From the Desk of Murray Lincoln

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Blessings and problems with Blessings

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Today’s Blog Post

Blessings and problems with Blessings

As we traveled across Ontario and watched the millions of trees covering our country side, I realized that we are blessed, truly blessed. Canada is so rich with its resources.

Yet as I watched the trees go by I listened to the reports of the Slave Lake region of our country and realized again how much at risk our resources are with the huge fires that are so possible.

I heard 72 year old Ms Hawthorne speaking to a reporter this morning from a gym/community shelter in Athabasca. She has been sleeping on the floor along with many others. They have no idea if they have a home to go back to or not.

I feel for these folks to say the least. In all our richness and wealth they have nothing left… perhaps. And it happened so fast.

On the side, it appears that human kind may have caused this fire that destroyed so much.

It is kind of mental picture for me personally. Blessed so much with so much... yet because of someone’s stupidity, everyone lost everything.

At the same time some very famous people, who had it all, have shown us that their stupidity has caused many to be hurt.

Arnold Schwarzenegger messed up his family with an affair. Dominique Strauss-Kahn was charged with sexual assault… and apparently has some things in his past that are not good at all.

Schwarzenegger and Strauss-Kahn had it all. Money, power and privilege – yet with their stupidity – have lost their resources… and destroyed other folks along the way.

A forest fire in their lives took it all away.

How can the desire for sexual things be so strong that men like this will risk and lose it all? I am dumbfounded.

But then, how could a man or woman start a fire in their yard or wherever and risk the loss of their home? And then with a twist of fate cause hundreds of other people to lose everything?

If they would just stop and think about what they are about to do! There would be no fires or family destruction because of really stupid decisions.

There are so many Blessings… yet the problems personally have caused the blessing to be squandered.

How sad… so very sad!

~ Murray Lincoln ~

http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Road Trips with Relatives

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

USA and Canadian Circus Acts - Politicians

USA and Canadian Circus Acts - Politicians
Like many I held my breath waiting for news from Mr. Trump. Would he try for the Top Position of the USA? Or Not?

It was finally announced yesterday. NO! The Whitehouse is too small for him and the job is not interesting enough. He has decided to not run for the leadership role that might have been his.

What a let down.

Imagine. The larger than life man, with gazillions of dollars, will not allow his presence to be felt in the Top Leadership Level of the USA!!

I think he is worried about folk that are ordinary looking him straight in the eye and telling him, “Donald, I like you and you are an amazing person, but Donald you are fired!” Oh would I love to say that to the Dude with the Comb Over.

I thought that if Donald had said ‘yes’ and had declared that we was ready to take on the top position, Jim Carrey should stand up and declare that he is ready for the Top Canadian Position as the Liberal Leader and then become our Prime Minister!

The image that you see below is one of the best to describe what a Good Liberal Next Leader should be. A listener would be great.

I think if these two people were to take the top two positions in the North American Political fields, voting would improve.

Now what do you think?

You really need to read the Globe and Mail link below… what a circus is going on in the USA right now. But then it is going on in Canada as well.

The great fun will come as the Liberals try to agree on who should lead their party now and then in the final days to come.

I love a good circus… don’t you?

It is just too funny.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Resource:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/trump-says-no-to-presidential-run/article2023617/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Carrey

Monday, May 16, 2011

Ashley Smith’s Coroner’s Inquest Begins Today

Misty Hollow Carving
This BLOG is sponsored by “Misty Hollow Carving”. You are welcome to visit Misty Hollow and see all of my carvings.

My Web Site is a like a Gallery – please drop in for a stroll through.

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Today’s Blog Post

Ashley Smith’s Coroner’s Inquest Begins Today
The article in the Star Phoenix, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan’s newspaper, reported that the Coroner’s Inquest will begin today. It is expected that it will last up to nine months.

Ashley died on October 19, 2007. By the time this Inquest is completed it will be four years since Ashley passed away and eight years since she went into the System.

You will noticed that I used soft words to describe her death… “died”, “passed away” and even “death”. In reality is was “suicide” and if the truth is told, from what has been told already… it was “assisted suicide” by a system that doesn’t know what to do with mentally ill patients.

Right away some will think that I am referring to the Correctional Service Canada – the Federal Corrections of Canada – our Canadian Prison System. I am not. They were the unfortunate and last people/group to handle a very mentally sick young lady.

I have thought a lot about Ashley since I wrote about her on this Blog back on October 16, 2009 (see “Ashley Smith Died – The Saddest Story I have ever heard”
http://murraylincoln.blogspot.com/2009/10/ashley-smith-died-saddest-story-i-have.html )

I seriously wonder how a 15 year old girl enters the System because she threw a Crab Apple at a postal worker?

I can understand that she would be frightened and angry. I can see that she would have no idea of what was going to happen to her. I can see that she spent a long time alone as she was locked up in segregation often during her incarceration.

Now can you think back to the time you were 15 years old? Do you remember battling any hormonal changes in your body? Maybe you can remember how your younger siblings drove you crazy and how what your mom and dad said made you really mad…?

I can remember. And I can see now how my grand kids are entering that age group and are now kind of acting out all the normal stuff a normal teenager does. I can understand that they cannot control what is happening.

Now as I think of what happened… and try to picture the average teenager being picked up, put in custody of an authority that is purpose driven to keep the order and make the teenager do what they are supposed to do… I can see that the teen will get more than a little upset. Add to that any strong will that they might have inherited from their own family… and you will have one very hard teen to handle.

Now keep that teen in the System and shove them around, move them around and tell them that they have to do this or that because that is what the System says they have to do… the teen now has a really big and bad PARENT that is driving them crazy… insane in fact! And the System doesn’t make a really good PARENT – because that is not what the System is made to do. The System protects postal workers, prison guards and authorities that are made to look after a teen that will not cooperate.

And every time the teen is told to do something by an uncaring System, they simply respond by telling the System to “Go to Hell”. From what I have gleaned so far about Ashley Smith, she pretty much spoke her mind and was out to show her new PARENTS what she thought of them.

Now remember that the only law that Ashley Smith broke was the System’s Law. She was charged and dealt with within the System. She was never convicted in a Court of Law – she was charged and dealt with… that is VERY DIFFERENT from the way that you are dealt with after you get a fine or are charged and convicted in Court! In the System there are whole lot of judges and people that deal with you – that may or may not be fair with you personally. And if you happen to hurt one of the System’s People, they will charge you and deal with you in any way they see fit.

Ashley Smith was 15 year old girl… not a woman… not a criminal… not a foul mouthed Federal Prisoner… not a person that was charged, convicted and found guilty of anything! She was a girl – a 15 year old girl. And if you really need a bigger and really bad title to label her with use the rotten word “TEENAGER” to describe this girl. Because at 15 years old there are no other words to describe her!

Now keep her in Prisons and shuffle her around for 4 years, treated her as if she is dangerous, and protect your person from her… and make sure that you move her 17 times in that 4 years… and then you can call her a Criminal, A really bad person, a Most Wanted, a Most Unwanted, inmate in the System.

But wait a minute, she was never charged, convicted or sentenced for a 4 year term in the Federal Prison System of Canada. She was in there because she was a 15 year old girl that did something really stupid. She threw a crab apple at a postal worker.

Then at the very end she tied a ligature around her own neck and wished herself dead. She did that with the Prison System Staff watching and waiting for her to stop breathing – ordered to do that so they could control her better.

She committed suicide with very frustrated Prison Officers watching and being told not to go in until she stopped breathing.

Now they are going to have an Inquest and ask months and months worth of questions.

Ashley’s mom and dad are not saying anything these days. A financial settlement was reached with them. They were paid what is considered to be a large sum of money. I am assuming that it will help them past their grief.

The Star Phoenix reported that… quote… “Last week, the Smith family reached an undisclosed settlement with the government after seeking $11 million in damages in a lawsuit for their daughter's death.” – End quote. (reference below to read about it fully).

I am really thinking of all the 15 year olds in Canada today, I am thinking about busy parents and complicated family structures and that are moving at the speed of light. I am thinking how the society around me is dealing with trouble teenagers like Ashley… who may not have been that troubled after all but was made into a monster by a System that needed to protect itself and its postal workers, prison guards and every level of management possible.

NOW - A possible nine month Coroner’s Inquest that will be looking at all the issues, as they were involved with Ashley Smith and the System.

Mind you it will be an Ontario Coroner’s Inquest that will make any recommendations to do with Ontario. The Crab Apple was thrown in New Brunswick and 113 days of assessments were done in Saskatoon’s Regional Psychiatric Centre… and she died in a Federal Prison near Kitchener after 17 moves/

Ashley Smith’s horror was a Canada wide System failure.

Ashley Smith’s life between 15 years old and 19 years old… was our nightmare – not her’s.

When I was 15 years old and struggled with lots of things. At 15 I was creating big and bigger bombs that blew things up. I was close to a group of guys that did “joy riding” just for fun… where you slip into some one’s open vehicle and then put it in neutral and steer it while young friends push it away from the owners’ house… parking it another street over… then go back and watch while the owner found his car was gone. I laughed like crazy and ran for all I was worth.

Out of that group of 15 year old boys, the ring leader became a top Math Professor at a university in Ontario. Another became a great soldier and his brother became a loving priest in the Catholic Church. I became a Computer Technician and later an Ordained Minister that worked with troubled teenagers and their families… and now I work within and without the Federal Prison System of Canada – as a Citizen that watches how the System is doing their job.

Some of my compatriots that do my kind of community involvement, work in the Prison where Ashley passed away.

I cannot stop thinking of a very sad and lonely 15 year old girl that grew to be a woman that killed herself. How sad can it get?

God help us all!

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Resource:
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/health/Inquest+into+Smith+death+prison+begin+today/4789198/story.html

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Thank God for Kimberly Clark, Kotex and Kleenex

Misty Hollow Carving
This BLOG is sponsored by “Misty Hollow Carving”. You are welcome to visit Misty Hollow and see all of my carvings.

My Web Site is a like a Gallery – please drop in for a stroll through.

To help me promote my Web Site please copy this URL address and email to someone today http://www.murraylincoln.com/

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Today’s Blog Post

Thank God for Kimberly Clark, Kotex and Kleenex
Even writing this today is kind of embarrassing for some folk. Not for me... but for some of my readers and some of my listeners.

Oh boy!

Last Thursday I was conducting our “New Friends” program at the Senior’s residence from 2 to 4 PM.

“New Friends” is a group that my Mom and I attend together. I launched it a while ago at this Home to help new people feel more comfortable coming into the new place to live.

It is an easy discussion group that allows almost anything to be discussed and bantered about.

My Mom is 90 years old and she is the youngest person in the group. Most are between 92 to 97 years of age – but are very lively and very with it! They know what is going on in their world and will question what they don’t know. Most are very capable business folk before retiring and all are well connected with their previous world and still are today! Believe me!

So it stands to reason that almost any topic that I bring up is a good one. From Osama bin Laden to Stephen Harper; from the Manitoba Flood problem to the war in Afghanistan – all topics are part of what they want to hear about.

One day one person asked me point blank what I thought of the idea that the world would end in three years time. That was one question that came out of the blue for sure. Most in the group will be in Heaven in three years time – specially this lady that is now about 96 years old.

So we discussed the End of the World for a while, until one person told us that we needed a new topic in that this one was depressing her!

Over the week before I had been listening to the CBC Radio Program entitled, “The Age of Persuassion” with Terry O’Reilly. His topic last week was how certain ad programs can make a Brand name so popular that the product can commit “Genericide” – that is when a Brand Name becomes Generic.

The best example was the one of Kleenex tissues. I thought this was a great topic to share at the New Friends group on Thursday. It just kind of popped up.

Now remember I am the only man, I am 67 years old in a group that are all older than my Mom, who is also sitting there as well.

Should be a good topic right? Oh boy – maybe not. And after I told them the fascinating history and where the Kleenex came from their reactions were hilarious to say the least.

Before their reactions… here is the story that Terry O’Reilly shared on the program(you really need to hear it all – see Links below and down load the MP3 File – it is really good!)

I began to set up the Kleenex story by asking the question, “You all know what Kotex is don’t you?”

There was a stunned look on their faces and they shook their heads ‘yes’… At that moment I knew I had kind of crossed over into an area they had never been before… with a man talking to them about Feminine Hygiene Products.

I trucked right along and told them Terry’s story.

“You will remember that when Kotex first came out the product was fairly stiff and ladies found it difficult to use…” I stumbled on, but the ladies all nodded their heads. They were there when this happened. It was a little before my time… but as a teen I had heard the rumours and stories… ahem. Then when my wife started telling me the stories of her own adventures with the Hygiene products or her early days… I become almost an expert.

(Pause here… you may now click out of this Blog if the words Hygiene Products, Monthly Period, Menstruation etc make you blush or uneasy – come back tomorrow – Thanks)

I proceeded to share how the Kimberly Clark paper company had developed the wadded paper to help absorb “the flow” and it was too stiff… so they kept working on the paper product until it become very soft and pliable so that less discomfort was felt.

In fact the new product was so comfortable and so strong that it could be used for something other than absorbency… it could be used on your face.

Relief came to the New Friends group when I asked if they remembered the “Cold Cream” that was used to take old makeup of. I asked if they remembered the Cold Cream or Makeup towel that become pretty grimy and needed to be washed like the old handkerchiefs that men used – full of some ugly stuff.

There was relief… we had moved from Hygiene products and the down there thinking – to their faces. Oh boy!

The new, soft tissue was marketed as a replacement for the Cold Cream Towel and Makeup Towel problem… and it was suggested that a woman’s face could be like a Movie Star’s face by using the new facial tissue.

But what should Kimberly Clark name the new brand and still suggest its roots?

Well… the product was “Clean” for sure and Clean is what everyone was hoping for. So with a little twist here and little change there… the word sounding like Clean was inserted using “leen” and the “C” was replaced by a “K” from Kotex… with the “ex” was also grabbed to add a good ending to the word. So then you have “Kleenex”… and brand new Feminine Hygiene product!

With that short story my audience of Senior Ladies all in their 90s – stared at me for a moment… then one said, “I have never heard that before.” Another said, “That is a great story about Kleenex!”

Then one lady said it all for the rest of the New Friends group members… “I have just never had a man talk to me about Kotex before!” And they all giggled.

My how things have changed! A minister actually using the word Kotex in front of an all ladies group… I HAVE NEVER USED THE WORD KOTEX in a sermon – but who knows – maybe times have changed… sheesh!

The Kimberly Clark story is wonderful. The fact that people will ask for a “Kleenex” when asking for something to blow their nose in – is amazing but hard for Kimberly Clark – their product name is robbed!

But as amazing as this is – Men stopped using that horrific Snot Rag, filled with their Nasal Mucus and Throat Gobs, which their wife had to wash each week in a soupy pail filled with the slime and grime of the male human bodies…

And are you ready for this men…? Men started using something that they were never allowed to talk about in mixed audiences… or maybe even with all the men together… They STARTED BLOWING THEIR NOSES INTO A FEMININE HYGIENE PRODUCT THAT IS A CLOSE SISTER TO KOTEX!

Thanks goodness they invented Kleenex! And that we didn’t have to carry a pocket full of… or a purse full of Kotex! I would still be using the old Snot Rag if that was the case… and washing it myself.

But then Kleenex could have been called Kotex as well… maybe “Kotex II” or “Man Tex” for the really heavy days of nasal drips… and throat stuff…

The look on the faces of New Friends group of ladies… was priceless.

As they were leaving one lady said to another new lady, “You just never know what we will talk about in this group!” The other new one giggled.

Too funny. Oops - Gotta run and blow my nose!

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Resource:
http://www.cbc.ca/ageofpersuasion/episode/
http://www.cbc.ca/ageofpersuasion/episode/season-5/

Full Program available here
http://www.cbc.ca/podcasting/includes/aop.xml
Scroll down and Look for Season 5: Genericide - When A Brand Becomes Generic

http://www.cbc.ca/ageofpersuasion/episode/season-5/2011/05/06/season-five-genericide-when-a-brand-name-becomes-generic-1/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kleenex

http://www.kleenex.com/BrandStory.aspx

http://www.mum.org/paddir.htm

From the Desk of Murray Lincoln

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Blessings and problems with Blessings

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Road Trips with Relatives

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

USA and Canadian Circus Acts - Politicians

Monday, May 16, 2011

Ashley Smith’s Coroner’s Inquest Begins Today

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Thank God for Kimberly Clark, Kotex and Kleenex

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Happy May 14th

Friday, May 13, 2011

Arrgh Arrgh Arrgh – If it will go wrong – it will happen when I least need it not to happen - Friday the 13th

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