Something on my Mind --Part Two

Hope you kept toque (and your head) on over the weekend. For me, it was just the usual 6:00 am start everyday, and with a further adjustment to write "2017" on all my cheques. Okay, so I'm not Mr. Excitement anymore (actually, I never was), but at least I have my mind and body intact.

Here are two more wishes for the New Year for you.

3. a greater accountability in Edmonton. Private education and, by extension, home education, has gone through the wringer these last few years, in general, and these last few months, in particular. Thee government has given the appearance of making sure those schools in question are using the government money appropriately. So far, so good.

But in doing so, the NDP may have revealed their true motive: Is it really about the money, or is it about something bigger? I don't know. But I do know that between all private schools (and most are not religious, by the way), and home schools, they have saved the Alberta government millions upon millions of dollars.

Over the years? No, just last year alone!

I just read where private and home education in the past five years alone have saved the government $750 million. Over the years, then, the answer would be billions of dollars saved. And in order to "save" the government money, by making sure it's spent correctly, it seems the government has hired a bevy of auditors. Let me re-state that: In order to make sure money is not being wasted on "wrong" things, the government appears to have added more staff--or pulled them in from other ministries.

To be honest with you, I don't know how many, for how long, and how much money is being spent. I just know that that there is something terribly wrong with this whole scenario. There needs to be more accountability here (on the government's part)—and I'm only addressing the education fiasco.

Earth to NDP: I have a fairly simple, practical solution: Let the private and home education programmes continue to save the government money and continue to produce great students.

And what about accountability in the area of shortsighted bills (but with far-reaching ramifications) that deal with farm safety, carbon tax, and climate change, just for starters? There have been rallies, protests, newspaper articles, and letters to the editor.

Earth to NDP—are you listening?

In its roots, the NDP was a populist party. They are neio longer populists nor popular these days. One way to improve things would be if they were more accountabie to Albertans.

4 a clear definition of terms. This wish is a real problem here in leftist Alberta, but it applies to any other left-leaning regime, media, and agency—and there are plenty of them everywhere. My simple point is let's all say what we mean and mean what we say.

These are issues I have discussed before, so I don't want to take up your time again. Simply put if we speak of "activists" when we really mean "anarchists," let's just say it. Those who defy conventional processes and institutions, all in the name of their rights (but never their responsibilities), are anarchists.

I am all for peaceful, law-abiding protests. I've done my share in my day. Let's have more of them. Protests are a mark of a free society. But blatant disregard for the law, is wrong.

And when we speak of "traditional marriage," the foundation of every civil and enduring society, let's not re-label it "homophobia." I am not a homophobe because I believe in traditional marriage. I'm not even a homophobe. Why can't I believe in what I believe, without being labelled something that I'm not? That's a pretty irrational and creative language twist.

My wish for you and yours for the New Year (or is it "new year"?) is to think through everything I have written about. It's not just an out-of-touch and out-of-control government these concerns apply to. We all as individuals need to start afresh, to hold to conservative principles, to be more accountable, and to express ourselves accurately.

That would make for a very good New Year.

Something on my Mind: New Year's Wish List (Part One)

This is a delicate time of year for most of us, that time between lining up to return those unwanted gifts and hoping to not get punched out by a cranky customer, and returning to line up at the time clock to punch in at work. Presents at the store, presence on the job—take your pick.

It's also the time when we make promises to ourselves and for everyone else.

You know: the weight loss agendas, the nicer-to-the-dog routine, and the increased friendly greetings to those dumpy, grumpy neighbours. News flash: the weight will stay off till about the second week in January, the dog will be kick-free till around the same time, and the neighbours will respond with a two-finger-or less wave back, so that promise will last all of about an hour.

I have my own wish list, the usual in-your-face one, and, yes, it is fairly political. It's also very realistic, unlike those other, seemingly noble wish lists we all grapple with. As I think about the government, I'm trying to work in a quip here about "dead weight" right about now.

The following are themes that I have wrestled with, so it's a mix of reflections on the past year (wishes that will just not go away), and vision for the coming one. They are as follows, in no particular order:

1. a new provincial government. I know that the socialists are in for another two years, more (gasp) or less (yea), but there must be a legal or political way (not always the same process) to roust them sooner. I don't know where to start to describe all the damage they have done, and I have dealt with all the evidence before anyway.

Suffice to say, they are dead wrong on agriculture, education, the environment, and natural resources, and they haven't even been in office for two years. This means they have messed up (or have threatened to) with the ground we plow, the minds we fill, the air we breath, and the riches beneath our feet. That's quite a legacy they're. (And they are leaving soon, aren't they?)

Even if the right party gets in, it will be years before the damage will be undone.

I know whereof I speak: I saw the same sort of political catastrophe in British Columbia (BC), when the Socreds were ousted and the socialists seeped in. They, too, made repeated and irresponsible decisions; they implemented flawed policies. It took years for BC to recover.

I see the same calamity happening here.

2. a bonafide right wing alternative . That would be the Wildrose party. They have come a long way under Brian Jean's leadership, and I think they are headed in the right direction (another pun, mercilessly intended).

It could also include the right-of-centre members of the Progressive Conservatives. Anything closer to centre would still be too dangerous. Somehow it is assumed that the closer one party is to the centre, the more moderate or balanced they are. No, it means they are further away from a right, conservative viewpoint.

And when we speak of "conservative," we use the lower case "c" (versus upper case, an actual party). Most importantly, a truly conservative party must be conservative all respects, in every aspect: morally, fiscally, and socially. Not every party that claims conservative principles is marked by conservative practices.

Their views would be right right across the board: big business, the environment, taxes, health, education, families, and so on. That would be a good start to frame questions for the next time any (wannabe) politician canvases for your vote.

Those are two New Year's wishes that I have on my mind, with two more coming next week.

Another wish is for you to keep safe this coming weekend.

Something on my Mind: It's Got That Christmas Look About It

It's that Big Day within five days (or if you're a really slow reader, three days). I hope you're ready for the turkeys, presence, and little angels.

(Yes, Maurice, I do know how to spell; I'm just being witty. Let me explain: turkeys [more than one...relative]; presence, as in people (invited and uninvited) being there; and the little angels that aren't on top of the tree; and they would be little angels (as in sweet little girls), until they discover they didn't get their special doll.

Christmas can be one of the happiest times of the year. A famous county-wide columnist wrote about that last week. It can also be, however, one of the unhappiest times of the year, for any of the following reasons:

1. The excessive financial stress. That would be excessive and unnecessary financial stress. The pressure to over-spend is unbearable; that is, the pressure to buy beyond one's means is the expected thing to do. It's just one of those tragic traditions we have in our culture.

The real pain comes in the first or second week in January, when the bills come due. It's like waking up after a wild time the night before. The wild night is now just a memory, usually a bad one. It was a good time then, but the reality of the headache, mess, and regrets set in the next morning and must be dealt with. (I speak only out of an active imagination, thanks.)

2. The heightened sense of entitlement on the part of the kids. The kids see something on television, or the neighbours got one last year, or they take a stroll down the aisle where all these useless, over-priced toys are at eye-level of a six-year-old. What do you expect?

While I think Christmas is great, there must be a way to curb the uncontrolled grasping for more and more. Kids become teens, teens become adults (often), and the cycle continues when they start having kids.

It's good for business, especially for Valium sales...

Also, there is a thinking among certain parents that the more you buy, the happier the kids will be. No, friends, the less you buy, but the more you give (play on words for you), the better off (but not necessarily '"happy, happy") the kids will be.

3. The work: cooking, serving, and cleaning up. Where's women's lib and feminism when it matters (as if it matters)? You would think that after decades of gender liberation so-called, the ladies would get this one right, namely, get out of the kitchen and make the men do the work—or at least help. Christmas is a prime examples of the failure of that movement.

Not that we as a family are an example of much, but we all have always chipped in with getting everything ready (food and house), serving and cleaning up. And no one is more liberated than my wife.

4. Relatives that suddenly appear for days on end. Christmas may be one those consistent times of the year when the moochers come out of the mountains I'm not referring to Aunt Bob, by the way, but if the snowshoe fits...

The other challenge is, Who are they? There appears to be no interest at all in you and yours, until there's a free meal and a few free beds. Now, if only you knew their names...

5. Getting creative with the turkey (the poultry kind, this time). Let's see: turkey jerky, turkey soup, turkey bacon, turkey sandwiches, turkey pizza, turkey pie, and turkey ice cream.

I find that turkey happens to be one of the most versatile meats on the market, and you can do a lot of creative things with it. This is perhaps one of Christmas's most redeeming qualities, at least when it comes to all the trappings.

So just a few tidbits of free advice for you, from years of not doing it right.

Have a good one. And by the way, scrap the turkey ice cream.

Something on my Mind: All I Want for Christmas...

I think Christmas is one of the "most wonderful times of the year." There is something about the genuine goodwill and heartfelt wishes that makes me feel really good, whether I'm giving or receiving. It's the time of year to slow down, play games, and do all those family things.

I believe lurking within each of us is that longing to express the joy of Christmas. I'm not reversing my views on human frailty and fallen nature, not for a second. I'm simply saying that there is an element within each of us that wants to rise to the occasion of giving and serving.

I hope you're with me in that you lament the crass commercialization of the season—which now actually covers parts of three seasons (end of summer, fall and beginning of winter). Just a little over the top for my liking.

On the other hand, you may resent the religious overtones of the big day. As "religious" as I am, my worldview is based on fact (followed by faith), so I have no issue with the religious-historical element to this grand season. Others like me see that the centre of Christmas is Christ (eg., CHRIST-mas) and His birth. Historical facts don't lie, so they don't need defending.

I do see the problem of the secularization of the season, but I am concerned about the cold abstention from anything joyous, fun, exciting—apparently based in the biblical side of things. These are two extreme views of this season. I'm scrambling to find the spiritual equivalent of the term "holy(?) bah humbug."

I humbly suggest that the truth, as usual, lies somewhere in the middle, a "balanced approach to Christmas," if you will.

"Crass commercialization" is a strong term, and maybe that is over the top when it comes to this great time. Which brings me to the business side of the season: being a bit of a businessman myself, I get it. Anything that gives the economy a boost, generates employment, spurs further financial incentives, is good.

"Good," of course, so long that there is nothing immoral, unethical, or illegal taking place.

Christmas trees in Walmart in August may be an irritation, but it's not immoral. Christmas ornaments on Costco just after Hallowe'en is a stretch, but it's not unethical. Spending hordes of money at Christmas may be stupid, but it's not illegal.

I have other issues with the secularization (a cousin of commercialization) of the big day. As you know, I sincerely believe that the revisionism that is taking place in our textbooks, news outlets, and including holidays, is a far greater threat than whether I can (or cannot) get Christmas lights at Home Depot in early September.

The polar opposite response, while not as dangerous, is equally unfortunate. No trees, no lights, no gifts, maybe even no turkey. That is fine and well, but please, don't use faith or Scripture as your motivation! Both faith and Scripture are key to understanding what Christmas is all about, and there is no place for extremes.

Somewhere in the middle is the true spirit of Christmas: It's a time for giving , games, and gifts—probably in that order. Not excessive or expensive, of course, but a balanced approach.

Whether you believe (or care) that there was a Babe in Bethlehem, I do not know. Secular historians recorded His birth; songwriters (eg., Handel and Beethoven) wrote about it over the following decades. I do not know if His birth anything more than factual, but that is a great place to start.. What I do know is that they acknowledged it.

We're just talking about history, people, not even religion. I struggle with the cavalier approach to historical facts, and worse, the misleading interpretations of those facts. And then there is the really frightening thing, namely, the lame justification of those inaccurate interpretations that leads to the mess we're in now.

You can celebrate the season without being overtly religious. Hardly, but it can be done. Christmas, first and foremost, is about a special birth of a special Person. It's a historical fact. Ignore it all you want, but just don't try to stop me.

You can leave the Christ-child out of your Christmas festivities, your songs, even your holidays. Or you can likewise ignore the true spirit of the season by moping about its crass commercialization and empty secularization.

I say let's celebrate it in a balanced, simple way.

Maybe I should have started this column earlier in the season, like at the end of August.