I'm surprised by the lack of comment on the recent tension in Easter Europe. I have never seen the North american press lie as it has lied on this issue, how it has put hatred before information, and how it has obscured most of what happened.

1. The affair really began when street mobs staged a coup against the government. That is against the UN charter. But the west promptly recognized the unelected people that the rioters put in office.

On another thead , a poster used these phrases and I would like to hear other;s thoughts.

Emotion Porn ( manipulation) on the media.

How much does the constant barrage of coverage of shootings, and other horendous events draw us into an emotional turmoil?

How many folk skipped events last night and yesterday to follow the constant coverage  and the prayer vigil and President's address.?

There are things to add and I will be back. What do you think?

Let's say Omar Khadr is a  Christian. When a child (as defined by law) he was visitng Christian friends in another country, they were suddenly attacked by large numbers of heavily armed Moslem foreigners. All of his friends were killed. Can you imagine being fifteen years old with strange men screaming and  shooting at you, and your friends lying splattered all over the ground?

In his panic, he may have thrown a grenade. In his position, i might well have thrown one, too - though I am well over 15.

Some time ago, I submitted a post in which I said the clergy should use some of their sermons tp relate our faith to situations here -     to. for example,  politics. I noticed that the response of clerics ranged from tepid to high Arctic. So let me try an example - using the very touchy issue of Islam, Judaism and Christianity. The core of the sermon would be the meaning and importance of forgiving.

About six months ago, my children came home from school with a lengthy questionnaire that I was requested to fill out. All the schools in New Brunswick had it. I read it quickly, then slowed down. It was the most absurd, useless and incompetent questionnaire I had ever seen. One sample question was typical.

"Is your child's teacher working hard to improve standards of education?"

In the last few days I read an article in Walrus Magazine on how corporations and well-paid staff of NGOs are getting at least 80% of the money spent on reconstruction in Afghanistan and an article in Street Newz about how some social agencies, such as the Salvation Army in Victoria, are costing taxpayers more for providing accommodation than it would cost to just give poor people enough income to obtain their own housing.