It's not over yet!

Ed. here. Speaking of the Deep South (see previous post), Walt has sent along this photo, which may explain his absence this weekend...or not.

Some people will not forget, no matter how much brainwashing the Deep State and its lickspittle media subject them to. "Save your Confederate money; the South will rise again!"

Worth reading! "American Nations" by Colin Woodard

Way back in 2011 -- note the date carefully -- Colin Woodard, a writer/historian/journalist from Maine, wrote American Nations -- A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America (Viking). Part history, part sociology and part ethnography, the book traces the formation of Yankeedom, the Deep South, the Left Coast, etc from the 17th century to the early 21st century.

Since the cultural revolution of the hippy-dippy 60s, the fault lines between North America's regional interests have been growing ever wider, resulting in the division of America into left and right, blue and red, and urban and rural "nations". In the decade since the book was published, the split has been almost 50-50, as witness the elections that brought President Trump and Crooked Joe Biden to power. What happens next?

In the Epilogue, Mr Woodard reveals his liberal bias. He wants to see the US of A held together as a "liberal democracy". But he wonders if that's possible. Here are two key excerpts, with Walt's contrarian comments.

At this writing [2011... and things have gotten much worse since then!], the United States...has been exhibiting the classic symptoms of an empire in decline.... Like its superpower predecessors, the United States has built up a staggering external trade deficit and sovereign debt while overreaching itself militarily and greatly increasing both the share of financial services in national output and the role of religious extremists in national political life.

Once the great exporter of innovations, products, and financial capital, the United States is now deeply indebted to China, on which it relies for much of what its people consume and, increasingly, for the scientists and engineers needed by research and development firms and institutions.

Its citizenry is deeply divided along regional lines, with some in the "Tea Party" movement adopting the rhetoric of the eighteenth-century Yankee minutemen, only with the British Parliament replaced by the federal Congress, and George III by their duly elected president. Its military has been mired in expensive and frustrating counterinsurgency wars in Mesopotamia and Central Asia, while barbarians have stormed the gates of its political and financial capitals, killing thousands in the surprise attaches of September 2001.

Add in the damage to public confidence in the electoral system caused by the 2000 election [the 2016 and 2020 elections were even worse!], the near-total meltdown of the financial sector in 2008 [and the near panic of last month!], and extreme political dysfunction in the Capitol [and that was in the Prez's first term!], and it's clear the United States has not started the century auspiciously....

One scenario that might preserve the status quo for the United States would be for its nations to follow the Canadian example [Eh? Trudeau's Canada?] and compromise on their respective cultural agendas for the sake of unity. Unfortunately, neither the Dixie bloc nor the Northern alliance is likely to agree to major concessions to the other.

The majority of Yankees, New Netherlanders and Left Coasters simple aren't going to accept living in an evangelical Christian theocracy with weak or non-existent social, labor, or environmental protections, public school systems, and checks on corporate power in politics.

Most Deep Southerners will resist paying higher taxes to underwrite the creation of a public health insurance system; a universal network of well-resourced, unionized, and avowedly secular schools; tuition-free public universities where science--not the King James Bible--guides inquiry; taxpayer-subsidized public transportation; high-speed railroad networks; and renewable energy projects; or vigorous regulatory bodies to ensure compliance with strict financial, food safety, environmental, and campaign finance laws. [This prescription for a better America might have been written by Bernie Sanders!] 

Instead, the "red" and "blue" nations will continue to wrestle with one another for control over federal policy, each doing what it can to woo the "purple" ones to their cause, just as they have since they gathered at the First Continental Congress.

Another outside possibility is that, faced with a major crisis, the federation's leaders will betray their oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution, the primary adhesive holding the union together. In the midst of, say, a deadly pandemic outbreak [Written in 2001. How did he know?!] or the destruction of several cities by terrorists, a fearful public might condone the suspension of civil rights, the dissolution of Congress, or the incarceration of Supreme Court justices.

One can easily imagine circumstances in which some nations are happy with the new order and other deeply opposed to it. With the Constitution abandoned, the federation could well disintegrate, forming one or more confederations of like-minded regions.

Chances are these new sovereign entities would be based on state boundaries, because state governors and legislators would be the most politically legitimate actors in such a scenario. Sates dominated by the three Northern alliance nations--New York, New Jersey, and the New England, Great Lakes, and Pacific Northwest States might form one or more confederations. States controlled by the Deep South -- South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana -- might form another. The mountain and High Plains states of the Far West would constitute an obvious third.

The situation might be more complicated within often-divided Greater Appalachia or the "nationally mixed" states of Texas, California, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Arizona. It's not impossible to imagine some of the resulting coalitions extending into Canada, or, in the case of El Norte, Mexico.

If this extreme scenario were to come to pass, North America would likely be a far more dangerous, volatile, and unstable place, inviting meddling from imperial powers overseas. If this scenario of crisis and breakup seems far-fetched, consider the fact that, forty years ago, the leaders of the Soviet Union would have thought the same thing about their continent-spanning federation. 

Mr Woodard's preferred scenario is clear enough, but is that how things will play out, or is the US of A headed for another civil war? Stay tuned.

VIDEO: Specsavers scoops coveted Wally Award

Just because I'm not posting much this year doesn't mean I've given up. When it comes to my three favourite topics -- religion, hockey and politics [not necessarily in that order. Ed.], it just seems that we're in a lull, or a calm before the storm -- just waiting for something truly blogworth to happen.

The National Hockey League playoffs are upon us, and since the Montréal Canadiens are out, our Sports (read: Hockey) Editor, Poor Len Canayen, has gone fishing. See below?

As for religion, the crisis in the Roman Catholic Church continues. Just before Easter, it looked like God might finally intervene and do something about Jorge Bergoglio, the man who calls himself Pope Francis. But no. Pope Bergoglio is back to his usual routine of saying three woke things before breakfast, while we "Rad Trads" wait for something providential to happen.

Then there's politics. In Canada, Prime Minister Blackie McBlackface can't be dislodged since he has a deal, in writing, with the socialists to prop up his minority government no matter what. He could break wind in King Charles' face and they'd still support him. The deal expires in 2025, so forget about Canuckistan until then.

The Excited States of America is disintegrating in front of our eyes as well as behind our backs. Later today I'll review Colin Woodard's American Nations, a 2011 book containing some scary analysis of the state of the Disunion, along with a dirfe prediction. 

All that Mr Woodard foresaw is happening, in spades. Cooked Joe Biden has announced that he will run for re-election, and that's fine with the New York Times, which opines that the US of A can get along without a fully functional president. Why? Because (although the NYT doesn't say so) the Deep State is running everything, for better or worse... mostly worse.

So... I've been watching a lot of non-news TV, wallowing in the wokeness and other stupidity, which is relieved occasionally by a clever commercial. I'm not going to wait until the end of the year to announce the winner of the coveted Wally Award for Excellence in TV Advertising. It goes to the agency who created this fine piece of work for Specsavers.

 

I do wonder if this was created by Canadians. Perhaps Steve Smith and Rick Green, the chief writers for the old Red Green TV show. Sure looks to me like Red and his nephew Harold! Well done, whoever you are.

What did Jeff Shell do before joining NBCUniversal?

BBC News reports today that the chief executive of NBCUniversal, Jeff Shell, has left the US media and entertainment giant over an "inappropriate relationship" he had with a woman at the company.

The announcement comes after the firm conducted an investigation over a complaint about Mr Shell's conduct. "I'm truly sorry I let my Comcast and NBCUniversal colleagues down," he said in a statement.

The BBC report does not give any details of Mr Shell's career before joining NBCUniversal, but Walt's supersleuth, Agent 3, has found a photo showing Mr Shell in his previous show business get-up. Turns out he played banjo with Spike Jones' City Slickers, under the stage name of Freddy Morgan. 

Too bad that kind of music is no longer popular. Whatever will Mr Shell do now?

Thomas Sowell explains liberal politics

 

That's all ye know, and all ye need to know.  Click here to read more by and about Doctor Sowell.

Victor Davis Hanson on the sad state of America's cities... and society

 Victor Davis Hanson is an American classicist, military historian, and political commentator. He has been a commentator on modern and ancient warfare and contemporary politics for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, National Review, The Washington Times and other media outlets. His clear thinking has been reposted on WWW; plug his name into the search window to find earlier posts. 

Yesterday, Mr Hanson's latest thoughts on the decline and fall of the Disunited States of America were published on the American Greatness website under the headline "America’s Decline?". Subhead: The remedies are agreed upon, but the needed medicine is feared more than the disease. Because today, the government is the cause of our many crises. Here's the first part of his commentary.

Now with the election of Joe Biden, what had been a fast-tracked decline has accelerated at such an astonishing rate we can scarcely recognize our country.

Our largest cities are becoming uninhabitable—dilapidated, dangerous, and dysfunctional. The challenge is not just rampant crime, but the realization that if you, the citizen, are stabbed, shot, or beaten up on the street, the perpetrators may well be exempt from most punishments. And the victim either will be forgotten in his misery or, indeed, blamed for bringing such violence upon himself.

Urban schools are not places of instruction anymore. That fact is accepted by teachers’ unions, whose operative principle seems to be that the more hopeless the idea of educating urban youth is understood to be, the less burdensome the workload, and the greater their hazardous duty pay.

Urban chain stores are closing down on the principle that if police cannot or will not stop consumer violence and theft, then consumers there should not have any store to buy anything, anyway. If there is no store, how can it be looted or shop-lifted? [That's called "reparations shopping"! Ed.]

The only mystery remaining is how long these Democrat-controlled, racially charged, and corrupt municipalities can sustain their budgets and pension commitments with increasingly declining revenue. One can tax the well off, and perhaps even gouge them as California does. But one cannot insult and ridicule them in the process. Being highly taxed is one thing, being highly taxed while hated is quite another.

How eerie that medievalism—defecting, urinating, fornicating, injecting in the street—is relabeled “homelessness—as if the problem is merely a shortage of apartments or tent cities. Somehow cities developed the notion that it was crueler to be told not to pull down one’s pants and defecate in the street than it was for a pedestrian to step into infectious human excrement.

In the next five years, either cities will seek new governance to reduce taxes, break up municipal unions, mandate charter schools, restore police funding and manpower, recalibrate pensions, and prosecute criminals and corrupt officials—or Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Minneapolis, and a score of others will become Detroit. [And let's not forget Chicago! Ed.]

One of the strangest phenomena amid our current debility are the millions of affluent leftists and liberals who have fled their unworkable, now unlivable blue-run, but naturally beautiful cities like San Francisco or Portland. They seem to lack an abstract recognition why they are leaving, or why and how their new chosen destinations are so different and therefore so inviting to them. Is their motto, “I am fleeing what I created, but I still hate those who created what I want”?

Mr Hanson is not one to post a jeremiad without suggesting some solutions, and he does so in the latter part of this article. Click here to read the whole thing. But will Mr Hanson's sensible solutions be enacted? Walt says there are two chances... slim and none!

VIDEO: What if there's no "hate" in "hate speech"?

From Sky News Australia comes a sensible comment about the growing trend to characterize any remark -- any remark at all -- about some "oppressed minority" as "hate speech"? Rowan Dean says the far left may have finally pushed their anti-free speech agenda too far!

"Diversity is our strength" (Emperor Trudeau II) - here's the proof

As is well known (to the MSM), Canada has much stricter gun controls than the Paranoid States of America. That's why there's no gun problem in Toronto, aka the Wormy Apple, the Most Diverse city in Canada if Not the World (TM).

And there's no problem with gangs either. Official Canad has welcomed all its "newcomers", especially the followers of the Religion of Peace (TM) and others from the darker regions of the world. (Notice I didn't say "Africa".) Yes, dear readers, diversity is a blessing, not a curse.

The Toronto Police Service was therefore pleased to announce today the results of a major firearm trafficking investigation. 42 people from very diverse backgrounds were arrested and 422 criminal charges laid following a year-long cross-border investigation known as Project Moneypenny, which also saw illegal narcotics, cash, and 173 firearms (some of them gift-wrapped!) seized in Canada and the United States. 

Here is the list of those arrested, and the charges against them. No information has been released about the race, ethnicity or citizenship status of these "Canadian" poster children for multiculturalism.

Aly Youssef, 22, of Toronto, was charged with: Possession of Cannabis for the Purpose of Distributing;  Conspiracy to Commit Indictable Offence; Offer to Transfer Prohibited Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized; two counts of Possession of Firearm Knowing Its Possession is Unauthorized; Possession of Firearm Knowing Serial Number has been Altered, Defaced or Removed; four counts of Possession of Prohibited or Restricted Firearm with Ammunition; two counts of Possession of Property or Proceeds Obtained by Crime; two counts of Possession of Property or Proceeds Obtained by Crime; Transfer Prohibited Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized; Transfer Restricted Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized; three counts of Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking;  four counts of Traffic in a Schedule I Substance.

Kayla Armstrong, 34, of Barrie, was charged with: two counts of Possession of a Substance included in Schedule I 

Young Person* #1, 17, of Barrie, was charged with: Failure to Comply with Order [= out on bail or on probation. Ed.]; Possession of a Weapon; Possession of Firearm Knowing Its Possession is Unauthorized; Possession of Firearm while Prohibited; Possession of Prohibited or Restricted Firearm with Ammunition; Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking.

Karson Benjamin, 18, of Toronto, was charged with: Assault; two counts of Deface Serial Number on a Firearm; nine counts of Offer to Transfer Prohibited Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized; 23 counts of Possession of Firearm Knowing Its Possession is Unauthorized; Possession of Prohibited or Restricted Firearm with Ammunition; two counts of Possession of Property or Proceeds Obtained by Crime; two counts of Transfer Non‐Restricted Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized; 24 counts of Transfer Prohibited Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized; two counts of Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking; five counts of Traffic in a Schedule I Substance.

Joseph Blasko, 43, of Toronto, was charged with: three counts of Careless Use of Firearm; three counts of Possession of Prohibited Device Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized; five counts of Transfer Non‐Restricted Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized; four counts of Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking.

Jeffrey Tai-Long Chen, 22, of Markham, was charged with: Fail to Comply with Probation Order; Possession of Firearm Knowing Its Possession is Unauthorized; Possession of Firearm Knowing Serial Number has been Altered, Defaced or Removed; two counts of Possession of Firearm while Prohibited; Possession of Prohibited or Restricted Firearm with Ammunition; Transfer Prohibited Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized; two counts of Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking.

Anthony Colley, 19, of Whitby, was charged with: Offer to Transfer Prohibited Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized; Offer to Transfer Restricted Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized; Possession of Firearm Knowing Its Possession is Unauthorized; 11 counts of Possession of Prohibited Device Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized; Possession of Prohibited or Restricted Firearm with Ammunition; Possession of Property or Proceeds Obtained by Crime; two counts of Transfer Non‐Restricted Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized; 10 counts of Transfer Prohibited Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized; nine counts Traffic in a Schedule I Substance.

Raevon Conger, 21, of Toronto, was charged with: two counts Failure to Comply with Order; Possession of Prohibited Weapon Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized; Possession of Property or Proceeds Obtained by Crime; Robbery; two counts of Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking; Possession of a Schedule IV Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking; Traffic in a Schedule I Substance.

Dequan Demos, 20, of Toronto, was charged with: Possession of Firearm Knowing Its Possession is Unauthorized; Possession of Prohibited Device Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized; Possession of Prohibited or Restricted Firearm with Ammunition; Unauthorized Possession of a Prohibited Firearm; Unauthorized Possession of Firearm in Motor Vehicle.

Keanu Ebanks, 22, of Toronto, was charged with: Careless Storage Ammunition; Carry Concealed Weapon; Possession of Firearm Knowing Its Possession is Unauthorized; Possession of Prohibited Device Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized; Possession of Prohibited or Restricted Firearm with Ammunition; Unauthorized Possession of a Prohibited Firearm.

Urijah Frater, 25, of no fixed address, was charged with: Possession of Cannabis for the Purpose of Distributing; Assault Peace Officer; Escape Lawful Custody; five counts of Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking; two counts of Traffic in a Schedule I Substance.

Andrew Gayler, 18, of Toronto, was charged with: two counts of Deface Serial Number on a Firearm.

George Shania, 20, of no fixed address, was charged with: three counts of Transfer Prohibited Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized.

Haseeb Hamidi, 23, of Pickering, was charged with: Possession of Prohibited Device Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized; Transfer Prohibited Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized.

Young Person* #2, 17, of Toronto, was charged with: Possession of Firearm Knowing Its Possession is Unauthorized; Possession of Firearm while Prohibited; Possession of Prohibited Device Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized; Possession of Prohibited or Restricted Firearm with Ammunition.

Yusuf Heruy, 21, of Toronto, was charged with: Possession of Cannabis for the Purpose of Distributing; two counts of Weapons Trafficking; three counts of Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking.

Qais Homayonoor, 28, of Whitby, was charged with: Possession of Firearm Knowing Its Possession is Unauthorized; Possession of Prohibited Device Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized; Possession of Prohibited or Restricted Firearm with Ammunition; Transfer Prohibited Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized; Unauthorized Possession of a Prohibited Firearm; Unauthorized Possession of Firearm in Motor Vehicle.

Qasim Homayonoor, 27, of Whitby was charged with: Conspiracy to Commit Indictable Offence; Fraud Over $5000; Offer to Transfer Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized; three counts of Possession of Prohibited Device Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized; eight counts of Transfer Prohibited Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized; three counts of Transfer Restricted Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized; Offer to Traffic in a Schedule I Substance; four counts of Traffic in a Schedule I Substance.

Deandre Joseph, 20, of Toronto, was charged with: three counts of Possession of Prohibited Device Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized; 12 counts of Transfer Prohibited Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized; Traffic in a Schedule I Substance.

D’Andre Junior, 19, of Barrie, was charged with: Failure to Comply with Order; two counts of Possession of Firearm while Prohibited; three counts of Transfer Prohibited Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized.

Maaz Kagzi, 23, of Toronto, was charged with: Possession of Cannabis for the Purpose of Distributing; Possession of Property or Proceeds Obtained by Crime; three counts of Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking.

Samee Khan, 27, of Toronto, was charged with: two counts of Possession of Prohibited Device Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized;  five counts of Transfer Prohibited Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized.

Dion Langford, 26, of Toronto, was charged with: Possession of Firearm Knowing Its Possession is Unauthorized; Possession of Prohibited Device Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized; Possession of Prohibited or Restricted Firearm with Ammunition; Unauthorized Possession of a Prohibited Firearm; Unauthorized Possession of Firearm in Motor Vehicle.

Naveen Lotfi, 22, of Toronto, was charged with: two counts of Offer to Transfer Prohibited Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized; 14 counts of Possession of Firearm Knowing Its Possession is Unauthorized; two counts of Possession of Property or Proceeds Obtained by Crime; Transfer Non‐Restricted Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized; 23 counts of Transfer Prohibited Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized; Unauthorized Possession of Firearm in Motor Vehicle; Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking; five counts of Traffic in a Schedule I Substance.

Tyrone Lothian, 23, of no fixed address, was charged with: three counts of Transfer Prohibited Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized.

Malcolm Mahamoud, 22, of York, was charged with: two counts of Possession of Firearm Knowing Its Possession is Unauthorized; two counts of Possession of Prohibited Device Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized; two counts of Possession of Prohibited or Restricted Firearm with Ammunition; Possession of Property or Proceeds Obtained by Crime; Transfer Prohibited Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized; two counts of Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking.

Michael Maharaj, 22, of Toronto, was charged with: two counts of Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking; two counts of Traffic in a Schedule I Substance.

Shaquille Mitchell, 27, of Ajax, was charged with: Possession of Firearm Knowing Its Possession is Unauthorized; Possession of Prohibited Device Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized; Possession of Prohibited or Restricted Firearm with Ammunition; Possession of Property or Proceeds Obtained by Crime; Unauthorized Possession of a Prohibited Firearm; Unauthorized Possession of Firearm in Motor Vehicle; Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking; Traffic in a Schedule I Substance.

Jamar Morin, 23, of Pickering, was charged with: Possession of Firearm Knowing Its Possession is Unauthorized; two counts of Possession of Prohibited Device Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized; Possession of Prohibited or Restricted Firearm with Ammunition; Transfer Prohibited Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized; Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking.

Javon Morin, 21, of Pickering, was charged with: Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking; Traffic in a Schedule I Substance.

Jerell Morin, 18, of Pickering, was charged with: Possession of Firearm Knowing Its Possession is Unauthorized; Possession of Prohibited or Restricted Firearm with Ammunition; Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking.

Devaine Nelson, 30, of Toronto, was charged with: two counts of Possession of Firearm Knowing Its Possession is Unauthorized; two counts of Possession of Firearm while Prohibited; Possession of Prohibited Device Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized; two counts of Possession of Prohibited or Restricted Firearm with Ammunition; Possession of Property or Proceeds Obtained by Crime; Unauthorized Possession of Firearm in Motor Vehicle.

Nilu Patel, 22, of East Gwillimbury, was charged with: two counts of Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking; two counts of Traffic in a Schedule I Substance.

Breanne Pitchenese, 28, of Winnipeg, was charged with: four counts of Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking.

Crystal Reppard, 40, of Toronto, was charged with: Traffic in a Schedule I Substance. [Maybe it was crystal meth? Ed.]

Damon Rolph, 28, of Toronto, was charged with: Possession of Property or Proceeds Obtained by Crime; three counts of Transfer Prohibited Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized; Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking; two counts of Traffic in a Schedule I Substance.

Mohammad Salehzada, 18, of Toronto, was charged with: Disobey Court Order; two counts of Failure to Comply with Order; Possession of Firearm Knowing Its Possession is Unauthorized; three counts of Possession of Firearm while Prohibited; Unauthorized Possession of Firearm in Motor Vehicle.

Elijah Sargeant, 24, of Toronto, was charged with: Possession of Firearm while Prohibited; Possession of Prohibited Device Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized; Transfer Restricted Firearm while Knowingly Not Being Authorized.

Scott Syril, 36, of Toronto, was charged with: two counts of Possession of Firearm Knowing Its Possession is Unauthorized; Possession of Prohibited Device Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized; two counts of Possession of Prohibited or Restricted Firearm with Ammunition; Possession of Property or Proceeds Obtained by Crime; Unauthorized Possession of Firearm in Motor Vehicle.

Hamza Tariq, 27, of Ajax, was charged with: two counts of Possession of Firearm Knowing Its Possession is Unauthorized; two counts of Possession of Firearm while Prohibited; Possession of Prohibited Device Knowing its Possession is Unauthorized; two counts of Possession of Prohibited or Restricted Firearm with Ammunition; Possession of Property or Proceeds Obtained by Crime; Unauthorized Possession of Firearm in Motor Vehicle; two counts of Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking.

Young Person* #3, of Toronto, was charged with: Careless Use of Firearm; Possession of a Weapon; Unauthorized Possession of a Non‐Restricted Firearm.

Andrew Trottier, 27, of Barrie, was charged with: Possession of Property or Proceeds Obtained by Crime; Possession of a Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking; Possession of a Substance included in Schedule I.

* Section 110, Subsection 1, of the Youth Criminal Justice Act provides that no person shall publish the name of a young person, or any other information related to a young person, if it would identify the young person as a young person dealt with under this Act.

It's good, eh, that all these weapons are off the streets. As for the persons involved, they may be off the streets now, but given Canada's woke judges, they'll be back out before you can say "marginalized". Still it warms the cockles of your heart, doesn't it, to see so many people of divers genders, races and religions getting along so well. If you cockles get too warm, rub them with ice.

Brandon's Easter

 Just two of the many memes on the Net today.

The one above was scraped from the British satirical magazine Private Eye. Even the woke Brits find it hard to take Demented Joe seriously.

Easter blessings

The three women at the tomb of Christ. Irma Martin, 1843

The angel...said to the women: Fear not...for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he is risen, as he said. (St. Matthew 28: 5-6. DRV)

May you and your family be blessed as you celebrate the true meaning of Easter, from the reflection of Good Friday to the joy of Easter Sunday, and the promise of eternal life.

Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen! Alleluia!

Traditional prayers for Good Friday, A.D. 2023

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...

Now that Trump's been indicted...

One of the reasons that Walt no longer spends much time or effort on WWW is that, when it comes to American politics, nobody can equal, let alone outdo, the trenchant satire of the good folks at the Babylon Bee. Click here to read their take on the latest round of the witch hunt.

Millions of dollars (literally) are flowing into the defence defense fund, much of it from first-time donors. And President Trump's poll numbers are way ahead of Governor DeSantis'. Well done, Alvin Braggart!

Further reading: Post-Indictment Poll: More Voters in Both Primary, General Election Say They’re Likelier to Vote for Trump, Breitbart News, 1/4/23.