Category: Traditions

Speaks for itself; some animals are more equal than others…

“I think of the fall of Jerusalem in 69 A.D., and the fall of Rome, and of the USSR — no civilization falls because of external threats. They fall because of internal corruption, because of failing to be who they say they are.”

It’s no secret to anyone, nor has it been for a very long time now, that the political Left are infatuated with the politics of ethnic divisionism.  Despite all their accusations of “divisiveness” aimed at their opponents, it is and has always been they who gain the most by pitting cultures, classes and races against one another.

It has also long been suspected that the Left’s fetish for multiculturalism and mass immigration — even the importation of cultures violently opposed to their own interests — has more to do with keeping assorted socialists and neoliberals in power than with any of the problems those policies are accused of solving.  Suspected and met with apoplectic denials.

As increasingly pissed off Brits are finding out, the suspicions were truer than most would have thought possible.  Turns out the far-right kooks were right after all. (more…)

On the 18th of February 2010, Master Corporal John H. F. Babcock, the last surviving Canadian veteran of the First World War, passed away at his home in Spokane, Washington.  He was 109 years old.

With the passing of Mr. Babcock, there are now only 3 remaining WWI veterans in the world, two British and one American.  In November 2006, Parliament voted unanimously to accord a state funeral for him as the last Canadian veteran of the war, but Babcock declined.

As a nation, we honour his service and mourn his passing.  The passing of Mr. Babcock marks the end of an era.

His family mourns the passing of a great man. Canada mourns the passing of the generation that asserted our independence on the world stage and established our international reputation as an unwavering champion of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

-Prime Minister Stephen Harper

May he rest in peace.

It is perhaps some congenital defect in us, or perhaps just a byproduct of our Western affluence — having lived all our lives in a land where true hardship is virtually unheard of — that we forget the important things. Every year, at about the same time, we obsess over idiocies ranging from stupid judge tricks to immaculate lizard conceptions. 🙄 How all this tomfoolery came about in the first place is anyone’s guess; and it really doesn’t matter anyway.  What does matter is the real “reason for the season” and so, this being Christmas Eve and all, here it is:

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town.

And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear.

The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.”

So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. When eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Merry Christmas, everyone; and God bless.

…Always a soldier.

[This was originally posted on December 17, 2006 and now I make a habit of dusting it off every year at this time. It wasn’t written by me; my son wrote it (most of it, anyway) and today’s the best day to let everyone have another look at it. So kick back and enjoy, and I’ll say it again: Edward, you did one heck of a good job.]

Aside from the not-so-occasional “I told you so” that I rather enjoy beating Lefties over the head with, I’m not much one for tooting my own horn. I do not, however, have any problem at all with bragging up my boy.

Elementary school ain’t what it used to be, what with some of the useless feel-good social engineering crap that they try to to cram down kids’ throats these days. It seems sometimes like nothing of real value, especially history, gets taught anymore. But I’m not going to be ranting about that right now. Nope. Nosiree. Because when it came time to pick a project, my boy didn’t have to “get stuck” with anything. He chose his own topic and not only am I proud of his choice, I think he did pretty darned good at it, too.

Yeah, yeah; proud dad = BIG surprise, I know. 🙄 But here it is in its entirety, nonetheless. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

[And before anybody wonders, “how much of this did dad do,” the answer is: not too darn much. My part consisted of helping look up specific info and offering suggestions on spelling and grammar; some of which he took, some he didn’t. After all, this is his project and so they are his decisions and he takes responsibility for them. There’s more to be learned here than just history. 😉 I also added the graphics and links that appear in this post but are not in his essay, just to spice up the page a bit. The rest, and the credit for it, is all his.] (more…)