Goodbye T'Pau

More sad news. A beloved pet has died. Although Pau as she was called hasn't lived with me since about 1991, I have visited her and only last week had seen her with my daughter. T'Pau was a Red Point Siamese which I named after the 80's musical group and also for a Vulcan character in Star Trek. Pau died today of heart problems which I'm told is not unusual for an older Siamese. She was a lovely little cat and she will be missed. Goodbye Paui.

Goodbye Dennis

I have to take up a few lines just to say goodbye to Dennis Uchytil. I went to high school with him and he's about the second person I know from my class now who has died. At the reunion's we joke "oh you're still alive." But it's not funny. At this time of life you study your mortality. And now Dennis is gone. I found this picture in my yearbook. It hardly seems like yesterday he was doing some antics in class or on the bus. He was a good guy and it sounds like he had a good life after high school and was well liked. He was in high school too even though he drove the teacher's nuts sometimes with his antics. I see kids like Dennis in school everyday. I just hope they become half the person he was. Goodbye Dennis. See you later.

No Borders

I just watched a couple of movies this weekend that are somehow related. On Friday I watched United 93 and on Saturday it was Kingdom of Heaven. I realized after seeing them both that we are still fighting the exact same war today in 2006 that we were in 1184. Why is that? Well I think that I realized after viewing these movies that it comes down to one common denominator. That is Muslim vs. Christian. Funny we haven't picked on the Buddists or the Hindus. No for some reason back in the time of the crusades it was decided that the European and now the Western world in general can't seem to get along with the Muslims. Are we really so different? Isn't it true that both of us believe in a divine being. Does it really matter whether we call him Christ or Allah? The devotion that the Muslim world shows to their God simply can't be imagined by the west. You know I can't say that I've seen christian devotion compete at that level. Why are they so much more assured and devoted to Allah than we are to Christ? It's a theological puzzle that I can't explain. Are we hiding our devotion? Is that the reason that we for example don't have suicide bombers and hijackers that are prepared to die for their beliefs? What is wrong with western christianity that we don't go to such extremes to make a point for our faith. Could it be that our faith just isn't that important to our daily lives? Makes you think doesn't it. After watching United 93 it would be very easy to say that you think their God Allah must be Satan to make people do such terrible things in his name. But when you see Kingdom of Heaven you realize that europeans seemed to have a similar mindset back in 1184. So what has changed. Nothing. The more things change, the more they remain the same. The war has not changed. The technology with which we fight has. This war is old and way past it's time to end. We need to forget those theological differences and find a common ground based on mutual respect and love, the love of a creator god who is all things to all people. This is my hope for the world. I pray it is realized before it is too late.

The Latest

I've finished the Flat Iron Painting. The historic Lacombe landmark is now immortalized in acrylic. I am sad and outraged (again) with the government for cancelling the Museum Assistance Program. They are destroying our heritage and our country.