I agree with this cartoon. Pope Benedict XVI should have his mouth taped shut. Yes, abstinence is the the only way to prevent sexually transmitting the HIV virus. But how likely are people going to remain abstinent? But to tell people that condoms aren't the answer!! Which part of that message are the people of Africa going to listen to? 

He then does this. 

The Catholic church wasn't happy with the forcing people 

to give up majority of their beliefs, now they want all

beliefs banished. Forcing what you believe on other people is not

right. If you think you are helping people by forcing your religious

beliefs on them, you are definitely out of your tree. What is right for one person doesn't make it

right for all. If you want to help people then do it on their terms not yours. Education is the key

but in secular terms only. Religious conversion should never play a part.

I am not a religious person but I do miss Pope John Paul. He lived in the world not above it.

He knew what was going on and he brought the Catholic religion into the present. Now, Pope

Benedict has taken it back into the Dark Ages again. It is very sad indeed.

This book is a must read!

I have just finished reading this book yesterday. It was an amazing read. Everyone should read this book but especially people who believe that all Muslims are terrorists. For me it is amazing that one man could do so much for people with so much respect for their culture and religion. It is an cultural anthropologists dream. Helping people the way the people see they need help, not going in and deciding for them what they need (the typical Western way). I can`t do it justice with a description of what it is about, you just have to read it! I avoided reading it for the longest time because I thought it would be a `look how wonderful I am I helped people in poverty` book. It is far from that. It is a man who is willing to humble himself and learn about the Muslim faith and through many mistakes find out what way to help the people of Northern Pakistan (and eventually Afghanistan as well): To fight ignorance through education, especially girls. If you haven`t already read this book go read it!

25 things I want to do before I die

Not that I am planning on dying anytime soon but here it is:

1. drive a race car

2. participate in a rally car race

3. travel to Australia, Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales, Greece and Paris (been to the South of         France so I can't say France)

4. retire somewhere warm all year long (hell just retire would be nice!)

5. bungee jump

6. learn to play piano

7. own my own home

8. learn to pole dance (yes, pole dancing as in strippers)

9. learn a language other than English

10. write a book

11. drive from winnipeg to Vancouver (since I have driven from Charlottetown to Winnipeg and       vice versa many times)

12. visit a desert

13. climb a mountain

14. have a real library where I can display all my books instead of storing them in boxes

15. a solo parachute jump (already done a tandem one)

16. white water rafting

17. scuba dive

18. learn the trapeze

19. participate in storm-tracking/chasing (i like lightening)

20. travel around Asia

21 fall in love with a decent guy (no more "bad" boys)

22. hang glide

23. fly a plane

24. learn latin dancing

25. kayak