A little bird in the flue, flew!

February 29th, 2012

Yesterday I was sitting in my chair, relaxing, doing nothing and feeling good about it. Then the furnace clicks on and there is a bit of a racket coming from the direction of the china cabinet. It sounded a lot like the mad fluttering of a bird in distress. “Couldn’t be,” I thought to myself. We had a new flue put in and birds shouldn’t be able to fall into the chimney and get stuck behind the wall… where the china cabinet sits. Only in winter does this happen. Sitting up on the chimney, getting warm and then passing out because of the CO2 fumes. Then clunk and later… the mad fluttering.

In the past I had to move the cabinet from the wall, a big heavy thing, across a thick carpet. Then pull the baseboard out. Then place a box in front of the hole we had there for the bird to escape. Eventually the bird would make its way into the box. Cover the top with another piece of cardboard and set the bird free outside. Then put everything back into place.

We had a new furnace put in and supposedly a new flue that should have prevented any bird from falling in. Somehow this bird made its way inside. With my bad back I couldn’t move the cabinet like I use to… but we put in hardwood flooring and now the cabinet slides easy. We also made the hole behind the baseboard a little larger at the time.

What to do this time? Leave the bird there to die a slow death? No way! So I got up, went to the cabinet, moved it (and it was easier to do), pull the baseboard off (not that easy) and went and opened the back door so the bird could make its timely escape. I watched as a beak appeared in the opening. Then the bird stuck out its head. It watched and listened for any sign of danger. Out of the corner of my eye I saw some movement on the couch in the next room. My cat was sitting up, ears forward, listening to that strange sound in the living room. Cat? Cat!

I picked up the furry feline (is she getting fatter) and put her in the entrance hallway. She had the look in her eyes that said, “what are you trying to hide from me.” Just before she leaped back in I closed the door and heard her head bump lightly against the door. I looked over to the hole in the wall and said, “the coast is clear now.” After a brief pause the bird made its re-appearance. With a jump and a flutter it went into the air and made a bee-line for the back door. Out she went.

I went to the back door and there was the bird, sitting on the fence, peering at me with one eye and I can’t really tell, but it seemed to have a relieved look on its face. Then I said, “There, there, little bird, you’re out and safe. Please go tell your buddies about the adventure you just had. Warn them of the danger. Oh, and have a good day.” Just then the bird gave a little bob of its head. I said “you’re welcome.” And off it flew. Did I see a smile on its face? Hard to tell with birds. So I closed the door and went and let the cat back into the room. She did not look too pleased that I denied her the pleasure of the hunt. Then again, that’s life.

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Another Long Silence

December 5th, 2011

Have you missed my posting to my blog. So have I, yet I guess it should come as no surprise to those who know me. Life throws curve balls. I was very disapointed when I lost access to SunNews TV. After listening to them I found it hard to get back to listening to CNN, CBC and the other news networks. They love to withhold vital information from the more contentious things they cover. Information that helps put things into perspective. So I left commenting on the news because I couldn’t trust the news service. Then a family member is injured and I find that trying to help them is straining my body. Does that mean I am out of shape… duh! I am also having other physical problems that make life a little hard to handle.

Soooo… am I feeling sorry for myself? Not really. You learn to live within your limitations. Yet the real problem isn’t physical… nor emotional… nor mental… though they all play a part. Nope, the real problem is a disconnect between me and God. A person like myself is dependant upon the grace of God. Little by little I have been letting the silence between us grow. He whispers to me on occasion and I let life’s problems get in the way. Funny thing is, I have never moved forward, never improved and nothing ever changes to the good, until I begin to acknowledge those whispers. He is faithful and I am just starting to listen again, to answer again.

Another long silence is beginning to break. Not just between me and my Lord but between me and you and those others, strangers and friends, who have the patience to put up with me. For now… ‘nough said.

Posted in personal side, Random Topic Posts | 1 Comment »

Memorial to Martin Luther King Jr.

October 17th, 2011

Martin Luther King Jr.

Recently a statue of King was revealed to the public. It is on The National Mall in Washington DC. It is in a place that reflects the greatness of individuals and the sacrifice of the multitude. Great memorials to great presidents and war memorials grace the grounds. It is in a park setting that encourages reflection and contemplation. Does King belong there? The Politically Correct response is yes!

I should say at the beginning that I am not a fan of King. This “prejudice” is not based on the colour of his skin but on my perception of him as a trouble maker. I remember vaguely the images of that time. A mouthy man marching around various cities getting people to resist and cause various kinds of trouble. I formed these opinions looking on the events through the eyes of a child and later as a young teen. It was only a little later, still not yet a man, when I began to see the images of police brutality that the unfairness, the injustice of it all, began to change my heart and my mind.

Black people? The only black people I saw as a child were the images on TV and film. They were never flattering. It would be hard not to be prejudiced toward a black person. I was awash in a sea of white. Not that “blacks” were the sole target of prejudice. Anything outside of the ordinary was looked on with suspicion. That included Asians, Indians and other races and cultures. It also included the Protestant because “everyone” knew they were of the Devil and not to be trusted. One step further, don’t trust the English, while attending classes at a french school. My oh my, the mind of a child growing up in the 50′s was truly a limited thing of limited vision. This view was merely a reflection of the adults around me.

During my highschool years I began to see a broader cross section of humanity. I started to go to school and made my first white protestant friend. As the years rolled by more diversity came into my life. My suspicion was turned into friendships. During those highschool years teen rebellion grew and I tested all the values I grew up with. It was a time in the Western World where a loose life style of anything goes and drugs to boot were a staple in most of our lives. It overturned everything much like the early Christians were accused of overturning the world with their beliefs. Eventually all of the foundations were cracked and broken and a new age emerged. This new age eventually turned into the monstrosity of the Liberal Politically Correct Agenda that will destroy our country and the rest of the West.

Have I digressed? No, not really…

This early part of my life was the time of King’s work. Fewer people are alive today who remember those years first hand. We get a strange view nowadays because history is being projected through a set of filters. It is a liberal, politically correct, scrubbed and sanitized and responsibility deflected understanding of the times these events occurred. King was the Ghandi of those years of struggle. His fight with what he perceived of as injustice, prejudice and the rest of the evils of his time was/is inspiring. His legacy is still being written and his vision is still in the future. Are we today nearer to heaven or closer to hell is dependant upon whom you talk to. For good or for evil, he has left his mark on the world.

Back to the Mall…

The statue, the flanking stones, the wall of quotations, everything is carved out of white granite. It was paid for by the same people he opposed. The same institutions who kept the disenfranchised people under their collective feet. It is a giant white wash of the man and his mission. As I looked on the images of the “honouring” I see none of the ugly struggle of his time. I do not see the passion, determination or sacrifice of this man of principle. Like I said in the beginning, I am not a fan of King, but I am saddened by this memorial and feel it is “a slap in the face.”

It is a Politically Correct Memorial… and that is the saddest thing of all.

Posted in history, politics, Random Topic Posts | 1 Comment »

Persistence

September 26th, 2011

I sit in front of my computer just about ready to start hitting the keys and an emotional wall slides up between my heart and the screen. My head, which neatly rests above my shoulders, looks down and then across at the screen and wonders why the fingers are not moving. There is indecision about what to write. And I am uncertain as to how to express an idea. What is the cause of this doubt? Perhaps it is an attack from our common enemy the devil or perhaps it is a God moment when something that needs to be changed must be changed before I can continue. Either way, nothing actually gets written. Neither on this blog or on the rest of my sites.

Those who know me, even a little bit, know that I can (at times) be a dynamic person capable of accomplishing much work. Also, if you know me a little bit, you will know that I am subject to long fits of depression. Fits? Perhaps I should turn that around. Times of fits and fury followed by lingering silences. Yeah, that’s more like it. I have always struggled with self-doubt and that is why it is so easy for an unkind word, or a challenging word, to drop me into silence.

How can I describe this? Get a picture of the ocean in your mind. The winds are blowing and the water swells. Now picture a cork floating on that sea going up and down with those swells. If a wave comes along and knocks it below the water, as a cork, it would immediately pop up to the surface to ride on the ocean swells. That’s not me! Question? Can a cork get waterlogged? If it could, then that would be me. I don’t do pop-ups! (Well, on social occassions I sometimes do) I usually rest (sometimes struggle) somewhere under the water and ever so slowly rise to the surface. Once at the surface I don’t ride high in the water. I rise just high enough to glimpse heaven before another wave of circumstance plunges me back under. Yep, that just about describes me.

Those who have been following me over the years will see that this is the pattern of my life. Now someone may ask, “I thought he was a Christian. Where is his victory?” Well dear questioner, there is a victory. Every time I come back up to the surface and get a glimpse of heaven the light of hope filters into my soul and gives me a moment of peace. Think of it as mini glimpses of my future salvation. What salvation? The one when God’s hand will reach into the waters and finally pluck me from this (sometimes calm/sometimes storm tossed) sea of life.

So dear reader, when you read something on my blog or see something on the rest of my site, know this… I just came to the surface and have a moment to share. Each time I do this I hope to reflect a little bit more of God, an ever so slightly better version of me. There are many who live this type of faith. We appear for a moment and then we are gone from view. It is neither good or bad. It just is. I titled this piece “persistence.” But it isn’t my persistence I am talking about. It is the persistence of a loving God who waits for me, and when he helps me to finally rise near to the surface, he lets me have a glimpse of him who saved me.

As you may have guessed I am hoping that I’m at the end of a (small) lingering silence and ready to engage in a (small) fit of activity. For those who are like me? Do not despair. Float in the circumstance and wait for God to bring you to the surface. Then glimpse your hope and make your contribution before you slide from view. You will have many opportunities if you are patient. And remember… It is not the ocean that holds you but He who holds you in his nail wounded hands.

Posted in personal side, Random Topic Posts | 2 Comments »

The Culture War – opening salvo – the calendar

September 7th, 2011

The Culture War – opening salvo – the calendar

A king Is born! Long Live the King! And with those words a new calendar was started. It did not matter what the kingdom was called. In Rome the calender dates from Julius, then from Augustus and so on. Each subsequent ruler had started his own era. It was like saying in the 7th year of Augustus Caesar. To get the full calendar you had to know the list of succession and how many years long each of the eras were. Other calender systems started with the foundation of their nation. The Hebrew calendar started from year one of mankind’s reign on the earth. Adam started the count and it has been progressing ever since. What do these types of these systems have in common? They represented a turning point in the affairs of men. A singular moment from which all else would progress… for those people under their system for measuring the passing time.

AD and BC

Hundreds of years after the birth of Jesus the Christ a monk decided to change the way he was measuring the passing of the years. Instead of using the years of the current Roman Emperor (era), he decided to begin his calendar from the birth of Jesus (his era). Thus began Anno Domini, The Year of Our Lord, and a simplified way of keeping track of the passage of time was created. Most of the world adopted this method to make it easier for historians and also commerce to work in their respective fields. BC then came about to measure world events that occurred prior to the birth of Jesus. Not everyone who adopted this form of measurement liked the idea that it all started with the birth of a Jew, the founder of Christianity, as the ending of one major era and the beginning of the other.

CE and BCE

Good old Henry the 8th. Wasn’t satisfied with the religion coming from Rome. He couldn’t divorce and marry whom he pleased. So he began his own flavour of religion. The church of England was born. The calendar did not change, after all they still worshipped the same God. Yet shortly after his death a slight change began to appear as to how the calendar dates were referred. It was started by those who did not like the pope and the “papists” who followed his lead. Such a slight change but a reflection of the times (for their politically correct version of time). The change? They dropped the Latin AD and adopted CE (Christian Era) and BCE (Before the Christian Era).

CE and BCE (the second coming)

Second Coming (of unbelief)? A little joke. Yet a new definition came from the Jewish community, in the 18th century of our Lord (but not theirs). They referred to the same calendar not as the start of the Christian Era but as the Common Era and BCE as Before the Common Era. Yet there is no defining moment for why the calendar should be split at that time. The only significant event is still the birth of Jesus. It reflects the heart of the rebellious, it is the age old cry of the wicked “we will not have this man rule over us.” Wicked? Simply those who will not honour or obey the words of a king.

Adoption

As we entered the Era of the Scientist a quiet rebellion against faith began. If it can’t be measured does it really exist? My senses will be the judge of reality and later my sensors would add to that reality. All else, they say, is an example of hocus-pocus. It is a magic incantation, a trick to fool the gullible. It is like the priestly words spoken at communion to change the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. It is a marriage of fake and faith. Fortunately some, if not many, scientists still have faith. Yet the rebellious among them, those who also say “we will not have this man rule over us,” continue the religion of their cohorts (humanism) by using the CE, Common Era designation.

Political

Scientists are supposed to be the epitome of reasoned thought. Other intellectuals are also, supposedly, of the same mould. Yet these wise and enlightened people have chosen to continue to divide the stream of time into two parts. Our time of two thousand years called the Common Era and the earlier part of history called Before the Common Era. Yet there is nothing that signifies why that division is necessary. There is no sociological event, no scientific breakthrough, no cataclysmic event that shouts down to us through time that “this, whatever it is,” has changed the world. Without the birth of Jesus, there is nothing to point at. It is simply an easy arbitrary choice. It is simply a political point for the politically correct, for they have no point of value from which to measure.

Reasoned thought? Not at all. Just an unbelieving, disrespectful act towards Jesus, his values and those who follow him. That is the basis on which the politically correct take their stance. They want to change the times and the seasons… or at least the names of them… so that they have the freedom to do whatever they desire. It isn’t even Anarchy. It is too well controlled and defined. AD/BC or CE/BCE? It was just the opening salvo in the Culture War.

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Phishing: Email Alert: ACH Transfer Review

September 2nd, 2011

I would like to first write that NACHA is a legal institution and does work with transfer payments. They do not contact people/customers through emails. They do not request information from people/customers.

Phishing:

Phishing occurs when unscrupulous people fake an email in an attempt to get you to respond. They may just want to verify that your email address is valid. They most likely will also want you to fill out a form and thereby gain more information from you. Or send you to a web-address where you can be hacked. Delete all such emails without responding. Do not click on any links in the email or any attachments. Never send your username and/or password when requested through an email. Companies never ask for that information in that way.

The Attempt:

I received an email supposedly from NACHA. It was about a supposedly ACH transfer (with an id number included). They explained, with very little detail, that a money transfer did not go through successfully. At the top of the email there is a form they wanted me to fill out. (form-62.zip)

Don’t get suckered into responding. If you recently made an online purchase you could be tempted to respond. Don’t! Go to the website, through history on your computer, where you made the purchase and check with them through their site if you think there is a problem. Again, do not click on any link provided in the email.

Delete the email!

For more information: Email Alert: ACH Transfer Review

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Libyan Civil War – Almost Over?

August 29th, 2011

Libyan Civil War – Almost Over?

The remnant of Gaddafi’s forces have gathered in the town of Sirte. It is the last stand of the war. Will there be a battle, a siege or a quick surrender? It is too early to tell. There seem to be reports coming out that the rebels, that hodgepodge group of malcontents, have begun to kill some of those who have been captured. After all, the conflict was primarily of a tribal nature and not political. It is like the conditions that existed in Iraq under Hussein. One tribe holding most, if not all, of the power. The Sunni Muslims against the Shia Muslims and other disenfranchised groups.

We in the west think that there is a move afoot to bring true democracy to that repressive regime. That the removal of the dictator will usher in a time of peace and prosperity. If Iraq is any example we should expect a greater sectarian divide. We should also look forward to the increased persecution of minorities within their borders. After all, under the new Iraqi regime, the Christian population was harassed, beaten, bombed and killed with impunity by the new light of understanding that flowed from above. The Christian population has dropped from two million to about five hundred thousand as many flee oppression. Are other groups also suffering? I do not know for the voices are most likely silenced.

Oh, there will be an election in Libya, eventually. A new constitution will be drafted which will include Sharia Law as its foundation (even more than it is now). In time women will be demeaned. Christian, Jews and others will be given second class status. The region will come firmly under the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood. Another building block of the Caliphate will be cemented into place. The West will be placed in a more precarious position. This is just one possibility.

This possibility was not a sure thing while Gaddafi was in power. Dictatorships do not like the Muslim Brotherhood. They are resisted by every government where power flows from one individual. To think that replacing one dictator, while at the same time laying the foundations of a one world Islamic government, is foolhardy and short sighted. The establishing of this one world government, this Caliphate, is the prime objective of the Brotherhood. Its system of rule is Sharia. It is anathema to any freedom loving people.

Our nation and the coalition of the willing, those NATO countries that have joined into a pact to guarantee peace and safety to their freedom loving populace, have entered the war in Libya. They have launched 20,000+ sorties of which 7,000+ were strike sorties. These were done to enforce an arms embargo, establish a no-fly zone, and protect civilians from the threat of attack. Yet the rebels were being supplied with munitions and expertise. Nothing was stopping the West from flying and bombing Gaddafi’s forces. Even when Gaddafi’s troops were withdrawing they didn’t lift a finger to stop civilians/fighters being killed by the rebel forces. This action by NATO, under the political cover of the UN, was not neutral. It had no prospects of peace being negotiated between the grieving parties. It was and is the act of war against a declared enemy. It is not a civil war. It is not a police action. It is a “world war” in miniature.

This war will soon be over and by winning this war we may have shot ourselves in our own foot. Will democracy flourish in Libya? Nothing that we would recognize in our own country. It will be a Muslim Brotherhood vision of Islamic supremacy. Some day we may have to fight that very democracy. Why? Because at their core, their very heart, they want the world under the coming Caliphate and they will take whatever actions are necessary, to bring the conditions about, to make it the reality on this planet we share.

My prayer is that men (and especially women) of courage will stand up in the weeks to come and fight for the establishment of a true democracy, with protections for all and for the equal treatment of all.

If they can muzzle the Muslim Brotherhood then there will reason to hope for a better future.

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Hello Irene, Veil of the Hurricane

August 28th, 2011

Hello Irene, Veil of the Hurricane

I am sitting at my desk office in my home. As I look outside the blue sky is partly hidden by a light veil of clouds. It is the temptress/tempest called Irene. Her eye is upon the east coast and has been wandering/wending slowly on her journey. She reminds me of another Irene, a girl full of fury but disorganized. She had much less impact than first predicted, both the girl and the hurricane. A big storm but not the monster the US feared. By no stretch of the imagination can it be compared to that murderer/destroyer called Katrina. Already some people are patting each other on the back for all the preparedness. Yet their skills are not truly being tested by the storm. It is a good practice run though for when a real monster comes ashore in the future. Then we will know how well they have prepared. How well they have learned their lessons from Katrina.

I do not belittle the deaths/damages caused by Irene. Loss of life still stings the souls of those who are left behind. Flood damage will take away some homes/businesses and animals/pets. Yet thankfully it is not a great loss of life or property. The US has been spared over the last few years the big killer storms. After Katrina the hurricanes that formed in the Atlantic have veered early and spent their power upon the open waters off the coast. Is Irene the forerunner of a new pattern, a new track, for the coming storms? Will the following storms of cat1 to cat3 take aim at the old hurricane alley of the seventies?

Right now the storm is north of New York. The New England States will have the remnants of Irene, now a tropical storm, with which to contend. She is losing her power to destroy and it cannot come quickly enough. Over night she may wash into Canada, finally to be spent, and we can say goodnight Irene.

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Corelle Bowl Shattered

August 25th, 2011

Once in awhile things happen that can surprise you. Yesterday I was surprised. Here is what I wrote to Corelle on their form.

************

Not a question. Just comment about your product.

My wife and I have been using your dishware products for almost 30 years. Normally they bounce if dropped. At times they may get a small chip in them. If they ever break you could depend on them to break into large manageable pieces. Which has occurred on several occasions over the years. My wife bought a small replacement set to help augment our ability to serve a couple of more guests. It also helps to replace the four pieces that have broke over the years. However yesterday, while doing the dishes one of the bowls slipped from my hand. It fell about three and a half feet to a linoleum floor. I was surprised when it shattered into well over a hundred pieces. Some flew as far as seven feet from the impact area. It must have been a fluke bowl. This was unexpected. Just thought you would like to know that this has happened.

The bowl came from a set that was white with a double green stripe. Fortunately we still have seven bowls of that size left.

************

Being in my stocking feet, covered with small shards, and glass everywhere was not pleasant. Luckily everything was cleaned up without a scratch… almost.

Pretty Bowl

Shattered Little Beauty

They did eventually send a reply:

Thank you for contacting World Kitchen LLC.

Although Corelle is made of an extremely durable glass called Vitrelle, known for its strength, it is not completely shatter/break proof. We do offer a 3 year warranty against breakage, chipping, and staining under normal household use. This warranty does not include any breakage from dropping since that is not considered normal household use.

For further assistance, please contact our Consumer Care Center at 800-999-3436. Representatives are available from 8am to 5pm Monday through Friday, EST, and will be more than happy to assist you.

Sincerely,

Yasmina

World Kitchen Consumer Care Center

Warms the cockles of one’s heart… hah!

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US Health Care Plan and the Lack of Job Growth

August 24th, 2011

The American economy suffered a setback as, Bush was about to leave office and it appeared that Obama was going to win the election. It started as a bank bust and many other banks had their necks on the chopping block. One TARP plan and the banks were saved. The US did not enter into a state of depression. Yet the collapse of the housing bubble continued and the country entered into a recession as, Bush left office and Obama took the reigns of power.

The plan worked out in this transition period, by both democrats and republicans, went into action. After so many job losses the bleeding eventually stopped, relatively speaking. More jobs were being created than jobs lost. However hope of a quick turn around was soon dead. Job growth was only about half of what was expected. It meant that the economy would take twice as long to recover, but it would recover.

Then came Obama Care. A health plan to insure all Americans. It was pushed through a Congress and a Senate that the democrats controlled. Even though most Americans rejected the plan, Obama covered his ears so he could not hear the outcry to stop. The following mid-term elections was a wake-up call to stop government growth, in size and spending, and a rejection of the health care plan. The wake-up call fell on deaf ears. The plan, the growth, the spending is going forward unabated. The result, a job growth so slow that it would take a decade or more to turn around. Even that assessment is too optimistic.

One would think that the problem of very slow job growth would be difficult, if not almost impossible, to turn around. Yet the collapse of the meagre job growth was not due to the increase in spending from the stimulus plans. The slow growth of jobs, reduced to a creep, came about from that single action taken by the government. That action, that act, was the passing of the health care plan. It is the great unknown facing every company, both small and large. How much red tape? How much will it cost the employer? How much will everyone’s cost for insurance increase, both business and personal?

It can’t be all the blame of the health care plan? Probably not. But with conditions the way they are, adding this huge unknown burden to business at this time, was a foolish step. The banks withhold money because of uncertainty. Businesses also are withholding jobs because of uncertainty. Nobody wants to buy… because of uncertainty. Look at the job creation stats. They were rising slowly prior to passage of the health care plan. After the health care plan passed and was signed into law the job growth stats levelled off. Sadly, the only reason the unemployment rate has levelled off is because people are falling off the grid. Kind of insane if you ask me. You measure the unemployment rate by those receiving benefits, and fail to include those who are still unemployed but no longer qualify to collect benefits. The unseen, not measured, blot on the economic picture.

Obama’s health care plan, and it is his plan with some modifications, is the major reason for the continuing problem of minimal job growth. Even a trillion dollars a year in increased spending can’t turn this young mule around. The roll of bureaucrats is increasing and miles of red tape are being prepared. Businesses fear two things: the cost of the program and the red tape that will accompany it. It isn’t the only thing that worries business, perhaps they could weather the storms of financial woes coming from overseas. They won’t be able to do that if they are tied down by greater expense and regulation at home.

It is the government minions trussing up the business Colossus. Remind you of anything?

a sketch of little people tying down the american economy

Wrapping with Care the Colossus

Ahem, Gulliver and the Lilliputians if you missed the reference.

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