The G8 countries have apparently agreed to limit global warming (remember that old term?) to 2 degrees Celsius over the next few decades. Well, guess what? The average temperature over the past 30 years has STAYED THE SAME!

Only the incredible hubris of secular humanists would lead them to believe they could control the planet’s temperature. We can’t even forecast the weather for tomorrow accurately.

On a recent trip to Pennsylvania my wife and I were treated to hundreds of miles of tree-clad mountains (or hills, I suppose) as we travelled to the southern part of the state. I couldn’t help thinking about the millions and millions of trees with their trillions of leaves, all taking in carbon dioxide and all thriving with everything needed for life provided by their Creator.

Take a look at what men have done to the world. I’ll happily depend on the Creator to keep the temperature, and everything else, under control.

That seems a bit much for a financial fraud, but taking down white-collar criminals is the in thing these days, witness the over-the-top prosecution of Bernie Madoff south of the border and the ridiculous 150-year sentence he was given. I mean, he’s 71!

Contrast that with the unbelievable decision to allow a killer convicted of first-degree murder in the bathtub drowning of her mother to be released to a halfway house just three years after being sentenced to 10 years.

Can anyone point to the principles of justice in that case? The woman has even got a $2000 scholarship to the University of Waterloo where she will be pursuing online studies. (If they are online, couldn’t she have participated while still in prison?)

So commit a $500 million fraud and expect 10 years behind bars. Kill your mother and you’re out of prison in three.

As a society we’ve lost sight of the sanctity of life. These ever more bizarre decisions keep sending the message that morally and judicially. we’ve lost our way.

Here’s hoping that we can all forget that there’s a strike on and that garbage is piling up. The worst thing residents of Toronto can do is allow the strikers to think they’ve got the upper hand in this dispute. Let’s just enjoy the summer, deal with the inconveniences with a cheerful spirit, and wait it out.

Have a great one!

First thing in the morning our friendly striker gets up, in the dark, and discovers that they have no electricity, water, or air conditioning. No problem though, when they phone the utility they are told, “Just give us 15 minutes and we’ll be right with you.”

At the Tim Horton’s on the way to the picket line, the server smiles sweetly and says, “I’ll be right there, in about 15 minutes.” On the way out of the drive-thru our striker friend can’t proceed because of the car in front whose driver waves and says, “Oh, I’m just taking 15 minutes, I’ll be out of your way soon.’

At the daycare drop-off (whoops, forgot they are on strike too!). Strike that one. (Sorry, horrible pun.)

Pop in to the closest Mac’s to pick up a chocolate bar, and imagine, the clerk is just closing the door - “Back in fifteen minutes,” she says cheerfully.

You can imagine what life would be like for the strikers if they faced exactly what they are imposing on their neighbours and fellow Torontonians. I don’t, unfortunately, believe that the strikers would ever pause to think about the ramifications of their actions. Group-think tends to destroy objective thinking.

So it’s up to you, citizens of this great city: Vote the union friendlies out next time. Or, don’t complain about the stink. The choice really is yours.

He thought people would be glad to hear that Canada was in relatively good fiscal shape because of sound management, from both his government and that of Paul Martin before him. He thought that not spending yourself into a deficit hole because every newspaper headline screamed “Crisis, crisis, crisis” was a good way to preserve our ability to weather the financial ups and downs.

Foolishly, he thought people would see that despite all the billions and billions rushed into banks and propping up various ventures in trouble globally, nothing was making an actual difference in the financial markets.

He somehow thought that telling people the truth was the right thing to do.

Another painful political lesson learned by Harper, one which I’m not sure conservatives actually want him to learn: If Canadians don’t want to hear facts, if they don’t want the truth, if they want to be reassured by the perpetrators of big government (i.e. liberals) that panic is good for them and the country, then as their elected representative, you need to give them what they want.

That’s why Harper has embraced deficit spending; not because he wants to, but because Canadians do.

In the Bible we find these verses in Deuteronomy chapter 7: “6 For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. 7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;”

Israel is the chosen people of the God of the Bible. If nothing else in the Bible makes sense or seems to be believable, I believe the story of Israel alone would speak to its infallibility. There is no other wordly explanation for Israel’s existence.

I’ve been thinking about the length of a year - I’m so glad this one is over! I don’t honestly think I could deal with another month of 2008. There comes a point where my soul yearns to leap ahead into another fresh year, like a blank page. No regrets yet, no mistakes made with family, wife, children, work associates, etc. Only bright prospects as I imagine all the good things upcoming.

What would I do without seasons? The thought of Spring keeps me sane (until I get there and yearn for summer and the great outdoors!). This year is worse than usual as I’ve re-discovered motorcycling and my gorgeous Triumph sits under its cover, de-batteried, until the roads become suitable for riding.

This year brings a marriage in May for my oldest son and a youngest daughter’s 18th birthday, God willing (I never realized how many birthdays for girls were “special”). Time flies by and the world gets busier. Memo to self: take time to smell the roses.

To my readers (if any) may you have a great 2009 and God Bless!

For years we have been threatened with the death of the auto industry - the CAW and UAW have made their members rich off of the fear its failure. Politicians have tried to buy votes and poured millions into the industry only to watch as plants have been shuttered while the fat execs at the top have grown smug off of huge compensation packages.

The most efficient way of dealing with the whole situation is to let the companies fail. Anyone thrown out of work gets (Un-)employment Insurance. That means money is going to those who actually need it through a system that is already in place.

What will happen next? Take a look at the 401 any time of the day or night. People need cars. They need car parts. They need their cars serviced. There will be entrepreneurs by the hundreds lining up to purchase the assets of the Big Three and start turning out cars, parts and signing up dealerships.

Let’s face it, when a business fails and it has been providing a necessary service or product to the economy, another will rise to take its place. There will be some temporary pain and dislocation, but for every Bargain Harold’s that goes out of business (Bankrupt in 1992) a Dollar Store rises to take its place.

The auto industry is failing because it has been run badly and inefficiently, not because people don’t want or need cars. Let these three go under and one or two modern, responsive, customer-friendly alternatives rise in their place.

We’ll all be better served.