Affirmative action is a fraud, a sham, a dirty trick played on the people of the USA in the name of "racial equality" and "fairness". From the getgo, it was a plot by the usual gang of "progressive thinkers" and "anti-racists" to get even with the white people of America for "centuries of oppression of people of colour".
The argument was that African-Americans -- not all vizmins, just the blacks -- weren't getting ahead in society and in life because they were being held back by things like segregated schools. A decade after Brown v. Board of Education ended segregation, blacks were still found to be under-represented in US colleges and universities because, evidently, they couldn't cut the mustard on the admissions tests.
The solution proposed by the guilt-wracked liberals was not to help the poorly educated African-Americans with things like, say, Remedial English, but to make the "Eurocentric" tests easier! When that didn't work, hundreds of "civil rights" laws and regulations were put in place to effect give "minorities" preferential treatment in getting into school, getting government jobs, getting public housing, and so on.
America being the most litigious country on earth, it didn't take long -- about a decade -- for hundreds of lawsuits to be brought challenging this state-mandated reverse discrimination. Eventually one such action reached the United States Supreme Court: Regents of the University of California v. Bakke. In that landlmark case, Justice Lewis Powell found "diversity in the classroom" to be "a compelling state interest". So, he said, affirmative action was allowed under the Constitution and the Civil Rights Act.
But, a majority of the justices found, the university's programme went too far, so it was struck down and Mr. Bakke (a white man) was admitted to the U.C.-David medical school. The practical effect of Bakke was that most affirmative action programs continued without change.
But was Bakke a binding precedent -- the law of the land -- or merely a non-binding plurality opinion? In 2003, the majority of the Supreme Court upheld Powell's position in Grutter v. Bollinger. They found that a "race-conscious admissions process that may favor underrepresented minority groups" did not amount to a "quota system", which would have been unconstitutional under Bakke.
However, Chief Justice Rehnquist, joined by three other justices, dissented. He called the University of Michigan Law School's system a thinly veiled and unconstitutional quota system, citing the fact that the percentage of African-American applicants closely mirrored the percentage of African-American applicants that were accepted. Still, the 5-4 decision was hailed by the usual suspects as a victory for progressive thinkers over racists, yada yada yada, and reverse discimination was apparently enshrined as the law of the land.
Last week, however, the Supreme Court appeared to reverse itself. Its just-released decision in Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action upheld the right of the citizens of Michigan to ban race conscious admissions at the state’s colleges and universities, and in many other governmental activities as well.
The phrase which I've emphasized is the key. The Supreme Court is saying, in Schuette, that the final decision as to the necessity for or rightness of schemes like affirmative action rests with the people, not the courts!
Two propositions were accepted by the parties and the Court:
(1) In certain limited circumstances, the constitution permits race-conscious admissions (affirmative action), and
(2) Although the Constitution permits affirmative action it does not require it.
The second proposition means that a public university can decide not to engage in affirmative action, and that a university’s board of trustees or regents can forbid the university it governs from considering a student’s race in the admissions process.
That is essentially what the Court said -- although not so clearly -- in Grutter. Here's how Charles Krauthammer explains it.
Here's how Mr. Krauthammer put it in his syndicated column. "After 36 years since the Bakke case, years of endless pettifoggery — parsing exactly how many spoonfuls of racial discrimination are permitted in exactly which circumstance — the court has its epiphany: Let the people decide. Not our business. We will not ban affirmative action. But we will not impose it, as the Schuette plaintiffs would have us do by ruling that no state is permitted to ban affirmative action." [The emphasis is mine. Walt]
Does this mean that a judicial stake has at last been driven through the heart of affirmative action? Hardly. What is clear, though, is that the majority of Americans (and their British and Canadian cousins) are fed up with anti-white racism. If the majority is allowed to have its say and have its way, as the US Supreme Court now says it should be, the end of reverse discrimination may well be in sight.
Further reading: "Ethnic politics, public opinion forcing a second look at U.S. affirmative action: Two recent Supreme Court decisions throw the ball to state legislatures", a well-balanced analysis by Neil Macdonald on the CBC News website.
Footnote: Walt has just acquired a copy of Charles Krauthammer's latest book, Things That Matter (Crown Forum, 2013). In a blurb on the back cover, David Brooks says that Mr. Krauthammer's writing "transcends the crush of daily events and can be read, with profit, always." Indeed.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Parents of raped 14-year-old mutilate Muslim cleric, say he should be "punished even more severely"
Interesting item on Reuters today, a report from some remote part of Armpitistan, where the parents of a 14-year-old girl have been arrested after they attacked a Muslim cleric who (the parents say) perpetrated a series of sexual attacks on their daughter. For revenge -- and the honour of the family of course -- they cut off the holy man's... wait for it... nose and ears. What?! Did you think it would be something else?
The provincial "head of women's affairs" [What does this mean, actually? Ed.] told Reuters that the girl had told her parents four months ago she had been assaulted. Speaking from the police chief's office, Abdul Qahar, the girl's father, said, "I invited the mullah to dinner. Then I cut off his ears and nose. I don't know if a cat ate his ears, but his nose went down the drain."
The 32-year-old cleric denied he had assaulted the girl. Police said they have opened a case against him. In most of Afghanistan, outside the capital, Islamic sharia law takes precedence over secular criminal or civil law. Said the girl's mother, Sultana, "If there was a functioning rule of law, then he would be punished even more severely!"
International human rights activists say there has been a sharp rise in violent attacks against women in the deeply fundamental Muslim country, where women have fought hard to gain rights after the collapse of Taliban government in 2001. Restoring women's rights after the Taliban was ousted by an American-led coalition of troops was cited as one of the main objectives of the war. Mission not accomplished!
What lesson do we learn from stories like this? They're savages there, one and all. Leave the benighted heathens to cutting off each other's body parts and whatever else seems "right" to them!
The provincial "head of women's affairs" [What does this mean, actually? Ed.] told Reuters that the girl had told her parents four months ago she had been assaulted. Speaking from the police chief's office, Abdul Qahar, the girl's father, said, "I invited the mullah to dinner. Then I cut off his ears and nose. I don't know if a cat ate his ears, but his nose went down the drain."
The 32-year-old cleric denied he had assaulted the girl. Police said they have opened a case against him. In most of Afghanistan, outside the capital, Islamic sharia law takes precedence over secular criminal or civil law. Said the girl's mother, Sultana, "If there was a functioning rule of law, then he would be punished even more severely!"
International human rights activists say there has been a sharp rise in violent attacks against women in the deeply fundamental Muslim country, where women have fought hard to gain rights after the collapse of Taliban government in 2001. Restoring women's rights after the Taliban was ousted by an American-led coalition of troops was cited as one of the main objectives of the war. Mission not accomplished!
What lesson do we learn from stories like this? They're savages there, one and all. Leave the benighted heathens to cutting off each other's body parts and whatever else seems "right" to them!
Sunday, April 27, 2014
St McPeter's special today: Sainthood 2-for-1!
This editorial cartoon appeared in The Remnant -- a pro-family, pro-life, pro-Catholic newspaper which Walt recommends highly. A big "well done" to the artist.
Worth reading in the Remnant: "Pope Paul VI: Next Contestant on the Santo Subito Show"
Friday, April 25, 2014
Hasty canonizations of John XXIII and JPII - Heaven can't be pleased!
Walt will not be among the million or more pilgrims expected to flock to the Eternal City this weekend for the "canonizations" of Popes John Paul II and John XXIII. I put "canonizations" in quotes because there is serious doubt about the propriety of declaring these popes saints.
In times past -- before Vatican II and even through the papacy of Paul VI -- it took a long time for the process of canonization to unfold. A case or "cause" had to be opened, and then promoted under the direction of a "postulator", whose mission was to make the case for the sainthood of the individual. But there was also a "devil's advocate" charged with arguing the case against the person in question. And, as proof of saintliness, two miracles -- not one but two -- had to be authenticated, and declared attributable to the intervention of the proposed saint. All this could take decades, even centuries.
But nowadays, under Francis the Party Pope -- now becoming known as "Pope of the Cold Calls" -- all those formalities are no longer required, especially for wannabe saints of the "new and improved" Roman Catholic Church of Vatican II. Francis has short-circuited the norms of Holy Mother Church so that JPII and John XXIII can be elevated to sainthood without the usual enquiries, arguments, and proofs of sanctity.
Why is this being done? Because to authenticate the saintliness of John XXIII, who convened Vatican II in spite of the warning given to him by Our Lady of Fatima, and John Paul II, who perpetuated and even worsened its errors, is to (in the minds of the faithful) authenticate the Council itself. So says Bishop Bernard Fellay, Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X, in his latest Letter to Friends and Benefactors (No. 82), titled "We vigorously protest these canonizations ".
Also worth reading is the Catholic Family News interview with Professor Roberto de Mattei on the proposed canonizations. Here's a quote: "If I had to admit that Pope Roncalli [John XXIII] exercised virtue in a heroic way while carrying out his role of Pontiff, I would undermine at the core, the rational presuppositions of my faith. When in doubt, I adhere to the dogma of faith established by the First Vatican Council, according to which there can be no contradiction between faith and reason..."
Meanwhile, in a village called Cevo, in northern Italy, a man was killed yesterday when a crucifix devoted to John Paul II collapsed on top of him. The gigantic cross -- nearly 100 feet high -- was erected to honour the late pontiff’s 1998 visit to the nearby city of Brescia.
Coincidentally, the 21-year-old victim lived with his parents in a town called Lovere, on Via Papa Giovanni XXIII. In English, that's "Pope John XXIII Street". More primitive people might take the event as an evil omen, but of course we Catholics aren't that primitive... are we...
In times past -- before Vatican II and even through the papacy of Paul VI -- it took a long time for the process of canonization to unfold. A case or "cause" had to be opened, and then promoted under the direction of a "postulator", whose mission was to make the case for the sainthood of the individual. But there was also a "devil's advocate" charged with arguing the case against the person in question. And, as proof of saintliness, two miracles -- not one but two -- had to be authenticated, and declared attributable to the intervention of the proposed saint. All this could take decades, even centuries.
But nowadays, under Francis the Party Pope -- now becoming known as "Pope of the Cold Calls" -- all those formalities are no longer required, especially for wannabe saints of the "new and improved" Roman Catholic Church of Vatican II. Francis has short-circuited the norms of Holy Mother Church so that JPII and John XXIII can be elevated to sainthood without the usual enquiries, arguments, and proofs of sanctity.
Why is this being done? Because to authenticate the saintliness of John XXIII, who convened Vatican II in spite of the warning given to him by Our Lady of Fatima, and John Paul II, who perpetuated and even worsened its errors, is to (in the minds of the faithful) authenticate the Council itself. So says Bishop Bernard Fellay, Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X, in his latest Letter to Friends and Benefactors (No. 82), titled "We vigorously protest these canonizations ".
Also worth reading is the Catholic Family News interview with Professor Roberto de Mattei on the proposed canonizations. Here's a quote: "If I had to admit that Pope Roncalli [John XXIII] exercised virtue in a heroic way while carrying out his role of Pontiff, I would undermine at the core, the rational presuppositions of my faith. When in doubt, I adhere to the dogma of faith established by the First Vatican Council, according to which there can be no contradiction between faith and reason..."
Meanwhile, in a village called Cevo, in northern Italy, a man was killed yesterday when a crucifix devoted to John Paul II collapsed on top of him. The gigantic cross -- nearly 100 feet high -- was erected to honour the late pontiff’s 1998 visit to the nearby city of Brescia.
Coincidentally, the 21-year-old victim lived with his parents in a town called Lovere, on Via Papa Giovanni XXIII. In English, that's "Pope John XXIII Street". More primitive people might take the event as an evil omen, but of course we Catholics aren't that primitive... are we...
Saying the unsayable about the unspeakable in Brampton, Canada
Brampton, Ontario, Canada used to be a nice little white little community. Walt passed through there in the early 1950s and remembers it having a population of less than 10,000 and one (1) traffic light at the main intersection, which everyone called "The Four Corners". (Banks occupied three of the four corners. How Canadian is that?!) The traffic signal had only red and green lights, didn't need a yellow. No-one signalled turns because everyone knew where everyone else was going anyway. It was that kind of town.
Sixty years later, Brampton has changed. The population is well over half a million, and more than half of those are vizmins, mainly from south Asia although a black ghetto is developing in the city's northwest quadrant. Don't take Walt's word for it. Check out "Brampton's growing pains", which appeared in the Brampton Guardian last week.
The Guardian kind of downplays the issues of immigration, race and poverty because Canadians like to pretend problems like ghettoization only exist in other countries. In case you can't find the paper's reference, we'll copy it here.
"The population explosion has also sparked concerns about ghettoization, both in terms of income and race. Like other Peel Region municipalities, Brampton faces growing income inequality thanks to a decline in well-paying jobs, a surge of immigrants who may face language barriers in the workplace, and rising home prices."
The article didn't generate a lot of interest or discussion. Why would it, in places with nicknames like "Bramladesh" and "Sikhdale"? That's the way things are, thanks to Pierre Trudeau's Liberal governments of the 1970s and every one of their successors of both red and blue stripes. The politicians opened the floodgates because every immigrant is a potential voter who will be beholden to the progressive pols who allowed them to escape their third-world cesspits by coming by the boatload to the Great No-longer-white North.
Now, however, a political action group called Immigration Watch Canada, is causing some long-overdue discussion about the pitfalls of excessive immigration of unassimilable minorities. They dare to question the wisdom of "a social engineering experiment that is conducted on Canada’s mainstream population in order to make it a minority."
They're circulating a pamphlet called "The Changing Face of Brampton - Is This What You Really Want?", which has predictably (and instantly) been denounced as "racist" by the usual gang of "progressive thinkers" and forces for good in the community.
The flyer points out the drastically changed demographics of Brampton's population. It shows two photos. The first is of a group of white people. The second shows a group of Sikhs. Under it is the question: "Is this really what you want?"
Certain people are upset -- hotter'n firecrackers as Fred C. Dobbs would say. "This kind of message divides the community", said MPP Jagmeet Singh (NDP, Bramalea-Gore-Malton). Mr. Singh is the first turbaned Sikh to be elected to the Ontario legislature. Said he, "We need to celebrate our diversity and celebrate the fact that Canada is first and foremost a country of immigrants." Ah yes. "Celebrating diversity" is the politically correct thing to say and do. Not "Is this really what you want?"!
Brampton Mayor Susan Fennell expressed her disapproval in a tweet -- of course -- and written statement from her office. "These flyers are disgusting," she said, suggesting the document might fall under a hate crime. ("Hate crime" = political incorrectness.) "Racism has no place in Brampton. I have informed Peel police about these bigoted acts."
(Mayor Fennell, by the way, has a higher salary and expense account than just about any other "chief magistrate" in Canada. She gets re-elected year after year thanks in part to the votes of people whose ID might be called into question by people less charitable than Walt.)
Balpreet Singh, of the World Sikh Organization of Canada, doesn't think the "hate crime" charge is going to stick. "I think the pamphlets are in very bad taste," he said, "but I don't think that they go into the territory of hate crime, so I don't expect anything to be done."
That's one thing both Mr. Singhs and Immigration Watch Canada agree on. There will be a provincial election as early as June, a municipal election in the fall, and a federal election next year. Nothing will be done to halt or even reduce the flow into Canada -- and other Western countries -- of unassimilable third-world immigrants. It's too late.
An earlier comment worth reading: "Brampton suffers identity crisis as newcomers swell city’s population", Toronto Star, 24 May 2013
Sixty years later, Brampton has changed. The population is well over half a million, and more than half of those are vizmins, mainly from south Asia although a black ghetto is developing in the city's northwest quadrant. Don't take Walt's word for it. Check out "Brampton's growing pains", which appeared in the Brampton Guardian last week.
The Guardian kind of downplays the issues of immigration, race and poverty because Canadians like to pretend problems like ghettoization only exist in other countries. In case you can't find the paper's reference, we'll copy it here.
"The population explosion has also sparked concerns about ghettoization, both in terms of income and race. Like other Peel Region municipalities, Brampton faces growing income inequality thanks to a decline in well-paying jobs, a surge of immigrants who may face language barriers in the workplace, and rising home prices."
The article didn't generate a lot of interest or discussion. Why would it, in places with nicknames like "Bramladesh" and "Sikhdale"? That's the way things are, thanks to Pierre Trudeau's Liberal governments of the 1970s and every one of their successors of both red and blue stripes. The politicians opened the floodgates because every immigrant is a potential voter who will be beholden to the progressive pols who allowed them to escape their third-world cesspits by coming by the boatload to the Great No-longer-white North.
Now, however, a political action group called Immigration Watch Canada, is causing some long-overdue discussion about the pitfalls of excessive immigration of unassimilable minorities. They dare to question the wisdom of "a social engineering experiment that is conducted on Canada’s mainstream population in order to make it a minority."
They're circulating a pamphlet called "The Changing Face of Brampton - Is This What You Really Want?", which has predictably (and instantly) been denounced as "racist" by the usual gang of "progressive thinkers" and forces for good in the community. The flyer points out the drastically changed demographics of Brampton's population. It shows two photos. The first is of a group of white people. The second shows a group of Sikhs. Under it is the question: "Is this really what you want?"
Certain people are upset -- hotter'n firecrackers as Fred C. Dobbs would say. "This kind of message divides the community", said MPP Jagmeet Singh (NDP, Bramalea-Gore-Malton). Mr. Singh is the first turbaned Sikh to be elected to the Ontario legislature. Said he, "We need to celebrate our diversity and celebrate the fact that Canada is first and foremost a country of immigrants." Ah yes. "Celebrating diversity" is the politically correct thing to say and do. Not "Is this really what you want?"!
Brampton Mayor Susan Fennell expressed her disapproval in a tweet -- of course -- and written statement from her office. "These flyers are disgusting," she said, suggesting the document might fall under a hate crime. ("Hate crime" = political incorrectness.) "Racism has no place in Brampton. I have informed Peel police about these bigoted acts."
(Mayor Fennell, by the way, has a higher salary and expense account than just about any other "chief magistrate" in Canada. She gets re-elected year after year thanks in part to the votes of people whose ID might be called into question by people less charitable than Walt.)
Balpreet Singh, of the World Sikh Organization of Canada, doesn't think the "hate crime" charge is going to stick. "I think the pamphlets are in very bad taste," he said, "but I don't think that they go into the territory of hate crime, so I don't expect anything to be done."
That's one thing both Mr. Singhs and Immigration Watch Canada agree on. There will be a provincial election as early as June, a municipal election in the fall, and a federal election next year. Nothing will be done to halt or even reduce the flow into Canada -- and other Western countries -- of unassimilable third-world immigrants. It's too late.
An earlier comment worth reading: "Brampton suffers identity crisis as newcomers swell city’s population", Toronto Star, 24 May 2013
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Ypsilanti police set to flush out phantom pooper
Ypsilanti MI police are flushed with success, you might say, having closed in on the phantom pooper. That's right. For the last month six months, in spite of the winter weather, someone has been soiling slides at Ypsilanti's Prospect Park, much to the consternation of slider wannabes and their parents.
In January, Ypsi Police Chief Tony Wiggum [Ed., please check.] sent an e-mail to his minions to say "We have a problem in Prospect Park with a miscreant that does not understand the difference between a children’s playground slide and a toilet. Apparently this extremely misguided individual feels the need to defecate on the slide despite the cold weather."
Apparently catching the phantom pooper wasn't a high priority, though, until this month. According to the Detroit Free Press, city officials decided the dirty deeds had to be stopped immediately! "This winter, it wasn't necessarily a problem," said city council member Pete Murdock. "But now that the weather is getting warmer, we need to get a handle on it."
A handle? Hmmm. Difficult image to get into one's mind, but Adams Outdoor Advertising decided to help out by creating a series of billboards urging Ypsilantians or Ypsis or Gypsis or whatever the locals call themselves to do their "civic doody" and "report the pooper"!
Another sign read, "Help us flush the pooper!" Each billboards featured a Superman-like figure in a brown "anti-poop" shirt. The hashtag #YPSIPOOPER is prominently displayed, prompting many locals to crack wise.
However, Todd McWilliams, general manager of the advertising company, said his company was shit serious -- inspired to design and erect the billboards after an employee from Ypsilanti brought a news report about the phantom pooper to the office.
And it looks as though the billboards may have done some good. Last Friday the Ypsi police issued a press release stating, "We are investigating a person of interest possibly involved in these incidents. We will be not be providing any further information, as the case is still open and active."
Meanwhile, unfortunately for fans of the #YPSIPOOPER billboards, the City of Ypsilanti has requested that they be removed, after just three days of, errr, exposure.
However, Ypsilanti police are still requesting the public's help. Their press release concludes, "Any information relative to the case can be directly forwarded to us here at the police department." So if you live in Ypsilanti and you want to pass something, give them a call. Never let it be said that Walt's readers don't know shit!
In January, Ypsi Police Chief Tony Wiggum [Ed., please check.] sent an e-mail to his minions to say "We have a problem in Prospect Park with a miscreant that does not understand the difference between a children’s playground slide and a toilet. Apparently this extremely misguided individual feels the need to defecate on the slide despite the cold weather."
Apparently catching the phantom pooper wasn't a high priority, though, until this month. According to the Detroit Free Press, city officials decided the dirty deeds had to be stopped immediately! "This winter, it wasn't necessarily a problem," said city council member Pete Murdock. "But now that the weather is getting warmer, we need to get a handle on it."
A handle? Hmmm. Difficult image to get into one's mind, but Adams Outdoor Advertising decided to help out by creating a series of billboards urging Ypsilantians or Ypsis or Gypsis or whatever the locals call themselves to do their "civic doody" and "report the pooper"!
Another sign read, "Help us flush the pooper!" Each billboards featured a Superman-like figure in a brown "anti-poop" shirt. The hashtag #YPSIPOOPER is prominently displayed, prompting many locals to crack wise.
However, Todd McWilliams, general manager of the advertising company, said his company was shit serious -- inspired to design and erect the billboards after an employee from Ypsilanti brought a news report about the phantom pooper to the office.
And it looks as though the billboards may have done some good. Last Friday the Ypsi police issued a press release stating, "We are investigating a person of interest possibly involved in these incidents. We will be not be providing any further information, as the case is still open and active."
Meanwhile, unfortunately for fans of the #YPSIPOOPER billboards, the City of Ypsilanti has requested that they be removed, after just three days of, errr, exposure.
However, Ypsilanti police are still requesting the public's help. Their press release concludes, "Any information relative to the case can be directly forwarded to us here at the police department." So if you live in Ypsilanti and you want to pass something, give them a call. Never let it be said that Walt's readers don't know shit!
Sexist, racist, insufferably cute "Hello Kitty" VIDEO - watch it here
Yes, folks, Walt has it for you. Be the first [more likely 4 millionth. Ed.] to see the official "Hello Kitty" video, starring Canuck singing phenom Avril Lavigne, accompanied by harujuku dancers, rolling around in their underwear as every silly kitty should.
Whaddya think? Idolator.com calls "Hello Kitty" probably the worst thing you’ll watch all week. The Mirror calls it “so bad that it’s actually quite good".
But is it racist and/or sexist? Entertainment Weekly's Darren Franich [Who he? Ed.]says, "There are serious questions about whether it’s offensive (expressionless Asian dancers, Tokyo-as-prop) or offensively obvious (this one’s for you, large Japanese fanbase!). There are even more serious questions about the title, 'Hello Kitty', which is also like half of the lyrics, and which everyone agrees is a double entendre."
Walt finds Ms Lavigne's video ever so cute, which seems to be the point. But is it music?! Ha. Hahahahahahaha...
Whaddya think? Idolator.com calls "Hello Kitty" probably the worst thing you’ll watch all week. The Mirror calls it “so bad that it’s actually quite good".
But is it racist and/or sexist? Entertainment Weekly's Darren Franich [Who he? Ed.]says, "There are serious questions about whether it’s offensive (expressionless Asian dancers, Tokyo-as-prop) or offensively obvious (this one’s for you, large Japanese fanbase!). There are even more serious questions about the title, 'Hello Kitty', which is also like half of the lyrics, and which everyone agrees is a double entendre."
Walt finds Ms Lavigne's video ever so cute, which seems to be the point. But is it music?! Ha. Hahahahahahaha...
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Best honorary football kickoff address ever
Have I told you about Fred C. Dobbs? Not the character in Treasure of the Sierra Madre, but the other one? [You did mention the Bard of Beamsville in "Offensive names". Ed.] Well, OK, but I didn't explain that my funnier and more vulgar role model was the alter ego of the late Michael Magee, a part-time radio and TV personality and full-time fan of the sport of kings, based in Beamsville, Ontario. There is such a place; you'll find it by looking up your atlas.
Fred C. Dobbs's only published works are The Golden Age of B.S. (Gage, 1976) and The Platinum Age of B.S. (Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1981), both long out of print. If you're a Canadian and enjoy seeing the high and mighty get the respect they really deserve, try to find one or both books. Here's a sample.
A story I like about this country that says a lot of things is the one about the time when the good city fathers of the city of Calgary invited the mayor of Montréal, Camillion [actually Camillien. Dobbs's little joke. Ed.] Houde, to come out to Calgary and kick off the ceremonial ball at the first exhibition game of the 1949 Western Conference football season. The two teams playing was the Montréal Allouettes and the Calgary Stampeders, who was the defending Grey Cup champions....
Houde was quite a famous character. [He] was a very colourful mayor of the city of Montréal and a very sensible guy too. He just come unstuck with the General Manager of Canada, Mackenzie King, during World War II cuz he was busy going around recommending that nobody should join the Armed Forces of Canada and pledge allegiance to the King. So Mackenzie King got so sick, sore and tired of him that he had him thrown in the slammer. When he got out after the war was over there was a big civic election in Montréal and the people in their wisdom put him right back in office.
So Houde goes out to Calgary and out to the old Mewata Stadium, where they was playing their football then, and when he goes out onto the field it was just wicked. The whole joint stood up, and I guess in those days they'd be 15,000 strong, and they started yelling stuff like, "Hey, froggy, how high can you jump?" and "Hey, Houde, how was the crowbar hotel?" or "Hey, Houde, where's your striped suit?" All that kept being said, you know, by the crowd. Finally, though, the weight of their Japanese stetsons got so heavy that they sat down.
And then Houde took the microphone, which had been run out to the centre of the field where he was supposed to do the kickoff. And he says something like, "Ladies and gentlemen, I want to tell you that I really have enjoyed my visit with you here. Two days ago they took us out to Banff and we saw there scenery there and it certainly is more beautiful and more spectacular than anything that we have in the city of Montréal. Yesterday, I was walking around the downtown area and admiring how clean your city is, how orderly it is."
Houde went on, "And I admired the prettiness of the women of all ages in this city of Calgary, the wonderful expression on their faces, the joy of living that seemed to be there in their smiles. The youthfulness of the west somehow was there. And today, I just can't get over the hospitality shown me here in this stadium. All I can say is that whenever you want me to, I'd be glad to come back out here to kick your balls off."
He got a standing ovation.
"I told you so" - Former British PM says Islamic extremists are dangerous
British readers may remember the Rt. Hon. Tony Blair, the UK's first "New Labour" prime minister. Other things "new" about Mr. Blair were "new age" and -- believe it or not -- "new bullshit". For it was he, aided and abetted by Peter Mandelson and Alastair Campbell, who led Notsogreat Britain into the Iraq debacle.
How did they persuade the British people and parliament to support the American invasion of Saddam Hussein's sandpit? Why, by declaring Saddam a dangerous Islamic extremist -- EXTRA-dangerous, in fact, because he possessed "weapons of mass destruction" (WMDs) which could hit Britain 45 seconds, turning it from a stinking pile of rubbish into a flaming pile of rubbish.
"45 seconds"... turned out to be a wee bit of an exaggeration. In fact Saddam was as bereft of WMDs as the Americans were of any strategy to exit the Iraq quagmire, and you know the rest of the story. People started calling the British PM "Tony Bliar", and he had the smarts to hand over to poor old Gordon Brown, who was in due course turfed out.
No matter. The terrible trio -- Blair, Mandelson and Campbell -- have all gone on to bigger and better (?) things. Yesterday, Britain. Today, Europe. Tomorrow, the world ??? See "Are Tony Blair and Peter Mandelson edging towards world domination?" in the online edition of today's Grauniad.
As part of Mr. Bliar's grand strategy of self-promotion -- that's where Campbell comes in, as the PR advisor -- Tony got himself appointed "special ambassador" to the Middle East. His self-proclaimed goal was to Draw All Faiths Together (DAFT), getting Jews, Christians and Muslims to bury the hatchet... in the ground rather than others' heads. So far he has accomplished, errr, nothing.
Why is it that? Well, in a speech given in London yesterday, Mr. Bliar said the problem is "the threat of Islamic extremism". He didn't say anything about WMDs or "45 seconds", but warned Western leaders they must "take sides" in places like Syria and back "open-minded" groups. Hmmm. Open-minded Muslims. Open-minded Jews. Perhaps Tony can tell us where to find such people? "Moderate Islamists" and "moderate Zionists" are oxymorons!
A further problem is that before you can have a "conversation" with the "moderates", you have to deal with the extremists. How to do that? You won't be surprised to learn that the prime minister who led Britain into Iraq is recommending military intervention in Syria!According to Mr. Bliar, the West will pay a "very heavy price" for not doing so.
The former PM told the BBC that the opportunity to create "an optimistic solution" is being missed. He argued the West had a "responsibility but also an interest" in making sure the "huge struggle" was "resolved in the right way.... Above all, we have to commit. We have to engage." [Sounds like making wedding plans, doesn't it? Ed.]
Mr. Bliar said he understood the UK's reluctance not to take military action, but would have pushed for the imposition of no-fly zones had he still been in office two years ago. "I know what the difficult consequences are of intervention, but if you look at Syria you see the consequences of non-intervention, and non-intervention there is something for which we will pay a very heavy price."
Walt has obtained a copy of Mr. Bliar's speaking notes, which appeared to be a photocopy of a speech he gave in March of 2003, with "Iraq" and "Saddam Hussein" crossed out and "Syria" and "Basher [sic] Assad" substituted.
Perhaps the agent who sent us the material was just pulling Walt's leg. What is certain is that we've seen this movie before. And we know how it ends. Lifetime pct .983.
How did they persuade the British people and parliament to support the American invasion of Saddam Hussein's sandpit? Why, by declaring Saddam a dangerous Islamic extremist -- EXTRA-dangerous, in fact, because he possessed "weapons of mass destruction" (WMDs) which could hit Britain 45 seconds, turning it from a stinking pile of rubbish into a flaming pile of rubbish.
"45 seconds"... turned out to be a wee bit of an exaggeration. In fact Saddam was as bereft of WMDs as the Americans were of any strategy to exit the Iraq quagmire, and you know the rest of the story. People started calling the British PM "Tony Bliar", and he had the smarts to hand over to poor old Gordon Brown, who was in due course turfed out.
No matter. The terrible trio -- Blair, Mandelson and Campbell -- have all gone on to bigger and better (?) things. Yesterday, Britain. Today, Europe. Tomorrow, the world ??? See "Are Tony Blair and Peter Mandelson edging towards world domination?" in the online edition of today's Grauniad.
As part of Mr. Bliar's grand strategy of self-promotion -- that's where Campbell comes in, as the PR advisor -- Tony got himself appointed "special ambassador" to the Middle East. His self-proclaimed goal was to Draw All Faiths Together (DAFT), getting Jews, Christians and Muslims to bury the hatchet... in the ground rather than others' heads. So far he has accomplished, errr, nothing.
Why is it that? Well, in a speech given in London yesterday, Mr. Bliar said the problem is "the threat of Islamic extremism". He didn't say anything about WMDs or "45 seconds", but warned Western leaders they must "take sides" in places like Syria and back "open-minded" groups. Hmmm. Open-minded Muslims. Open-minded Jews. Perhaps Tony can tell us where to find such people? "Moderate Islamists" and "moderate Zionists" are oxymorons!
A further problem is that before you can have a "conversation" with the "moderates", you have to deal with the extremists. How to do that? You won't be surprised to learn that the prime minister who led Britain into Iraq is recommending military intervention in Syria!According to Mr. Bliar, the West will pay a "very heavy price" for not doing so.
The former PM told the BBC that the opportunity to create "an optimistic solution" is being missed. He argued the West had a "responsibility but also an interest" in making sure the "huge struggle" was "resolved in the right way.... Above all, we have to commit. We have to engage." [Sounds like making wedding plans, doesn't it? Ed.]
Mr. Bliar said he understood the UK's reluctance not to take military action, but would have pushed for the imposition of no-fly zones had he still been in office two years ago. "I know what the difficult consequences are of intervention, but if you look at Syria you see the consequences of non-intervention, and non-intervention there is something for which we will pay a very heavy price."
Walt has obtained a copy of Mr. Bliar's speaking notes, which appeared to be a photocopy of a speech he gave in March of 2003, with "Iraq" and "Saddam Hussein" crossed out and "Syria" and "Basher [sic] Assad" substituted.
Perhaps the agent who sent us the material was just pulling Walt's leg. What is certain is that we've seen this movie before. And we know how it ends. Lifetime pct .983.
Monday, April 21, 2014
Why the Muslim became a Christian
Just a thought before we forget about the Resurrection until next Easter...
Somebody asked a Muslim why he became a Christian. He said, "Let's put it this way. You're on a journey, and you come to a fork in the road. You don't know which way to go. There are two men there - one dead, the other alive. Which one do you ask for directions?"
Thanks to Agent 9, and Happy Easter to all our readers.
Somebody asked a Muslim why he became a Christian. He said, "Let's put it this way. You're on a journey, and you come to a fork in the road. You don't know which way to go. There are two men there - one dead, the other alive. Which one do you ask for directions?"
Thanks to Agent 9, and Happy Easter to all our readers.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen! Alleluia!
"Resurrexi, et Adhuc Tecum Sum, Alleluia"
"Exsultemus, et Laetaemur in Ea"
Omnibus Lectoribus Internexus
BEATAM PASCHAM!
Friday, April 18, 2014
Traditional Good Friday prayers
Good Catholic friends... If you attend the Good Friday Liturgy at a mainstream Roman Catholic church today, you will hear only a "reformed", politically correct version of the Solemn Prayers which were said in all our churches, on every Good Friday for centuries, until the disorientation caused by Vatican II. Here are the old prayers in a translation bearing the imprimatur of Francis Cardinal Spellman.
1. For Holy Church
Almighty and eternal God, who in Christ hast revealed They glory to all nations: preserve the works of Thy mercy; that Thy Church, spread abroad over the whole world, may with a steadfast faith persevere in the confession of Thy Name. Through the same our Lord...
2. For the Supreme Pontiff
Almighty and eternal God, by whose judgment all things are established, mercifully regard our prayers, and in Thy goodness preserve the Chief Bishop chosen to rule over us: that the Christian people who are governed by Thine authority, may under so great a Pontiff increase in the merits of their faith. Through our Lord...
3. For all orders and degrees of the faithful
Almighty and eternal God, by whose Spirit the w hole body of the Church is sanctified and governed, hear our supplications for all the orders thereof; that by the gift of Thy grace, they may all in their several degrees faithfully serve Thee. Through our Lord...
4. For the Rulers of the State
Almighty and eternal God, in whose hands is all power and authority: look with mercy on those who govern us, that Thy right hand protecting us, integrity of faith and security of country may be preserved. Through our Lord Jesus Christ...
5. For Catechumens
Almighty and eternal God, Who dost continually enrich Thy Church with a new offspring; increase the faith and understanding of our Catechumens; that being born again in the waters of Baptism, they may be joined to the children of Thine adoption. Through our Lord...
6. For the necessities of the faithful
Almighty and eternal God, the Comfort of the sorrowful, the Support of the weary, let the prayers of them reach Thee that cry to Thee in any affliction; that all may have reason to rejoice that in their need Thy mercy hath come to their aid. Through our Lord...
7. For the Unity of the Church
Almighty and eternal God, Who saves all men, and desirest not that any should perish: look down on such souls as are deceived by the wiles of the devil; that laying aside all heretical perverseness, the hearts of those who are in error may be converted, and may return to the unity of Thy truth. Through our Lord...
8. For the conversion of the Jews
Almighty and eternal God, Who art ready to extend Thy mercy even to the Jews, hear the prayers which we offer for the blindness of that people; that by acknowledging the light of Thy truth, which is Christ, they may be delivered from their darkness. Through the same our Lord...
9. For the conversion of infidels
Almighty and eternal God, Who dost ever desire the life, and not the death, of sinners: mercifully receive our prayer, and deliver them from the worship of idols, and join them to the flock of Thy holy Church, for the praise and glory of Thy Name. Through our Lord...
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Zimbabweans wishing to run whites back INTO town?
Tomorrow will mark the 34th anniversary of Zimbabwe's deliverance from the rule of the "white settlers". At the time when the reins of government -- and the keys to the bank vault and printing presses -- were handed over to Comrade Robert Gabriel Mugabe, Rhodesia (as it then was) enjoyed a standard of living second in southern Africa only to that of South Africa.
Rhodesia was a net exporter of food, the infrastructure (including a railway and an airline) worked, life expectancy was rising and it took two American dollars to buy a Rhodesian dollar. Now, having been looted six ways from Sunday by Mugabe's kleptocracy, Zimbabwe is an economic basket case. Millions of Zimbabweans are dying, not just from HIV/AIDS but from hunger. 1/12th of its citizens, including all but a handful of whites, are living overseas.
Celebrations of independence and "majority rule" will thus be a little muted. Some older people even dare to suggest that perhaps things were better in the days when the country was run by people who knew how, even if those people were, errr, a whiter shade of pale. Here are some thoughts along those lines from Walt's old friend CZ, writing in this week's Financial Gazette.
Patriotic as Dr CZ would love to be seen to be, if he is going to be allowed the freedom to be honest, he would confess that he is divided as to which event to celebrate tomorrow… that is if he has an option to choose between independence and Easter Friday.
There are, however, many reasons CZ would rather celebrate Easter than independence because independence is there, yes, but a lot of things are quite amiss… so amiss as to tempt some like Yours Truly to think Ian Smith could have been right after all when he told the then newly-sworn in Prime Minister Robert Mugabe at his new official residence in 1980 that the success of the new nation depended largely on the size of the white component of the population that new government was able to retain.
What the political hooligan called Smith was simply doing was wantonly casting aspersions at the leadership qualities of black people, which naturally was an insult to any patriot. Sadly, Dr CZ now feels that the collective behaviour of many of our leaders over the years — be they political, business, religious et al — seem to be totally divorced from anything remotely suggestive of even a fleeting hint towards debunking this “stereotypical nonsense”. Dr CZ regrets it if he has failed to properly articulate his point as to sound racist!
Rhodesia was a net exporter of food, the infrastructure (including a railway and an airline) worked, life expectancy was rising and it took two American dollars to buy a Rhodesian dollar. Now, having been looted six ways from Sunday by Mugabe's kleptocracy, Zimbabwe is an economic basket case. Millions of Zimbabweans are dying, not just from HIV/AIDS but from hunger. 1/12th of its citizens, including all but a handful of whites, are living overseas.
Celebrations of independence and "majority rule" will thus be a little muted. Some older people even dare to suggest that perhaps things were better in the days when the country was run by people who knew how, even if those people were, errr, a whiter shade of pale. Here are some thoughts along those lines from Walt's old friend CZ, writing in this week's Financial Gazette.
Patriotic as Dr CZ would love to be seen to be, if he is going to be allowed the freedom to be honest, he would confess that he is divided as to which event to celebrate tomorrow… that is if he has an option to choose between independence and Easter Friday.
There are, however, many reasons CZ would rather celebrate Easter than independence because independence is there, yes, but a lot of things are quite amiss… so amiss as to tempt some like Yours Truly to think Ian Smith could have been right after all when he told the then newly-sworn in Prime Minister Robert Mugabe at his new official residence in 1980 that the success of the new nation depended largely on the size of the white component of the population that new government was able to retain.
What the political hooligan called Smith was simply doing was wantonly casting aspersions at the leadership qualities of black people, which naturally was an insult to any patriot. Sadly, Dr CZ now feels that the collective behaviour of many of our leaders over the years — be they political, business, religious et al — seem to be totally divorced from anything remotely suggestive of even a fleeting hint towards debunking this “stereotypical nonsense”. Dr CZ regrets it if he has failed to properly articulate his point as to sound racist!
Holy Thursday
Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke: and gave to his disciples, and said: Take ye, and eat. This is my body.
And taking the chalice, he gave thanks, and gave to them, saying: Drink ye all of this.
For this is my blood of the new testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins.
"For many", not "for all". That's what Our Lord said to his disciples. To learn what you must do to be among the "many", ask a traditional Catholic priest, who preaches and teaches the Faith of our fathers. If you don't know where to find a good priest, write to us and we will try to help.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Illinois or Oklahoma -- which is the better place to live?
Agent 6 passes along a comparison [dates from 2009, but still valid. Ed.] of life and legislation in two states of "middle America" -- one run by liberal Democrats, the other by conservative Republicans. Which one would you rather live in?
ILLINOIS - Some interesting data on the State of Illinois
There are more people on welfare in Illinois than there are people working.
Chicago pays the highest wages to teachers than anywhere else in the USA, averaging $110,000 per year. Their pensions average 80-90% of their income.
Chicago school system rated one of the worst in the country. Can't blame Republicans; there aren't any!
Perhaps the US should pull out of Chicago? Body count: In the last six months, 292 killed (murdered) in Chicago, 221 killed in Iraq. AND Chicago has one of the strictest gun laws in the entire US.
Here's the power structure responsible for Chicago and Illinois:
President: Barack Obama * Senator: Dick Durbin * House Representative: Jesse Jackson Jr. * Governor: Pat Quinn * House leader: Mike Madigan * Attorney General: Lisa Madigan (daughter of Mike) * Mayor: Rahm Emanuel (Obama's best bud)
All Democrats. Thank you for the combat zone in Chicago!
Of course, they're all blaming each other. Can't blame Republicans; there aren't any! State pension fund $78 Billion in debt, worst in country. Can't blame Republicans; there aren't any!
Cook County (Chicago) sales tax - 10.25% - highest in country. Can't blame Republicans; there aren't any!
This is the political culture that Obama comes from in Illinois. And he's going to "fix" Washington politics for us?
George Ryan is no longer Governor, he is in prison.
He was replaced by Rob Blagoyavic who is - that's right - also in prison.
And Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. resigned a couple of weeks ago, because he is fighting to not be sent to... that's right, prison.
The Land of Lincoln, where our governors make our license plates.
As long as they keep providing entitlements to the population of Chicago, nothing is going to change, except the state will go broke before the country does. Don't forget Detroit - another good example!
"Anybody who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the Government take care of him better take a closer look at the American Indian."
OKLAHOMA - may soon have plenty of new residents!
Oklahoma is the only state [in which] Obama did not win even one county in the [2008] election. And look what Oklahoma has been doing!!!
[Oklahoma's legislature] passed, 37 to 9, an amendment to place the Ten Commandments on the front entrance to the state capitol. HB1330 The feds in DC, along with the ACLU, said it would be a mistake. Hey this is a conservative state, based on Christian values.
Guess what... Oklahoma did it anyway.
Oklahoma recently passed a law in the state to incarcerate all illegal immigrants, and ship them back to where they came from unless they want to get a green card and become American citizens. HB1804. They all scattered. This was against the advice of the Federal Government, and the ACLU, they said it would be a mistake.
Guess what... Oklahoma did it anyway.
Recently we passed a law to include DNA samples from any and all illegals in the Oklahoma database, for criminal investigative purposes. SB1102. [Nancy] Pelosi said it was unconstitutional.
Guess what... Oklahoma did it anyway.
Several weeks ago, we passed a law, declaring Oklahoma a sovereign state, not under federal government directives, joining Texas, Montana and Utah as the only states to do so. HJR1003. More states are likely to follow: Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, West Virginia, Mississippi and Florida. Save your confederate money; it appears the South is about to rise up again!
The federal Government has made bold steps to take away our guns. Oklahoma, a week ago, passed a law confirming people in this state have the right to bear arms and transport them in their vehicles. I'm sure that was a setback for the criminals. The Liberals didn't like it --But... Guess what... Oklahoma did it anyway.
Just this month, the state has voted and passed a law that ALL drivers license exams will be printed in English, and only English, and no other language. They have been called racist for doing this, but the fact is that ALL of the road signs are in English only. If you want to drive in Oklahoma, you must read and write English. Really simple.
By the way, the Liberals don't like any of this either
Guess what... who cares... Oklahoma is doing it anyway.
Please don't write to me complaining that the statistics are dated or that some of the Oklahoma legislation has been repealed or struck down. I know that. And I said at the beginning this rant has been on the Net since 2009. It's a comparison still worth considering.
ILLINOIS - Some interesting data on the State of Illinois
There are more people on welfare in Illinois than there are people working.
Chicago pays the highest wages to teachers than anywhere else in the USA, averaging $110,000 per year. Their pensions average 80-90% of their income.
Chicago school system rated one of the worst in the country. Can't blame Republicans; there aren't any!
Perhaps the US should pull out of Chicago? Body count: In the last six months, 292 killed (murdered) in Chicago, 221 killed in Iraq. AND Chicago has one of the strictest gun laws in the entire US.
Here's the power structure responsible for Chicago and Illinois:
President: Barack Obama * Senator: Dick Durbin * House Representative: Jesse Jackson Jr. * Governor: Pat Quinn * House leader: Mike Madigan * Attorney General: Lisa Madigan (daughter of Mike) * Mayor: Rahm Emanuel (Obama's best bud)
All Democrats. Thank you for the combat zone in Chicago!
Of course, they're all blaming each other. Can't blame Republicans; there aren't any! State pension fund $78 Billion in debt, worst in country. Can't blame Republicans; there aren't any!
Cook County (Chicago) sales tax - 10.25% - highest in country. Can't blame Republicans; there aren't any!
This is the political culture that Obama comes from in Illinois. And he's going to "fix" Washington politics for us?
George Ryan is no longer Governor, he is in prison.
He was replaced by Rob Blagoyavic who is - that's right - also in prison.
And Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. resigned a couple of weeks ago, because he is fighting to not be sent to... that's right, prison.
The Land of Lincoln, where our governors make our license plates.
As long as they keep providing entitlements to the population of Chicago, nothing is going to change, except the state will go broke before the country does. Don't forget Detroit - another good example!
"Anybody who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the Government take care of him better take a closer look at the American Indian."
OKLAHOMA - may soon have plenty of new residents!
Oklahoma is the only state [in which] Obama did not win even one county in the [2008] election. And look what Oklahoma has been doing!!!
[Oklahoma's legislature] passed, 37 to 9, an amendment to place the Ten Commandments on the front entrance to the state capitol. HB1330 The feds in DC, along with the ACLU, said it would be a mistake. Hey this is a conservative state, based on Christian values.
Guess what... Oklahoma did it anyway.
Oklahoma recently passed a law in the state to incarcerate all illegal immigrants, and ship them back to where they came from unless they want to get a green card and become American citizens. HB1804. They all scattered. This was against the advice of the Federal Government, and the ACLU, they said it would be a mistake.
Guess what... Oklahoma did it anyway.
Recently we passed a law to include DNA samples from any and all illegals in the Oklahoma database, for criminal investigative purposes. SB1102. [Nancy] Pelosi said it was unconstitutional.
Guess what... Oklahoma did it anyway.
Several weeks ago, we passed a law, declaring Oklahoma a sovereign state, not under federal government directives, joining Texas, Montana and Utah as the only states to do so. HJR1003. More states are likely to follow: Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, West Virginia, Mississippi and Florida. Save your confederate money; it appears the South is about to rise up again!
The federal Government has made bold steps to take away our guns. Oklahoma, a week ago, passed a law confirming people in this state have the right to bear arms and transport them in their vehicles. I'm sure that was a setback for the criminals. The Liberals didn't like it --But... Guess what... Oklahoma did it anyway.
Just this month, the state has voted and passed a law that ALL drivers license exams will be printed in English, and only English, and no other language. They have been called racist for doing this, but the fact is that ALL of the road signs are in English only. If you want to drive in Oklahoma, you must read and write English. Really simple.
By the way, the Liberals don't like any of this either
Guess what... who cares... Oklahoma is doing it anyway.
Please don't write to me complaining that the statistics are dated or that some of the Oklahoma legislation has been repealed or struck down. I know that. And I said at the beginning this rant has been on the Net since 2009. It's a comparison still worth considering.
Spy Wednesday
We are now in the middle of Holy Week, the commemoration by Holy Mother Church of the betrayal, Passion and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Today is Great and Holy Wednesday, also known as "Spy Wednesday", in remembrance of Judas Iscariot's acceptance of thirty pieces of silver to act as a spy for the Sanhedrin -- the religious court of the Jews.
In return for the tainted money, Judas gave the Jews information that enabled them to arrest Jesus, after He had been identified by Judas' kiss of death. Later, Judas committed suicide.
You will find a good depiction of these events in The Passion of the Christ, the historically and Biblically accurate account of Jesus' betrayal, suffering and Crucifixion, directed by Mel Gibson. Recommended as a penance on Good Friday.
Today is Great and Holy Wednesday, also known as "Spy Wednesday", in remembrance of Judas Iscariot's acceptance of thirty pieces of silver to act as a spy for the Sanhedrin -- the religious court of the Jews.
And Satan entered into Judas, who was surnamed Iscariot, one of the twelve:
and he went and discoursed with the chief priests and the magistrates,
how he might betray Him to them.
And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money: and he promised.
And he sought opportunity to betray Him, in the absence of the multitude.
St. Luke 22:3-6and he went and discoursed with the chief priests and the magistrates,
how he might betray Him to them.
And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money: and he promised.
And he sought opportunity to betray Him, in the absence of the multitude.
In return for the tainted money, Judas gave the Jews information that enabled them to arrest Jesus, after He had been identified by Judas' kiss of death. Later, Judas committed suicide.
You will find a good depiction of these events in The Passion of the Christ, the historically and Biblically accurate account of Jesus' betrayal, suffering and Crucifixion, directed by Mel Gibson. Recommended as a penance on Good Friday.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Where's Walto?
Apologies for the silence of the last couple of days. Walt has been following two major stories, neither of which has come to a conclusion, satisfactory or otherwise:- The conflict in the Ukraine: Is NATO/the USA/the West actually going to do something concrete to stop Russian expansionism? Walt doubts it, and really doesn't want to be proven wrong. On the other hand... maybe there is no other hand.
- The search for MH370: Last week's optimism gives way to cynicism, if not despair. The American military is conspicuous by its silence and apparent disinterest. Has anyone asked for a tour of Diego Garcia yet?
Agent 34 brought my mind back to these and other matters of the here and now by forwarding this picture from the National Safety Council, which he says should have accompanied "SWAT teams abuse your rights -- 1000s of times a year!" Indeed.
And that's all for this time. Goodnight, Cordelia Weatherbee, whoever you are.
Friday, April 11, 2014
"Noah" theologically unsound, "vaguely New Age... strange..."
I'm not going to see Noah. Why would I? I know the story. I was there! See pic below. I was younger then.
OK, it's not me. It's Russell Crowe in Noah, the latest Hollywood blockbuster to sully the silver screen. It was released on March 29th, in an obvious bid to attract Christians [and Jews? Ed.] who feel vaguely guilty about not going to church and not knowing their Bible history. You may be tempted to go see it. Don't bother.
The lamestream media are amused by a report that Russell Crowe (himself) invited Francis the Party Pope (himself) to go to a special screening. The Holy Father is said to have declined. Now the semi-official Catholic newspaper L'Avvenire has criticized the film as "ecologically and vaguely New Age", a "missed opportunity" that ignores God.
This is the first (somewhat) official comment from the Church since Noah was released. The movie is very loosely based on the Genesis account of the great flood, but director Darren Aronofsky has described his adaptation as "the least-biblical biblical film ever made". When the... errr... creator says it's not Biblical, I think we can believe him.
In the Excited States of America, as you might expect, Noah topped the weekend box office, with opening sales of $44 million. It's not so popular in the rest of the world though, especially Muslim countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, where it's been banned outright. The Christian Post quotes Muchlis Paen, the head of Indonesia's censor board, as saying the film contradicts the flood stories in both the Koran and Bible.
Meanwhile, a screening of Noah in an Exeter cinema was cancelled due to flooding. That should be all the warning ye need.
OK, it's not me. It's Russell Crowe in Noah, the latest Hollywood blockbuster to sully the silver screen. It was released on March 29th, in an obvious bid to attract Christians [and Jews? Ed.] who feel vaguely guilty about not going to church and not knowing their Bible history. You may be tempted to go see it. Don't bother.
The lamestream media are amused by a report that Russell Crowe (himself) invited Francis the Party Pope (himself) to go to a special screening. The Holy Father is said to have declined. Now the semi-official Catholic newspaper L'Avvenire has criticized the film as "ecologically and vaguely New Age", a "missed opportunity" that ignores God.
This is the first (somewhat) official comment from the Church since Noah was released. The movie is very loosely based on the Genesis account of the great flood, but director Darren Aronofsky has described his adaptation as "the least-biblical biblical film ever made". When the... errr... creator says it's not Biblical, I think we can believe him.
In the Excited States of America, as you might expect, Noah topped the weekend box office, with opening sales of $44 million. It's not so popular in the rest of the world though, especially Muslim countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, where it's been banned outright. The Christian Post quotes Muchlis Paen, the head of Indonesia's censor board, as saying the film contradicts the flood stories in both the Koran and Bible.
Meanwhile, a screening of Noah in an Exeter cinema was cancelled due to flooding. That should be all the warning ye need.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
PHOTO GALLERY: The Holy Land in the 19th century
Next week is Holy Week, the prelude to the most important date in the Christian calendar -- Easter Sunday.
When we think of the Holy Land now, we get images in our mind of a crowded, dangerous, strife-torn place, not the kind of place you'd go to contemplate the events and mysteries of the Faith. So it is today, and it has been so in the past, but not always. Thanks to Agent 6 for sending us the link to "Gorgeous Pictures Of The Holy Land From 120 Years Ago"
Presented by the Business Insider website, this is a gallery of hand-coloured picture postcards from Palestine, Lebanon, Samaria and that region, which looked much the same in the late 19th century as they did in the time when Our Lord Jesus Christ walked among us. As you look at the pictures, let your mind dwell on thoughts of peace.
When we think of the Holy Land now, we get images in our mind of a crowded, dangerous, strife-torn place, not the kind of place you'd go to contemplate the events and mysteries of the Faith. So it is today, and it has been so in the past, but not always. Thanks to Agent 6 for sending us the link to "Gorgeous Pictures Of The Holy Land From 120 Years Ago"
Presented by the Business Insider website, this is a gallery of hand-coloured picture postcards from Palestine, Lebanon, Samaria and that region, which looked much the same in the late 19th century as they did in the time when Our Lord Jesus Christ walked among us. As you look at the pictures, let your mind dwell on thoughts of peace.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Québec votes to leave well enough alone
Yesterday, as Walt et tout le monde predicted, the voters of Québec turfed out the Parti Québecois of Pauline Marois, and gave the Liberals, led by Philippe Couillard, a solid majority in the province's Assemblée Nationale. Lifetime pct .990.
Mme Marois lost her own riding. Her star candidate, Pierre-Karl Péladeau, whose ill-judged remarks about building a "country" for his children contributed to the defeat, won his seat and may be a contender for the PQ leadership, now that Mme Marois has stepped down. The more moderate Coalition Avenir Québec held its own, while Québec Solidaire (the most leftish separatists) increased their representation by 50% -- from two seats to three.
What does all this mean? The first clue may be seen in the half-cent rise in the value of the Canadian dollar on the foreign exchange markets this morning. Québec is not going to separate. Canada is not going to break up. The rest of the world (to the extent that it cares at all) is reassured.
Canadians, including most Québecers, were never in serious doubt. The Québecois like talking about "sovereignty" -- not as strong a word as "independence" -- but when it comes down to giving up the beaverbuck, massive federal subsidies and their Canadian passports, common sense always prevails. Referenda on separation were lost in 1980 and 1995, so the issue was due to come around again, but that didn't mean the idea would fly.
This year's election was not a referendum as such, but "a referendum on a referendum". Not even the PQ's proposal to have a real referendum "when the time is right" found favour with the voters. It seems they would prefer to talking about it to doing it.
Does that mean separatism is dead? No. There will always be those in Québec who, in their wild, romantic dreams, would like to secede from Canada, just as there are closet Confederates throughout the southern USA or "splittists" in western China. But those who hold onto visions of a state of their own are getting fewer...and older.
The separatist movement in Québec was born in the hippy-dippy 60s. (The PQ itself was founded by René Levesque and others in 1970.) Polling and yesterday's results show that today's true believers are mostly over-55s, outside of Montréal. The younger generation is more interested in putting food on the table than in whether or not the packaging is in French. Pro-soverignty sentiment is not dead, but it's dying, along with the aging baby boomers who espoused it.
Does yesterday's vote signify a rejection of the PQ's proposed Charter of Québec Values? Although the anglophone media and "progressive thinkers" might wish it so, Walt thinks otherwise. When Mme Marois called the election, the Charter was supposed to be the ballot question. At the beginning of the campaign it was assumed that the PQ would win, because of majority support for the Charter in all of Québec except the parts of Montréal with large immigrant populations. It only remained to be seen whether the PQ would get a majority or not.
The now-ex-premier's big mistake was introducing P-K Péladeau as her star candidate. The idea seemed to be to bolster the PQ's shaky reputation for economic competence, and show that an independent Québec could be successful and prosperous, just like M Péladeau. Unfortunately for Mme Marois, M Péladeau took it all too seriously, and started talking about sovereignty and the R-word ("referendum"). He even spoke of a "country" for his children, while giving the now-infamous fist-pump -- a truly cringeworth moment.
A video clip that went viral showed Mme Marois literally shoving M Péladeau to the side of the platform, but the genie was out of the bottle, and the voters saw a future that they didn't like. It was all over at that very moment, with only the magnitude of the Liberal victory to be determined.
La Belle Province and all of Canada can breathe a sigh of relief. For another generation or so, Québecers (and the rest of Canada) can continue to argue about sovereignty and bilingualism and multiculturalism, but nothing will change. The Montréal Canadiens will remain Canada's team, and you'll still be able to order a hamburger -- not "un hambourgeois" -- most anywhere in what will still be a province of Canada. Une province pas comme les autres, to be sure, but a part of Canada all the same.
Mme Marois lost her own riding. Her star candidate, Pierre-Karl Péladeau, whose ill-judged remarks about building a "country" for his children contributed to the defeat, won his seat and may be a contender for the PQ leadership, now that Mme Marois has stepped down. The more moderate Coalition Avenir Québec held its own, while Québec Solidaire (the most leftish separatists) increased their representation by 50% -- from two seats to three.
What does all this mean? The first clue may be seen in the half-cent rise in the value of the Canadian dollar on the foreign exchange markets this morning. Québec is not going to separate. Canada is not going to break up. The rest of the world (to the extent that it cares at all) is reassured.
Canadians, including most Québecers, were never in serious doubt. The Québecois like talking about "sovereignty" -- not as strong a word as "independence" -- but when it comes down to giving up the beaverbuck, massive federal subsidies and their Canadian passports, common sense always prevails. Referenda on separation were lost in 1980 and 1995, so the issue was due to come around again, but that didn't mean the idea would fly.
This year's election was not a referendum as such, but "a referendum on a referendum". Not even the PQ's proposal to have a real referendum "when the time is right" found favour with the voters. It seems they would prefer to talking about it to doing it.
Does that mean separatism is dead? No. There will always be those in Québec who, in their wild, romantic dreams, would like to secede from Canada, just as there are closet Confederates throughout the southern USA or "splittists" in western China. But those who hold onto visions of a state of their own are getting fewer...and older.
The separatist movement in Québec was born in the hippy-dippy 60s. (The PQ itself was founded by René Levesque and others in 1970.) Polling and yesterday's results show that today's true believers are mostly over-55s, outside of Montréal. The younger generation is more interested in putting food on the table than in whether or not the packaging is in French. Pro-soverignty sentiment is not dead, but it's dying, along with the aging baby boomers who espoused it.
Does yesterday's vote signify a rejection of the PQ's proposed Charter of Québec Values? Although the anglophone media and "progressive thinkers" might wish it so, Walt thinks otherwise. When Mme Marois called the election, the Charter was supposed to be the ballot question. At the beginning of the campaign it was assumed that the PQ would win, because of majority support for the Charter in all of Québec except the parts of Montréal with large immigrant populations. It only remained to be seen whether the PQ would get a majority or not.
The now-ex-premier's big mistake was introducing P-K Péladeau as her star candidate. The idea seemed to be to bolster the PQ's shaky reputation for economic competence, and show that an independent Québec could be successful and prosperous, just like M Péladeau. Unfortunately for Mme Marois, M Péladeau took it all too seriously, and started talking about sovereignty and the R-word ("referendum"). He even spoke of a "country" for his children, while giving the now-infamous fist-pump -- a truly cringeworth moment.
A video clip that went viral showed Mme Marois literally shoving M Péladeau to the side of the platform, but the genie was out of the bottle, and the voters saw a future that they didn't like. It was all over at that very moment, with only the magnitude of the Liberal victory to be determined.
La Belle Province and all of Canada can breathe a sigh of relief. For another generation or so, Québecers (and the rest of Canada) can continue to argue about sovereignty and bilingualism and multiculturalism, but nothing will change. The Montréal Canadiens will remain Canada's team, and you'll still be able to order a hamburger -- not "un hambourgeois" -- most anywhere in what will still be a province of Canada. Une province pas comme les autres, to be sure, but a part of Canada all the same.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Fired on the first day at work
Thank God life is not all tragedy. Even when disaster strikes in one place, something funny is happening somewhere else in the world. And when something bad happens, a good laugh will help to ease the pain. With that in mind, Walt passes on a photo sent to us by Agent 6. (Thank you!)
Here we have a character actor at a Chinese theme park, dressed as Winnie the Pooh.
Sadly, the actor was fired on his first day on the job. Why? Because he (apparently) put on his costume pants front-to-back!
Thank goodness Walt wasn't alive to see this! [Walt Disney, that is. Ed.]
Thanks to Agent 78 for confirming the translation of the caption.
Rebuilding Saint Elias - UPDATE
Further to Walt's previous post on the tragic fire at the Ukrainian Catholic Church of St. Elias the Prophet, here is a statement from the church's website.
It was with sadness and shock that we witnessed our church building burn to the ground on the morning of Saturday, April 5, 2014. We are greatly relieved that no-one was injured, and grateful for the support that started to pour in before the flames were even extinguished. Those of us who were blessed to experience the beauty and tranquility of our dear church know how much it will be missed. Those of you who were around to build it know how much work lies ahead. But for now, we thank God for those things that fire can not destroy, and remind ourselves that God’s people are the Church. We will build a new home for them.
In a radio interview after the Sunday morning liturgy, Father Roman Galadza said there will be grass on the site this summer, and, God willing, a new church building within two years.
If you would like to be part of the rebuilding effort, please follow the link at the bottom of the St. Elias homepage to get on the list for e-mail updates. If you want to donate immediately, go to CanadaHelps.org. Or you can send your cheque, payable to "St. Elias", to Father Roman Galadza at 10193 Heritage Rd., Brampton, ON, L7A 0A1, Canada. Canadian donors are entitled to income tax credit.
It was with sadness and shock that we witnessed our church building burn to the ground on the morning of Saturday, April 5, 2014. We are greatly relieved that no-one was injured, and grateful for the support that started to pour in before the flames were even extinguished. Those of us who were blessed to experience the beauty and tranquility of our dear church know how much it will be missed. Those of you who were around to build it know how much work lies ahead. But for now, we thank God for those things that fire can not destroy, and remind ourselves that God’s people are the Church. We will build a new home for them.
In a radio interview after the Sunday morning liturgy, Father Roman Galadza said there will be grass on the site this summer, and, God willing, a new church building within two years.
If you would like to be part of the rebuilding effort, please follow the link at the bottom of the St. Elias homepage to get on the list for e-mail updates. If you want to donate immediately, go to CanadaHelps.org. Or you can send your cheque, payable to "St. Elias", to Father Roman Galadza at 10193 Heritage Rd., Brampton, ON, L7A 0A1, Canada. Canadian donors are entitled to income tax credit.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
St. Elias Church burned to the ground - PLEASE HELP!
This was the Ukrainian Catholic Church of St. Elias the Prophet, in Brampton, Ontario. The media describe it as an "iconic church", and so it was -- literally -- until yesterday morning, when it burned to the ground.St. Elias was built in the early 1990s entirely of wood, in the traditional Boyko style which originated in western Ukraine. The main timbers were Douglas fir, imported from British Columbia. The cladding was western red cedar. The cupolas were shaped in the Cossack style of the 17th century. St. Elias was one of only two churches in the world with five cupolas rather than the usual three, the other being St. George's in Drohobych, Ukraine.
St. Elias had a magnificent Iconostas (literally "Stand of icons") in front of the Sanctuary, rising all the way to the highest dome. Even the ceiling over the Sanctuary was decorated with a series of icons. At the highest point was the "Pantokrator" icon of Christ "Ruler of the All" - an icon of consolation proclaiming the ultimate victory of love.
Now all of this is gone, reduced to ashes. Here is a photo of the great church in its death throes.
The fire broke out around 7 a.m. in the basement of the church. The cause has not yet been determined. By noon, only charred pillars and mounds of ash remained.
In a press release issued later in the day, the pastor, Mitrophoric Archpriest Roman Galadza, said the loss to the church is devastating. The church originally cost $2 million to build plus significant volunteer labour. Bohdan Turetskyy, an iconographer from Ukraine, spent ten years on the interior iconography.
Said Father Galadza, "This is devastating but no one was hurt and we will rebuild. The scriptures tell us 'The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord,' so we trust in His providence even in these difficult times."
"Expressions of sympathy and support have been coming in throughout the day and from throughout the world," Father Galadza added. "They are overwhelming and much appreciated."
If you are moved -- as I hope you will be -- to contribute to the rebuilding of St. Elias, you can send your cheque, payable to "St. Elias", to Father Roman at 10193 Heritage Rd., Brampton, ON, L7A 0A1, Canada. For the time being, online donations can be given through CanadaHelps.org.
Virtual tour of St. Elias - Click here for links to a YouTube series of short videos explaining the architecture and iconography of St. Elias. You will see how it was. Please help to rebuild it, to the glory of God!
Saturday, April 5, 2014
MH370: Suppose it was a test...
Virtually nothing has happened since I posted "Latest developments in the MH370 mystery". There's a report going around the Net this morning that a Chinese search ship has detected a pulse signal of some sort somewhere in the south Indian Ocean. That's all.
Meanwhile, conjecture -- including the Diego Garcia theory -- intensifies. New possibilities keep emerging. In last week's Economist, "Lexington" writes about "remote warfare", e.g. drone operators shoot missiles or spy on enemies while safely seated at desks somewhere in, ohhhh, let's say Nevada.
He (or she) probably wasn't thinking about MH370, but consider the opening lines of the column:
Some time soon, it is possible to imagine, an American cyber-warrior will end a conflict, almost single-handed. With the right acts of digital sabotage, attack aircraft will be grounded, infrastructure disrupted and communications severed, reducing the enemy to a state of raging, pre-modern impotence. [My emphasis. Walt]
"Digital sabotage..." Hmmm... One of the theories advanced for why MH370 made almost a 300-degree turn away from it's northward course was that "someone" changed the programming in the aircraft's computer and navigation system. Hmmm... Just a few keystrokes would do it, they said, the implication being that the pilot or the co-pilot could easily have done it before or during the flight.
But what if it were done by remote control, from, ohhhh, Diego Garcia? The aircraft is (or was) a Boeing 777, designed and manufactured in the US of A by an American corporation, a part of the so-called US military-industrial complex. The plane is certified airworthy by the US government. Is it possible that US systems experts took over MH370 "by wire", just to see if they could do it? Hmmm...
It might not be Americans who did it. Skilled systems hackers live and work in other countries -- China, Russia, or even India. If the plane was diverted and/or brought down by the US military as a test of their capabilities, naturally they're not going to say anything. Readers will recall Walt's questioning of why the Prez hasn't made any comment on the deepening mystery.
But if another nation did it, the Americans would still say nothing, because they wouldn't want to admit the existence of the requisite technology, let alone the possibility that some other country has more advanced "weapons of remote destruction". Think about it while you wait for the new Chinese "sighting" to be confirmed...or not.
Meanwhile, conjecture -- including the Diego Garcia theory -- intensifies. New possibilities keep emerging. In last week's Economist, "Lexington" writes about "remote warfare", e.g. drone operators shoot missiles or spy on enemies while safely seated at desks somewhere in, ohhhh, let's say Nevada.
He (or she) probably wasn't thinking about MH370, but consider the opening lines of the column:
Some time soon, it is possible to imagine, an American cyber-warrior will end a conflict, almost single-handed. With the right acts of digital sabotage, attack aircraft will be grounded, infrastructure disrupted and communications severed, reducing the enemy to a state of raging, pre-modern impotence. [My emphasis. Walt]
"Digital sabotage..." Hmmm... One of the theories advanced for why MH370 made almost a 300-degree turn away from it's northward course was that "someone" changed the programming in the aircraft's computer and navigation system. Hmmm... Just a few keystrokes would do it, they said, the implication being that the pilot or the co-pilot could easily have done it before or during the flight.
But what if it were done by remote control, from, ohhhh, Diego Garcia? The aircraft is (or was) a Boeing 777, designed and manufactured in the US of A by an American corporation, a part of the so-called US military-industrial complex. The plane is certified airworthy by the US government. Is it possible that US systems experts took over MH370 "by wire", just to see if they could do it? Hmmm...
It might not be Americans who did it. Skilled systems hackers live and work in other countries -- China, Russia, or even India. If the plane was diverted and/or brought down by the US military as a test of their capabilities, naturally they're not going to say anything. Readers will recall Walt's questioning of why the Prez hasn't made any comment on the deepening mystery.
But if another nation did it, the Americans would still say nothing, because they wouldn't want to admit the existence of the requisite technology, let alone the possibility that some other country has more advanced "weapons of remote destruction". Think about it while you wait for the new Chinese "sighting" to be confirmed...or not.
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Against Islamization, the French send in La Marine!
If Pauline Marois were honest [What? An honest politician?! Ed.], she'd admit that the appeal of the Charter of Québec Values to the pure laine Québecois -- outside of Montréal's West Island -- is its promise to put a brake on the Islamization of la Belle Province.If enacted (as now seems doubtful) it would proscribe the wearing of religious headgear and other symbols. That would include the Sikhs' turbans and the Jews' kippas, but the main target would appear to be the hijab/niqab/burqa worn by Muslim women. (See "Hijab, niqab, burqa -- what's the difference?" -- one of Walt's most-read posts.)
Although it's not politically correct to say so, les Québecois are sick, sore and tired of accommodating themselves and their distinct society to the foreign beliefs and practices being imported into their province by the tidal wave of Muslim refugees and immigrants who live large off benefits provided by the state, but refuse to integrate themselves into the host society.
The people of Québec are not alone in their resentment of Islamization and forced multiculturalism. Walt suspects that the majority of Canadians (outside of Toronto and Vancouver) would support some changes to the Canadian Charter of Rights to give a few rights to the majority, for a change. And the citizens of France -- the cradle of liberty, equality and fraternity -- have just given a ringing endorsement to the policies of Marine Le Pen's Front National (= National Front) which advocates controlling imports of foreign goods, leaving the Eurozone, dismantling the European Union, and -- especially -- stopping immigration. Completely.
In local elections held in March, the FN stunned France by winning several significant mayoralties. Pundits now predict that Mme Le Pen may match the achievement of her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, by getting into the second round of France's presidential election due in 2017.
What's the secret of Marine Le Pen's success? According to The Economist, a large segment of the electorate -- especially the native French working class -- is taken with her frankness, and the way she "attacks politicians from the mainstream parties as an out-of-touch metropolitan elite with no notion of how to reverse their country's economic, political and cultural decline." [My emphasis. Walt]
Of course this has the socialists and secular humanists who run France (Allo, M Hollande!) and the lamestream media all bent out of shape. In the same editorial, The Economist whines that the FN "offers only a nasty and negative set of policies suffused with xenophobic, anti-Muslim and illiberal instincts." Maybe so, but those "instincts" would seem to accord perfectly with those of the majority of the French people.
There's a lesson there -- even The Economist admits it -- for the leaders of the ABC countries (America, Britain and Canada), who should realize that "populist parties are on the march across Europe"!
With the proposed Charter of Québec Values, the Parti Québecois seemed to have learned from the example of France. But then Mme Marois introduced issues of separation from Canada and economic management, which did not play so well in the Saguenay. Now the PQ is going to lose. (Lifetime pct .987)
What lessons do we learn from this, boys and girls? The Economist warns that "if Europe's leaders cannot reconnect with their citizens, Ms Le Pen's success will be just the start". Indeed. If you want to get elected or re-elected, don't listen to the lamestream media and the metropolitan elites -- listen to the people!
Further reading: If you read French and are opposed to the New World Order, check out Le citoyen engagé - Portail de l'éveil citoyen contre le NOM.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Church bulletin bloopers
Ed. here. It's been a slow news day, at least until the incident at Fort Hood. Walt is still collecting his thoughts on that. So far he has scribbled only three words -- "only in America" -- on the yellow foolscap. Since nothing further seems like to forthcome today, and a little humour might take our mind off the real world, I'm dipping into the slushpile for some unintentionally funny notices which Agent 9 assures us actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services.
Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.
Don't let worry kill you. Let the Church help.
Miss Charlene Mason sang "I will not pass this way again", giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.
For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.
Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.
Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.
A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the parish hall. Music will follow.
At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be 'What Is Hell?' Come early and listen to our choir practice.
Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
Please place your mass offering in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.
The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.
Pot-luck supper Sunday at 7:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow.
The ladies of the parish have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.
This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn sing in the park across from the church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.
The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.
The Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM . Please use the back door.
The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' in the parish hall Friday at 7 PM. Everyone is invited to attend this tragedy.
Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.
The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new campaign slogan last Sunday: "I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours!"
The Fasting and Prayer Conference includes meals.
Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.
Don't let worry kill you. Let the Church help.
Miss Charlene Mason sang "I will not pass this way again", giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.
For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.
Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.
Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.
A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the parish hall. Music will follow.
At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be 'What Is Hell?' Come early and listen to our choir practice.
Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
Please place your mass offering in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.
The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.
Pot-luck supper Sunday at 7:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow.
The ladies of the parish have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.
This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn sing in the park across from the church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.
The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.
The Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM . Please use the back door.
The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' in the parish hall Friday at 7 PM. Everyone is invited to attend this tragedy.
Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.
The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new campaign slogan last Sunday: "I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours!"
The Fasting and Prayer Conference includes meals.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Shock announcement from Marois: Separate Québec to be subdivided!
In "Elections coming up in Québec and Afghanistan -- who cares?", Walt explained how Pauline Marois was poised to lose the provincial election due on April 7th. Her Parti Québecois looked like being a shoo-in, thanks to widespread support among francophone (French-speaking) voters for the proposed Québec Charter of Rights and Values, which would get hijabs and other funny clothes off the streets and ensure that "au Québec on ne parle que français".
Keen observers like Walt could see that the immigrants, Muslims, Jews and têtes-carrées (English speakers) were lining up squarely against the PQ. They alone would only have secured opposition victories in a few ridings in the West Island of Montréal. But then, with the emergence of P-K Péladeau as the PQ's star candidate, came more talk of a referendum on separation from The Rest Of Canada. That kind of talk makes even les vrais Québecois nervous, because they don't want to lose their Canadian passports, dollars and "entitlements".
So, in a stunning volte-face, Mme Marois will today announce that if Québec separates from TROC, certain parts of la Belle Province will be allowed to separate from Québec to form their own ethnic homelands. Her idea is said to have been inspired by the success of the "Bantu Homelands" in the pre-1994 Republic of South Africa.
In Montréal, Côte-des-Neiges-NDG will become a separate ghetto ["republic", surely! Ed.] named "New Jerusalem", which will be closed from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. Mackenzie King Park will be renamed David Ben-Gurion Park. Government policy will follow the Protocols of the Elders of Zion.
Just to the east, Westmount will have its official status changed to that of a Dominion of Her Britannic Majesty. No decision has been made as to a new name, but there is strong support for "Wolfeville". Westmount Park will not be renamed "Plains of Abraham" because of the risk of offence to residents of New Jerusalem.
Other regions which elect to separate from a separate Québec will be officially multicultural. All ethnicities and cultures will be celebrated, except for the French/English/Scottish/Irish. Secular humanism will be the official religion, but Muslims will be allowed to pray in the streets and build mosques on the sites of churches, as is already done in the Middle East. Sharia law will apply to all citizens, as is already the case in Indonesia.
This secession of the non-French parts of Québec -- effective from June 31st -- will leave the rest of the new republic to white, French-speaking "Christians". Applications to immigrate are already pouring in from the Greater Toronto Area.
Keen observers like Walt could see that the immigrants, Muslims, Jews and têtes-carrées (English speakers) were lining up squarely against the PQ. They alone would only have secured opposition victories in a few ridings in the West Island of Montréal. But then, with the emergence of P-K Péladeau as the PQ's star candidate, came more talk of a referendum on separation from The Rest Of Canada. That kind of talk makes even les vrais Québecois nervous, because they don't want to lose their Canadian passports, dollars and "entitlements".
So, in a stunning volte-face, Mme Marois will today announce that if Québec separates from TROC, certain parts of la Belle Province will be allowed to separate from Québec to form their own ethnic homelands. Her idea is said to have been inspired by the success of the "Bantu Homelands" in the pre-1994 Republic of South Africa.
In Montréal, Côte-des-Neiges-NDG will become a separate ghetto ["republic", surely! Ed.] named "New Jerusalem", which will be closed from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. Mackenzie King Park will be renamed David Ben-Gurion Park. Government policy will follow the Protocols of the Elders of Zion.
Just to the east, Westmount will have its official status changed to that of a Dominion of Her Britannic Majesty. No decision has been made as to a new name, but there is strong support for "Wolfeville". Westmount Park will not be renamed "Plains of Abraham" because of the risk of offence to residents of New Jerusalem.
Other regions which elect to separate from a separate Québec will be officially multicultural. All ethnicities and cultures will be celebrated, except for the French/English/Scottish/Irish. Secular humanism will be the official religion, but Muslims will be allowed to pray in the streets and build mosques on the sites of churches, as is already done in the Middle East. Sharia law will apply to all citizens, as is already the case in Indonesia.
This secession of the non-French parts of Québec -- effective from June 31st -- will leave the rest of the new republic to white, French-speaking "Christians". Applications to immigrate are already pouring in from the Greater Toronto Area.
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