Oh sure. Like I wasn’t gonna post this…

Mark Steyn:
“This is a brilliant piece. Kathy Shaidle should turn it into a book.”
I make unconvincing noises of protest here.

117 Replies to “Oh sure. Like I wasn’t gonna post this…”

jt:
Peter Lougheed, in the early 70s, figured it would be a good idea if the royalty rate was set somewhere around 25%.
Ralph Klein was convinced by his friends in the Calgary oilpatch head offices that they should pay somewhat less … around 22% as I recall. Correct me if I’m wrong.
So, if Stelmach would increase royalties by 20% (4.4% in real terms), that would mean a royalty rate of 26.4%.
I’m betting Stelmach announces a 25% rate as Lougheed first suggested. At worst, it will be 26%.
Wanna take that bet?
Even though I’m Albertan, I cannot stand the whining of Calgary’s millionaires and 67% of Albertans agree with me.
Kingstonlad, be not afraid. You won’t regret your move from the People’s Republic of Ontario to the freedom of Alberta.

Psychiatric patients were being released from mental institutions in Ontario in the 1980’s, long before the NDP was in power…but don’t let the facts get in the way of delusions.

I’m a bit late to this post (work will do that to ya, ya know) but I am quite interested in the tone this thread has taken. As I posted on another thread I was called to minister and at the beginning of my ministry I gave practically everything away. I must admit I did keep my beat up rusty old Toyota but I did give away a much better pickup, house, money clothes and business. I then went to preach to the down and out in a small unnamed city and in so doing came into contact with a good number of people who were by choice or at least the result of making bad choices living on welfare.
One family in particular stood out because they were collecting almost $2,000 per month from welfare by hiding the rent they were getting from their farm and the income he was making as a journeyman finishing carpenter.
However most were not like that and the greatest problems they seemed to have was bad judgement. They couldn’t seem to see the consequences of their actions btw not all were FAS. When they received their welfare money they would rush out to get drunk or go to Bingo (no casinos available then) or buy something they didn’t need or couldn’t use and run out food a few days later. Among the others were those who had mental health issues schizophrenia, and psychosis rearing their ugly heads but one of the most dominate mental issues was depression. The sufferers just couldn’t get out of their depression long enough to find work or if they found a job they would soon lose it because they would get depressed and not bother showing up for work.
Then of course there were those who were dreamers. One sweet lady I continue to pray for thought she was an unappreciated artist. To my eyes it looked like she couldn’t draw a straight line with a laser guided ruler but that was just my opinion.
Others were just plain lazy incapable of summoning the drive to wipe their butt after taking a dump. Yet I must say that every one of us are made in God’s image and worthy of love. I know of people who work tirelessly trying to find work for the unemployed. A friend of mine is running a very interesting ministry. He gets church funding to provide welfare recipients work. He uses the funding to do odd jobs for the city and province things like tree planting or garbage cleanup. The church funding goes to pay the welfare recipients a living wage for the work they do. However they have to agree to a contract which stipulates no booze or dope and if they sleep in he has their permission go wake them up and get them to the jobsite. He says one of the biggest obstacles he faces is the people he works with don’t know how to work. Some of them are intergenerational welfare recipients and old habits die hard.
Jesus was very wise when He said we would always have poor amongst us. All our efforts are not going to eliminate poverty but then again maybe that is a good thing. For Jesus also said blessed are the poor. He then went on to say woe to the rich. Sometimes I think we look at humanity through the wrong end of the telescope.

Thank you, Joe, for your wise words and insights.

At my church sometimes people phone to see if they can get money for a bus ticket or whatever. The church will say sure, just come on by and we can get you to do some work for the money. They never come. A church can weed out the truly needy from the not so truly needy, but the govt. is not able to.

Joe’s comment reminds me of another little thing. More than half the construction income in Ontario is under the table. Cash, as they say, is king. Reason being, guys hiding income.
Hiding income because if they don’t, the taxes will take food right out of their mouths and they won’t be getting that nice little pogey check every month to cover the lease on the truck. No truck, no work. So if you want to make a living doing honest work you gotta steal and lie. Nice!
The cumulative effect on the morale of the industry is corrosive, to say the least, and it shows in the build quality. Lying and stealing have costs associated with them. You and I pay those costs every time an insurance company pays out for a roof leak on a new house.

Jesus should have done a means test and a little background checking before handing out loaves and fishes to just any deadbeat…
He did. All those who made the effort to attend were fed.

Stephen, you don’t understand Ayn Rand.
Yes, I do.
She is for smart people,
No, she isn’t.
don’t try to read her books.
Too late, I already have.
I found her quite impressive, actually.
For about six weeks when I was sixteen.

Iberia:
Re: Psychiatric patients were being let out of hospitals in Ontario …
That explains a lot.

For Jesus also said blessed are the poor. He then went on to say woe to the rich.
The blessing of the poor is the contrast between this world and the Kingdom to come.
The scripture on the “rich going through the eye of the needle” refers to a rich man having to unload his riches before entering the Kingdom. You can’t take it with you.

The scripture on the “rich going through the eye of the needle” refers to a rich man having to unload his riches before entering the Kingdom. You can’t take it with you.
The last sentence I can fully agree with but can you please square your interpretation with the following?
Nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”?

…the eye of a needle also could mean that riches will blind people.
It is NOT a sin to be rich. Money is NOT the root of evil.
I am rich and have money and I am not in sin.
That’s another beg-a-thon gone bad mentality.

It is NOT a sin to be rich. Money is NOT the root of evil.
Absolutely true. Scripture says it’s the love of money that is the root of all evil. 1 Timothy 6:10.

The last sentence I can fully agree with but can you please square your interpretation with the following?
Nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”?
The proper translation is “among you”. And so He was. The same meaning as Matt. 12:28 and John 1:26.

…at the same time I don’t want to sound like the guy who said he was rich, his barns full, and needs nothing, aka Leodecian church.

“That explains a lot”
Weyburn, saskatchewan was on the so-called cutting edge of that theory of treatment. Read about it.

The proper translation is “among you”. And so He was. The same meaning as Matt. 12:28 and John 1:26.
What I am driving is the verb “is” present tense not the prepositional phrase “in you” or “among you“.
BTW my post is a cut and paste from the NIV. Not my favourite translation but one that is readily available on line.

117 Replies to “Oh sure. Like I wasn’t gonna post this…”

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