Poor Len: No-name Habs not so bad, so far

Ed. here. Walt is on his way to la Belle Province -- Québec! -- to follow the last few days of the election campaign which pits the governing Liberals against the populist Coalition pour l'Avenir du Québec (CAQ - Coalition for the Future of Québec). He will be joined by Poor Len Canayen, and who knows, the boys may forget about politics for a couple of hours and take in the Canadiens' final pre-season game in Montréal tomorrow night. Poor Len has already sent in his comments on prospects for the Habs' 2018-19 season, as follows....

Tank you, Hed, and bless me, Fodder, for a couple of weeks ago I was pretty close to committing the sin of despair, looking at what was left of la Sainte Flannelle as training camp started.

Max Pacioretty is gone, traded to Las Vegas, and I wish him well. Without ever having played alongside a topline centre, he did his best, and deserved better from the team. Alex Galchenyuk and his father are gone -- no bad thing, but did we get a 20-goal scorer in return? Errr, no. Shea Weber is on the injured list and not likely to be back at work until December. And did Marc Bergevin listen to me and invite the Russians -- Markov and Emelin -- to return from Siberia? Again, no.

What was left was about four dozen AHL-quality players (including a handful who played with the big team last year because there was no-one else), a couple of nice pickups acquired in the trades, and a few promising prospects and rookies. The chances of putting together a team that could get as far as the playoffs looked pretty slim.

Last night the Habs' B-team (missing Price, Drouin, Gallagher, Petry, Plekanec) took on the Toronto Maple Leafs' equivalent (read: the Toronto Marlies) and beat them 5-1 without hardly breaking a sweat. D-man Xavier Ouellet, an NHL vet in training camp with a two-way contract, helped his chances of making the opening-night NHL roster by scoring two goals. Artturi Lehkonen, one of those whose future with les Glorieux was in question, got two, and Charles Hudon, one of the AHLers, had one. Antii Niemi was solid in goal and the Habs' first-round draft pick, Jesper Kotkaniemi sparkled.

But, before we start planning the Stanley Cup parade down the Main, let's remember that the real point of the exercise was to thin out the roster and make some decisions about which Canadien wannabes are surplus to requirements. The team announced this morning that Mike McCarron, Byron Froese, Brett Lernout, Rinat Valiev and Hunter Shinkaruk were all put on waivers. McCarron and Froese can't complain that they didn't have a chance. Both were in uniform several times last season, and simply didn't perform.

Forward Nick Suzuki showed promise, but has been sent back to his junior team, the Owen Sound Attack, to get bigger and better. The same should happen to Kotkaniemi, but it will be hard to resist the temptation to keep him in Montréal to give the fans a Great White Hope to talk about.

With the dead wood and tender buds pruned out, here's how the lines and defence pairings looked at today's practice:

Forwards: Tatar – Danault – Gallagher; Drouin – Domi – Armia; Byron – Kotkaniemi – Lehkonen; Hudon – Plekanec – Scherbak; D'Agostino – de la Rose – Chaput
Poor Len sez: Hudon, Scherbak and De La Rose should go back to Laval. I didn't see enough of D'Agostino and Chaput to form an opinion.

Defence: Mete – Juulsen; Reilly – Petry; Benn – Schlemko; Alzner – Despres; Ouellet
Poor Len sez: This is where the rebuild/reset/whatever has to happen. Both Benn and Alzner are candidates for the mercy buy-out. I have no confidence in Schlemko and haven't seen anything great from Juulsen but at least he's young. Like Ouellet a lot! The big question is whether Shea Weber will ever play again at the level he used to.

Goalies: Price; Niemi; Lindgren
Poor Len sez: What to do with Lindgren? The more I see him, the more contrast I see between him and Carey Price. Price is cool in the net. Lindgren is hot! He's constantly jumping around, doing acrobatics and, IMHO, trying too hard. Not good. Niemi has earned the backup position (best seat in the arena!) so let him have it. Trade Lindgren to a team which likes his style. And if something should (God forbid!) happen to Carey Price? There's a fine young prospect, Michael McNiven, who can be brought up from Laval to backstop Niemi. Sorry, Charlie, but bye-bye.

That's all from the sports desk. J'vous verrai prochainement!

Vatican bends the knee to Chinese commies in secret accord

Writing in the Fatima Crusader almost 11 years ago, a supporter of the "underground" Catholic Church in China predicted that the Vatican's efforts "to proceed on the path of a respectful and constructive dialogue with government authorities, in order to overcome past misunderstandings" between the Holy See and Communist China would eventually result in the betrayal of the many 1000s of Chinese Catholics who had been imprisoned, tortured and even martyred for their fidelity to Rome.

"We must ask some hard questions," the writer concluded. "Will the Vatican find itself forced into an immoral compromise? Will they wrongfully try to force the faithful to end their 'underground activities' and worship only in the Communist-controlled 'church'? Surely the thousands who have been persecuted, even martyred for the sake of True Faith deserve better!"

In fact, the sellout to the Communists began at least six years earlier, by the Holy See's Secretariat of State, as part of its wrong-headed Ostpolitik. Cardinal Joseph Zen (陳日君) saw it coming, and fought against it from the beginning, when he was Archbishop of Hong Kong and after his retirement, right up to today. See, for example, "Cardinal Zen again warns Vatican not sell out to Chinese Commies", WWW 26/1/18. And click here to see all Walt's posts about the courageous prelate.

The Cardinal's warnings went unheeded, of course, and this weekend the Vatican announced the signig of an agreement with the People's Republic of China giving the Communist government "a role in the appointment of new bishops." Henceforth, the Beijing government will name candidates for episcopal office, with the Pope allowed a choice from among the government's nominees. What else were they given? We don't know, for the terms of the accord were not made public.

But, you may ask, hasn't the Roman Catholic Church fought against communism since the 19th century, going so far as to make it a sin to belong to the Communist Party or any secret society? How can the Vatican now order faithful Chinese Catholics to dismantle their "underground Church" and get into bed [into the pew, shurely! Ed.] with the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, the schismatic "church" set up by the Communists after they took power in 1940?

Oh nooooo, dear reader! That's old-fashioned thinking! All that changed after Vatican II. This reconciliation with the enemies of Christianity is for the good of the faithful. "The objective of the Holy See is a pastoral one: the Holy See intends just to create the condition, or help to create the condition, of a greater freedom, autonomy, and organization" for the Catholic Church in China. So says Cardinal Pietro Parolin (aka "Peter the Roman") in a statement (in English, for some reason) explaining the accord.

Besides, the Vatican says, the agreement is "provisional" and "foresees the possibility of periodic reviews of its application." Which means... I guess... that they can renege, if it turns out the Commies got the better of the bargain. That would seem to be self-evident, since the Vatican apparently received, errr, nothing in return for its capitulation.

Opponents of the accord say that by giving greater power to the Communist government, the agreement will ultimately put greater pressure on the "underground Church" that has, up till now, resisted government control. Cardinal Zen said angrily that Cardinal Parolin should resign from office because of his betrayal of China's faithful Catholics.

As part of the deal, Pope Francis agreed to lift the excommunication incurred by bishops who had been installed by the Communist government without the approval of the Holy See. Also, the Vatican "persuaded" two bishops of the "underground Church", who had not been recognized by Beijing, to resign and be replaced by prelates of the CPCA. Perhaps the real bishops were lucky. At least they weren't imprisoned or executed!

Walt wonders how bad things would have to get to make the Pope (or should I say Cardinal Parolin, who pulls Francis's strings) see the trap into which he has led us, and call for a "review" of the accord... as if the Communists would actually let that happen. How many "house churches" would have to be raided? How many faithful Catholics would have to be arrested? How many priests and bishops would have to be shut up in prisons or "mental hospitals"? How many would have to be martyred?

Dear Catholic readers, please pray harder than ever for the faithful Catholics of China. They flock been delivered by the shepherds into the care of the wolves. Pray that God and His Holy Mother will give them the strength and courage to keep the Faith. O glorious Archangel St. Michael, Prince of the heavenly host, defend us in battle, and in the struggle which is ours against the principalities and powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, against spirits of wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12)

Further reading: "China -- not a good place to be a democrat or a Catholic", WWW 15/6/14.

"You disagree with our liberal ideology? You must be insane!"

Speaking of rightist parties led by good-looking women (see below)... there was a disturbing item on the mojo wire a couple of days ago. Seems that Marine Le Pen, the leader of France's Rassemblement National (formerly Front National) has been ordered by magistrates in Nanterre to "undergo a psychiatric examination".

WHY? It's all part of an exercise in political correctness, the mainstream parties' vendetta against her for daring to challenge the liberal orthodoxy which refuses to acknowledge the intrinsic evil of Islamic extremism, as espoused and practised by the Islamic State.

In December of 2015, Mme Le Pen tweeted three pictures of killings carried out by ISIS terrorists, accompanied by the text "Daesh [Arabic term for ISIS] is THIS!" One of the pictures showed the body of James Foley, whom the Muslim extremists beheaded in August 2014.

Mme Le Pen posted the graphic images, since deleted, in response to journalist Jean-Jacques Bourdin, who had compared her nationalist rhetoric to that of the Islamic terrorist group. Speaking to French meeja earlier this year, she said that she is being charged for having "condemned the horrors of Daesh." For that, she said, "the 'justice system' has referred [me] to a psychiatric assessment. How far will they go?!"

That's a good question. A number of politicians have lambasted the magistrates' decision. Matteo Salvini, Deputy Prime Minister of Italy, took to Twitter to express support for the French politician. "A court orders a psychiatric assessment for Marine Le Pen. Words fail me!", he wrote. "Solidarity with her and with the French who love freedom!"

Gilbert Collard, a member of the National Assembly called the order "the psychiatrization of political opinion." And so it is. It comes down to this: Our liberal policies are reasonable and progressive. You disagree with our policies. Therefore you must be insane. Right out of the Soviet and Chinese Communist textbooks on the stifling of dissent.

If you think that equating dissent with insanity isn't part of the liberals' grand strategy, consider the title of Matt Taibbi's recent book, Insane Clown President. Good book, but that's not the point. My point is that if the expression of politically incorrect, "anti-progressive" views can be labelled as a symptom of mental illness, none of us is safe from having our wigs picked by people who are themselves teetering on the brink.

What happens then? No psychiatrist worth his or her $200/hour ever found a subject who didn't need "help". Next thing you know... One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest! And, as the movie (one of my favourites) shows, once you're in the clutches of the "mental health system", you don't get out unless and until those who control the system are good and ready. Mark my words, dear readers. I know whereof I speak.

People's Parties on the rise. Are you in?

Countries with red-and-white flags have a propensity, it seems, to welcome "People's Parties", to stand up for the rights of their own citizens over those of outsiders. Switzerland has the Swiss People's Party. Austria has the Austrian People's Party. And, as reported here earlier this month, Maxime "Mad Max" Bernier has found the People's Party of Canada/Parti Populaire du Canada. (Notice the beautiful flag in the picture.) At least two of Walt's agents have joined. If you're a Canuck and you think unity is more important than diversity, do ye likewise!

Where were we... Yes, Switzerland, Austria, Canada... and let's not forget Denmark, whose Danish People's Party leads the alliance opposed to the Social Democrats, and has already been effective in getting the country's parliament to pass a motion, in February of 2017, calling on the pinko government to reduce the number of asylum-seekers and "family reunification" migrants. See "'Ethnic cleansing' of Europeans opposed by Danish parliament", WWW 17/2/17,

Also present in the Danish parliament is the Conservative People's Party. And now there's another one, even further to the right, called the New Right [Politicians who tell it like it is! Ed.], led by a woman [obviously. Ed.] named Pernille Vermund. Here's her pic. Notice the beautiful flag.)

Would you vote for her? The New Right received 4.6% per cent of votes in a recent election, and an opinion poll from Norstat shows that the party is now larger than the two bourgeois parties, the Conservative People's Party and the Liberal Alliance. They have almost doubled their support since August. Why is the popularity of the New Right growing so fast? Check out this statement from Ms Vermund.

The New Right have been passionately critical of the Danish People's Party, which they say is not conservative or populist, but leftist on economics, and "confusing" on issues of immigration, much like Canada's so-called Conservative Party. The New Right has put immigration policy at the heart of its platform. They want to see a total stop to asylum-seekers, with migrants already in country being expelled at their first criminal conviction.

They also want to introduce the requirement that foreigners support themselves and not suck off the government tit. "Muslim welfare migrants" should be deported, they say. How novel! "The policy currently underway does not solve the problems. They get worse. It will not get any better. Our goal is to reverse the trend before it is too late."

Further reading: "Why the Danes are the happiest people in the world", WWW 17/3/16.

Tornado warning

With climate change the Number One Issue of our time, Walt deems it necessary to provide critical weather warnings as and when necessary.



Another public service from Walt Whiteman's World.

ISIS AGAIN claims responsibility for Toronto mass shooting

Way back in July -- how quickly we forget -- a lone gunman opened fire into a crowd into a crowd of restaurant-goers on Danforth Avenue, in Toronto's famous Greektown, killing two innocent people and wounding 15 before turning the gun on himself. No shouts of "Allahu akbar!" were heard, and the identity of the killer was suppressed by the police and lamestream media. Walt was one of many who speculated that Faisal Hussain -- for that was his name -- was an Islamic extremist. See "Non-gangsta gunman shoots 14 in Toronto", WWW 23/7/18.

The official politically correct government line, right from the get-go, was that Mr Hussain was mentally ill. That he happened to be an Afghan "newcomer" and a follower of the prophet was just a coincidence. Within hours, hours of the release of the accused's name, a professionally-written statement, in proper English, was sent out "on behalf of the Hussain family", explaining that "our son had severe mental health challenges, struggling with psychosis and depression his entire life."

The statement was written by Mohammed [What else? Ed.] Hashim, a full-time organizer for the Toronto & York Region Labour Council. Social media accounts belonging to Mr Hashim show him heavily involved in supporting NDP (= "social democratic") candidates both federally and provincially in Ontario. He's also described as a driving force behind the National Council of Canadian Muslims. See "Meet the spin doctor behind the Hussain family statement", by Anthony Furey, in the Toronto Sun, 25/7/18.

Walt's bullshit meter went right off the scale on that one, the more so when, on the very same day, ISIS/ISIL claimed responsibility for the vicious attack. See "'Allahu akbar!' ISIS claims responsibility for Greektown shooting", WWW 25/7/18. One of Canada's "independent" broadcasters (but not the state-owned Canadian Broadcorping Castration) passing on a quote from the Islamic terrorists' AMAQ news agency, which referred to Mr Hussain as "a soldier of the Islamic State" who "carried out the attack in response to calls to target the citizens of the coalition countries."

Although one must always take claims from ISIS/ISIL cum grano salis, Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders put extra lipstick on the pig, saying his force's investigation had uncovered "no evidence to support these claims." The government called in the usual gang of "terrorism experts" to warn against accepting the ISIL claim at face value. "We'll look into it further, but don't expect a conclusion other than that Hussain was such a wild and crazy guy. Nothing to see here, folks."

Ah yes... we're looking into it... the default response of "the authorities" to anything that doesn't accord with the liberal line that Islam is a religion of peace, there's no jihad going on, and "diversity is our strength" (gaggg). Indeed, the investigation is still "active and ongoing", according to an affidavit filed by the Toronto police in response to an application in Ontario's Superior Court by several news outlets to smash the cone of silence and unseal details of the search warrants in the case. The cops are fighting to prevent the release of the information "to ensure the integrity of the investigation is maintained." Oh, hahahahahaha...

Meanwhile, this past Sunday, a propaganda video released by pro-Islamic State media named July's atrocity as IS's "most successful foreign operation of the year." The video by the Al-Abd Al-Faqir Media Foundation mimics a corporate year-end review of operations. Called "Harvest of the Lone Lions", it features excerpts from the most recent speech by Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS/ISIL, in which he praises attackers in the West, according to a translation by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).

The information on the Toronto attack includes imagery taken from mainstream media after the shooting, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaking to the media. The rating and casualty information is superimposed over an animated scene of a tattered Canadian flag in a burning urban landscape.

As noted above, this is not the first such claim by IS. Nor is it the second. This is the third claim connecting the deadly attack to ISIS/ISIL, but still the Canuck authorities say they have no evidence from ISIL or its media affiliates that the gunman acted on behalf of any organizations. Requests from the Canuck meeja for comment on this latest claim have so far not been answered. M-103.

VIDEO: "Join the Catholic Church and go to hell!"

Father John Hollowell is a Roman Catholic priest, serving in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. On YouTube he has 13,000 followers, and counting. He is not yet a "rad trad" (see yesterday's post "Vatican cover-up of homosexual crimes leaves no choice for Catholics -- leave the Church or join us 'rad trads'" -- includes great video by Michael Matt) but it sounds to me he knows and keeps to the faith of our fathers (living still in spite of dungeon, fire and Francis) so will have to give Michael Matt's exhortation some serious consideration.

In this video, Fr Hollowell deconstructs and refutes three mistaken beliefs that many Protestants and other non-Catholics have about the Catholic Faith. Those who hate, or at least disagree with Catholicism quote Holy Scripture to "prove" that Catholics are wrong in their beliefs and practices. They refer, in particular, to these three passages from the Gospels. (I am using the Protestant King James Version to avoid any quibbles about the exact words.)

Matthew 23:9 - And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
John 6:54 - Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
Matthew 16:18 - And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Those are the words of Jesus, the Son of God, and those who opposed Catholicism argue that we are wrong in how we interpret them. Father Hollowell explains where the Catholic interpretation comes from and why the meaning believed by Catholics for nearly 2000 years is to be preferred.



Note: For those who were wondering... The "RCIA" to which Father refers at the beginning is the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (Ordo Initiationis Christianae Adultorum), a process developed by the Church for prospective converts who are above the age of infant baptism. Two of Walt's agents have been teachers in this programme. Getting back to today's crisis in the Church, the problem nowadays seems to be finding someone who wants to be taught!