My Dad’s cousin, Gil Dumelie, passed away last weekend. I was at his funeral today, along with about 600 (or more) other family and friends. Gil was a memorable guy, larger than life, and from the size of his family and crowd he drew to his farewell, others thought so
Continue readingTag: death
DeSmogBlog: House Republicans Attempt To Block Black Lung Protection Funding
black-lung.gif In what could possibly be a new low for one of the most anti-environment, pro-dirty energy industry Congresses in history, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives are attempting to gut funding for measures that would reduce the occurrence of black lung in mine workers. The funding cut was
Continue readingknitnut.net: I had a grandfather
My grandfather, Opa, would be celebrating his 104th birthday today if he hadn’t been killed by an irrational fear of surgery. He died in a hospital in Hollywood, Florida, as a result of septic poisoning from a blocked gall bladder duct. He was 86. The doctors had warned him about
Continue readingknitnut.net: Next thing I knew, the duck was mine
Yesterday afternoon I walked right into an unfolding crisis on Fisher Avenue. The scene, as I approached, involved a man stopping rush-hour traffic while he retrieved an injured duck from the middle of the road. She and her mate had been paddling in a puddle, when a woman passing by
Continue readingThose Emergency Blues: Favourite Poems LVII: Death
The first two lines — “Because I could not stop for Death,/He kindly stopped for me” — must be among the greatest opening lines of any poem. Death Because I could not stop for Death, He kindly stopped for me; The carriage held but just ourselves And Immortality. We slowly
Continue readingThings Are Good: Coffee Drinkers Have a Lower Death Risk
I’m writing this as I sip my first coffee of the day and it makes me feel good to do both activities at once because coffee drinkers have a lower risk of death than non-coffee drinkers. Coffee drinkers were less likely to die from heart disease, respiratory disease, stroke, injuries
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Andrew (Andy) Suknaski of Wood Mountain and Moose Jaw
Andy Suknaski, award winning poet and visual artist, has passed away at age 69. Andy was from my home town of Wood Mountain, and I have some memories of him as I grew up. He lived only a block away (not big odds on that, when the village is only
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Greenpeace Uncovers Shocking Photos Of Gulf Of Mexico Oil Disaster
More than two years after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded and BP's well spewed millions of gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, Greenpeace has finally been granted access to pictures that show the real impact of the oil on marine life. The pictures were obtained via
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: The DWR Sunday Disservice Featuring Theramin Trees – Death Part 2
The lengths we go through to gain the illusion of control… Enjoy this thoughtful exploration of death and atheism. Filed under: Atheism Tagged: Death, How Religion Poisons Everything, The DWR Sunday Religious Disservice, theramin trees
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Theramin Trees – Death
What happens when we realize that religion is just a cultural vehicle to salve our irrational fear of death? Theramin Trees produces another outstanding video that engages the intellect with explanations of why we act the way we do when faced with the facts of our mortality. Seventeen minutes long,
Continue readingThe Happy Wanderer: Inheritance Tax on Rich Popular!
According to a new poll I wrote about some days ago the inheritance tax on the rich is apparently popular. that 69 per cent of Canadians support the introduction of an inheritance tax on any estate valued at more than $5 million. I have been talking about this for some
Continue readingmark a rayner | scribblings, squibs & sundry monkey joys: Death of a humanist
It’s hard to process the idea that Kurt Vonnegut died last night. He wasn’t immortal — at least in the “not dying” sense — but it felt like the world was a better place knowing he was still in it. … Continue reading →
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Jack Layton: Canada’s Defrauded Prime Minister
Hindsight. It’s a bitch. It’s also bitter and hypothetical at times, so take these particular musings in that context. It’s a “what could’a been”. Jack Layton would have possibly been Prime Minister last year, had a sweeping campaign of election fraud with voter suppression not taken place across the country.
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Lives Well Lived
The other day while I was out having a fantastic day meeting new people, my Great Aunt Inez had passed away. I learned about her death when I returned home, and didn’t feel as sad as I expected I would, because she’d been unwell for more than a year after
Continue readingmark a rayner | scribblings, squibs & sundry monkey joys: Dreamscapes: The Stars Go Out
In the dream, we know something is wrong when I notice the constellations have all disappeared. All that remains in the night sky is the deep black of space, and a few sets of stars — in triplets and doubles, … Continue reading →
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Why Actions Today Matter
“We’re destroying future generations for now, and forever.” – Jitesh, an Indian oilman. You won’t regret watching this video, the guy’s a very good storyteller.
Continue readingTrashy's World: On tragic stars…
… and award shows… First of all, let me be clear that I’m not and never have been a fan of award shows. I see absolutely no value in watching a collection of incredibly wealthy and self-absorbed performers speak exultantly of themselves. I guess that, for me, award shows are
Continue readingArt Threat: Artists remember homeless man killed by Montreal police
On a cold winter day in Montreal this past Friday, January 6, police bullets took the life of Farshad Mohammadi, a Kurdish refugee from Iran who arrived in Canada seeking security and protection. Farshad was inside the métro seeking warmth, homeless in a city and country that failed to provide
Continue readingThose Emergency Blues: Dying Alone
A few weeks ago I had a patient named Helen who died. I’m not talking about a dramatic code or trauma, with people running around shouting for IV access, but rather an elderly woman who was at the end of her natural life. Dying in the Emergency Department is not
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: How a Civilization Dies
Our civilization is coming to an end, sooner than later. It won’t end with a war, or a disease, or a flood, but rather with an abandonment of reason and hope. The Harper Conservatives will be reviled in the history books (if there are history books). Why? Greed. There’s no
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