O Tannenbaum: Christmas Grief and Christmas Hope

I saw a notice outside North Wood United Church that they had a Christmas grief healing service last Sunday. I didn't go. I recognize for a lot of people Christmas is a sad time of year. Lost loved ones, setbacks, disappointments. These are tough times. A lot of people are going without.

I remember one year I bought a Charlie Brown Christmas tree from Rona and it brought a smile to my face. For many years that's how I felt. Now I see that same tree is $65 and I'm like f*ck me. Everything is going up. If you're homeless then yeah, Christmas is going to suck. If you're in prison then yeah, Christmas is going to suck. I guess they key is to look up not down.

If you're in prison, you know you're not going to be there forever. Eventually you're going to get out. That's hope. Now is the time to start making plans. If you can take courses then do it. Don't load up on methadone. Do something. It's a time to self reflect and ask yourself why you're there and where you would rather be. Trying not to get caught isn't the answer. Conforming to a civilized society is. What is a civilized society? You don't need me to tell you that. We all know.

Setbacks cause reflection and growth. No matter what your past, you have a spotless future. So we have a blank canvas in front of us. What do we want to put on it? What kind of a picture do we want to paint? This is the first year in a long time that I set up a proper Christmas tree. I picked up some inexpensive balls and stars at Ikea and some proper North American hooks for the balls at Walmart instead of string. When we plugged the lights in I was like wow, that's kind of nice. Plugging Christmas trees in at night is magical. I haven't seen that in a long time.

I had a whole bunch of family members die one year and Christmas has certainly changed. I wouldn't say it's depressing. It's just a whole lot quieter. People who have lost loved ones to gang violence have a hole that can never be filled. There's a grieving process.

Is there a healing process? I can't see it. Nothing will change the past. All we can do is look forward to the future knowing that life does not end a death and live the kind of life that will bring us and the people we love peace. Do what the Catholics do. Light a candle for a lost loved one and cherish the memory. Remembering that your time here isn't finished yet.

The City of Surrey has a nice tree. I agree they put it in a bad location. There's no free parking at City Hall. It was better where it was or at least on the corner of King George at Holland park so people driving by can see it. I found a funny picture of the Surrey tree. Everyone has umbrellas so it must have been raining pretty hard. Let's embrace the hope and the reflection of that light.

40 kilos of cocaine seized in Ottawa

CTV is reporting that "Ottawa police have arrested three more people in relation to a seizure of more than 40 kilograms of cocaine and four kilograms of crack cocaine. OPS announced the results of Operation Top Shelf last week after a 10 month investigation described as one of the largest drug seizures in OPS history." OPP - that saves lives.

The Ottawa Citizen is reporting that "Dr. Gail Beck’s abrupt resignation as chair of the Ottawa Police Services Board on Thursday was announced after her adult son was arrested in what the police chief called one of the largest drug busts in the city’s history."

4 kilos of crack? These losers are still slinging crack. Get a life.

Fatal Shooting in Calgary: Update

CTV is reporting that "Calgary police are investigating after one person was killed and another was injured in a shooting in Forest Lawn. At 9:50 p.m. on Monday, police were called to an area near 37 Street and 17 Avenue SE. A man was found dead at the scene while a woman was taken to Foothills Medical Centre in critical condition."

"Kelvin Jacobsen, general manager of Classic Auto Wash, located adjacent to where the shooting occurred, says a man could be seen slumped over in a red Toyota pick-up truck in the parking lot outside of the Portico Lounge next door."

Yo man give it a rest. These as*holes capping people over Christmas. That's going to f*ck up their family forever. Wait till New Year. Cease fire. Evidently that's a hookah lounge.

The Calgary Herald is reporting that "Police have identified the man slain in a Monday night shooting in the city’s southeast. Following an autopsy Wednesday, police say Donald Lyons, 43, died after being shot in the 1800 block of 35th Street S.E. at about 10 pm."

It's a different Don Lyons from Calgary. Not the former HA VP from Kelowna.

Full moon Christmas morning

Space.com is reporting that the full moon this month will peak on Christmas morning.

Canada Reports 300% Increase in ‘Unspecified Causes’ of Death

Canadians are dying of "unspecified causes" at skyrocketing numbers since 2020 - StatCan.

According to a recent Statistics Canada report, occurrences of "unspecified causes" of death in the country have skyrocketed since 2020. Not only has this number spiked dramatically, but in… pic.twitter.com/QOL2rbWZcy

— The Canadian Independent (@canindependent) December 6, 2023

SHTF.TV is reporting that "A new Canadian government report reveals a 300% rise in “unspecified causes” of death from 2019-2022 as unknown causes climbed to the fifth leading cause of death in Canada. Some health experts said the stark increase should trigger an investigation into whether the deaths are linked to COVID-19 vaccines."

Excess mortality in England post Covid-19 pandemic

Shot Dead – The Movie They Don’t Want You to See

Iceland Volcano erupts

Iceland volcano erupts after weeks of quake activity

Christmas Epiphany 2023: Preparing for the Aplocalipse

This is my Christmas Epiphany. Encyclopedia Britannica claims the Epiphany is a religions holiday commemorating the wise men's visit to the baby Jesus and Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist. That I will discuss in my Christmas message. The word epiphany means an experience of a sudden and striking realization kind of like the Zen concept of enlightenment. That's the definition I use here. During life we have epiphanies or awakenings. During Christmas I usually post an epiphany describing a new understanding of events during the season.

Today I want to talk about preparing for the apocalypse but not in the way you think. We can talk about food storage. We can talk about emergency kits. We can talk about getting out of debt and having cash savings on hand. These are all very important but what I want to talk about is even more important. Today I want to talk about preparing to die and preparing to meet your maker.

I realize many people are atheists and I respect that. I personally find atheists more trustworthy than many religious fanatics because when an atheist does good it's not to get a reward it's because of their own moral conviction. Often I find religious fanatics intolerant and crazy. They obsess over tangents and miss the point entirely. Faith without works is dead. The point of following Christ is to do good. Christ said as ye sow so shall ye reap. That is natural justice.

In Buddhism the lotus represents enlightenment. Rising above the world's darkness and aspiring to something higher. For me the amaryllis has become the Christmas lotus. It is a sign of enlightenment rising above the distractions the world often provides during the season.

We all see the signs of the times. Many cry lo here and lo there. Every story has a beginning and an end. When one story ends another story begins. When this world ends it will be transformed and there will be a new heaven and a new earth. That is the eternal progression we see in the expanding universe all around us. All you have to do is look up at the stars in the night sky to see this life has a bigger purpose. We may feel insignificant but inner peace comes from understanding how it all unfolds.

Today I'm not talking about the final battle between good and evil.Today I'm talking about living the kind of life that you can be proud of. What is your legacy? How will you be remembered? Everyone makes a mark. Everyone leaves a foot print. How did you spend your dash?

Christmas Amaryllis: Remembering the Past

I bought an amaryllis from Costco the other day. I remember my mother, brothers and sister talk about amaryllises at Christmas. I knew they bloomed at Christmas but that's all I remember. Mine came in a three pack for 30 bucks and the bulbs are waxed. It's hard for me to understand how these can bloom without roots or water but we'll try it out. Mine won't bloom in time for Christmas but should be ready for the New Year. Rona had a single amaryllis in a pot with a pine cone in full bloom for 15 bucks. Very nice. Evidently, if you carefully remove the wax after it has bloomed, they will bloom again each summer. That's a nice Christmas tradition.

We went to the Vancouver Christmas Market again today and saw the Soar with Satan film at the Fly over Canada theater in Canada Place. I really like that. The bench of seats moves forward over the screen so you get a front row seat and you do feel like you're flying through air. Lots of great food at the Christmas market. It got pretty busy as it got closer to dinner time but the advantage of having season's passes is that you don't have to wait in line.



I was going to try a few other places this year but we ran out of money. Everyone at work is talking about Lac Lafarge in Coquitlam because that's free. I guess we'll do that next weekend. They have a free shuttle bus from Canada Place to the lights at Capilano Suspension bridge. I guess that's for the tourists because parking at Capilano is free but parking at Canada Place isn't.

Grouse mountain has lots of stuff going on at Christmas. They used to have live reindeer there and sleigh rides but the annual pass for the gondola is a bit pricey. The annual pass at the Sea to Sky gondola is half price but it's a further drive. Silverstar in Vernon has nicer sleigh rides with horses not a snow plow. You can also rent snow mobiles there. Big White in Kelowna has a lot going on. You can go on a dog sled there and they have a really cool ice climbing tower.

Cypress has the Lights to the Lodge of course. I forgot that they have some of the old Woodwards Christmas window displays at Canada Place on the way to the Fly Over Canada theatre. Last time we walked right past them without realizing what they were. That's somewhat historic. They're very old. Christ Church in Vancouver has the old Woodwards nativity scene.

We remember the Woodwards squat. Well when I was very young there was a large Woodwards department store on East Hastings. Every year they had Christmas window displays people would come to look at. When Woodwards shut down, the City saved some of the displays and showcase them at Canada Place each Christmas. I vaguely remember Woodwards on East Hastings but I do remmeber the Woodwards food floor at Guildford mall.

What I do remember about the Woodwards food floor in Guildford is that you'd get a plastic number to pick up your groceries. You'd then go get your car and drive up to a drive through where they would load your groceries into your car for you. That was retro.

QAnon Lies

The CIA QAnon con is back. They have this ridiculous website predicting an apocalyptic blackout where you can't buy food at the grocery stores. Yesterday they claimed the end was in five hours and when that came and went they claim Y2K3 the world as you know it is over. False prophets lies and insanity designed the lead the world astray. Y2K was that ridiculous claim the world was going to end in the year 2000 or the misinterpretation of the Mayan calendar in 2012..

The purpose of a false prophet is to distract the world from a true prophet. It's like the Jehovah's witnesses prediction the world would end in 1914. When it didn't end they said 1914 was a very significant year. But you didn't say 1914 was going to be a significant year. You said the world was going to end and it didn't. Christ said beware of false prophets. He didn't say there would be no more prophets. Prophecy is one of the gifts of the spirit. He said beware of false prophets.

Food storage and emergency kits are a good idea. We know the WEF is trying to create mass starvation and world food shortages. QAnon, like the Devil, will tell you nine truths to get you hooked on one lie or in the CIA's case, many lies. I can confront evil but I can't fix stupid.

I saw a really good sermon on YouTube about false prophets. It explained the principle really well then drifted off into false doctrine. It falsely claimed there would be no more prophets which contradicted his entire sermon. Christ said beware of false prophets and concluded by their fruits ye shall know them. The things they do and the things they teach. Revelations 11 talks about two false prophets and two true prophets. That clearly implies there will be more prophets. As I said before prophecy is one of the gifts of the spirit. A testimony of Jesus is the spirit of revelation.

When I was young I remember there was a guy on the radio called the Bible Answer Man. He was the most intolerant unchristian person I had ever listened to. Not only did he teach false doctrine, he boldly claimed that anyone who did not believe his narrow minded brand of false doctrine was sent from the devil. I don't have the time of day for that kind of nonsense.

Did you know that Muslims believe that Jesus was one of the most important prophets? Although they don't recognize his divinity they have a better understanding of his teachings than many born again Christians do. By their fruits ye shall know them.

Larry Amero sentenced to 18 years for murder

Global is reorting that Rabih Alkhalil and Lary Amero have been sentenced for the murder of Sandip Duhre in Vancouver more than a decade ago. Rabih Alkhalil was convicted of first-degree murder but escaped prison and is on the Lam.

"Alkhalil was sentenced to life behind bars with no chance of parole for 25 years, convicted of first-degree murder in the Duhre killing, as well 20 years for conspiracy to commit murder in relation to the November 2012 shooting of gang ally Sukh Dakh in Burnaby."

"Hells Angel Larry Amero, who appeared in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver on Monday, was also sentenced to 18 years of prison with credit for time served on two counts of conspiracy to commit murder. One count was for the Duhre hit, and the other was for Dakh killing later that year." OK 18 years with no mention of life. Now we just have to check time served. Time served for this offense not the other drug busts.

"Amero has been in prison since January 2018, meaning he has a little over nine years left on his sentence. He will have a lifetime firearms ban, orders not to communicate with Alkhalil, Dakh’s family members, and others."

This is the only semblance of justice Surrey has seen with regards to the Surrey Six. Jamie Bacon ordered the Surrey Six but he couldn't have done that without the club's permission and his connection to the club was Larry though his dead preppy brother Jonathon.