The Canadian Toilet

From the garden

2011-09-23T18:17:00.001-04:00

Find this today

Final an official Blogger app

2011-09-09T07:29:00.001-04:00

I feel really itchy from the hay at fieldwork!

2011-07-31T08:29:00.000-04:00

What an amazing feature, and best reason to start using Chrome

2011-07-14T19:06:00.000-04:00

joined Google+ today!!!!

2010-10-17T21:26:00.001-04:00

2010-07-19T23:26:00.003-04:00

Attention

Captain America movie.
Do you like the belt?

2010-06-06T20:09:00.001-04:00

This is a picture I took of my barber shop on Saturday when I got a haircut. I'm worried he might not be in business much longer....and the fact that he's 75!!!

2010-05-24T23:23:00.000-04:00

The long weekend

2009-12-03T05:24:00.001-05:00

Abelman’s Dry Goods
Kansas City, MO USA

Mr. I. Abelman, Mongoloid, Esq.

We have received, via post, your absurd comments about our trousers. The comments revealing, as they did, your total lack of contact with reality. Were you more aware, you would know or realize by now that the offending trousers were dispatched to you with our full knowledge that they were inadequate, so far as length was concerned.

Why? Why? You are in your incomprehensible babble unable to assimilate stimulating concepts of commerce into your retarded and blighted worldview. The trousers were sent to you: (1) as a means of testing your initiative, a clever, wide-awake business concern should be able to make three-quarter length trousers a bi-word of masculine fashion. Your advertising and merchandising programs are obviously faulty, and (2), as a means of testing your ability to meet the standards requisite in a distributor of our quality product. Our loyal and dependable outlets can vend any trouser bearing the Levy label no matter how abominable their design and construction. You are apparently a faithless people.

We do not wish to be bothered in the future by such tedious complaints. Please confine your correspondence to orders only. We are a busy and dynamic organization whose mission needless affrontery and harassment can only hinder. If you molest us again, sir, you may feel the sting of the lash across your pitiful shoulders.

Your in anger,

Gus Levy
President

2009-11-14T23:29:00.003-05:00

StairSteady

http://www.stairsteady.net/

via videosift.com

2009-10-04T09:34:00.000-04:00

Good song, don't care much for the singer....

2009-09-22T17:26:00.000-04:00

Think! For yourself...

2009-09-13T07:53:00.001-04:00

Had a face cord of firewood delivered on Friday

2009-08-03T08:35:00.000-04:00

2009-07-25T16:50:00.004-04:00

Something I miss about living in Toronto is all the great computers stores around College & Spadina. My favorite is Canada Computers www.canadacomputers.com

I'm happy to say that they now have 2 stores in Ottawa, and today I went to the one off Merivale (it's across from Costco in the store where the old CompuSmart was located.)

sweet...

2009-07-19T22:07:00.001-04:00

Watch 9/11 Newtons Laws Of Motion in Documentary | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

2009-06-26T19:14:00.001-04:00

2009-06-18T15:47:00.000-04:00

DOH!!!!

2009-05-15T05:34:00.002-04:00

Ottawa finally gets an APPLE Store

Here's a pic where the store will be in the Rideau Center

2009-04-06T20:04:00.000-04:00

This should offend someone...

Condoms are bad2
Uploaded by PatrickBoivin

2009-03-04T21:16:00.001-05:00

2009-02-16T20:41:00.001-05:00

Help decide what Hubble will look at next

http://youdecide.hubblesite.org/

2009-01-29T21:37:00.002-05:00

My Cat on Catnip

2009-01-15T22:56:00.001-05:00

OH NO

2008-12-09T23:36:00.002-05:00

I took this at work. We called IT because we were having login issues. We went to another room to use the computer there. When we returned this is what IT left us with...HA

2008-12-07T06:16:00.002-05:00

Well in this past week the Canadian Toilet has seen a lot, and I mean a lot of stinking BS here in Ottawa. I think it's time for a new toilet, one that seats more than just one.

Oh here's an example of the BS thats stinking the Canadian Toilet up...enjoy

2008-10-10T16:12:00.001-04:00

Reminds me of Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings

2008-09-11T17:54:00.001-04:00

Get the REAL NEWS...

2008-08-01T21:25:00.002-04:00

WAKE n' BACON

2008-07-17T22:27:00.001-04:00

2008-07-02T09:03:00.001-04:00

Historic Blockbuster Store Offers Glimpse Of How Movies Were Rented In The Past

2008-06-29T21:59:00.001-04:00

SIGN THE PETITION

The RuinedIphone.com BLOG

2008-06-14T15:49:00.001-04:00

I can't wait till July 11th

2008-06-12T05:12:00.001-04:00

I LOVE THIS!!!!

UPDATE: Sorry if this isn't working. YouTube keeps deleting this content.

2008-05-27T23:03:00.000-04:00

Movie Reviews

2008-05-18T10:06:00.001-04:00

Just like Tom Cruise, Ottawa's mayor Larry O'Brien has a relaunched website...be prepared.
www.mayorlarry.ca

2008-04-30T19:46:00.001-04:00

2008-04-09T06:30:00.000-04:00

Lightsaber Dance

2008-04-05T09:14:00.001-04:00

Archbishop appoints two exorcists

Jennifer Green
The Ottawa Citizen

Saturday, April 05, 2008

Ottawa's Catholic archbishop has appointed at least two new exorcists, one each for the English and French communities, replacing the region's last exorcist who retired five years ago.

The archdiocese will not name the priests, or say how many exorcists there are for fear of a flood of phone calls. Msgr. Kevin Beach says all the men are experienced clergy with overseas experience, some in areas of the world where belief in demons is more robust than it is in North America.

He said it wasn't easy to find men with the right qualifications, nor was it easy to persuade them to take the duties.

"I think they had to give prayerful consideration. If they are looking for the job, that's not the person you want."

They all have other duties as well as their new roles.

The archdiocese doesn't receive any more than seven or eight calls a year. Nor are the callers any more likely to be possessed -- in the past 15 years, Ottawa clergy say they have had only one case of demonic possession.

But exorcism has always been part of the Catholic ministry, even if it has fallen by the wayside in the last generation.

Under Pope Benedict XVI and his predecessor, John Paul II, talk of Satan and his minions has made a comeback. In the past two decades, Italy alone has increased the ranks of its exorcists from 20 to 350. Just before Christmas, Rome's chief exorcist, Gabriel Amorth, indicated the Pope wanted an exorcist in every diocese in the world.

The Vatican press office later toned down Father Amorth's statement, saying the Pope had no intention of "ordering local bishops to bring in garrisons of exorcists."

But the Pope clearly supports their work, and an Ash Wednesday homily from Vatican City reminded the faithful that Satan still stalks our world, whatever modern rationalism may say.

Exorcists describe the ideal candidate as a priest's priest, who prays and celebrates mass daily. He believes in demons, but almost never believes they have someone in their clutches, at least not at first. He is not someone who sees himself as a hero, battling Satan single-handedly.

"There are those in our society, even within the church, who have a kind of lust for this topic," an American specialist told a seminar on exorcism last year. "And I would advise you, if that is part of your motivation, either get rid of it or get out. It has nothing to do with helping the people who need it and it's a vulnerability in front of any demon."

Most important, an exorcist is a good listener who can lend a sympathetic ear, administer the sacraments, and, if necessary, nudge someone toward psychiatric help as well.

Jeffrey Grob, exorcist at the archdiocese of Chicago and a former doctoral student at Ottawa's Saint Paul University, says an exorcist in a large, ethnically diverse diocese might get 100 calls a month, mostly from women. The callers complain of bad luck, or they hear or see things they believe are evil.

But those who think they are possessed usually aren't, says Father Grob. He adds that people can sin with gusto, but it doesn't mean demons are at fault. In fact, ordinary sinning doesn't seem to interest demons much; they go for people reading horoscopes, playing around with New Age spiritualities, lonely, alienated kids getting into a Goth lifestyle, and especially anyone having a fun night with a Ouija board. Even that yoga class at the community centre might be suspect.

Exorcists talk about "opening a door" to the demonic, meaning that not everyone who reads their horoscope will tumble to the depths of hell, but that anything that loosens a Christian worldview loosens the soul.

Almost all demonic activity is in the milder forms of simple temptation, moving through oppression, obsession and finally, full-blown possession, a very rare phenomenon marked by superhuman strength, a strong aversion to church and the sacraments, and knowledge of foreign languages or esoteric information that the victim could not have otherwise known.

Any priest can administer simple prayers of deliverance for the lesser problems. For a full exorcism, the parish must eliminate any medical explanation and get permission from the bishop.

The priest conducts the liturgy, with lay assistants answering and holding the afflicted if need be. The ceremony itself is about an hour or so, but it may have to be repeated several times.

It is hardly surprising that Ottawa is keeping the names of its exorcists quiet. A Toronto priest who asked not to be named said he knew of no official exorcists in Canada.

The archdiocese of Chicago appointed a full-time exorcist in 2000, the first in 160 years. New York City has four, and the entire United States has just 17. Many bishops are loathe to appoint an exorcist, for fear they will get more calls from reporters than afflicted souls. Even their colleagues may have some fun at their expense.

The church has long been ambivalent about exorcists, seeing them almost as spiritual "waste management," says Father Grob. It needs them, but it doesn't like to talk about them, or even deal with them. The exorcists themselves shrink from publicity. Not one agreed to have his picture taken for this series of stories.

Father Grob writes in his doctoral thesis that priests often turn people away, saying they are exhausted and unqualified to deal with them. Sometimes a priest "bluntly informs the individual that he/she is crazy and requires the services of a mental health professional."

People may seek out "independent contractors" or "lone rangers," exorcists who operate without the bishop's permission. Some are retired priests, others are disenfranchised clergy "who view the ministry of exorcism as a means of correcting all that they think is currently wrong with the church." In his thesis, Father Grob says there are at least 12 in the U.S. alone -- almost as many freelancers as approved exorcists.

Most exorcists have other duties as well, meaning that, as more people call for help, they are increasingly growing overburdened. Burnout is reaching critical proportions, he says.

In Ottawa, at least, the devil is on notice: reinforcements have arrived.

To hear about the story behind the story, a long, strange trip from Waco, Texas, to Chicago and back to Ottawa, read Jennifer Green's blog, The Search for Meaning, at http://communities.canada.com /ottawacitizen/blogs/meaning/default.aspx in the observer: why the catholic church's renewed interest in exorcism pits priests against psychiatrists, Page B1

© The Ottawa Citizen 2008

2008-03-31T20:36:00.000-04:00

A fun site for April's Fool Day
http://www.ratemyleader.org/

2008-03-08T09:33:00.003-05:00

The Cats of Parliament Hill Blog

2008-02-24T21:46:00.001-05:00

Halo 3 Final Run Immortalized in LEGO

2008-02-19T18:37:00.001-05:00

2008-02-06T20:15:00.000-05:00

Kam Fong!!!

2008-02-01T01:59:00.000-05:00

2007-12-29T13:31:00.000-05:00

What century is this??

2007-12-26T10:10:00.000-05:00

Last night I went to see I Am Legend starring Will Smith and the cutest dog-actor ever!! The film is based on a Richard Matheson's 1954 novel of the same title. The film is awesome, a real roller coaster ride.

Go see it!!!

2007-12-23T06:05:00.001-05:00

HOW TO FIGHT A BEAR!!!!

2007-12-15T06:37:00.000-05:00

2007-11-27T18:31:00.000-05:00

2007-11-26T20:50:00.000-05:00

2007-11-10T06:33:00.000-05:00

GO BUY A NEW BIKE!!!

2007-10-18T06:54:00.000-04:00

I can't wait to sign up for this Inter-Net!!

2007-09-18T20:20:00.000-04:00

Listen

2007-08-12T14:16:00.000-04:00

moving bridges in Ottawa

Check it out!

2007-07-21T04:11:00.000-04:00

2007-07-11T21:24:00.000-04:00

Face of Boe pregnent!!!

Any Doctor Who fans, go watch the 7th episode from the first season, "The Long Game"

There is a story on the news about the Face of Boe at 5mins into the show.

2007-07-07T12:43:00.000-04:00

Home sweet home

2007-06-13T08:04:00.001-04:00

2007-06-03T19:59:00.002-04:00

My cat Buckley "on the job"

2007-05-06T22:22:00.000-04:00

No time to blog, got an XBOX 360

2007-02-26T05:18:00.000-05:00

The Hintonburg LCBO is closed!

2007-02-25T18:03:00.000-05:00

VideoJug: Don't Give It Up! How To Keep Exercising

2007-02-24T14:29:00.000-05:00

Pandora got a new cat carrier!!! I still think she doesn't like going to the Vet though, even in this pimped out carrier.

2007-02-19T22:10:00.000-05:00

I was out Saturday night and a friend told me about DIY antennas for internet wireless networks

COOL!!!!

2007-02-17T14:21:00.000-05:00

2007-02-09T03:51:00.000-05:00

Scientific American: Action-Packed Video Games a Sight for Sore Eyes
New study shows that an adult brain's visual cortex can be retrained, which could help people with "lazy" eye see crowded letters more clearly.

2007-01-26T17:52:00.000-05:00

The Rideau Canal is OPEN!!!

Here's a shot from 5th Ave, where work crews were setting up tables.

Remember Beaver Tails are $3.50 and hot chocolate is $1.75!!!!!!!

2007-01-20T11:30:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!!!!

My resolution...listen to the Stephen Harper podcast!!!

hours of fun (sleep)

2006-12-17T10:51:00.000-05:00

Thank you Time for selecting me Person of the Year!!

2006-12-13T08:33:00.000-05:00

Jeremy is in Calgary this week on business!!

2006-12-02T02:56:00.000-05:00

http://richarddawkins.net/

2006-11-20T19:10:00.000-05:00

Okay I noticed this column ad thing on Dianne Haskett's election site after reading Rick Mercer's blog. Isn't funny that conservatives are encouraging youth to "Question Authority" ????? Aren't they more of the "police state" mind set??? You know a police state like what's going on in the UK....oh ya after you kiddies are done questioning authority don't forget to check out the "cBoutique" (what a lame ass name) anyone questioning authority needs the latest Conservation apparel (and gifts!)

2006-11-14T20:28:00.000-05:00

MS Zune gets dissed on CNN....really funny

2006-11-12T18:31:00.000-05:00

Here are some tips if visiting Ottawa's ByWard Market

2006-11-04T21:50:00.000-05:00

I found this awesome picture of Alex Munter (Ottawa's next mayor!)

it's Alex with the Garlic King!!!

2006-10-31T17:54:00.000-05:00

Can someone explain why LCBO stores in the same city have different hours?? I thought there were more drunks in Parkdale than the Glebe...maybe I'm confused....

2006-10-23T22:13:00.000-04:00

INSTRUCTIONS TO PETER MACKAY

1. Go to the House of Commons
2. Stand up
3. Say "I'm Sorry"

I guess that is too complicated for a Tory...

On a positive note...good luck to Elizabeth May (leader of the green party who has announced she is running in the Nov 27 byelection in London, Ont. After cutting down a tree with a chainsaw on the Mercer Report she can do anything!!

2006-10-22T20:19:00.000-04:00

Israel has admitted it used controversial phosphorus bombs against Hezbollah in Lebanon in July and August.

2006-10-11T08:07:00.000-04:00

Download audiobooks from the Ottawa Public Library!!

Wow was i excited when I heard about this new service. However I noticed a special message to iPod users:

At this time, OverDrive digital audio books cannot be downloaded to iPods, or used on Mac computers.

Our audio titles, provided by OverDrive, Inc., use copyright protection technology from Microsoft Corporation. Unfortunately the iPod (and Mac) do not currently support copyright-protected Windows Media Audio (WMA) files.

OverDrive, along with hundreds of online music and audio book providers, is hopeful that Apple and Microsoft can reach an agreement that would enable support for Microsoft-based copyright-protected materials on the iPod/Mac.

To review a suggested list of portable devices, click here. Note that in order to use OverDrive Audio Book titles on a device, the device must either support the bit rate of 32kbps or be able to transcode 32kbps files to a supported bit rate.

Brillant! Offer a great new service but exclude the most popular digital player in the world!!

2006-10-09T10:53:00.000-04:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

2006-09-23T05:18:00.000-04:00

Chavez nod turns Chomsky book into bestseller

Venezuela's Hugo Chavez is calling the literary shots this week.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez made headlines for his United Nations speech on Wednesday calling U.S. President George W. Bush "the devil himself," but a reading suggestion he made in the same speech created a bestseller.

At the United Nations, anti-imperialist Chavez began his speech by displaying a copy of U.S. writer Noam Chomsky's book "Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance" and recommended that Americans read it.

By Thursday, the book had risen from backlist obscurity to be the No. 3 bestseller on Amazon.com.
-Reuters-

UPDATE: AS OF TODAY THE BOOK IS #1 ON AMAZON.COM & AMAZON.CA!!!

2006-09-18T18:15:00.000-04:00

Cozy's (in Hintonburg) has a website!! See you all at breakfast...

2006-09-12T22:26:00.000-04:00

Karina's bike won't start, so I started unscrewing things, oops...anyone know how to reassemble this?

2006-08-16T20:47:00.000-04:00

Free entry This Thursday noon till 6pm (according to sources)

mmm cotton candy...sugar...BINGO!!!

2006-08-12T13:07:00.000-04:00

Stress Can Shrink and Age Your Brain

Untitled

2006-08-12T12:47:00.000-04:00

Go see Clerks II

Blogged with Flock

2006-08-07T17:08:00.000-04:00

New Mac Pro's

Guess Who's Back??

2006-07-25T16:39:00.000-04:00

Yes, hero's in a half shell...

Blogged with Flock

Cottage

2006-07-23T20:03:00.000-04:00

Went to a friend's cottage this weekend

Blogged with Flock

Flock the browser!

2006-07-16T10:36:00.000-04:00

I just discovered a new multi-platform web browser, FLOCK!!

It's intergrates with most blogging services and works with Flickr.

Check out the ScreenCastsOnline to view a free video tuturial (#0057) on FLOCK.

It's only in beta but no problems so far.

Sweet!

Blogged with Flock

2006-07-12T08:16:00.000-04:00

RIP

2006-07-04T21:53:00.000-04:00

For Nick and Jenny and all the wildlife in Algonquin Park, all hail the false prophet!!!

2006-06-06T18:59:00.000-04:00

This a great letter from the CORNWALL STANDARD-FREEHOLDER June 6th

Islam and homegrown terrorism

Recent events involving an alleged "homegrown" terrorist cell raise disturbing, yet inevitable questions: are the accused - "friendly", seemingly well-integrated Muslim youth - isolated radicals? Are all "friendly", well-integrated teenage Muslim boys now potential terrorists? What exactly is Islam teaching them? Although there are many ugly caricatures of Islam circulating the Internet, informed Muslim scholars are quite consistent on the basic principles of Islamic "jihad." The term "jihad" means "struggle" or "effort" in the way of God. This term is applied to all spiritual struggles, including childbirth and caring for elderly parents. As Islam is a religion that deals with all areas of human life and society, it also includes religious principles defining concepts of just war, a more limited form of "jihad." For military jihad to be permissible, it must be necessary in order to prevent unchecked oppression: all other forms of patient endurance and dialogue towards change, negotiation or treaty having proved futile. For Muslim states, "defensive jihad" is legitimate if the country is attacked or invaded by a hostile power. "Offensive jihad" is also legitimate if there is evidence that hostile powers intend to destabilize or overthrow the society, or have violated treaty terms. In cases of legitimate military jihad, the following guidelines apply: fight only against those who fight against you. No civilian may be targeted; "collateral" civilian casualties must be avoided. Excepting armed combatants, no woman, child, elderly or infirmed person may be harmed. Suicide is also forbidden; hence suicide-bombing that targets civilians is doubly prohibited. In addition, trees may not be cut down, nor crops destroyed, nor environments poisoned, threatening the population with starvation. Rules for prisoners of war include the right to be adequately fed and clothed and the right to not be tortured or humiliated. When aggression ceases, then military jihad must cease, and a just peace established. Finally, military jihad is defined as the "lesser jihad," the "greater jihad" being the struggle against selfishness and oppression in one's own soul.

The rules of military jihad are difficult to implement in the present day, now that war is not based on hand-to-hand combat.
Nonetheless, these rules have never been "abrogated" by modern developments, nor has the Quranic injunction to "not transgress limits" been replaced with instructions to "kill and/or subdue all unbelievers" (another gross misrepresentation of Islam, referring to Quranic passages completely out of context). Rather Muslims have an obligation to protect the rights of religious minorities within Islamic societies, as well as respect the rule of law in non-Muslim societies. As repression of Muslims is now often greater in Muslim-majority countries than in Western democratic nations, current scholars have introduced the concept "Abode of Security" in defining obligations between Muslims and non-Muslim host societies. Muslims living in a host country such as Canada that provides refuge and security are required to follow all laws except those that directly conflict with their religious practices. In the case of conflict, appeal must be made through legitimate channels using due process of law that does not destabilize society or undermine its sense of security. If, after all avenues of appeal are exhausted, one cannot live as a righteous Muslim in the host society, then Muslims are advised to travel throughout Allah's wide world, in search of a just society in which to live in faith. As informed Islamic beliefs are different from the ugly caricatures of Islam in public view, Muslim educators have an important responsibility, both within and outside of the Muslim community, to teach authentic Islamic principles concerning jihad and civic responsibility. Providing proper education and good role models within the Muslim community are vital in protecting Muslim youth from the corrupting forces of radicalization. Yet the larger society is also challenged to understand and address factors intensifying this perverse radicalization. Contributing factors include a growing sense of injustice felt within the Muslim community that sees itself victims of unresolved social and political oppression on an ever-expanding scale. There is also growing resentment at what is perceived as efforts to demonize the religion itself, as well as its adherents, the vast majority of whom are peaceful. We in western societies must ask if we are supporting any misguided foreign policies that strengthen repressive regimes or destabilize other societies in the pursuit of selfish economic and/or strategic interests. Are new measures in the "war on terror" - measures that allow outsourcing of torture, racial profiling (above and beyond intelligence gathering), indefinite detention without trial or knowledge of charges or evidence (i.e. national security certificates) - providing security or fueling radicalization? Security involves reliable intelligence gathering, which in turn requires ongoing trust and co-operation between law-enforcement agencies and the local Muslim communities. Plotting violent actions is a crime; individuals that are found guilty, after due process and on the basis of evidence gathered without the taint of coercive techniques, must be removed from society. Being Muslim, however, is not a crime, nor is it grounds to be denied the just application of law or to be held in collective suspicion. We must all help to "weed out" homegrown terrorism, without inadvertently "watering" a new crop.

Barbara Helms is a Cornwall Muslim, who regularly contributes to the Standard-Freeholder, including a weekly column 'Bismillah.'
-Barbara

2006-05-28T18:23:00.000-04:00

On Sat May 27th my brother got married!!! Congradulations Tony and Krystal!!!!

2006-05-20T15:22:00.000-04:00

2006-04-25T15:50:00.000-04:00

"The minute you begin to do what you really want to do, it's really a
different kind of life." Buckminster Fuller

2006-04-23T10:57:00.000-04:00

If only these were on the bibles we had in school...

2006-04-21T23:14:00.000-04:00

Slamming South Park Censorship - Commentary

2006-04-20T16:20:00.000-04:00