The Rich will Always become Richer, if Allowed

In the late 12th century England's people were on the verge of revolution.

Under the oppression of being severely taxed the peoples of London and the surrounding area started secretly storing weapons in London. They were preparing for a war against their oppressors. 

The reasons for the taxes? War and the 3rd Crusade under their King...King Richard, Richard the Lion Heart, who some people today believe was the good king and was usurped by his brother John. Not so. 

Richard died of Gangrene from an arrow wound. King Richards greed is what caused the wound. After besieging the castle of Chaluz in Limousin where he laid claim to a treasure that did not exist because he had already drained his coffers.

Some people like to believe this was the time of Robin Hood. Others know differently, but this is not my point.

My point to this little history lesson is this, after many years of oppression under the taxation for sending a King to war with France or Germany or on the 3rd Crusade the people of England had enough. They revolted. 

Can we see history repeating itself in the near future? 

After over 800 years you would think that the governments of this world would realize that those who HAVE should be taxed and those who HAVE NOT should not be taxed as much.

After over 800 years you would think that the governments of this world would realize that those taxes should be going to things worth spending money on. 

Some examples would be educating our next generation. How about educating them on how to proved better energy resources? How about educating them on equality for all? How about educating them on tolerance? How about just EDUCATING them in general.

From where I stand we teach ignorance, inequality and bigotry. Which leads to bullying, which then leads to school shootings and suicides.

How about spending those taxes on our health care? Would taking care of the elderly, who worked to proved these great resources we now have, not be beneficial to all? Would taking care of our veterans not be respectful of what they have given up for us? Would taking care of those who cannot take care of themselves not make sense instead of them living off the streets, eating out of garbage cans?

From where I stand we allow our elderly, veterans and ill to suffer needlessly.

How about spending the taxes on the people instead of on wars? Wars on the other side of the world and wars in our own countries. We keep fighting because of inequality. Inequality that has not changed in over 800 years. 

I speak about countries like Norway where their education and health care are provided and I have people say "well yeah, but they have half their checks taken from them for taxes."

You are not listening to the numbers. Their minimum wages are $5 or more higher than ours, so basically they are taking home the same amount of money or more than we are and still getting the benefits we want to see. 

They have learned in the last 800 years that they HAVE to take care of the little people. The little people out number the rich, we know this, if they do not take care of the little people the little people get mad...and when that happens...well, every major country in Europe has felt a revolution at one time or another. 

The financial inequality that is happening in the U.S. is going to boil over very soon if the government does not start MAKING those who HAVE money...eg. the Koch's, the Walton's, etc. start paying living wages and start paying their fair share in taxes.   

The little people have never tried to overpowered the government and the rich in North America. While the rich and the government have had military backing them, I wouldn't count on them when you have done nothing to protect your veterans when they come home.

The United States of America has had a civil war, yes, but it has never had a revolution like England, France, Russia, etc have. You keep hearing how the little pee-ons out number the rich, you keep seeing the damage that happens when one white cop kills a black teenager. 

What is going to happen when Wal-mart employees do not get those raises? What is going to happen when your Republican government gives the rich more power, more tax breaks and taxes the hell out of the pee-ons? It is a pot waiting to boil over.

And Mr. Harper, what is Canada going to do? You are sending Canada down this same path by allowing the rich tax breaks and leaving the poor with nothing? Are we going to head down this road as well or are you going to stop it now and start taking a good look at countries like Norway who have set an example on how to treat the little people and make the changes that need to be made before it is too late?

Good Luck.  

Ministry of Social Services Needs overhaul in Saskatchewan

There are some departments in the Government of Saskatchewan that just need to be privatized from liquor to highways to insurance, but then there are those who need huge over hauls in Saskatchewan like the Ministry of Social Services.

While more on site social workers are desperately needed there is a bloating going on at the higher levels, I know my worker could probably use another in her area as she travels to surrounding areas, but the bloating happening at the higher levels where the offices are inflated with people doing the same jobs as the on site social workers who are working their butts off. The on site workers are essential.

When a person has to report their income twice to same Ministry there is a problem. Some of the programs the Ministry of Social Services in Saskatchewan are responsible for are Saskatchewan Assured Income for the Disabled, SAID. (It could take some lessons from AISH in Alberta.) Saskatchewan Assistance Program, SAP. Saskatchewan Employment Supplement, SES. Saskatchewan Rental Housing Supplement, SRHS and there are others but I won’t go on as you can see there are options for help, however the paperwork is enormous and not just at first…but constant especially when you qualify for more than one program, which no one will not tell you if you do or not, so you will live without for months or years living on less than the poverty line only to find out later from a stranger that you would qualify for another program as well.

I am on disability. I receive SAID and if you do not know, you have to qualify for this. My common-law works at a very low paying job as many employers in the area will not hire him because he has broken disks in his back which caused a degenerative disease from his previous job here in Saskatchewan and his union did nothing to help him, so we also qualify for another program run under the Ministry called Saskatchewan Employment Supplement, SES.

I originally moved to Saskatchewan to help him after he was hurt. I love the country, it helps me with my mental disease and I care about my friends enough to help when I can, something has grown between us and we have been honest about this with my worker.

Because of my disability, I receive just over $500/month from CPPD. I was receiving just over $300 from the SAID program before we changed our status. Now I receive $0 to $60/month depending on his wages which are less than $630 every two weeks (aprox. $1260/m take home)…Definitely no where near the average weekly wage of $800 that drew him to Saskatchewan in the first place 8 years ago and no, he was absolutely no where near making that at his last job either before he was hurt…With the SES program we will receive another $190-$250/month…which is basically what I lost from SAID.

We have to sign documents allowing these programs access of information to the other programs we are on, so it confuses me to the extent of paperwork we have to do to please this ministry.

Every month my partner drops off his pay stubs to be photocopied at my SAID workers office so they can decide how much I will receive from them and every month I have to call SES with the GROSS amount he made that month, plus every 3 months SES audits everything.  

This is extravagant governmental waste at its worst. Why make things difficult by making people screw around with departments within one ministry?

Is this just another ploy for the Saskatchewan Government to make things so difficult for the poor and disabled that they just give up and leave the province and find an easier province to live in?

I have it no where near as bad as some people in Saskatchewan but personally, I think it is time someone started speaking up and demanding answers as to why the waste of taxes to pay for so many people punching the same numbers into the Ministry of Social Services files. My family should have 1 file and be under 2 programs in that file. My income and my common-laws income should be entered into that file once a month by one worker. My audits should be done once a year or when my income changes to a great degree. If any income that is not taxable is not be included as income, like Child Tax Credit, then ALL income that is not taxable should not be included as income. What I receive from Canada Pension for my daughter is not taxable, but is still deducted from my SAID checks each month.

It makes it a more positive place to be when you can say there is low unemployment and high paying jobs in the province of Saskatchewan.

Not having unemployed people in your province happens when 1) you refuse to put in low income housing** where there is dire need of workers, like in Kindersley, Saskatchewan for example…and 2) the people on unemployment (whether it be from regular benefits which are A LOT longer than sick/disability benefits…which never really made sense to me), are kicked off but have not found another job yet.

**Low income housing is not $300,000 homes for the new guy in the oil patch; Low income housing is AFFORDABLE to those working those minimum paying jobs you refuse to fill with Canadian workers.

Panic Attacks: When No one Believes

It is difficult for me to understand myself how to deal with my panic attacks, but for someone close to me to understand is near impossible.

I have family members who think that I should just get off my ass and find a job. Others believe I am faking my disability and still others who think that there are those who know how to use the system and that I am one of those who know how.

None have seen me literally go into a panic attack at the thought of volunteering one day a week with my daughter. None have seen the panic attacks happen when someone has been kind enough to offer me a full time job with benefits. They do not understand the issues that come with mental disease and the side effects.

A dear friend of mine was telling me how there is a job opening in his company near where I live. He thought it was a great opportunity for me and was excited at the thought of me being able to do this knowing how difficult my situation is financially. It is full time and would eventually have benefits. I know he meant well, but as his excitement grew I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes ready to pour over, my chest started to ache and my shoulders started to feel like mountains had just crumbled down onto them. I couldn't get enough oxygen into my lungs and when I did get a breath in, it felt like a fire was burning in them.

This is my panic attack. Not because I would have to get off my lazy ass, because I can’t cope with the thought of being a part of the world at this time in my life and it has been happening for many years off and on.

Many people do not understand the excruciating pain someone feels when they are going through a panic attack. I don’t understand why, but that is exactly what happens at the thought of putting me out there.

I would love to be able to afford to take my children to California again, in order to do that I would have to return to work. I would love to be able to buy new appliances; again I would have to return to work. I am so scared to return to work that panic attacks happen constantly at the thought. Even now working on this blog the tears are starting to well up and the chest is starting to heave.

I am trying my best to get back out into the world. One day at a time. Holding off the panic attacks is the hardest part though and with trying to move too fast too soon it could actually set me back.

Many in my family do not understand this, so when I have family members accusing me of being difficult, stubborn and selfish, because I will not be apart of other family members lives I disassociate from all of them as none of them have ever really been supportive, only ever seeing that I “use” the system. They have never gotten to know me well enough or see me before I am medicated after having a panic attack.

But panic attacks are the daily issue when I am trying to integrate myself back into society. I have tried doing this several times since going on a disability and every time I have slipped because of the pressure to succeed from family and some friends that I have had to walk away from.

I succeeded for a couple of years by joining a bowling league in Medicine Hat, but because of the pressure to take bigger steps several issues came up, the biggest being that I went into a Bi-Polar manic episode and started spending too much money, along with other things. By the time I realized what I had done, I ended up in a suicidal state. 

I thank God that my children’s father and his mother are fantastic people who are always willing to be there when our children need them and their understanding of what I was going through that they knew and believed I needed the time to get better.**

My son saw panic attacks and thought they were normal, if he had stayed living with me I do not know where he would be now. Living with a parent and grandparent that were stable gave my son the ground work to succeed. Now he is on his way to graduating this year, working and driving like any normal teenager. 

I don’t think my son remembers how many times he crawled into bed with me to comfort me through panic attacks. I would try to make a game of it, tenting the blankets, but tears would be falling and the pressure on my chest would hurt so much.

My daughter is old enough now to understand that I have a mental disease; she understands that mom cries sometimes because of that disease but that it isn't her fault and she understands that there are warning signs to my depression. She also has a life, volunteering at a library, visiting with friends and doing fantastic at school.

We, my daughter and I, are trying to get set up so we can volunteer at the Salvation Army on Saturdays, but the thought of doing this keeps causing panic attacks.

Going to one of my children’s school for parent teacher interviews or just to talk to a teacher can cause a panic attack. Meeting new people or going into a stressful situation where I know there will be conflict can cause a panic attack.

I am trying again to live my life, it is difficult with the panic attacks, honestly I have been dealing with one while writing this blog, but I know that hiding isn't living.

Dealing with people who choose to believe that you are not who you say you are, is not something you need to do when you are mentally ill. When you have family who try to guilt you into spending time with people who believe this of you, you have to say good-bye to all of them until they are willing to accept you for who you are.

It is not your responsibility to accept people for being judgmental; it is their responsibility to accept you for who you are.

**I am very grateful to my children’s grandmother for the support she gave me and our children when the kids went to live in Calgary. You are an amazing person as well as grandparent to all your grandchildren. You have taken in all of your grandchildren at points in time to raise and for that, from the bottom of my heart, thank you Donna for being there to help care, nurture and raise our children it has meant the world to me.

Saskpower Start Doing Your Jobs!

We all know Saskatchewan does not want people who cannot afford to replace appliances that break down, BUT we are here and I am tired of listening to Brad Wall tell the people of Saskatchewan AND the World that this province is prosperous when people are literally breaking their backs trying to replace things like refrigerators, freezers, stoves, dryers, washers and microwaves by going to the dumps to pick parts out of garbaged ones.

I have severely had enough with Saskpower not doing anything about the power surges in our area...and as far as I know across the province, anywhere oil and gas wells are going and more people are building new housing and businesses while older infrastructure is in dire need of replacement.

With the new infrastructure Saskpower is not taking into account the damage it is causing on the older infrastructure and because they are so big and a publicly owned company NO ONE will speak out about the damage that it is causing.

It took them a YEAR to replace the lightening arrestor coming to our house, even then it took them several days to get someone out here to do the work and it took us complaining it was sparking in a severe rain storm.

The times I have been told of refrigerators, deep freezers, ovens, microwaves, radios…the list goes on…going on the fritz and need replacing or a repairman to come work on them because of the power flickering constantly is too often to count.

We personally cannot afford to replace the appliances that have broken down on numerous occasions, but have gone to the Salvation Army to beg for discounted dryers, who have been generous enough to replace two in the last 2 years, it is degrading.

Our refrigerator has been pieced back together by parts from the dumps by fridges that others have gotten rid of because they too have had to replace caused by the constant flickering of power. The Sally Anne doesn't carry fridges. 

In July I bought a cheaper microwave with my GST/HST check as we had been going without for about a month, it crashed and burned after the power flickered on and off several times within a few minutes time, not a serious inconvenience but it was an inconvenience all the same.

I treated us to a newer under the counter radio that cost me around $30 on sale last year and have been waiting for the old one to die. The old one was on its last leg because of the power surging that keeps happening. I put the new one up on Thursday night, last night it was working wonderfully, this morning (Sunday) the power surged once and it is now dead; what a waste. Power bars with surge protectors cost money that those of us who live on limited incomes cannot afford and do not always work for major appliances.

As I said, we are not the only one that has had issues. Extra Foods in Kindersley has had constant issues with their coolers and freezers going on the fritz. The grocery store close to us in Plenty, Saskatchewan has had many issues with their freezers and coolers breaking down and many people have had to replace their appliances in the area…check the dumps across the province and you can see for yourself how many...at least until the government cleans the appliances out of all the dumps to prove a lowly pee-on like me wrong.

These issues constantly happen after the power surging. The power surges and flickering are happening because Saskatchewan is NOT updating the older infrastructure as they build the new or allow more and more wells for oil and gas to be put in all over the area.

You don’t want the poor and disabled in your province. We cannot give you anything, only take, right?

We cannot afford thousands of dollars like oil and gas workers or government workers to replace our older homes or the old appliances they came with and the piddly rebates you offer are just that...dinky rebates that do not help those of us that cannot afford to buy new furnaces, hot water tanks or appliances in the first place. 

We cannot afford to live on the minimum wages and your Saskatchewan Employment Supplement when we have to keep putting out exorbitant amounts of money out for appliances that are needed to keep our food from spoiling or to cook it or to clean our cloths so our children are not teased at school for being filthy. 

When your province is doing so well like you say it is it should be replacing the old infrastructure as it builds new, especially when that new infrastructure is supposed to be bringing in a lot of money…those oil and gas wells along with the people that build and take care of them should be bringing in the big bucks to pay for improving the old and bringing in the new.

You want me to leave like the rest of the disabled, but I think what needs to be done Mr. Wall is someone needs to start speaking out on how the disabled and poor of your province are being treated. 

I am sick of hearing you tell the world how great your province is when there are those in your province suffering worse then myself.

This is not my only issue with your province, I have blogged about your roads and the damage my car has received because of them, from cracks and chips in the windshield that I cannot afford to fix to a dent in the radiator pan from the ruts. How about the exorbitant prices of the internet here in Saskatchewan because Sasktel is publicly owned and decides who is also allowed to offer services to rural customers...who then are also allowed to gouge customers...

But I digress...

My point is Brad Wall and his government need to start making SaskPower update the old infrastructure so these power surges and power flickers STOP happening so people stop having to replace appliances, hot water tanks and furnaces that they cannot afford to replace.

Ebola: Wanna help? Stay There!

We know deadly viruses go missing from the CDC.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/fbi-case-missing-guanarito-virus-texas-biolab/story?id=18817744

Another case of missing deadly virus in France…

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/10768179/Vials-of-deadly-SARS-virus-go-missing-in-France.html

We handled the SARS epidemic well; air traffic was contained even though Toronto was going to lose millions. Canada and Toronto made sure that the spread of SARS was controlled, but that was when it came from another wealthy country. China had physicians and money to get control on their end of the epidemic.

But what happens when a deadly outbreak happens in a poor, forgotten country like Liberia?

Do bleeding hearts break? 

I may be getting a little off topic here, but I still don’t understand why Thomas Duncan was allowed to come visit family in the United States during this outbreak. Why after he helped a sick, dying woman he would even think to hop on a plane…ONLY to start showing signs 5 days later AFTER arriving in the United States.

Now if air traffic has been contained as well as it had been for SARS, would this man made it to Texas through Brussels?

We have our own people, like Jesse Jackson and John Wiley, yelling out racism for a man who jumped on a plane from a country that is disease ridden after carrying a woman who died from Ebola home who couldn't wait even just one week to see if he had contracted the disease. A man who HAD to be in the United States of America within 4 DAYS of helping this dead woman to and from a hospital that would not help her either. 

You would understand this wasn’t a race thing; this was a screw up and a perfect example of the United States spending too much time sticking their noses into other people’s business and not enough time protecting their own. I am not going into a rant about how money finds its way back to itself in the pockets of the rich and not enough into protecting and caring for hospitals and schools, doctors and teachers, patients and students.

There were stupid and unforgettable mistakes made in Dallas. Mistakes that can NEVER happen again, but we still do not have air traffic containment to affected countries in Africa and that is a huge mistake as far as I am concerned, not JUST because legitimate immigrants/refugees/tourists/doctors and nurses can spread Ebola, but because terrorists could have used it to spread this disease. Remember, the Canadian government knows of at least 80 people in Canada who have links to terrorist groups in the Middle East and we just let them back in whenever they want.

As long as you can get on a plane before showing symptoms you can make it to the country you can spread the disease in that country.

Our doctors and scientists are working to control Ebola on different continents now because we have had no air traffic control coming out of the infected countries with quarantine times of at least 3 weeks of symptom free we have doctors and nurses whining about being put into quarantine because they made a decision that could affect our countries? Wow, conceited much? How dare they have the right to decide that they get to go to infected countries then turn around and come back because they have been symptom free for a few days, they do not get to decide to come back to Western civilization for their treatment either if they get sick. Stay there until the outbreak is finished or don’t go at all. This was your decision, not ours.

Putting our lives at risk is not your call, when you have been symptom free for as long as you’re supposed to be, then you can come out of quarantine. As far as I am concerned, you should never have made it on a plane to come back to North America if you were in an affected area of the world.

Canadian Immigrants: Then and Now

Immigration and immigrants are a hard topic to discuss on many levels, but if we use history as an example for part of it maybe we can come to some type of common ground.

I came across an obituary where a gentleman’s father had immigrated to Canada in 1928 and was joined a year later by his wife and three oldest children. He came from a Polish/German background and came to Canada to make a better life for his family, which they did. The obituary is his son’s who was born here in Canada in 1935.

The difference between the immigrants of yesteryear and today is the changes that are being made to accommodate new immigrants and refugees.

Back then, immigrants in most cases came with nothing but the cloths on their backs and worked hard to bring their families over who also then had to work hard to make a life for themselves here in Canada, that or starve, there were no handouts, grants or health care.

While we have progressed in the last one hundred years and can help those who desperately need it, those immigrants from the past came to Canada knowing what they wanted and worked hard to achieve it.

Which was a new start, in a new land, they knew that the laws would be different and if they were to break those laws it was back to where ever they came from now, not after hearings and delays. If they broke a law they were kicked out of our country no “ifs, ands or buts” about it.

In the past they came here for all sorts of change, from being able to farm land to explore to starting a business, immigrants over the last one hundred years have tried and succeeded in adapting to Canada’s way of life.

They settled into Canada, not the other way around.

 Immigrants came here because of what Canada offered…a better life. They saw what Canada was about and wanted to be a part of it, not try to change it. These immigrants became CANADIAN.

 They worked hard to help Canada become a great nation that was known for its generosity, its patriotism, its kindness and its military stance as PEACE KEEPERS.

But today we are finding new immigrants coming to Canada and want to CHANGE Canada. They want Canada to be the way their old country is in their laws and religions. They want Canada to defend their rights but they will not allow us to be Canadian.

A good example is if you apply for a social benefit in Saskatchewan you are classed as OTHER if you are Canadian. There is no box to mark if you are born and raised here in Canada. There is a box if you are a native, but even if you are 4^th, 5^th, 6^th generation Canadian…DO NOT say you are a Native Canadian that is a no-no. There is a box if you are an immigrant, well if your great grandparents have been in Canada you are no longer classed as an immigrant. Métis and Refugee both have boxes to check, but alas if you are a born and bred Canadian looking for a “handout” you are classed as an OTHER as far as the Government of Saskatchewan is concerned.

Our traditions are questioned, saying “Merry Christmas” is frowned upon for fear of offending someone other than a Christian and our laws are being changed to accommodate instead of immigrants learning to adapt to our way of life. Unlike with past immigrants, new immigrants are the ones who are changing our society and this is where many people in ALL of North America have the problem.

So why can immigrants today not adapt to Canadian life like in yesteryear…because we allow them to change our society. We allow the changes to happen.

Other countries have allowed these same immigrants into their countries but have said, “NOPE, these are our laws, these are our traditions, this is our society…conform or leave.” They either conform or they come to Canada, where they are allowed to tell Canadians that we are not allowed to say or do this or that and if we do, we are RACIST.  

We are “racist” if we believe that immigrants should be adapting to Canadian Law and Canadian Ways which are now being changed to say that we are being racist by saying they need to adapt to Canadian law and Canadian way.

We do not believe that immigrants should have to give up their religions or their beliefs. Many of us do however believe that they can keep it to themselves for instance...

Inequality is flowing deeply for Canadians, Why would it be ok for a Muslim woman to where a burka, which is not a religious garment, in government photo ID but I am not allowed to wear a baseball cap? Muslim boys are allowed to wear a Kirpan to school but my son cannot carry a Swiss army knife to school...a knife is a knife is a knife. Religious or not, it will kill someone if it is stuck into them.

Our country is about equality, so women have as many rights as men, women do not have to hide themselves here in Canada behind clothing, and with terrorists traveling left, right and center, hiding behind black clothing from head to toe with only eye slits makes people suspicious. How do I know you are a woman and how do I know you do not have a huge gun under those cloths? Trust is a huge thing and when you come here making demands but give little in return, like getting rid of the demeaning clothing, I am not going to trust that you have Canada’s best interests at heart.

Our country is about tolerance, we allow religions to build their temples and practice their religions freely, ALL religions have this right here in Canada respect that or go back to where ever you came from. Canada was founded on Christian beliefs, you may not agree with those beliefs and some of those beliefs may even be outdated, but this is Canada you can take it or leave it we are not going to change our belief system that has done us just fine over the last 150 years just because you say so. Pack your bags and head home if you don’t like the Christian values this country was born from.

Our country is about peace, over the last few decades wars that are being drawn out in countries overseas have been dragging Canada’s military into fighting battles. When you come to Canada, you leave that behind and become CANADIAN, do not beg our government to save your country. You want to save it, go back and fight for it.

Canada’s military has been known World Wide for its peace keeping missions, now we are becoming as hated as the American military because of our interference into other countries ideologies. That interference is from different causes, one of them being from new immigrants insisting we fight the battle that is going on in their countries, maybe?

What I do not understand, if it is that important why are these people not staying and fighting for their country themselves? That doesn’t sound very patriotic to the old country or the new one. Not something a Canadian from yesteryear would have done. Many of which went to war against their neighbors during the World Wars, as CANADIANS.

Some of us Canadians do believe that if immigrants thought that Canada was great enough to immigrate to then they shouldn’t have the right to try to change it.

If they truly want to live with the laws and lifestyle that they came from without the danger, they need to return to their home countries and fight for their freedom without coming to Canada and changing our society to suit them.  

I am not saying that new immigrants do not work hard or do not deserve to be here; I am saying that immigrants in the past did not have things handed to them like grants and loans to help upgrade their education so they can find better jobs here than they would in their old countries, health care to pay for medical bills that never would have happened in their old countries or help bringing family over from their old countries, help to support those family members and an education for their children.

These are the things that aggravate Canadians, we have to adapt to the immigrants lifestyles but they get the benefits of being Canadian and Canada is being changed to suit the majority of immigrants and refugees, who seem to be coming from the Middle East.

While many Canadians that were born and raised here need to start being more grateful for what they have, new immigrants need to appreciate that they are coming to a country that has great qualities, this country does not need to be changed. They wouldn’t be here otherwise.

If we are going to set a law, the law has to stand for ALL people, no exceptions. Race and Religion should not come into the picture EVER.

We are all human beings, which is all that matters…not race, not religion, not sexual orientation…nothing matters but that we are human.

PEACE

Anyone hear of the word PROPAGANDA?

It isn’t just used by terrorist groups like ISIS, Al Qaeda or the Soviets during the Cold War to bring in their recruits; it is also used as scare tactics by our governments to keep citizens in line against terrorists.

Ever wonder what drives people to become terrorists? We are told they are mentally ill, they are freaks, their ideology is whacked, but did you ever stop to think what it could actually be to cause someone to come to the point where they are willing to die for those beliefs?

Christians did it for thousands of years. Christ himself died on the cross for his beliefs. No he didn’t kill anyone but his “religion” eventually did. It has killed millions of people over thousands of years, it condemned “witches” that saved lives, it abused children in grotesque ways and it hordes money in massive amounts.

We condemn the Karan for words that are written in it, but many do not condemn the Bible for those same beliefs that are printed in older versions, that were “re-written”.

Religion has no purpose on Earth; it has caused too much strife, too much death and too much heart ache. People do not know how to control their tempers on how to allow their neighbor to believe in some other religion that does not agree with their own.

That is IF this is based on religion.

If ISIS or any other terrorist organization is trying to “help” the poor by attacking the big bad guys who rape and pillage the land, well those terrorist organizations will always find the help they need in the poor, in the oppressed and in the people who are just fed up with the garbage our governments are trying to feed us.

Those terrorist organizations find the poor, the sick and the needy and say, “We are here to take it away from the big businesses/corporations/governments and give it back to those of you who work hard for it. We are only looking out for the little guys.”They are the Robin hoods of this century, only they have weapons of mass destruction where 3 or 4 hundred years ago well a bow and arrow or an axe had to do.

While we have those big businesses/corporations/governments yelling that the terrorists need to be put down like the mad dogs they are. These are the people who do not want us knowing that the terrorists are human beings who have been trying for years to tell the world that they have had enough of our governments’ interference, our government’s invasions and our corporations taking from their people the only thing they have to support them…Oil.

I have a few questions for Canadians, what would us little pee-on Canadians do if our government and our big corporations stopped doing ANY good for us?

 All the money that we paid them in taxes and all the money we gave them-from spending at the pump to the money we put in their tills-all went straight into their pockets with no relief at all? No royalties, no donations, no nothing?  

What if health care and education were not available at all for ANY of our citizens?

What if we did not make enough money to put food on our tables to feed our children or cloth our children or medicate our children? What if we didn’t have tables or beds for that matter?

What if we saw people on the other side of the world receiving these things but complaining constantly about those things?

 Would we see them as gluttonous and ungrateful?

We can say, oh but we would never do that…but can we really say that?

We do not live in a third world country where it is desert for the most part. Where our children starve most days and go without medical attention for common diseases. We have clean running water, garbage collection, medical care because we pay taxes that go towards these things.

But we also see that demonstrating does not work, police shut that down. We see petitioning does not work, corporations and governments ignore them. Terrorism has worked in the past, during biblical times, and it works now. It brings the attention that the people, human beings, want to the forefront.

Does it mean that the terrorists are crazy lunatics? No, it means they have lost sight of how to get their point to the world.

 It means the world has stopped listening to what is important.

 It means us, the ones who can make the changes, have lost sight to what is important.

What is important is that we stop judging each other on what we have, what religion we choose to practice, and who we choose to love.

It means we start to help our neighbors and pull together instead of building temples only a select few are privileged to enter, we stop hording treasures in churches and we stop hiding billions of dollars in banks on the other side of the world and owning billion dollar trinkets…just because we can.

Stop the greed that human nature has put in our path to control our desire and learn to control the greed. People do not have to live without; people do not have to live with billions of dollars.

Did anyone ever think that maybe, just MAYBE some of these “terrorists” would like for their people to be taken care of in their countries but everything goes to the rich and corrupt in their countries and in ours while their children and grandchildren suffer but  we are told otherwise through propaganda by our governments? 
We really do not hear the whole story people, only what they want us to hear.

It might be me being full of shit, but I think back to what every war has been about, oppression, lost dignity and the propaganda on both sides feeding the wars and it makes me wonder what the true story is…

Remember, there is two sides to a story and the truth.

fyi. I am not affiliated with any religion nor ever will be. My views are based on the research I have been doing over the last few years.

Aliens are Taking Over, but Not the Ones From Outer Space.

ISIS is not new, but is it based on its Religious Beliefs or is it based on Human Greed?

For thousands of years man has seen this type of terrorism and warfare.  Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Christianity. More recent you say? British and French Rule over most of the other side of the world and North America until very recently. Even more recent you insist? The Germans tried their luck in the 1940’s.

Now we have ISIS, they have the resources and gumption to take over most Muslim countries in the Middle East and keep going if they so choose at this point in the game because our resources are becoming divided.

We give our money through oil to countries that have very wealthy citizens who support terrorist cells. “ISIS is largely financed by private donations from the Gulf states Qatar and Saudi Arabia.”-http://www.dw.de/islamist-terror-groups-in-africa-and-middle-east/a-17739751

We put restrictions on one country like Russia, for helping the Russian people in the Ukraine but our government does nothing to stop our money from helping terrorist cells.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-state-sponsors-of-isis-saudi-arabia-qatar-turkey-why-are-they-no-subjected-to-sanctions/5403310

http://www.bscn.nl/sanctions-consulting/sanctions-list-countries

They may not officially be supported by some governments, but these terrorist groups have the resources and the connections to become well placed in our countries, enough so to cause damage and our history in warfare has proven this.

Sneaking in the back door doesn’t work; but Canada and the United States have had an open door policy to immigrants and refugees for so long that ISIS can be very well placed by now.

We already know ISIS is here in Canada. We know ISIS is in North America. They have been recruiting and we know of many who travel back and forth from these African/Middle Eastern countries while our governments have done nothing to stop them.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/10/08/381546/80-returnees-have-terror-links-canada/

This is the same front door that could allow them easier access to too many areas of importance from recruiting our children to bombing buildings to stealing secrets or bio hazard materials maybe? Work hard, keep your nose down, behave and when the time comes, no one expected anything from that person.

People might think I am bat shit crazy and just a conspiracy theorist, but it isn’t like this “shit” hasn’t happened before. Now, we have proof, our people, our soldiers are being killed on our soil. Our Parliament is being attacked.

History repeats itself and those who study history learn from the mistakes made in the past.

A super power always gets too cocky for its own good; the little guy comes along, takes him out at the knees and crushes him. My examples still stand…

The Egyptians, Greeks, Romans were destroyed but it took thousands of years, when each religion started to fail because they became bloated and greedy they fell to the next Ideology that promised hope until this last dominate one, Christianity.

The same thing happened with the British, French and Russians, they held on to territories off and on for centuries in some cases, but because it was based on wealth and not on helping the common man their control over their territories has never lasted.

If you have people willing to die for a cause, terrorists, kamikazes, which ever you want to call them, they will blow themselves up taking people with them fast, stick themselves with needles or take out the more important people so their important people can walk in to take control.

While I agree that we need to deal with the issue of making sure ISIS does not go on a World Domination kick, they are here and while I may be an alarmist Canadians have to watch their backs. Canada's military needs to stay on home ground to protect its homeland.

Our people and our children are being recruited to kill their own. 15 and 16 year old girls are being recruited to become terrorists, boys and girls people, are being trained to kill us…Canadians, Americans, ANYONE that does not agree with the Muslim religion.

So is ISIS about power or religion?

PEACE PEOPLE

Just Because I Look Normal, Doesn't Mean My Brain is…

Many people misinterpret brain diseased people because of what they look like. Most people with mental disease look like normal individuals.

While we can see and understand for the most part when a child has downs syndrome, many other mental disabilities do not have physical characteristics. 

For the most part, my everyday life is pretty normal. I “look” normal, I “talk” normal and I “do” things normally…until I go into a Bi-polar manic phase or a Bi-polar depression. Then things start to become off the wall.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/18/bipolar-disorder-ellen-forney_n_5823138.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000046&ir=Women

This article says it all for me.

Another excellent example is a child with high functioning autism. These children can suffer a great deal in the school system and with their peers when there is no education in why a child can “look” normal, but not “act” normal. Without educating staff at schools and especially the peers many of these children are left behind mentally, emotionally and physically.

It all goes back to what mental disease looks like.

The child LOOKS like a normal teenage boy. He is High Functioning Autistic, so can be confused with a normal child misbehaving. His voice is cracking like any normal young mans, he has a full head of hair, he walks and talks, he laughs and he cries. But sometimes, his disease, Autism, shines through. When it did, these people assumed that because he LOOKED normal, he should ACT normal and so he was just ACTING out instead of it being his disease causing an issue.

Different types of “misbehaving” that people might confuse acting out to a chemical imbalance could be the “rages”. Chemical imbalances can cause so many types of issues in our bodies that people do not understand, “rages” are definitely one of them. These are classed as temper tantrums to most people.

Some of the people who have been honest with me about when I have had a rage have explained what I have said and done during a rage. There have been times where people have told me of the same types of things happening with my grandmother, who was also Bi-Polar. Saying and doing things we normally would not do, but once again, our brains are telling us it is the right thing to do or the right thing to say.

Looking back to when I was very young, my mother would tell me that there were times where I would, for no reason, hold my breath. I wouldn't be upset, I wasn't hurt, but she explained that I would be breathing funny and all of a sudden I would hit a certain pitch and quit breathing, at which time I would faint. I wonder now if it wasn't panic attacks, this was happening before the age of 7, maybe a symptom of poor brain development or an overload on a brain not capable of handling the information?

Today I will deal with severe migraines after “thinking” too long, especially when I write. So writing is something I try to space out over a few days.

These are not “normal” things for a “normal” brain to do. Normal people do get headaches, but not headaches that put them in bed for days after writing papers. Normal people do not go into rages because a child falls off a swing from a sibling pushing too hard, they have a bad dream or they do not listen when you tell them to do something.

Medications do help by allowing our bodies to have the chemicals that are missing, but those medications do not always work, time, constantly trying new medications and the "hit and miss" philosophy comes into effect with meds. They also have side effects that can cause problems themselves or they can actually stop working and you have to start on other medications. It is a vicious cycle that I would not wish on anyone who has the luck of a NORMAL life.

When you are mentally ill, acting “normal” when you really are not, is not as easy as the normal family member or friend of a mentally ill person wants it to be. I have been told many times to “Grow up”, “Control myself”, and “Behave Myself” and the problem with these statements is that the people saying them do not understand that I wish with all my heart I could.

These statements do a lot of harm because I start to wonder why I cannot control myself, why I don’t grow up, how come I don’t behave myself. Without my counselling I end up in very deep depressions to the point of suicide because I believe I am a bad person because I say and do things I believe are okay when I am in Manic phases when they are not. Where counselling helps me realize that while I have control over some issues, my disease does contribute too many of the behavioral issues that have caused these people to say these statements.

I may look like a normal 43 year old mother and grandmother, but I have brain function issues that I would not wish on my worst enemy.

Expecting someone who has poor brain function to act normal is like asking yourself to do something that you yourself have never been trained to do.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/09/19/depression-symptoms_n_5849920.html?ir=Canada+Living

Growing up, my family could tell you that I fought every single symptom on the list in my teen years.

I remember being disgusted with myself because I could not get out of bed when my family members would call me to get ready for school, I would lie in bed crying because I did not have the energy to even dress myself or the opposite sometime I would not be able to sleep all night, staring at the walls all night then not be able to get up in the mornings from lack of sleep. 

I remember never wanting to take care of myself hygiene wise, teachers pulling me aside to talk about it. I remember never feeling happy about anything, always looking at the negative side of even the good things in my life always unhappy.

I remember never eating properly, I still don't when I go into a Bi-Polar Depression. I remember always losing interest in the things I loved to do and I still do this when depression hits me.

I remember having issues concentrating on doing school work/homework and even now when I am not myself, concentrating on what I am doing is hard to control.

I thought of suicide many times when I was younger and have thought of suicide many times since.

My siblings and cousins could tell you how irritable I could and can become at the drop of a hat when depression is at my door and especially when I am manic.

I was always suffering from stomach aches and headaches as a teenager. I had issues with my memory back then and even now my memory is very bad. I cut myself as a teenager and after moving out of my parents home at the age of 16 and until I was in my early 20s alcohol was my drug of choice.

A reminder to everyone...Mental disease is/can be hereditary. It runs in families like any other disease does. You might think that your children are safe because it is your wife's cousin on her mothers side that is a little nuts...it doesn't mean a thing...inform yourself, just in case. Better safe then sorry isn't that the old saying?

I have survived 43 years so far, I might have lost some people along the way, but I survived and there are others out there like me.

Family Counseling to Help Understand Mental Disease

Right off the bat, parenting a child with a mental disease or illness is one of the hardest things a parent will ever have to do and accomplishing this with other children, who have “normal” brains, is even more difficult.

One of the biggest pieces of advice I can give to parents of children with any type of mental disease is counseling. Not only for the child, not only for the parents, but for the entire family.

I knew growing up that there was definitely something wrong with me, I did not know it was a chemical imbalance in my brain. Chemical imbalances in your body can cause so many problems, from causing seizures to weight gain. Many people will accept a thyroid problem, but gawd forbid serotonin levels are so whacked out you start screaming scary things that you have no recollection of later.

The issue though is when a child with a mental disability has episodes and siblings do not understand what is happening and adults put the episodes down to bad behavior, siblings can become resentful, bitter and sometimes hostile.

They, as well as the adults, scold the child with the mental disability for the “bad behavior” when the adults are not around. This leads to the child with the mental disability having no support. The child can start to feel picked on, mistreated and neglected.  The friction that develops between siblings because of the lack of education can grow and soon no relationship is left.

Counseling for everyone in the family will help.

This would not just be for the benefit of the child with the mental disease.

While this would show your mentally ill child that they have your love and support, it is would be to help the children that do not have the mental disease learn coping skills. Instead of becoming bitter, angry and thinking that their sibling is “just acting out” they would learn how to deal constructively with their sibling.

So much more is known about mental illnesses and diseases than when I was growing up. Parents now have an advantage.

Where my parents and brother had no clue how to deal with the outbursts and bouts of depression…where I refused to get out of bed for days to my severe mood swings…we know now how to help our children through a panic attack/outburst of tears/“temper tantrum” issues, which teach mentally ill children coping skills for the future.

And there is a difference between a child that is spoiled and a child that has a disability. The outside world may not know the difference but they do not matter. However, family and friends should know the difference and learning how to cope is a responsibility.

These coping skills my generation and older generations of people with mental diseases have had to learn these skills by hit or miss. 

The biggest reason is because no one knew back when I was growing up how important counseling is for people with mental disease/illness and the families of people with the disease.

I did see a psychiatrist once or twice growing up, but that was because of the death of my father. I did see a counselor a few times after I was strong enough to report that I had been sexually molested. I did seek counseling off and on over the years but really never understood how to utilize counseling properly.

When I was growing up and I was seeing a counselor after the abuse, my counselor would tell me to ask my family to seek family counseling, that it would be good for the whole family. The answer was always no, I was told I was the one who had the problem, not them.

Remember earlier I said “love and support” family support is very important. Sibling support is important, these are a child’s very first friends in life, when these “friends” do not understand and start pulling away from them because they do not know how to handle the behavioral issues that the child with mental illness/disease has, it can be devastating. This child can become worse in many respects.

We can help brothers and sisters understand that an illness or disease can cause their siblings to make poor choices by allowing them to talk to a counselor of their own. This person can help them realize that their sibling is not behaving badly because they want to, but because there is something wrong with their brain that makes it difficult for them to make better choices. This is helping all of our children, in the long run, have happy, healthy relationships with each other.

Yes, we make choices, but what many people do not understand is that when our brains are not working correctly we actually believe that we are making correct choices.

To a lesser degree, you might believe that a shirt looks great on you…it may be ugly and no one is willing to tell you that, but you think it looks great.

With my brain I can think something is an amazing idea, and if someone doesn't say, “Lana, don’t do it, it’s a bad idea and you will regret it.” I will probably do it when I am in a Bi-Polar state. Problem is, not many people know how to deal with me when I am in a Bi-Polar manic state and many people are not willing to “get involved” to say “Don’t do it”. This, in the end, leads me to believe they don’t care enough to stop me from doing “dumb” things after I do come down from my manic state.

Seeking counseling to support and learn how to cope with your loved ones mental disease has so many immense benefits for the entire family. From showing the mentally ill child they have the love and support to teaching the other family members coping skills the benefits out weight the loss of the minimum mount of time you have to put into learning these valuable skills.

I am not trying to bash my family in this blog. This is about showing that had a different approach been taken when I was young maybe things would have turned out a lot differently. However, times were different we did not know as much then as we do now about mental disease and illnesses and while there is a lot more that needs to be learned and talked about, there are coping skills available now for families to take advantage of so that relationships do not have to suffer.

**It has been a long summer. I have been going through a depression this summer. My writing has been on some depressing topics and many have not been worth posting. I am trying to learn to control which are worth posting and which are accusatory, full of self pity and not really helpful to anyone but me. I kept busy keeping tears away this summer by writing my “yucky” stuff, gardening, canning and taking care of the dogs. Now its time to harvest all those potatoes!

Knowing How and What to Donate Helps

When it comes to Recycle, Reuse and Renew almost anything goes.

Notice I said almost. 

The people who work at Canadian Diabetes Association who have to drive around and load the boxes and heavy furniture that people leave laying around at the bins tend to have to load these items by themselves. 

Remember, if it takes two of you to load the items and two people to unload the items without hurting themselves or damaging the items, chances are two people should be reloading and unloading as well, but usually only one person is loading your "donations" to keep the cost of wages down. This can damage the "donation" but more importantly it can cause accidents and injuries to those who have to work alone doing the job of two people.

An easy solution is to put smaller items in smaller boxes, do not overload bigger boxes or garbage bags and donate the furniture right to the store.

People say, "They should be grateful for the donation". 

When much of your donation needs to be hauled to the landfill by hard workers at these wonderful organizations, gratefulness is hard when they have to throw away your trash you have put into your "donation". 

These people who work for these awesome places do not deserve to sort through bags of clothing that are dirty, before donating clothing take the time to wash it. Many places do not have washers and dryers to do this job for you.

Sometimes it is easier for people to empty a toy-box into a garbage bag and "donate" it. People do not sort through and throw out the garbage toys...dolls missing arms or are "pretty" with marker makeup, those annoying fast food toys, Mr. Potato head that has no parts left except the potato part, one arm and an eye. These parts are not going to all magically appear in the bag/box you donate to the second hand places and if you cannot clean the marker off the doll, no one can.

Before you drop your donations off at a Salvation Army, the Post or Value Village think, "If I was in need would I buy this from a second hand store?" 

If you cannot see yourself doing this, chances are, no one will buy what you are donating, while one mans trash is another mans treasure, many times garbage is just garbage. 

What I mean by this is the condition of the item.

When they say "gently used" it means that there are no dents, cracks, rips or scratches in the donations, is the donation is worth buying?

Anyone who has shopped on a regular basis at these great places would know what they are always in need of or what they have too much of that is not selling. 

If you want to donate, check out these great places and ask what kinds of things they need the most or what sells the most. Talking to the managers about your larger donations makes it easier on the workers to sort and organize, they know what to expect.

One place may sell sporting goods quickly, while other stores cannot sell them at all, if a store has tons of golf clubs chances are...they are not selling all that well, donating them to that store is only going to over crowd it. 

After a garage sale, after cleaning out the children's rooms or after someone has passed away do not throw your "leftovers" into boxes and donate them unless you know they are worth donating and not going to end up in a landfill.

Splitting your donation up may help different charities and save from things being tossed into the garbage.

Some charitable organizations/stores will not sell glassware/items that have alcoholic logos on it, find out which stores will before donating these things as some will throw these out instead of selling them. 

It might be a bit more of a hassle, but in the long run it helps the charities, the environment, the needy and it can help you feel better knowing the things you have donated are being used.

The Salvation Army does amazing work for many people, there are so many programs for the less fortunate that they help with. To keep their costs down, don't make them go through your trash and take it to the dumps for you.

These people work very hard to go through the good donations that come in, it is a waste of their time and a waste of foundation funds for paying these people who have to deal with your trash.

Making a charitable organization take your garbage to the dumps because you don't have the time or the want to do it is selfish don't you think? 

In my opinion, if you are donating it because you are too cheap to take it to the landfill yourself, shame on you. 

Small Steps to Help your Loved One without Hurting You

I do not want to discourage people from seeking out better information, but here are a few simple ideas about when to talk to your loved one  and what to discuss with your loved one about their depression.

Talk to your loved one when they are not depressed about their depression.

When they are depressed, they do not want to talk to you or anyone about their depression. It doesn't need to be "depressing" to talk about. Discuss what steps you think need to be taken when you see them going into a depression, ask them what they would like you to do when they and you know they are going into a depression.

At this time, Get a key to their home. One of the worst feelings is guilt, when a survivor says I walked away because they told me to go away. No matter what they do or say, do not walk away.

Do not take things personally.

Do not throw things back at them. If they have said something during a past depression, they were frustrated, angry or hurt...they were lashing out and only want to hurt someone. Do not use that against them later. Not months later, not years later. It will only damage your relationship even more.

I know I have been accused of saying and doing many things when I was in major depressions, especially right before I tried to commit suicide. Before I ended up in the hospital for ECT treatments after almost succeeding the last time I had written letters to all my siblings, that has pushed all of them away.

Things I have said during Bi-Polar manic phases have been used against me, things I do not remember saying, things that people I love and that love me should know I wouldn't want them to do if they really knew me.

I have in the past gotten angry at people enough to tell them not to do or give things to my children when I was in a Bi-Polar episode, that now is being held over my head so that even congratulating my daughter on her son who was born over a year ago is a chore. If my family and friends really knew me, they would know that I was angry, frustrated, having a difficult time and I really did not mean what I said.

Like many people say and do things when they are angry and frustrated adding a mental disease onto that makes it even worse because it tends to come out like we actually mean what we say. The only way people can tell is if they are informed and know their loved one enough to say, "hey, that isn't you talking, you don't mean that, I know you don't."

Talk calmly. Yelling back at them isn't going to solve anything and escalates the situation. Try to avoid topics that you know are depressing to them and gradually move them away from those topics if they are talking about them.Talk about things they have fun doing, it can be hard to get those people to do those kinds of things sometimes.

I know a person in particular who you can constantly ask them to do something and they always have an excuse why they can't, they have learned to say "no" too well and learned how to make excuses too well that people have given up asking them to come over or to go out. Why ask when the answer is always no? 

Rejection goes both ways. We, my children and I, are not going to keep being told no...keep being rejected and be okay with it. We will stop calling, we will stop coming over. As everyone would.

Call someone who lives close to your loved one or make that difficult call to the police if you feel they are not safe alone.

Sometimes when your loved one seems to be too depressed to console  or you are not the person who is able to calm them down and it takes someone other than you to make the difference or if you live too far away to go to your loved one you have to make the difference by calling another person who lives closer.

If you cannot get a hold of someone, a friend or family member, calling the police may be your only option...but it is the right option. You are better off having your loved one angry at you for having an officer show up at their door for awhile then have them committing suicide because you chose to think they are just throwing a temper tantrum for attention or are just angry at you for no reason.

Take care of you, especially if you have an issue with depression or a mental disease yourself.

Many healthy people can disassociate themselves and be able to help someone then walk away from a depressed person without having any issues themselves, some work as councilors and doctors.

When you suffer from a mental disease or depression yourself and you have someone in your life that is suffering from depression, sometimes it is in your best interest to let others handle that depression. You need to stay healthy and you cannot do that if you try to help someone who does not want to be helped. It is better for you and them if you keep a distance in this type of situation, especially if you are one of those people who are a "fixer".

Talking with them is a good thing, but allowing them to lay their burdens, especially if they are blaming those burdens on you, is not.

If they are not ready to let go of things they cannot fix and fix the things they can, you cannot do that for them and you cannot make them. It will make you sick trying, so it is best you keep a distance for your mental health.

Stay focused on what makes you happy, keep doing the things you enjoy and maybe they will see what really counts and will decide to rejoin life and be happy again with you.

Just like cancer and heart disease, there are treatments for depression, it does not have to end in death.