Claire - The Great Pumpkin

I just have to share these pictures of Claire, The Great Pumpkin, taken today courtesy of Sherri Schommer Snaith. Thank you, Sherri.

The Commonwealth and South Africa's Shame

When I was a teenager, South Africa left the Commonwealth and stepped into isolation because of the 'shaming' action and condemnation undertaken by other member nations of the Commonwealth.
Once again, South Africa is 'shamed' in the eyes of all in the world who value human rights. South Africa has chosen to join with those Commonwealth countries where human rights are being trampled upon - forced marriages, laws against homosexuality, political repression - in objecting to a proposal for a rights commissioner.
A shame on you, South Africa.
I wonder if there is any moral relevance to the continued, not inexpensive existence of this no longer august body which is the Commonwealth?

Is the long-gun registry a boondoggle?

If it wasn't a boondoggle before it certainly will be now that Stephen Harper and Vic Toews have decided to destroy all records collected over the last 16 years, not merely stop new registrations. Hell, I have difficulty bringing myself to throw away an old cell phone if it's still in working condition. They will happily consign one to two billion dollars of working system to the crematorium and then toast their victory.

It shows the hypocrisy of the initial accusation.

The ultimate irony is that getting rid of something that police forces across the country access thousands of times a day for their and our safety is being trashed by the Minister for Public Safety. Criminals must be laughing their heads off.

Jonathan Tiago pushing his walker

Ingrid and I had the pleasure of babysitting Jonty last night (Saturday night) while his parents went to a wedding. Today, somewhere in between watching the second ODI between South Africa and Australia and the Rugby World Cup final I managed to get this video of the little man walking around holding on to his little car cum walking aid. He is sooo cute.




While we are looking at videos, here's one of Evey, Mark Dank's (Judith's boyfriend) dog, showing her disapproval of the kitchen calendar - too funny.

Remember, Remember the Month of Movember

Please go on over and regularly visit the Mo Stashed Hairiers by clicking the link. Over the next few weeks we will be assembling once more for our assault on prostate cancer and the promotion of men's health. We will be counting on your support once again.

Please watch and listen to our YouTube video Movember song and see all our heroes from last year.

Paedophile Clerics - Bishops still don't "get it"

From web site of Diocese of Kansas City-St Joseph

I read a news item in The New York Times today, U.S. Bishop Is Charged With Failing to Report Abuse.  Allegedly Bishop Robert Finn,  Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph, was informed in December, 2010 by a computer technician of inappropriate pictures of children on the computer of a diocesan priest, Father Shawn Ratigan, but waited 5 months until May before taking these to the police. At the indictment today the good bishop pled not guilty and  said in a statement: “We will meet these announcements with a steady resolve and a vigorous defense.”

Digging a little bit around the article I came across two community updates from Bishop Finn dated May 20 and 27 of this year. The first is a personal apologia that seeks to explain how Bishop Finn's actions were reasonable to any clear thinking person - except the parent of a little girl who might have been abused by Shawn Ratigan. A few things in the communication of the 27th got my attention.

I must also acknowledge my own failings. Yesterday evening, I read, for the first time, the memorandum prepared in May 2010 by our principal at St. Patrick School.  There, she reported her concerns about Shawn Ratigan’s inappropriate behavior with children at her school.

In the following days, Diocesan Vicar General Msgr. Murphy gave me a brief verbal summary of the report and his meeting with Shawn Ratigan, which had occurred immediately after the report was received.  Msgr. Murphy told me that he had thoroughly discussed these concerns with Shawn Ratigan, and how he was to change his behaviors. Shawn Ratigan expressed both the willingness and the desire to make these changes.

To the best of my knowledge, no one on my staff, other than Msgr. Murphy, read the report.  Hindsight makes it clear that I should have requested from Msgr. Murphy an actual copy of the report.  And, so, I also have to change.

Please understand that at the time of the May 2010 report, we had no knowledge of any inappropriate photographs or images in Shawn Ratigan’s possession. Those were not discovered until December 2010.

This is astounding. The bishop's humility is laudable but it is far exceeded by his and the vicar general's naiveté and ignorance, both of which, in my opinion, are culpable given the positions of authority and responsibility which they hold. If they are truly that naive then they are not fit for the office they hold.

Maybe they were not yet aware of the "inappropriate photographs or images"  but the diocese was first warned about Father Ratigan’s inappropriate interest in young girls as far back as 2006. Hello?

When the Diocese of Kansas City ~ St. Joseph reported its concerns about Father Shawn Ratigan to the Kansas City Police Department on May 12, we set into motion a series of events that have provoked feelings of concern, anger and shame.

Shawn Rattigan

The day after the bishop was informed of the "inappropriate" images of children in December, Father Ratigan attempted to commit suicide and left a suicide note "apologizing to the children, their families and the church."  There can be no doubt that the vicar general and the bishop were both aware of what had happened and the causal proximity to the reporting of the photographs . Why did they wait until May for the diocese to report its concerns to the police? From December to May nothing was done by the bishop or the vicar general to warn parents or protect the children with whom Father Ratigan still came into contact. Why? Why? Why? Instead, the bishop relied on Father Ratigan's word, which he broke to the detriment of young children, and his self-control of which nothing more needs be said. Giving the "protection" of a priest from shame and legal consequences priority over the good of the victims, innocent children, is a perpetuation of the root cause of what got the Church into this mess in the first place.

After all that has happened - the Pope issuing multiple statements of remorse on behalf of the Church; the Pope meeting with victims; the Pope addressing bishops; priests going to jail; priests being removed from ministry; courts ordering dioceses (including that of Bishop Finn) to pay millions of dollars compensation to victims of clerical abuse; dioceses going bankrupt; bishops, including Bishop Finn, promising to immediately report anyone suspected of being a pedophile to law enforcement authorities;  mental health professionals repeatedly testifying that pederasts and pedophiles are one of the most difficult groups to rehabilitate - they still  don't "get it." They are still more interested in giving an umpteenth chance to priests who "express both the willingness and the desire to make these changes" than to showing basic human, let alone pastoral, concern for the care and protection of the victims - young children.

I'm sorry. I just don't "get it."

Material sourced from:
Community Response from Bishop Finn, May 20, 2011
Community Response from Bishop Finn, May 27, 2011

National Catholic Reporter Jun 09, 2011

New York Times  Aug 14, 2011

New York Times Oct 14, 2011

Toilet humour - sequel

So, coincidentally, an hour ago a Provincial inspector came to check that we had actually installed a toilet with the specs for which we had been granted a Provincial rebate. Talk about timing!
I asked him if he would like to use it but he said that he does not need to test it - just see it...
Sent from my BlackBerry

Toilet humour and conviviality at Kwa-McCann

Other than Heather we had the whole clan, partners and grandkids over at Kwa-McCann today. For my birthday later this month I had requested that, instead of gifts and presents, the family would give me a gift of service: the shingles on my workshop roof need replacing. Today was the day that everybody was to come over and do the job.

Unfortunately, the day was also the day that it rained, contrary to the weather forecast three days ago; doing the workshop roof was out of the question. 

However, one day before the end of last year, and one day before a special Provincial rebate was to expire for homeowners who retrofit their homes with approved, green, energy efficient fittings, Ingrid and I bought an approved, water conserving, highly efficient muck-flushing toilet. I had never got round to installing it and had no idea how I would install it when the time would come. Well, it occured to me that, with the rain and all, today might be just the day, so I floated the idea, flushed with excitement, and was relieved that everyone agreed that this would be a good thing to do.

I won't bore you with the details. Suffice to say that, after we did an exchange at the Home Depot because Sean found a crack in the cistern of my brand new toilet, and assisted by a DIY video found on YouTube, the guys all did a great job on my new toilet and this was a burden of which I could wash my hands.

Ingrid had made a great lamb curry yesterday evening and, all in all, the day was a huge success.