Authorities: Ex-officer threatened to kill chief
By - Associated Press - Saturday, September 6, 2014
ABERDEEN, N.J. (AP) - Authorities say a former Aberdeen Township police officer stalked and threatened to kill the town’s current police chief.
But they wouldn’t say why 66-year-old Christian Witzig allegedly took those actions.
The Asbury Park Press (https://on.app.com/1rRqyEv) reports Witzig, who lives in Keansburg, was arrested this week. His bail was set at $100,000 cash and it wasn’t known Saturday if he has retained an attorney.
Citing court documents, the newspaper said Witzig made the threat before going to Aberdeen police headquarters to confront chief John Powers- despite being previously told not to contact him.
The documents also state that Witzig repeatedly made alarming and threatening statements toward Powers and his family on five occasions
Powers told the newspaper that he couldn’t comment and referred all questions to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.
Information from: Asbury Park (N.J.) Press, https://www.app.com


@odenmemphis
Even financial analysts agree at this point that brand equity is, while intangible, probably the most valuable asset on a company’s balance sheet. Stewardship of that asset is of foremost importance in the strategy of running a company. And the launch of a new brand, while exciting and full of promise, is merely one point on a sliding scale of actions that ensure nurturing of a long-term successful brand entity.
As with any business, brands progress through a life cycle of launch, growth, maturity, and either rejuvenation, reinvention, or fading from the market landscape. Enduring victory, therefore, depends upon making choices about brand consistency versus change. Those choices are affected by timing, the economy, customer needs, competition, and other factors that require thorough evaluation.
Consider Crest® toothpaste, the first with fluoride, introduced to the public in 1955. Crest, while ubiquitous, is not the world’s top-selling toothpaste, but it’s a star in the crown of Procter & Gamble, the number-31 company on the Fortune 500 list. With revenues of $84.2 billion as a result of its standouts, including Tide®, Pantene®, and Crest, P&G can certainly afford to adapt to circumstances by investing in product enhancements—and it has. With Crest, P&G moved from the initial fluoride differentiator to now include tartar control, whitening, whitening strips, and complete multi-benefit herbal expressions. For 60 years, Crest has rejuvenated and expanded its scope many times over to keep those kiddies brushing and their parents smiling brightly. Relevance. Crest has it, because it’s stewarded the brand wisely, keeping its eye on the market and recognizing when it was time to invest in brand extensions and enhancements.
Not Everybody Has $84 Billion
What if you’re not Crest? Suppose you’re a 5-year-old mid-sized commercial lender with a strong product positioning. You’ve spent a lot of time and effort to develop a memorable brand image and message that’s resonating with your industrial customers. Until now, you’ve been staunch in requiring consistency in every aspect of your collateral, business cards, messaging, and online presence in order to build awareness of your brand. You’ve begun to enjoy growth regionally, yet you’re not quite a household name. You don’t have billions to reinvest in every new trick in the book, but you want to keep your brand healthy and growing.
At the same time, your competition’s new product offerings are coming online. This is where consistency meets adaptability, and you have to decide: stay the course, or begin to refresh and deviate from the well-entrenched image and positioning you’ve created.
A good example of brand evolution in the B2B space is Adobe Systems Inc. Adobe was founded in 1982 by Charles Geschke and John Warnock to develop and sell the PostScript® page-description language. Today it’s a multinational computer software company with approximately $4.147 billion in revenues. Adobe’s product line has evolved from software products (such as Photoshop®) that individuals purchased to a suite of digital media and marketing solutions served up for a monthly fee with automatic upgrades. Recently described in an article by CBS News online as one of few software companies that survived Microsoft’s competition, the article cites Adobe as one of “10 companies with insanely great marketing.”
Beginning as a single tool primarily for the graphics and publishing market, Adobe’s product line has become requisite for anyone who wants to edit video or save files in PDF format. In a larger sense, the company describes its business this way: “Our digital media and marketing solutions empower businesses to make, manage, measure and monetize content.”
Adobe’s history has not been without difficulty. It competes in a fast-paced industry with significant players that are larger by far. It endured a major security breach in 2013 with far-reaching consequences for customers. Yet Adobe has secured its destiny through its dedication to giving customers what they want. Adobe claims that four value characteristics drive its business: to be genuine, exceptional, innovative, and involved. Their website features these two facts that validate their lofty position:
Over 90% of the world’s creative professionals use Photoshop.
More than two-thirds of Fortune 50 companies use Adobe® Marketing Cloud, including 17 of the top 20 Internet retailers; 10 of the top 10 commercial banks; 5 of the top 5 media companies; and 5 of the top 5 automakers.
With ever-evolving graphic design tools at its beck and call, Adobe still retains its original logo, designed by founder John Warnock’s wife, Marva. Visual consistency with product evolution—Adobe’s formula for success.
How to Balance Consistency and Change
Adobe didn’t reinvent the primary visual representation of its brand—its logo. But it did adjust, fine-tune, acquire, develop, and adapt in ways that kept it in favor with its market. How do YOU do that?
First and foremost, stay true to your brand promise. This is what brought your customers to you, and it’s what will keep them coming back. No matter what other changes you consider, you have to be all in when it comes to living up to your mission and purpose. Every experience your customers have should remind them of that promise.
Don’t wait until your customers begin shifting to competitors for services you don’t offer.
To continue to grow, you have to be in front of demand, not behind it. To do this:
Listen to your customers. Learn what services they’d like to have or what products they’ve seen in other markets that intrigue them.
Watch your competition closely to see whether they’re taking an aggressive future stance or merely a hold-down-the-fort approach.
Look at other markets and at business literature to see what’s new outside your arena.
Consider the implications for your company if you invest in new products, services, technology, or other enhancements. Do you need a new product line? What’s the payback if you develop it, and what’s the drawback if you don’t?
Test your theory with your customers to see their reaction. Test it with potential customers.
If you’re expanding geographically, you may find that your more locally flavored marketing campaigns and materials don’t represent the broader picture. Call in the experts to help you evaluate how your image plays among those other markets.
As your company grows, you may discover that you need to create variations on the brand, expanding your product line, tweaking existing products, and perhaps even eliminating some non-performing elements. For example, in 2011 Adobe ceased development of Flash for mobile devices because Apple refused to support it on the popular iOS platform.
One example of a local-to-more transition is the Starbucks story. Below, see the iterations of the logo as the company grew and changed. Starbucks didn’t start out as number 196 on the Fortune 500 list, where it is today; in 1971 it was a Seattle coffee bean roaster and retailer. Notice that it took 16 years to deviate from the original tried-and-true image.
The Starbucks story may be beyond what you envision for your company. But it helps to see that the company held true to its original course until it was evident that the future held more in store. And even today, after adding food products and Fizzio™ hand-crafted sodas, it has maintained its quality experience. The logo has changed, but the story is the same. And so should yours be.
Crest, Adobe, and Starbucks all undertook change that was well thought out: meeting consumers’ needs, anticipating what the next must-have would be, and even creating a need where none existed. Remaining successful is all about knowing what’s working, quickly jettisoning what isn’t, and building new products at the right time. The “right time” is when you’ve researched the marketplace and your specific target audiences, and you’ve weighed the pros and cons of making a move or staying the course.
You can change your logo like Starbucks, or hold on to your original like Adobe, but you can’t stanch the tide of marketplace change, especially not today. A sustained stewardship discipline is paramount to the successful evolution of any brand. The marketing saying “If you’re not growing, you’re dying” is as true today as ever. It’s just a matter of knowing when and how to create growth. That’s the art and science of success.
For information on Oden, contact us at hello@oden.com.


"Eastlake woman, 82, to be ordained as priest Saturday sees role as example for other women" by Brian Albrecht, Cleveland Plain Dealer
https://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2018/06/eastlake_woman_82_to_be_ordain.html
Susan Marie Guzik of Eastlake sheds a tear as women priests of the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests perform the laying on of hands during the Liturgy of Ordination mass in 2014 at the Brecksville United Church of Christ where she was ordained as a deacon. She will be ordained as a priest at the same church on Saturday. (Plain Dealer file photo
By Brian Albrecht, The Plain Dealer
balbrecht@plaind.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Four years ago, when Susan Guzik was ordained a deacon by the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests (ARCWP), she was automatically excommunicated by the church.
Got an official letter from the bishop of the Cleveland Catholic Diocese and everything.
It didn't bother her then. And it won't bother her Saturday when she is ordained as a priest and three women as deacons by the ARCWP in ceremonies at 1 p.m. at the Community of St. Bridget in the Brecksville United Church of Christ.
Four years ago, Guzik said, "We're still Catholics. We believe we are the church.
"There have been times I've wondered if I'm doing the right thing," she added.
"I am doing the right thing."
Guzik, 82, of Eastlake, recently said, "That's still true today. We don't consider ourselves excommunicated."
When asked why she wanted to become a priest, Guzik replied, "Well why not? We're trying to prove that women can do what priests do.
"We're all priestly people. We're all equal," she added. "We don't believe in a hierarchical model. Everybody has voice in everything."
Guzik has been involved with the church for many years.
She received her diocesan certification as a lay ecclesial minister in the Cleveland diocese in 1993, and was active in St. Mary Magdalen Parish in Willowick for more than 55 years. She was one of the first woman lectors in that parish, and was a Stephen Ministry team member and director for several years.
"Most parishes today," Guzik noted, "the lay people - and mostly women - they're doing most of the work in the parish. They always have."
She was married for 53 years to Matthew Guzik, who died in 2012, and has five children and nine grandchildren.
Guzik will be ordained by Bishop Mary Eileen Collingwood, who will be ordaining priests and deacons for the first time in Cleveland.
"This is a milestone for Cleveland," she said.
Collingwood said she has know Guzik for the past 35 years and described her as "a very holy woman. She is very much into maintaining the right relationships with people as far as her family, her church and her community.
"She's an avid reader and has a very active mind," she added. "We recognize that she has lived a priestly life for many, many years."
Collingwood said Guzik decided to become a priest because "she thought it was time. This where spirit is leading us."
Susan Guzik, left, is shown as a deacon celebrating with Bishop Mary Eileen Collingwood. (Photo courtesy of Mary Eileen Collingwood)
She said Guzik will not have an easy road as far as the church goes.
"You will be ostracized. You will be persona non grata. Nobody will recognize you within the institutional church," she said. "We've had to really come to grips with all of that."
However, she added, "We are a movement that believes church should not be a static spirit, but a continuing, living spirit that continues to move forward."
The women being ordained as deacons Saturday are Toni Kay Attanasio, Geraldne Lococo and Kathleen O'Connell Sauline.
Guzik regards them as examples of a changing society.
"It's just the recognition that yes, women can do this, women have done this for years," she said.
Guzik considers herself a role model, particularly for her granddaughters.
She said her accomplishment might motivate young women she has met who are "lukewarm about the Catholic church because of the misogyny of male priests. They look down on women."
Guzik said she has no plans to drastically alter her spiritual duties once she becomes a priest, and will continue to concentrate on her ministry to the elderly.
"I visit people in nursing homes, visit the sick. I'm not going start my own little circle of people and presiding as priest," Guzik said.
She also she will not celebrate Mass at her current church, the Community of St. Bridget, unless its two women priests are absent.
Guzik chuckled as she recalled one person who asked if she has to be called "father" now, as are male priests.
"No, you can call me Sue," Guzik said she replied. "I'm still the same person."
(The ordination at the Community of St. Bridget, Brecksville United Church of Christ, 23 Public Square in Brecksville, will be followed by a reception in the church hall. Parking is available via Arlington Street, off Brecksville Road.)
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As the world watches Syria, don’t forget about Yemen
The problem isn’t that the U.S. is standing by and doing nothing while this horror unfolds. It’s much worse than that.
SOURCECampaign for America’s Future
Image Credit: Democracy Now!
In the time it takes to read these words, a child under the age of five will probably die in Yemen.
And, as this is being written, the U.N. Security Council is meeting to discuss a gas attack in Syria. President Trump, with newly-appointed National Security Advisor John Bolton at his side, says he will decide on his course of action within 24 to 48 hours.
The Syrian people’s tragedy is enormous. So is the possibility for military confrontation between two nuclear powers.
But while the headlines focus on Syria, and as a multitude of voices call for increased military involvement there, don’t forget the tragedy in Yemen. We can save lives much more easily there. We don’t have to send troops or launch missiles.
All we have to do is leave.
Empathy and intervention
Political scientists at the University of Toronto have linked empathy to left-leaning political views. Linguist George Lakoff associates the liberal personality with the “nurturant parent” model of the family. And the stereotypical American self-image, across the political spectrum, is that of someone who is willing to help others.
Interestingly, most Americans see other Americans as “selfish,” according to a 2015 Pew Research Center survey.
Perhaps that’s why presidential candidate Bill Clinton used empathic language when he argued for US military action in Bosnia and Herzegovina – “because,” said candidate Clinton, “I’m horrified by what I’ve seen.”
That language reinforced what the New York Times called Clinton’s “aggressive tack” on the region.
Under President Clinton, NATO conducted years of bombing in the region and sent 60,000 troops to enforce the Dayton Accords. Clinton faced resistance from left and right. That conflict was, in the words of the New York Times Editorial Board, “not America’s war.” But Clinton and his team invoked the image of the U.S. as the world’s leader – and the suffering of children – to make the case for intervention.
More than just a place
In a 1995 speech announcing his decision to send peacekeeping troops, Clinton shrewdly leavened his liberal empathy (“In fulfilling this mission, we will have the chance to help stop the killing of innocent civilians, especially children”) with self-interest (“and at the same time, to bring stability to central Europe, a region of the world that is vital to our national interests.”)
Clinton then pivoted to the time-tested theme of the U.S. as a uniquely generous and selfless military force. “America has always been more than just a place,” he said, adding:
America has embodied an idea that has become the ideal for billions of people throughout the world… America is about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness … America has done more than simply stand for these ideals. We have acted on them and sacrificed for them. Our people fought two world wars so that freedom could triumph over tyranny.
This is how liberal interventionism has always been packaged in American politics: with the notion that our highest ideals are best expressed, not through diplomacy, but through the projection of military force outside our borders. In this telling, history has ended. We are the indispensable nation. We alone must balance the war-torn world on our khaki-clad shoulders.
A “humanitarian war”
Perhaps that’s why, as the Bosnian conflict escalated, the Clinton Administration and other world governments ignored the nonviolent independence movement taking place in nearby Kosovo. It was only after that conflict turned violent, with the rise of the Kosovo Liberation Army, that the Administration responded.
When Clinton addressed the nation on Kosovo, he didn’t rely on empathy for other people’s children. He called intervention the best course for American children and their future – saying it, not once, but three times.
Liberals and leftists were divided on this intervention, as they had been with Bosnia and Herzegovina. But Susan Sontag made the case for military action in the New York Times Magazine. In the American Prospect, Paul Starr called the Kosovo intervention a “humanitarian war” and thought a land invasion would be more effective than airstrikes, but concluded:
“Those of us who believe that the United States ought to use its power to prevent genocide and other high crimes against human decency are going to have to work a lot harder to convince our neighbors.”
Notice the phrasing: “the United States ought to use its power …”
What happens when the best way to prevent a genocide is by ending the use of American power? That seems to be a harder case to make in American political culture.
The forgotten catastrophe
Yemen, a nation long renowned for its beauty, has become a place of almost unimaginable horror. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently declared it ‘the world’s worst humanitarian crisis” and cited statistics that, once heard, should never be forgotten.
Here’s one such statistic: Every ten minutes, a child under five dies of preventable causes. (Based on the average reading speed, it should take ten minutes to read these words. That means a child is statistically likely to die while it is being read.)
Here are some more:
18 million people are food insecure, and 8.4 million Yemenis don’t know how they will obtain their next meal.
3 million acutely malnourished Yemenis are either children under 5, pregnant women, or nursing mothers.
Nearly half of all children aged between six months and 5 years old are chronically malnourished and stunted, conditions that will affect them for the rest of their lives.
Children are being forced to fight, or to work at very young ages. Many young girls are being forced into marriage before they are 18, or even 15, as a response to family debt and poverty.
Women and girls are at heightened risk of sexual and gender-based violence.
Millions have no access to safe drinking water.
1 million people suffered from watery diarrhea and cholera last year. There is a high risk of another cholera epidemic.
More than ten thousand civilians – perhaps many more – have been killed in the fighting.
Our complicity
The problem isn’t that the U.S. is standing by and doing nothing while this horror unfolds. It’s much worse than that. The U.S. is actively working to cause these atrocities, by helping the dictatorship in Saudi Arabia in its relentless attack on Yemen.
Marjorie Ransom, a former diplomat in Yemen, writes of “direct U.S. military complicity in this long and pointless campaign,” adding:
“In addition to selling a vast arsenal of weapons to Saudi Arabia, our government’s military gave logistical guidance in the Saudi military headquarters in Riyadh and continues to provide intelligence to Saudi defense officials and aerial refueling during bombing runs.”
She concludes, “The Saudi-led coalition could not have conducted the two and a half years of bombing without the support of our military.”
How to use intelligence
Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont joined with one of the Senate’s most conservative members, Mike Lee of Utah, as well as Democrat Chris Murphy of Connecticut, to sponsor a resolution calling for an end to U.S. involvement in Yemen.
44 senators voted for it, but 55 senators – including ten Democrats – voted against it. Some antiwar groups called it a step forward – but the war will not end.
Why haven’t progressives doing more to help the people of Yemen? Maybe it’s a problem of leadership. Nobody in a position of Democratic power is using their influence to end America’s involvement there. When the Clinton Administration was trying to build support for intervention in Yemen, it declassified intelligence photographs of the victims there and showed them to reluctant diplomats.
“It was an amazing example of how you can use intelligence,” Albright later reflected.
Why America Slept
Who in Washington’s national security establishment is handing out pictures of dying Yemenis? Nobody. It’s government policy under President Trump, just as it was under President Obama. In the last year of Obama’s presidency, in fact, the U.S. government dropped more than 20,000 bombs on seven countries. (There’s a map.)
There’s a lot of money to be made in arms sales. President Trump has approved massive U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia (Estimates of the deal’s value vary widely.) We’re told that there are no contracts in place, which places even more pressure on the American government to comply with the wishes of Mohammad bin Salman, or “MBS,” Saudi Arabia’s new dictator.
Not that this government needs any convincing. Trump’s financial ties to Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries deserve much deeper scrutiny. So do those of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
But it is our country’s defense-industry ties have been driving that “special relationship” for decades, through Republican and Democratic governments alike. Those ties also serve to promote military policies that involve the use of expensive weaponry all around the world.
As the New Yorker’s Nicholas Niarchos reports, one such weapon – a U.S.-made bomb carrying 500 pounds of explosive – killed more than 140 mourners and injured 500 more during a Yemeni funeral in 2015. Among them was the mayor of Sana’a, who had been negotiating with several factions in an attempt to end the war
The bomb was manufactured by Raytheon.
Prince not-so-charming
But defense contractors aren’t the only powerful interest keeping us in Yemen. American oil corporations have benefited from the U.S.-Saudi relationship for many decades.
Politicians have flattered and cajoled the country’s leadership all that time. So has the American media. With Mohammad bin Salman’s recent rise to power as “crown prince,” the self-interested servility of these elites is once again on display.
They call him “MBS,” as flattering pieces from the likes of Thomas Friedman affirm. Machiavelli wrote of princes like this a long time ago, saying “he who seeks to deceive will always find someone who will allow himself to be deceived.”
MBS appears to be a nasty piece of work, even by Saudi standards, given his youthful threats – reportedly including, according to one story, a bullet in an envelope – toward anyone who stood in the way of his advancement. Then there’s the matter of his recent detention and torture of anyone who poses a political or financial threat to his power.
To cover up his brutality and flatter the thuggish potentate, the mainstream media dwells on MBS’ mild social liberalizations, like letting women drive and easing up on rules regarding live entertainment.
Wilkinson, who was chief of staff to former Secretary of State Colin Powell, says MBS’ social liberalizations were “designed to shift attention from this disastrous war.”
If so, it’s going well. While his opponents were undergoing incarceration and torture without warrant last November, albeit in a luxury hotel, Friedman wrote gushingly: “Though I came here at the start of Saudi winter, I found the country going through its own Arab Spring, Saudi style.”
MBS may be a dictator, but in some people’s hearts he’s Number One – with a bullet.
Resistance wanted
As MBS was dazzling Friedman, Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna was working both sides of the aisle to end our involvement in Yemen. The Republican-led House “overwhelmingly” passed a resolution calling U.S. involvement in that country “unauthorized.”
This year, 44 senators voted against continued this country’s support for Saudi attacks on Yemen. Two antiwar groups, Win Without War and the Friends Committee on National Legislation, celebrated them who voted against it. Those groups are right: the tide is turning.
But in the meantime, the war goes on, ten minutes at a time.
And as we listen to the debates in the U.N., while we wait for more information out of Douma, as the generals appear on television to discuss military options, these Yemeni children are deliberately being starved by the Saudi military – every day, all day long.
Look at them. The morality of empathy demands that we care about these children as much as we care about children anywhere – including our own, here at home.
Where are the marchers, the silent vigils, the mass actions for them?
Syria is a terrible tragedy, too – a tragedy caused by American intervention. Now we’re being told that more intervention is the cure.
Liberal interventionism is seductive. It’s hard to resist the messianic voices that tell us we’re the indispensable heroes of our time, the saviors of the world and its children.
But it’s time to ask: In countries like Yemen, who will save the world from us?
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Richard (RJ) Eskow is a writer, a former Wall Street executive and a radio journalist. He has experience in health insurance and economics, occupational health, risk management, finance, and IT.
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ROLEPLAY by Alan Ayckbourn
In ROLEPLAY Justin Lazenby and his live-in girlfriend Julie-Ann Dobson are planning to announce their engagement at a dinner party for each other’s parents. Julie-Ann wants everything to be perfect for her conservative mother and father. When she discovers that a dessert fork is missing, she panics and leaves the flat, hoping she can buy a new one before her parents arrive. When a woman climbs on to their balcony, however, the couple have a lot more than cutlery to worry about. The woman, Paige Petite, is desperate to escape from her boyfriend, gangster boxing promoter Rudy Raven, who told one of his thugs, Micky Rale, to hold her captive in his penthouse. After searching frantically, Micky finds Paige hiding out in Justin’s apartment and the two uninvited guests impose themselves upon the hospitality of the young couple. In addition, Justin’s drunken mother, Arabella, arrives and provides a sharp contrast to Julie-Ann’s bigoted parents. As personalities clash it becomes clear that the two young people are bound together more by the idea of romance than true love. ROLEPLAY is the third and final play in a series called DAMSELS IN DISTRESS. The other two plays are GAMEPLAN and FLATSPIN. The comedies opened on 7 September, 2002 at the Duchess Theatre in London and ran until 11 January, 2003. They are entirely separate plays, but were written to be performed either individually or as a trilogy.
Felicity Rhys and Adam Redmayne
Also in the cast: Andrew Haynes, Zoë Ann Bown, Katie Kensit, Lee Town and Susan Shrand


HomeReligionRev. Angela Palacious publishes new book: A Question A Day: Part One
Rev. Angela Palacious publishes new book: A Question A Day: Part One
It has been over 30 years since Anglican priest, Reverend Angela Palacious first began to write meditations for church bulletins and newspapers, and now she has published a new book “A Question A Day: Part One.” The book is 366 verses in the Old Testament that are highlighted for reading, prayer and study.
It’s a book that is for the reader who is curious about the Bible and needs an introduction. It can also be used as a tool to help read through the Bible in a year.
“I have based my thoughts on actual questions from the Bible, hoping to evoke from each reader a prayerfully personal response to the Word of God. I encourage you to record your thoughts and feelings in a journal, and discuss with your spiritual guide, prayer partner, or small group,” said Palacious.
The guided devotional challenges and inspires the reader to continue the diligent search towards personal and communal growth through Godly principles.
Daily, the reverent references a biblical verse, provides a comment, and then poses a personal question. In response, the reader is encouraged to explore some of life’s deepest queries, journaling their thoughts and feelings for future introspection and reflection.
It’s a devotional that she says also gives way for discussions with a spiritual guide, prayer partner or small group. If you mentor others, she said you will be able to guide them toward more intentional maturity and ministry.
The 366 biblical references and reflections are organized chronologically but with no specific date attached. Book One focuses on the entire Old Testament, and Book Two concentrates on the New Testament and Psalms.
Palacious says there are many questions people wrestle with in the course of their lifetime – questions that God puts to them, that others put to them, and that they have to put to themselves.
“The Bible has well over 1,000 questions in it, with over 50 questions in the book of Genesis alone – some are repetitious, some rhetorical and others speak to our hearts, minds and spirits about deep matters,” said Palacious. “I pray that you will find the passages and the challenges helpful on your spiritual journey, and as you mentor others.”
Part One of the series takes you on a comprehensive personal adventure through the Old Testament, one day at a time. It is written in a clear and simple style, and features daily reading to edify a person, no matter where they may be on their spiritual journey.
Norma A. Dean, retired educator said many of the verses in the book she has known from childhood.
“The thought-provoking questions at the end of the verses selected in this book have made me look at them differently, and they have helped me to make adjustments to my life,” said Dean.
Dorothy Jones, a cousin of Palacious said the book was easy to read, but challenging and in some areas difficult.
“It is thought provoking and the questions are appropriate for our day, age and indeed nations. It encourages us to journey through and explore this section of the Bible in a way we may not have done before, enhancing our knowledge of his Holy Word. It promotes self-examination, irrespective of being committed Christians or not. It has certainly highlighted my lack of knowledge in areas of the Holy Bible,” said Jones.
Retired educator and banker Hilda Knowles said the work was an insightful, methodical and practical way to study much of the Old Testament in one year.
“In addition to the questions posed by Rev. Angela being thought provoking, they show us that there is really nothing new under the sun. The situations, problems and conflicts encountered by people in Old Testament times are very similar to those we face today. Our answers to these questions will, hopefully, show us a better, more effective way to approach, handle and/or resolve many [if not all] of the ones presented here,” wrote Knowles.
Palacious’ book is available on Amazon and Kindle as well as in the following stores: Anglican Diocesan Office bookstore; All Seasons All Occasions; The Bible, Book and Gift Centre; Buy The Book; Logos and from Palacious directly.
Myles and Ruth Munro
Pastor Gibson: Love
Proclaiming the gosp
Continuing to conque


Let’s Pretend It’s 1977 Again
February 28, 2014 at 4:01 pm	(Uncategorized)
I missed the initial blast of fresh air that was punk through accidents of age and geography.
I was 12 years old in 1976 which meant I was starting to take music seriously, but was not quite aware: I hadn’t discovered John Peel and the New Musical Express were still two years away. I also lived in Grove, a town near Wantage, itself thirty minutes outside of Oxford. In any event, Oxford was not London or Manchester or any of the hubs of punk. The town I lived in much less so.
So, I read about punk before I heard it, and I heard it long before I saw it live. The first band I saw was the Stranglers in 1979 when the toured with the Raven (their fourth album!). I did see Stiff Little Fingers and Adam and the Ants the following, but it when they were already established. 1977 was something I experienced thought newspaper headlines, Top of the Pops and the occasional song on the radio. But I was almost there.
By the time I moved to Canada in 1981, I’d seen a few bands, but I was reading the music press and my singles collection was growing. (My dad helped me stencil the Crass logo onto my jacket – funnily enough, the only other band kids at my school had on their backs was Rush).
Thirty years on and though many of those punk bands imploded within a year or two or moved onto another form, others still play. Lee Brilleaux of Dr. Feelgood once asked his critics why don’t people get on at classical musicians, how come you’re still playing Beethoven? Why don’t you play some new stuff? Of course, Brilleaux was playing new stuff, just like the Strypes today (who are themselves heavily influenced by the Feelgoods)
Still, that’s a little different to go and see people who are still performing their own songs, and particularly in a medium like punk. In general there are two reasons why people still go to see bands now into their third decade of performing, in most cases long past their prime.
1. It’s the first time. I saw Buzzcocks, Gang of Four, the Avengers, Steve Ignorant, the Rezillos and probably a few others after they had broken up and reformed to tour the hits. I really wanted to hear those songs. They were great shows, but I also have nothing to compare them to.
2. Nostalgia. My twenties were great. I was at university. The musci i listened to was fantastic etc. etc. But it’s an illusion. First of all , you can never go home. Those moments are products of specific time and selective memory (how many of us have dug out a movei or a record and realized, it wasn’t anywhere near as good as we remembered – you can’t stand in the same river twice). Chasing nostalgia is like the junkie seeking that proverbial first high. You’ll never find it.
Which, after a long preamble, brings me to the subject of this post: Last Friday, I went to see the Forgotten Rebels at Lee’s Palace.
I must have first seen the Forgotten Rebels in late 1983 or early 1984. I saw them open for the Cramps at the Concert Hall in 1984, but I remember that wasn’t the first time to see them. Wow. That’s thirty years ago. After that, I must have seen them at least a dozen time,. but probably the last was at a New Year’s show at the El Mo circa 1990. (Johnny Thunders was playing upstairs, and he died in 1993 – I saw him a year of so before he died, and there was another legend whose past was dishonoured by his present). I’d seen the Dik van Dykes (another band from my youth) just before New Year’s, so I thought why not?
Missed the Cola Heads and the Noble Savages were just finishing their set as I arrived. A band to check out further, although it struck me as strange as all four band members were shirtless (was that a theme?)
The Forgotten Rebels came on stage a little after midnight. The band have been for many years Mickey DeSadist, and whomever he has playing with him. And Mickey, no longer rail thin, but with as much personality as ever.
Yes, it was great to hear all the hits again, including my favourite Rebels song “I think of her.” The set list drew heavily from the early records, National Unity, In Love with the System and This Ain’t Hollywood, but so what, that’s what people want isn’t it? In the same way, and this is not a comparrison, when Mick Jagger announces, “This is our new single,” no one really gets too excited – they’re there to hear “Satisfaction.”
But I’ll confess to feeling a little hollow. Maybe it was me. Certainly the audience enjoyed the show. Although the demographic was odd – lots of old guys with beer guts and bald spots, along with kids who seemed barely old enough to get into the show, and who were born long after the Rebels formed.
I suppose it might be the difficulty of reconciling the rebellion of punk, the smash-the-system, fuck-the-old ways with becoming established, but it seemed I had gone to the show with the wrong mindset. I left before what I’m sure was the last song, “Surfin on Heroin.”
Should bands like the Rebels go gently into that good night like the Stones or the Who? It’s not a question I can answer. If people still get a kick out of it, if the band still like doing it, who am I to say no? But, it should be recognized for what it is. In “My Generation” Daltrey sang, “Hope I die before I get old.” The better formulation though is “Hope I live before I get old.”
Music Notes: February 2014
February 27, 2014 at 11:46 pm	(Uncategorized)
Here we go then…
1. Big Star – Nothing Can Hurt Me
I confess I haven’t seen the movie, but the soundtrack is a treasure trove for Big Star fans, er fanatics. 21 previously unreleased versions of classic songs like “In the Street,” “Thirteen” and “September Gurls.” Demos, alternative mixes and a few mixes from 2012. If you’re new to Big Star’s blend of American pop and Beatlesque sounds, maybe this isn’t the place to begin (pick up the first two records), but for those of us who are already admirers, this will do very nicely thank you.
2. September Girls – “Heartbeat /Wasted”
Irish garage shoegazers make beautiful noise – listen at their bandcamp page.
3. Courtney Barnett – The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas
Two releases in one. You don’t want to use adjectives like quirky, but it does convey a certain sound in this Australian singer-songwriter’s work. Over to her site now Released in North America in April.
4. Angel Olson – Burn Your Fire For No Witness
My favourite record this week. Folk, rock, Leonard Cohen. I really can’t describe this; just listen to it.
5. Uncle Tupelo – Anodyne
Uncle Tupelo are in the news again because of the legacy edition of their first album No Depression, which contains among other treats the ND demos and the band’s early cassettes. Still, for my money, Anodyne is the band’s most realized vision; a perfect balance between country and rock, and between Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy’s songwriting talents. Alas, the delicate balance was unable to survive and Son Volt and Wilco were the result. This is simply beautiful work.
6. Dean Wareham – Emancipated Hearts EP
Came out last year, but if you didn’t get it, it serves as a nice reminder of his talent and a lead in to the new album coming in March. One whine about the album though. I his quite amazing book Black Postcards, Wareham complains about digital music. Fair enough, but the new album comes as an i-tunes release with an exclusive song. C’mon Dean. I love you, but are you trying to have your cake and eat it too.
7. Dr. Feelgood – Oil City Confidential
The third of Julian Temple’s film about mb (the others being about the Sex Pistols and Joe Strummer). This time, the “best local band in the world,” Dr. Feelgood. A fantastic retelling of the Feelgood’s story up to the almost breakthrough and Wilco’s departure. Fascinating stuff. The DVD comes with extra Wilco stuff and the entire interview with Lee Brilleaux.
8. Public Enemy – It’ll Take a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Hadn’t listened to this in ages, but was thumbing through stuff the other day and came across it. Bang! It’s one of those incendiary records like Bollocks or the first Velvets’ that time cannot dim the impact. Stunning.
9. James Murphy – Subway Symphony
The former LCD Soundsystem leader has a plan to add music to New York’s subways. You can even sign a petitiotn
Nine because it’s February (Sorry – I thought this was funny last year, and I guess I still do)
Being a Dad (part 6): The Movies
February 24, 2014 at 1:58 am	(Uncategorized)
Took my son to see The Lego Movie this afternoon.
Initially, the boy was too cool to see the movie, and I was puzzled. First, it’s a movie and the boy will see pretty much anything. Second, it’s Lego, and the boy loves Lego and has a couple of Lego video games.
Eventually, he changed his ind and I learned why. He thought it was a movie for younger kids, and thought maybe he was too old for it. But after a school friend told him it was a great film, he changed his mind.
And yeah, I loved it too. I laughed all the way through (“Dad, I think you liked the movie more than I did”) . Why not, the portrayal of Batman as a narcissistic jerk is brilliant. Sure, sure, the movie is fairly traditional in its morality take about how every one is special, but the sheer energy and humour in the film… It’s wonderful.
I remember the first time I went to the movies. It was around 1970. My dad took me to see Jungle Book with my cousin Richard and his dad. I was six. It’s a great moment, the first time. But the magic lingers.
So to the guy down the aisle from me who spent half the movie scrolling on his phone and even made a call while his little kids fussed around, “Buddy, it’s not about you and your important life. It’s about your kids. I can’t even really think you’re a jerk, because, ultimately, you’re missing out. ”
Take your kids to a movie and enjoy the film with them. It’s worth it.
About the Situation in Ukraine (Links)
Couple of interesting pieces about situation in Ukraine.
Statement about the Situation in Ukraine – Autonomous Workers Union (Feb 19, 2014)
Interview with a Ukrainian Revolutionary Syndicalist (Feb 20, 2014 also on AWU site)
Finally, a discussion on Lib com
Two Stories about Pete Seeger
I’m not a regular reader of Rolling Stone, but the latest issue is worth looking at. For one thing it has a moving feature about the late Philip Seymour Hoffman – yes, it’s the issue with Hoffman on the cover which caused Drake to have a hissy fit about “his” cover being given to Hoffman.
But the more interesting piece is Mikal Gilmore’s article on Pete Seeger. Two stories in particular:
In September 1949, Seeger played a civil rights benefit with Paul Robeson in Peekskill, New York. After the show, a mob attacked attendees and performers alike. Seeger drove away with his young children in the car as rocks smashed his windows. His friend Lee Hayes later asked, “What is it in the people’s songs of Paul Robeson and Pete Seeger…to inspire this savagery, this hatred.”
Two decades later, Seeger played a show in Beacon, New york. After the show, a young man came up to Seeger and extended his hand to Seeger. As he did so, he told Seeger, “I think I should tell you, I came here this afternoon to kill you.” Seeger was apparently so startled (who wouldn’t be?) all he could say initially was “thank you.” Apparently the man was a soldier who had lost friends in Vietnam, and believed Seeger was a traitor. But, as he watched the show, saw how the crowd reacted, he lost that anger. “I feel cleansed,” he told Seeger.
The full story is in the February 27 issue of Rolling Stone.
The Return of Super Mayor!
OK, I live in Toronto. A city that used to imagine it was New York run by the Swiss – hardly true, but people can dream. Still, whenever I mentioned I was from Toronto, most people had a fairly positive image of the city. (“clean” and “safe”) These days, the question is “What’s with that Rob Ford?”
Yes, indeed. What IS with that Rob Ford. For those who don’t watch late night TV or read newspapers, Rob Ford is the former suburban councillor who ran for mayor on a cut-the-gravy-train /lower-taxes-for-the-little-guy platform (more of a mantra really). And despite his clownish past behaviour (drunkenly abusing patrons at the Air Canada Centre, denying he was there, then admitting it – actually, now that I think about it , that’s Ford’s MO), he was elected. Handily.
Since then however, Ford’s personality and embarrassing list of colourful achievements have made him an international laughing-stock as Toronto’s crack-smoking mayor. There were allegations of drunken behaviour, groping female councilors and most infamously smoking crack with suspected drug dealers (who else would you smoke crack with?). Ford denied it all
Until…Police chief Bill Blair confirmed the existence of a video. At this point, Ford fessed up. Yes, he had smoked crack but he hadn’t lied about it because the media had actually asked him that (they had, but hey). And finally, in a completely out of the blue moment, Ford denied he had ever wanted to eat a co-worker’s “pussy” noting, in what he appeared to think was a moment of wit, “I have plenty to eat at home.”
And then silence. A few interviews in which Ford adopted a semi-repentant tone. He was no longer drinking – that was over. He had apologized. What more could he do?
Yes, yes, there were suspicions Ford did not declare a state of emergency during the December ice storm because he would no longer be in charge, (Ford had lost that right earlier in the year – he could declare a SOE, but then power passes to his executive committee) but nothing really to speak of.
And then it began again,. A video surfaced from an Etobicoke restaurant where Ford swayed drunkenly speaking in a slurred Jamaican patois cursing the police chief. Shortly after his brother Doug denied Ford was drinking again, Ford admitted he was, but suggested since it was on his own time, it was his business (so much for the suggestion he was done with drinking). Parenthetically, we should all have a brother as loyal as Doug Ford. Brother Rob could run down the street butt naked with a gun in one hand and a big bag of crack in the other, and Doug would blame the liberal media.
Last week he admitted he had lied abut not lying because he was embarrassed about it. Also last week, Ford got a ticket for jay-walking in Vancouver and saw allegations surface he was served alcohol after hours in a bar there .
Not to be outdone, this week Ford has called for a rainbow flag flying at city Hall in Toronto to be taken down and replaced by another Canadian flag. Ford also announced he would not be attending the World Pride events this summer because he ” couldn’t change who he is. Er…what?
It seems Ford is going after the homophobic vote, which might not be a good idea given the size of the city’s gay and lesbian community. And moreover, wasn’t that a fight that ended decades ago? Gays and lesbians are…well, just as boring as straight people.
My wife believes that these little pieces are actually Ford’s strategy of staying in the public eye – a sort of buffoonish version of Wilde’s notion that the only thing worse than being talking about.,
I’m almost convinced that Ford’s antics are some sort of wacky performance art piece. Despite his self-made man persona, he was born into money so he doesn’t really need to work. Maybe he’s in a decade long version of an Office-type program.
So the great hope now is moderate conservative, failed Tory party leader and ex-Mayoralty candidate John Tory or possibly Olivia Chow. My only experience of Ms. Chow is at an anti-war rally a few years back. I was there with my four-year old and Chow and her husband, Jack Layton, came through the crowd. Olivia glanced at the boy and whispered, “so cute.” Good taste, but not yet a policy.
Of course, Ford is an unpleasant bully with a substance abuse problem. And that’s what makes his backers nervous. They see the agenda which Ford stands for going down with him. Sure Chow or Tory would superficially be different to Ford (OK, in terms of public fuck-ups probably substantially different), but would the underlying agenda be fundamentally different? I’m going to say that under a Tory or Chow regime, or hell, under a Ford one, things would largely continue to go in the same way. Vanilla, Chocolate or Strawberry. It’s not much of a choice.
No More Mister Nice Girl: Maggie Estep
Heard today about the loss of poet, author and musician Maggie Estep. Her sudden passing at the age of 50 following complications from a heart attack is pretty shocking.Too soon, too soon.
I went to the collection and pulled out the only CD of hers I own, No More Mister Nice Girl. Overall the record has aged well. The stuff I didn’t like much, I still don’t like, but the inspired stuff, “Hey Baby”, “Car Guy”, “Fuck Me”, “Rip Trip Strip”, and “Bad Day at the Beauty Salon” still sound great. Oh and there’s a fantastic shot of Estep on the cover with a “Fuck with me, I dare you” expression on her face.
Here’s the video for her most famous recording, “Hey Baby” which features John S. Hall from King Missile
Liner Notes – (from No More Mister Nice Girl)
I was having a foul day. Some geezer harrassed me on the street and I got completely bent out of shape, but the guy was huge so I just stuffed my retort. Went home to drink coffee. No milk. I ripped through the cupboards and found Non Dairy Creamer. It tasted like shit. I got into one of those senseless rages where you throw stuff. I hurled the Non Dairy Creamer and it fell into the tub where I was running some bath water. The creamer erupted and made this bathing gel of Non Dairy Creamer. I was ready to kill myself. Instead I wrote Hey Baby.
So I’m walking down the street
minding my own business
when this guy starts with me
he’s suckin’ his lips goin’
Yo Baby
and I get a little tense and nervous
but I keep walking
but the guy, he’s dogging my every move
hey Miss, he says,
Don’t miss this!
And he grabs his crotch and sneers ear to ear
so finally, I turn around
Hey Buddy, I say
I’m feelin’ kinda tense, Buddy
I got a fuckin’ song in my heart
so come on,
I got a huge bucket of non-dairy creamer
and some time to kill
so let’s do it
we’ll make some foul-smelling artifical milk
and drink gallons and gallons and gallons of it
Get our bladders exceedingly full then
sit on the toilet together and let
the water run in the shower
and torture ourselves by not letting ourselves urinate
as the water rushes loudly
into the bathrub, okay?
We’ll do it together
writhe in utter agony
Just you and me
and I’ll even spring for some of that blue shit
for the toilet bowl, all right?
I mean, that’s my idea of a good time
so how bout it, you wanna?
The guy backs up a bit
Whatsa matter, Baby?
You got somethin’ against men?, he says
No, I say
I don’t have anything against men
Just STUPID men
Maggie Estep
Mark Twain on Why We’re Here
This quotation from Mark Twain arrived in my inbox this morning courtesy of Skeptics magazine’s weekly newsletter in an article about intelligent design. Worth sharing. It reminded me of that graphic about the ascent of man from ape to upright human Richard Dawkins hates so much because it posits an intelligent path to where we are. (Which is not to suggest that’s Twain’s intent here) Evolution isn’t a design. It just is.
“Man has been here 32,000 years. That it took a hundred million years to prepare the world for him is proof that that is what it was done for. I suppose it is. I dunno. If the Eiffel tower were now representing the world’s age, the skin of paint on the pinnacle-knob at its summit would represent man’s share of that age; and anybody would perceive that that skin was what the tower was built for. I reckon they would, I dunno.”
—Mark Twain, “Was the World Made for Man?” 1903
Platypus Society Forum: The Politics of Work (Audio Link) on Work
February 6, 2014 at 12:45 am	(Uncategorized) (Platypus Society)
Last week on a bitterly cold night, I spoke at a Platypus Society forum on the Politics of Work representing Internationalist Perspective. Approximately 25 people came out to hear differing perspectives on work.
My c0-panelists were L Susan Brown author of the 1993 book The Politics of Individualism and the article “Does Work Really Work?” Dave Bush from the Rank and File project, and Sam Ginden, a former Canadian Autoworkers staffer.
While my three co-panelists looked to what I consider to be solutions within capitalism, I tried to link the politics of work to a broader critique of the value-form.
To hear whether or not I was successful, you can listen to the audio here (but you can skip to the good part at the 33 minute mark!).
February 3, 2014 at 1:37 pm	(Uncategorized)
The death yesterday, apparently from a heroin overdose, of Philip Seymour Hoffman is a deep loss.
Hoffman was an exceptionally talented individual. Unlike many “movie stars” who essentially play themselves or a variant of such in each of their films, Hoffman was a gifted actor capable of playing different characters convincingly. Seldom a leading man, he possessed no “movie star” good looks, Hoffman played supporting characters who often were as memorable than the leads.
That he was found sitting on a toilet in his underwear, a syringe in his arm only underscores the loss. An entirely preventable one. Hoffman’s friend, playwright David Bar Katz commented,
“I saw him last week, and he was clean and sober, his old self. I really thought this chapter was over.”
And sadly now it is.


10 of Your Favorite 80s/90s Action Movie Stars Then and Now
The 1980-1999s were pretty crazy decades for Hollywood. Everyone wanted to out-do everyone else, be it in the fashion aspect, catchy one-liners, or the general machismo of the main protagonist. During these 20 years we’ve had so many iconic action movies, that they hold-up even by today’s standards where everything feels fake and CGI.
Thanks to that Big Boom of action flicks we got to witness the birth of such incredible actors as Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone, Jackie Chan, and countless more. Today we’d like to revisit some of those old-school action stars and see what they’re up to these days.
1. Harrison Ford
After hitting it off as Han Solo, Ford blew up even more in the “Indiana Jones” films and “Blade Runner.” Today, funnily enough, he’s still playing in “Star Wars”, new “Blade Runner”, and the future “Indiana Jones” sequel. Nothing’s changed.
2. Dolph Lundgren
A big dude like Dolph was destined to make an impact on the movie scene. His Ivan Drago is to this day one of the best characters ever seen on the movie screen. And in case you forgot, he played He-man and Frank Castle (aka the Punisher). Today he’s still busy acting, with his latest appearance being in 2018’s “Aquaman”.
3. Steven Seagal
To be frank, I’ve watched every single Seagal movie but can’t tell you a single title. They’re all the same! One thing is certain, his Aikido moves are legendary. Believe it or not, he’s now a reserve deputy chief in the Jefferson Parish, Louisiana Sheriff’s office!
4. Anne Parillaud
Meet the only lady on this list! French actress Anne Parillaud became famous and internationally known for her role as Nikita in Luc Besson’s movie Nikita. This film made Anne an S-grade action star. But what about today? Well, she’s still acting but her great success has never returned to her again.
5. Bruce Willis
“Die Hard.” That’s it. Just “Die Hard” and nothing else. The bulk of his greatest movies were in the early 2000’s. What about today? There were the “Expendables” and Shyamalan’s still got Bruce for the Unbreakable trilogy.
6. Arnold Schwarzenegger
The list for this titan goes on and on: he’s the Conan, the Terminator, the Commando, the commando hunting the Predator, and so on, and so forth, with a bunch of action comedies splattered in there. Now Schwarzenegger is the governor of California, but he still does cameos.
7. Sylvester Stallone
After his iconic role in “Rocky” and its sequels, Stallone played John Rambo, a crazy policeman in Cobra, and equally as crazy cop in “Demolition Man.” Now Stallone is doing his best to stay relevant and judging from Creed 1 and 2, he’s doing a fine job!
8. Jean-Claude Van Damme
Did you know he’s actually Belgian and not French? Either way after “Bloodsport”, and “Kickboxer” he’s joined the Hollywood’s S-class. Now he’s got a beautiful daughter and doesn’t seem to be super involved with the whole movie shindig.
9. Chuck Norris
In short, Chuck Norris was, is, and will always be the meanest Texas ranger in the whole world. Sadly, Norris hasn’t been in anything too amazing since “Expendables 2”, but maybe one day…
10. Jackie Chan
Saved the best for last. It’s no secret that Jackie Chan is a certified badass. I mean, he does all his stunts and rarely uses any tethers or safety nets. He’s done well over 20 movies in 80-90’s and unlike Steven Seagal all of them were super fun. Today he’s still doing stunts, and fighting bad guys on the big screen, but he’s transitioned more into suspenseful action dramas rather than all-out Kung Fu goodness. God bless this man!
January 15, 2019	 (Updated: January 15, 2019	 )


August 28, 2018 6:00 am | FILED UNDER: europe
Babis Calls For EU Ban On All Illegal Migrants
We have the people to help but in their country, Prime Minister Andrej Babis said in a speech before Czech ambassadors about migrants heading for Europe. “If I’m talking about not wanting to accept one migrant, it’s because it’s a symbol. We should negotiate with the states of North Africa and have the Marshall Plan for Africa,” Babis told the Foreign Ministry.
He wants to talk about it with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Contem, whom he meets on Tuesday. Italy is pushing for the other European countries to share the migrants heading for Europe.
Babis also said he does not agree with the planned increase in funds for the European agency Frontex to EUR 10.3 billion. “I am not convinced that we should increase the Frontex budget,” Babis said.
The money should be made directly by the Mediterranean countries of Italy, Spain, Greece or Malta, which, according to the Czech Prime Minister, could be more concerned with protecting the European maritime border than with Frontex. Meanwhile, according to him, Europe is rather acting by telling those heading for Europe to try to get to the European continent and then have the chance to get asylum.
“We are a solid part of the West, no one can question it. The question is how we perform. I’m trying to be active. When I say that I want to promote our national interests, it is nothing anti-European, “the prime minister said. Europe, according to him, must save his identity and civilization.
“If anyone talks about Czexit, it threatens our future,” said Babis. Speaking in front of Czech ambassadors, he also talked about the need for a European Union reform. The EU, according to him, has to return to its essence, a safe continent based on a prosperous market, free movement of people, goods, services and capital. He said that if the eurozone does not reform, the Czech Republic’s accession to it is not a topic for it.
Uncontrolled migration is a fundamental risk, said Minister Hamacek
According to Jan Hamacek, the Minister of the Interior, who is also in charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the problem of illegal migration is also crucial. “Uncontrolled migration is a fundamental security risk for Europe,” Hamacek said.
“The world around us has changed and not for the better,” said the CSSD chief. Climate change can drive millions of Africans out of Africa and become a detonator of war conflicts. Therefore, it is in the interest of Europe to create a belt of prosperity and security around us. But if we are to provide assistance to African states, we must also ask them to genuinely engage in the fight against illegal migration.
We will not impose who will work or live with us, said Babis.