Simone Weil says we must accept the evil done to us

 Do you agree?

Snow Piles & Lineups & Buying Boots

 I did some errands.

I bought myself some winter boots, graded to minus 30 cold, at Canadian Tire.  The CT in Brandon is cavernous with ten foot tall shelves packed with merchandise.  It is hard to get around.  I had to ask an attendant where I could try on boots, after I was able to find the boots.  He told me aisle 34.  I went to the aisle and saw a small bench that could seat two people.  I had to get an older gentleman, who was taking a rest.  to make room for me.  We struck up a conversation as I tried on my boots.  He was from Elkhorn and had ridden a horse six miles to get to school.  Imagine that!

I then drove to the liquor store.  The government liquor store.

I saw these piles of snow in the parking lot:

At the MLCC, I had to wait outside till the door could be opened.  They have this annoying security procedure for letting people in because no one in authority has the guts to deal sensibly and forcibly with people stealing liquor.  Normal people have to stand in line, and show their ID before they can be let in the store.  An attendant looks at your ID and then lets you inside if you’re legit.  Today, I saw a man not allowed to enter.  He seemed normal enough and was muttering “stupid!” as he walked away.  As he left, I entered the front corridor with a couple in front of me.  The attendant, who was behind a glass door, told me I shouldn’t have done that.  I should have waited outside until she had dealt with the couple.  I rolled my eyes.  I then was left with the impression that I was now a suspicious person.  The staff was overly friendly.  Four times, I was asked how I was doing and whether I had found what I was looking for:  super annoying.

The shoveling I have done

 I’ve shoveled the driveway.

Look at me #19

Snow photos & video

 This is what it looked like this morning on the street in front of my Mom’s house.  It was my neighbor who cleared the sidewalk.

Here is a video I made that shows the snow that fell Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

Please give her a glance. I put some effort into making it.

Wednesday 5:30 AM: Still more shoveling to do

 

No rest for the wicked.

More snow fell overnight.

Tuesday 9:11 PM: Classes & Shoveling

 

I had a 4:00 PM online class, a 5:00 PM online class. and did my RCIA class on What’s App.

I then shoveled the driveway for the second time.

It won’t stop snowing.

I just uploaded this NGD quote video.

Look at how much snow has fallen! Look at me #16

 For my Chinese audience, I added subtitles.

I also made my online students watch it.

Tuesday 8:56 AM: More Snow

 I’m feeling like Job this morning.  No point in going into the details.  I just have to plug on, as the expression goes, and keep the faith.

Any who. I’m really in the snow now. The snow is coming down fast.  I did some morning sweeping of it, fully aware that I will have to do more, sweeping or shoveling later when the snow stops.  I figure I do need to mark the areas where I do have to shovel.  I even drove my car in the driveway to make tracks.

My son Tony is walking to school.  Which is nice in then that is what he should be doing every morning; however, he did it in a huff, and does need boots.  As do I.

Going back into the house after being in the snowfall does present a logistical challenge I had hereto hadn’t considered.  Where do I put my clothing that has snow on it?  I do brush the snow off my jacket before coming in , but there is no way I can brush it all off, and so I worry about bringing a mess into the house.  

Look at me in the early morning snow in Brandon #15

 Meanwhile, my lazy son can’t get out of bed.

Tuesday 5:45 AM: Disappointed

 

December has been slow work wise for me,  Basically no work with the NWA and the on line classes have been less.

And then my son Tony decided he didn’t want to play varsity basketball.  He hinted that his role on the team would be limited and he was running up and down the court on scrimmages, not ever touching the ball.

Human & Divine Love

 Have you noticed? asked Jose Maria Escriva.

I thought I give a try at uploading these quote videos at night instead in the morning.

Fish Tailers & Snow Shoveling

 I shoveled the driveway.  The first for me to have done such a thing in the 2000s.  I enjoyed it.

I didn’t enjoy the sight of these morons in a BMW fishtailing on the street in front of our house.  I was hoping they got in an accident.  WWTE?  Take a guess,

Look at me #14: Snow shoveling to do

 I haven’t shoveled snow in at least 25 years.  I wouldn’t mind it so much but our driveway is full of gravel.

Monday 10:55 AM: Snowing

 

Can you see it?

Perhaps the video below is better,

The snow has rendered pointless my early morning sweeping.

Monday 5:45 AM: Overnight Snow

 It snowed overnight. I’ve got some sweeping to do.

I’ve extended my streak.

How my view counts proceeded overnight.

The professorial tone

 No one likes a know it all.

Look at me #13: A controversial video

 Should this video be part of the Look at me! canon? Comments below welcome.  Best comment wins a prize!

Driving around Brandon

 A lot of nice sights.

This is what we saw near Queen Elizabeth Park:

A snow covered Assiniboine River.

We drive north of the tracks between 1st and 18th streets.

We saw this church.

This road lead to the gate to the Rail yards.  Near gate we saw this:

You can see the first street bridge and an Assiniboine River with swift currents so ice cannot form.

In the distance, you can see what there is of the Brandon skyline.

We then drove to the Brandon Water Tower.

Community Hockey Rink

 I intended to take my son to watch curling at the Brandon Curling Club, which I thought would be busy on the weekend.  The club is conveniently located for us on the Keystone grounds which ain’t far from where we’d at.  However, the club in fact had limited hours and was busy during the week. This I couldn’t wrap my head around: I thought curlers curled on weekends.

Anywho, the Curling Club is adjacent to at least a couple of hockey rinks, so Tony and I watched a bit of a youth hockey game.  The home team came back from a 3-1 deficit to grab the lead.  Tony enjoyed it.

Come on boys!  Skate, skate, skate!

Look at me #12: Channeling FDR

 I had no novelty to accompany my begging for attention. I merely wanted to show off my FDR imitation.

Here is a version with music and subtitles.

Here are some view counts.

Many Angels live in the world

 A commentator in China made the point that there were also a lot of demons.  I responded that you had to make a choice.

Mass: Second Sunday of Advent

 

My journey into the faith has been quixotic. I have started on my own through the reading I have done.  It was a solitary thing, my start into it, only brief encounters with other had strengthen the desire.   It was a leap for me to make my desires about it known to my acquaintances, and I have avoided people whose reaction to my conversion would seem strange.  But like jumping into the initially frigid feeling water of a pool, I have started to make those bold declarations. I will proceed despite opposition from many acquaintances and everyone, it seems, in my family. 

As an illustration of the quixoticness of my journey, I have to make mention of my mother’s saying I was galavanting when I attended Friday mass.  

I can only pray for my mother at this stage.   

The mass today was good.  It was celebrated by Father Oliver.  At the start of Mass, a man from Saint Vincent de Paul, a mission dedicated to feeding the poor, made an announcement where he asked for more donations.  It seems that more and more people are needing their services.  The gentleman made a point of saying his mission didn’t get support from the government.

I followed along the Mass with my 2025-26 Sunday Missal.  I very much appreciate its instructions as to when to stand, sit and kneel.

Sunday 5:43 AM: a nice kind of cold

 

I had a beer and a few cigs with my neighbor last night. It was cold.

But it was a nice kind of cold.

It was annoying to not be working so much this weekend.

I have a class with a Brazilian girl this morning.

Then I will go to Mass.

I extended my Duolingo streak:

Catholics and Immigration

 Here is an interesting take  on it.

It is written by a Catholic who doesn’t agree with the US council of Catholic Bishops’ take on it.

Saturday 9:07 AM: The morning progresses

 

I’ve talked to Bradford, Ontario.

Hopefully, I will soon talk to Ottawa.

David Warren on what we should do about healthcare

 And let us forget about healthcare, which costs far too much. (Get your exercise, and then die.) Being healthy is just a convenience, it is merely “necessary” for getting to work.

Read the whole piece here.

Minus 21

 

I’ve talked to Kashgar and Ottawa.

Saturday 6:20 AM: Rustling up work

 

It’s cold outside.  

As I have said,  I have work everyday but not enough.  This weekend, I have no fundraising shifts, so I’m trying to rustle up some classes.  In China, however, it is Saturday night, so no takers.

Every straight line

 leads right to hell.

Notes & Stuff

When driving to Minnedosa, I was so warm in the car, but when I got out of it…. Brrrr!!

The lineups at Giant Tiger and Dollarama were long.  It seemed as if I was looking at the fall of civilization.  Broken down people with no vigor. Pour souls.

A elderly lady in the lineup at Giant Tiger talked to me.  She noticed that GT was selling these slip-on spiked heels for footwear.  She told me about how sixty years ago a relative of hers had these things and would always forget to take them off when entering the house, thus leaving the floor full of puncture marks.  I related about how those things that let you hang your glasses off your neck seemed like a good idea till you actually used them, and that in fact they were awkward to use.  Ideas that seem like they are good until you actually try them seem to have a habit of coming back when some younger person, who doesn’t know any better, tries to revive them, she agreed.

She also observed that they don’t sell jelly beans anymore.

I have an online student who has given me access to his online Ontario grade 11 course.  The introductory section of the course includes a land acknowledgement.  I kid you not.

Also, be careful with LGBTQ2S+.

Unit 1 of section 1 of the course is about power messaging: how power plays a role in literary works.  I kid you not.

The stores are crowded with Christmas shoppers.  I hate it. I forgot, while in China, about how much I hated it.  

I spent 2.5 hours at Church on Friday.  My mother figures I was gallivanting.

Everyone, a TDSer tells me, hates Trump.  I reply either by saying do I’m the only one that doesn’t him or everyone hates him except the ones who do.

Friday Mass: Look at me #11

 I love going to Friday Mass.  I get the impression that it is attended by the diehards.  God bless ‘em!

I love Friday Mass because I can join in with the praying  of the Rosary. I’m particularly attached to the sorrowful mysteries.  

After the Mass, you can stay for the Friday afternoon devotion.  It is quiet with incense and prayer. I prayed the Rosary again.

Tony made the varsity

 That is in basketball!

Friday 10:00 AM: It’s snowing

 Can you see the falling snow?

Look at me #10: Looking at the mirror

 

Look at me looking at me!

The view numbers so far:

The scoffer shall cease to be

 From the book of Isiah:

For the tyrant shall be no more, and the scoffer shall cease to be; all those alert to do evil shall be cut off

The world prophesied is a world beyond the petty controversies of today.

Friday 7:18 AM: Minus Nine

 The temperature:

A good Frank Vaughan video about the CBC:

You can never hate the CBC enough.  Absolutely true.

I can go to the Friday mass today. Hooray! 

Facts point in all directions

 A Gilbert Keith Chesterton quote

TDS & The Cold & So on

 There are many reasons, I am in the RCIA.  One, is that I should have been in it many years ago but couldn’t because I was in China; a case of better late than never. Other reasons are Truth, Beauty and Love.  Another reason is that mulling over politics is a useless activity.  

Pols and bureaucracies are demon possessed through and through.  They are the enemy of men, but are fallen like men.  So best to pay them no never mind.  Sure, there might be a few good pols but the political process destroys their souls.  Catholicism is my country.

So, I can’t make TDS or MAGA the center of my existence.  Be that as it may, TDS is intolerable.  Trump has the remarkable ability to bring out the demonic in his opponents.  Be that as it may, sometimes think I would like to see Trumpism without Trump.

Speaking of intolerable, I have gone for walks in the minus twenty temperatures.  The first walk was invigorating.  The second at night, the cold had me racing home. I felt the sting of the cold on my unexposed face as well as on my fingers when I had to take my gloves off.

Working seven days a week

 I can say I work every day.  That is if you define work as an activity that earns income.  But some days are busier than others and I still have too much time on my hands.

I rustled up a class for this morning and I need to get more for this weekend.  

If you’re interested email me at:

andiskaulins@protonmail.com

The Universe is not everything

 This is an NGD quote video.

Thursday 5:48 AM: Warming Up

 It’s still cold but..

But the going up to near zero seems unusual.

Wednesday 2:30 PM: Classes coming up

 It’s a sunny day but cold.

I had a class with a student in Maple Ridge.

I will have classes with students in Chile, Toronto and Fredericton.

I won’t be so busy it seems for the rest of the week.  I’ll have to rustle up some work.  NWA has no bookings for me this weekend it appears.  On the bright side, I can attend a few masses.

I’m am making myself aware that it is the Advent season.

Look at me #9

 I had to make a video to mark my being in minus twenty weather for the first time in at least 30 years.

Wednesday 7:07 AM: Minus 22

 Nothing like having the wife phone from China and complain about her problems there.

Anyway, nice sky.  The temperature is:

The False God

 A Simone Weil Quote

I’m a Learning Legend

 2138 day streak.

My Neighbor’s Christmas Display

 All truth is born between an ox and an ass