I met the woman below when we were both 20. She dated a friend of mine for a month, and although it didn't work out between them, she and I still keep in touch over ten years later. She married someone else seven years ago who has since had two struggles with acute lymphocytic leukemia, the second one being over this past year. They just had their second child this week, and were in today's Winnipeg Free Press. The Oprah show also contacted Darla yesterday and wants her to make a video about how she used Skype to communicate with Stu while he was in isolation, but Darla is unsure if she will be out of the hospital in time to meet the deadline.


THE FOUR LETTER WORD BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH

Gordon Sinclair Jr.
30/04/2009 7:52 AM

THIS is a story -- two stories really -- about life, death and the word that separates one from the other.

A word with four letters, as it happens.

***

The first story: I was walking my dog just after 6:30 Wednes­day morning, when a woman who happened to be out in her driveway called me by name.

She wanted to talk to me.

"A little girl committed suicide on the weekend," she began.

I asked how old she was.

"She was a 15-year­ old aboriginal girl," the woman answered.

Later police would con­firm that the girl's body had been found by two female joggers in a park near the corner of Bishop Grandin and St. Mary's Road.

The pretty little girl was hanging from a small and lonely tree.

Her name was Samantha.

My neighbour went on to say there was a sign posted across from the St. Vital George's Bur­gers fast food restaurant, which is in clear view of where the girl died.

"Winnipeg," the sign implores, "Let's wake up. A Band-Aid will not fix families" The sign is part of a shrine-like memorial that family, friends and even, it appears, one of the joggers who found the child's body have created with letters and a few of Samantha's favourite things.

A cellphone, cigarettes and a Slurpee cup sit at the bottom of the tree, with tiny candles and plastic daisies.

I don't know how the woman in the driveway knew Samantha, but it was clear she had some sort of professional contact with her.

In the brief minute or so we stood there, she spoke about all the people who had tried to help Samantha.

Talking to me, it seemed, was the woman's own way of crying out for help. Or perhaps for understanding of those who try to help the city's young and desperately unhappy, but can't save all of them from their pasts, their painful presents.

And the futures they can't see.

***

The second story: It was Friday, and a man who looked pre­maturely bald, and a woman who looked obviously pregnant, were seated in the Palm Room of the Fort Garry Hotel.

"Where are you from?" I asked.

"Winnipeg," replied the woman.

I was curious because they appeared to be staying at the hotel, which is where their story really begins.

The couple introduced themselves as Darla and Stuart Croall and they explained they were there because the staff at their three-year-old son's daycare held a fundraiser, then presented them with a surprise weekend "away."

The Assiniboine Day Care workers under­stood what the hotel stay would mean to both of them.

Darla was a few days away from a caesarean­ section birth. And Stuart is scheduled to have a stem-cell transplant on May 28.

In fact, Stuart has spent most of the last four months in hospital, ever since the acute leuk­emia that had been in remission for more than seven years flared up again.

He went through three years of low-dose chemotherapy before fathering their first son, which not all men who undergo prolonged can­cer treatments are able to do.

But now, as he waited for his second son to arrive, Stuart was wondering if he will be alive to watch the two of them grow up.

"I wonder what will happen if I'm not here.

Most of the time, I try to take it day by day, I try not to dwell on it. And most of the time it works."

On the weekend, what he was dwelling on was life, not death.

"I'm waiting to meet him," Stuart said of their new son. "Just to see what he's like."

***

A 15-year-old is so desperate to die. A 36-year-old man is so desperate to live. What separates their worlds is the word that gives life its meaning.

It's what Samantha lost, what Stuart sur­vives on, and it's what brought baby Bennett Croall into the world right on schedule Tuesday morning.

Hope.

The necessity of hope.

gordon.sinclair@freepress.mb.ca

When I first started watching this, I thought it was made by an actual high school kid, but apparently, it's done by two guys, Barats and Bereta, who have tonnes of online comedy on their website and on YouTube.



Makes me think of the good old days ...

... except I WAS valedictorian AND had mad skills in history, getting an 100% overall mark in grade eleven.

Word.

I went to the Broadway Theatre today and the man in the ticket office looked vaguely familiar to me. I stared at him throughout our transaction, then sort of stammered, "I was sure I knew you ... from the Fringe".

"Yes! Yes, you do!" he replied.

It was, as I'd suspected, Anthony Trombetta, star of Blasphemy!

"But ... you live in the Yukon," I said, even more confused.

Apparently, when Trombetta and his wife were here in the summer, they liked it so much, they moved. If you already live in the Yukon, how bad could Saskatchewan winters be?

I came across a rare gem on EBay today ...

The 357 Magnum Hair Dryer!

It gives all new meaning to the phrase,
"I wouldn't be caught dead looking like that!"

Pull the hammer to the desired heat setting,
squeeze the trigger, and "fire away" ... so to speak.

Okay ... one more ... and I'm done.

It's listed for $99.00, so the seller is sure to make a killing.

Recently, Mile's blog and mine just shamelessly rip each other off, but ...

This is the first I have heard of comedian Sara Haskins, but (according to Wikipedia), Sara is known for her satire about gender stereotypes in the media, and she writes and stars in the InfoMania segment "Target Women" in which she mocks products, advertising, and media aimed at women:

I sort of enjoyed this guy's bitter rant at the beginning
and the creativity of his door to door presentation.

Some fun facts ...

• Not sure about the Mormons, but the Jehovah Witnesses "bit in the New Testament that says to go around and annoy the sh*t out of people by bashing on their door" is Acts 5:42:
  
  

  "And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ."

  ... but that was after the Ascension, and not said by Jesus.


• Jesus does say in Matthew 26:10 "Why are you bothering this woman?": however, in all fairness, I am taking that out of context (but, next time someone comes around, I'm quoting it just to see what they will say!).


• Jesus wasn't around yet in Deuteronomy.


• Deuteronomy 13:11 actually (ironically!) says, "Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again."

Like so many other people, I came across this YouTube
clip while procrastinating.

Sadly, this is "so me".

The whole show, "Here and Now" is on there and is quite funny if you have the time ... or if you don't have the time, but you have a short attention span and very low productivity.

I recently saw this video made by a 32 year old man named Matt, who danced around the world, sponsored by Stride gum. In 2006, Matt took a 6 month trip through thirty nine countries on all 7 continents. In 2007, Matt went back to Stride and told them that he wanted to travel around the world one more time and invite the people who'd written to him in response to his first video to come out and dance, too.



These are the lyrics to the song "Praan" that Matt dances to in his 2008 video:

I will not easily forget
The life that stirs in my soul
Hidden amidst Death
That infinite Life

I hear you in the thunder
A simple tune
A tune to which I will arise (3x)

And in that storm of happiness
As your music plays in your mind
The whole wide world
Dances to your rhythm

I hear you in the thunder
A simple tune
A tune to which I will arise (3x)

I saw this posted on Facebook this morning, and got shivers.

I don't know about you, but I've always been a sucker for a sharp dressed man, especially one in a suit. However, it seems like, lately, the only handsome young gentlemen who come calling hand me a pamphlet explaining why I'm going to Hell.

Finally, an answer to housewives' prayers everywhere ...

Men on a Mission: a calender of "12 hot'n'holy hunks to knock, knock, knock on the door of your wildest, polygamous dreams"!




I found this Julia Sweeney clip from her show Letting Go Of God months ago, and I am so glad that I finally have a reason to use it!

Yesterday's episode of The Colbert Report talked about a dog Passover sedar that was recently held in Chicago, which featured a telling of the story of Exodus, the typical rituals and Kosher dog food!

Monday, April 25, 2005

DOGS PARTICIPATE IN PASSOVER SEDAR
William Hageman

The guests gathered around the Seder plate, in a circle on the floor, a book of instructions nearby.

Most sat attentively. Some looked around and fidgeted. Some scratched and barked.

It was a Passover Seder for dogs.


Soggy Paws, a dog wash and pet products store in Chicago, is more accustomed to dog birthday parties and singles nights. This was a first, said co-owner Kevin Richardson.

"Paul (co-owner Paul Rathe) was trepidatious about doing this," Richardson said of the service. "Would it offend people? Will people get upset? I called one of my Orthodox friends in D.C. and she thought it was brilliant. As she said, being religious doesn't mean you have to be a stick-in-the-mud.

"Paul was worried till he went to the store to buy yarmulkes, and he saw Spider-Man yarmulkes. Then it was OK."

Yes, the dogs wore yarmulkes. Quit snickering. They also ate kosher dog food.

It was provided by Holly Sher, who owns Evanger's Dog & Cat Food Co. in Wheeling, Ill.

"A number of customers of hers wanted to keep kosher with their dogs," Richardson said. "Even a number of customers who were not religious during the year wanted to keep kosher for Passover."

The service itself was less than 20 minutes.

On the Seder plate was an egg, parsley and matzo. Bottles of concord grape juice sat nearby.

The 11 dogs and their owners sat in a circle as Uri Heller, president of Magen David Adom, the Israeli Red Cross, conducted the service. The owners sang and read from the booklets. You can expect only so much from dogs.

When it was time for the feast -- a Seder is, after all, a communal meal -- the three Evanger's dinners that are certified kosher (duck and sweet potatoes, hunk of beef and whole chicken thighs) were served. The dogs made quick work of the meal, and the brief Seder drew to a close.

"I think this is great," Heller said. "This is the first time I've known of any dog food that's kosher for Passover. It's really a mitzvah, a good deed."

Copyright © 2005, Chicago Tribune

BUT ... before we Christians start snickering behind our hands ...

June 17, 2008

GOD SPELLED BACKWARD: AN EAST SIDE CHURCH SAYS 'AMEN!' TO CANINE PARISHIONERS
Stephanie Todaro

On any given Sunday at the Church of the Holy Trinity on the Upper East Side, the choir sings a melodic hymn while one congregant chimes in with an enthusiastic jangle of his collar.


He's Music, a golden retriever and regular parishioner. And he's not the only dog in attendance; he's joined by four fellow canines and their human counterparts as they all celebrate in harmony.

Dogs have come a long way - once made to stay outside, they're welcome at some stores, hotels, boutiques. And now, church.

While dogs have traditionally been allowed in churches for the Blessing of the Animals each October, many congregations are now welcoming canines at weekly services.

"It started because a parishioner was sick one weekend and felt like she could either take her dog for a walk or go to church, but not both," says the Rev. Michael Phillips, rector of the Church of the Holy Trinity.

"Then she thought, 'Why not combine them?' and she brought her dog to church. It's been happening ever since."

Music's owner Jennifer Goodnow understands how some outsiders might be surprised by the multispecies congregation.

"I met a newcomer once who started going to the 8 o'clock service, and she thought it was a service for the blind because there were so many dogs," says Goodnow.

The majority of dog-toting parishioners claim they bring their pets to church as family members, rather than guests. "We're pretty active in this church," says Pam Synk, a Holy Trinity parishioner for more than 15 years and owner of Goldie, a yellow Lab.

"You start becoming more active when you're pulled in by your children. You try to make it a fun, family place for them, and the dog is part of our family, so we all go together."



What does the nonpet-owning population think about the canine addition? Phillips says that in his three years as rector, he has heard only one complaint, from a parishioner who suffered from allergies to pet dander. Otherwise, the animals have been welcomed with open arms.

"You come to church to have good thoughts, not be cross," says Kit Bradshaw, a 90-year-old dog-free congregant.

There's even potential for pup proselytizing. "Rocco is my neighbor's dog," says Goodnow, pointing to the Boston terrier sprawled in the aisle. "He is culturally Jewish but not practicing. I think he's ripe for conversion because every time I take him, he just stares at the altar with his jaw open. He is so into it."

Rocco's conversion will have to wait for another day, because the Mass has come to an end.

The choir has paraded down the center of the church in a final, thunderous song. The altar boys followed behind, and as the clergy came to the end of the aisle, each reached down in acknowledgement of their furriest congregants with pats on the head.

Copyright 2009 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.

Unlike the woman who wrote this article, the people mentioned above seem to be serious(ly in need of help).

First of all, I want to make it clear that I love dogs. In fact, one of my most loyal friends was my childhood springer spaniel. I'm also not opposed to the idea of deceased pets being present in the afterlife. I also really like the idea of an annual "Blessing of the Beasts" service.

However, I would never take a pet to church on an ongoing basis ... let alone be foolish enough to believe that pet was benefitting from religious instruction while there.

Take for example Rocco, Jennifer Goodnow's neighbour's dog who is "culturally Jewish but not practicing", but who is "ripe for conversion" due to being "so into" mass that he "just stares at the altar with his jaw open".

1. *sigh*


2. How did she decide the dog was culturally Jewish? Just because his owners are? A dog's owners are not his parents.
   
   The Boston Terrier breed originated around 1870, when Robert C. Hooper of Boston purchased a dog known as Hooper's Judge, who was of a Bull and Terrier type lineage, who was bred with French Bulldogs.
   
   The name Hooper originated in England: they were the ones who put the hoops around the barrels.
   
   Awh ... it's all so clear to me now how they journeyed across the Atlantic Ocean to the Promised Land of barrel hoops and Alpo.


3. Of course the dog is not practicing Judaism! He is a DOG! Dogs don't practice religions!




Okay ... most dogs.


4. My guess is that, if this person is asking if she can bring her neighbour's dog to mass, she is single and lonely, and probably not aware that, if your husband or children just stare at the alter with their mouth hanging open, it is not a sure sign they are "so into" church.


5. Ever think of inviting your neighbour to church before their dog?

Curiouser and curiouser ... apparently, ready-made pet baptism kits used to be available on E-Bay!

Predicated on the assumption that theology isn't all that important, the kit came with holy water, a baptismal certificate, a prayer of St Francis and instructions for a baptismal ceremony that will "enrich the lives of both you and your pet". Each kit was hand-packed and blessed by Father Andrew himself.

I know, I know ... charging for God's free gift of grace?

I'm as outraged as you are!

However, before you declare that you don't need the instructions, take heed of the "example" below ...



... or, better yet, remember that ANIMALS don't understand THEOLOGY.