Category Archive: 2009

Hot Chocolate

A good old parable with a moral that might explain how our world has dug itself into the mess it is in today even as it offers a way out.  In short, it defines stress as everyone’s desire to have more than others have as opposed to what they need.   You can read the full text here

A re-enactment of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham is won by the French …without firing a shot.  Canadian National Battlefields Commission chairman Andre Juneau says battle re-enactment plans have been scrapped, “because of the impossibility of ensuring the safety of the public and the participants.”   Quebec sovereigntists denounced the planned celebrations as an insulting reminder of their ancestors’ defeat 250 years ago. Many threatened to protest the events.

Harkening back to those headier days of Einsteinian Relativity, the Nobel Committee determines that, relative to his predecessor, it follows that the “glass is half full” with U.S. President Obama.  After just 3 months in office, he is awarded a Nobel Peace prize not for what he has done but for what he might be able to do.

Fashion Designers in England celebrate the 50^th birthday of everyone’s favorite material girl by unveiling(?) a line of Burka Barbie dolls for auction.   What can anyone hope to achieve by unveiling a veil.  This could be a veiled threat – but to whom?

(Hurting) Headitor’s note:  It should be noted that Mattel [the company that owns the Barbie brand] has not announced plans to market this line to the masses (catholic or otherwise).  Experts (that would be me and the voices in my head) speculate that this may be their Politically Correct way of ”aveiling” themselves of some free publicity and market tests; or perhaps they were just reluctant to eat into the prophets expected from their official new line of “Totally Tattoo Barbie” dolls that was released in April 2009.   Mattel’s promotional material read, “Customize the fashions and apply the fun temporary tattoos on you too“

Nidal Malik Hasan, a U.S. Army major serving as a psychiatrist killed 13 and wounded 32 others at Fort Hood, Texas.  An American-born Muslim of Palestinian descent, he once lectured other psychiatrists on Islam, and stated that non-believers would be sent to hell, decapitated, set on fire, and have burning oil poured down their throats. According to The Associated Press, Hasan’s lecture also “justified suicide bombings.” Officials at Walter Reed Medical Center repeatedly expressed concern about Hasan’s behavior during the entire six years he was there. In the spring of 2008 (and on later occasions) several key officials met to discuss what to do about Hasan. According to NPR, fellow students and faculty were strongly troubled by Hasan’s behavior, which they described as “disconnected,” “aloof,” “paranoid,” “belligerent,” and “schizoid.” He was also the subject of at least one FBI investigation prior to the shootings but the FBI terrorism task force had determined him not to be a threat prior to the shooting.

A recent audit found that the guys who are watching your books like a vulture, have lost $3million since 1999 because hundreds of former Revenue employees were mistakenly left on payroll after they quit or were let go.  Meanwhile, a little further down the road, the other guys who are guarding our gold reserve at the Royal Canadian Mint lost track of $15.3 million in gold.  Fortunately, after spending $1.3million on follow-up audits it turned out the Mint was only guilty of not being able to count – that and an accidental garage sale that saw $3 million in gold sold at well below market value to some US refineries.