One Year in 40 Seconds

One year in 40 seconds from Eirik Solheim on Vimeo.

One Solitary Life

He was born in an obscure village

The child of a peasant woman.

He grew up in another obscure village

Where he worked in a carpenter shop

Until he was thirty

He never wrote a book

He never held an office

He never went to college

He never visited a big city

He never travelled more than two hundred miles

From the place where he was born

He did none of the things

Usually associated with greatness

He had no credentials but himself

He was only thirty three His friends ran away

One of them denied him

He was turned over to his enemies

And went through the mockery of a trial

He was nailed to a cross between two thieves

While dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing

The only property he had on earth

When he was dead

He was laid in a borrowed grave

Through the pity of a friend

Nineteen centuries have come and gone

And today Jesus is the central figure of the human race

And the leader of mankind's progress

All the armies that have ever marched

All the navies that have ever sailed

All the parliaments that have ever sat

All the kings that ever reigned put together

Have not affected the life of mankind on earth

As powerfully as that one solitary life

YES, WE HAVE NO BANANAS - AT LEAST NOT FOR TODAY

By proroguing Parliament, the Governor General, who probably never envisioned being called upon to perform such taxing duties, has given Canada a breather, temporary as it might be and has stopped it from joining the ranks of Banana republics - for now. The attempt, by the Big Three, to take over Canada, hot on the heels of an election, has been stalled.

It has been said we get the kind of government we deserve. However, even warm and fuzzy Canada does not deserve the attempted suburban coup we witnessed last week. In the ultimate display of brazen behaviour Jack Layton, Stephane Dion and Gilles Duceppe have thumbed their collective noses at Canadian voters and tax-payers, together with the electoral system.

They give no credit to the intelligence of we mere peons and rest happily in the delusion that they have convinced us that their real concern is the economy. What is annoying them is the fact that the gravy train - $30,000,000 - not earned but confiscated from the hapless taxpayers, just for voting, is under threat.

Giddy with the taste of success, the marshalls in the Liberal Party tried to pull a fast one in crowning a new leader through a polite little Caucus meeting. However it didn't quite work out. What a difference three hours makes. In a conference call which lasted three hours a decision was reached to allow MPs, Senators,m defeated candidates, group presidents to vote - a total of approximately 800. It appears that the hundreds of thousands of grateful slaves in the Liberal Party will be ignored via the coronation of one who has been described as an immigrant from the United States as the new leader. In theory we could have, within the next few weeks, a Prime Minister who has not been elected.. Wake up Liberals. Wake up Canada.

THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION.

Today Catholics all over the world celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Once again, this does not mean that they worship Mary. They do acknowledge that she was conceived and born free from Original sin. Why? For Jesus - God the Son - to come into the world in His earthly form, a spotless womb was needed. It was divinely decided from the beginning of time that a sinless lowly maiden would become the mother of Jesus, the Christ.

Almighty God, nevertheless, gave Mary the opportunity to use His gift of free will, hence her words to the Archangel Gabriel who appeared to her "Be it done unto me according to Thy Word."

From that point, Mary resumed her life long role as a humble, obedient, lowly and loving maiden. Her strength cannot be denied as seen in the harrowing journey to Bethlehem, the Flight into Egypt, the unwavering acceptance of the Passion of Jesus and her presence at the Crucifixion. Inspite of her humility, she has remained the most well known, most powerful and most loved woman in history. O purest of creatures. O Mary conceived without sin.

Wise Words Are Wise Words In Any Faith

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

My confession: I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees.. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.. In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK. Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves. Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing yet?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it. Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us. Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully, Ben Stein

God help America

President-elect Obama has made it clear that it will be his policy and his policy alone. Sure, he'll talk about policy but the decisions will be his.

He has also stated that he will appoint pro-abortion judges and pro-abortion judges only. We already know what he plans for children in-utero - right up to the brutal end. No surprise since he has stated that he wouldn't want to punish his daughters with a baby if they made a mistake.

His proposed Cabinet makes one groan. Hillary comes to mind. I personally have trouble mustering confidence in a Secretary of State who can't tell the difference between an airstrip and a battleground.

Happy Advent

On this first day of Advent, let us consider the difference between Santa Claus(fiction) and St. Nicholas (fact).

Santa Claus belongs to childhood;

St. Nicholas models for all of life.
Santa Claus, as we know him, developed to boost Christmas sales—the commercial Christmas message;

St. Nicholas told the story of Christ and peace, goodwill toward all—the hope-filled Christmas message.
Santa Claus encourages consumption;

St. Nicholas encourages compassion.
Santa Claus appears each year to be seen and heard for a short time;

St. Nicholas is part of the communion of saints, surrounding us always with prayer and example.
Santa Claus flies through the air—from the North Pole;

St. Nicholas walked the earth—caring for those in need.
Santa Claus, for some, replaces the Babe of Bethlehem;

St. Nicholas, for all, points to the Babe of Bethlehem.
Santa Claus isn't bad;

St. Nicholas is just better.

Taken from: http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=36

Not On the Menu

Do not eat meat from China, Vietnam or Thailand. Here is why.

Looking for a career change? Like the open spaces? Looking for lower gas consumption? Want the chance to see the world? If China appeals to you, the above might be the answer. All you would have to do is case the neighbourhood, knock on a few doors and ask if there are any dead chickens for sale. You don't have to ask what they died of, just collect the carcasses and transport them to the processing plant where they will be prepared for export to the gullible West.

Now if you are already in the West and, are happy with the status quo, just sit back and enjoy a repast prepared in the filthiest of conditions, on slave labour and don't let the fact that thousands of your fellow citizens are out of work stifle your gastric juices or interfere with your taste buds for a second. Once the herbs and spices are all in place, who will know the difference?

The Real China Syndrome

For decades the human carnage in China hasn't really meant much. Political prisoners bowing respectfully to their executioners, unknowing and unwilling donors of vital organs for the Party proletariat and for those who can pay, missionaries dragged naked through the streets, the hungry and the homeless, the pre-born, the female babies destined for the water bucket or the river. Who noticed?

It took a few sick pets to raise the alarm on the inherent disrespect for human life which is a natural consequence of Godlessness. It follows. The dismay when family pets died from melamine poisoning in the pet food produced in China made us stifle a yawn and wonder what else this substance was invading.

The answer came loud and clear when Chinese babies became sick from the baby formula. Melmine once again raised its ugly head. It makes the formula look richer etc. Tragically, it also causes kidney stones. This has resulted in the deaths of innocent little babies and the agony reserved for those who suffer from kidney stones for thousands of other babies. Don't forget the lion cub and the two cute little orangutans who got sick in the Shanghai zoo. The greed and avarice, which is another natural consequence of Godlessness, was the trigger. A little irony from the regime which despises capitalism isn't it?

In order to avoid the establishment of Poison without Borders, Canadian shopkeepers are removing certain food products from China from their store shelves. This prompted the announcement that a Canadian staple, Oreo Cookies, 0wned by Kraft which also owns tobacco companies, has closed its chief plant in Australia and set it up in - you guessed it - China. But, not to worry, the announcement was accompanied by the assurance that the milk products used in what makes the after school snack such an icon, are exported by Canada to China. Anyone seeing what's wrong with all of this yet? Anyone willing to do the math? Anyone willing to ask questions?

Let's move on to the economic and social carnage. When we persistently flood the market with Chinese junk which, incidentally, is not much cheaper than dear old Made in Canada, it figures that there is a price. This unbridled out sourcing has resulted in the loss of hundreds of thousands of Canadian jobs. It must. Why do we out source? Easy. We don't pay the grateful slaves what they should be paid.

In the Niagara region pear growers are burning their trees because we are buying pears from China. Processing plants are closing for the same reason. The population does its bit though. It mutters the occasional outrage when plants like John Deere close - then tuck into a Chinese pear.

We might - and only might- pay a little more for home grown products, but we would have the comfort of knowing that our neighbour is working. Think about it.

WHERE DID YOU EAT THIS PAST WEEK?

Sarah Palin ate at a diner. No so for Barack Obama - maybe I should say he ate elsewhere. His friend Barbara Streisand threw a little supper for him. It raised nine million dollars I hear. The repast itself was a reported $28,500 and for those wanted a little night music, the cost jumped to a reported $30,500 plus. For whatever reason the diners may have wanted to hear the hostess sing, they were willing to pay just short of two thousand extra. Ho Hum. This is today's version of a man for all seasons. The man for the ordinary working public.

WHAT PART OF 'THE LADY IS THE BEST MAN FOR THE JOB DOESN'T THE OPPOSITION UNDERSTAND?

I have to give it to those who are envious of, confounded by or who just plain hate Sarah Palin and what she stands for. They deserve "A" for effort when it comes to producing reasons for not voting for her or for why she shouldn't be allowed to run for office in the first place.

All she was, before ascending to her present position, was a wife and mother, a member of the PTA, a basketball coach, the Mayor of her town, then the Governor of her State. Not a bad little resume that. Of course, it was the opposition who thought the fact that she is a practising Christian and a Pro-Lifer was worth mentioning. Not necessarily in glowing terms mind.

It would appear that the fact that she was a Mayor is worthy of derision. Really? Try it some time. Of course, she might have aspired to the position of Community Organizer as Barack Obama did, but no one could come up with the job description. Being Governor didn't fare much better. After all, what good will come out of Alaska? When Middle Eastern dictatorships don't want to rip consumers off - by selling oil at very unpleasant prices - any more or when they think everyone is so desperate that we will pay anything for oil and we can't, let's decide if we want to freeze in the dark for half of the year or whether we want to change our minds about Alaska and its potential. Suddenly the Alaskan pipeline might not sound so bad. On the subject of Alaska, it comprises 20% of the United States land mass. Not a bad jurisdiction or stomping ground.

When the detractors say she has no experience in foreign affairs, do they mean she hasn't screwed up? What experience did her predecessors have? It was Cindy McCain who reminded us that Sarah Palin has, all her life, lived closer to Russia than most Americans and that has equipped her with considerable knowledge of foreign affairs - the naive who still believe that the Iron Curtain has truly fallen notwithstanding. Just ask the Georgians how benign Russia is. Sarah Palin figured it out.

In response to those who will continue to the bitter end, to paint her as an ambitious babe-in- the-woods, anyone who had the imagination to put a government jet on eBay seems, at least to me, to be pretty sharp. Anyone who has the guts to expose, oppose and fire parasites - even those in her own party - seems to be pretty courageous.

One broadside is the alleged failure to vet the lady. Questions were asked re the parentage of her beautiful little baby. Absurd allegations were made, her husband was asked to take a paternity test, she was asked when her amniotic fluid broke. Gee what else is left to ask?

The fact that Sarah Palin tolerates this garbage with grace, while finding time to say nice things about Hillary Clinton, says a lot for the lady's resolve. Good things are in store for the USA.

Your Vote Counts

ALL THE WAY WITH OPUS DEI.

Canadians went to bed last night with a shocking discovery hanging over them. The enterprising media in Quebec have exposed the entry into the election field of a PC candidate who is - I can hardly bring myself to write it - a member of Opus Dei. What next?
It's always a good idea to put one's brain into gear before letting one's tongue or pen loose. Do these people - including the Bloc Quebecois leader, Gilles Duceppe - know anything about Opus Dei - beyond the fact that it's Catholic and opposes abortion, contraception and same sex "marriage"? The esteemed leader is quoted as having serious concerns wth the threat of social conservatives entering the fray, citing the candidacy of Nicole Charbonneau Barron as evidence that the PC party is composed of right wing idealogues who would take away a woman' s right to choose. Does this translate into "No Catholic need apply to enter the Public Square"? Or are we going to be more democratic and ban anyone who defends all human life and opposes same sex get togethers?
One question. Is there going to be a roll call of candidates who are Freemasons?

ALL HAIL THE BIG BANG

I believe in the Big Bang Theory. I do. God spoke and bang, it happened.

SARAH, STRAIGHT AND TALL

A whole day has gone by and I haven't heard one vicious attack on Sarah Palin. Mind you I didn't tune in to CNN because we're doing such a good hatchet job here in Canada. I amuse myself wondering why there is such venom. Is it because she's not tied to the kitchen sink? Is it because she's smart and articulate? Could it be that she's pro-life? Tsk. Tsk. Is it because she's shown that she can raise a family and not fade away? Is it because she's shown that one can have it all? Is it the fact that she can be political and moral at the same time? Is it her stunning good looks which draw the claws? Is it because she's happy? Or is it just all of the above? She's already done great things. Just watch and she'll do even more. She's head and shoulders above the strident screamers. That's why I call her Sarah, straight and tall.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR MARY

Catholics all over the world celebrate the birthday of Mary, the Mother of Christ, on September 8th. It seems to me that today is a good time to dispel a few myths about Mary and the way Catholics behold her. Catholics do not worship her despite the centuries old rabid rumours to the contrary. It's true that they love her but they know that her Son Jesus is the one they worship and obey - together with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. They see Mary as quite a bit more than the beautiful lady in the blue and white robes, lovely long hair, smooth skin, a kind face etc. Catholics recognise Mary as the young girl who was asked by the Archangel Gabriel to be the Mother of God. This spotless maid saw the suffering she would endure but said Yes" in a flash, hence "Be it done unto me according to Thy Word." Imagine the awe at having to raise a child such as Jesus. Imagine bearing the barbs of those who whispered "Fiddle de de" when confronted with the truth that this was a Conception by the power of the Holy Spirit. In this, the strength of St.Joseph is seen. How many men would have accepted the Virgin birth theory? How many would have endured the flight into Egypt?
Can any of us, Catholic or otherwise, come close to imagining the agony and the strength of soul she showed when confronted with the suffering of her Son? The scourging at the pillar, the crowning with thorns, that agonising walk to Calvary, the sound of the nails, that one last caress when Jesus was taken from the Cross. I don't think so. Mary kept to the background all her life yet she remains the most the most well known and loved woman in history - through humility and obedience. No wonder Catholics love her. Happy Birthday Mary.

Lies, damned lies! And then there's politics.

When it comes to the most basic human rights, what's the difference between the Conservatives, the Liberals, the New Democrats and the Bloc? If you answered "The colour of their ties.", you're right.

We have had it amply demonstrated that the Prime Minister isn't the bravest person in the world when it comes to the dirty A word. His way out is to ignore the body count when it comes to dealing with an inconvenience like an unwanted pre-born child. (This from the one with the moral courage to stay away from the Olympic Games to make a statement when it comes to human rights.) A couple of little suggestions for him to ponder.

The issue won't go away. It won't. Might as well face up to the bitter truth. We know, in the silence of our hearts, that abortion is wrong. That's why we have the exhortation "Don't tell my mother that I'm an abortionist. She thinks I'm a piano player in a whorehouse." Might as well face up to the fact that ignoring the issue won't go away for another reason. As the late and great Charlton Heston stated, "Neutrality always helps the aggressor, never the victim."

One more reason. Those of us who maintain that killing is wrong - those of us who are squeamish when it comes to snuffing out the life of an innocent little baby -are in it for the long haul. Furthermore, we vote.

Speaking of voting, we have giggled at the Christian Heritage Party for years. Guess what, it has never wavered on the issue. Maybe the CHP is not the simpering pack of Bible thumpers we thought it was. What have we got to lose?

Changing one's vote isn't easy. Makes me think of something I heard from Ron Gray, the Leader of the CHP. (I'm paraphrasing) When the last ones in the group turn around and change direction, they become the leaders of the pack. How about it you pro life prisoners of the other parties? Want to be a leader? Turn around.

I have a bad taste in my mouth...

I have a bad taste in my mouth and it's not just from the meat. The CEO of the Maple Leaf plant in Toronto has fallen on his sword and taken the blame for the outbreak. However, have enough - or any - questions been asked regarding the condition of livestock before it meets its demise so that it can grace the lunch pails for students and workers everywhere? When animals are not happily grazing, what conditions do they live in? When they go to the animal killing fields, what conditions grace their final journey? When they are slaughtered, same thing. To ask farmers and breeders to account for a reasonable standard of hygiene is often seen as kicking the sacred cow in the rump. We had a field day blaming the operators at the Walkerton, Ontario water filtration plant when there was an outbreak resulting in several deaths with many more probably to come. Rightly so. However, what investgations were carried out concerning the waste from nearby farms - waste which could easily find its way into the water supply? Let's have a real investigation.

Beauty and the Veil

Calling all you wonderful nuns out there. There's a new kind of contest in Modragone, Southern Italy. A beauty contest with a difference. Don't know what the prize is. Tea with the Holy Father?

Sounds inviting.

COMING TO A BOOKSTORE NEAR YOU

It seems that the late Pierre & Margaret Trudeau's little boy Alexandre - or Sacha as he is fondly called - is geared up ready to submit the transcript of his "labour of love", a history and expose of China. Hope he mentions the hundreds of Chinese who have been thrown onto the street so that their houses can be torn down to make way for hallowed institutions such as Starbucks etc. (Who wants to go without a cup of gourmet coffee in protest?). I wonder if he'll have space to advertise the off the rack body parts provided by hapless prisoners for anyone with the cash to buy them. (How about it selfish and naive Westerners?) Will his sense of a blend of gentility and bravado allow him to mention the millions of innocent pre-born babies who are savagely murdered and the baby girls who are drowned at birth?

Dealing with this stuff must be a burden so, for a little relief, Sacha baby has launched a nasty attack on our soldiers in Afghanistan. Nice. He seems to think they have nothing better to do than fight the Taliban and drink Tim Horton's.

Let's not be too hard on the Trudeau boys. Consider their immediate lineage - plus the fact that they might still be in mourning for another icon - Fidel Castro.

Good things grow in Ontario - not.

There is a move underfoot to penalize doctors who refuse to carry out procedures which seriously violate their consciences. Those who don't believe in taking the lives of pre-born babies or dispatching the old or terminally ill will pay the price. Just to save time, doctors can be forced to jump the gun and remove organs before life actually ceases. All this in a Province led by a Premier who loves the "I am a Little Catholic song." Prepare for the mass exodus of doctors to the U.S. or other Provinces

History Majors

One of Canada's greatest mediocrities, the CBC, featured an interview by one of its beauties, a high profile dolly, with an entertainer. The said entertainer remarked that Lenin had once said that power comes out of the barrel of a gun to which the lady responded "But he also said "Give peace a chance." Take comfort taxpayers, that this is another example of your taxes and mine at work.

QUID EST VERITAS - WHAT IS TRUTH?

Welcome to my corner of the web. I've returned to blogging after a brief hiatus but have returned to report on this and that as it interests me. The title is to be taken seriously - I want to survive! Return often to see my daily blurbs.