Archives for August, 2012

Ramadan: Why do people fast?

  Since Ramadan is ending over the following weekend, I thought I would take this chance to talk about fasting, and its spiritual implications. When I was Mormon, I used to fast once a month and I gave my testimony of my belief in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. So I know […]

Phyllis and her portrayer, Michelle Stafford: Young and the Restless

The character of Phyllis is very polarizing on the daytime soap opera, The Young and the Restless. You either love her or hate her. The actress, Michelle Stafford, plays her very well; full of energy, and bravado. She is like the Bette Davis of daytime. Her new dark hairstyle makes her look even younger than […]

The pamphlets of Paris: We need more passion! Where are the Voltaires?

In the eighteenth century in France, the city was a hotbed of literary and political activity. People were very excited about the changes that were taking place. Many French citizens were unhappy with the lifestyle of the monarchy, particularly Marie Antoinette, the young Queen. Many revolutionary ideas were expressed and these ideas were constantly disseminated […]

Donald Trump: President of the United States?

Donald Trump is going to do something yooge (Donald Trump’s version of huge) at this year’s Republican convention. It is expected that Mitt Romney will get the nomination because he has the required number of delegates. Could Trump announce that he is going to run? He no longer is disqualified because of the airing of […]

Loneliness and insecurity (Part 1): The story of my life

This blog is going to reveal probably more about myself than I am comfortable with but if it helps someone, anyone, know that they are not alone in experiencing feelings of loneliness and insecurity, then it will have been worthwhile.   The other day, something happened to upset me and I still haven’t forgotten it […]

Hordes of zombies on Spring Garden Road

There are a lot of zombies on Spring Garden Road today in Halifax. Maybe there’s a convention for people who like Barack Obama? In any case, they are painted up, without a lot of clothes on, and are contorting their bodies in an extremely odd fashion. No, I’m not talking about Kim Kardashian’s sex tape. […]

A Saudi student in Canada: Sultan (a good example)

I have tutored many students over the past eight years, and the vast majority of them have been from the Middle East. Because of my familiarity with so many students, especially from Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Dubai, I know many of the challenges that these young students battle while they study here […]

How can men impress women?

A lot of times, guys who are nicer than average unfortunately feel as though they are nicer than they actually are. They are misled by the fact that they are not total dogs. But what makes a nice guy, according to girls? I think there is general agreement on this issue. One of the things […]

Barack Obama: How has he violated the First Amendment?

The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States promises free speech, which means that a person cannot be punished by the Government or a representative of the Government for expressing their opinion. One might suppose that the Fairness Doctrine, because it includes the word ‘fairness’, is a good thing, when such is not […]

2012 Summer Olympics: Gabrielle Douglas turned the world on with her smile!

  Gabby Douglas is a remarkable young woman. She is a multi-gold winning medalist in the field of gymnastics. She is known for her trademark giggles and smiles, which have endeared her to a wide public. In the 1970s, the Mary Tyler Moore was a classic television show that followed the life of Mary Richards […]

What’s wrong with Barack Obama? Oh, I know!

President Barack Obama is the worst President in United States history. He has the disadvantages of past presidents, without their glories. For example, one of the criticisms against President Ronald Reagan (one of the greatest Presidents of all time) is that he spent too much while in office. However, offsetting that is his glorious victory […]

Happy Natal Day! What’s it all about?

It’s Natal Day again! This is the day when all of the sailors in Nova Scotia present themselves to me, so that I may select which one I want to date for the upcoming year. Sailors do anything to try to please me on this annual, non-statutory holiday. They write poems for me. They speak […]

2012 American election (Part 1): What will help the American economy?

There are several things that need to be done with regard to the American economy. One is they need to lower the corporate income tax level to encourage direct foreign investment, and to discourage American businesspeople from going elsewhere to save money. Right now, with the economy so bad, businesspeople are looking for every advantage […]

Why we should listen to…Olivia Newton-John

Olivia Newton-John is one of the most famous singers from the 1970s and early 1980s. Her career can be split into two eras: pre-Grease and post-Grease. Grease is one of the top grossing musicals of all time. She starred in it with John Travolta in 1978, and it was this movie that transformed her from […]

The story of Wu Minxia: What’s more important–2012 Summer Olympics or family?

Chinese diver Wu Minxia won gold in the diving competition in the 2012 Summer Olympics but it was at a price that most Westerners would not be willing to pay. The gold medalist does not communicate that often with her parents, because of her focus on training for the Olympics. Her dedication has paid off, […]

Ellie Black: An Olympian from Halifax! And a darn good role model, too.

It is exciting that we have a local girl at the Olympics! Ellie Black helped her team in the artistic section of gymnastics make Canadian history. They placed higher than any team ever has before, and she is one of us! On Sunday, Black will participate in the vault section of gymnastics. Whether or not […]

Burkas and tight skirts (Part 2): Think of God, not which gender is right.

Not every sin has the same negative consequences. The fewer sins we commit, the happier we are, but some sins are worse than others. Sexual sin is very serious because the consequences are so enormous. The simplest life is the happiest. That means someone grows up, gets married at a young age, say 18, has […]