Some justice in Rehtaeh Parsons case

There is no justice in this universe but what happens right here, on this planet, when there are repercussions for transgressions against one another. Sometimes, though, you have to settle for what you get.

Trigger warning for sexual assault and bullying of a sexual assault victim.
Continue reading “Some justice in Rehtaeh Parsons case”

Some justice in Rehtaeh Parsons case
{advertisement}

Nova Scotia wine, after dark

My wife works at a vineyard owned by Jöst (pronounced Yost, to rhyme with “most”). We’ve had a few bottles of this — it’s not horrible. So, apparently, has Jay Leno.

Such feminist misandry — making wine out of foreskins! Those castrating Canucks! Someone call the Canadian consulate and have them issue a warning about roving bands of feminists taking over our country!

What’s that, dear? They “ferment four varieties of grapes in the skins”? Well, okay, slightly clever. Gimmicky but clever.

Nova Scotia wine, after dark

Our local canadate

So there’s evidently a local election going on that I wasn’t aware of. It’s probably something at the town level, or I would have seen signs driving about. Want to know how I found out about this election? Well, it’s a funny story actually. I came home from work a few days ago, and Jodi says, “We got the most ridiculous note in the mail today.”

“Oh?”

“I can’t even explain… just read it. It’s on the counter.”

I pick it up. It is folded in half.

Your Canadate [Local Politician] 2012

Ohhhh, this has promise, thought I.
Continue reading “Our local canadate”

Our local canadate

Local boccia player cut from team; send him to cheer for his teammates at Olympics

Our friend Erin (well, mostly my friend Erin, but she comments around these parts now and again!) asked me to help send a boccia player friend of hers to London to cheer on his former teammates at the Olympics. I’ll forward her request mostly unaltered.

One of my friends whom I’ve know since elementary school, has been playing boccia for a few years now and was on the team that is going to London for the Olympics. Unfortunately, the team had to cut a couple people (I’m not quite sure why) and he was cut.
[…]

What you can do, below the fold…
Continue reading “Local boccia player cut from team; send him to cheer for his teammates at Olympics”

Local boccia player cut from team; send him to cheer for his teammates at Olympics

The Apple Blossom Parade

The third largest continuous parade in Canada happens practically in our back yard. My wife took some great photos of the parade and posted them to her Flickr stream, but I wanted to show you a few highlights to give you an idea of how these parades usually go. I skipped out on this one to catch up on some sleep and housework, so I didn’t see it firsthand, but I’ve been to a few. I only regret missing the last picture, below the fold…

The RCMP usually play a big part in the parade -- who doesn't love a Mountie in uniform?

Continue reading “The Apple Blossom Parade”

The Apple Blossom Parade

Jesus t-shirt kid pulled from school by dad til they stop discussing being respectful

The story I mentioned yesterday has another twist. But first, I need to set a few things straight.

Everything about William Swinimer’s “defiant” wearing of the t-shirt that calls non-Christian lives “wasted” smacks of martyrdom to me. In a very small township like Chester Basin, in a school where most of the population is Christian and of the less than tolerant kind, Swinimer’s exhortations that he’s doing it to stand up to the bullies smacks not only of hyperbole but of outright fabrication. My first instinct when I read this story was not to once again assign blame for the situation on the ridiculous hate speech laws Canada has to suffer (which, yes, this case does have that fatal flaw at its core), but rather to lament that the school board completely mishandled this case and let it spiral out of control, taking action at the least-actionable offense to their, and all of our, detriment. This led to some misunderstandings about my feelings in comments and on Facebook, but they’ve evidently since been cleared up.

There’s a lot more to the story than the National Post discussed, though. For instance, via CBC, apparently William’s father John pulled him out of classes on the same day he was supposed to return from his suspension, wearing the probably rank t-shirt and all, when all students were scheduled to be able to participate in voluntary sessions on how to discuss religion without being disrespectful of others. Evidently William could have opted out, but his father opted him right the hell out of school altogether.

But John Swinimer said he wants Forest Heights Community School in Chester Basin, Lunenburg County, to only teach the basic courses, leaving religion out of it.

“He will not attend this school unless they are having reading, writing and arithmetic — good old-fashioned academics,” he said, waving a New Testament bible. “When they’re having forums, when they’re having other extra-curricular activity, he will not attend that school.”

Emphasis mine.
Continue reading “Jesus t-shirt kid pulled from school by dad til they stop discussing being respectful”

Jesus t-shirt kid pulled from school by dad til they stop discussing being respectful

NS teen ‘defiantly’ wears “Life is Wasted Without Jesus” shirt despite suspensions (Updated)

It’s a National Post two-fer today, I guess, but I simply couldn’t pass this story up. On top of the local element, there are all the elements of a passion play in this story. Think about it — a young and pious martyr suffering through bullying at the hands of heathenistic school officials who are so milquetoast as to think his “Life is Wasted Without Jesus” t-shirt might be deemed offensive by those vile sinners who are simply trying to live life without His glory.

For the past six months, a yellow T-shirt with the slogan “Life is Wasted Without Jesus” has been just another shirt in William Swinimer’s wardrobe.

Lately, the 19-year-old Nova Scotian has worn it every single day since the vice-principal at his high school told him he couldn’t, that it was considered offensive, that it spewed, in his own words, “hate talk.”

Instead of peeling the shirt off like they wanted him to, Mr. Swinimer continued to wear it — straight through a series of in-school suspensions and straight through the five-day at-home suspension he’s currently serving.

Continue reading “NS teen ‘defiantly’ wears “Life is Wasted Without Jesus” shirt despite suspensions (Updated)”

NS teen ‘defiantly’ wears “Life is Wasted Without Jesus” shirt despite suspensions (Updated)

James Randi in Halifax Sept. 30th

I need to see this. I’ll have to get off work early to make this visit, but this might be my last chance to see the man that took out Uri Geller in person. James Randi’s doing a tour of Canada, and his ultimate destination is St. Mary’s University in Halifax.

Randi will be speaking on human psychology and the ease with which it can be manipulated to convince people to believe in psychics, UFOs, ghosts, and other paranormal and pseudo-scientific claims.

This unique and provocative lecture is not only educational but also highly entertaining. It appeals to persons of all educational and social backgrounds and provides a rational perspective on the seemingly paranormal and otherwise unexplained happenings in our day-to-day life. Randi illustrates just how easily many scientists (who should really know better) can become blind to the fact that they are not proficient at detecting fraud, often managing to fool themselves when the prize is sufficiently attractive. And he puts up a million-dollar award as bait!

Admission paid upon entry

$5 for CFI members

$15 for non-members

There’s a special reception for CFI members, too. One of these days I’m going to have to spring for a membership.

James Randi in Halifax Sept. 30th