what's out there?

an open letter to President Obama from Michael Moore as linked by Mike Todd and agreed to by me.

Climategate. i don't think i agree but i'm willing to allow for the difference of opinion so i've been reading this blog for a bit now.

i love clever blogs and this one is definitely well done.

Jesus needs new PR will make you laugh out loud in spots as you laugh at yourself (well ok, you laugh at other Christians). don't take yourself so seriously.

crazy church signs by Chad Estes. some of these made my skin crawl.

even if you only read the Background story to this blog you'll be hooked but there's lots more to be checking out at Jesus or Squirrel?

best i can tell Of Wool and Water seems to be a buddy of Of all the Liars in the World. both blogs are honest and beautiful in their own way.

another tongue in cheek blog. can you tell i like this sort of stuff?

with our American friends just past Thanksgiving i LOVED this post at You had me at Idiot about the observations of a non-praying person around prayer and Thanksgiving. it's funny and again, don't take yourself seriously.

Grey Cup 97

that is why the officials count the players on EVERY play. it's heartbreaking for the Rider fans to lose like that but at the same time the Alouettes came back from 11 pts down in the last couple minutes of the game.

it's been a great year for football, and for many it'll be an UNFORGETTABLE year and an unforgettable play to end an unforgettable year.

prayers for the first week of Advent

found in "The Book of a Thousand Prayers" compiled by Angela Ashwin

Christ our Advent hope,
Bare brown trees
Etched against a wintry sky,
Leaves fallen, rustling,
Ground hard and cold,
Remind us to prepare for your coming:
Remind us to prepare for the time
When the soles of your feet will touch the ground,
When you will become one of us,
To be at one with us.

Kate McIlhagga



Your coming is like freedom to the prisoner,
Like the return of those long captive.
You are the movements of the dance I had forgotten,
You are the face of satisfied desire.

My soul is stirred for you, my beloved,
I cannot contain my heart:
For you have seen my longing,
And your eyes are dark with love.
Your love is stronger than death,
Your passion more relentless than the grave.
You will but speak the word, and I shall be healed;
Though your touch is the touch of a stranger,
Yet is your voice my home.

Janet Morley

Jordon Cooper - end child poverty in Canada

Jordon Cooper is one of those blogs in Canada that people need to be reading. he works for the Salvation Army in Saskatoon and sometimes the dude just hits stuff on the head so hard that it cannot be ignored. i work as a welfare worker but by comparison Jordon has a much better feel for the pulse of the poor in Canada than i do. i think it must be because he sees it every day and he must have a heart for the poor.

you absolutely MUST READ THIS POST by Jordon, part of which quotes Ed Broadbent.

i'm serious, go read that.

what are you still doing reading this, go read that.

Jordon just plain owns. well done.

Bohemian Rhapsody

h/t to of all the liars in the world one of my absolute fave blogs to follow.

dark dreams tonight

i woke especially early this morning, the only morning this week where i could actually sleep in, because i was disturbed by the direction of my own sleepy thoughts. i don't take much stock in dream interpretation except that i see dreams as an indicator of what i'm pondering while awake ... and that's why i'm bothered by my dreams. the thoughts i've been pondering during the day have not been particularly dark and yet my thoughts at night, well they were dark. i won't get into it because it wouldn't enlighten you and it'd only embarrass me.
i cannot let fear take ahold of me. i am loved and i am supported much more than i know. i will be prayed for today just like i was prayed for yesterday. even if i'm in the dark i am not alone. Jesus is there and the Spirit will bring light where there has only been darkness.

Abba, speak truth to the dark spaces of my life. bring light where there is only confusion and darkness in my life. show my path to me and even if i cannot see the path then hold my hand and lead on.

22 days til Copenhagen

very very soon World Leaders will meet in Copenhagen to address climate change issues in this world. the Kyoto Accord will need updating and my own country will need to take responsibility for its own share of the mess we've created with our greenhouse gas emissions. you'll find below a letter that i, as well as many in my community, will be sending to my Member of Parliament so that these matters can begin to be addressed. i'm also seriously considering firing this same letter off other MP's and perhaps to the Prime Minister himself.
it should be noted that actual letters carry more weight in caucus as opposed to an email since its more labour intensive to write and send in a letter. my own letter will pretty much look the same as the one i post below.

Proposed Letter to
Pat Martin, MP Winnipeg Centre
892 Sargent Ave
Winnipeg, MB
R3E 0C7

Dear Sir,

I am writing you to urge you to call for immediate federal government action to substantially reduce Canada's greenhouse gas emissions. Scientific evidence indicates that we must reduce these emissions by 25-40% based on 1990 levels before 2020 if we are to avoid catastrophic climate change.

Canada has one of the highest per capita greenhouse gas emissions in the world. Canada is also standing in the way of a meaningful global agreement on reducing these emissions which will diminish the future of our children and our children's children. Other wealthy oil producing northern countries such as Norway have made these commitments. Canada must not be left behind - part of the problem rather than part of the solution. This is not the Canadian way.

I am committing to doing my part. I am personally committing myself to:

1) Walking or using the bus to travel to work rather than using my car (1 tonne/yr CO2).
2) Improving the heating efficiency of my house by at least 25% (1-2 tonnes CO2/yr).
3) Purchasing organic produce (to reduce the use of GHG producing fertilizers)(unknown but substantial).

But this won't be enough. We need Canada wide policies. As my representative in the Federal Government, I urge you to make a similar personal commitment and to insist that Canada become a leader rather than a problem in facing the greatest challenge of this century.

Yours sincerely,

Ian Fergusson