God Bless The Horses

An  uplifting story from Cybersace:

Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it.

From a distance, each looks like every other horse. But if you stop your car, or are walking by, you will notice something quite amazing.
 
Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him. This alone is amazing.

If nearby and listening, you will hear the sound of a bell. Looking around for the source of the sound, you will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field. Attached to her halter is a small bell. It lets her blind friend know where she is, so he can follow her.

As you stand and watch these two friends, you'll see how she is always checking on him, and that he will listen for her bell and then slowly walk to where she is, trusting that she will not lead him astray.

 When she returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, she stops occasionally and looks back, making sure her friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell.

 Like the owners of these two horses, The world does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges. They watch over us and even bring others into our lives to help us when we are in need. Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by the little ringing bell in our lives.  ---- Other times we are the guide horse, helping others see.

Good friends are like this ...... You don't always see them, but you know they are always there

 Please listen for my bell and I'll listen for yours.

 Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of
  battle.

Without Fertile Ground Mr. Trump's Movement Would Stall

A major news item of these days is the storm generated by the announcements of Mr. Trump and the chorus of critics from the left and from the right  of the political spectrum.

 In most  countries of the West,  the so called establishment, a.k.a., the elite, believe Trump is up to their game and now he shamelessly betraying  them.

And Mr. Trump is not sparing the class of billionaires, although he is one.

 Mr. Trump is telling millions of people that their well paying jobs were shamelessly shifted out of the country. Often to low wage countries in Asia and to Mexico. He is trumpeting the blame for the millions of illegal immigrants allowed in the country only to provide a cheap workforce for various interests.

Underpinning the obvious anger of many people is the feeling that the establishments in both major parties barefacedly has been lying to the voters for decades.

Many Americans seem to be fed up with the pervasiveness of Political Correctness. 

Sensing this, Mr. Trump  tapped into the rolling avalanche of discontent and without hesitation started to call a spade a spade.

His popularity soared among a growing number of people.

 As a result, the GOP establishment came to know the meaning of the biblical expression,  "chattering of the teeth " while desperately trying to stop this renegade Republican.

No effort is spared to knock Mr. Trump out of race. Dirty tricks are in.

Wives of the two leading  Republican  candidates are shamelessly denigrated by supporters of Mr.Trump and Senator Cruz. It is almost  like some of the incredibly dumb plots one can see on the so called reality TV shows.-- Anything to win. Cheat, defame, lie or distort the truth, whatever that may be.

Talking heads on prime news programs pontificate and with fervor pick apart every hastily or badly forged opinion as gospel.

As for the rest of the world? The public of Europe and in other places are watching with amusement interlaced with worry.

And perhaps they are justified to do so. After all, the current show is mainly about the theatrics of the Republican primaries and not the election when the President of that great country is elected.

That will come later. As one columnist wrote, it will be the greatest show on Earth.

Useful Idiots is a pungent phrase - Again?

During the years of the Cold War, one frequently came across the term "Useful Idiot." Just the other day an article in a newspaper rightly  or mistakenly keyed out what it views as attributes of a "Useful Idiot."

It went somehow like this; "Useful Idiots" are naive, foolish, ignorant of facts, unrealistically idealistic, dreamers, willfully in denial or deceptive. They hail from the ranks of the chronically unhappy, the anarchists, the aspiring revolutionaries, the neurotics who are at war with life. The disaffected, alienated from government, corporations, and just about any and all institutions of society.

The "Useful Idiot" can be a billionaire, a movie star, an academe of renown, a politician, or from any other segment of the population.

Arguably, the most dangerous Useful Idiot is the “Politically Correct.” He is the master practitioner of euphemism, hedging, double talk, and outright deception.

The "Useful Idiot" derives satisfaction from being anti-establishment. He finds perverse gratification in aiding the forces that aim to dismantle an existing order, whatever it may be: an order he neither approves of nor he feels he belongs to.

The "Useful Idiot" is conflicted and dishonest. He fails to look inside himself and discover the causes of his own problems and unhappiness while he readily enlists himself in causes that validate his distorted perception.

I for one, not necessarily agree with the portrayal traced above from recall. At the same time, it is difficult to brush aside the characterization without remembering our own face-offs with opinions that one would  expect to come out from the mouth of a "Useful Idiot".

"No Sir, That's Only My Laptop"

The following 15 Police Comments were taken off

actual police car videos around the country.

#15 "Relax, the handcuffs are tight because
they're new. They'll stretch after you wear them a while."

# 14 "If you take your hands off the car, I'll
make your birth certificate a worthless document."

#13 "If you run, you'll only go to jail tired."

#12 "Can you run faster than 1,200 feet per
second? Because that's the speed of the bullet
that'll be chasing you."

#11 "You don't know how fast you were going? I
guess that means I can write anything I want to
on the ticket, huh?"

#10 "Yes, sir, you can talk to the shift
supervisor, but I don't think it will help. Oh, did
I mention that I'm the shift supervisor?"

#9 "Warning! You want a warning? O. K., I'm
warning you not to do that again or I'll give you
another ticket."

#8 "The answer to this last question will determine
whether you are drunk or not. Was Mickey Mouse
a cat or a dog?"

#7 "Fair? You want me to be fair? Listen, fair is a
place where you go to ride on rides, eat cotton candy
and corn dogs, and step in monkey poop."

#6 "Yeah, we have a quota. Two more tickets and
my wife gets a toaster oven."

#5 "In God we trust, all others we run through
NCIC."

#4 "How big were those 'Just two beers' you say
you had?"

#3 "No sir, we don't have quotas anymore. We
used to, but now we're allowed to write as many
tickets as we can."

#2 "I'm glad to hear that Chief (of Police)
Hawker is a personal friend of yours. So you
know someone who can post your bail."


AND THE WINNER IS....

#1 "You didn't think we give pretty women
tickets? You're right, we don't. Sign here."

Saskatoon On A Roll - Planning To Ban Gossiping

                                                          
Finally! I lived long enough to see a headline and the above picture in the National Post informing us, the mindlessly gossiping unwashed masses , "Bullies beware: Gossip could soon become illegal in Saskatoon if city council passes proposed bylaw."

Wow! They mean business! Informal encounters at the office water cooler could serve up a bonanza of gossipers for the  Gossip Police. Not to mention corridors in high schools and Holiday parties.

One can envision a new  Office Of The Anti Gossipier and a mushrooming administration. This will cost, but what the hell! It's for   a good cause.

The curse of gossiping is an integral part of the human condition since we lived in caves and were chewing the fat with our esteemed neighbour Limestone Stan or his partner Itchy Skin Irma.

Obviously the intentions are noble and the Anti Gossip bureaucracy will be a source of good jobs.

Just to mention some of the envisioned jobs: Gossip Police, Gossipiary Adjucator, Office of the Ombudsman of Proven/Unproven Gossip based on Idle Gossip.--- Perhaps Rehabilitory courses for hardcore gossipmongers. And so on.

Enough of the lighthearted speculation! The subject is something to talk about. - And then talk some more - and more. Right until a serious looking person puts a hand on your arm, flips a badge and whispers, "Gotcha! Agent of the Anti Gossip Administration. Anything you say will be considered additional gossip"! -:)

Do not become paranoid. Instead read the article dealing with the subject in the National Post:

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/bullies-beware-gossip-could-soon-become-illegal-in-saskatoon-if-city-council-passes-proposed-bylaw

The Stall Stalker- This Could Happen To You

A Friend Told Me This Story:

I was barely sitting down when I heard a voice from the other stall saying: "Hi, how are you?"

I'm not the type to start a conversation in the restroom but I don't
know what got into me, so I answered, somewhat embarrassed, "Doin' just fine!"

And the other person says:"So what are you up to?"

What kind of question is that? At that point, I'm thinking this is
too bizarre so I say: "Uhhh, I'm like you, just traveling!"

At this point I am just trying to get out as fast as I can when I
hear another question. "Can I come over?"

Ok, this question is just too weird for me but I figured I could just be polite and end the conversation. I tell them "No........I'm a little busy right now!!!"

Then I hear the person say nervously...

"Listen, I'll have to call you back. There's an idiot in the other
stall who keeps answering all my questions" -

The Motor Of The Trump Movement

Like millions of others not living in the U.S. and forging opinions of the Trump phenomenon strictly from what we see, read and hear on the various venues of the media, this is part of the impression one may form.

Many of Mr. Trump's supporters start out with expressing their deep disappointment what they see as the suppression of free speech over the last few decades. Suppression through the PC movement, the progressive message of inclusion at all costs that have eventually made it into popular culture. They claim, it got to the extreme where people do not say what they think anymore.

Justified or not, they are afraid of consequences. They say what is mainstream and politically acceptable.

One of Mr.Trump's supporters explains it this way," People will tell you what they think you want to hear under threat of violence. Mind you, violence doesn't have to be physical. People have chosen to suppress their own free expression for fear of being ridiculed, bullied, losing jobs or lessening the prospect of finding jobs, etc. These forms of violence are political, social and economic, but the effect is the same. People will say what they think you want to hear. Of course this will manifest itself in opinion polls, water cooler discussions, the education system, around the office and countless other ways."

By tapping into these feelings Mr. Trump had no problems having many people listen to other points he has made, like the issue of immigration, sending well paying factory and other jobs to other countries, the importing of foreign made products to flood the consumer market.

Anyone who studied history, knows that free speech can be suppressed. But you can never suppress free thought.

When someone eventually comes around and people believe he/she can't be bought and unapologetically expresses popular opinion, free thought will coalesce around him/her and the elites and media can perch in unreal silence as their carefully fabricated narrative collapses around them. - This assessment may be inaccurate but that's basically what we are witnessing today.

Of course, this is one opinion, and is today. Tomorrow we may have other impressions as the debate and speculation continues.

What Do Women Really Want? Forget Freud!

King Arthur was ambushed and imprisoned by the monarch of a neighbouring kingdom. The monarch could have killed him but was moved by Arthur's youth and ideals.

So, the monarch offered him his freedom, as long as he could answer a very difficult question. Arthur would have a year to figure out the answer and, if after a year, he still had no answer; he would be put to death.

The question?...What do women really want? Such a question would perplex even the most knowledgeable man, and to young Arthur, it seemed an impossible query. But, since it was better than death, he accepted the monarch's proposition to have an answer by year's end.

He returned to his kingdom and began to poll everyone: the princess, the priests, the wise men and even the court jester. He spoke with every one, but no one could give him a satisfactory answer.

Many people advised him to consult the old witch, for only she would have the answer.

But the price would be high; as the witch was famous throughout the kingdom for the exorbitant prices she charged. The last day of the year arrived and Arthur had no choice but to talk to the witch. She agreed to answer the question, but he would have to agree to her price first.

The old witch wanted to marry Sir Lancelot, the most noble of the Knights of the Round Table and Arthur's closest friend!

Young Arthur was horrified. She was hunchbacked and hideous, had only one tooth, smelled like sewage, made obscene noises, etc He had never encountered such a repugnant creature in all his life.

He refused to force his friend to marry her and endure such a terrible burden; but Lancelot, learning of the proposal, spoke with Arthur.

He said nothing was too big of a sacrifice compared to Arthur's life and the preservation of the Round Table. Hence, a wedding was proclaimed and the witch answered Arthur's question thus: What a woman really wants, she answered...is to be in charge of her own life.

Everyone in the kingdom instantly knew that the witch had uttered a great truth and that Arthur's life would be spared.

And so it was, the neighbouring monarch granted Arthur his freedom and Lancelot and the witch had a wonderful wedding.

The honeymoon hour approached and Lancelot, steeling himself for a horrific experience, entered the bedroom. But, what a sight awaited him. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen lay before him on the bed. The astounded Lancelot asked what had happened.

The beauty replied that since he had been so kind to her when she appeared as a witch, she would henceforth, be her horrible deformed self only half the time and the beautiful maiden the other half.

Which would he prefer? Beautiful during the day....or night?

Lancelot pondered the predicament. During the day, a beautiful woman to show off to his friends, but at night, in the privacy of his castle, an old witch? Or, would he prefer having a hideous witch during the day, but by night, a beautiful woman for him to enjoy wondrous intimate moments?

Well Dude, what would YOU do?

Noble Lancelot said that he would allow HER to make the choice herself.

Upon hearing this, she announced that she would be beautiful all the time because he had respected her enough to let her be in charge of her own life.

Now....what is the moral to this story?

The moral is.....If you don't let a woman have her own way....Things are going to get ugly.---- According to legend.

Oil And Gas Riches Under The Arctic Ice And The Impact On Carbon Credit Type Taxes

The presence of abundant supply of oil and gas in the region surrounding the North Pole is well known.

Canada, Denmark, Russia, Norway and the US already scrambling to lay claim to land under the Arctic Ocean so the new gas and oil deposits can be tapped once the Arctic will be free of ice in about 30 years.

In other words, we are seeing the outlines of long range planning. I wish we had this kind of feverish planning and commitment in place 30 years ago for alternative energy sources and non-polluting vehicles.

Oh yes, there was talk and grandstanding by many that they are working on ideas to reduce the smog and electric vehicles will be common, catch-penny public transportation will be the norm in the cities, all this is on the horizon,- just beyond the hill. And nowadays that hill is still obscuring the rosy view, not to mention the almost ever present smog.

Where are we today? Have me made any progress beyond the introduction of the scheme of the Carbon Credit Tax, that according to many is nothing else but a bald-faced attempt at gazumping us of our money?

Will the champions of the Carbon Credit Tax explain an apparent incongruity?

As the Arctic ice melts, increasing the supply of the very fossil fuels believed to be contributing to the climate change in the first place, it may create a feedback loop that only hotfoots the planet's warming.

If this is on-key, then what good is the Kyoto Accord, Carbon credit Tax and brainwashing the little guy to walk to work, when long range plans for the next 30 years will be focused on finding significant amount of new oil and gas from the ice free Arctic Region, instead of promoting the research and innovation of alternative energy sources?

Right or wrong, many people believe that Carbon Credit type taxes are
only a source of money for politicians to keep election promises to various groups of people to ensure that they will vote for them.

Of course, any proposal originating with governments has instant critics
and at times the critic are wrong.- Perhaps this is a similar situation.

No WI-FI In Schools But Cellphones O.K.?

For some time the current and future use of WI-FI in schools has parents, teachers and teachers unions concerned.

Face it, being subjected to electromagnetic waves of certain types has already proven harmful to our body cells in various situations.

On the other hand, there are other scientific "authorities" arrogating, that, to date that there is no proven harm caused by radiation emitted by WI-FI waves.

The jury is still out on this very important issue, that in a school environment could affect our children. Basically, it could impact our future as our children represent our tomorrow.

For this reason we must find a safe way for children in schools and people in other places to access WI-FI and do this as soon as possible.

Nevertheless, we should be just as much concerned about the potential danger presented by the widely accepted use of cellphones.

Just the other day, I read about some worried parents upset because their children's school does not allow cellphones to be brought into the class. The parents want  to be able to contact their children should there be an emergency in the home environment. Most parents can empathize with this.

While these parents are well meaning, often they are only concerned about the dangers posed by WI-FI radiation. They somehow minimize or at times ignore the radiation emitted by mobile phone masts and associated equipment.

 As we get a better handle on the problems of radiation pertinent to WI-FI and other radiation causing equipment, we must be guided by a very practical principle: If you err, err on the side of caution,- especially when children's health is at stake. - Our children. 

Multiculturalism: Wave Or Woe Of The Future?

Gauging from media accounts of columnists, editorials and letters to the editor, from time to time concerns are raised about the state of our multiculturalism and some dire warnings that Canada is heading toward a social disaster.

Some are asking, if multiculturalism is such a great tool for bringing people and cultures together in the Canadian setting, why is Canada periodically at risk of breaking up because we are unable to put French and English cultures together?

Will this become easier once the number of cultures with strong identities multiplies? Or, down the road will we have a number of cultural ghettoes that will be expected to promote a "national policy", whatever that may be?

How will this play out? For example: If, because of demographics, one or more groups of the multicultural mosaic become more powerful and will have the numbers needed to elect more politicians to advance their interests, that may conflict with the concepts and prospects of other Canadians, what will happen?

Without doubt  Canada is the country of the future and immigrants and their contribution is absolutely necessary to make this happen.

Perhaps the time has arrived for serious debate, asking and providing answers to the following: Why are we all not just Canadians without hyphen and unified in our determination to make Canada the envy of the world?

Surely, there will be politicians elected for their abilities  and commitment to this country and not as representatives of potential ghettos.