Elementyl365

This week I made a resolution.  In the New Year, I am going to make a point of photographing every day.  I'm calling this project Elementyl365.  You'll see mainly impromptu pictures, as well as some planned projects.  Every day will bring something new.


So check out my new photoblog Elementyl365!

Jeff Foxworthy on Canada

This was forwarded to me by a friend, and I laughed my face off... because it's all true!


If your local Dairy Queen is closed from September through May,you may live in Canada .

If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don't work there, you may live in Canada .

If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you may live in Canada .

If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you may live in Canada .

If 'Vacation' means going anywhere south of Detroit for the weekend, you may live in Canada .

If you measure distance in hours, you may live in Canada .

If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you may live in Canada

If you have switched from 'heat' to 'A/C' in the same day and back again, you may live in Canada

If you can drive 90 kms/hr through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you may live in Canada . I've done this!

If you install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both unlocked, you may live in Canada .

If you carry jumper cables in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you may live in Canada .

If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you may live in Canada .

If the speed limit on the highway is 80km -- you're going 90 and everybody is passing you, you may live in Canada .

If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow, you may live in Canada .

If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction, you may live in Canada

If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car, you may live in Canada .

If you find 2 degrees 'a little chilly', you may live in Canada

If you actually understand these jokes you definitely live in Canada

Moving to Nova Scotia

It's official - I'm moving to Nova Scotia at the end of November. I'm pretty blown away at where life has taken me these last few months. Laid off from work 3 months ago to moving from coast to coast this winter. I'm very excited, though sad to leave family and long-time friends.

I went out to the east coast a couple of months ago to help my step-mom house hunt, and was blown away by the beauty of the area. I learned that no matter where you are in Nova Scotia, you're no more than 30 km from the ocean!

Beautiful fall Nova Scotia pics here.

I'm holding off till the end of November so I can finish my photography course. My assignment this week, should I choose to accept it:

• Depth of field - 4 pictures of the same thing. First, the closest part must be in focus while the rest is blurred. Then the middle in focus, then the farthest point. Finally, a shot of the whole thing in focus.
• Shutter speed - motion shots. Capture something moving and 'freeze' it, capture something else moving and blurred.

These two assignments were tough! I went to different locations throughout the week, and did not get it right. Finally at 3pm the day of my class, I was running around my yard desperately trying to get it right. And yay! I finally did! I've posted them along with a few happy mistakes. :)

Nichols For His Thoughts

This entire article is written by my friend EternaLee, a talented writer and insightful Christian. I feel compelled to re-post the entire article. You'll see why when you read it.

Shakespeare once wrote, “This above all: to thine own self be true,And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.”

These days Canada persecutes, er, prosecutes someone like that. Orville Nichols, a marriage commissioner in Saskatchewan since 1983, could not stay true to himself or his heartfelt faith, to marry two homosexuals in 2005. For this, he may be fined $5000, then either change his mind or lose his job.

At one time, Saskatchewan Justice Minister Frank Quennell said it was desirable to protect the religious freedoms of commissioners like Nicholls. Sometime later, he changed his mind, forcing all of them to do same-sex marriages. Three of the eight provincial marriage commissioners actually took the Saskatchewan government to a human rights tribunal over being forced to marry homosexuals. They lost their cases. Freedom of religion and conscience had no place in the public sphere. Only clergy would be exempted.

Now Nichols himself has been brought before human rights tribunal—by the homosexual couple he refused to marry. Nichols hoped at the very least commissioners like him, hired before same sex marriage was legalized, could have freedom of conscience. But while the case was still being heard, public officials with interests in the case were already shooting that smallest of concessions down.

Janice Gringell, a lawyer for the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, said it didn’t matter that same-sex laws were not in force when Nichols signed on as a marriage commissioner in 1983. Because he was an agent of the state, he would have to follow the state’s laws without discrimination. Tom Irvine, lawyer for Saskatchewan Justice, told the media the same thing.

"I couldn't sleep or live with myself if I were to perform same sex marriages," Nichols told the tribunal. "I don't have a problem with them getting married,” he explained, “but I can't perform the service.” As a man of daily Bible reading and prayer, the seventy year old could not solemnize a marriage so against the faith he said took “first place” in his life. Nor did his faith allow him to lie and say he was unavailble that day. Instead, he referred the homosexual couple to another colleague.

His conscience mattered none to the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission. It's seeking an order to stop Nichols from discriminating against same-sex couples. It also recommends a $5,000 fine. They also kept the names of the homosexual couple from publication. However, we know one of them is a 51 year old father of three, who spnet seventeen years married to a woman.

In 1999, Parliamentarians overwhelmingly supported traditional marriage, and pledged to do all in their power to preserve it. A few years later, many of those Parliamentarians voted against the wishes of their constituents, and passed a motion to make it law! Today, a strong majority would support a law codifying freedom of conscience for clergy, at least. But as we all know, one judicial “interpretation” could put those laws through the shredder.

For Christians like me, it’s hard not to think of other times our rights were similarly eroded. Soviet Union, Nazi Germany—both were Christian societies before other forces came to dominate. Incrementally, the power of the state silenced and subjugated all who opposed their ideology. Today secular humanism with its creed of human rights is doing with communism and fascism did before them—seeking to silence the faithful in the land through unjust laws.

Orville Nichols can live with himself, even if the justice system can’t live with him. In reality, his fidelity to his conscience actually had him on the path of true justice. Nichols and many others would rather fight an injustice system doomed to fall than give consent by their silence. History will vindicate them, as it did the opponents of Marx and Hitler. But for our nation’s sake, I hope it’s sooner rather than later.

If We Break Faith With Those Who Die

It was very moving to watch the Rembrance Day ceremony on CBC this morning. I was especially moved by the faces of the World War II soldiers, men and women in their 80's and 90's. Two of my grandfathers fought in that war, and lived through it. One volunteered for the British Royal Air Force, and was shot down three times. The other lived his life with shrapnel in his back.

We have no difficulty remembering these great men and women for their sacrifices. My concern is for our soldiers who are currently fighting in Afghanistan. With the ongoing political debate as to whether or not Canada should continue her involvement, it is easy to forget the soldiers themselves. They fight because they know that our freedom to debate was bought with blood, and that freedom will always be bought with blood. We owe them a lot, and cannot afford to sacrifice their efforts on the altar of politics. In the immortal words of Lt. Col. John McRae:

If ye break faith with those who die,

we shall not sleep, though poppies grow

in Flanders Fields.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Ottawa, Ontario
Photo taken from Occasionally Right blog

The Changing Of The Guard

With yesterday's election has come a changing of the guard. My sincere hope is that this is much more than just a shift from Liberal to Conservative, or Left to Right, but a change in the fundamental morality of our government.

I don't expect every Conservative MP to share my values, but it will be nice to at least have them represented on Parliament Hill. Take same-sex marriage. It doesn't matter whether I am for or against it, the Liberal government never gave me, or any of it's 30 million constituents an opportunity to even discuss it.

Or abortion. In the last two months, Martin has repeatedly accused Harper of having a hidden agenda, perhaps to change our abortion laws. Well, I wouldn't mind a few changes. Whether pro-life or pro-choice, I believe the vast majority of Canadians would be appalled to know that in Canada, abortion is legal right up until the woman begins giving birth. I think all but the most extreme would be willing to discuss some limits on that. Perhaps our new government is a first step toward a more moderate abortion policy in the distant future.

The Conservatives have for years been painted by the media as extremists, but the platform they ran on in this election has been very balanced. Perhaps we have become so used to gun-registering money-stealing constituent-ignoring pro-everything Liberal extremism, that we've forgotten what Normal looks like.

I, for one, can't wait to take a fresh look.