You Can’t Make This Stuff Up

American comedian and actor Kevin Hart wrote a book called,  I Can’t Make This Up: Life Lessons. The things I am about to talk about is reported as truth, strange truth, and as the title of Hart’s book says, I can’t make this up. The title of this blog post, You can’t make this stuff up, is a common idiom. It is typically said when a situation, event, or action seems particularly bizarre, surreal, or difficult to believe. Personally, I (#blogger #blog #somseason #YA #authors) tend to use the idiom, You can’t make this shit up. Some consider it rude slang, but it is more my style. Never have these idioms become more relevant than in today’s world. Let me explain.

This past weekend, Mother’s Day was celebrated in Canada. What’s bizarre is a Manitoba school ditches Mother’s Day and Father’s Day to be “inclusive.” A memo sent out by the school said they encourage non-gender-specific observations of “all those who support our students.” Interestingly, the school’s vice-principal who sent the memo was asked whether parents or students had complained about the use of “Mother’s Day” and “Father’s Day,” but they received no response. It is not just Manitoba, as a Quebec school district apologizes after teachers cancel Mother’s Day & Father’s Day. Then there is a Toronto-area School that erases “exclusionary” Mother’s Day sign because a woke parent was offended. It’s bizarre, as Mother’s Day has been around since 1907 when American school teacher Anna Jarvis organized the first Mother’s Day in honour of her own late mother. In 1915, it became an official day of recognition in Canada. Mother’s day began in the USA in 1907 as well. It’s strange that this day is considered exclusive and there is an attempt to erase Mother’s Day. It’s difficult to believe but it is true.

These cancel culture movements happen because a small minority of people are offended. Orange book on Twitter says, “It’s impossible to never offend anyone, simply because some people will always seek reasons to get offended as a diversion from their reality.”  That is so true! Mokokoma Mokhonoana says, “Freedom of speech gives us the right to offend others, whereas freedom of thought gives them the choice as to whether or not to be offended.” Theses freedoms are no longer allowed is our country. Thomas Paine once said, “He who dares not offend cannot be honest.” Exactly.  Spock in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan said, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” What happened to “majority rules?” Isn’t that what democracy is based on? I recently saw a meme that said, “Why don’t the 99% of us who aren’t offended by everything, quit catering to the 1% who are…?” A great question. It is time to stop this nonsense and stop censorship.

A Boy is kicked out of school for wearing t-shirt saying ‘there are only two genders.’ What this 12 year describes is unbelievable. Watch the video.This never would have happened when I was teaching. Are freedom of speech and freedom of expression no longer valued? I taught Biology for 30+ years, and always taught my students that there are only two genders. If you have male genitalia, you’re a male and visa versa. You can claim to be female, you can dress like a female, but that doesn’t make you a female. Same is true for females who claim to be males. If you lack male genitalia, you’re a female. It’s simple biology. The fact is, as the old idiom says, if it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck, it is a duck. In other words, if something has the characteristics of something, it is probably that thing, regardless of what it is called or presented as.

To expel a student for speaking truth reminds me of George Orwell’s book 1984, a book I studied in high school English. Orwell’s novel speaks of the Ministry of Truth which is really the ministry of propaganda. As with the other ministries in the novel, the name Ministry of Truth is a contradiction because it serves to do the opposite. It is responsible for any necessary falsification of historical events. Some want to believe that these things no longer happen in our supposedly advanced civilization, but it does. Joe Biden is under fire for ‘dystopian’ disinformation bureau for creating the “Disinformation Governance Board,” which is likened to Orwell’s Ministry of Truth. Canada just passed a law where  Truth will vanish with Canada’s internet censorship law. Need I remind you that Adolf Hitler had a Ministry of Truth and Joseph Stalin had a Ministry of Truth. Now Joe Biden and Justin Trudeau have Ministries of Truth. Governments now decide what is truth. You can’t make this shit up.

Many continue to trust the mainstream media, but the CBC admits that it spread disinformation on ‘Freedom Convoy,’ retracts false story. Furthermore, the CBC asked social media to censor users too many times to count. Censorship is bullying (#bullying, #antibullying) as bullying is a deliberate misuse of power in relationships. Now the Ethics Commissioner confirms CBC lied about Danielle Smith. I guess that is why 4 in 10 Canadians believe CBC is Liberal propaganda. It isn’t just the CBC, as Health Canada regularly asks Twitter to censor tweets. It is also reported that the Public Health Agency of Canada makes regular requests to Twitter to censor tweets from social media users for “offensive language.” Censorship is wrong in any context as it removes people’s right to think for themselves.

Here is some more from the world of the bizarre. NHL goes all in on drag shows at hockey games. Even political parties are embracing these shows as A drag queen performance occurs at an NDP constituency—a Canadian political party—annual general meeting. A teachers’ union puts up unauthorized Progress Pride stickers in Catholic schools — and the school board is too terrified to order those stickers to be removed. One of the more bizarre things I came across was J.K. Rowling calls out Canadian male politicians for prancing around in high heels. Yes, you read that correctly. The author of the Harry Potter books, J.K. Rowling, along with other prominent women called out Canadian male politicians for prancing around in high heels, which was their effort to raise awareness about domestic violence. I like to think I have a pretty good imagination, but even I couldn’t think of something that weird. A Transgender lawmaker proposes deregulating pedophilia. It is being reported that a transgender representative in Minnesota introduced a bill that removes language from the state’s Human Rights Act that currently declares pedophiles are not included in protections based on “sexual orientation.” So, this lawmaker wants pedophiles to be protected. Wikipedia defines pedophilia as a psychiatric disorder in which an adult has a sexual attraction to  prepubescent children. Let me get this straight. People who violate prepubescent children are protected? You cannot make this stuff up.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) ponders ban of Fox News following complaint from LGBTQ lobby who claimed Fox host Tucker Carlson made ‘false and horrifying claims’ about transgender individuals.  Someone complained, so let’s ban Fox News in Canada. It seems Canadian and American citizens can say what they want so long as they don’t offend anyone. Then there is the Fury over World Health Organization’s (WHO) sex education about ‘early childhood masturbation and gender identities’ for UNDER-FOURS. Yes, we’re talking about children ages 1 to 4.  The WHO is giving guidance to schools about ‘sexuality education’ for young children, saying children under four should ‘ask questions about sexuality’ and ‘explore gender identities. Is this for real? That is just insane. Just when I think I’ve heard it all, then I read about Elizabeth Jean Carroll who Says ‘Most People Think of Rape As Being Sexy’ In Bizarre CNN Interview. This is the same E Jean Carroll who alleges Trump sexually assaulted her. I thought she said sexual assault was sexy. Why is she indicting Trump? You cannot make this shit up.

Ontario parents, teachers despise ‘woke math,’ but fear repercussions from public pushback. What is “woke math?” This stuff is hurting my brain. Then I read, Common sense labelled “unsafe” by radical school board. Common sense is unsafe? I don’t understand. The story is about a parent who appeared before a School board to express concern about teen boys who identify as female sharing an unsupervised non-gendered washroom with adolescent girls. It reports on the dysfunctional school board handling this parent’s address to the board. I’m still scratching my head.

Feminist group calls out Regina YWCA for inviting trans activist to lecture women. Now wrap your head around that one. A biological male who now uses “she/they” pronouns gives a keynote speech at a women’s awards night. That means a biological male is speaking to women who are celebrating women where one of the finalists for the Regina YWCA Women of Distinction awards is a biological male. You can’t make that up.

‘Trans Day of Vengeance’ cancelled, but Friday events still on. Apparently a “Trans Day of Vengeance” protest in Washington D.C. was cancelled because event organizers alleged there were threats made towards protesters. My question is: What is a Trans Day of Vengeance? It sounds frightening. Truth is stranger than fiction, I tell you.

Lord Byron, an English romantic poet once said, “Tis strange, -but true; for truth is always strange; Stranger than fiction…” It was Mark Twain who said, “It’s no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.” The truth is, I can’t make this shit up because it is just too bizarre even for my mind. The world no longer makes sense to me. It seems many people choose to believe the fiction though, but maybe that is because fiction makes more sense to them.

This is Stupid

In the video Pilot Has A Message For Canadians, the pilot speaks of a “disaster averting, lifesaving phrase: ‘this is stupid’” used in the aviation world. He tells of a deadly aviation disaster involving two 747s. He says even though a first officer expressed concern, the disaster still happened because “of complacency, deferring to authority and not wanting to rock the boat by questioning.” The phrase “this is stupid” or “this is dangerous” would have awoke the pilot of danger. He goes on to say that our government presently “has their throttle jammed full forward in a race for totalitarian control,” and the “voice inside you is saying ‘this is stupid,‘ ‘this is dangerous,’ and ‘this is wrong.’” He says, “your voice is useless if you stay silent,” so “you have to summon the courage to say no.” Since 2020, I’ve been saying “something is wrong.” The truth is, Canada and the world are at a critical point. DO WE WANT TO LIVE IN A FREE WORLD OR NOT?

Trudeau has never bothered to speak to the protestors. Instead, he declared an emergency while still debating the Emergencies Act in Parliament. In fact, the House of Commons suspends debate on Emergencies Act ahead of police operation against Freedom Convoy. This act has not received approval of the Canadian Senate or Royal Assent. On February  13, a  MSM’s New York Post headline said, Canada PM Justin Trudeau slammed for invoking emergency powers to stop protests.

Multiple Canadian premiers oppose Trudeau invoking Emergencies Act. Trudeau is condemned around the world for moving to crush protests. Some headlines were blunt as in Trudeau Invokes the Emergencies Act (aka Martial Law) in Canada … For a Bunch of Truckers. Independent media says Trudeau is marching Canada down a dark path. Billionaire, Elon Musk draws ire for comparing Trudeau to Hitler.  An editorial piece in the NY Times called out Trudeau for backing a protest by farmers in India that clogged major roads in New Delhi while attacking his own citizens for a peaceful protest that has blocked roads in Ottawa. American podcaster, Dan Bongino says “Canada’s Dictator Declares War On Freedom” (see Dan Bongino Show). This is a war on our freedoms. Declaring an emergency when there is no emergency is extreme bullying (#bullying, #antibullying).

Trudeau said when announcing this emergency:

We’re entering the third week of illegal blockades that have been disrupting the lives of too many Canadians. Here in our capital city, families and small businesses have been enduring illegal obstruction of their neighbourhoods. Occupying streets, harassing people, breaking the law: this is not a peaceful protest. At the borders in different places in the country, the blockades are harming our economy and endangering public safety.

Former Prime Minister Steven Harper said in 2005, “When a government start trying to cancel dissent or avoid dissent is when it’s rapidly losing its moral authority to govern.”  Trudeau has lost the moral authority to govern.

When the blockade ended in Coutts, Alberta, protestors hugged police. Don’t believe me (#blogger #blog #somseason #YA #authors). Watch Coutts protest ends. Still think Ottawa protestors are “endangering public safety,” and it is “not a peaceful protest?”  Watch the videos Canadian Peaceful Protest, and Food, massages offered freely to anyone in need as convoy protest continues in Ottawa. Here’s a video of the Ottawa protestors “endangering public safety.”

The National Post’s Rex Murphy: Trudeau’s monumentally misguided emergency measures are an insult to Canadians  says:

Here’s the mother of all questions for Trudeau and it is one that he cannot, and will never, answer: what was so difficult about having a talk with the leaders of a group of Canadians who found some of the government’s COVID regulations to be a grievous burden? When Black Lives Matter [a terrorist organization] flooded the streets, Trudeau not only met with them, he went into the streets and joined in on the their American-inspired protest. He gave them a knee and bowed his head. But he would not meet with the truckers. He would not talk to their representatives. There was certainly no kneeling.

Here is some history around this act. The Canadian Encyclopedia, says, when the First World War began (1914), the Canadian government  passed the War Measures Act (WMA), giving the cabinet sweeping emergency powers. This Act gave the government full authority during wartime to censor and suppress communications; to arrest, detain and deport people without charges or trials; to control the economy; and to seize private property. Most controversial is the WMA enabled the government to intern “enemy aliens” on the suspicion they posed a threat to Canada’s safety.  About 600 Italian Canadians and 800 German Canadians were interned during the war, along with Jewish refugees and Mennonites .

During the Second World War (1939), the WMA was again invoked resulting in approximately 22,000 Japanese Canadians on the West Coast being interned in remote areas of interior British Columbia. The WMA enabled the government to strip Japanese Canadians of their property and pressure them to accept mass deportation  when the war ended. I led many classroom discussions about the Japanese Internment, and students typically felt it was a violation of Japanese Canadian’s civil liberties.

In 1970, the WMA was invoked because of the October Crisis. A state of “apprehended insurrection” was officially declared to exist in Quebec in October of 1970, as a response to two kidnappings by the terrorist group Front de Libération du Québec (FLQ). This emergency enabled police to conduct more than 3,000 searches without a warrant and detain 497 people. The suspension of civil liberties in Quebec was controversial. I remember as a kid being confused about the controversy as many Canadians were angered at their loss of civil liberties.

In 1988, the WMA was amended to the Emergencies Act. This act defines a national emergency as an urgent, temporary and critical situation that seriously endangers the health and safety of Canadians or that seriously threatens the ability of the Government of Canada to preserve the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of Canada. When invoked, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Charter) continues to protect individual rights. The Government MUST respect constitutionally protected rights and freedoms (see Emergencies Act).

Canada’s Charter specifically says, “Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: (a) freedom of conscience and religion; (b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion, and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication; (c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and (d) freedom of association.”

Most Canadians feel the use of Emergencies Act is illegal because a peaceful protest is no emergency.  MSM’s National Post headlines, ‘Legal standard not met’: Two court challenges filed over Trudeau’s use of Emergencies Act. Ironically, Canada issued a harsh condemnation of the Cuban government’s sentencing of protesters who participated in anti-government rallies last July.

On February 18, in the once free country of Canada, Ottawa police arrest dozens of protesters, and start towing rigs, and Ottawa Police threaten media with arrest for covering enforcement against peaceful protesters.  Independent Media, Rebel News journalist Alexa Lavoie attacked by Ottawa police. Watch how RCMP Trample Elderly Lady With Horses. Watch how police use force.  The MSM’s National Post says This must be what Ottawa police meant by methods not usually seen in Canada. Look at the article’s disturbing pictures. Watch police damaging personal property in this video.

Watch the Fox News video: Tucker Carlson’s view of Ottawa events. What occurred is “state sanctioned violence.” CBC reports Emergencies Act directs financial institutions to freeze accounts linked to convoy protests. Trudeau gives BLM money while seizing the bank accounts of peaceful protesters. An Ottawa Bakery is facing threats and harassment over leaked convoy donation. Independent media reports that Ottawa may euthanize truckers’ pets as punishment. Trudeau’s justice minister, David Lametti says Trump supporters should be worried. Why? Trump merely endorsed the Truck Convoy.

Sadly, there are still Canadians who think this is about a virus. As an emotional Calgary police officer said after seeing what happened in Ottawa, “Canada has fallen.” This is about our government wanting totalitarian control over us. This is about the World Economic Forum’s Great Reset. Here is what  Alberta’s premier said about the Great Reset.

Are we free when peaceful protestors are ignored, and arrested for demanding freedom, when bank accounts are being frozen for supporting freedom fighters, when threats to harm family pets are made, and businesses supporting freedom are harassed? If you think this is okay, you are NOT thinking for yourself.  If you go to your heart, you know this is wrong; that this is stupid. You’d know this is a sad day for Canada.

I am still a proud Canadian, but I am ashamed of my government. Shame on a government who resorts to police action instead of peaceful dialogue with the protesters, and for the parliamentarians who voted to suspend parliament. I am ashamed of those enforcement officers conducting arrests in their riot gear and carrying automatic weapons. Shame on them for breaking the oath to serve and protect. I am ashamed of tow truck operators participating in this police action. Shame on you for wearing neon-green ski masks, with your companies’ decals taped over to conceal your identities. I am ashamed of the MSM. Shame on you for reporting a peaceful protest as a ‘nationwide insurrection” (see Business Insider).

This is NOT the country I grew up in. I no longer live in a free and democratic country. We are now living under a fascist dictatorship. That may make some uncomfortable, but that is because of cognitive dissonance. No matter what you believe, if you listen to your heart, you’d know this is stupid!

Something Astonishing is Happening

The Freedom Truck Convoy and protest happening in my country has captivated me (#blogger #blog #somseason #YA #authors). I can’t stop watching what is going on. I pondered why, and for the first time in over two years I feel proud to be Canadian again. I have read numerous posts and comments of fellow Canadians saying the same thing. Canadians are raising money in support of the truckers, presently over 10 million dollars. Despite what mainstream media (MSM) says, truckers are respectful. See for yourself in these videos: Chris Couture’s Video and truckers ask for shovels. Canadians are showing their gratitude with food, gift cards, coffee, and greeting truckers enthusiastically when they drove by their cities and towns. See for yourself.

Historians and writers consider the Canadian victory at Vimy Ridge a defining moment for Canada. In April 1917, during the first World War (WWI), the Canadian Corps seized Vimy Ridge, a heavily-fortified seven-kilometre ridge in northern France which held a impressive view over the Allied lines. With this victory, Canada emerged from under the shadow of Britain, recognized as a country in its own right.

Once again, the world is recognizing Canadians. This time it is the Freedom Truck Convoy and their massive protest in Ottawa, Canada’s capital city. On January 26th, Justin Trudeau said this about the Freedom Convoy:

“The small fringe minority of people are on their way to Ottawa, who are holding unacceptable views that they’re expressing, do not represent the views of Canadians who have been there for each other.”

Listen carefully to his words.

You decide if it is a “small fringe minority of people?” Check out this drone video.

Ottawa Police report aprox 2.3 million people on foot and 130,000 trucks in the city. That is no “small fringe minority of people.”  I heard one of the truckers speak at Saturday’s protest saying Canada has never been a unified country until now. Gathered in Ottawa are anglophones, francophones, people of all religions, many ethnic groups, vaccinated and unvaccinated all united to end EVERY government imposed restriction and to take back their rights and freedoms. WATCH: Convoy organizers say they are fully vaxed but still oppose mandates.

Trudeau claims the truckers “do not represent the views of Canadians,“ a lie, as the vast majority of Canadians support the truckers. Poll shows majority of Canadians now want COVID restrictions to end. A Toronto Sun editorial says  It’s time to end COVID rules in Canada. Much of the world is removing restrictions as MSM’s ABC News reports in, ‘Take back life’: More nations ease coronavirus restrictions. Even the WHO Warns Against Repeated Booster Shots and Vaccine Mandates: ‘It’s Over, People’. There is no need for mandates. MSM’s National Post says Mandatory vaccination a betrayal of what Canada stands for.

The National Post, part of MSM reported on January 29, Thousands pack Parliament Hill for protest, really millions according to Ottawa police. The same day there were trucker convoys and protests held at the various provincial legislatures and in Canadian cities, such as Edmonton trucker convoy turns into massive rally against mandates.

High profile Celebrities are supporting the Truckers for Freedom Convoy. Canadians unintentionally initiated a worldwide movement. The convoy is gaining international attention. Many countries were inspired by Canada to start their own convoys as reported in European and Australian truckers are joining the Freedom Convoy! and Truckers inspired by Canada begin ‘freedom’ convoys around the world. I have seen posts of convoys in Germany, France, Netherlands, Italy, Brazil, United Kingdom, US, Finland, Czech Republic, Australia to name a few. In 1917, the world was inspired by the Canadian WWI soldiers who fought for freedom, and now 105 years later, the world is once again inspired by Canadians fighting for freedoms. This site says Uprising: Truckers Freedom Convoy is a Beacon of Hope for the Entire World.

No surprise to me, MSM and politicians attempt to mislead the public. When the truck convoy for freedom began, Canada’s CBC said Truckers protest dangerous conditions on B.C. highways, a blatant lie. Canadians didn’t buy that, so the CBC reported that it was a protest against vaccine mandates for truck drivers as in this article, Ottawa police prepare as convoy protesting vaccine mandate heads to nation’s capital. This article insinuated that the truckers might damage infrastructure, become violent, and spew statements of hatred, xenophobia, and racism to those who disagree with them. Independent Media called them out on this lie saying They tried calling truckers racist and sexist. It didn’t work. So now they’re calling them violent.  Here are Eleven ridiculous convoy stories pushed by the legacy media. . Candice Malcolm debunks legacy media lies about the Trucker Convoy. Even the MSM’s Toronto Sun says Media’s handling of trucker convoy one-sided, inflammatory, shameful. Thankfully, Media is being EXPOSED for misleading Canadians. This video clearly shows how the MSM manipulates the truth. So please reject Establishment Media Attempts To Demonize Canadian Truckers, an opinion piece by Spencer Fernando. The protestors have said from the beginning that it was a peaceful protest to demand that all pandemic-related measures end.

This protest is about freedom, and was from its inception. Protestors are demanding their civil and Charter rights be returned; rights such as the right to fully open their businesses, the right to keep their medical records private, the right to choose what medical treatments they receive, mobility rights returned—unvaccinated are forbidden to fly, and the right to be treated equally as guaranteed in the Charter of Rights and Freedom. Until recently, unvaccinated Canadians were discriminated against as Quebec health tax for unvaccinated residents prompts fierce Covid debate, but one example.

MSM and government leaders continue to spread lies and try to discredit the movement. Trudeau calls convoy truckers “tinfoil hats,” says he will not meet with organizers saying:

“Freedom of expression, assembly and association are cornerstones of democracy, but Nazi symbolism, racist imagery, and desecration of war memorials are not.”

Opposition members are calling Trudeau on his rhetoric as Conservative Party (CP) member, Pierre Poilievre, did in his response to Trudeau. Politicians are even calling out government lies. Poilievre calls former Liberal cabinet minister “a liar” for convoy tweet. Another CP member, Leslyn Lewis, at the Freedom Convoy: The people have been lied to, and they want answers. CP leader Erin O’Toole fired by his own caucus after not supporting the Freedom Convoy. In this opinion piece, Spencer Fernando outlines What The Establishment Media & Trudeau Government Doesn’t Want You To See. Trudeau even admits he is taking away Canadian’s rights and freedoms. Listen to his words carefully.

Agitators wearing Nazi symbolism are typically paid (see Paid protestor). MSM continues to present the protestors negatively like CTV’s article, ‘Very concerning’: Professor worried about extremist views present during trucker protest. Why would the MSM do that? Simple answer, MSM has been paid off as shown in the article, The Toronto Star has prostituted itself to Justin Trudeau by accepting tax dollars from hardworking Canadian families. Trudeau even brags about doing so in this  video.


Religious leaders tell us God’s spirit unites. Christian leaders would more likely say the Holy Spirit unites. Albert Einstein is considered to be one of the most brilliant scientists to have ever lived. He once wrote a powerful message of love to his son. In his letter, he tells his son;

There is an extremely powerful force that, so far, science has not found a formal explanation to. It is a force that includes and governs all others, and is even behind any phenomenon operating in the universe and has not yet be. This universal force is LOVE. When scientists looked for a unified theory of the universe they forgot the most powerful unseen force.

A Baha’i Perspective says “Love is the most powerful attractive force in the universe.”

What is happening is this spiritual force —love—that Einstein refers to is uniting Canadians and the world. This spirit of togetherness is uniting humanity, conquering fear, and inspiring people to take back their intrinsic rights and freedoms. Author Cat Bauer says, “Love is so powerful that it always wins. Truth is so powerful that it always wins. All it takes is Time.” That is what I think is happening. Love, truth—and I would also add hope—is beginning to win over the fear propaganda machine. Humans were created as sovereign beings, so love, hope and truth are now reminding humanity of that. The lies and bullies (#bullying, #antibullying) are being exposed!

Is Mainstream News Trustworthy?

“Fake news” refers to false or misleading information presented as news. Most people identify “fake news” with Donald Trump, as he used the term widely to challenge mass media coverage of his 2016 presidential campaign. The former president even referred to the press as “the enemy of the people.” Now I (#blogger #blog #somseason #YA #authors) will admit, when I first heard Donald Trump use the phrase “fake news,” I didn’t understand what he meant, but I sure do now. He might be right. The press may be “the enemy of the people.”

I have become more and more disillusioned with Mainstream Media (MM), or Legacy Media, which started back in 1985 when I was involved in a teacher’s strike. Being part of the strike committee, I had inside information, yet what the media was reporting was very different from what I knew as an insider. I also know two other people who shared their experiences involving a murder, and their experience with news media. They told me that what the media reported and what they knew because of personal involvement differed greatly.  My disillusionment has only grown since.

I’m not the only one as Half of Citizens Polled Say Media Are Intentionally Deceiving Canadians. Even MM’s Toronto Sun headline:  As CBC ratings plummet, they ask for more taxpayer dollars. Independent News outlets say, the CBC is the media arm of the Liberal Party of Canada and I would have to agree. Regarding Canada’s publicly owned news media, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), many Canadians question if tax dollars are well spent, as in the article CBC: Costing Canadians $1.2 billion — and for what?  In fact, there are calls to defund the CBC, with the MM’s National Post saying Erin O’Toole won the Tory leadership promising to ‘defund CBC. The Financial Post says CBC does not deserve our money. There is even a petition to defund the CBC. Clearly, Canadians are losing faith in the news, or at the very least, the CBC.

This trust is dwindling in other countries as well. In the US, Well Deserved: Americans Have the Lowest Trust in the Mainstream Media. In the United Kingdom, the BBC faces fresh calls for defunding after sending ‘despicable’ letters to elderly viewers. If news is withholding and manipulating the truth, then of course trust is lost because this is passive bullying (#bullying, #antibullying).

The concentration of ownership of media very much alarms me. In the US the Big 6 Media Companies are Comcast, Walt Disney, AT&T, ViacomCBS, Sony, and Fox. Together they control 90% of all media outlets. Surprising to me was, “Canada has the biggest concentrated TV ownership out of all the G8 countries and it comes in second place for the most concentrated television viewers,” according to Wikipedia.

In Wikipedia’s article, Concentration of media ownership, it says:

Media integrity— the ability of a media outlet to serve the public interest and democratic process—is at risk when small number of companies and individuals control the media market. Net neutrality— involves a lack of restrictions on content on the internet—is also at stake when media mergers occur.

When the MM is owned by a few individuals, or corporations, of course integrity is compromised. That’s alarming. If owners have an agenda, such as spreading fear of a virus, concentration of media ownership makes that easy. This is not just me claiming that the MM is a fear propaganda machine.  Bill Maher Asks Liberal Media to Stop “Scaring the S—” Out of People About COVID, and even politicians have as in “Stop promoting fear:” Premier Kenney takes aim at legacy media’s COVID coverage.

Another reason not to trust MM is they can be bought. Every news media who secretly took Trudeau’s $61M pre-election pay-off and Liberal government gave Canadian Press $2 million during pandemic are examples. Trudeau even admits he did in the video, Well now! Nothing like outright admitting that you bought the media! Check it out. This editorial claims Secret Liberal Government Payments To Media Subvert Democracy – Spencer Fernando. If media can be bought, of course they threaten democracy. How can media have integrity when they are bought off?

The most convincing reason for me not to trust MM is the numerous times media outlets have been caught outright lying to us, or at the very least manipulating a story to get viewers or readers to think a certain way—mind manipulation if you will. A recent example is CBC uses mannequin instead of patient to show crowded ICU..  The articles CBC admits they used mannequin in COVID propaganda,, The CBC was forced to admit that they engaged in fake news, and CBC apologizes for using fake patients and training facility in COVID-19 story all confirm the story. Even the National Post says, ‘Error in judgement’: CBC Edmonton regrets mannequin’s use in COVID-19 news report. This was more than an error in judgement. This was deliberately done to mislead people making it fake news as True North’s Candice Malcolm says, The CBC was forced to admit that they engaged in fake news.

There are many other examples, and not just in Canada. A LEAKED VIDEO: Daily Mail Australia caught manufacturing fake news and WATCH: Police bodycam proves the mainstream media was HIDING the truth. In the US “They’re Lying at Your Network” – CNN Correspondent Confronted During Interview. Another example involving CNN is CNN Attempts Damage Control After Being Humiliated by Joe Rogan, a podcaster who blasted CNN for lying about ivermectin. In the United Kingdom, The silence from BBC News, Sky News, & GB News is deafening after hundreds of thousands of people marched for your Freedom on June 26thGermany’s Largest Newspaper BILD Apologises for Harming Society Over its Coverage of the Covid-19 Pandemic. The list goes on.

Here are more examples from Canada. In a heavily slanted article by CBC News during Canada’s recent election, reporting on Conservative Party Leader Erin O’Toole’s views on mandatory vaccinations for federal workers, the CBC failed to mention that the Liberals held the exact same position when it comes to vaccine mandates. (see CBC bashes Conservatives). The story, Big sister of dead child used in COVID propaganda speaks out against media and government, is a story about the sister of the boy who died calling out the media and government for lying.  In this article, Levy points out the Shameful double standard in how police, politicians and the media cover terror attacks. Showing more skewed reporting is Cuban protesters call for end of Communist regime (and mainstream media lies about it), and Global News journo caught in fake news lie over Trudeau’s blocked campaign bus. Another article tells how Legacy media largely ignored Trudeau’s “monetary policy” gaffe. Then there’s the story of a journalist whose show was cancelled for raising concerns about ethical standards in media today (see Lacey Lee Elliott: TV host cancelled after vid on NOT trusting the media). MM constantly tells us to “trust the experts” when it comes to COVID-19, but what the media doesn’t tell us is sometimes the health experts turn out to be partisan politicians and/or political donors.  This was  revealed in How can we trust “experts” when they moonlight as political activists? The “icing on the cake” is a SUPERSPREADER COVER-UP: CBC hides internal outbreak from public.

I have to wonder why governments—specifically Justin Trudeau—try to suppress independent media as in the story, Team Trudeau cuts our mic — Terry Guillon RETURNS to bully Rebel News! Could it be that independent media tells more truth? The truth is, Canadians can’t rely on the legacy media to report the truth.

I trust independent media more than the MM. If you read my blogs regularly, you know that. Yet, I still get many people refuting my arguments citing MM news articles. That won’t convince me for reasons clearly outlined above. If you wish to contest something I say, you’ll have to use other sources. Am I saying that independent media is unbiased? No, of course they have their biases, since MM labels them conservative. What baffles me is those who rely on MM for their information, yet never question that the MM might be biased or even lying to us. These people are quick to tell me that the sources I use are prejudiced or biased. Is news from MM fake? The evidence is there.

I’ll end with some food for thought.

The greatest weapon is not a gun or a bomb. It is the control of information. To control the world’s information is to manipulate all the minds that consume it.

Unknown

The Wisdom of Spock

A commentary on the wisdom of Spock

I (#blogger #blog #somseason #YA #authors) grew up watching Star Trek. In college, our entire dorm used to watch whatever Star Trek episode was on TV before going to eat dinner at the cafeteria. My favourite character has always been Spock, played by Leonard Nimoy. There is a scene in the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, where Spock says, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Or the one.” To me, it makes sense to do what is best for the majority of people. Really what Spock is talking about is utilitarianism, which holds that the most ethical choice is the one that will produce the greatest good for the greatest number. 

Spock played by Leonard Nimoy

French philosopher, Voltaire, believed that the purpose of government was to protect religious liberty, freedom of the press, and the liberties of the people. Most people believe the governments we elect will protect us and make decisions that benefit the majority of people. That doesn’t seem to hold true at present. There has been a meme going around with a quote by Nathan Fraser which says, “There are two types of people in the world. People who think the government is looking out for their best interest, and people who think.” Ronald Reagan once said, “The most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” U S President Reagan was right!

The story, Alberta NDP leader has coughing fit during press conference, won’t address COVID questions, indicates that politicians are not upfront with us, or at the very least fail to practice what they preach. They clearly have shown a lack of integrity and are untrustworthy.

If governments were here to help, why are they continuing to lock us down? They claim they’re protecting us from the deadly COVID virus, but are they? I find that difficult to believe when I read news articles such as, Lockdowns have no significant benefits: international study. If governments and health officials truly cared about our heath, they would be more concerned about the mental health crisis (see FUREY: The psychological toll of the COVID-19 lockdowns) and other issues created by the lockdowns. Sexual exploitation of children is on the rise reported in Online sexual exploitation of children up 88% during pandemic. The Economy is suffering as described in FUREY: It’s not just ‘business’ that’s hurting — it’s all of society, it’s life itself. Suicides are increasing as stated in Youth suicide attempts increase due to lockdowns: study. People with food allergies, forced to quarantine in COVID jails, are being fed foods that cause them harm as outlined in DENIED: Delivering pizza to a quarantine hotel. I haven’t even got into the bullying (#bullying #antibullying) promoted by our leaders in the name of “COVID protection.” The article, Cops PRESSURED by health authority to ticket Full Gospel Outreach Church in Saskatchewan, discusses the bullying towards Christian churches. This is not protecting the liberties of the people, or religious freedom. This is bullying by the very people who were supposed to be protecting us.

Spock in Star Trek’s season 1, episode 24 (“Space Seed,” 1968) said, “Insufficient facts always invite danger.” Are governments, media, and health officials giving us accurate information regarding the alleged pandemic?  Mainstream Media’s (MM) CTV News says COVID hospitalizations surging among ages 30 to 50, Doctor says, yet according to the ACES monitoring system, the 30 day average of new hospital admissions in Ontario for Pneumonia, Influenza-like illness and infection are all well below the historical (2018, 2019) average. (see Hospital admissions are much lower than historical record despite COVID-19 – ACES monitoring system).

So I have to ask: Is the MM being honest with us? American actor, Denzel Washington, doesn’t think so since he lectures the Media on its dishonesty and ‘Fake News.’ Check out the video.

I’m inclined to believe the American actor since The Washington Post a few months back reported on the call between Donald Trump and an elections investigator in Georgia, claiming Trump asked her to “find the fraud.” Two months after this story, the Washington Post published a retraction, saying, instead, Trump urged the investigator to scrutinize ballots in Fulton County, Georgia, asserting she would find ‘dishonesty’ there.  Many MM outlets such as CNN, ABC News, NBC News and USA Today all claimed that they had “confirmed” The Washington Post’s reporting. If MM lied—lets call it what it is—about this story, how many other stories are false?

Here in Canada, the CBC published feature on business owner who assaulted female journalist. Rebel News, where the reporter involved works, gives their version of the story in CBC Promos Dion Bews, AKA The NDP Thug Who Assaulted Sheila. Why is the CBC promoting someone who is less than honourable? The CBC claims that they were unaware of the man’s assault of a female. Isn’t it their job to get all the facts before publishing a story? I—until recently—always believed that reporters had integrity. I guess I was wrong.

Spock said “Insufficient facts always invite danger,” so I have to ask: Are we being fed “insufficient facts” by media, politicians, and health officials that put us in danger? The story, Conservatives call for emergency meeting over AstraZeneca vaccine concerns, would suggest so. The Toronto Star reports that Alberta joins other provinces in halting use of AstraZeneca shot for people under 55. And then there’s Over 100 Fully Vaccinated People In Washington State Test Positive For COVID-19. There seems to be concerns regarding these shots and one does have to question the effectiveness of the vaccine. Rebel News asks, Why are so many front-line health care workers refusing to take the vaccines? saying frontline healthcare workers are refusing the COVID-19 vaccine en masse. Do they know something that we aren’t being told?

Why are COVID shots being forced upon us? Perhaps Rebel News is right in their article, Worst of times for you, but it’s the best of times for Pfizer! Ask yourself: Who has gained the most from this never-ending pandemic? It is not the small businesses or us regular people. Corporate stores are doing fine. Politicians have never missed a paycheque, and some even got raises (see No April Fool’s Joke). seem to be benefiting. The fear-induced panic driven by politicians, health officials, and mainstream news has sparked a demand for a supposed miracle COVID vaccine, and companies delivered! Who do you suppose is benefiting financially? The story, Bill Gates: Vaccines are ‘phenomenal’ profit makers, concurs with Rebel News’ claim.

Spock in Star Trek’s season 3, episode 5, (“And the Children Shall Lead,” 1968) said, “Without followers, evil cannot spread.”  I do not follow mainstream news any more. I do my own research and thinking, and I refuse to blindly do something because some acclaimed expert, such as a politician, or health official, or news anchor told me to. That way, I know no evil can occur to me. I recently saw this story on Facebook.

An anthropologist showed a game to the children of an African tribe. He placed a basket of delicious fruits near a tree trunk and told them: “The first child to reach the tree will get the basket.” When he gave them the start signal, he was surprised that they were walking together, holding hands until they reached the tree and shared the fruit! When he asked them why they did that, pointing out that each one could have gotten the basket for themselves, they answered with bewilderment: “Ubuntu. That is, how can one of us be happy while the rest are miserable?” Ubuntu in their culture means: I am because we are. The African people know the secret of happiness; a secret that has been lost in all societies that transcend them, yet consider themselves civilized societies.

Sadly, this is what is missing at the present time. Because we allow others to tell us how to think, what to believe, or how to behave, we have become a divided and fearful world. No wonder there is so much unhappiness. How can anyone be happy when others are unhappy? The time has come to follow no more, to think for yourselves, to make informed decisions by doing your own research, and find happiness by standing up for those who are being bullied by the media, politicians, and health officials.

Control is a form of Bullying

A commentary on censorship

The Guardian this week had a news article titled: Facebook and Twitter restrict controversial New York Post story on Joe Biden. The article says Twitter blocked tweets that contained links or photos to the New York (NY) Post’s report on alleged emails that show that Hunter Biden offered to introduce then Vice President Joe Biden, and now Democrat presidential candidate, to an executive of a Ukrainian gas company. Joe Biden’s son has faced accusations of corrupt behaviour from both Democrats and Republicans. Users attempting to share the story were shown a notice saying: “We can’t complete this request because this link has been identified by Twitter or our partners as being potentially harmful.”  My question is: Harmful to who?

Facebook also took steps to limit the spread of New York Post—a newspaper that is part of the mainstream media—article placing restrictions on posts linking to the article, saying: “This is part of our standard process to reduce the spread of misinformation.”  The article goes on to say that Republican senator Ted Cruz wrote Twitter saying: “Twitter’s censorship of this story is quite hypocritical, given its willingness to allow users to share less-well-sourced reporting critical of other candidates.”

Are social media companies censuring? I (#blogger #blog #somseason #YA #authors) personally have had Facebook posts that I shared declared “misinformation,” and YouTube videos which I saved to watch later to discover them removed from YouTube.

According to the NY Post’s article; Ted Cruz slams ‘unbelievable’ Twitter censorship of another Hunter Biden story, Twitter locked down some accounts of people who shared the report, forcing them to delete the story from their feeds. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany refused to delete her tweet and remains locked out of her personal account, which has 1 million followers. The article also reports that Twitter blocked Ted Cruz from sharing the article. President Trump has had many tweets blocked by Twitter, and the company has even temporarily blocked the Donald Trump`s re-election campaign Twitter account (see US Election 2020).

A September 29th study uncovering global perspectives on online censorship using citizens in the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Russia, Norway and Sweden, showed large segments of people in each country do not trust the integrity of information they find online, and many suspect censorship is at play. The study reveals 37% of Canadians and 54% of Americans feel that they’ve experienced internet censorship. The Toronto Sun has an article: BIG TECH CENSORS: Social media continues to gag conservative voices, stating YouTube nixed thousands of videos under the pretense it was removing hate speech.

Are we being controlled? If we aren’t being controlled, then why are so many users unable to speak their truth without being censored? New Zealand-born writer, Juliet Marillier, says,  There is no truth on this island of yours. Rather, there are as many truths as there are stars in the sky; and every one of them different.” American photographer, John Szarkowski, says, “Because we see reality in different ways, we must understand that we are looking at different truths rather than the truth and that, therefore, all photographs lie in one way or another.” We all like to think we hold “the truth.”

We need to ask questions, such as: Have we been controlled and manipulated with the use of fear tactics to keep us silent and out of our truths? Let’s face it, if we are being controlled and manipulated, then we are being bullied. Bullies (#bullying #antibullying) intimidate and torment others to control them. Start asking questions. First ask yourselves: Who is doing the censoring? Why are social media CEOs censoring? Who is telling them to censor? Secondly, ask yourselves who and what are they censoring? Are they censoring people who are speaking truths that are not the truths of those doing the censoring? Are they censoring truths that they don’t want us to hear? I have to wonder why the social media giants are attempting to prevent a New York Post article about the possible illegal dealings regarding the Biden family from being read? I guarantee that if a similar article about Trump came out, it would not be censored. We’ve seen lots of examples of that. The third question to ask yourself is: What are those doing the censoring afraid of? After all, censorship is the voice of fear. What are they hiding? Who are they not censoring? Could it be they are not censoring individuals that have the same agenda as them? Are they allowing the truths to be spread that are their truths? I am merely asking the questions while remaining neutral as best I can. Do some research to find the answers to the above questions if you feel called to.

I was under the illusion that everyone had freedom of expression or freedom of speech in the ‘free wold.” The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects our rights and freedoms, including freedom of expression and the right to equality. It is part of the Canadian Constitution. The First Amendment of US Constitution guarantees freedom of expression by prohibiting Congress from restricting the press or the rights of individuals to speak freely.  

So, ask yourselves are we manipulated and controlled? Have we always been? An article titled: Fear-Based Manipulation: How Politicians, Marketers and the Media Create Panic to Control the Masses, explains how this could be done. Another article: How the Media Controls Your Reality explains how media could control our lives. I encourage you to read them.

American singer and songwriter, Jim Morrison, once said, “Whoever controls the media, controls the mind.” Soviet politician, Nikita Khrushchev, said, “The press is our chief ideological weapon.” Malcolm X, an African American Muslim minister, says, “The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses.”  British television writer, novelist and non-fiction writer, Dresden James, once said, “When a well-packaged web of lies has been sold gradually to the masses over generations, the truth will seem utterly preposterous and its speaker a raving lunatic.” Could that be true?

If we really do have freedom of expression, which our constitutions say we do, then we must respect and tolerate everyone’s truth. As German-born physicist, Albert Einstein, once said, “We must not only learn to tolerate our differences. We must welcome them as the richness and diversity which can lead to true intelligence.” We must remain neutral, no matter how difficult that may be, and stop labelling things as right or wrong. Really, there is no such thing as right and wrong. As Ufuoma Apoki, founder of Petra Ministries, says, “Right or Wrong, most times, merely depends on perspective. It takes humility (not necessarily logic) to let go of our egos to see through the other person’s eyes. But I guess even I, myself, can’t let go to see why you’d object.” In other words, right and wrong are relative.

Some people might claim there are absolute truths, meaning a truth that is true at all times and in all places; a truth that is always true no matter what the circumstances. Perhaps there is, but that would require more study.  

If we are ever going to live in peace and harmony, then all truths need to be respected and tolerated, and the use of censorship to control others needs to stop. Let’s face it, we live in a diverse world; a world with an infinite number of truths, and that is okay. I don’t have to accept your truth, nor do you have to accept my truth, but we do need to understand and accept that your truth may be different from my truth. When you attempt to impose your truth onto someone else, then you are acting as a bully.

What is Really Going On?

A commentary on the Epstein story

In my last post, Selective Pandemic Attention, I (#blogger #blog #somseason #YA #authors) questioned whether the Mainstream Media (MM) is intentionally promoting fear of covid as a way of distracting us. I recently saw this meme, which got me wondering even more.

When you search hashtags such as, childrenslivesmatter, saveourchildren, SaveOurChildrenWorldwild, and others like it, you will see numerous videos  and posts about protests happening around the world to bring awareness of human trafficking and missing children. What I don’t understand is why the MM is relatively silent about these protests. I did find one article in the Times West Virginian titled, Protest raises awareness about human trafficking. Why is this? I thought the job of the news media was to report news. I wanted an explanation, so I did some research. Wikipedia’s topic: Concentration of media ownership says:

Canada has the biggest concentrated TV ownership out of all the G8 countries and it comes in second place for the most concentrated television viewers.

Business Insider’s article, These 6 Corporations Control 90% Of The Media In America, shows a graphic called the Illusion of Choice, which shows who owns the Mainstream Media (MM) in the US. It shows the 6 corporations, all owned by billionaires, who own all the big media companies. Could this explain why the MM is silent? Could that explain why the MM is distracting us from things such as more people die of drug overdoses and suicide than from covid as I talked about in my last post? Are they intentionally distracting us from the bigger problem of human trafficking and missing children which is bullying (#bullying #antibullying) on a massive scale and of the worst kind? Abusing innocent children is bullying at its worst.

The International Labour Organization’s report, Profits and Poverty: The Economics of Forced Labour, says of the US$ 150 billion in illegal profits per year from human trafficking, US$ 99 billion came from commercial sexual exploitation, while US$ 51 billion resulted from forced economic exploitation. Human trafficking is a massive issue! This should be a huge story for the MM. Why are they silent? Are they being directed on what to report? Before calling me a conspiracy theorist, which is fine by me, it might be interesting to note that according to Paul Craig Roberts, chairman of the Institute for Political Economy, says:

The Term “Conspiracy Theory” was invented by the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) in order to prevent disbelief of official government stories.

Now isn’t that interesting. I remind you, Readers Digest lists conspiracy theories that turned out to be true. Their article, 12 Conspiracy Theories that Actually Turned Out to be True lists 12. Another, 15 Conspiracies That Turned Out To Be True, lists 15.  Still, in another article, 11 Unbelievable Conspiracy Theories That Were Actually True, describes Operation Mockingbird, an CIA operation in which they carried out a secret campaign to influence media around the world. The article says, by the 1950s, there were about 3,000 CIA employees and dozens of large global media outlets working to maintain a complex propaganda machine. Could it be that Operation Mockingbird never stopped?

The MM is silent on the topic of human trafficking and missing children. They continue to be solely focused on covid for six months now? I also have to wonder why the MM is so relentless in making Donald Trump look bad? Now, I’m no Trump fan, but is there more going on than what we’re led to believe? Do they see Trump as a threat to them? Does the media have an agenda to keep us focused on covid? I decided to look into this topic, and the more I researched, the more alarmed and disturbed I got; to the point where I was literally losing sleep. This topic is unsettling on so many levels. Don’t take my word for it. Do your own research; in fact, I urge you to. Become informed about what is really going on. When I started looking into this topic, I would often stop researching, saying to myself, “This can’t be true!”

Sometimes when a core belief that is very strong is presented with evidence that goes against that belief, we are unable accept the new evidence. It creates a feeling that is far too uncomfortable for us to stomach, and this is called, “Cognitive Dissonance.” This happens because we have a need to protect the core belief, so we rationalize, ignore, and even deny anything that does not support that core belief. I experienced this, and you will too if you accept my challenge to do your own research.

Now I had two choices. I could say this is conspiracy and leave it, or I could seek truth.  I delved into the topic. I started by watching the Netflix mini series called: Jeffery Epstein, Filthy Rich. I encourage you to do the same. It’s disturbing and writing this post has been probably one of the most difficult for me to write thus far.

According to the mini series, multimillionaire Jeffery Epstein systematically abused girls in his homes in both New York and Palm Beach, Florida. He recruited victims as young as 14 from area high schools and other places, offering underage girls hundreds of dollars in cash to give him “massages.” Then he would molest and sexually assault them. To maintain and increase his supply of victims, Epstein paid certain  victims to recruit additional girls, typically their friends, to be similarly abused by Epstein. He essentially fashioned a pyramid scheme to create a vast network of underage victims for him to sexually exploit. Epstein was a registered sex offender, and clearly a pedophile.  He has a sexual perversion in which children are the preferred sexual object.

The documentary references his social circle which included Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, and Queen Elizabeth’s son Prince Andrew. It also mentions Alan Dershowitz, a Harvard Law professor, famous for defending celebrity clients such as OJ Simpson, and Leslie Wexner, the billionaire behind the Victoria’s Secret lingerie chain. Wexner hired Epstein in 1991 to manage his money, giving him vast power over his investment and tax affairs. It also mentions Woody Allan. His ex-girlfriend and longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, was his chief recruiter of underage girls.

In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to a felony charge of solicitation of prostitution involving a minor. A plea deal, overseen by Alexander Acosta, Trump’s former Secretary of Labour. At the time, Acosta was the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. Acosta made the deal without the knowledge of the lawyers for Epstein’s victims. With this deal, Epstein was sentenced to 18 months in a county jail; serving 13 months, and granted work release, which allowed him to commute to an office outside the jail six days a week. Why was his sentence so lenient? Was it his connections to powerful people?

Epstein’s US Virgin Islands property and main residence, known as “Orgy Island” by locals, was referred to as “Little St. Jeff’s by Epstein, and is probably what he is most well-known for. The series explains how he forced young women, many underage, into participating in sex orgies with his famous friends.

On August 10, 2019, while awaiting trial, Epstein was found dead in his prison cell. His death was officially ruled a suicide, however, there were violations of normal jail procedures on the night of Epstein’s death and alleged malfunction of two cameras in front of his cell, according to the Netflix series.

According to the article, Ghislaine Maxwell Bragged About ‘Pal’ Jeff Bezos, Epstein and Maxwell ran in the same circles as tech giants including Amazon entrepreneur Jeff Bezos, ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt, and Tesla chief Elon Musk. The article also says Epstein was introduced to Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg.  Maxwell even spoke at the United Nations (see Ghislaine Maxwell Speaks at the United Nations). According to Vanity Fair’s article, How Prince Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell’s Friendship Became a Scandal, Maxwell socialized with actor Kevin Spacey and Harvey Weinstein, an American former film producer and convicted sex offender.

My question is: What does it mean when Epstein, a convicted pedophile, and Maxwell, his right-hand person, have ties to billionaire tech moguls, Hollywood celebrities, high level politicians, and royalty? I saw a meme that someone posted that said:

The Media isn’t silent on Child Sex Trafficking because of the Children, it’s because of who the Customers are. Read that again please.

Could that be true? I am merely asking. It is interesting that MM, owned by billionaires, is silent on human sex trafficking. It is interesting that the Hollywood elites have been silent on the topic of human sex trafficking. They weren’t after George Floyd, the African American man who allegedly died by a police officer kneeling on his neck. Many celebrities in Hollywood tweeted, posted and spoke out against the atrocity (see 21 Celebrities Who Participated In The George Floyd Protests). Why are the Hollywood elites silent on human trafficking? Do they believe black lives matter more than children’s lives? I just want to know what is really going on. Don’t you?

Is Nature Fighting Back?

A commentary about the environmental abuse

National Geographic’s recent article, To prevent pandemics, stop disrespecting nature, states:

Some people are viewing the pandemic as nature fighting back against all that has been and continues to be done to it. But it is human behavior and disrespect for nature that have been the cause. Furthermore, as we cope with the pandemic, climate change is marching ahead. It’s causing strong ripples of change in all ecosystems and probably tipping the balance in favor of pathogens currently unknown to us. The wise way forward is to invest in conservation and science, and to embrace nature and the glorious variety of life with which we share this planet. A healthy future for humanity and a healthy biodiverse planet go hand in hand.

Perhaps, science is catching up with Indigenous spiritual teachings since Indigenous people have been telling us since first contact to respect the earth. For example, Big Thunder (Bedagi) Wabanaki, Algonquin is credited with the quote: “The Great Spirit is in all things. He is in the air we breathe. The Great Spirit is our Father, but the Earth is our Mother. She nourishes us. That which we put into the ground she returns to us.” There is an ancient Indian (Indigenous) proverb that says, “Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children.” There is a Cree prophecy which says, “When all the trees have been cut down, when all the animals have been hunted, when all the waters are polluted, when all the air is unsafe to breathe, only then will you discover you cannot eat money.” On the Assembly of First Nations website it says,

Indigenous peoples are caretakers of Mother Earth and realize and respect her gifts of water, air and fire. First Nations peoples’ have a special relationship with the earth and all living things in it. This relationship is based on a profound spiritual connection to Mother Earth that guided indigenous peoples to practice reverence, humility and reciprocity. It is also based on the subsistence needs and values extending back thousands of years.

Indigenous people have always believed the earth to be a living organism. Now even some scientists are saying the earth is alive. It is called the Gaia hypothesis, first articulated by James Lovelock and Lynn Margulis in the 1970s, and argues that Earth’s physical and biological processes are inextricably connected to form a self-regulating, essentially sentient system. Check it out in the Astrobiology Magazine.

In another National Geographic article titled, Traditional indigenous beliefs are a powerful tool for understanding the pandemic, it states:

While this pandemic is presenting an opportunity to find meaningful ways to connect, it’s also a wake-up call with important lessons for the future. “If we don’t learn from now,” warns Mindahi Bastida Muñoz, general coordinator of the Otomi-Toltec Regional Council in Mexico, “then another thing, more powerful, is going to come.

I’ve  (#blog, #blogger, #YA, #authors, #somseason) always argued that this pandemic is a wakeup call for humanity. To borrow a phrase from singer Jidenna’s song, ‘Bully of the Earth,’ we humans cannot continue to bully the earth. Let’s call it earth bullying (#antibullying, #bullying), and by that, I mean, exploiting and abusing the planet by polluting the air, ignoring climate change, pouring plastics into the ocean, deforestation, and pouring tons of chemicals (herbicides, pesticides, etc.) into our environment. If the Gaia hypothesis is true, and the planet is a living organism, then we humans are killing Mother Earth.

Yet, we humans continue with the earth bullying. The New York Times has an article, The Trump Administration Is Reversing 100 Environmental Rules, listing all the environmental protection rules that have been or are in the process of being eliminated. CBC News’ article, Alberta regulator’s move to suspend oilpatch monitoring sets dangerous precedent, reports that oil companies say the environmental suspensions are necessary to maintain COVID-19 guidelines. In essence, the oil companies are claiming it is too dangerous to monitor the environment, yet it is not too dangerous for hair dressers to cut hair. The argument is weak to say the least, yet our provincial government fell for it. CBC News reports in their article, Alberta rescinds decades-old policy that banned open-pit coal mines in Rockies and Foothills, says the provincial government is cancelling environmental protections that have been in place since the 1970s,  making it easier for open-pit coal mining in some of the province’s most ecologically sensitive areas. This move has nothing to do with Covid. This is about corporate greed, and governments enabling companies to do so at the expense of the planet. It is shameful!

Back in 2018, the Guardian had an article, The Earth is in a death spiral. It will take radical action to save us, claiming “climate breakdown could be rapid and unpredictable. We can no longer tinker around the edges and hope minor changes will avert collapse.” There is no doubt for me that continued abuse of the earth will have dire consequences for humanity. National Geographic’s article, Ocean Threats, has a long list of threats to our oceans because of human activities. The Guardian has an article, Humans just 0.01% of all life but have destroyed 83% of wild mammals – study, essentially arguing that humans are the cause of a mass extinction. I’ve seen articles about bird populations declining, and bee populations being endangered. It is all alarming!

Having said that, CBS News’ article, Before-and-after photos show dramatic decline in air pollution around the world during coronavirus lockdown, is eye opening. The earth, whether a living organism or not, has shown an amazing ability to heal itself when allowed to.

A NASA photo

I’ve always argued in my posts that this COVID pandemic is a tool of some higher power—God, Allah, Yahweh, Universe, Source, or whatever you want to call it—bringing about transformation on our planet, creating a simpler, kinder, and more caring world, and that includes the earth. Maybe it is a reminder to humanity to respect and honour the earth instead of being a bully of the earth. The Indigenous people have always said that. If only we of European decent had listened to the Indigenous people instead of bullying them into submission, before bullying the earth.