Praise The Lord and Pass the Ammo - or Not

Atheist Manifesto (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our atheist soldiers are asking for counselling by other atheists

rather than by Christians according to the national pulse taker,

Rex Murphy (CBC, National Post).

Rex, by the way, finds the idea less than Rapturous.

However one of our local  newspaper columnists, Grant LaFleche,

(St. Catharines Standard), holds the belief that Rex is hellishly wrong.

 He said so in a most entertaining article tonight, (no link available).

And I have to say I agree with Grant.

If an atheist is willing to put his/her life on the line to protect us

he/she deserves to have an atheist counsellor.

Amen!

 

Oops, blush, blush ... I meant

Anyway.

 

Anyway, I've been thinking of adding an atheist blogger to my sidebar.

But the problem is that most atheists I've come across are annoying.

 If Jehovah's Witnesses didn't already have a patent on the door knocking

thing I'm sure atheists would be ringing our doorbells day and night with

'The Only Logical Truth'.

 

My friends, I'm going to be looking for an atheist blogger who will help me

see daily life through his or her eyes but who doesn't judge or proselytize.

Hey! 

 

Maybe I should just write to the Canadian Army.

It Ain't Your Mother's Newspaper

One of the more interesting struggles to watch in this

post-modern age has been the plight of our local small

city newspapers.

 How can you roll with wireless punches when you are

a paper based industry?

 

How can you serve a small city fairly when you are owned

by a conglomerate that sets a rigid political framework

within which you must work?

 

As a long time newspaper junkie I'm an interested observer. 

And what I observed was that although the irritating one-sided

right wing columnists are still there a lot of other things I used to

enjoy in the St. Catharines Standard are not. 

 So a few weeks ago I was actually thinking of cancelling

my subscription.

 

But then I began to notice a change. 

 

The headlines are now about local issues and people. 

A few national and international stories are buried

inside.

 

I wasn't sure about it at first.

 

But I'm beginning to see the St. Catharines Standard's

cost cutting efforts as a big plus.

 

Suddenly the message is:

 

Local issues matter.

Local issues are important.

 

It's a small twist in newspaper attitude but it may

be the right twist. 

I like it.

 

And I'm keeping my subscription.



***

Related articles

• Why I Still Read the Newspaper...with RELISH!

Of Chickpeas and Erotica

What is it with me and chickpeas?

I love the darn little critters. 

And when they come all dressed in

spinach welllllll I feel just like Cassie

in SECRET* by L. Marie Adeline every

time  she accepts a new 'experience'.

 

Naughty girl.

 

Anyway I was all aflutter when I spotted

the following recipe for Chickpea and Spinach

Masala in the St. Catharines Standard the

other day.

 

(It was in a food column Rita Demontis and she

credits the recipe to Vegetables Please by

Carolyn Humphries.)

 

Holy good feeling in your tummy,

Batgirl!

 

This is one tasty treat and even for a

kitchen klutz comme moi, easy to prepare!

 

Chickpea and Spinach Masala

2 tsp (30 ml) vegetable oil

2 large onions chopped

1 large garlic clove crushed

1 tsp (5 ml) each ground cumin, coriander

 

¼ tsp (1 ml) ground cloves

 

½ tsp (2 ml) chili pepper

 

14 oz (400 ml) vegetable stock

 

1 tsp (5 ml) granulated sugar

 

3 tomatoes cut into wedges

 

¼ cup (60 ml) plain yoghurt

 

1 tbsp (15 ml) snipped chives to garnish

 

Heat veggie oil in a pan, add onions and stir

fry for 2 minutes.  Add garlic and all spices and

fry for 30 seconds more.  Pour in stock and

stir inn remaining ingredients except for spinach

and tomatoes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Bring to boil, stir, partially cover and simmer

for 15 minutes.  Stir in spinach until it begins to

wilt then add tomatoes and cook 5 minutes

until spinach is tender and everything is bathed

in sauce.  Spoon masala  into bowls, top each

with a spoonful of yoghurt and sprinkle with chives.

 

 

So good!

 

 

*Erotica is a new genre for me.  I listened to

some women talking about this book on CBC

the other day.  I think they called it 'erotica for

feminists'.  I just couldn't resist that!  I'm planning

to blog about it when I finish.

 

I may have to reread it a few times

though. 

 

Just to make sure I haven't

missed anything.

The Jokster Pope-ster

Antichristus, a woodcut by Lucas Cranach of the pope using the temporal power to grant authority to a generously contributing ruler (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other day a friend of mine said she was surprised

that I hadn't blogged about the pope.

I said that I supposed that I didn't

because I didn't think there was anything to say.

I figured that I was beyond caring.

And I am.

But not beyond a good laugh.

According to the Grant Rant, (by Grant Lafleche), which I read with

my own little eyes in the St. Catharines Standard tonight

Pope Francis the Oneth actually wrote this:

Women are naturally unfit for political office. 

Both the natural order and the facts

show us that the political being par excellence is male;

the scripture shows us that woman has always been

the helper of men

who thinks and does but nothing more.

Jeesh!

Ya gotta give the guy some credit.

That's pretty funny stuff.

 

 

 

An Apology to the St. Catharines Standard

A person's shadow is made up of the socially unacceptable

personality traits that s/he represses or keeps hidden.

 

If you want to know what your shadow looks like make a list

of the people you don't like and write down what it is about

them that is so hateful.

That list of characteristics is your own shadow personality.

Even countries have shadows.

On the surface Canada is a haven of justice

and über politeness.

 

But to see the country's shadow think of the police actions at

the G20 riots in Toronto, the reputation for viciousness that

our international hockey players have earned

or the government's disinterest in the 600 missing

aboriginal women.

 

It is healthier to acknowledge the shadow

as a part of who you are.

But it is a painful process.

 

When I saw the image of  young breast cancer survivor

it triggered the fears that I don't acknowledge.

 

The fear of cancer, of its treatment and

 

ultimately

 

the fear I have of death.

.

I did not want not want to be confronted by it,

not then,

not over my evening cup of tea.

"... if it is possible, let this cup pass me by."

We experience strong emotions and then we label them.

I labeled my reaction to the image incorrectly.

 

Truthfully

it was fear.

 

And hard as  it was to look at it,

it was exactly what I said it wasn't.

It was a community punch in the

jaw to cancer.

 

My apologies to the St. Catharines Standard.

The Gods Love a Hero

There was a time when The Hero Archetype was

exclusively male, but the thing with archetypes is that

they evolve -  they become more or less powerful

as shifts occur in human thinking.

There is no lessening of the importance of the male Hero,

(think of Frodo or Nelson Mandela),

it just happens that we live in a balancing time in the

history of humankind.

 

***

 

The archetype that we identify as The Hero

begins her journey by going on a quest,

 

(in this case she begins by looking for a cure

for a dreadful disease).

 

The Hero also has to undergo terrible

hardships,

 

(i.e., chemotherapy, radiation),

 

at great personal cost,

 

(the loss of her breast, a powerful symbol of

womanhood in many societies).

 

It is absolutely necessary that The Hero

sacrifice herself for the sake of others,

 

(she allowed her body to be photographed and

her identity made public to give courage to other women).

 

Finally, The Hero archetype must  slay the monster,

 

(the cancer, in remission).

 

***

So now that I  think I understand

why this remarkable image resonates

with people,

I should feel better.

 

But I don't.

It still makes me uneasy.

 

Next blog:  Confronting the shadow

I am still a WOMAN

This week the St. Catharines Standard ran the picture you see

above under the heading,

 

"I am still a WOMAN".

The newspaper photo included her face

and took up 3/4 of the front page.

It was shocking,

and the reader was supposed to see it as

a visual punch in the jaw to cancer.

 

But it was very wrong.

 

Her statement that she is still a woman is absolutely true.

And to publish a picture of the face and naked torso of any

woman in our community should be seen as totally

immoral at worst, an assault on her dignity at best.

 

But sick people are vulnerable people.

And sick, pretty, young women are vulnerable AND exploitable.

Try to imagine the photo of a man who had lost

a testicle to cancer posed on the front page

in a similar manner.

 

The Standard usually does an outstanding job giving voice to

the struggles of the people in this community,

but not this time.

 

 

 

 

 

Jailed Russian Pussies

. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Occasionally I check to see where in the world people are reading my blog.

It's always a nice surprise to see a small but steady number from Russia.

Usually I assume it is an ESL class somewhere in Moscow.  Sometimes I hope it is a Russian teacher I corresponded with during the Cold War.

Our classes exchanged letters one year and I would love to know that she is well.

But whoever it is,  they need to know that we know about Pussy Riot. 

They've been in the news quite a bit recently.

For those who haven't heard about them, Pussy Riot is an all girl punk band that is opposed to the regime of the thuggish Vladimir Putin and his supporters in the Russian Orthodox church.

According to Wayne Kinsella's column, St. Catharines Standard, Monday, August 13, the young women spent 40 seconds inside an Orthodox Church sending a 'punk prayer',

(I don't know what it is either, but I'm guessing it involved a lot of noise and bad language),

to the Virgin Mary asking Her to get rid of Putin.

There was no church service going on but they have been in prison since March charged with blasphemy.

They have been starved, deprived of sleep, are not allowed to see their children and have been subjected to a unjust trial.

The verdict will be read August 17th and evidently the prosecution is seeking years of incarceration.

It seems like a bit of an overreaction on Stalin's part.

Oops, did I say Stalin?

Putin. 

His name is Vladimir Putin.

And, Mr. Vladimir Putin, the world is watching.

.

  

Related articles

• Free Pussy Riot, free them now!
• Pussy Riot's closing statement
• Pussy Riot: Russia needs more superheroes to stand up to Putin
• Russian Punk Rockers Pussy Riot Face Trial After Vladimir Putin Comes Down Hard On Their "punk Prayer"

Butterbrains and the Olympics

Back in the Kitchen!

Well it has certainly been awhile since I posted a food blog but this yummy, (and hearty), vegan recipe just cries out to be passed on. 

In found it in the St. Catharines Standard on Wed., Jan. 4. 

It was posted by food editor, Laurie Sadowski, under the subtitle:

Healthy Meals to counteract the holiday season's excess.

 

 The subtitle I would have used is:

Who the H,E, double hockey sticks  cares if it's healthy?

It's totally delicious! 

And don't think it's wimpy because it's vegan. 

Moroccan chickpeas have attitude!

So for those of you who missed it in the paper, here it is again!

It gets 5 gold stars from me!

Moroccan Chickpea Stew

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 medium onions

1 carrot, peeled cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced

2 to 4 cloves garlic

1 1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

sea salt to taste

1 tbsp whole grain flour

1 (14 oz/ 414 ml) organic no salt added can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 (28 oz/828 ml) can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp agave nectar

1 red bell pepper cut into bite sized pieces

1 small cauliflower cut into bite sized pieces

5 oz/145 g dried apricots

zest of 1 lemon

1/2 to 1 cup fresh cilantro finely chopped

Directions:

Heat oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.

Add onion and carrot and cook 5 minutes until carrot pieces begin to soften.

Add ginger and garlic.  

Cook 1 or 2 minutes more until fragrant.

Add the spices.

Sprinkle with sea salt and flour and add chickpeas.

Stir to coat chickpeas, cook about 30 seconds until it smells spicy.

Add the diced tomatoes, water, tomato paste and agave nectar.

Mix well.

Add the red pepper, cauliflower and apricots.

Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove the lid and stir in the zest of lemon and cilantro.

Cook an additional 5 to 10 minutes until thickened.

Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Serve over brown basmati rice.

Serves 4.

*I found several versions of this recipe online, (some included chicken), but none sounded as yummy as this one tastes.