I’m a Canadian, living in Canada so what do I care about the election in the USA? Why do I consider this my business? 

America considers itself a leading country and the presidency ,the most powerful job in the world. In fact, one of my biggest pet peeves is the phrase leader of the free world to describe the job. I’ll tell you why later. The other crown they have bestowed upon themselves is the title of the world’s police. This is the  reason why I care who wins. As, by far the biggest military power on earth, who is not afraid of starting wars on  relatively small provocation the outcome of this election means a great deal. No country on earth wants someone who seriously asks the Pentagon, why can’t we just nuke them?  in charge of the biggest nuclear arsenal in the world. As their next door neighbor , the thought of a Trump presidency is a frightening one, not because he’s dangerous, but because he’s so reactive. The first presidential debate was tonight and while Trump was using much calmer language than he used during the Republican debates or his rallys, he still made it clear that he has no clue about foreign policy, or diplomacy.

I’m sure many American voters don’t think too much about foreign policy, but they should. Take it from Canada, being diplomatic is a very important skill to master. We’ve been virtually unscathed terror-wise. The worst we’ve gotten from the middle east recently,  is Iran using our first nations people as an example of human rights violations while defending their own  violations to the United Nations ,which fell pretty flat. A good reputation in the world as a peace keeping, polite society keeps you out of harms way , unless you live next door to a nation lead by someone who clearly has no idea what the job entails. 

A smug, narcissistic sadist who thinks he’s above the law and can dish it out but can’t take it. Who sits up till the wee hours searching the Internet for new enemies, by which I mean anyone who says anything bad about him. Seriously, what did Rosie O’Donnell even do to him to warrant years of verbal abuse?  I’m actually asking because I missed it.  His reactionary mind will make america a bigger target for terrorism and i’m thinking kim Jong Un might have questionable aim. I really have no idea how any poor person would vote for a man who considers a million dollars, a very small loan https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/03/03/trumps-false-claim-he-built-his-empire-with-a-small-loan-from-his-father/

As a feminist, I’ll never understand how any woman can support the guy who said any one of the following things to any woman. 

And what is wrong with anyone who actually buys what he says about companies who outsource jobs to China and Mexico and how this must stop. 

I found the above pictures by searching Google for Trump clothes labels.Pretty easy to fact check that one. Putting his upcoming court cases  for child rape and federal fraud , aka RICO charges side,  Trump is a classic bully who can’t stop from being baited into a confrontation. He relishes the opportunity to humiliate anyone, including his daughter. Remember this?

He’s not “weird ” Ms Behar he’s incestuous and sick to even entertain the thought, let alone say it on television. 

My favorite Trump moment tonight came after the debate was over and a reporter asked Donald how he thought he did and he bragged about how proud he was that he was able to not mention Bill Clinton’s indiscretions like he deserves a medal. He only served himself by not pointing out that Hillary was strong enough to stay in her marriage, honoring her vow to a man who did exactly what Trump did to at least 2 of his 3 wives. You can bet Hillary has that response locked and loaded, awaiting the opportunity. 

Conversely, my favorite Clinton moment was this well worded fuck you. 

This will be my last post on the US election.  If your mind isn’t made up yet ,you have bigger issues than I can address. 

On to other stupidity. 

I almost forgot, why do I hate the expression the leader of the free world?  It’s not true . There are well more than 50 free countries worldwide that are not lead by the American president, mine included. It’s insulting and disrespectful of our sovereignty. 

Yesterday, Mark Cuban responded with a yes to the Clinton campaign’s invitation to sit in the front row of Mondays debate. Mark Cuban is a billionaire reality show star and is a nemesis of Trump. The invite was a somewhat dickish move meant to put Trump off his game.

 But nowhere near as shitty as what Trump responded with. It was announced today that Trump will have a guest of his own in the front row in order to throw Clinton into a breakdown (I guess ) and her name is Ginnifer Flowers.

 In case you are too young to remember, Ms Flowers was having a consensual sexual relationship with Bill Clinton in the 90’s.Frankly I’m more surprised that the front row will not include these two as well. 

Trump’s reactions are generally over the top, but this one is truly deplorable. Is there no one in the Trump camp that remembers this? 

Hillary’s been on the receiving end of the Republican shit storm for decades and, not only is she still standing, she’s thriving. Her skin has become thicker over time  So someone from over 20 years ago won’t put a dent in her armor. I fully expect that the look on Hillary’s face after the debate will look like this  …

And Donald’s will look like this after Hillary brings up the fact that he cheated on 2 of his 3 wives and will go to trial for raping a child ..

For more information go to justiceforkatie.com 

Being a good Canadian woman, I have tried to live my life without outward judgment of those who believe in things that I find ridiculous. I have allowed these people to try to shove their beliefs down my throat without so much as a peep of disagreement. Until about 10 years ago, I would never have even mentioned my atheist ways in person, to anyone but family or like minded individuals  . I’d sit in silence and try to tune out all of the religious nonsense being bandied about, while inwardly chanting , you must be tolerant, or, live and let live.  I never allowed these folks the opportunity to show me the same tolerance, thinking I was taking the high road.  Then, out of the blue, something in me changed and I decided to be open about my atheism. Open, not in your face, but when faced with people who had to talk about their religion, I’d mention that I am an atheist. That’s how it started.  It soon became clear that I was alone in my tolerance more often than not. The reactions to my different opinion ran the gambit from wanting to save me, to seeing it as a personal attack, , to attacking me for some perceived evil.  Why should I have to tolerate your beliefs, if you don’t tolerate mine?  All I was saying is that I didn’t beleive what they believe, why is that so offensive? 

It’s reactions like this that have made me so much more vocal about my views. To the point where I now take some pleasure winding them up and watching them go. Don’t get me wrong,  I’m not calling them stupid or anything personal,  just questioning their religion(s) and inwardly (never to their faces ) laughing my ass off as they try to justify things like incest, genocide or rape. I will openly question people who try to save my soul with, why does it matter to you?  I have yet to get a response to  that one that isn’t entirely narcissistic. I’ve been accused of hating god, to which I reply with,  it’s not possible to hate something you don’t believe exists.  Besides, I only hate the fact that the world still legislates in favour of religion. I’ve long said, I don’t care what you believe, just don’t try to make me believe it too. I am now sick of having to listen to why your religion makes you “a better person ” when your behavior towards me clearly states otherwise. I am sick and tired of the guilt tripping and the questioning of my morality, especially when I know all of the crap you’ve been “forgiven “. Let’s be honest about who forgave you, shall we?  You forgave yourself so you can look yourself in the mirror without seeing the person who did those things.  By believing that God forgives you, you justify your actions, but take no responsibility for them. If God forgives you, you don’t have to make amends to the people you’ve done wrong. 

I’ve asked, but what if you’re wrong about religion?  That question always gets rebuked immediately. They won’t allow themselves to even consider the possibility.  

Although I find the idea of having to live beyond this life abhorrant, if I am wrong, and I end up where the godly constantly wish me to be, burning in hell for all eternity, at least I’ll be in the company of people I can actually tolerate if only because they don’t lie about their human nature. 

Makes me wonder how different they would sound if they had to say my mother before the garbage that was spewed here. 

Something incredible happened yesterday. The switch in my brain that controls the left side of my body suddenly clicked on and my left side; leg, torso, neck,shoulder and face woke up.   I still have no movement in my left arm and hand, but the shoulder woke up today and that’s something. Saturday,  I was talking single tiny steps that I had to concentrate on fully. There was no fluidity of movement. Then yesterday everything  just  remembered how to move and , the above video was shot. I must confess to having given up hope of ever walking properly again about a month ago but my rebellious body apparently didn’t . It’s almost impossible not to give into the depression that inevitably comes with a long, slow recovery . I can now say, as of today, with confidence and for the very  first time that I finally believe I  will be walking. And it’s going to be soon!

Sin- definition, an immoral act considered a transgression of divine law.

Every religion shoves this down our collective throats from the moment we enter the world, until our dying breath .

 I have yet to see any atheists disagree with this statement. I don’t understand why it’s so difficult to let go of the idea that it’s possible to ‘sin ‘if you don’t believe that divine law exists. If we atheists truly do not believe that any gods exist, why do we give any credence to the concept of divine law?  The only laws to be concerned with are the ones we’ve come to agree upon in our country of origin. It’s bad enough that many of these laws were based on the religious doctrine of each region, but if the separation of church and state truly mean anything in your country, it should mean if any law is there because of religious beliefs and only those beliefs, why is it there at all? 

The words are meant to make us feel guilty and bad about being human. This tactic is used by any organization that wants to control your behavior. They tell us that we must be torn down in order to be built back up correctly. Who says what is correct? Perhaps it’s time we all let go of the idea of perfection and realize that as humans we are all capable of acts of great kindness, altruism and generosity as well as acts of brutality and cruelty. Perhaps it’s time to stop listening to the people who want to control us and stop believing something just because you’ve heard it your whole life.  Just because a statement is familiar, doesn’t mean it’s true. 

I see atheists everywhere telling people to question religious authority. so why not question the concept of sin? Are we afraid of the freedom this might give us all to be human without the guilt and shame required to control our behavior?  As humans,  we all do shitty things in varying degrees. These things are mistakes and making mistakes is how we learn what not to do. There is plenty of retribution in this world. We don’t have to make up eternal retribution. 

I, for one believe that we are capable of controlling ourselves without threat of eternal suffering, or supernatural judgements.  Think about the worst thing you’ve ever done in life. Chances are it’s nothing in comparison to the things the godly do in the name of their faith every day.  Taking away people’s rights, calling for death upon those who  choose to disagree, or who were born with different proclivities, or who were born female.  These are the acts of the fearful and the cowardly, hiding behind the fantasy that they’re special because they have permission to hate. We all hate. We do not all act on it. 

There will always be mentally ill people doing horrid things. But perhaps there would be less mental illness if we weren’t spoon fed the idea that we should feel bad about ourselves from birth forward because of an invisible man up in the sky who gives a fuck about every little fart .