It's May?!

What?? Tomorrow is May 1??? Where has the year gone? Feels like it was just Christmas.

I am having fun right now. I'm tired, but it's great!

1. I am involved in a political campaign right now at the provincial level. That is fun on so many levels. I know that some of you might think that I should be in therapy probably, but this is me. :-)

2. I am enjoying the challenge of my new role as Director of Comox Valley Christian School. There is a learning curve, but there are great people already in place and a wonderful parent community as well.

3. I am preaching this weekend. I am thankful for the opportunities that Pastor Scott gives me to do this. He is a great communicator - and - he's also a great listener. When I'm preaching, his vocal encouragement and 'amens' are extremely helpful! Without fail his comments afterward are always encouraging. That makes a fun thing even more fun!

4. The warm sun.

5. The Canucks are still playing hockey. This series will Chicago will be a challenge, but the 'Nucks should be able to pull it out. They need to stay out of the penalty box and really take it to the 'Hawks if they are going to win this series.

Careful How you Dress...

I know this is about the Bruins jersey, but it applies to all jerseys...

Scotty, We Need More Power!

I'm looking forward to this! Any Trekkies out there?

I love this time of year!

I love spring time! 18 degrees, sun and warm. Awesome.

Once I got up, I started off the day by doing what any man loves to do. I rented some machines!! Ok, they weren't that exciting, but they were still pretty good. The aerator punched holes in the lawn to try and get the grass growing better.

After that, it was time to get the garden tilled. That took a fair bit of time and was pretty tiring. . I know it isn't tiring compared to using a pick and shovel like the rest of the world, but it was...ok it wasn't that bad.

Grandma Helen Brown is downsizing her garden so we are going to be using half of her garden space as well. So I went over and spent an hour getting Helen's half of the garden tilled. I will get to ours later.

Its great to get into spring!

Funny thing though - I was talking to a Telus operator while getting support for an issue with my phone. Usually when I'm waiting for something with an operator, I'll ask them where they are working from. This operator said she was from Calgary. So, I asked how the weather was. She said it was snowing and -5 Celsius and had been for 3 days! ha ha ha!! Not only do Albertans have 2 sucky hockey teams they can have snow at pretty much any month of the year!!

Canadians Should Expect Swine Flu to Worsen

Canadians should expect to see more severe cases of swine flu — including some deaths from the virus — as the outbreak spreads, the country's chief public health officer warned Monday. Details here

Canada considering travel advisory to Mexico...here

Dangerous Swine Flu IN BC

There is a dangerous new flu making the rounds in Mexico. World Health Organization officials are very concerned about the possibility of a pandemic worldwide. The disease has passed from animal to human and is now passing human to human in the same way as ordinary flu. However, the consequences are much more serious as our bodies do not know how to fight the virus. If you know anyone that has been to Mexico (especially Mexico city) in the past few weeks and now has flu like symptoms, it may be good to be checked out.

GENEVA — A new flu virus that has killed up to 81 people in Mexico — 13 more than previously reported — could start a global epidemic, the World Health Organization warned Saturday as the disease spread further in the United States and Mexico.

The Mexican government says the flu has probably killed 81 people, raising the likely death toll from 68, and that more than 1,300 people were believed to have been infected with the new strain, which causes severe respiratory illnesses.

Fears of a lethal pandemic lie in the nature of flu germs, which mutate readily and can become virulent by exchanging genes with related influenza viruses. While the H5N1 bird virus that spread across Asia in the last few years, killing millions of fowl and several hundred people, never gained genes to spread easily among humans, the Mexican swine flu already has, said Malik Peiris, a microbiologist from the University of Hong Kong.

“The concern is that this virus has the ability to transmit from humans to humans because a number of the cases who got infection have had no direct exposure to swine,” said Peiris, who has studied the SARS and avian flu viruses. “That is certainly a cause for concern.” More here

UPDATE: 4 cases of swine flu confirmed in Nova Scotia, 2 in B.C.

Electioneering...

If you've been wondering where my political rants have been, please check www.craigmillar.ca or www.comoxvalleyview.blogspot.com

Life Update

Well, it has been a week since I posted! That's not good. It's not for lack of trying, though!
I have been having computer issues both with home computer and with my laptop.

Here's some of what has been going on.

I have been appointed as 'School Director' at Comox Valley Christian School. This is basically to have the oversight of the day to day operations of the school. CVCS is part of what God has called our Church to in equipping the generations to be what God has called them to be. It is part of our mandate to see the Kingdom of God touch the world. It poses new and interesting challenges on a variety of fronts for me. I'm looking forward to seeing God at work as we move forward.

John and Eloise Bergen spoke at CVCS chapel as well as our 50+ conference and our weekend services. They have a powerful, sobering and impacting testimony. After being attacked and brutally assaulted in Kenya last July- left for dead in fact - they responded with forgiveness. The presence of God is evident on their countenance and in any interaction with them. Listening to the story was very intense for me personally. In talking with others in our life, we realize that very often we are not quick to forgive. And most of the time, our issues tend to be about relatively minor or trivial things.

John also noted something that is food for thought. He said that what is inside a toothpaste tube comes out when pressure is applied. Similarly, what is actually inside of us (anger, bitterness, resentment, unforgiveness, etc.) will come out through our lives. We often want to point the finger to blame a situation for 'causing' our attitude. However, we need to ask Jesus what is going on inside of us instead and ask Him to bring healing to our lives.

We Want to Die in Each Other's Arms.

The sanctity and value of life is continually under assault. There's a new front opening in Switzerland that we will probably have to engage at some point here in Canada. I really love my wife, but this creeps me out.

The head of a controversial assisted-suicide group in Switzerland says he will seek legal permission to help a Canadian woman and other healthy people like her kill themselves, raising startling new issues in the emotional debate over euthanasia.

Betty Coumbias, an elderly Vancouver resident, has indicated she wants to die alongside her husband, George, who suffers from severe heart disease.

Mrs. Coumbias explains in the documentary, The Suicide Tourist, why she would take her own life despite being generally healthy.

"From the day we got married, [my husband] was all my life," she tells Mr. Minelli. "I love my two daughters, but I love him more, and I don't think I can face life without him, and since we read about Dignitas, we felt what would be better than to die together, you know, to die in each other's arms?"

The article goes on to say:

People sometimes want to die after losing a spouse because of pure loneliness, but the condition is not irreversible, argued Prof. Somerville. She recalled a doctor telling her at a conference in the Netherlands, which has a similar liberal approach to assisted suicide as Switzerland, about how she gave a lethal injection to an elderly woman who had repeatedly asked to die after her husband had passed away. Prof. Somerville said she asked the physician if anyone had suggested simply buying the lonely woman a cat.

"She said, ‘No, but what a remarkable idea. Next time we'll try that.' "

10% drinks 53%

With drinking problems in my extended family, I personally don't have any time for drinking (the cost and social cost is very high) myself, but do realize that many don't have an issue with it.

A study from the University of Victoria's Centre for Addictions found that a few people actually drink the majority of alcohol. I was astonished at the figures.

The study, based on a national telephone survey of 13,909 people, found that 53 per cent of the alcohol consumed across the country goes to a heavy-drinking 10 per cent of Canadians in the 15-and-over age range.

That's a lot of alcohol by a few people. Some individuals and families are paying a high price mentally, emotionally, and financially. It's important that we have grace for and are available to help those that struggle with this issue.

Go Canucks Go!

This will get you going...Here's some memories from 1994 Vancouver Calgary to get you going...If you only have a minute watch the last minute - it's awesome!

Christmas in April!

It's here - Christmas has come again!!! If you're a hockey fan, and more specifically a Canuck fan, this is the 'most wonderful time of the year'! It's hockey playoff time.

The Canucks missed out last year, but this year they are one of the hottest teams in the league over the past 2.5 months. They will be playing St. Louis Blues to begin the playoffs,. St. Louis rode the best record in the NHL over the 2nd half of the season to climb from 15th to 6th place.

Its going to be a tough one...

It is a best of seven game series.

Here's how it matches up for me:
Goaltending - Canucks
Defence - draw - St. Louis has better mobility on defense; Canucks have more experience and a bit more physical.
Forwards - slight edge to Canucks; 1 great line, 2 solid lines and a strong 4th line.
Intangibles - slight edge Vancouver. Both teams have battled adversity, but I think Vancouver is a bit hungrier. Both were written off earlier in the season, but are now meeting in the playoffs.

Prediction: Canucks in 6

What do you think?

Dumb

Here's why criminals get caught - they're DUMB!

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Authorities say two Port St. Lucie woman tried to steal nearly $200 worth of merchandise from a Wal-Mart but got caught because they left packets of recently developed pictures in their abandoned shopping carts.

Police say a self-checkout cashier noticed two women scan and pay for $70 worth of items Thursday, but the bagged groceries in their carts appeared worth much more. When the cashier asked to see their receipt, the women took off.

Among all the merchandise that hadn't been paid for, store officials found two packets of recently developed pictures. The cashier identified the women in the photos, and the name and phone number on the envelopes turned out to belong to one of the women.

Both women face retail theft charges.

Launch

My new political commentary blog is launching today. Click here to get there. If that doesn't work, you cna go to www.comoxvalleyview.blogspot.com

Do You Have to be Told?

With people doing stupid things and many associated lawsuits, companies have to be very specific about what their product can and cannot be used for. But you'd think that there has got to be a limit to people's stupidity...
Apparently not. According to that classic book, Uncle John's Bathroom Reader these are actual warning labels!

On children's cough syrup: "Do not drive car or operate machinery."

On a motorcycle mirror: "Objects in the mirror are actually behind you."

On a box of sleeping pills: "May cause drowsiness"

On a bag of peanuts: "This product contains nuts"

On an iron: "Never iron clothes on the body"

On a hammer: "Do not use to strike any solid object"

They 'should be shot'?

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams hit a new low with his rhetoric, even by his standards. He affixes nasty names to people that disagree with him. I can even understand his frustration in the article below, but saying people should be 'shot' for mistakes they made (and they were serious)???? Holding people accountable, discipline, firing, whatever, but his language is WAY over the top, inflammatory, and irresponsible for someone in his position. He should immediately apologize. I don't think he will though...

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams lashed out Monday at the province's largest health authority, accusing Eastern Health of downplaying revelations that it had missed dozens of breast cancer patients in a massive retesting exercise.

Eastern Health, meanwhile, on Monday disclosed that it had somehow missed 43 patients, up from the 38 patients the authority had revealed late Friday afternoon in a news release.

"It's disgraceful. They should be shot over there," Williams told reporters outside the legislature, attacking how Eastern Health had released information about the cancer patients whose hormone receptor tests now have to be retested

Giant 'Hand' Reaches Across Space

Read about it here.

Coming Soon

I've been trying to work politics in this blog over the past 8 months. I'm finding that I have much I'd like to write about, but also know that many of my readers are not that interested in wall to wall politics. Thus, I will be launching a new blog (in addition to this one) that will be nearly all politics. It's something I'm looking forward too and hope that you'll enjoy as well.

Why politics? I was raised on oatmeal porridge and politics, I think. My grandfather, mom and her brother have all whetted my appetite in this area. It is an area that I feel God would have me use my gifts and talents in. I attended my first real political party event at the age of 15. I listen to talk radio and have been know to mock 'stupid answers' by politicians and callers alike. I've lead political action campaigns (complete with megaphone...). I've been involved behind the scenes (door knocking, telephones, etc.) with municipal and federal campaigns. If you hang around me very long, I'll probably end up talking politics - local, provincial, federal or international. I am intrigued by the political process. I have even been known to watch the CPAC (Canadian parliamentary channel) for fun.

In any case, with a provincial election looming, there will be much to comment on. I'll put up the web address for the 2nd blog soon. It's going to be fun. My first post will be of great interest to Comox Valley residents...30+ million reasons for interest.

Swearing Lesson at School

A British school was blasted Friday after kids as young as 11 were told to shout obscenities during a lesson in swearing.

This happened at a school in Britain. It makes me wonder if things like this happen in Canada?

Expletives were written on a blackboard before a teacher explained their meaning to 30 seventh graders.

S.t Laurence School in Bradford on Avon, Wilts, claims it was part of a sex and relationship education program to "dispel" the myths of swear words.

But parents say they were not consulted by head James Colquhoun about the class and say kids were left "deeply upset."

One parent said: "This is a total disgrace. Our children go to school to gain an education, not qualifications in swear words. Most kids had no idea what the words meant and were forced to grow up faster than their parents want. Heads should roll for this."

Some pupils claim the teacher told them not to tell parents about the lesson.

Why Go To Church?

Someone emailed me this today, and i thought it interesting...Going to church is not the only thing, but it is certainly the place for encouragement, support, and relationship that only family can give.

A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."

This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:

"I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this.. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!" When you are DOWN to nothing... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!

"Mr. President, That's Not True"

From a blog I read recently:

In the continuing debate over human caused global warming, this is an interesting perspective towards Mr. Obama's 'settled science' on climate change...

We, the undersigned scientists, maintain that the case for alarm regarding climate change is grossly overstated. Surface temperature changes over the past century have been episodic and modest and there has been no net global warming for over a decade now. After controlling for population growth and property values, there has been no increase in damages from severe weather-related events. The computer models forecasting rapid temperature change abjectly fail to explain recent climate behavior. Mr. President, your characterization of the scientific facts regarding climate change and the degree of certainty informing the scientific debate is simply incorrect.

Here's who the scientists are.

Did I Get Ya?

Further to "We're Expecting", Happy April 1!

We're Expecting!

We are pleased (and surprised) to announce that we are expecting another child! More details to follow, but suffice it to say, we're excited!! (and surprised..did I say we're surprised??)