Thou shalt have no other gods before me
Sunday, February 18, 2018
godheads
When you purchase $888 in Square One gift cards using the OTT Pay terminal, receive 88RMB back.
PLUS, the 5% bonus from us. [source]
The renminbi (...RMB) is the official currency of the People's Republic of China. [source]
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I wrote in my previous post about the dramatic visuals that were in the Square One Shopping Centre's main entrance to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
I went there to observe the "activities" yesterday, and although I was too early for the dragon dance, I found "fortune teller" Safrina Kadri:
...[a] classically trained Feng Shui consultant, a 5th generation disciple under the lineage of the Grand Master Tang Yang Wu. Safrina has completed the Master Program for Xuan Kong Feng Shui.The name Safrina Kandri didn't sound Chinese to me and looking her up, I found this:
My name is Safrina Kadri, born and grew up in Malaysia but now living with my daughter and husband in Toronto, Canada. I practice feng shui professionally not only in Toronto Canada but have also served clients internationally.When I was at the stall (waiting while she was "reading" someone else's fortune), I thought she looked more Indonesian or Burmese, but in fact she is Malaysian.
safrina1500-3I am the 5th generation disciple under the lineage of the Grand Master Tang Yang Wul
There was already one (Chinese) woman in line, and I asked the organizers how long this would take. "About 15 minutes per person."
I wasn't willing to stay that long (half an hour by my calculations), and was walking away when the Chinese woman in line called out to me: "She is very good. She will give you good fortune."
"I already have good forutne" I replied walking away. I got no response. What can you say to that!
But I wasn't being facetious, although I was angry at her rude call.
I follow the true religion of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Every day is a challenge in Mississauga (and I'm sure elsewhere now) where we are accosted daily by foreign tongues and alien gods.
Thursday, February 15, 2018
New Year at Holt's
Mississauga continues its uphill attempt to please all cultures all the time. This sisyphean ordeal is bound to fail (well here's the scoop: it has failed). If you make the Syrian Muslims happy, how about the Egyptian Copts? The Cambodians and Somali will never find a common celebratory ground (naturally!)
And why have the Chinese garnered the prime location in the Square One Shopping Centre (the mall, to use its less fancy name) to showcase their New Year!
It's all about the money. Or so thinks the Square One/Mississauga business committee.
Perhaps this wll attract the rich Chinese/Hong-Kongese to "destination travel" to Mississauga for sightseeing and SHOPPING!
Holt Renfrew, the "high end" Canadian clothing store, has decorated its main entrance flowing into the main entrance of the mall with Chinese New Year's greetings and messages.
Why have the Chinese garnered this prime location, and sponsored by a department store? Well the Chinese are "rich" now and are traveling the world to spend their yuan. Why not invite them to Mississauga to do so?
Some of the messages are in English but the majority are in Chinese with few translations.
So join the festivities and 新年快樂! 恭禧發財!萬事如意!
Square One Shopping Centre, Mississauga
Holt's Chinese New Year 2018
[Photos By: KPA]
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Valentine's Day
St. Valentine in a stained-glass window
at the Basilica of St. Valentine in Terni, Italy
The Christian History of Valentine's Day
Bill Federer
In the third century, the Roman Empire was being invaded by Goths. At the same time, the Plague of Cyprian, probably smallpox, broke out, killing at its height 5,000 people a day. So many died that the Roman army was depleted of soldiers.
Needing more soldiers to fight the invading Goths, and believing that men fought better if they were not married, Emperor Claudius II banned traditional marriage in the military.
Emperor Claudius II quelled internal rivalries resulting from the previous Emperor Gallienus’ assassination by having the Roman Senate deify Emperor Gallienus to be worshiped with the other Roman gods. Citizens were forced to worship the Roman gods by placing a pinch of incense on the fire before their statues. Those who refused worship of the Roman gods were considered “unpatriotic” enemies of the state and killed. Emperor Decian’s persecution specifically targeted Christians with legislation forcing them to deny their consciences or die.
During the first three centuries of Christianity, there were 10 major persecutions in which the government threw Christians to the lions, boiled them alive, had their tongues cut out and worse. Christian writings, scriptures and historical records were destroyed.
Because so many records were destroyed, details of Saint Valentine’s life are scant. What little is known was passed down and finally printed in the year 1260 in Legenda Sanctorum by Jacobus de Voragine, and in the Nuremberg Chronicle, 1493.
Saint Valentine was either a priest in Rome or a bishop in Terni, central Italy. He risked the Emperor’s wrath by standing up for traditional marriage, secretly marrying soldiers to their young brides. When Emperor Claudius demanded that Christians deny their consciences and worship pagan idols, Saint Valentine refused. Saint Valentine was arrested, dragged before the Prefect of Rome, and condemned him to die.
While awaiting execution, his jailer, Asterius, asked Saint Valentine to pray for his blind daughter. When she miraculously regained her sight, the jailer converted and was baptized, along with many others.
Right before his execution, Saint Valentine wrote a note to the jailer’s daughter, signing it “from your Valentine.”
Saint Valentine was beaten with clubs and stones, and when that failed to kill him, he was beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate on Feb. 14, 269 A.D.
In 496 A.D., Pope Gelasius designated Feb. 14 as “Saint Valentine’s Day.”
In the High Middle Ages, Geoffrey Chaucer, called the father of English literature, wrote “Parliament of Foules” (c.1393) that birds chose their mates in mid-February: “For this was Saint Valentine’s day, when every bird of every kind that men can imagine comes to this place to choose his mate.”
After Chaucer, literature began associating Saint Valentine’s Day with courtly love. This eventually developed into the 18th-century English traditions of presenting flowers, offering confectionery and sending Valentine greeting cards.
People often sign Valentine cards with Xs and Os. The Greek name for Christ, Χριστό, begins with the letter “X,” which in Greek is called “Chi.” “X” became a common abbreviation for the name Christ. This is why Christ-mas is abbreviated as X-mas. In Medieval times, the “X” was called the Christ’s Cross, or “Criss-Cross.”
Jews and Death
Julia Samuel "psychotherapist specializing in grief" on TVO in soft pink and gold,
whose job is to help ease the pain of grief
The erudite and smart Steve Paikin of Television Ontario's The Agenda had on a "psychotherapist specializing in grief" as his main guest this evening. The full interview is below, or online here.
There was a fascinating discussion on death and grief which Paikin's guest, Julia Aline Samuel, adeptly maneuvered. But not once, not once, in her discussion did God feature.
How can one discuss death and grief without mentioning God? How can one discuss death and grief without God being the center, the axis, of the discussion?
Incredible.
I looked up Samuel, and through various associations she is clearly a Jew (by marriage).
Here are the brief details:
- Hon. Michael John Samuel was born on 2 November 1952. He is the son of Peter Montefiore Samuel Samuel, 4th Viscount Bearsted and Hon. Elizabeth Adelaide Cohen.
- He married Julia Aline Guinness, daughter of James Edward Alexander Rundell Guinness and Pauline Vivien Mander, on 6 March 1980.
- Children of Michael John Samuel and Julia Aline Guinness:
Natasha Vivienne Samuel b. 25 Jun 1981
Emily Elizabeth Samuel b. 11 Jul 1983
Sophie Alexandra Samuel b. 1986
Benjamin Peter Marcus Samuel b. 1989
- The last child (a son) of Michael's and Julia's has the first name Benjamin (as in the youngest son of the Biblical Abraham).
Nowhere is the full religious and cultural background of the Samuel family disclosed, but their backgrounds can be clearly surmised through these associations.
Therefore, Julia Aline Samuel (nee Guinness - aristocratic Anglo-Irish Protestant family in brewing, banking, politics, and religious ministry.) clearly had to convert to Judaism for this marriage to be sanctified by Jewish religious and legal procedures.
But like all Jewish families who have mixed (converted) members, their affinity to the religious side of Judaism is minimal, while they may follow cultural and societal rules and regulations of the religion.
They can for all practical purposes be called "atheist" Jews. (This is a profound oxymoron, to be discussed at a later date. Without God, Jews are nothing. They cannot profess to be Jews and NOT believe in God).
Therefore Samuel "counsels" people who are plunged into the abyss of grief with psychological props to handle their grief, and not once does she ease the terrible burden off people's shoulder's by saying: There is God. He will help you.
The iniquities of the modern world are beyond belief.
Paikin is not to blame for the discussion, nor the direction of the discussion. He makes himself vulnerable by telling Samuel a personal anecdote. He was asking her for help. But the callous Samuels simply smiles and gives "advice" in her voice softened, and trained, for therapy. (The section is around the 23 minute point - full video is below).
Samuel is part of the great failed Jewish tradition of psychoanalysis. How many Woody Allen movies show a man who goes his whole life sitting (lying) on a psychiatrist's couch with no personal improvement to show for it? It was simply a narcissistic addiction which served patient and doctor.
You can watch the full TVO interview here.
Sunday, February 11, 2018
"Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night"
[Photo By: KPA]
Genesis 1:14-18
14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
Saturday, February 10, 2018
Early Morning on the Upper West Side
Early Morning on the Upper West Side (110th St)
March 2017
[Photo By: KPA]
Early Morning on the Upper West Side
Early Morning on the Upper West Side (110th St)
March 2017
[Photo By: KPA]
Thursday, February 8, 2018
Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc Statue On Riverside Drive
Taking on New York City!
[Photo By: KPA
March 2017]
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Sunday, February 4, 2018
"That the Man of God May Be Complete, Equipped for Every Good Work"
Chrysler Building Reflection, New York
[Photo By: KPA
March, 2017]
2 Timothy 3:17
That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
Saturday, February 3, 2018
Colors of Canada
Around here, there's no such thing as an accidental tourist. Newfoundland and Labrador is not Disneyland. It's a harsh and beautifully rugged destination with 29,000 kilometres of pristine coastline, perched at the most easterly edge of North America. Our landscape is full of a strange and terrible beauty. Our towns and cities, soaked in centuries of colourful history and culture, and we have perhaps the most genuine, creative and warmly funny people you're ever likely to meet. [Source]
The Chrysler, The New York Public Library and the Twin Towers
The Chrysler, The New York Public Library and the Twin Towers
Photo By: KPA
March 2017
Friday, February 2, 2018
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