Four Lies and a Funeral

Get it? Four lies instead of four weddings, like the movie with a similar name....



Aw, forget it. That's not witty.



Iran is hoping the Vatican will act as a buffer between it and the United States. Hardly.

Iran, I think, is counting on one of the most influential states on the globe to join it against the Great Satan they believe the United States to be. The Vatican will not benefit from this imaginary alliance. Iran joined the masses of the easily offended when the Pope quoted a Holy Roman emperor. I guess old wounds are hard to heal. For this reason alone, I doubt that Iran will build a church any time soon. And let's not forget how Iran treats its other religious minorities.

The author of the preceding article states that Shi'a Islam and Catholicism are "similar in structure". Curious. Muslims do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God or that He subsequently died for the sins of mankind, as Christians believe. They also have a very skewed perspective of Mary the Mother of God. According to the Koran, Mary gave birth to Jesus- the mere prophet of Mohammed- under a date tree. This account is a far cry from the Gospels but I suppose a mere woman cannot bear a minor prophet let alone the Son of God (it should be noted that Catholics venerate, not worship Mary, as only God can be worshipped, despite what some may think). The forgiveness of sins is also somewhat of a slippery eel. I'm not sure what structure these religious experts are referring to. Maybe it's the idea that all religions are alike. That will be debunked another day.

Needless to say, just because Pope Benedict XVI did not utter a direct condemnation of Iran's nuclear ambitions does not mean that he approves of them. He didn't like anything else Iran did. Not here.



Americans who vote for pro-life candidates are at odds with Giuliani over his, frankly, pro-abortion stance. This is not a point I will address, at least not now. I will address this, though. Please note how the writer of the article describes a voter:

Sally Morris is one such person. A devout Catholic armed with an ultrasound
device, she works as a nurse at a clinic near Dallas that aims to persuade
pregnant women not to abort their fetuses.

Armed? I never realised voting in the United States was a martial affair. I didn't even know an "ultrasound device" was a weapon. A devout Catholic (the writer also mentioned another voter's born-again faith)? Was there a census taken? Was it important?

It is this liberal trend of labelling others, particularly pro-lifers, I find tiresome. For people who feel the need to gloat about their progressiveness in social and political matters, they are awfully narrow of mind. Is there a reason to bring up race, religion or gender if, in the end, we are all the same? What is the ratio of arms between a pro-life protester and- let's say- Hamas?

Oh yes! I forgot. In order to murk the polemic waters, what better way than to paint the opposing side as people no sane person can relate to? Of course! Pro-lifers can't be vegans or vegetarians, or women, or Asian (in English and for Korea- dig it), or black, or even just the Everyman. It just can't be. At least not if you are willing to see the world as a place full of complexities and just talk about the issue.



If the US State Department removes North Korea from the list of state-sponsors of terrorism, it will be ignoring and forgetting the country's past aggressions, most notably against its southern neighbour. North Korea, with Chinese and Soviet help, declared war on South Korea, soon after murdered Korean citizens and foreign soldiers, kidnapped foreign nationals, committed acts of terrorism, laundered money and tortured (still tortures) its own citizens. Is North Korea the new China? Is it the new dictatorship ripe for economic exploitation? Kaesong and the new railway line (opened only for freight) confirm an ugly truth- money will rise above all things, even people.



Justice Minister says “the girl from Qatif” provoked her rapists. This article has been bandied about, first online, then in print format (and hidden in the back pages of the front section). This is just another example of Saudi Arabia's depravity (and what a record it has). I already know that. What I don't know is what North American feminists are going to do about it.

A Scientific Breakthrough

Scientists have found a way to reprogram skin cells and use them for any part of the human body.

(Please note: I am not claiming to be an expert in this field so forgive me if this post does not read as a medical text. The opinions, however, are all mine.)

As is my understanding, adult stem cells- cells coming from a born human being- can be used to treat medical conditions, from heart problems to muscular problems. The technique being touted in the preceding article allows a skin cell to be reprogrammed and made into another cell. The example of skin cells taken from a Japanese woman given to a Japanese man to repair connective tissue was used.

Adult stem cells have been used to treat some kinds of cancer (umbilical cords are rich in adult stem cells), create an artificial liver, restore sight and produce essential chemicals like insulin or myelin. Embryonic stem cells, though heavily touted as potential cure-alls, have not resulted in any definite cure or treatment. Apparently, in order for these particular stem cells to work, they must be fully mature (which I suppose would make them adult stem cells).

I've believe the reason why embryonic stem cells were clamoured for was to keep the abortion industry alive. I have not seen where embryonic stem cells have actually worked. They have been promised but have not been shown to be effective. Why use something that won't work when something that will work is available?

There is still much to do in this area but this current development is promising.

Get the Hell Out and Stay Out!

Two American Army deserters have lost their bid for refugee status in Canada. Even the attempts by Reuters have failed to make these cretins sympathetic in my eyes.

I don't care what one's opinions of a particular war or war in general are. There are things about this case, and others, that are iron-clad.

There has been no draft in the United States since 1973. Neither of these individuals have been forced into the army, nor have they been forced to fight in a war (there have been conscientious objectors in many American conflicts).

Did it ever occur to these men that the armed forces they signed up for might press them into service? The armed services fight wars. If they thought wars were immoral, then why join the army? What were they thinking?

Furthermore, their argument is with the United States government and its army. They should launch their defence against those parties instead of fleeing to Canada, living off welfare, smoking dope and regaling impressionable idiots with their exploits of civil disobedience and/or fighting in conflicts they have never been a part of (looking right at Jesse MacBeth).

If ye break faith with us who die .....

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

Major John McCrae, Surgeon, 1st Field Artillery Brigade

Not Redacted: A Post

Hollywood: Why movies like "Redacted" don't do well. Hollywood, ever adept at plying unwilling audiences with its unimaginative and horribly one-sided world-view, deserves this en masse shunning. The audacity Hollywood possesses to re-imagine and re-invent history in an effort to win, what they think as, largely ignorant masses to its point-of-view is galling, to say the least (and for those who do get their messages from TV or movies, shame on you). It's as almost as shameful as the current writers' strike. Writers who pump out crap and those who cross the picket line show us the colours we all know are true. People should pick up the habit of reading.



Afro-centric Schools: Some civil rights activist is spinning in his grave with this idea. If a "whites-only" school would make one's skin crawl, then this proposed act of segregation should make one stop paying taxes altogether. The way to address the failure of black students to succeed (apparently mostly boys) is not to segregate students according to skin colour but to ask questions that will, no doubt, reveal some shameful truths. What are the student's study habits? How involved are the parents? Are the teachers working hard to ensure the student does his best? Are there adequate educational materials? Is the desire to learn there? You can put a student in any school but if their parents are uninvolved, their teachers do the minimum, necessary learning materials are out-dated or simply not there, and the student does not care, the outcome will be the same. Why anyone would think this would bridge a cultural or educational gap is beyond me. It would be Crown-sanctioned bigotry and another waste of taxpayer's money.



RCMP Shooting: Another senseless loss of life, another reason why guns and booze don't mix.



China: Torturers and poisoners extraordinaire are "asking" visitors to bring only one Bible so as not inflame the hidden Christians into demanding their rights before being arrested and made to make lead-laced toys for American children. I would bring one huge Bible, the ones they might use for the visually-impaired, and plank it right up over Mao Tse Tung's fat-faced portrait.

They said I could bring one.



You want trouble, you got it.



You want a cuddly hedgehog, you also got it.