Shopdropping

I have never heard of shopdropping happening around here but it's a cool idea.I would mind getting a free cd in my jeans but I not so keen on religious pamphlets in my magazines.All things consider it seems like an interesting way to get out a message or promote a new band or artist.

Fleas hate the vacuum

This is good news for me as I have 4 cats.What I can't understand is why fleas seem to like some people better than others,when we had fleas one time quite a few years ago they were biting my mother every where and me and my father never had a bite at all.

Sophie has a boy

This is nice news.

Ipond

I have seen some very bad containers sold for housing bettas but this has got to be one of the worst.I don't understand how people can be so cruel as to put a living thing in something so small.I keep my bettas in nothing less than 3 gallons or 11 litres of water.

Train troubles

I don't see what was so terrible about being asked to make club sandwiches .

Father kills daughter in Toronto

This is really sad,this girl was only sixteen and had her whole life ahead of her.

The queens personal assistant

An interesting article for anyone interested in the Queen or royal family.

Boy scouts lose lease

This really surprised me,I didn't realize that the Boy scouts were so discriminatory in the States,I have no idea what the policy is in Canada but it would be interesting to find out.I know that the Girl Guides of Canada prohibits any discrimination including that based on sexual orientation but I am not familiar with the policy in other countries at all ,I wonder if it isn't even illegal in some countries where the girl guides are to be gay. This article has really got me thinking and I hope to do some research on this topic soon.

Moore falsely accused

I think Irene Mathyssen had better check her facts next time and keep her eyes to her self,it just seems like bad manners to me to look at some else's computer unless you are invited to even if it is visible to you.

Vatican dislikes download service

I can't really see why the Vatican is offended by this ,I would think they would be happy that more people are interested in the saints. As far as I know there is no rule against selling prayer cards of any type as long as they have not been blessed before the sale and selling them electronically seems like a good way to reach people in this digital age.

Is Canada becoming less tolerant?

I found this article quite interesting although some of the sentiments people express in it disturbed me,I hope the answer to the title question isn't yes.

India's women gain more independence

The lives of India's women are slowly starting to change and become more modern although many traditions still exist.

Dion writes letter to Montana governor

I really agree with Stephane Dion on this issue that the death penalty undermines the human dignity of everyone involved in it, putting a person to death for crimes they have committed takes those involved down to the same level as people that commit crimes and have no respect for anyones life or security as a person.

Queen visits AIDS centre

The Queen visited an AIDS centre to day while in Uganda for the Commonwealth summit. It's good to see there has been a drop in the number of new cases of AIDS in adults in Uganda but more needs to be done there and in all of Africa to combat this terrible disease.

Egyptian doctor sets up gay clinic

This guy is crazy but i wonder how many more there are like him in the world and even in our own country.Found at the Sandmonkey.

Uncivilized behaviour

No wonder people think politicians aren't civil enough.

Chemical damages schooling instinct

This of particular interest to me as a fish keeper,I keep several schooling species including neon's and pictus catfish and I know fish can become easily stressed and more venerable to predators if they are not kept in appropriate numbers.

Royal wedding anniversary

I have alway been a fan of the Queen and Prince Philip who are celebrating their 60 wedding anniversary. This picture is very nice and similar to one taken on their honeymoon 60 years ago.

There was a service held today in Britain before the couple departs for a short visit to Malta where they spent many happy times in the early year of their married life.

Rape victim in Saudi Arabia sentanced to 200 lashes

This a sad commentary on the state of things in Saudi Arabia.I wonder if a person can even survive that many lashes.

New security measures for Parliament hill.

I hope the new security measures won't be to restrictive,I can see the need for some security but there has to be a balance with still allowing access to Parliament hill and keeping everyone safe.

4000 year old temple discover in Peru

Stuff like this really interest me,it must be very exciting to make discoveries of this sort.

No kill shelters

An interesting article on no kill shelters,I would like to know what the statistics are for New Brunswick as to how many pets are put down.

I think a large part of the problem is irresponsible owners,the mother cat and 5 kittens that were dumped of in our yard in June could just as easily been taken to the shelter as dumped out to fend for themselves and if the owners had had the mother spayed to begin with then there would have been no problem.

Funny laws in Britain

These laws really made me laugh but probably there are some laws as stupid in Canada if any one bother to research them.

New train station

This train station interest me because of it historical and architectural value but I'm not sure I would want to travel on a train that goes 186 kilometres an hour even if it is fast and convenient.

Storm pictures

It's amazing what the power of nature can do,some pictures of the storm.

Political stuff

This article touches on some issues that were of interest to me recently.

King Tut's face

It's pretty neat to see this face after so many years.

Gst response

I thought Dion's reply to a question about liberal plans for the gst was quite good but obviously some other people didn't.If we are against decreasing it it now we have to at least consider the possibility we might raise it if we regain power,we need to stop thinking all the time about how we will get votes and spend some time thinking about what we actually believe in as liberals.

Gst cut

I would much rather see income taxes cut or the money spent on a worthy program than a GST cut. I know that a GST cut will be barely noticeable to me as far as any savings.

Three year old survives plane crash

Although the loss of two lives is sad it is amazing that the little girl survived and that she was found in time.Search and rescue personnel are people I don't think about very much but they are very well trained and it good to know they are there to save lives when they are needed.

Teen gets out of jail

The fact this young man served 2 years in jail is disturbing and he could have served as much as ten which was the original sentence ,hopefully with the 5 year close in age exemption on the new age of protection this will never happen here.I can see that we may not want to encourage kids to have sex when they are so young and not that mature but I definitely believe that it is not a crime when no adults are involved and the ages are so close.

Bon Jovi plays at new arena

I have listened to Bon Jovi since I was a kid and still love there music,they are playing at a new arena in New Jersey this week.

Crazy rules for pet adoptions

Some of the requirements in this story are ridiculous,if we went by this no one or very,very few people would own pets. If they are going to turn down any one who works more than 6 hours a day how do they expect a person to feed and house themselves let alone pay all the expenses associated with owning a pet.

How often to wash

This is an interesting article on personal hygiene,I would like to read the book sometime.

Crime bil

Most of this stuff is just rehashed from last spring so the conservatives do seem to be playing games with this legislation and I don't see any reason not to support it.

Sobeys throws out food near best before date

This is an awful waste to throw out food that isn't gone bad.I can see if it's actually past the best before date but not if it's just close to it.

Not enought to pay the bills

This article is worrisome even though it is about the States not Canada .I often think about people in the developing world not having enough to eat but there are many people right in our own part of the world that go without or must get assistance and many of the families in this article are not what I would consider poor according to the amount they are making.

Live at 5-25 years

Live at 5,one of the shows I watch regularly has been on the air for 25 years.I can remember watch it with my father when I was very young and it was interesting to see many of the people that have been on it over the years appear on the special show tonight.Lennie Gallant one of my favourite singers also performed so I really enjoyed watching it this evening.

Gay seniors can face prejudice

This article interests me as I work in home care,I never though about gay seniors before and the discrimination they might face as they age and require more care.

Dragonette

I have been a fan of Martina Sorbara since her solo days,this article is alright but it really doesn't tell very much about the band.I don't really care who her father is and despite my interest in politics I was not aware until recently that her father was even a politician.Dragonette has a new album out recently and in my opinion it is great I have been listening to it every day since buying it from itunes.

Women talks about her life on the street

This article is sad and scary at the same time,the violence these women endure is terrible and the thought that girls as young as 13 are out on the street is almost worse.The system has definitely failed these young women some where,I don't know what the solution is or if making prostitution legal would solve any of them or not.

Blacky gets a home

One of my kittens that were dump off in the front yard in June finally got a good home today,it's taken us this long to get them tame enough for anyone to want them.I am hoping to get a home for one more of them(there are 2 left) and then I could keep Blondie(he is my favourite) as I am already keeping the mother and we have our old cat,who is 13 as well.


Blondie and Suspicious

I am glad Blacky got a home because I know I couldn't keep them all but I couldn't help feeling a little bit sad when I only put out three food dishes tonight.

Internet shut down in Myanmar

This is a disturbing development,they want to cut the country off completely from the outside world.

Getting methane from old garbage

Harvesting methane from old land fills is a good idea where it is viable,I wonder if there is anywhere this is done in New Brunswick or where it could be done.Hopefully in the future we will be producing less waste and this wont be necessary but until then at least something is being reused from the waste .

Confidence votes and the throne speech

I was think that the liberals should possibly support the throne speech depending on what was in it but if this is Stephen Harper attitude I don't think there is much point in doing so as there will be an election eventually if every vote is a confidence one except Afghanistan.

Changes for the Liberals

It will be interesting to see what changes there will be but I think it will take more than that to solve the problems in the Liberal party right now.We seem to have no vision at all and the people calling for Dion to resign must be crazy to think that would solve all the problems either,he might be a part of them but it's not all his fault or the fault of any one person and all the recent bickering is just making things worse.

Letting music fans set the price

I am not really a fan of Radiohead but this is a pretty cool idea,it will be interesting to see how it turns out.

Gays in Iran

An article about gays and lesbians in Iran and the challenges they face.

Interveiw with Scott Brison

I guess this was in the National Post but I missed it,I found it on Scott Brison's web site.

Taliban unveil a shadow Afghan constitution

This is one of the reasons I think we need to stay in Afghanistan past 2009.These people should never get a chance to be back in power again.

Scott Brison on the economy and environment

There is a great article in the Chronicle Herald by Scott Brison on the economy and the environment.I found this on Wolfville Watches blog.

Protesters killed in Myanmar

Terrible thing have been going on in Myanmar and me and many other people were not aware of them until this week.This article is couple of days old but has some interesting background on the situation.

New fish tank

I just got done setting up a new 55 gallon fish tank,what a job we have no free taps in the basement where I put it so I had to lug 55 gallons of water from the kitchen,which since I don't lift anything to heavy took me most of the afternoon but my Malawi cichlids will enjoy the extra space. I will put some of my other fish in the cichlids old tank(20 gallons) and might get a few more latter on.
These are the fish going in my new tank:
Red zebra
Auratus
Kenyi

Wearing pink

We have been hearing alot lately about the trouble young people can get in and the harm they can cause others but the majority of kids are good.This is a great story about the good young people can do in their communities so here are a couple more stories about it.
Sea of pink .
Students behind pink

Women speak out against genital mutilations

It's is good to see some women in Egypt are speaking out against the practise of female genital mutilation.

Pink t-shirts

It's great to see a story like this.We hear so much about bullying now,it's nice to see other students support the victims of bullying.

British women kills her son's wife

I just don't understand people.This women will spend the rest of her life in jail just because she didn't want her daughter in law to get a divorce.I don't see how anyone would expect to get away with a murder like this anyway and the murder has definitely caused more scandal for the family than simply letting the poor women get a divorce would have.

I really feel for the two young children left behind,they will have to grow up with out their mother and with their father and grandmother in jail for her murder.

Queen wins the lottery

The Queen has won some soaps and a bottle of bath oil in a raffle at a British elementary school.

Afghan leader wants Canada to stay

This is one of the reason's I believe we should stay in Afghanistan past 2009.

Women petition Saudi king

This is interesting,it would be great if females could drive in Saudi Arabia but that is really only a small step towards equality and I don't have much hope that it will happen any time soon.

By election loss

I had a feeling this was coming ,we really need to get our act together if we have any hope of winning seats anywhere.People just have no clue what we stand for and things seem to me to be very disorganized.

Dig in Annapolis Royal

That stone path looks cool I wouldn't mind one of those in my garden.

22 years in motel

This is pretty crazy,I can't imagine spending that long in a motel but these people seem to like it.I don't think my cats and fish would fit in to well living at a place like that.

The poor suffer in pain

This is a sad article and I don't think there are any easy solutions to these problems.These people suffer in pain and it would be good if the drugs to help were available,it is unlikely that any of them would survive anyway so the risk of addiction seems slim but at the same time I can understand the concerns about such powerful drugs.

Hats from the past

I know my mother's great aunt was a hat maker,this display shows hats worn many years ago and gives us a glimpse in to a different era.

Acadian garden

I would love to see this garden sometime.It's very interesting to me to think that the early Acadian settlers grew some of the things I still grow today.

Sandmonkey is back

I am so happy the sandmonkey has started blogging again,his is my favourite blog and i really missed reading it.

Boys thrown out of sect

This is about the plight of boy's kicked out of a polygamist sect in the states.I can't imagine what it must be like to be kicked out of your parents home when you are only 15 but staying there might be even worse I guess.No wonder some of these young men have so many problems they are just kids and they have no idea how things work in the outside world.

Natural gardening

As a gardener this article really interests me.

This is an interesting article,I see toads now and then down in our garden but not in any great number and I believe they are quite beneficial .Hopefully most of the toads get across the road safely.

Peter Coade retires

Peter Coade,CTV Atlantic's weather man for the last 17 years is retiring ,he did his last show tonight.I wish him all the best in his new endeavours but will really miss him giving the weather on Live at 5 and Steve Murphy's news. He was very accurate and always had good predictions.I will find it interesting to see who replaces him hopefully it will be someone just as good.

Giant spider web

This is pretty cool,even though I am not a big fan of spiders,I know how pretty a spider web can be shining in the sun.I can understand why some people won't go near it but even though I don't like spiders up close if I lived near by I would have to see it.

Liberals talk about economy

I am glad to see something from the liberals about the economy,hopefully they will soon come out with some more ideas,so people can see what they stand for.

Vivian Cash book

This looks like an interesting book.

Parliament buildings to be renovated

I am glad to see some renovations will be done on 24 Sussex drive and the parliament buildings,I know people sometimes complain about politicians spending money on themselvess but the these buildings really belong to all Canadians not just the current occupants.

The fact that 24 Sussex is so inefficient when it comes to energy is also a concern for me and I hope it's rating can be improved.

Cape Jourmain centre

I am glad to see the province stepped into keep the centre open until October.

Why people stay

An interesting article about why people chose to stay in the Maritimes despite the lure of large pay checks put west.

Last article

Another article probably the last about Scott Brison's wedding.

Man kills girl friends snake

This story made me sad,I don't really like snakes my self but that a person would kill some ones pet when they knew the other person loved it, just to get revenge or because they were angry is beyond me.I don't see how anyone could stand to bite a snake anyway he must have had quite a few drinks to do something so stupid.

Conservative ad claims

This doesn't look very good even if it wasn't against the law which remains to be seen.

Blueberry season slow

The blueberry season is being slowed down by the weather this year. The place in this article must be a huge farm with all the people that come there to u-pick.I think the type of berries they have are the large cultivated ones I see sometimes in the stores,I don't really care for them much preferring the wild ones.

Wild blueberries also seem to be off to a slow start,I was trying to get a couple of boxes like I usually do and a few for a friend that wanted some and they weren't available until today.Now that I have got them and since it is a very rainy day I think I'll go and make a pie.

Holiday shopping

I agree Sunday shopping should be allowed but I don't think there should be any on holidays,
everyone deserves a day off now and then.As far as I know is no shopping on holidays in New Brunswick and according to my count there are only 7 or 8 a year anyway so I don't see why people can't do without shopping for a few days a year and get what ever they need on the other 357 days available to them.

Top diplomat critizes coverage

Sometime it seems as if some people have learned nothing from the past.The a big part of the problem with sex abuse in the church was all the secrecy and trying hide things and move abusers from one place to another.

Yellow berries

These berries can be found in New Brunswick to if you know where to look but I mostly pick blueberries and blackberries,which will be ripe soon.My mother uncle picked them when he was young and they always referred to them as yellow berries.I have seen them also at Kouchibouguac and down at Escuminac out on the peat bogs where they like to grow but have never picked very many.

Brison wedding photo

This picture was released today.

No humans on earth

This article is quite interesting but a little scary to.I found it on foot to the fire 's blog

Sandmonkey loses his grandmother

Rantings of a Sandmonkey was my favourite blog until he decided to stop blogging in May.He has recently posted again with the sad news of his grandmothers death.I am sure she was a great person and did many great things for people in her life.

Another article in the Daily news

Some of the comments on this article are really miserable.I can understand some people are against same sex marriage and they are welcome to have their opinion even though I don't agree with it but some of these comments are really low and I don't know why some people can't state their thoughts and still show some respect for themselves and others.

The wedding

An article in the chronicle Herald.

Post number 5

Yet another article about Scott Brison's wedding.

Scott Brison wedding

This must be the fourth article I blogged this week about Scott Brison.Gypsy blog alerted me to it in his post today.

Antibacterial soaps

I have alway had concerns about the use of antibacterial soaps and this study seems to confirm some of my suspicions.I think now a days people are to concerned about germs when a little bit of dirt isn't going to hurt them.I know every one likes to practise good hygiene but some people just seem to take it to the extreme.

Local boy Brison to wed

Another article about Scott Brison,there seem to be a lot these days.

Sheep in the vineyard

A few months ago the sheep were cutting the grass now they are pruning the grapes.A very useful animal.

Scientist finds reptile print

The oldest know reptile print has been found on the bay of Fundy. It's amazing to think that these rocks have been there for 300 million years.

Charging for plastic grocery bags

I think this is a great idea,maybe it will encourage people to think more about the effect there habits have on the environment besides encouraging them to bring their own bags.I notice that more and more stores are starting to introduce cloth bags the latest being Wal-Mart

Scott Brison wedding

This is an interesting article about the coming wedding.

Changing your name

I think this is crazy ,changing your name at marriage should be personal decision and it should be allowed every where.We shouldn't just look at this issue from a women perspective though,a man should be able to take his wife's name as well if he wishes to do so.

Girl to go fishing

I am glad see that some people realize that fishing and other outdoor activities aren't just for men and boys.It's great to see that more women are choosing careers in things such as fishery's biology as well.

Scott Brison getting married

Scott Brison has always been someone I admired,he is getting married next Saturday so I wish him all the best.

Girls not allowed at day camp

The fact that they are holding day camp for only girls that features a spa and ones for only boys with outdoor activities isn't good in this day and age.These types of action reinforce gender stereotypes and elected officials should know better but this is the worst sentence in the entire article "They decided they would try just girls things for the girls and just boys things for the boys and see how it worked." this was said by the municipality's warden.I wish these people could see that going to the spa isn't just a girl activity and that there is no reason a man can't go to a spa and take good care of himself physically and that outdoor activities aren't just for boys especially now with many children over weight getting the fresh air and exercise is a good idea for everyone.

Kitten clubbed to dealth

I can't imagine how I would feel of something like this happened to my cats one of whom is sitting beside me as I write this post.What was going through those young peoples minds when they killed a defenseless kitten right in front of it's house while children watched.The poor girl that owned it must be devastated,it's hard enough to lose a pet any time but especially in such a cruel and unnecessary manner.The kitten must have suffered terrible pain in it's last minutes.

Zimbabwe situation

The situation seems almost hopeless in Zimbabwe these days but maybe things will soon start to improve as it doesn't seem they can get much worse.

Abandoned parrots

This is why people shouldn't buy a pet with out knowing it's needs and what they are getting into.

Cape Jourimain funding

Hopefully a way will be found to keep the visitors center open,when you go over to PEI they have such a nice spot right at the end of the bridge,we don't want people coming into New Brunswick to see nothing.If the center is able to stay open maybe some of the people that stop there will be convinced to spend some time visiting our other tourist attractions rather than just drive through.

Afghanistan sucesses

Riley posted on this article today about some of the good things happening in Afghanistan.

Royal weddings

The Queen's wedding dress will be on display in London in celebration of her and Prince Philip's 60th wedding anniversary on November 20th.I would love to see it some time it is very beautiful with all the crystals and pearls embroidered on it.

In other royal news Princes Anne's son Peter Philips is getting married to a Canadian.

Clothes lines

I didn't realize there were places where it is illegal to hang out your laundry.We have always done that here and it seems like such a waste to run a dryer when the weather is nice out.This just seems really foolish to me,what harm do they think someones clean laundry will do them. With concern about global warming on the rise it just makes sense for the provincial governments to override some of these local laws.

Plover's nests damaged

I don't know what people can be thinking when they cause damage to a birds nests,it not as if there was any benefit to them or the plovers were doing them any harm.

Non native species

The fact that zebra mussels have invaded the great lakes is worrisome.People see that the water looks nice and clear and think the lakes are healthy and they aren't.

Non native species are of particular concern to me as a fish keeper with irresponsible people sometimes releasing a fish they no longer want or that got to big for their tank into the wild.These released pets can then take over and out compete native species if they are able to survive the outdoor conditions in the area they are released in or if they can't survive will just endure a horrible suffering death which no one in their right mind would want their pet to endure.

Some people just don't seem to see this and I have actually witnessed some people on fish forums I visit recommending that a person release an unwanted fish into the local lake which besides the fact it probably illegal is horrible advice to give for the previous mentioned reasons.

Convict cichlids of which I have one are now found in Banff which is far outside there native range and tilapia which I see in the grocery stores also appears to be a problem in many areas as they are widely farmed and can escape.

Honour killings

Honour killing are a big problem in some parts of the world.I think there needs to be a whole changing of attitudes towards women before these types of incidents are stopped but if officials don't take this seriously and send a strong message this isn't acceptable women will continue to be killed in this manner.

There have even been honour killings in countries such as England where you don't expect to hear about such things.I am not aware of any taking place in Canada and hopefully there won't be any in the future but it would be even better if there were none anywhere in the world.

Irish festival opening review

I had a good time last night.Loyola Hearn was a reasonably good speaker,I found he started off a little slow but then he improved.He talked mostly about the Irish,where he grew up in Newfoundland and he had quite a few funny stories which is always good.My mother really enjoy him as he didn't talk much about politics which the speakers the last few years focused on.I am very interested in politics so I always enjoy political stories but where my mother is only moderately interested she would prefer to here about Irish things at the Irish festival which makes sense.

Another guest was Nobel Peace Prize Laureate John Hume.He was very interesting although he didn't speak for long,at the end of his speech he announced he was going to sing Danny boy and I though what is this going to be like but he is very good singer with a pleasant voice.

The Nelson Doyle dancers also preformed and they are always good.Iknow many of the girls as they are present or former Girl Guides.

It was very enjoyable evening and I hope to attend a few more events before the festival is over.

Irish festival

I am getting ready to go to the Irish festival opening.Loyola Hearn Minister of fisheries and oceans is the guest speaker so I hope he will be interesting,I haven't paid much attention to him before.

Cat update

Thankfully our cat isn't showing any signs of sickness this morning although we will keep an eye on her for a few days.I have just finished setting up a new cat proof garbage can with a secure lid so her days of rummaging are over.

Cat trouble

I am worried sick right about now.I had a piece of Bologna for supper and didn't even think that our new cat likes to get in the garbage because our old cat never did this.I threw the piece of wax off the bologna right in the kitchen garbage and after a while the mother cat came in to get something to eat and I fed her and then went in to check my Email .

My mother noticed all of a sudden that the cat was over by the garbage chewing very hard on something but by the time she got to her it was already swallowed.We determined it must have been the wax,so we called up our vet and she said to watch her and if she vomits,has a sore belly or won't eat by the morning bring her in.I really hope she will be alright so if anyone reads this blog tonight say a prayer for her if you pray.

Women in top Vatican jobs?

This is a great thing if it's true and something that should have happened long ago.

Bat colony

I am glad I don't live in this building,I have enough trouble with the ants those numbers seem to be exploding this summer for some reason.Maybe it is all the wet weather.I feel quite guilty about harming them,they seem like such productive little guys but they have been coming in my window so I finally decide I had to put some poison down not that it has helped much.They have also been taking over some of my plants in the garden but usually I just tolerate them outside or dig up the hill if its really bad.

Surgery on a soldier

This article on the damage some of these bombs in Afghanistan can do to a person is quite revealing for me,I had no idea how some of these thing injured people before reading this.It's hard to understand why people have so much hate they want to inflict this on other humans.

Abstinence education

I wish people could see that when it comes to sex education it doesn't have to be just one type or the other.You can discuss abstinence and it's benefits while still tell young people the facts and informing them about other options should they chose to have sex.

Beaubasin dig

This looks really fun,I wish I lived closer.

Ancient fish

This is pretty neat.It must have been very exiting for the people that caught it and the researcher that identified it.I actually think he(the fish) is kind of cute although lots of people wouldn't agree with me. Hopefully they will be around for millions of years to come

Mummies get identity checked

This is interesting,I am always fascinated by ancient Egyptian history.

Kittens

Mother looking on

Funny face sleeping,blacky and blondie eating,little gray pondering


Funny face (My favorite)
Yum Yum

Blondie and funny face



Funny face and blacky

Funny face and little gray

Lennie Gallant to play for visit of tall ships

Lennie Gallant is my favorite artist, there is a nice article in today's Chronicle herald about his performance at casino Nova Scotia during the visit of the tall ships to Halifax .I have seen him in concert on the Miramichi once and it was a great night out .I wish I lived closer to Halifax because I would definitely go,it's free to so if you live near Halifax go check it out.

Vatican say other churches wounded

I find this offensive and I am a Catholic so I can imagine how people from other churches must feel.I have attended ecumenical events in the past, most recently the noon Lenten services held in our area each year and supported by most of the christian denominations and know this is simply not true.It is a great blow to inter religious dialogue and relationships with other churches.

Dramatic increase in arrest for possesion

I believe that possession of small amounts of marijuana should be decriminalized in Canada for adults.I have some concerns about large grow ops and the danger that may surround them but at the same time I don't think the current policy is working and sending people to jail for a small amount doesn't make sense.Maybe in the future it should totally be legalized and the government should tax it the same way alcohol and tobacco are taxed,that might remove some of the criminal element from its sale and production.

Turtles crossing

Make sure you watch out for turtles if your driving on the highways in New Brunswick anytime soon.

Latin mass

I think this is bad for the church.My main concern isn't specifically the tridentine mass but some of the other things the people that want it also stand for.The church needs to move forward not backward.

Sophie is pregnant

This is nice news for Sophie and Edward,hopefully things will go well this time.

Intermarriage

I thought this was a very interesting article about immigrants children and the challenges they can face.

Cat cam

This is realy cute.He even got in the Globe and Mail.

Egypt bans female circumcision

This is a good thing,I know there are many bad things that happen in Egypt but at least they have seen the light on this issue.Hopefully they will be able to enforce this ban and it won't just be driven underground.I think what is really needed in places where female circumcision is prevalent is a total changing of peoples attitudes towards women.

Water conservation

Justin Trudeau has some good ideas about water conservation.

Spelling quiz

I Scored a 93%!

Mingle² - Free Online Dating

I usually think I'm not that good of a speller but I must be alright I Guess.

Living off others garbage

That a person can live for a year without buying anything is a really interesting idea,that really shows how much people waste.There was a segment on the National recently about this also.In the story the people featured even got their food from others garbage.I think that might be a bit to much for most people and seem kind of disgusting in a way but if people want to do that it's every one to their own thing I guess.

If I lived in a big city it would be kind of fun to go out now and then and see what you might find although I think I would skip on the food.It's kind of like the equivalent of our yard sales which are very prevalent in the summer months on Saturday mornings,some people go to them each week also.I go now and then and you can get some nice things and it's better than sending them to the dump.I don't know if they have yard sales in the bigger cities or not.

Iran cracks down on dissent

I recently finished reading the book Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi,it was very interesting and informative book and I would highly recommend it.I didn't know much about Iran or the political situation there so I learned many things.This article highlights the continuing problems in Iran with regard to individual rights.

Supervised injection sites

I have always supported supervised injection sites.We don't want to encourage people to start using drugs but if they already are addicted we need to reduce the chance for harm to occur.I think it would be great if they had treatment and social services in the same place as the article says they do in Europe.If we can get some of these people in the door ,we might be able to do something to help them instead of just throwing them in jail and ignoring the underlying problems.i hope the conservative government will come to See this.

Belinda Stronach has cancer

There seems to be so much cancer now,everyone knows someone that has had it,I wonder if there was less years ago or people just didn't get diagnosed.Sometimes I wonder about all the chemicals in daily life now and the effect they may have on humans even though they are supposed to be safe.

I found this article interesting I don't know if you can believe every thing it says and would like to see more study but it is worrisome.I like to wear make up and use at least a couple of products every day.

I guess the best thing a person can do is see their doctor regularly and get the recommended tests which is something I am not very good at doing but if thing are caught early there is more chance for a good outcome.Hopefully Belinda Stronach will soon be feeling better and back to her regular activities.

Boy's pot suspension

I think this was really drastic action for someone just expressing an opinion.I agree we don't want to be promoting marijuana use to children or teenagers but free speech is an important right and we need to safe guard our rights here in Canada.There are many countries where free speech isn't respected and you can land in jail for what you say ,this being a recent example..If this boy had actually been selling marijuana it would be a different situation but it appears all he did was state his opinion.

Blog is irritating

The word blog has been voted one of the most irritating words in Internet terminology in a British poll.Blog itself is 2nd on the list ,blogsphere is 3rd. Number one is folksonomy and I don't even know what that means.

Goats to eat the weeds

They are getting goats to eat the weeds in Prince George,I think it would be really neat to see goats out trimming the grass.

200 jobs for Miramichi

This some good news for the Miramichi and there has been a lot of bad news lately. We just aren't going to be able to depend on the forestry sector anymore for most of our jobs,it will be great if the mills reopen but it will be awhile before we know that and things don't look to good.These jobs won't replace all the jobs at the mills but it is still great to get them.We need our diversify our economy and I will be watching with interest on Monday to see what this announcement will be.

New director of womens affairs

Hopefully this women will be able to do some good and improve the attitudes towards women in Afghanistan.She could be in quite a lot of danger as her predecessor was assassinated but progress has to start somewhere and if no one ever speaks out women will continue to be oppressed.She is very brave women to do so and even taking the post puts her at risk.I don't think I would be as brave if I had to live in a country like Afghanistan.

The cat saga continues

My parents had an interesting night on Monday( I was at work),about 5 in the morning there was a large tom cat out on our front door step railing howling,my mother went out and chased it down the drive way but we didn't see the small family all day until about 8pm when I went out to go to work,there was the mother calling to me.I got them some food and as I pulled out of the drive way I could see the mother and 1 kitten out eating.I guess after I left the whole family was out eating and playing in our drive way.The mother must have know that the large cat was a threat to the kittens and hidden them somewhere safe for the day.My mother said the male cat would probably kill the kittens if he could find them.

This morning they are all up under our truck so my father who was going out had to take the car instead. We phoned the SPCA and they are all full and so are the ones in Moncton and Bathurst ,the women said that it would be best to keep them for a few weeks and feed and take care of them as best we can until there is some room so I think my father will be grounded for quite awhile as under the truck seems to be their favorite spot.

Our cat normally doesn't like other cats but we can't keep her in for 2 weeks so she is out now and hopefully there will be no fighting.I wish I could keep one of the kittens they are so cute especially one dark with pretty markings on his face but no one else wants another cat.I think our cat would accept a kitten if I could convince my parents but that might be a hard job.The best I can do is maybe pay for the mother to be spayed when we eventually take her to the SPCA,I know they encourage people to do this as a way of making a donation,and then the cat is more likely to find a home.

Update on kittens

Now there are 5, we just saw a cute little gray one a few minutes ago.I had put out a box with some old sheets in the hope the mother cat would take them in it for the night as rain was expected but she was smarter than that,she took them in our shed as the door was open,which is probably just as well as it has started to down pour just now.

I hope no more turn up as I think it costs 10 dollars each to turn in a cat to the SPCA ,I know that is a reasonable request because it goes to help feed them until a home can be found but there are other things I would rather do with 60 dollars.

Cat and at least 4 kittens

The cruelty of some people astounds me ,this morning when I went out to water my plants I found a cat under our truck,she was crying to me and I though she must be a stray.I felt sorry for her so went and got some food and a dish of water and put it out,she immediately came to eat and drink and I gave her a pet.She seemed very thin and after she had eaten her fill and gone back under the truck,I decided to watch and see what she would do,hoping she had a home and would return to it.

As I sat on the grass watching her she continued to cry and suddenly from underneath the truck appeared a kitten as I watched 3 more came to join her.She proceeded to nurse them even thought they are quite big and groom them also.

I suppose that we will have to try and take them to the SPCA on Monday ,although I would love to keep them all,we already have a cat and she is not fond of strangers.She was sitting on the window watching the small family all morning and I was surprised she didn't growl at them because usually she has no tolerance for other animals but it must be because of the kittens.

I really can't understand how someone could put a cat out alone with all her kittens and expect her to fend for herself.You can tell she belonged to some one because she is very friendly animal.I love animals myself and have many fish besides my cat and it's just hard for me to comprehend what is going though people minds when they do things like this.I know some people have the attitude that because we live out in the country we can take in any animal that lands on our door step but that is not so,even one cat is quite an expense to keep with food, needles and flea medications to be paid for.

I wish people would just be responsible and get their pet spayed or neutered or not own a pet at all.

Honour killings

It's disturbing that things like this are going on in the world especially in countries like England that we would expect to be reasonably safe for women. Great strides have taken place in women's rights in the last 50 or so years in places like Canada but we need to remember there is still along way to go when we see stories like these. Hopefully these types of crimes can be prevented in the future by changing peoples attitudes.

Carbon offsetting

This article confirms some of my fears about carbon offsetting.People are trying to do something good for the environment but it is totally unregulated,and even the companies that are doing something for peoples money aren't always doing the best things to combat climate change.

I am also concerned that people may buy credits and think that is enough,while every one should be trying to make even small changes in their lifestyle.

Arrests in Egypt

Stuff like this really concerns me,I used to read the blog Rantings of a Sandmonkey before he decided to quit and he would be reporting on this kind of thing all the time.There seems to be so many problems in the world and so much unrest,especially in Gaza at the moment.I wonder if there will ever be lasting peace in that region.We are very lucky to live in Canada and I know I sometimes tend to take all our rights and freedoms for granted.

Age of protection

This is one of the reasons I was concerned about the new age of protection but now with the five year close in age exemption I think it is good.We should be trying to protect children and teens from predators not throwing people like this boy in jail and I hope something like this will never happen here.

Prince Philip turns 86

Today Prince Philip celebrates his 86 birthday.He is someone I have always admired and I have enjoyed reading several of his book especially Down to earth,although it is an older book and some of the thing in it are out dated now, I found it has many good ideas some of which I had not though of before.

Many of the good thing Prince Philip has done for the environment, and youth with the Duke of Edinburgh Award are over shadowed by his occasionally controversial comments and I feel he doesn't get recognized as often as he should.

Guinean women gets to stay in Canada

This is great.

Women fears daughter will be circumcised

It is terrible stuff like this is still taking place around the world,hopefully this women and her daughter will be allowed to stay in Canada.

Dressing for church

I think there are way more important issues in the church to worry about than what someone wears to mass,we should just be happy they are there and take the time to come with every one so busy now.

If people are distracted by what someone else is wearing maybe the problem is with them, not the other person,maybe they didn't go to church in the proper frame of mind and should concentrate on why they are there not what other people are wearing.

In my opinion unless someone is really showing their entire body I don't have a problem with it and I have never seen anything I though was inappropriate at my church.Some people would prefer we return to when women had to cover their hair and have their dress a certain length to get in the church butI don't think that is realistic.

I also notice most of this article deals with what women are wearing, with not much said about men and in society at large there also seems to be a double standard.

Lesbian couple face harassment

I am really disgusted that people could behave in this fashion.This is showing how little sense they have and how immature grow adults can even be.I really would expect better in this day and age when people are supposed to be more tolerant of others.

Liberals and Afghanistan

I was glad to see this today in the globe and mail.I was not very happy with the liberal wanting to pull out in 2009 but I could accept this.

Miramichi mill to close

This is a big blow for a small community,It's not just the jobs these people will lose but also the money they spend at local businesses will no longer be there. Many of these people may have to leave or settle for a much lower paying job.

Guppies

I got a new guppy today,he is a really pretty one,I have him in my tank with 2 female guppies, 3 pictus catfish,a striped raphael catfish and a upside down catfish and a female betta.I hope the catfish won't bother or eat the smaller fishes ,as they age but what I would really like is to get another tank (probably a 10 gallon) for the guppies and maybe the female betta could go with them to.

I think my parents are going to have a fit if I get any more tanks soon and I need to upgrade my cichlids to about a 40 -50 gallon by the fall but maybe by next month I could sneak in a 10.

Publishing pictures of Diana's death

Showing pictures of a person dying seems really vulgar to me,I wish that some of these media outlet would have some respect for a persons privacy.There is no need as far as I am concerned for the public to see these images.Have they no concern for the effect this will have on the princess friends and family.

Latin mass

We got rid of this years ago and it was a great thing to have the mass in the language of the people,I believe it is really bad to bring it back,we need to move forward in the church not back.While I don't think the tridentine mass should be totally banned we also should not be promoting it.

Widow's in Kabul

I know much progress has already been made in Afganistan but it may take year to accomplish every thing that needs to be done such as improving the lives of women like these ones.

Lobster fishermen agree to disagee

I am glad to see that they have come to an agreement,cutting traps wasn't benefiting anyone and what will happen to all these traps now at the bottom of the bay,will they still be there years from now polluting the waters.

Language committee shut down

This shows how arrogant the Conservative government is.

Sarah McLachlan music outreach

I am a big fan of Sarah McLachlan so its nice to see something like this.

Halifax killings

I find this really scary that someone could be targeting people because they are gay.I like to think we live in a pretty safe part of the world but then you see something like this.Hopefully they will catch the person who committed these crimes soon even if they aren't related to the fact these men were gay.

Community leaders support attacker

This is not good, we need to send a message that this type of behavior is unacceptable and a jail sentence is the only way to do it.I can see having compassion for the man's family but these people need to have some for the victim as well.

Jordon river drying up

An article about the toll pollution and exploitation of natural resources can take.Hopefully people in the region can work together to save the river.

Protecting forests

This is a really important thing for the government to consider, once the forests and the plants and animal living there are gone we can never replace them so we need to protect them now.Habitat destruction is a big concern for me and I think it is the reason why many wild flowers have become rarer that they used to be.I really enjoy looking for wild flowers and identifying them.I want them to be here for future generations as well.

An interesting book

This book looks really interesting.

Energy hearings

I think this was pretty high handed and showed disrespect to the people testifying and the other mps who wanted to hear what this witness had to say.

Liberal criticism

Much as it bother me I have to agree with some of the criticism in this article

Human rights

I think sometimes living in Canada we tend to forget how bad things can sometimes be for people in other countries where there is not as much respect for human rights and how doing simple every day things could land a person in jail for life or even dead in some countries.This is one example.

Energy saving light bulbs

I think this is a good idea,I wish New Brunswick would do something similar.I think if people got a chance to try the efficient light bulbs for free maybe more people would start to use them.I know lots of people who have never used them and this just might be the extra push they need to get started.

I am concerned about the mercury in them so it is good to see that people are noticing that . I hope they will soon introduce recycling programs for them if every one will have to switch eventually.A couple of years age I took one that had quit over to my local pick up for hazardous waste and they didn't have a clue why I was bringing it or what to do with it so I hope people will become more aware that they must be recycled and should not be just thrown out with the trash.

Water shortages

When I see stories like this one I think about how much we take for granted in Canada and how much water we waste sometimes when other people have nothing.I recently did the water badge with my group of girl guides and it was an opportunity to look at ways of reducing our water usage many of which are quite simple to do.

I like to see things like this happening sometimes in the house of commons,it seems to me that sometimes we are opposing stuff just for the sake of opposing something not because its really against our values as liberals.It's great to see MP's joining together on issues that are of common interest and I think it should be done more often when there are issues we are able to agree on.

Plastic shopping bags

I thought this article was interesting.I think with global warming becoming such a concern more stores should start encouraging their customers to use cloth bags.We have been using cloth bags for years at our co-op grocery store and recently they have also been introduced at sobeys and I got one and see many other people using them as well.I imagine that plastic bags must take up alot of space at landfills and there is also the energy used to produce them.I would really encourage people to use the reuseable ones if they are able to..

Afghan detainees

I really wasn't very happy with the liberals a few weeks ago because of their motion to withdraw the troops from Afghanistan in 2009.I think it is really to soon to make a decision and we should stay as long as we are needed there especially seeing as the liberal were the ones to send our troops in the first place.That being said I am really disturbed by the stories recently about detainees being tortured ,no matter what these people may have done we need to remember they are still human beings that should have their rights respected.If we allow our selves to condone torture we are descending to the same level as the Taliban when they were in power and didn't respect any ones rights especially that of women.This is not something I want our country to be known for,so while I think there are still many good thing being accomplished in Afghanistan the current government needs to smarten up.

Stripped Raphael catfish

If anyone ever ends up reading this blog they will probably get sick of hearing me talk about fish ( everyone in my family already is).I just got a new one today and he is a striped raphael catfish, he is so cute.

Sandmonkey

I am really disappointed that the sandmonkey http://www.sandmonkey.org/ has decided to stop blogging, his was my favorite blog.

African dwarf frogs

The newest additions to my fish tanks are 2 African dwarf frogs ,I think they are so cute.I would like to get a few more.They are in with 3 pictus catfish and an upside down catfish,I thought the catfish might bother them but they seem to ignore each other.