Sunday musings

Welcome back and away we go!
Here in Canada in the province of Ontario there is a local school board that has decided to allow prayer sessions for Muslim children during school hours. This is in direct conflict to the basis of public education where the division of school and church should be maintained. Already Hindu, Native American, Jewish and other groups are agitating to have their own religious times allowed in school. Many maintain that this is a result of bowing to the militant desires of the Muslim community and is the thin edge of promoting the expansion of the faith in Canada.
What do you think?
Throughout Europe we have seen the visible signs of the expansion of the Muslim faith with the distinctive shapes of their places of worship, the electronic blare of the call to worship. The Swiss have placed restrictions on the number of churches as a result. In Holland a complete political movement has as its' basis a rejection of the faith and indeed a desire to make the believers return to the country of origin.
Indeed many see this as a new religious war throughout the world.
Why is it that so many have killed and have died in the name of a peaceful God?
In Women's' World Soccer championships Germany has been eliminated and that has sent shockwaves throughout that country and the rest of the sporting world.
Recent surveys have shown that there is 1.2 cell phones per person in the United States.
My first reaction to this was to wonder where one could see a .2 cell phone and the second to wonder how much money has been diverted from peoples pockets and budgets to pay for something that probably  90% do not need.
Indeed, look around at the number of computer and so called tablets you have and add up the cost of those and see what that has done to your disposable income. In our case we have 2 phones, three laptops and assorted printers!
Time to reduce and recycle I think.
Shall we talk about the cost of owning a hybrid  gas/electric car?
I did some number crunching recently and had some suspicions confirmed. I always wondered about the savings generated and then the cost of replacing the batteries when the original need so.
With the savings on gas  I figured it would take about 8 years to recoup the extra cost spent in the price of the hybrid vs that of a solely gas model. At the same 8 year mark, say, take a Ford Explorer, you would have to replace the batteries. The cost of that little purchase is around $18,000 Canadian according to a recent article I read.
So I guess the question to ask is, do you really save?
Many people in large cities trumpet bike lanes and bus transportation and subway as the best way to handle traffic and reduce a carbon footprint. At the same time to encourage this they say to tax the crap out of gas and make it too expensive to drive a vehicle. Let them come to the Prairies and spend a winter here at minus 40 with bus service every hour, no shelters from the wind and cold, snow banks up to five feet high.
Their tune would change in a minute I think.
I noticed that a reader logged on from Russia the other day, now that is a country that I would love to visit. Here in Canada there are a lot of stories about that land, but most fall into the realm of lack of knowledge I think. The common perception of a Russian is a very dour hard drinking communist and I think the reality would probably be a lot different and people would be surprised.
Already we are in the 7th month of the year, as a child summer would seem to last forever, now as adults we see summer arrive in the blink of an eye only to have fall loom on the horizon. There indeed is a difference in the passage of time between adults and children.
Canada had the Royal couple of William and Kate visit for a few days this week. The greatest throng of followers were the media.
Speaking of the media, what gave them the right to make policy and set public opinion?
I am tired of them not reporting the news as should be their function, but actually creating and molding public opinion to their desire.
Examples?
The American frenzy about the Caylee Anthony murder trial. The continued promotion of Sarah Pallin as a politician of dubious caliber. In Canada the not to subtle love affair with the new Federal Opposition NDP party.
Oh well, time to sit back and take a quiet breath or two. The day is young and outside all is wonderful.
Have a great week and take care out there,
flatlander52