Merry ChristMyth ;-)

John Derringer's 13 Days Of Christmas

Well, the 13 Days Of Christmas Campaign Against Child Abuse has started.

It's Week 2, and over $200,000 has been collected. John's show is on between 5:30AM and 9:00AM EST.

John raises funds and gifts to give the children and families who have been the victims of abuse a better Christmas.

Derringer is a philanthropic Radio Station Talk Show Host here in Toronto and is on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Center for Abuse Awareness.

This is an issue that I hope atheists and theists can unite on and support the cause together.

Here are some more videos from YouTube on the topic. 

They are painful to watch, but the children they depict have been through a lot more than you will go through by watching them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vbClNamISU

This one is for the theists because it has religious overtones.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jh3Iab4ziO0

Child Abuse of all kinds is a terrible crime.

It's up to us as a society to help. Look deep into the eyes of these children, be aware that there are other children out there suffering, and make these children, as well as adult survivors of Child Abuse the priority.

Preventing Child Abuse is everyone's responsibility.

His Campaign will continue for the next 12 days (usually 13 but Dec 13 is on a Saturday this year) and on the last day he will be holding a Marathon all day.

Don't forget to visit the online auction which includes rock memorabilia at http://www.q107.com and runs until Dec. 13.

Support his campaign by calling (1-800-379-8858) (Canada) and contribute! The phones lines are open between 6:00AM and 7:PM EST daily.

Go to http://www.q107.com , listen to the show on streaming audio and contribute there.

Or contribute directly by going to the following link: http://www.ccfaa.com/ :)"

Or contribute to your own charity in your own country which is fighting child abuse!

Thanks and Merry Christmas!

Lest We Forget

Atheists In Foxholes

Happy Halloween!

Witchy Woman by the Eagles

April Wine - Sign of a Gypsy Queen

Fleetwood Mac-Dreams

A favorite song

Today's Mix :)

Night Moves by Bob Seger

for johnnyangel, an angel with leather wings - the sexiest voice on the planet :)

Born To Run by Bruce Springsteen

Behind Blue Eyes by The Who

for my own personal psychopath/stalker/terrorist - the Weasel and his various and sundry skankwhores - 35th anniversary

It's All Over Now Baby Blue by Bob Dylan

The Future by Leonard Cohen

An American Prayer - Long Version by The Doors

San Francisco Nights by The Animals

for thedeviliam - one very cool, bright guy :)

Memories

I'll be adding to this album as I get more photographs

Rick Hundal. Obituary. Vancouver Sun

Guest Book. Vancouver Sun

Dear Rick

I know you won't be reading this letter, but it's more just a vehicle for me to express my feelings about you than anything else.

Kanval will be reading this letter at your funeral tomorrow.

Rick, I'm so sorry, but I just can't bring myself to go. I spoke to Rosemary yesterday, and she understands why.

Devinder, Jerry, Ashley and Graham are representing me and the kids tomorrow. They have been such a great support to me.

I want everyone to know that not attending your funeral has nothing to do with the separation that has existed between us for so long and our inability to find our way back to each other.

It has everything to do with the deep pain I feel from losing you.

Rick, I'm afraid I'm just going to break down there in front of everybody.

I'm having trouble grasping the fact that you're gone and I'll never see you again.

The pain I feel now is the same deep and excruciating pain I felt when Dad died. I never thought I'd feel this way again with anyone else.

I spoke to Rick Green tonight. He called and we reminisced. I've been able to give brief facts about you to strangers, but talking to Rick tonight was the first time that I've been able to really talk about you without breaking down.

Rick Green asked me if I remembered ... and listed off a bunch of your friends.

I laughed, and said I remembered each as clearly as if it was yesterday.

We laughed about the rope swing you guys had that you used to swing over the creek behind Rick Green's house, and the times you guys used to tease us, that friendly, brotherly teasing of all the little sisters, some of whom were my friends.

Poor Kim and her braces. The nickname "tin grin" just seemed to stick. And for a while, anyone who called the house asking for me got a chuckling response, "Sorry, she broke a leg, and we had to shoot her." My nickname went from Medusa to Mungie depending on the mood.

Talking to Rick Green, your childhood friend, and a member of your group of close childhood friends brought back a flood of pleasant, warm memories like the ones I've already mentioned.

There are a lot of them. Way too many to go into in this letter to you.

Lois, one of my childhood friends, sent me an email the other day and talked about how you used to come to her work place and talk and how she enjoyed the conversations she shared with you.

Her email reminded me of the times that you stepped up and looked after me, protected me, when we were kids.

Like the time that Lois, me and a group of our friends were hanging around at the local gas station, bored on a Friday night. Some of the guys in our group were riding around in shopping carts "borrowed" from the local Mall, while we girls were just gabbing, giggling, flirting, and watching.

Just generally being silly.

Your friend was working at the gas station at the time. He knew I was your sister, and other than keeping a watchful brotherly eye out on all of us, didn't interfere with our idiotic pranks.

Until, that is, a group of very drunk guys, stopped their car beside the gas station, jumped out and tried to grab me and another friend of mine, Kelly, and drag us into the car.

They were so drunk that Kelly and I fought them off easily and all of us scattered. I ran into the gas station where your friend was, and he went out and sent them on their way.

He also told you what happened. You tracked those guys down, and told them they better not mess with your little sister or they'd be dealing with you.

From that point on, they not only never messed with me again, but were amazingly respectful when we ran into each other ;-).

Rick, whatever our differences, whatever harsh words passed between us over the years, especially recently, I know you were a good person, who cared deeply about people and about me.

I also know, that you know, I cared deeply about you.

You showed your concern by making the effort to build a relationship with my children despite everything and maintained close contact. They both love and respect you and tried very hard to make arrangements to come but unfortunately weren't able to.

You left me so suddenly, Rick, just like Dad did.

Your heart went, you're gone, and now my heart has broken into a thousand little pieces and the pain is unbearable.

Rick, I'm sorry we were never able to close that chasm that came between us as adults, and the whys and wherefores don't matter anymore.

It was what it was and that's all that can really be said about it.

However, talking to Rick Green helped me so much.

We laughed together about the silly little things and acknowledged the more important things, your kindness and compassion, your honesty and sincerity, the way you cared about everyone, the joy you brought to everyone ... all of the things that made you, you, and are permanently woven into the fabric of our memories.

You were loved Rick, by me, and everyone whose lives you touched on a personal level, and you will be missed.

Always your little sister,

Kitty

Rick Hundal's Funeral

I've noticed a lot of hits on this blog as a result of searches for Rick Hundal since he passed away last week, so have decided to publish the funeral details here for those who wish to attend:

Family visitations:

Boal Funeral Chapel.
address below
Wednesday, June 4, 2008. 7:00 PM on.

Funeral:

Boal Funeral Chapel.
1505 Lillooet Road,
North Vancouver, B.C.

Thursday, June 5, 2008. 10:00 AM.

Further information can be obtained by posting a request using the Comments feature below.

All comments are moderated and will not published if you request privacy.

Rick Hundal died

Rick Hundal, my older brother, died of a sudden heart-attack yesterday.

We were close as kids but as adults there was a chasm between us for so many reasons, none of which seem to matter at this moment, as I grieve his death.

I can't stop crying and the pain is so deep it hurts right down to the inner fibre of my being.

I'll write more about him later ... when it doesn't hurt so much.

Why do the good people die and the nasty evil ones continue to live?

Songs and Videos I Like

Angel Of The Morning - Merrilee Rush

It's Mine!

Hysterical kitty cat video!

Happy Valentine's Day

The following was sent to me by a friend. Great Valentine's video :). Thanks!!

My Video Response :)

Segregation In Toronto!

We all had so many hopes and expectations for the New Millennium!

Sadly we seem to be going backwards instead of forwards.

This week sealed the deal in Toronto.

A meeting of the Toronto District School Board resulted in the acceptance and creation with public funding of a Black Focus Alternative School.

Call it what you want. Use whatever PC phrasing suits you. It doesn't change reality and it doesn't change the fact that in the New Millennium, Toronto is introducing Segregation into the School System.

It is the complete and full extension and implementation of the racist policy of Multiculturalism followed by Canada.

I mean what do you expect in a country which actually advocates the ghettoization of the population and has everyone convinced that this racist policy and ghettoization of minorities is intended to eliminate racism?

How does one eliminate racism by emphasizing differences and stereotypes?

Ask any Psychologist to give you a review of the research done on Stereotypes since the 1930s. The end result of this research clearly shows that a policy like Multiculturalism is not going to do anything to eliminate racism and in fact hasn't.

See my previous blog on this topic for some background links: Racism

And this week, we've seen the beginnings of a new racism. A racism that says:

"I'm a hyphenated Canadian and therefore require special attention. I want and am entitled to maintain my own religion, schools, language and culture. I don't wish to respect the existing society and therefore will create my own little world at the expense of all the taxpayers who are required to support my petty, provincial, narrow-minded outlook because Canada is a 'Multicultural Mosaic'."

What a load of fucking shit! Excuse the language, but seriously ....

Is there a reason why the existing secular democracy that we live in is not deserving of respect from these hyphenated Canadians?

Is there a reason why integration into this existing culture is a problem?

The fact is that if you look at the Indian community in Canada, Indians from India are more Westernized and less backward culturally than Indians from Canada. Arranged marriages and other outdated practices are disappearing in the large urban centers of India, but here in Canada, the Indian community is still fully engaged in it's commitment to these draconian peasant attitudes.

The cause? Multiculturalism.

Where do we expect to go with these bizarre attitudes of ghettoization?

Why don't we just make all schools Ethnic Focus schools?

Is there a compelling reason why Black children should be treated differently than other children?

We can now start a White Ethnocentric school which teaches the children Aryan Culture.

Why would that be more wrong than having a Black Focus school which teaches Afrocentric Culture?

Since most Indians are also Aryan we could have an Indian Ethnocentric school which teaches Indian Aryan Culture as well.

Then we can have a Semite Focus school which teaches Semitic Culture. Of course we'd have to separate the Jews and the Muslims here and create two types of Semite Focus schools as we did with the Aryans.

Sino Focus schools could be next. Again there would have to be splits to accomodate things like the differences between Chinese and Japanese culture.

Are we getting the picture yet?

Multiculturalism is a racist policy, people, and it's the one leading us down this merry path of Ethnic Focus schools.

digg story

Firefly fans. Find out which Serenity character you are :)

Are you a Firefly Fan? Find out which Serenity character you are :)

Click here to take the "Which Serenity character are you?" quiz...

My results: You are Kaylee Frye (Ship Mechanic)

You are good at fixing things. You are usually cheerful. You appreciate being treated with delicacy and specialness.

Kaylee Frye (Ship Mechanic)		90%
Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command)		80%
Malcolm Reynolds (Captain)		75%
Inara Serra (Companion)		70%
River (Stowaway)		65%
Dr. Simon Tam (Ship Medic)		60%
Derrial Book (Shepherd)		45%
Wash (Ship Pilot)		35%
Jayne Cobb (Mercenary)		30%
Alliance		30%
A Reaver (Cannibal)		0%

Health Care Ontario Update

Since there seems to be an interest in this topic based on my previous posting:

See tag: Medical Care - Ontario

here are some updates to the situation.

The person who died two months ago, and on who's behalf a protest and demands of government action were launched, wasn't diagnosed in Emergency. He died of Appendicitis. If this isn't a complete exposure of rank incompetence I don't know what is.

How can someone not be diagnosed, and then Die, of appendicitis, in the 21st century, in a developed country, with Universal Health Care!

On top of this, last month, an additional case of incompetence came to light where a woman was admitted to the same hospital for leg surgery and surgery was performed on the wrong leg!!

I'll update people on my medical care situation later when I find out whether I'm going to be in pain for the rest of my life because of improper medical care and treatment or not.

From what others have told me, and they're not doctors, my treatment continues to be mishandled.

Whether that is in fact the case or not remains to be seen. If it is, I will certainly be vocal about it.

Premier McGuinty.

If your Health Minister, Smitherman, was spending even a quarter of the energy and money on the Health Care System, that he's been spending on his Draconian, and I mean Draconian, anti-Smoking campaigns, perhaps we could have a Health Care system we could be proud of.

Do you get it. McGuinty? Can you honestly say that Smitherman has been doing his job for the last five years?

If he was, would this kind of incompetence be happening?

Are you really sure it isn't happening in other hospitals as well and just being covered up?

We need a Health Care Minister who cares!

Happy New Year And 100th Anniversary, Hundals!

Hey Family,

This is our 100th Anniversary in North America, starting from both of our grandfathers' (brothers, Hakam and Jewan) arrival in 1908 in both Vancouver, BC, Canada and San Francisco, California, USA.

One of the things that I love about us, is the amazing diversity represented in our family because of our long history in North America.

The religions, politics, and colors cover almost the entire sphere of possibilities out there.

We even have a strong and healthy number of atheists most of whom are techies.

We are the poster child for successful intermarriage over three generations, starting with the very handsome Grand-Uncle Jewan who married a lovely Spanish American Catholic girl.

Religion, politics, nationality, color don't exist as barriers for us. It's just another interesting fact about another addition to the family.

Anyway, it's New Years 2008, and I just wanted to send a 100th Anniversary Toast to all of you, wherever in the world you are right now!

Cheers, Love and Best Wishes,

Kitty



If you aren't already aware, Becoming Canadians: Pioneer Sikhs in Canada, includes us as one of the pioneer families.