Boys in the kitchen

     The Milton Conquest Boys' Club recently concluded its second cooking class under the auspices of the Kids Culinary Community at The Loft at the Milton Longo's store.
     Under the adept guidance of Chef Mike and his team, the boys learned how to prepare nutritious, exciting food, present a creative meal, and clean up afterwards. And all this was accomplished with order, discipline and professionalism. In addition, the boys learned how to share, co-operate and give thanks for the food which they had magically transformed from bowls of ingredients into delicious meals.
     With society's emphasis on the disconnect, a class like this offers the boys a chance to spend three hours focusing on something as basic, and necessary as tasty, healthy food. The only technology involved was the microwave oven, and the bright led lights over the large mirror which reflected all the action taking place over the stove. There were no gadgets in sight.
     This was as simple and effective as it gets, with constant attention from a chef who is obviously dedicated to teaching young people the value of cooking. Boys need to get their hands off the video games and into the dough and onto the cutting board, and that is exactly what they did for nine hours total, over three weekend mornings.
     The kitchen became a place of serious work, yet enjoyable activity which produced delicious and attractive dishes. The result was beaming smiles, and the pride which comes from a job well done.
I am certain that these young boys will reap the benefits of these cooking sessions for years to come, and well into their adult lives, and that their future wives will be thanking the Kids Culinary Community and Conquest over and over again.
     Each session ended with a meal, and Marvin Duarte, the Conquest Club Director would say Grace as all the boys bowed their heads, and prayed in silence, and thanksgiving for the wonderful food and the opportunity to cook it under such talented direction.
    At the final cooking class, Julia Hanna, Director of the Kids Culinary Community, along with Chef Mike, handed out gift bags and diplomas, and the boys served a delicious meal with a Mexican flavour, to their parents and friends. Julia spoke of the importance of healthy eating, and the art of cooking, and thanked everyone present.
     I could not help but be impressed with the pride, dedication, hard work and commitment of the Kids Culinary Community, and the generosity of Longo's for providing the food and the Loft for our use.
     But in the end, the lasting impression I will treasure is the radiant expressions on the boys' faces as they got to serve the food they had prepared, and cooked to the people they love so dearly.  Conquest Boys Club is dedicated to teaching virtues to the boys, and the virtues which stood out for me were generosity and sharing and loving care.
     Healthy food, virtues, friends and loved ones...now that is a lot to give thanks for.

Two tragedies...One covered, One hidden

 
     The Newtown tragedy was covered by the press as it should have been. This horrible tragedy was examined on television, radio, the internet, and most obviously by the newspapers. No stone was left unturned.
     President Obama used its impact to try to sell his gun control legislation. He spoke of the children and how society owed it to them to protect them and make certain they would not be hurt again. He spoke to the nation surrounded by children who seemed to be pleading with the public with their eyes.
     At about the same time, the trial of an abortion doctor began in the United States. The list of atrocities committed in his abortion facility are too gruesome to list here. But some people believe that up to three hundred babies may have been murdered by this doctor and his assistants.
     These babies were post abortive in the sense that they had been delivered and then murdered. These are called late term abortions or partial birth abortions. As the details of the trail emerged, there was a vast silence in the media. Newspapers refused to cover it. Television was eerily silent. We heard nothing form the president or any of his cronies. The abortion industry ran for cover.
     What this tells me is that we live in a sick society. It is fine to poilticise and publicize tragedies which have been deemed politically acceptable to cover, but the deaths of so many babies in a scenario reminiscent of Hitler's ovens is untouchable.
     The hypocrisy is obvious. The sickness is evident. The killing goes on.

    

I am an anti abortionist

     Perhaps it is time to change the "Pro-Life" label to "Anti-Abortion." At least then we might have a chance at getting the abortion lobby to change its name to "Pro-Abortion." That would be a giant step in the right direction, and would separate the abortion movement from its phony euphemisms.
     Ever since the Supreme Court ruled in favour of a woman's right to choose, the abortion movement has veered away from even using the term "abortion" anywhere near its base. It's all about choice, and choice rings true with a lot of people these days. In fact. we live for choice. Instead of surviving, we spend most of our time choosing what we want from a universe of choices. Even shopping for supper has become a monumental chore.
     So choice is seen as good, and a right. Abortion, on the other hand, is not so pretty. In fact, young people are beginning to balk at the notion of snipping spinal cords and vacuuming fetuses. Even the notion of choice may not be as appealing as it used to be. And so the abortion industry is seeking a new title.
     There is only one which applies: "Pro-Abortion". Forget the misleading talk of rights. The notion of abortion precludes any talk of rights because it denies the fetuses' right to survival from the very beginning. So, delete the word "rights." It does not apply.
     Perhaps the debate will have more meaning if we separate the camps into Pro-Abortion and Anti-Abortion. Anything is worth a try.
     And this way, maybe, just maybe, we will know what we are really arguing about, and the feminists can forget their rhetoric about women's rights, and begin to focus on the killing fields, and their bloody survival.
     And we can all see abortion for what it really is: the cruel, immoral and selfish solution of a society which is obsessed with sex, and which refuses to face the natural consequences of its actions.
    
    

Pregnancy as a disease

A large shock went through society this week when it was confirmed that there was a chance that some birth control pills might be placebos. This was a major catastrophe, especially for the leftist press.

The headlines were striking. They seemed to be saying that an unwanted pregnancy was akin to a death in the family. How could people go on living if they did not know that the pill might not come across? This was a ticking time bomb.

As I read these reports, I was struck by the attitude which has developed since the first birth control pills were introduced way back in the sixties. We now have Hillary Clinton pushing for womens' health throughout the third world and probably the number one ailment on her list is pregnancy. Since when has pregnancy been classified as a disease? Where will this kind of thinking get us?

How would Blessed Pope John Paul II have reacted to this? What would Jesus have thought?

It seems to me that pregnancy is a gift from God, and as such should be treated with the utmost respect. Why have people become so fearful of this gift? What has changed in society to make us regard the miracle of birth as unwanted and the occasion for grief, hand-wringing and abortion?

If Hillary Clinton wants women to enjoy equality and freedom, she should advocate abstinence and forget about her war on birth. She should push for the natural methods of birth control which have nothing to do with polluting, harmful chemicals which debase the sexual act and lead to promiscuity, and broken marriages as well as a general distaste for the miracle of life.

People think they can control everything, including birth. The extension of this kind of thinking is sex selection and abortion of problematic fetuses.

Another extension of this type of thinking is the objectification of sexuality and the debasing of the sacrament of marriage. Hillary Clinton is not worried about this. She sees far into the future when an ideal population will be controlled chemically and surgically, especially in the third world.

This her solution.

This is our problem