This is a little long, but true and important.
Recent Comments
RSS feed
The Truth About Slavery: Past, Present and Future
February 20, 2014 — xanthippaMichael Coren & Tarek Fatah – non-Muslim ejected from University’s Muslim preaching course
February 11, 2014 — xanthippaFundraiser to help re-settle Tibetan refugees
February 8, 2014 — xanthippaThe Canadian government has recognized the difficult situation the Tibetan refugees are in and has permitted a number of them entry to Canada as sponsored refugees. This means that, unlike other immigrants who are ‘sponsored’ by the government and thus get support from it to help them settle, the sponsors of these Tibetan refugees are the ones responsible for all.
Now, don’t get me wrong – they sponsors are quite happy with that! And charity delivered directly from those who want to help to those who need the help is always kinder, more human-touch as well as more efficient than any help government would provide!
Yet, the more of us are helping, the more of us will feel great – and the more people will benefit, become happy Canadians, and lend a helping hand in their own turn. I know, because earlier in my life, when I first escaped the persecution in my native land, I was so grateful for all the help I received from individuals first in Austria, then in Canada that now I am doing well, it makes me very, very happy to lend a helping hand in my turn.
So, please, help if you can – you’ll feel better for it!
Update: For those for whom the above graphic does not show up (my apologies):
Come celebrate Tibetan New Year
February 21st, 2014, 6:30 – 9:30 pm
First Unitarian Congregation, 30 Cleary Ave., Ottawa
Suggested minimum donation is $30.00
trpo.aum.ca
RSVP Jose 613-263-2388, trpovolcoordinator@gmail.com
Communicating Keynes vs. Hayek
February 6, 2014 — xanthippaOn my recent and most excellent trip out West, I talked to a lot of people about all kinds of things. So much food for thought… and me, a slow thinker!
The upshot of this will be that in the next few weeks, I’ll probably be mulling it over and posting answers to the questions that had been raised.
One of the questions that was thus raised was how to accomplish communicating some core principles to the younger generation. After all, they ought to learn from our generations’ mistakes!
Which brings me to YouTube: it is a resource chock full of awesome tools for getting kids interested in learning through fun, catchy videos.
For example, my son became quite the expert on ancient warfare after a video game creator who made games about Roman warfare decided that rather than paying for extra ads, it would be a better marketing idea to pay some established video game reviewers to educate their audience about the Punic Wars. Brilliant!
Not only did my son watch that series of videos, he got so interested in the story that he went and looked up much, much more quality online material on ancient Roman history.
Isn’t it awesome how free market not only helps everyone involved, but its by-product is a better educate populace?
Which brings me more to the focus of my post – how to teach kids about basics principles of the competing economic theories? It sounds dull – unless you set them to rap:
And, round two:
Another useful resource that explains that the source of our rights determines their nature, a set of videos that I have posted over the last week, from LOOKandLISTEN.
If you have other good videos, let me know and I’ll feature them!
CodeSlinger: School ditches rules and loses bullies
February 1, 2014 — xanthippaAs I have been busy for the last few days attending Essentials of Freedomconference in Edmonton, Alberta, (they have been kind enough to ask me to say a few words on the topic of Cultural Marxism and Political Correctness), I have been a little busier than usual. (More on this later!)
CodeSlinger has been very gracious and has stepped in with a most excellent guest post (note – edited to insert source links):
The title refers to an article on stuff.co.nz and another article on TVNZ.
In a two-year-long experiment, four elementary schools in New Zealand got rid of all safety rules governing playtime at recess and lunch break. Kids could go back to climbing trees, skateboarding, bike-riding, or playing such barbaric games as dodge ball, bull rush, or tag. Just like they used to, before the nanny state ruined everything.
Of course, the playground immediately descended into mayhem, the infirmary was flooded with injured children, and the learning environment was hopelessly disrupted…
NOT!
Actually, when you let children play vigorously, and you give them freedom, the children are better behaved overall, more able to concentrate in class, and less likely to get hurt at play.
Oh, the horror!
The progressive matriarchs and their metrosexual disciples, who hold the school system in their politically correct clutches, were left palpitating in scandalized disbelief. To them, vigorous play is violent and dangerous, and freedom is the deplorable result of inadequate supervision. And evidence to the contrary is simply not acceptable!
These same progressive matriarchs and metrosexuals, who manufacture clueless, helpless, fearful people by never letting kids take a risk, were shocked and outraged to find that kids are actually pretty good at not hurting themselves or each other when you let them do what they want.
“The great paradox of cotton-woolling children is it’s more dangerous in the long-run,” says Grant Schofield, a professor of public health at Auckland University of Technology. We need a university professor to tell us this? Well, apparently, progressives do. You can tell he’s talking to progressives, because he calls this a great paradox. Normal people just
call it obvious.
These same progressive matriarchs and metrosexuals, who think that social order can only by maintained by breaking young spirits to the yoke of collectivism, were confused and distressed to discover that kids have neither the time nor the inclination to get into trouble when they’re busy playing interesting and energetic games.
“The time children get into trouble is when they are not busy, motivated and engaged. It’s during that time they bully other kids, graffiti or wreck things around the school,” says Bruce McLachlan, Principal of Swanson Primary School in Auckland. But his words are lost on progressives, who are too intent on undermining religion and tradition to admit the truth of
age-old proverbs like, “idle hands are the Devil’s playthings.”
These same progressive matriarchs and metrosexuals, who think the purpose of a primary education is to turn boys into little girls, were perplexed and disturbed to observe that kids have a much easier time sitting still and concentrating in class when you let them burn off enough energy during recess.
This is especially true of boys. Girls don’t find it that hard to conform to the sedentary, structured classroom setting. But healthy young boys have enormous amounts of energy, which they simply cannot keep bottled up. Therefore, progressives forbid them from burning it off, and then punish them when they can’t sit still. And when that doesn’t work, reach for the
drugs. Progressives call this “positive socialization,” but normal people call it punishing boys for being boys.
Four schools in Auckland were involved in the experiment and all reported similar findings: bullying and vandalism dropped sharply, the time-out area was completely emptied out, playground accidents were reduced, and classroom performance was improved.
In spite of these dramatic successes, only one of these four schools cared enough to make this way of doing things permanent. (Note: the principal of that school was a man.)
Still, one is better than none, and we can hope that this is the first hint of the beginning of the end of the politically correct progressive stranglehold on our public schools.
But as of right now, it’s obvious that the vast majority of school principals care much more about the politically correct progressive agenda than they do about the well-being of your kids.
Remember that, next time progressives exhort you to think of the children!
MUST ACCOMMODATE! ACCOMMODATE!!!
January 16, 2014 — xanthippaToday, my son and I were discussing that whole York University misogyny-accommodation fiasco on the way home from school. We discuss a lot of things during our drives – best time of my day!
As we were discussing that York issue, I mentioned that I had come across this article at The Beaverton :
‘TORONTO – After permitting a student to be excused from course work on religious grounds so he would not have to publicly interact with female peers, the Dean of York University is also permitting another student to have the right to ritually murder people to appease his gods.
“We are legally obliged to heed to the student’s wishes of human sacrifice” said Dr. Martin Singer, Dean of the faculty of Arts and Science at the university. “This wouldn’t affect many students as the festival of Tlacaxipehualiztli only lasts 20 days to celebrate the spring equinox and sometimes occurs during reading week. Additionally, the student has assured me that obsidian blades are so sharp that you will barely feel them.”
…
“I understand that people may be uncomfortable with the idea of firing arrows at someone tied to a wooden board until their blood fills a copper bowl, but York University is an inclusive campus that appreciates the values of all religions,” the Dean added.’
Yes – very funny.
But that was not my point…rather, having forwarded this article onto several people, one of them actually believed it.
Sad, very sad…because as we discussed this, my son pointed out that if the intended human sacrifice were the one demanding this religious accommodation on the grounds that they have a terminal illness and believe that being a human sacrifice to the sun god will cleanse their soul and therefore their belief ought to be accommodated – this becomes a much less far-fetched scenario than most of us would like.
Which brings me to the title of this post…
As we drove on, and as we left the uncomfortable reality and resorted to levity we got to the title of my post. Please, put on your best Dalek voice, but, instead of ‘Time Lord DNA has been detected! Must exterminate! Exterminate!!!’ we changed the wording a tiny bit:
RELIGIOUS* DNA HAS BEEN DETECTED!
MUST ACCOMMODATE!
MUST ACCOMMODATE!
ACCOMMODATE!!!
Later on, trying to relax before bedtime, I checked my YouTube subscriptions to find this little installment in the accommodation insanity:
ACCOMMODATE!!!
What I find most disturbing is that this martial arts instructor caved in, segregated the class – and even let the Muslim student proselytize at the dojo!
And the young woman, being told by her sensei to get used to it – outrageous!!!
My own experience with a dojo and Muslim demands for accommodation are refreshingly different!
Let me tell you the story.
I was always fascinated by martial arts. But, while I lived on the wrong side of the iron curtain, being a daughter of a political dissident, this was a closed door for me. Once in the refugee camp in Austria, I traded babysitting and tutoring a martial arts’ master’s kids for lessons…but, it was barely a taste…
Once in Canada, I pursued my dream of learning martial arts. And, to my parents’ credit, even though they were rebuilding their lives from nothing, they did send me to martial arts classes. But, being new in the country, my parents could not afford to send me to the dojo of my dreams: Takahashi Dojo.
Oh, how I dreamed of it!
Once I started competing, I came to the Takahashi dojo to watch Tina Takahashi and June Takahashi compete, I bought a glossy calendar featuring the one and only Phil Takahashi, and on and on.
So, once my sons were old enough to start learning some martial arts, guess what place I picked?
Because of their age difference, they were in consecutive classes, which worked out very well. And what worked out even better was that during my younger son’s class, I could take Tai Chi classes at another part of the dojo. The dojo was then run by June Takahashi (then in her late 70’s or early 80’s) and Tina Takahashi was the principal teacher, with Phil Takahashi teaching some of the classes, too. How much better could it get?!?!?
What a pleasant surprise it was for me that June Takahashi had decided to take the Tai Chi class too! All of a sudden, I was classmates with one of my idols. It was awesome.
After the Tai Chi class, I would still have an hour to wait while my older son’s class was on, but, being classmates and all, if she was not too busy, June would often spend that time chatting with me. I learned so many things from her! She told me about her childhood in BC, where she and Masao (her husband and founder of the dojo) met as children during WWII in one of those shameful camps the Canadians of Japanese descent were sent to, and much, much more.
One day, she was busy in the office and so I watched my older son’s class. He was about 11 at that time, and had been going to classes for a while – and though still a novice, he was diligent and thorough and knew all the ‘rules’ (typical Aspie!). So, it was natural that he got assigned to take a new student who was there for his first class under his wing, explain the ceremonies, why and how and what, what the significance was, and so on. He was good at this and loved helping out.
In this role, he was teaching the newbie how to bow properly during the opening ceremony, that it shows respect, and also how to show respect by bowing to your opponent before you commence working or sparring with them. So far so good – except that the boy’s father started yelling at him from the sidelines, saying ‘No bowing!’ and being loud. The father got asked to wait for his son in the changing room and the rest of the lesson went well. The new student was a good kid and did all he was asked quickly and well and with respect. End of story, right?
Not exactly…
My younger son and I were waiting outside for my older one to come out of the dojo – but so was this boy’s father. He was a big man, 190+cm tall and very buff. As soon as my son came out, he marched right up to him (my son came barely up to his chest), loomed over him and, gesticulating wildly, started screaming at him: “We don’t bow! We are Muslims! How dare you tell my son to bow!” I was afraid he was going to hit my son!
He did not get the chance because I ran over and stepped between them. Though he was much bigger than I, I put on my best mamma-bear face (and body language) and told him in no uncertain terms that he was not going to speak to my son in that manner! I have been told that in that mode, I can look a tad intimidating – and the man stepped back and visibly shrank – but continued to tell me to tell my son not to tell his son to bow during judo.
Well, I was not having any of it. I explained that my son was in the right and invited him to go back to the dojo and discuss it with June, Tina and the other instructors there. Without another word, he left rather hurriedly.
The adrenalin was coursing through my veins with so much fervor I was shaking. With my sons in tow, I went back to the dojo and spoke to June in the office. Since we were on friendly terms, she knew I was not likely to make something like this up. And, my sons were both quite pale following the experience and confirmed my story’s veracity.
So, what did June Takahashi do?
Right there and then, she looked up the kid’s record: the dad had pre-paid for a full year of classes. Not cheap. But, to June, some things were more important than money. On the spot, she reversed the credit card payment and said that neither that man nor his son would ever step into her dojo again!
June Takahashi is a true Canadian hero!
All of us felt very bad for that man’s son…
* ‘Religious’ refers to both theistic and non-theistic religions like ‘big-satetism’, communism, feminism, warmism and other irrational yet dogmatic belief systems.
Accommodating sexism?
January 9, 2014 — xanthippaIn the Fall 2013 semester, a York University student asked to be exempt from taking part in a workshop with fellow students because some of them were female and his religion practiced gender apartheid:
‘“One of the main reasons that I have chosen internet courses to complete my BA is due to my firm religious beliefs, and part of that is the intermingling between men and women,” he wrote, adding “it will not be possible for me to meet in public with a group of women (the majority of my group) to complete some of these tasks.”’
The professor thought about it, consulted an Orthodox Jewish scholar and two Islamic scholars (all three thought the accommodation was not required), talked it over with other faculty members, did a ‘hypothetical’ survey on it in another class… and ultimately decided he could not institutionalize sexism and explained his reasoning to the student:
‘After getting wind of the resolution — as well as Mr. Grayson’s stated refusal to honour his accommodation — the student cheerfully backed off.He attended the group session without protest and even wrote a memo to Mr. Grayson thanking him “for the way you have handled this request.”
“He’s a reasonable guy,” said Mr. Grayson.’
In a reasonable world, that would have ended the matter, non?
But, York University dean/administration is not in a reasonable world…
‘Nevertheless, the rejection incensed university brass. According to Mr. Grayson, on October 18, he received a letter from the Dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies ordering him to accommodate the student’s wishes.…In an October 18 email, the Dean specifically told Mr. Grayson that if he was worried about the “course experience of our female students” he would make sure they “are not made aware of the accommodation.”’
In other worlds, it’s OK to marginalize girls women as long as you don’t worry their pretty little heads about it, right?!?!?
There has been a lot of discussion of this – and guesses about the unnamed student’s religion. Professor Greyson himself consulted Orthodox Jewish and Islamic scholars and, given the Canadian demographics, it’s dollars to doughnuts he hit the bulls-eye. But, there is a big difference between the teachings of Islam and Orthodox Judaism: Orthodox Jews must adhere to their religious laws regardless of where they live while Muslims must only adhere to their religious laws while they live in an Islamic country.
And, since the student accepted the professor’s explanation that the requested accommodation could not happen under Canadian law happily and cheerfully and submitted to the secular law without any problems – I believe this student is a Muslim.
This is something that is very important, but, which is not really being brought up in any of the discussions of this case that I am aware of.
A little background: when I came to Canada in my teens and was in an ESL (English as a Second Language) class, I became best friends with Neda. She came to Canada with her family from a Sharia adherent country.
Her father, a pious, Mosque-attending Muslim, explained it in the following way:
In Sharia-adherent countries, women are treated like cattle (that was the word used – it shocked me when I heard it). He did not want his daughter to be treated like that, he wanted her to grow up as a free and equal human being. But, that would not be possible in an Islamic country.
In his wisdom, Mohammed taught that when Muslims are in a non-Muslim country, they are bound by the laws of that country. If the laws of that country transgress against Sharia, a good Muslim must still try to follow Sharia. BUT, if this would be difficult or if it would make the Muslims look bad in the eyes of the non-believers, then, Allah is merciful and he revealed that the Muslim may break the rules of Islam in order to get along/fit in/conform.
Even if it were to drink alcohol or eat pork, if no transgression was intended, then none was incurred!
So, by bringing his daughter to Canada, she could integrate into Canadian society and live a life as a free person, and as long as no transgression is intended, none is incurred and she would not be punished and go to hell!!!
Back to the York situation: it may be that this student (if, indeed, he were a Muslim) did exactly that! He asked for an accommodation because he was trying his best to follow Sharia in a non-Islamic country. When the accommodation was refused, he was happy to comply with the Canadian law that prohibits discrimination based on gender – as per Mohammed’s teachings.
The student did his best to follow Sharia, but could not – and thus he did not transgress!
In my never-humble-opinion, many Muslims who do not wish to live under Sharia but are still believing Muslims live in our country precisely because of this specific rule: if the country they live in is not Islamic, not following the strict rules of Sharia is not a transgression.
Really.
It is only the Islamists, the ones who are trying to change the laws of Canada, who demand accommodation and refuse to take ‘no’ for an answer, that are the problem – and by insisting on accommodation even in violation of Canadian law, they commit apostasy. Only the Islamists, who wish to change Canada into a Sharia state will not obey Mohammed’s command to obey the laws of the non-believers countries when there!
It is precisely from these people that Muslims like my friend came to Canada to get away from. We must not fail them now by accepting Islamists as the ones who speak for Canadian Muslims!!!
Xanthippa's Chamberpot 