PM, provinces sign $41B health deal

One quick comment, before you start to celebrate this, I did some calculations. This works out to $136.00 per person per year. So in other words, this works out to one extra visit to the emergency room or the clinic, because you probably won't have a family doctor with this agreement.

More later

Yahoo! Sports - NHL - Puck stops with Bettman

Well it is now official, the lock out is on and the chances of a new season are probably getting slim. After all when you are dealing with to very entrenched sides, it's hard for compromise to happen, think the Western Front, circa 1914-1918.

One article says that Canadians are more willing to side with the owners then the players. Yes I can understand that it's hard to garner much sympathy for any group that makes 30 times your average salary. The concept of the spoiled brat comes to mind. But before we start throwing rocks at the players let remember the owners in all this, they are equally to blame. They are the ones, especially those in the major centres like New York and Detroit that paid the players all that money.

I came across one stat, speaking of players' salaries and I learned the average salary of the Calgary Flames was 925,000 US and the average for Tampa Bay was 1,155,000 US. In other words the Stanley Cup champ paid their players 225,000 more to win the cup then the runner's up. The Rangers, by the way pay over 2.5 million US to be a last place team.

So I suppose who is to blame for this mess, players? Owners? A combination of both? How about one person, and that person is Gary Bettman. What can be said about this weazel, besides the fact that calling him a weazel is to insult weazels everywhere? Who else has made the League a laughing stock then him. If you are reading this in Canada, you may remember his infamous interview with Ron McLean. Now Ron McLean is a man very knowledgeable about hockey, he's a broadcaster, straightman to Don Cherry and a referee. Yet to hear Bettman call him "Ronny" was maddening. In fact I felt if I heard him say that one more time I would have if I could, reached through the tv and throttled him. The man is arrogant with no reason to be arrogant. He has no appreciation of the game of hockey. Remember he's the guy that let Winnipeg and Quebec lose their hockey teams. He is the fellow that watched Pittsburg go almost down the tube.

I know this is a baseball concept but one of the roles of the Commissioner is to act in the best interest of the game. All Bettman has done is ruin hockey. He ignores his primary market, Canada with the hope of making the game popular in the US. Instead he's allowed the league to become something that is losing popularity. Some people laugh at the fact that SpongeBob Squarepants is more popular on TV then the NHL.

It's enough to wish for the return of John A. Ziegler Jr. Now understand I believe Mr. Ziegler was a good president of the NHL, after al he understood and loved hockey. He cared for the game.

Well, what will all this mean for TV watching in Canada. Let's see, how many times can the CBC re-broadcast the funeral of Pierre Trudeau and that lame mini-series on him.

As for TSN and SportsNet, I guess they will either show classic games or we will learn about all sorts of exotic sports. Hey, you can never have enough "World's Strongest Man" contests.

Argggghhhhhh


Peace

Suckers for Jesus

I came across this article through a posting of a yahoo group I belong to, and may I say this is brilliant.

They say it's always good for a writer to state his biases and well here is mine. Yes I am a Christian, the born-again variety and yes I've tried to be right wing. But goodness, I never felt comfortable being one of those 'religious right' types. You may gather from my rants during the election I am not a friend of liberalism. Actually I'm not a friend of the Liberal party of Canada which believe me is NOT a liberal organization. It is a tired, corrupt worn-out organization that has managed to bamboozle the electorate through fluff and scare tactics into getting themselves elected yet again, but enough of that.

The premise of the paper is to ask the question why are Christian fundalmentalists, which make up the religious right in the States a part of the neo-conservative movement? There is a listing of the groups making of the neo-cons and truly it is frightening. In fact the groups listed, the libertarians, free market absolutists and plutocrats are as far from the philosophy of Jesus, if not in opposition to, as possible.

One quote that I thought was interesting is this one"The Right has, in effect, established a separate and distinct definition of "liberal," so that it is effectively equated with "libertinism" - sex, drugs and rock 'n roll. In addition, the Right's use of "liberal" connotes the stifling of religion, welfare cheating, profligate government spending (as in "tax-and-spend-liberals") and even, in the hands of such uninhibited ranters as Ann Coulter, treason.
". Here is the key, the 'secular' right knew which buttons to push, they painted the liberals as being pro-abortion, pro-gay, anti-private schools and soft on crime. So by pushing these buttons, they were able to, as the next paragraph says:" In short, this redefined “liberalism” serves well as an embodiment of “evil” to the religious right. And when this sense of “liberalism” is associated, through constant repetitions, with the Democratic Party – well, you know the rest
". So the Democrats are the embodiment of evil. So what sort of agenda does the Republicans push, well, pro-life, but only of unborn children, forget about who live in the third world, or even those who live in the ghetto.

In other words, by pushing a few topics they, the secular right are able to get their way. You have to understand the bible, it is a document with a very strong sense of social justice. The writer points this out and certainly the case could be made by quoting prophets such as Amos and others. Certainly Jesus made not attempt to hide his anger against those who exploited the poor, even going so far as throwing the money changers out of the Temple.

If you are a Christian I invite you to read this article, it will get you thinking. You will ask yourself 'what would Jesus do'. What would He do? Perhaps he'd march to the White House and throw Bush out.

Peace

Every so often something comes up that gets my blood boiling and I have to stop and blog off on the subject. Today has to do with a film that 'premiering' at the Toronto International Film Festival. Normally I would say nothing about a film festival since they tend to be pretentious and overblown affairs in which third rate movies directed by foruth rate directors starring fifth rate 'actors' is the order of the day. Most of the stuff is nothing more then glorified film school stuff that failed the course.

However at the festival this year is a particularly noxious film that goes by the name of "Casuistry: The Art of Killing a Cat". The film is a documentary about these three scumbag losers who thought it would be a good idea to capture a stray cat, torture it, skin it and then kill it. They decided it would even be better to shoot the whole thing on video as a statement against the slaughter of cows for food. A rather interesting leap of logic, one that would escape most thinking people.

The scum eventually were arrested and pleaded guilty for animal cruelty. So this character Zev Asher decides to make a documentary about it, and he interviews some of those idiots. What really got me about this film and no I haven't seen it and you want to know something, I have no interest in seeing it. The only reason I'm mentioning anything about this film is to rag on the people involved. Yet this is considered 'art'. What really got me was the concluding comments about the film and this is from the Film Festival Website: "He places us in a unique space, one which vacillates between serious reflection, horror, transgression, banality, righteousness, humour and - mostly - paradox. This may be one of the most political films in this year's Festival." There are a lot of words that one can use to describe the torture of animals, but banality and humour and never one of them. I understand the director allows these knobs the right to defend their actions. Yes, let us have a lunatic explain themselves.

However the film festival has defended their right to
show it. Let's call it what it is, garbage. And now for the rants, Jesse Power, Anthony Wennekers and Matthew Kaczorowski you three are total idiots and if you think torturing a cat is great, perhaps you would love to experience your own skinning at the hands of the Friends of Animals Group.

Zev Asher, you're an idiot for even considering these knobs deserve even a second of film. Hey, if you think torturing a cat is banal and funny it's a shame you weren't alive for the Holocaust, I bet the killing of all those Jews was a hoot.

Toronto Film Festival, while you're hiding behind the shield of 'freedom of expression', let me give you my expression, you are total idiots for giving any of the above a stage by which to show their cruelty. Even if they don't show any of the footage they shot, just allowing them to gain any noteriety over it is wrong.

I called Bell Canada and suggested they consider not sponsoring this Festival again by the way.

Let me say the torture and killing of anyone, or anything is wrong and no one should think of it ever as being 'humourous' or 'banal'.

Remember Kensington the cat who died at the hands of these idiots.


Peace

A few days ago it was a wonderfully warm and sunny day. I have been hoping that the sunflowers I planted would eventually flower. As you can see it has and is doing quite well. Today there were bees flying around and so I hope that the seeds will soon develop. 

National Post

First of all, I am very happy that Scott Taylor did not meet the fate of so many of those who have been captured in Iraq. It disgusts me that these "militants", or thugs as they should be known feel they have the right to kidnap, torture and kill innocent people is terrible.

One of the telling lines of the article is this one: "Simoneau says it's still unclear what prompted the abductors to let Taylor go. "
May I make a suggestion, because they found out he's Canadian. You may ask how would that influence their decision? Simple, because they know Canada is a friend of terrorist organizations. With our wimpy government, the fact they don't listen or even read the CSIS reports on terrorist organizations in Canada. A few years ago, before he became our Prime Minister, Paul Martin attended a fund raising dinner for a Tamil social group. CSIS warned Paul that this group was a front for the Tamil Tigers, a notorious separatist terror groups in Sri Lanka, that quote is taken from the "Terrorism: Questions and Answers page. Yet Paul went to shake his boogie and take the cash. It keeps him quiet when dealing with all terrorist groups. Scott even though he probably hates terrorist groups enjoyed the fact that he is from a nation that is very friendly and soft to terrorist groups. Our nation is a safe haven to all groups that use terror as their major weapon. We are the front for organizations and we support them with money. All the time our government turns a blind eye to them.

Scott I'm glad your free, what bothers me is the reasons for it.


Peace.

As a person who volunteered and spent two weeks at Ground Zero I want to express my sympathy to those who lost loved ones on that fateful day.

I heard your stories, and saw you search for some sign of that loved one. May God grant you peace as you remember.

God Bless you.


Peace.

Now that the inquest into the sponsorship 'scandal', the Liberal Party has decided to get some legal representation for the inquiry. First of all, this is not a legal inquiry, it is an investigation so you have to wonder why they have to bring in such a powerful legal team.

If that wasn't enough now they want the people of Canada, that is the same bunch of taxpayers they hosed with the sponsorship scandel, should foot the legal bill.

Hey, Liberals, I have an idea for you, why don't you get some of that cash you sent to your buddies in Quebec and ask for some more donations. After all you all know that you can arrange to send more money to them. Just let them know if any of the truth gets into the open not only is the cozy little arrangement over, most of the people involved will be making license plates for bucks a day and not bending over while in the shower, if you get my drift.

It's now time for the scondrels to hang together.

Oh by the way, hear John Kerry wants to stop the flow of Toronto garbage to Michigan. I hope this strikes some fear into the denizens of the mistake by the Lake. Guess what, you days of seeing your garbage go over the border may be coming to an end. If you read the Toronto Star and watch CBC you think Canadians want Mr. Kerry to win, personally I'm not at the place to make an opinion yet. So that means only a few months and you're going to have to find a place to store it all. One person said they'll enter discussion with some other states, umm, dude, if Kerry doesn't want it in Michigan, what makes you think he wants Canadian garbage anywhere.

I always find it interesting to notice that everytime some MP yaps about the Americans something goes wrong for Canada. Of course the person is the same idiot MP from Mississauga, Carolyn Parrish called them 'idiots'. Hey Carolyn maybe the people of Toronto should use your property as the new garbage dump. Maybe that would teach you to watch what you say.

Understand, I truly believe we have the right to differ from the Americans, and if this Space Shield is not a good idea, then discuss the issue, and keep the name calling out of it.


Peace