I did not see this one coming. A month after leaving politics, Jim Flaherty is dead of an apparent heart attack at 64. I wasn't a huge fan (he was a Conservative after all) but found him one of the more personable and humane of the Harper cabinet ministers over the years.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/jim-flaherty-former-finance-minister-dead-at-64-1.2605728

Mendalla

This is a very sad and troubling story currently underway in the United States.

http://www.transadvocate.com/what-happens-when-pji-is-confronted-by-parents.htm

Please have a look at this article for content and context.

A young transgender student is charged with harassment and other nasty things by a group that claims to represent other students and parents.   It ends up just one...

This is a place to share social media items that you have found.

Some of them may spawn threads to discuss them;however, it would be awesome if this thread was really focussed on the information that you feel is worth passing on to others.

Suggestion:  Pull the links, and put a short description of why you think it is awesome.

Consider it a library.,

Why? 

Found this on youtube.  A very interesting topic and a very interesting and passionate speaker that being Dr. Cornel West.  

http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/politics/archives/2012/11/20121120-...

http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/sunnews/politics/archives/2012/11/20121122-...

Does Trudeau ever expect me to vote for him now?  To me, it sounds as though the Liberal party doesn't want us to have a fair say.  It was bad enough that for a while we didn't have an equal vote due to the larger population/MP here.

Astonishing. And so it begins...

[quote]

A Mennonite church magazine has been told by the Canada Revenue Agency to be careful about the kind of political articles and editorials it publishes.

In a "reminder" letter sent to Canadian Mennonite Publishing Service earlier this year, the federal agency says engaging in "partisan political activities" could jeopardize the organization's charitable status.

I heard on the news today that someone reading from a tweet said that they voted Republican in the US until the party was taken over by "Jesus Freaks".

Anyone want to take a stab a telling us who they are?

Do you know any?

Are there some here in the Cafe?

I just read an article in the Ottawa Citizen that the United Church has taken the side of the Quebec students. First of all, HOW can they take a side on this issue??? Who exactly is making this decision? Last time I checked, the United Church was in every province of this country which means 500 delegates at a conference in Montreal and Ottawa certainly do NOT represent the people of the United Church on a large enough scale to say we have taken a side. Second, the United Church should not be taking a public side.

The Blaikie Report: An Insider's Look at Faith and Politics, a new book from United Church minister and politician Bill Blaikie, has recently been released by United Church Publishing House. It's gotten off to a great start, with two well-attended book signings in Ottawa and another in Toronto.