Here in New Brunswick, everything EVERYTHING is controlled by the Irving family. They openly control the government, own all the newspapers (which are the most lying, trivial, and misleading papers I have ever seen). They are far the outstanding force in the province.

They also have the values of the most up do date breed of the super rich. Virtue is doing nothing for others, only for oneself. Greed is good because greed is man's natural state, and greed makes for progress. This is all straight Ayn Rand stuff.

Beyond Diversity:

Courageous Conversations about Race

A two-day seminar hosted by The United Church of Canada

and presented by the Pacific Educational Group

When:                       April 16 - 17, 2013

I don't know exactly how to do this, but I'll write it and see what happens.

I had one of those moments in my life, as I was going to sleep, that I have had a few times, that break my life up into 'Before' moments and 'After' moments.  In the 'After', my world is different, because my assumptions have changed.  It is still early days yet, so I will still keep my mind open to see what is what and what isn't what.

I saw a friend who told me she is afraid of being pregnant.. afraid of the pain all that will bring up for her and yet doesnt want the medication to hold the pain at bay... It made me think of thiis poem I wrote after my daughter was born.  There are so many things I fear and fear tries to hold me back.  But I also remember a quote from the Starhawk book, The Fifth Sacred Thing, "Where there is fear, there is power."  That was my experience too... So this is for you, friend...

Remember the enthusiasm for Obama? Remember how he was going to introduce medicare, stop torture, get out of wars, Close Guantanamo,?

in fact, h e has followed Bush in just about every respect. He has massively stepped up the war in Afghanistan and exttended it into pakistan. Guantanamo is still a prison. And there are over a dozen such camps, mostly in Africa that our press never mentions. Congress just passed a blll authorizing torture - and obama will sign it.

Phil starts in. “A lot of Christians,” he says, leaning on the side of the dumpster, “think that hope is in church, or in ritual, or in prayer or pious behavior. But most of ‘em believe that ultimately, hope is in heaven. They are just waiting for their tickets out of this madhouse so they can take it easy in the sweet bye and bye.” He pauses, and I shiver, nodding dumbly.

Are choir gowns nesessary?

Do they help you sing better?

Are they a power symbol?

How many people could you feed with 4  or 5 thousand dollars?

Could you not buy 4 T-Shirts for $25.oo - blue for Advent, Green for ordinary time; purple for lent,  Red for Pentecost?

What are your views?