Pet Ownership is not your right.

This is a P.S.A. First and foremost, buying or adopting an animal is not your right. It is a privilege. Period.

139469.ME.0717.pitbull.09.RED OAKLAND, CA – JULY 17, 2008: A pit bull waits for adoption at the Alameda County Animal Shelter in Oakland, California, July 17, 2008. A large percentage of the population of the shelter is pit bulls.(Robert Durell/Los Angeles)¹

Covid had an unfortunate side effect regarding pet ownership. Bored people adopted or bought cats/dogs, small rodents etc. And where are they ending up now that people have returned to normalized, post-Covid life? Shelters, Kijiji, Craig’s List, local newspapers. Its too late for those idiots now but here’s a “heads-up” for anyone considering pet adoption, particularly dogs and cats.

First – it is a commitment. A long term commitment. Let’s do this as a list:

1. Vet bills. You are looking at a minumum of 10K or more, depending on the breed and potential health issues – over say a 10 year period. Innoculations, yearly exams, illness.
2. Pet food – if your pet has health issues, allergies/kidney problems etc. You can expect to spend between $150 – $200 per month, minimum.
3. Vacations – few hotels permit pets, air travel is not pet-friendly, each country has their own regulations regarding animals coming into their country. So you will have to arrange for a kennel or an in-house pet sitter (comes with a whole bunch of issues – get references, valid references.) So, let’s say, in addition to your vacation expense? $500 for 2 weeks and that’s a low estimate.
4. Training – not hard as a general rule but each breed has its own behaviours. Training is not a 2 week session, that’s your foundation. Training, POSITIVE TRAINING, is a life long endeavour. POSITIVE TRAINING. Never – ever – ever, strike your animal. NEVER.
5. Children – never leave your young kids alone with your animal. Just don’t – it is irresponsible and inviting problems. Little kids will poke and prod, climb on and generally ignore your animal’s space. They can’t express how they feel – say your animal is developing an early ear infection and your crotch goblin sticks their fingers in the ear. Its painful and the first response may well be to snap. Not the dog’s fault, not the cat’s fault, YOUR FAULT.
6. Shelter animals have been abandoned, they may have been abused or neglected. It may take anywhere from, minimum a month’s time to 6 months or more for them to acclimatize to your home. They will require their own “quiet” place and constant monitoring, positive reinforcement. It is not easy but well worth the time and effort required. It will require a LOT of effort.
7. Allergies – NO ANIMAL – fur bearing or feathered is HYPO-ALLERGENIC. Hypo-allergenic pets are straight up bullshit. People with allergies are not allergic to the fur, it is the dander and saliva. Dander is the skin cells sloughing off. Animals and birds are all potential allergy sources. If you have kids, take them for a skin test at an allergist, FIRST, and save heartbreak for both your kids/potential pets.
8. Most dogs, shorthair or not, cats, birds will shed/moult. So if you like a pristine house? Get a stuffed animal or fish. You will be vacuuming, dusting a lot. We had a short haired sweetheart and vacuuming was 2 or 3 times a week.
9. All dogs have their own exercise needs, don’t get a large breed and lock it in an apartment or house while you are away 8-10 hours a day. Its just freaking cruel and that makes you the worst kind of asshat.
10. Your choice of animal companion is no more of a responsibility than having a child; would you chain your kid up outside? Don’t do it to your dog. Would you deny your kid medical attention because you don’t have the money? Don’t do it to your dog/cat. Would you allow your kid to be free-range? Don’t do it to your dog/cat. Would you not train your children and help them to adapt their behaviour? Your dog/cat deserves the same care you give a child, (OK, the care MOST of us would give a child,)

Welcoming an animal/bird into your home is a privilege, not your right. Its expensive, it is hard work, very hard work but is totally worth it for the right people, those who understand their responsibilities – emotional and financial.

Anti-White Part Deux

It’s me again; the purveyor of anti-white propaganda. Yes, I am anti-white according to one of Bob Whitaker’s band of merry jugheads. I’ve been called worse and by far, far better. ( http://www.whitakeronline.org/blog/the-white-mantra/ )

This morning I read a news story about, yet another, despicable piece of proposed legislation being put forward by the neo-Nazi wannabe’s of the P.Q government in Quebec. (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2013/08/20/pol-cp-quebec-identity.html)

The story, pretty much, pissed off my morning. I hate the mentality behind such legislation. It is racist and calling it “Quebec values” doesn’t change the evil of the intent. Quebec’s current minority government is woefully ignorant and most definitely setting itself up as nothing more than a tin pot dictatorship. Every news article that streams to computer monitors around the world opens the province up to ridicule and well it should. Quebec and the people who claim they are simply trying to protect Quebec’s heritage are either monumental liars or are being hoodwinked by monumental liars.

The world is moving forward at light speed, there is no stopping for xenophobes as we all move into a global joining of peoples, trade and economies. There is no room for people who judge based on skin colour, religion or creed. There is no place for people with such narrow views and lack of intellect. They draw their little flags around themselves and claim to be protecting culture when, in fact, they are nothing more than ignorant, fearful little drones. No culture is in danger if the culture is strong within its people. You can’t legislate it. Hitler learned that one at a terrible, terrible cost to human lives. You cannot demand respect. It has to be earned and Quebec has yet to learn that fine distinction between respect and fear of persecution. Respect for Quebec culture outside of Quebec is non-existent and our government is to blame, completely to blame.

In spite of national governments, other countries and other people are striving toward peace, toward understanding, toward creating a world for everyone. It is possible. Probable? Not with people like Marois, Putin and their pathetic clones. It is up to the rest of us to work even more diligently against the ignorance that these people spew.

Later on this morning, I happened on the picture above and it reflects a state that we can all strive toward achieving. Atheist, Christian, Jew, Muslim – Aboriginal, Asian, African, European, Middle Eastern – we are all made up of the same flesh, the same blood. We are all born, we live, we laugh, we cry, we die. All of us. Nothing truly separates us; the only thing that drives us apart is the poison of racism and ignorance.

I’m Anti-White

Apparently….I’m anti-white, according to a Sodahead denizen. Anyone, it appears, who does not object to the immigration of individuals, not Caucasian, to a predominately white/European country is anti-white. Anyone who does not object to mixed marriages is – you guessed it, anti-white.

One of the major problems that I have with people like this man (I assume, of course, that this is a man as whomever this is uses the name of “Larry”), is the total lack of rationale and logic in their assessments prior to making statements such as “You (meaning me) anti-whites…(insert usual racist diatribe)”. Anti-white. Me. Yeah, okay.

I’m white. I’m very white. I’m whiter than white until I stand out in the sun and then I’m freckled white. I don’t tan. Of course, I am being a bit facetious, it’s a survival skill when faced with such stupidity. My poor brain refuses to accept that a fellow human being can be so obtuse.

I am very proud to be who I am. I’m exceedingly proud of my ancestors and their deeds. I’m proud to be “White” if that’s what I am. I am not of a particular culture – I’m not pure anything, except, I guess, technically Canadian. In my blood runs a very European heritage, a very white European heritage; Irish, Ukrainian and Austrian with a smattering of French. There’s some Scottish and Welsh in there as well. All those cultures adhering to each other in my DNA…happy as little clams. My husband is also White – French and Scottish with some native Canadian in there, a few generations back and his original maternal ancestor to Quebec was German. We have produced 3 sons – all very white as well, mind you, unlike their mother, they have the melanin required to tan.

I’ve been strolling this street of life for more than a few decades; I’ve run into people like Larry before and they always leave me feeling, well – dirty, as if I need to give my poor brain a good washing to remove any of the dirt, that I’ve read, from sticking.

I have friends from all walks of life, from all races, from all cultures. They don’t fault me for being white any more than I would fault them for their melanin levels. In fact, it isn’t even a topic of discussion because it is so irrelevant.

Am I proud to be white? Depends on the interpretation of “white.” Am I proud that my skin colour is white or am I proud of my cultural heritage? Skin colour is simply a physiological effect of the migration of my, long, long, long ago, ancestors. It certainly has no bearing on who I am. My cultural background is responsible for that. My parents and their parents and their parents, are responsible for that. My education is also responsible for who I am and I don’t simply refer to formal – I refer to the school of life, where I have learned no skin colour, no culture, race or creed is more worthy than another. Everyone has their share of asshats; it is a global problem.

Old Larry claims that if one professes a pride in being white, then one is labeled as a racist. I guess I missed the memo as have my friends, acquaintances and co-workers; none of us interprets being proud of one’s heritage as being racist. Pride in skin colour seems rather silly to me. Pride in cultural accomplishments makes more sense. Pride in family, in jobs well done, in living well – living ethically and morally seems to be more of a reason for pride than the amount of pigment in the skin. Skin is a simply a covering. It doesn’t dictate who is more worthy of pride. I would have thought that nonsense died in a bunker in the forties but it would appear, in Larry’s case anyway, that there are still a few stragglers clinging to the bottom rung of the evolutionary ladder of civilization.

Take a look at the picture up there; kind of ironic, isn’t it? Proud to be white, yet disguise their faces. KKK, proud to be white, yet ensure that their Halloween styled costumes conceal their identities. Well, I’m proud to be who I am and I don’t feel any need to hide behind a false beard, a balaclava or a sheet. So, truly – who is less proud – one who walks without a disguise or one who walks with one?

Mantra: All men are created equal.

Just an FYI (TIK TOK)

Just want to clear things up, in order to avoid misunderstandings. While I do appreciate the offers for readings/guidance and/or cleansing, allow me to explain (#RadicalAtheist? Don’t read any further, LOL);

• I do not nor need anyone to “fix” my neck tattoo – thanks anyway. It is a highly personal piece; it does not require fixing.
  
• I appreciate all the offers for readings/spiritual guidance, however, thank you but no.
  
• Practicing Pagan/witch/whatever you wish to call it, I don’t care, since the early 80’s.
  
• Taught Tarot, Psychometry, Guide Connection, Paganism 101 and Witchcraft 101, to name a few.
  
• I do not charge for readings, when I choose to do them. It is part of my early training – you do not charge for the “Arts”.
  
• Was an HPS along with my HP husband for many years.
  
• Kids – now in their late thirties, and early 40’s, were raised as Pagans.
  
• For Tik Tok/FB/Thread/Discord; if your profile reads “Private”, due to the bot and spam accounts, I have no option but to block you.
  
• I have bad eyesight, don’t bother sending a d*ck pic because I have trouble seeing tiny objects.
  
• I am and have always been an Ally.
  
• I have no time or patience for fundies, convoy clowns or anti-science bullshit.
  
• I hate all politicians, regardless of stripe.
  
• I am a gamer; PS4 – RPG’s. Used to play on PC but I fell in love with the PS4 and haven’t looked back.
  
• Serial Killer podcast junkie.
  
• I am a happy Agnostic, I don’t need your god or any gods, thanks.
  

Have a great day!

Handcrafting Energy Tools – not a good plan.

I do not bother, as a rule, with people doing what they want to do. “Do what thou wilt” is my usual attitude or LOL, “F*ck around and find out”, my parental rule.

Let’s take a look at creativity and psychometry; psychometry impacts, not only personal objects but objects we create.

When we create an object, we are attaching our creative energies to that object, be it jewellery, a nifty little spell kit, black mirror, or Ouija board. The energy creates a conduit whereby it is possible, according to theory, for energies to return to the creator of the object.

While we may not be, technically, responsible for how an object is, ultimately used? In the metaphysical sense, that simply does not matter. Laws of nature and the universe don’t care if we were innocent or ignorant of potential results or ramifications. In that same vein, when a curse or hex is cast – you can’t call it back; you can minimize through other works, but you cannot call it back, when its out there.

Ouija boards, as created by Parker Brothers, eons ago, were/are created by machines, there is no creative energy or connection. So, whatever happens is the result of the manipulator(s) actions and the energies have no path to track and follow. This is a whole lot of f*ck around and find out.

Regarding individuals creating items, through their talent? Through those creative juices? That personal energy? They have attached themselves to the item. Extrapolate the physics; the item encounters negative energies looking for a conduit and finding their way back to the creator of that object, using that creator’s own personal energy highway, if you will permit the analogy.

As for spell kits, black mirrors, Ouija boards and the like? I don’t care who tells you that they are able to protect themselves, that is a load of self-delusion and incredible hubris. Energies don’t give a rat’s patootie who you think you are, in fact, they may take delusional claims as a challenge.

Stay safe out there.

Feliz Navidad, Joyeux Noel, Щасливих свят, Merry Christmas, Happy Yule!

 

Not in here very much – I guess the old age mellow is kicking in. I do want to wish everyone the best during this holiday season. Stay safe, stay healthy and may 2022 bring us all joy and renewed optimism.

Catholic church; dust to dust, ashes to ashes

Haven’t blogged at all; you would think, with lockdowns, I would have plenty of time on my hands. Meh, I did but frankly, just didn’t have the “umph” to do writing of any sort.

I am an apostate – officially, since….the late nineties, from/of the Catholic church. I have hated the church for decades. The abuses, the criminality, the hypocrisy. The Catholic church is further from the doctrines of Christianity than even the most literal Satanist. My Mom was “educated” by the grey nuns, a group of particularly sadistic women, hiding behind the deviant men running the place. My uncles, were “educated” by (cough, sputter) Christian brothers and priests. Nothing Christian about them. Molesters, abusers…

Children ripped from the families – indigenous and non-indigenous alike. Look up the tragedy of the Duplessis orphans. The Magdalene Laundries. Mount Cashel.

I make no bones about it – I would like to see the church rendered to dust. (Metaphorically). I would like to see the churches turned into refuges for the millions of victims of Catholic hypocrisy and abuses. I would like to see them taxed into oblivion, with all that money going to bringing fresh water to indigenous reserves, support for everyone who suffered at the hands of these “holy” folk.

If ever there was a true organization representing some demonic ideology? It is the Roman Catholic church. While all organized religions are fraught with abuse, with hypocrisy, greed and just insanity…the Catholic church leads the parade.

Walk away – if you believe in a god…walk away from this institution of fear and hatred. Nobody in that organization has a god’s ear.

PFIZER, MODERNA AND ASTRA…OH MY!

First, I am not a scientist. I have high school Applied Science, at best and a good lot of those classes were spent in malls, at the homes of friends and in nice weather, a local beach.

Second, I am getting the vaccine but…and it is a bit “BUT”, I neither trust nor believe the pharmaceutical companies, nor the various government agencies involved. See, I do have a bit of an “in”; a very close family member was high on up in the Canadian arm of Food/Drugs. He was involved in testing, interpreting literature…the dude was an analytical, science brain on two feet. He was the prototype of the stereotypical scientist persona. Loved the guy but he could be an ass. Through him and as it was through him, not personal experience, my conclusions/opinions of pharmaceutical companies and government are very…very dim.

Yes, government (bureaucrats and politicians) are bribed. Yes, pharmaceutical companies are profit driven (duh).

As a result, we can’t trust either entity to give us the truth. The uncomfortable fact is that even the pharmaceutical companies don’t know “the truth”. Let us not forget that it is these two entities permitted Celebrex, Vioxx and Zantac to enter the market, and in decades passed…Thalidomide. Diet pills, (Speed in the modern vernacular) were prescribed to pregnant women, albeit, also in decades passed.

Oxycontin, morphine derivatives….yes, the onus is on the patient to fully understand contraindications, risks but let’s face it and pharmaceutical companies are more than aware that patients do not use due diligence when taking medications, prescribed or off-the-shelf.

The rush toward the vaccine can be cloaked in “the public good” but you have to really be a bit of a moron, to believe this is the driving force. The driving force is money and there are a lot of folks, in both government and pharmaceuticals making truckloads off these products.

Are you aware that if there turns out to be long term, serious side effects, that the government has protected the pharmaceutical companies involved, with the vaccines, from legal repercussions, down the road? This should terrify everyone.

The truth is – pharmaceutical companies just don’t know what long-term effects may be. We are learning that some variants, of Covid are, themselves, “immune” to the vaccine.

Will the vaccine trigger autoimmune conditions, later on? We don’t know.

I looked at the studies and even I am leery about them. There are reams of conspiracy theories out there, from the sublime to the ridiculous. I don’t need them to harbour a healthy (pun not intended but welcomed), mistrust of pharmaceutical companies and government. The highest R-naught factor for the original virus is 6.6 and with the UK virus, it is 7.

Here’s a chart of the R0 factors of well-known diseases, for comparison and a link to the web page.

https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/ng-interactive/2014/oct/15/visualised-how-ebola-compares-to-other-infectious-diseases

So yes, Corona virus is pretty high as a contagion and using the euphemism of “variant” (Far less “scary” than mutation, which is what variants are, in reality.), the R0 will, probably, climb. It is a virus. The whole raison d’être of a virus is survival. How does it survive? By mutating. Sometimes a virus will mutate itself into harmlessness but, Corona doesn’t seem to be on that particular track, or at least some of the strains aren’t quite ready to fly the white flag. The strains that have taken an unwitting self-destruct sequence…well, they have self-destructed. Will the variants end up that way or will they continue to adapt and mutate, rending our vaccines useless? Who knows…

So, I guess it comes down to each of us, to weigh the pro’s and cons. Do your own investigating, don’t rely on the internet, government, or pharmaceuticals to do your thinking for you. Read the studies, (Keep a bottle of Advil handy or wine…your choice; they are rough going for the layman.) Forget mainstream news agencies. If you haven’t figured out, they are full of shite…then you aren’t paying attention.

Conclusion to all of the above? I get my vaccine next week. I don’t want to do this, but…I do want to be able to travel, in the future and I am, pretty much, convinced, that like the smallpox vaccination cards of the 60’s – we will not be able to indulge in free movement without proof of vaccination. I am older and long-term side effects are less of a concern for me. Please, I can’t encourage you enough, to read – inform yourself, ask questions and when you have collected all the information you are able to gather – make your decision. Don’t be forced either way. This decision could not be more personal. This cannot be undone.

Here are some links to get you started:

https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04470427

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2035389

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.07.20021154v1

STOP HELPING THE SCAMMERS…JESUS IN A HANDCART…

STOP IT! Please pay close attention; free trips, free RVs, free anything on social media is 99.999% a scam. I am seeing a Bora Bora one currently; come on guys. Social media outlets are global, think about that for a minute – how can anyone offer that kind of a deal to anyone, living anywhere?? Just an added tip, regarding the current Bora Bora garbage? The Meridien closed in May of 2020 for 18 to 24 months.

If you go to the Bora Bora page on FB? Take a look at the “About” – no website, no contact information…nothing. Should be a big old red flag with neon lights and music…

They are “like-farming”: What Exactly is Like-Farming?

Like-farming on Facebook is a technique in which scammers create an eye-catching post designed to get many likes and shares. Posts often give people emotional reasons to click, like, and share, such as adorable animals, sick children, the promise to win big, or political messages.

Why Do Scammers “Farm” for Likes?

As with many scams, like-farming has several different aims. When scammers ask you to “register” in order to win something or claim an offer, this is a way to steal your personal information. Other versions can be more complex. Often, the post itself is initially harmless – albeit completely fictional. But when the scammer collects enough likes and shares, they will edit the post and could add something malicious, such as a link to a website that downloads malware to your machine. Other times, once scammers reach their target number of likes, they strip the page’s original content and use it to promote spammy products. They may also resell the page on the black market. These buyers can use it to spam followers or harvest the information Facebook provides.

Protect yourself from Like-Farming with these tips

Use your good judgement. If a post says you can win something just by sharing the post, it’s probably not true. If a post tugs at your heartstrings and isn’t about someone you know personally, be wary about the truthfulness of its contents.

Don’t click “like” on every post in your feed. Scammers are counting on getting as many mindless likes as possible, so be sure you only “like” posts and articles that are legitimate. Don’t help scammers spread their con.

Be cautious when it comes to sharing your personal information. Never give out personal information, such as your full name, telephone number, address, etc. to a person or company you don’t know or trust.

Update your web browser. Make sure you always have the latest version of your browser. That way, if you do accidentally click on a scammer’s post, your browser will be more likely to warn you about suspicious sites.

Gun Control? No. Smoke Screen.

So Justin, Bill, Chrystia, Dave and Joel are going to make the streets safe again with their nonsensical and thinly veiled money/ removal of rights grab. It saddens me to know that far too many of my fellow citizens are being hoodwinked by this smoke and mirrors act.

Canadian gun owners – legal gun owners are the most watched/investigated group of Canadians, bar none. Obtaining a license is incredibly difficult and time consuming, as it should be. Oversight does not end with the obtaining of a PAL; gun owners are watched constantly. If any other group were monitored by the police/law enforcement at even a fraction of the extent to which gun owners are monitored, the hue and cry would be deafening.

This is a dangerous, dangerous proposal. It does not address public safety; it simply removes rights from law abiding citizens. This will not stop a 12 year old from being shot at a bus stop in Montreal or a 14 year old shot in her bed, in Toronto. The 22 people murdered by Gabriel Wortman would still be dead, had this legislation already been passed. In fact, this proposal may well serve to increase the number of weapons entering the country.

There was a way to prevent the 14 deaths at Polytechnique by Marc Lepine; there was a way to prevent Kimveer Gill from killing Anastasia De Sousa and mitigate the carnage perpetrated by Valery Fabrikant; the way would not have been through the pathetic attempt to dupe gullible Canadians with a less than useless, dangerous legislation of the type Trudeau and his band of con-artists are proposing.

There was a way to stop Faisal Hussain from murdering 2 innocents and injuring 13 others. It would have been the same way that Alek Minassian could have been stopped before ramming a van into 26 pedestrians, killing 10. But…that way isn’t as glamorous or headline generating as this piece of legislative goop.

Instead of pouring money into an inane buy-back program, instead of blatantly using the anti-gun lobby as election sparkly-shinies – take that money and use it where it may do some good – increased mental health options. Every single one of the killers mentioned above were known to suffer from mental illness. It was their illness that murdered and maimed these innocent Canadians. On any given night, in any given town or city, within Canada – thousands of people with mental illness languish in doorways, die from exposure or substance abuse – that’s the real emergency in Canada, not the removal of the rights of legal gun owners. But the Liberals will not address the problem – the real problem, (and it isn’t guns), the lack of resources, the lack of options when addressing mental illness. No beds, not enough frontline staff. Address those things and perhaps a repeat of Danforth can be avoided.

This legislation will “do something” about gun violence alright; it will increase the black market, making a lot of criminals, a lot of money. Increase the prison time and remove possibility of parole for any crime involving a firearm, might be start – 10 years, automatic addition to a sentence for any crime involving a firearm.

Citing Australia or New Zealand is ridiculous and anyone using these two countries as shining examples of gun legislation needs a slap and an atlas or better yet…a slap with an atlas. Australia and New Zealand do not share borders with any other country(ies), let alone a country with more guns than people, as does Canada and its border with the U.S, a largely, unprotected border, I might add.

The war on illegal guns will be about as successful as the war on drugs. The only winners – organized crime. Gun violence will not go down – probably escalate as the various syndicates fight each other for a larger piece of the illegal gun trade pie.

There are 3 major ports in Canada – the largest being Vancouver. There were over 1 million containers entering our country, through Vancouver, in 2020; a year where the global economy took a major hit due to the pandemic. 1 056 610 to be exact; see the table below. We don’t have enough manpower or equipment to examine even a small fraction of the contents of these containers. Let’s be generous and say that 10% and believe me…that is more than generous, can be thoroughly examined, that leaves 950,949 containers to enter the country, with virtually no oversight. Watch as thousands of illegal firearms find their way onto our streets and into the hands of organized crime, by sea and by land. No handgun ban is going to have any impact, at all, on crime involving guns. Not one iota.

The transborder importation from the U.S. via truck; in 2009 – 5 million trucks crossed the US/Canada border. 5 million. Same problem – not enough customs agents or equipment to examine each and every truck. Rail transport…private vehicles…all of them provide easy-peasy routes for illegal firearms. The organized crime syndicates must be doing happy dances due to this stupid attempt to pacify a, largely, ill-informed public. The desire for firearms won’t be diminished – same principle applied to cigarettes; tax them into oblivion? Nope, turned previously law-abiding Canadians to the black market for their smokes. Take away the right to a firearm, a right acquired by background checks, signed agreements handing over any expectation of personal privacy and a course in the safe use/handling/storage of a gun and those law-abiding citizens will, themselves, turn to the black market.

You are being smoked, Canada by a drama teacher and his entourage. He is using this as a sleight of hand, to keep your eyes off a national debt of historic proportions – a national debt that will impact you, your parents, your kids and their kids; Canada is bankrupt and the Liberals have managed to do this in less than 4 years time. He is using this to draw your attention away from the vaccination debacle. Keep your eyes off his ethics violations and those of his party.

Rumours of an election in June, are floating around; if that’s the case – get rid of them. Turf them out. Feel pity for any party left to clean up the fiscal disaster that idiot trust fund baby and his friends have created. Feel sorry for yourselves…you are going to foot a bill, (today’s date) of $1,059,471,116,209.92 For those of you who failed math? This is 1 TRILLION, 59 million, 116 thousand, 2 hundred and 9 dollars and 92 cents. TRILLION DOLLARS. In 2013, before the wannabe actor took office? The national debt was $584,507,863,014.00 – Trudeau has more than doubled our debt load.

Have you given any thought, any thought at all, as to who will be paying down this debt and how? You will have to re-pay it, your children and their children and probably their children will be re-paying it. Watch as our precious natural resources get sold off to foreign interests. Watch as our country is pieced out and sold abroad. We’re done – Trudeau has destroyed us, as a country. Don’t let this legislation fool you again. Get them out, although…I fear the damage they’ve done? It is, in all probability, already too late.

All About Perspective

Yes, life is tough right now – lockdowns, US election tomfoolery, realizing you are living north of a country where a large portion of the population if not condone racism and misogyny, adultery and sexual assault, cowardice and sociopathy, turn a blind eye to it and elected a president who personifies these evils. Oh, make no mistake, I’ve always hated Trump; I remember his cons and the victims he left in his wake. Never once watched his absurd reality show; I found him to be repellant. His manner, his face…just, frankly, made me want to throw up.

We are relegated to our homes; shopping is a chore, visits with friends and family is forbidden. People are dying; front line workers are burning out, leaving their professions.

Depression is seeping into our lives, impacting our kids, ourselves.

We all need to take a step back, especially, during this month of remembrance. We need to step out of our bubbles of self-pity and remember, recall.

No, we can’t socialize but our loved ones, our friends are available to us – we can call, we can video-chat. We can do drive-by meet and greet. Imagine not being able to do have that contact, to be assured of the health, the safety of our near & dear. Imagine, (I find this almost impossible), knowing our spouse, our child is facing death, every second as multitudes of people are, actively, trying to kill them. Leave them to die, alone, in the mud, in the stench, in fear.

Perspective. We all need to get over ourselves. What we face is an inconvenience, that’s all. An inconvenience. Business owners howl. Put on your adult panties and be that entrepreneur, find a way to survive – use the tools at your disposal. You are alive, you don’t face a gun, bullets, gas – bombs. Use that and find a way around this.

If you live in North America, if you live in a land that was founded on immigration? Take a minute and remember the courage, the fortitude of your ancestors. They came to your country with nothing, and built a life. Far from what they knew, far from the comfort of familiarity. Some of them didn’t speak the language. They adapted. They moved forward and created a future. That’s something we all must do and in much more favourable circumstances than was faced by our grandparents, our great-grandparents.

We all need to grow up and pull on some of the courage of our ancestors. Perspective. Put your whines, your complaints, into perspective. Re-adjust your expectations.

I may well lose my job, probably within weeks. Okay, this is adversity, but nothing compared to what my forebearers faced. I will adjust my expectations. I’ll adapt. I will find a way to make this work, hopefully, to my advantage. My grandfather fought for my right to live in freedom. He lived in mud, death, disease; watched his friends die. He made this sacrifice for me. For you. I can’t let him down, I can’t let those who fought and died for my right to create an existence, to have done this for nothing.

If you are reading this and you support that draft dodging criminal, who managed to fool a lot of the people, a lot of the time? Remember, while he dodged the draft, some other young man had to take his place and could well have died or been maimed due to his cowardice. He and his family, do not, nor have they ever, represented the American spirit, the American integrity and pride.

Samhain and the Agnostic Neo-Pagan

I always feel kind of retrospective at Samhain. To be honest, I did give up on the religious aspect, for the most part, quite a few years ago but its hard to give up a philosophy that has been a life guide for almost 40 years.

Samhain, to my family, to my former cohorts – is this:

1. It is not the New Year.
   
2. This is the demise of the old year.
   
3. New Year does not start until Winter Solstice, when the days start to grow.
   
4. This is the time between times. A time when old hurts, emotional baggage, bad habits…negativity, is examined and tossed into a balefire – real or metaphorical.
   

This has been a good year, for us. My husband and I have undergone a renewal. Our friendship has grown, we’ve become closer. We’ve both changed. Is it the physical act of moving? I think it was probably the catalyst we needed. I have never been happier. This isn’t to say that there are not “things” that require disposal, from this year and years previous. Pfff, of course there are and they will be, duly, changed to ash.

My sons are all starting new journeys: love, career, life. It is an exciting time, for my husband and I, to be their parents. This is what fueled us for all these years, being able to stand and have the privilege of watching them, as men, make their own way. In honour, with bravery.

Our own time is waning; that is the cycle of life but we are proud of what we’ve accomplished. No, we haven’t found a cure for cancer or solved world hunger. We have offered the world, 3 amazing men. 3 honourable men, in a time when honour is so rare.

Saturday is Samhain. What will be offered to the flames? I’m ditching negativity, in my life. I’m not dealing with it anymore. No being dragged into drama, by others. No allowing negativity to darken my thoughts.

Oh for crying out loud…NO, I am not turning into some kind of “Bright Blessings to all. Here…have a flower! Unicorns and fairies.” Not in the least. I am just not going to allow emotional or psychological poison into my life. You have emotional shit? Deal with it. You don’t have the right to infect me or my family with it.

I am going to make an even more concentrated effort to live by the following Tenets, in the year to come:

7 Fundamental Tenets

I

One should strive to act with compassion and empathy toward all creatures in accordance with reason.

II

The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions.

III

One’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.

IV

The freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend. To willfully and unjustly encroach upon the freedoms of another is to forgo one’s own.

V

Beliefs should conform to one’s best scientific understanding of the world. One should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit one’s beliefs.

VI

People are fallible. If one makes a mistake, one should do one’s best to rectify it and resolve any harm that might have been caused.

VII

Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word.

I bid you all, a profound Samhain.