This one is called CNNNN
Look out Rick Mercer - there is a new kid in town poking fun at the Americans. I know they only pick out the stupid answers - and you can find people who are quite clueless.... but come on! Take a look at the Maps and see what they have labled Australia - and they don't realize that's wrong... scary... truly scary!
Saturday, January 20, 2007
The bible in 50 words
I was sent this a while ago and have no idea of the origins, but I quite liked it~
God made, Adam bit,
Noah arked, Abraham split,
Joseph ruled, Jacob fooled,
bush talked,Moses balked,
Pharaoh plagued,people walked,
sea divided, tablets guided,
promise landed,
Saul freaked, David peeked,
prophets warned, Jesus born,
God walked, love talked,
anger crucified, hope died,
Love rose,Spirit flamed,
Word spread,
God remained.
God made, Adam bit,
Noah arked, Abraham split,
Joseph ruled, Jacob fooled,
bush talked,Moses balked,
Pharaoh plagued,people walked,
sea divided, tablets guided,
promise landed,
Saul freaked, David peeked,
prophets warned, Jesus born,
God walked, love talked,
anger crucified, hope died,
Love rose,Spirit flamed,
Word spread,
God remained.
Friday, January 12, 2007
furious
I do a lot of driving on the 400 series highways. I grew up living in a border town so we would often go shopping over there for the day, just because. My best friend is now an American, I know several wonderful folk who are American. This is not just an anti-american rant, but an anti hate one.
Define "the enemy" I dare you. I've heard it said more times than I can count - "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter."
It is my personal opinion that any truck who posts this sign on their rig should be refused entry into this country for spouting hate. I'd also like to know what is being transported inside that truck so I could make sure I didn't buy any of it.
Disgusting.
Truly disgusting.
Truly disgusting.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Vandalism strikes!
One broken light fixture
One overturned planer
One missing reindeer
one missing reindeer???
Wait a minute - it's not missing...
They put it on the roof!!!
I'm so glad this is all the vandalism we see... a couple of guys drinking beer in our parking lot (leaving the cans as evidence!) and moving the reindeer to a much more majestic location!
Friday, January 05, 2007
an often dirty word...
I was reading Fr. Jake tonight (instead of writing my essays), and he posed some interesting questions inspired by their new presiding bishop.
1. How would you tell the great truths of our faith without using overtly theological language?
2. How would you tell a new neighbor that God loves him or her without measure, and invite him or her to learn more?
Ahh… evangelism… sticky topic. I think part of it is the absolute fear of coming across like one of those nutters on late night TV offering you water that will solve all of your money problems… if you’d only send them… you guessed it… money!
These are however thought provoking questions, to which there is obviously no one correct answer. Personally, I feel that the moment your actions are separated from your words, you have given up on trying to answer these questions. Old adages exist for a reason… actions really do speak louder than words and in our society of instant gratification and slick marketing ploys, people have become cynical, yet strangely intuitive. We know when our heart strings are being pulled. We know when our fears are being exploited. And though we don’t like it, we put up with it. To counter this, our emotions become either hypersensitive or shut down altogether. Yet even in that void of emotion, there is still a desire to feel connected – even if that feeling cannot be named.
How we choose to live and act and be on a daily basis actually does raise curiosity and elicit questions from those around us– people naturally want to know why it is that we are content or joyful. Why we help people, volunteer, and spend time working for justice and peace. I think this is what needs to be recognized before you can even begin to tell the truths of your faith and look at the questions raised above.
When we do eventually stumble along and try to answer the questions, we must remember that everyone has some sort of religious language; something that gives one person great comfort, can be an absolute show stopper (or ear plugger) for another. God reaches each of us where we are – not who we think we should be, or who we think someone else should be – but exactly where we are in this time and in this place.
And yet through all of this, I know that I am inspired by those who can embrace their faults and foibles and show that we are all human - just doing whatever we can to uncover that spark of the divine within each of us and to find our path as we live into the love of God.
1. How would you tell the great truths of our faith without using overtly theological language?
2. How would you tell a new neighbor that God loves him or her without measure, and invite him or her to learn more?
Ahh… evangelism… sticky topic. I think part of it is the absolute fear of coming across like one of those nutters on late night TV offering you water that will solve all of your money problems… if you’d only send them… you guessed it… money!
These are however thought provoking questions, to which there is obviously no one correct answer. Personally, I feel that the moment your actions are separated from your words, you have given up on trying to answer these questions. Old adages exist for a reason… actions really do speak louder than words and in our society of instant gratification and slick marketing ploys, people have become cynical, yet strangely intuitive. We know when our heart strings are being pulled. We know when our fears are being exploited. And though we don’t like it, we put up with it. To counter this, our emotions become either hypersensitive or shut down altogether. Yet even in that void of emotion, there is still a desire to feel connected – even if that feeling cannot be named.
How we choose to live and act and be on a daily basis actually does raise curiosity and elicit questions from those around us– people naturally want to know why it is that we are content or joyful. Why we help people, volunteer, and spend time working for justice and peace. I think this is what needs to be recognized before you can even begin to tell the truths of your faith and look at the questions raised above.
When we do eventually stumble along and try to answer the questions, we must remember that everyone has some sort of religious language; something that gives one person great comfort, can be an absolute show stopper (or ear plugger) for another. God reaches each of us where we are – not who we think we should be, or who we think someone else should be – but exactly where we are in this time and in this place.
And yet through all of this, I know that I am inspired by those who can embrace their faults and foibles and show that we are all human - just doing whatever we can to uncover that spark of the divine within each of us and to find our path as we live into the love of God.
BOTAFUMEIRO
How would you like to be the monk at the end whose job it is to catch this?
And I thought we used a lot of incense!
And I thought we used a lot of incense!
Thursday, January 04, 2007
back again...
This really is quite fun! I’m writing to you from my brand spanking new laptop… It is very pretty… nice big 17 inch screen… only problem is that it’s a heavy thing! Ah well… I’ll just have to suffer through J Boxing day sales are fun!
I’m back in the big smoke again after a well loved (and hopefully well deserved!) rest. It was good to see family and friends and now it is back to work.
Let the second term adventures begin!
I’m back in the big smoke again after a well loved (and hopefully well deserved!) rest. It was good to see family and friends and now it is back to work.
Let the second term adventures begin!
Monday, January 01, 2007
'Tis the Season
Tonight felt like Christmas. I know January 1st is a little late to say that since it's New Years Day. I'm not getting things mixed up, Houston, there is no problem... I just haven't been in the Christmas mood at all this year. Years past of working in retail force me to avoid the malls at all costs over the holidays (so I wasn't subjected to the forced canned Christmas happiness where everything looks like it threw up green and red bobbles) - even seven years after the fact! This is my first non-Xerox Christmas in ages. I didn't have to work the crazy hours, I didn't feel like I was pulled away from all the people that I wanted to spend time with. But at the same time, it just didn't feel like Christmas - but tonight it did. My cousins came over with their kids and one other cousin with her boyfriend, my Nana was here, my parents my sister. I got a chance to remember what it's like to be surrounded by family. I've needed that. I've felt so single minded recently, it's been school, school, school and since my old flame and I broke up, I think I've been lonelier than even I'd like to admit.
But tonight, after much cajoling and persistent pestering, Laura brought out her flute, Aurora sat down at the piano, and they played Christmas carols. They played without sheet music, ad-hoc and vamped up the middle bits - essentially they jammed (which sounds kinda bizarre for a flute and piano!) I haven't heard Laura play in so long. She is so talented, I love just listening to her play - I hope she can keep falling in love with music all her life. What an amazing thing it is to have put in so much work and to now be able to reap the benefits by just sitting down and playing something. Tonight those two brought me Christmas - and even though I told them that - I don't really know if they really understand.
Technically - 'Tis still the Season - It's still Christmas in my books! I went to two different churches yesterday - one celebrated Christmas 1 the other celebrated Epiphany. I know it can be either, but to me Epiphany has always been on Jan 6th. So this is the Christmas season - the 12 days of Christmas - a time to celebrate the Christ child born among us and to celebrate God born into our lives. To know that in life, death, joy, sorrow, pain, fear, love and peace follow us every day of the year - events in our lives that happen at Christmas are no different from any other day of the year. But this is a time that we can pause, and remember the events of history 2000 years ago. Not a fictional story, but a historical event - the incarnation of God, here among us. A time to pause that we take to live into the love of God that shows us how to live out our love for each other.
I'm glad Christmas finally hit me.
But tonight, after much cajoling and persistent pestering, Laura brought out her flute, Aurora sat down at the piano, and they played Christmas carols. They played without sheet music, ad-hoc and vamped up the middle bits - essentially they jammed (which sounds kinda bizarre for a flute and piano!) I haven't heard Laura play in so long. She is so talented, I love just listening to her play - I hope she can keep falling in love with music all her life. What an amazing thing it is to have put in so much work and to now be able to reap the benefits by just sitting down and playing something. Tonight those two brought me Christmas - and even though I told them that - I don't really know if they really understand.
Technically - 'Tis still the Season - It's still Christmas in my books! I went to two different churches yesterday - one celebrated Christmas 1 the other celebrated Epiphany. I know it can be either, but to me Epiphany has always been on Jan 6th. So this is the Christmas season - the 12 days of Christmas - a time to celebrate the Christ child born among us and to celebrate God born into our lives. To know that in life, death, joy, sorrow, pain, fear, love and peace follow us every day of the year - events in our lives that happen at Christmas are no different from any other day of the year. But this is a time that we can pause, and remember the events of history 2000 years ago. Not a fictional story, but a historical event - the incarnation of God, here among us. A time to pause that we take to live into the love of God that shows us how to live out our love for each other.
I'm glad Christmas finally hit me.
The House by the Side of the Road
Mum read this poem the other morning to us - a little rhymie, but it was the sentiment that got me... enjoy...
There are hermit souls that live withdrawn
In the place of their self-content;
There are souls like stars, that dwell apart,
In a fellowless firmament;
There are pioneer souls that blaze the paths
Where highways never ran-
But let me live by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.
Let me live in a house by the side of the road
Where the race of men go by-
The men who are good and the men who are bad,
As good and as bad as I.
I would not sit in the scorner's seat
Nor hurl the cynic's ban-
Let me live in a house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.
I see from my house by the side of the road
By the side of the highway of life,
The men who press with the ardor of hope,
The men who are faint with the strife,
But I turn not away from their smiles and tears,
Both parts of an infinite plan-
Let me live in a house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.
I know there are brook-gladdened meadows ahead,
And mountains of wearisome height;
That the road passes on through the long afternoon
And stretches away to the night.
And still I rejoice when the travelers rejoice
And weep with the strangers that moan,
Nor live in my house by the side of the road
by Sam Walter Foss
There are hermit souls that live withdrawn
In the place of their self-content;
There are souls like stars, that dwell apart,
In a fellowless firmament;
There are pioneer souls that blaze the paths
Where highways never ran-
But let me live by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.
Let me live in a house by the side of the road
Where the race of men go by-
The men who are good and the men who are bad,
As good and as bad as I.
I would not sit in the scorner's seat
Nor hurl the cynic's ban-
Let me live in a house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.
I see from my house by the side of the road
By the side of the highway of life,
The men who press with the ardor of hope,
The men who are faint with the strife,
But I turn not away from their smiles and tears,
Both parts of an infinite plan-
Let me live in a house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.
I know there are brook-gladdened meadows ahead,
And mountains of wearisome height;
That the road passes on through the long afternoon
And stretches away to the night.
And still I rejoice when the travelers rejoice
And weep with the strangers that moan,
Nor live in my house by the side of the road
Like a man who dwells alone.
.
Let me live in my house by the side of the road,
Where the race of men go by-
They are good, they are bad, they are weak, they are strong,
Wise, foolish - so am I.
Then why should I sit in the scorner's seat,
Or hurl the cynic's ban?
Let me live in my house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.
Where the race of men go by-
They are good, they are bad, they are weak, they are strong,
Wise, foolish - so am I.
Then why should I sit in the scorner's seat,
Or hurl the cynic's ban?
Let me live in my house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.
by Sam Walter Foss
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