Formatting Woes :(

Hi Everyone,

Umm... Something very strange is happening to my blog. Weird formatting errors. White appearing behind the text, the font colour randomly changing, double spacing being activated for no apparent reason. Looks like I might have to switch to another blog site. Any suggestions? Your input is greatly appreciated.

- Gina

Response to "Oversexed Much?"

An old friend of mine wrote a response to my post from earlier this week. I believe he provides many excellent insights into the mind of someone struggling with sexual addiction issues...

Gina,

I read your blog post and I appreciated what you had to say... I agree with most of it also (although I did take exception at your unnecessary jab at my liberal arts degree! Haha).

I also appreciated the links to the helpful article and sermon! Does this pastor of yours who overcame porn addiction have more resources that you could send me? 

A: Yes, his name is Lee Kosa and is 3rd Service Pastor at Tenth Ave Alliance Church in Vancouver. In January, he will become Senior Pastor at Cedar Hills Mennonite Brethren Church in Delta. He would be delighted to help you, I'm sure. ! I know for a fact that he would recommend that you connect with an organization called Living Waters and their program, SALT. Here is a link to their page: http://www.livingwaterscanada.org/programs/salt

I too struggle with porn addiction and I can use all the help I can get... Also, could you ask him if he know of any resources or support groups in the area? I have tried looking online but haven't found anything useful at all.

I am well past any desire to keep holding on to this pet habit, but keep going back to it anyway. Fortunately I am much more open about now, especially since attending some Freedom Sessions a few years back. Nevertheless, I am at the point where I really want it to be finished. I wish to be a strong husband and father one day, and I know that porn has no place in that life.

Also, keep in mind, that while porn users are abusers (abusers of self and abusers of the people portrayed) there is also an element of falling victim to the devil's trap. I was first exposed to porn completely unintentionally at the age of 10 or 11, long before I had any mental or emotional ability to cope with or deal with what I saw. I came across porn before I even knew it existed...

I was hooked at a very young age and it was the seed of destruction that was planted then that eventually grew after years into the choking vine of addiction. So, while I don't excuse my actions, or make excuses for my own choices, remember that the enemy wants us in this place and will do everything in his power to bring us there. Which is why as Christians we need to be there for one another in this battle.

Also, I commend this person who will remain unnamed for his bravery in allowing me to post this facebook message. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your transparency! - You're a true friend and Brother in Christ!

Finding a Cause

A note to my Facebook friends -  April 16th, 2012

To those of you who don't have a cause or purpose in life, I strongly suggest that you find one or both. Embark upon a journey to find what inspires you. How do you know what makes you tick?

Ask yourselves these questions:
Where do your thoughts drift to? What news stories the most provoke the most emotion within you? What are your concerns with regards to the direction of society? Is there a loved one or person in your sphere going through a trial that you can help them with?

I'm commenting on this because some of you seem aimless, perhaps you're at an age where you're trying to find your identity. You're doing lots of things without doing anything terribly meaningful. So many serve themselves without serving others or at least attempting to make a difference in their corner of the world. Indulging your own desires won't spiritually enrich you much in the end. I have an insight for you. If you serve others, you will be served. God will see your heart and honour you. You may like calling Him "The Universe", I don't know. Just don't expect the reward to be monetary. In my experience, God will bless you with wisdom and gentleness of spirit more than anything.

Now, not everyone is able to serve others because they are in a bad state. Feel no pressure to dive into a cause when your life is unmanageable but realize that acts of kindness are always rewarded in some regard even when they're small. Demonstrations of love to others never return void. Also, focusing on a cause and not on your problems can be quite helpful. Myself and many others have fallen victim to the pity parties we throw for ourselves. If you know anything substantive about my life and it's many battles, you'll trust me on this one.
The distillation of my thoughts is such: If you are able to serve i.e. you have both the health and the financial means, SERVE OTHERS! If you aren't fully able, start small - you can't go wrong. I can't begin to express how fulfilling service to others and the community at large can be. Also be aware of the fact that the people you serve often times end up teaching you very valuable life lessons - it's amazing!

God's Peace to You!

The Ripples of War - Originally Posted November 11, 2011

Few people know what war is truly comprised of. I have the luxury of several relatives who have not only been sent to but caught in war as their homelands were theatres of war. Their rich personal narratives are a true legacy. 

Zio Francesco - My Nonna's eldest brother who was sent to the Soviet front during the winter of 1942 to hold the front line against Stalin's troops in Northern Ukraine. He was nearly 6 feet tall and dropped down to a skeletal 115 lbs. Several toes froze off. He had gangrene and could have died. Now, can you imagine serving a country led by someone who you knew was a dictator? But he was just a teenager doing as he was told. Zio was a quiet, gentle man and never uttered a word about the ordeal. In fact, he carried a sort of shame about it. I'll never begin to understand what he went through.

Great Uncle Gene - My Grandma's eldest brother who despite being from a one horse town in Saskatchewan never having seen much more than a creek was sent to serve as a gunner on a Naval ship. He spent the war, puking his guts up, firing on German warships and burying his crewmates as sea. He volunteered for the Navy because nobody else in his area wanted to go and they were short on men. His faith in God kept him sane and strong. The war could have made anyone bitter but Uncle Gene never said a bad word about anyone or a foul word of any kind. He's still alive and farming to this day at 89 years old yodeling and whistling like his sister did. Take Uncle Gene off his farm and he'll probably die the next day.

My Nonno and Nonna: My father's parents are from a town called Celano. It was fairly isolated in the central mountains of Italy, trouble is that it was down the road from Avezzano, the site of a secret Nazi munitions factory. Avezzano was levelled and Celano was virtually cut off from civilization. Towards the end of the war, a battalion of British Indian troops occupied the town. Several townsfolk were frightened by these dark-skinned men as they were told through propaganda that white people were superior. Mussolini had attempted to not only tell his people that they were winning the war but that Indians were, according to the enlightened Adolf Hitler, an inferior savage monkey race. Total chaos ensued. The end result of this has been fantastic to witness. I can say in all honesty that my Nonno is the least racist person I have ever met. If you don't believe me, I will take you to meet him. He will be thrilled to chat especially if you are from an unusual country like say, Laos or Bahrain. He said that WWII ended the way it did because anyone who wants to divide the human race is wrong and also against God. "God won't stand for that."

Note: My Great Uncle passed away a few months ago. He was 89 years old. He is present with the Lord in heaven where there is no war or heartache. I know my Grandma was delighted to see her big brother. :)

It said in his obituary that he served aboard the HCMS Haida which was the most heavily armed Canadian WWII era warship. It was in the more battles than any other Canadian ship and it's crew was the most highly decorated Canadian naval crew in WWII - The Haida never lost a battle.

Transfer of Facebook Notes to Blog

Hi Everyone,
Over the 5 years I've had a Facebook account, I have written several Facebook notes. Over the next few days, I will be setting aside some time to expand and edit them for this blog. I hope that you find them to be an interesting read!
- Gina

Oversexed Much?

The other day, I had an extremely relevant chat with a fellow named Geoff (@FocusedFathers). He stood out to me as a Christian man who was taking the initiative and mentoring men struggling with various personal issues over Twitter. As a Christian woman, it is my opinion that men are failing their families, the church and society in certain regards. 

So tell me, who takes the children to Sunday School? Predominantly Mothers, 80% of the time or more from what I've observed. Who prays with their children at night? Once again, Mothers. Most of my peers have told me that it was the faith of their Mothers or Grandmothers that inspired them to pursue a relationship with Christ as adults. It was the women who planted the mustard seeds of faith in the vast majority of these young adults' hearts.

Do you ever hear about Mothers abandoning their families? Rarely. When I heard that Hugh Jackman's Mother flew to England and left her multiple children back in Australia, I was stunned. I can only imagine the Jackman family's intense grief and longing for Mom to return home. It was a 60 minutes episode that I'll never forget.

You must be wondering what's causing men to drop the ball on a grand scale. I have a simple answer, pornography. My pastor, Lee Kosa, has been extraordinarily candid about his battle and eventual victory against pornography. He says that it's spreading like a cancer in the church and is brainwashing men into objectifying women and turing them into a means to an ends, that being sexual satisfaction. Porn is also rewiring male brains in an unhealthy way which causes them to treat their spouses like a piece of meat, become extremely lustful, cheat on their wives and then walk out on their families. That is the chilling progression. Here is an article that Lee recently appeared in on this highly pertinent issue.

http://www.lightmagazine.ca/index.php?page=public.viewarticle&nArticlesID=578

Lee Kosa - Sermon on Sex Addiction

http://youtu.be/i1pQfGD_MQI

I see certain men around me as balls of raging hormones. They allow the chemicals in their bodes to control their minds. They say absurd things like, "We're all animals" and "Men aren't meant to be monogamous, it's our evolutionary history." My response is, "Looks like you're stuck at Homo Erectus. Last time I checked, we're now Homo Sapiens (reasoning man) and our prefrontal cortex trumps our primal amygdala oblongata." Using evolutionarily biology as an excuse for promiscuity is just not on. My sympathies to any woman who falls victim to this out and out absurd reasoning.

AND, don't tell me that it's harder for you men to resist sex. It's not. Women have even more hormones than you do. I,  in particular, have to endure an effect of my mania called hypersex. Let's just say that lot of crazy sexual impulses flash through my mind. What do I do? Lock myself into my room for two days, pray, and ride out the hormonal roller-coaster until I feel like a normal human again. It's not pleasant but I get through it at least twice a year with my sexual boundaries intact. I have been blessed with self control.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wtqpEZg2iA

Notice how the man resists the woman in a form of hypersex. "I know this isn't really you."

On the other hand, there STILL are men out there like Geoff and his colleagues and friends. They give me hope. It's just that myself and many other young single Christian women are wondering where the good men are. Where are the devoted fathers? Where are the kind, thoughtful companions? Where are the men who want an intellectual equal and not someone submissive to control? Where are the spiritual leaders? Where are the emotionally available men who express feelings and aren't ashamed to cry? Makes me think of an old Beck song called "Sexx Laws".

http://www.artistdirect.com/video/beck-sexx-laws/41084

A decent number of the guys in my generation are a bunch of self indulgent children who like their little gadgets, their beer buzz, their recreational marijuana and have had everything handed to them on a sliver platter by Mommy and Daddy. They have been through no trials in life and have always been employed because of family connections despite having a more or less useless liberal arts degree. What a joke.

Maybe I should stick to being single. I probably will be for a very, very long time after posting this. Whatever. I like being married to my service to God.

Are you an expert?

While on Twitter the other day, I noticed a question from one of my Twitter acquaintances.
"Gina, are you a political expert?"

I was wondering what this individual was implying. Do I have many opinions? Yes. Are they well informed? Yes, I read the news constantly. Do I try my utmost to be factual in my statements of any kind? Yes, but am I an expert in this area? Hmm...

What is an expert? Someone with the formal credentials of this world? In this instance, someone with an MA or better in political science? See, I don't buy into these definitions of an expert. I think that everyone's life experience when a person is well read, properly informed and thoughtful can cause them to be an expert in at least a couple of areas. Parenting if they've raised healthy, happy children; cooking if they do a lot of entertaining and the guests are continually in awe of the food they've prepared; psychology if they've had lots of counselling and their life situation has improved; gardening if they know how to create an explosion of flowers on their property.

What led me to these conclusions were the writings of Soren Kirkegaard, the father of modern existentialism. His ideas have taught me that:

1) I am the ultimate authority in interpreting my own life experiences.

2) My life experience has taught me many valuable lessons that cannot be taught in a formal educational institution.

3) I have the freedom to express myself in any way I like so long as it does not undermine anyone else's freedom.

4) I have self-determination.

5) God has given me human rights and free will and it is my right to fight for what The Lord has give me.

Someone who has underscored this worldview has been my lovely psychiatrist. She always says to me, "I do understand the chemical mechanisms that take place in your body but only in a general sense. Everyone's bodies have quirks and somewhat different chemistry. You are the ultimate expert on yourself and I can only help you interpret what it's telling you and make informed decisions on what meds to take." I am the ultimate authority on how my body metabolizes and reacts to meds. Simple as that.

Am I slogging formal educations, no? I have heralded my psychiatrist and Kirkegaard, both of whom attained PhDs. However, these highly educated scholars realize that without practical knowledge, book knowledge isn't very applicable in certain circumstances. Theory doesn't always translate practically into the real world. This I know.

I used to think that I was less of a person because of my limited formal education. I had no "marketable credentials". I now know that my unconventional, unique life has shaped me into someone who is quintessentially Gina. :) And while my peers had their noses in books, I was living life and life was teaching me many valuable lessons. Also, each battle I have overcome as a person has made me stronger and provided me with wonderful insights. I have walked through fire and arisen refined. Hardship is now a blessing - a chance for me to grow. So life - hit me with your best shot, I just might turn out to be bulletproof. :)

I'm Back!

Over the past few months, I have met several extraordinary people on Twitter from the fields of mental health, progressive Christianity and politics. Some of these individuals have sparked fantastic conversations with me. I will be sharing the highlights of these conversations with you over the coming months.

Thanks!
- Gina

Where are the toothbrushes?

Nearly two weeks ago after taking my electric toothbrush out of mothballs, I decided to look for replacement heads online. The first place I always check is Amazon.com who indeed had just what I needed for a fraction of the cost. $3.99 for 4 replacement heads is a fraction of what I would have paid at Costco. Ever since I have been excitedly waiting for my shipment. I checked the USPS tracking information and it was processed through a place called Jamaica, NY on February 22nd. It turns out that Jamaica is a neighbourhood in Queens which is a stone's throw away from the fictional location of the King of Queens TV show in Rego Park, Queens. I thought to myself, how could my toothbrushes end up in an episode of the King of Queens...? Hmm...

Carrie becomes a paralegal after taking some night school courses and decides to invest in personal hygiene products including the same reliable mid-range Oral-B toothbrush that I use.

She instructs Doug to pick up some replacement brush heads for her new toothbrush. He doesn't bring along enough cash to pay and comes back emptyhanded. The next morning at work he spots my package, takes it, opens it carefully and gives the contents to his wife. He tells himself that this will buy him some time and that it isn't wrong because he's going to buy more brush heads soon enough pop them into the package and mail them to me. There's one small problem though. My brush heads are a German knock-off brand of slightly inferior quality and they're not the expensive authentic Oral-B ones from Costco. Carrie accuses Doug of being a cheapskate, tells him that the bristles are too thick and questions him about "Where the heck these crappy brush heads came from." Doug then has to go to Costco, buy 2 4-packs for $20 each, mails one to me and uses the other one to appease his wife.

The show ends with him successfully fooling his boss and his vain wife grinning strangely.

So there you go, the reason why I don't have my package is because the King of Queens tampered with it.

Also, the show's characters are so predictable that I and surely many others can easily rattle off a reasonable storyline at 1am without much thinking.

blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed.

I have another story to share from my experience at Missionsfest which took place late last month. I visited an Aboriginal ministries booth to tell them how much I enjoyed their uplifting TV show. (It's called Tribal Trails and I recommend it.) I began talking to one of the elders in charge of the ministry and he began to open up his Bible and minister to me in a very fatherly sort of way. He asked if he could sit down and I didn't object. He had brought along a special reclining chair and explained to me that he has a broken hip and showed a picture of his x-ray to me that was on his cell phone. I said to him, "I can see that you're in pain and having a bit of trouble walking. Why did you feel the need to show me your x-ray?" He replied, "Even Christians don't believe that something is real unless they can see it. My broken hip isn't an obvious enough injury for them not to question." "Really? What makes you think that?" "Oh, you'll see."

As he read to me from scripture about the power of God's Word and it's being a two-edged sword with which we can distinguish between good and evil, person after person approached him. "You certainly seem to be relaxed. I wish I could recline like that on the job." "How can you minister to someone from the Bible in such a position?" I saw this kind servant of God hit with comment after comment about how he shouldn't be reclining as he was at a Christian gathering. In a half hour period, at least 6 people approached and subtly reprimanded him. All of these doubting Thomases had to be shown the x-ray before they believed this man had the right to sit in his special chair just as the apostle Thomas had to place his hand in Christ's side before acknowledging his Resurrection.

Another thought that occurred to me was whether or not some of the people who approached the booth were racist and wanted to straighten out a "lazy Indian". A great deal of ethnic superiority still exists even within Christian circles. Someone even said that the booth was "sure needed in that community" as if Aboriginals are so much more godless than other races. The truth is that First Nations people are often raised to have reverence for a Creator God and easily understand the concept of God the Father.

I would like to conclude by stating that this experience has acted as a reminder to me. Christians should put the best construction on and have faith in the actions of fellow believers unless we have witnessed a pattern of questionable behavior in that person's life. Let's give one another the benefit of the doubt before we stand in a position of judgement. Please!

Flu Shots: Worth it or Useless?

As an individual with a compromised immune system, I am eligible for a free flu shot each November. And in spite of this, every year I end up getting a mild case of the flu regardless. *sniffle sniffle* I'm actually sick right now. I have often asked myself, what's the point? What are they giving me? A placebo?

http://www.drjoetoday.com/is-the-flu-shot-actually-useful/
I'd say this doctor probably has it right. Some strains of vaccine work and others simply don't. The other thing that should be taken into account is that the immunity people gain from vaccines pales in comparison to the immunity that's gained as a result of actually having the flu. Therefore, it's my own personal opinion that if the active strains of flu out there in a given year aren't potentially lethal, there's no need to get a flu shot. Catch the flu and have better immunity against that type of flu for the rest of your life. My Grandpa is nearly 90 and until a few years ago, he never had a flu shot. His body has built up an incredible natural immunity over the years and as a result of that he's almost never sick.
http://www.naturalnews.com/020912.html
Who knows? Flu vaccines may just be a giant cash grab for pharmaceutical companies. It wouldn't surprise me...

I have also learned that flu vaccines contain a mercury compound called Thimerosal. Many have decided to have oral spray vaccines as a result. All I'm going to say is that the amount of mercury in a flu vaccine is equivalent to eating three cans of Albacore tuna.

My conclusion: Is there danger in flu vaccines? NO? But are they affective? Not always. Not if the epidemiologists have the global flu forecast wrong.

Autistic Kids

A couple of days ago, my landlady had a former student of her's over so that she could help him with his English homework.

The first thing I noticed about him was his ability to use technology. He had an android tablet and programed it to remotely control my landlady's computer. It took him little to no time to gain access. Good thing he's a trustworthy kid, otherwise he could have wiped her system clean.

The second thing I noticed is that despite being very bright, he stammered when he spoke and while being quite verbal was a little socially awkward. I then concluded that he was similar to my younger cousin and probably had a form of autism. After asking my landlady, my suspicions were indeed correct.

After I told him that I also knew some stuff about computers, the exuberant teen told me about how he could hack into any mainframe including the one at school. He proudly told me how he had been suspended countless times for his cyber attacks on school property but didn't care at all. "Hacking is such a rush! There's nothing like it in school that's as tough to do so when I'm finished my boring schoolwork, I hack into things." If only the technological prowess of autistic people could be harnessed somehow. My cousin was doing calculus when he was 8 years old and writing all sorts of advanced computer code by the time he was in his teens. Unfortunately, many high-functioning autistic people are simply put on disability and live existences that are far below their potential. They should be getting PhDs in Computer Science, Physics and Mathematics but nobody seems to be signing up as educational aids to help them along.

So if you have a background in education and are reading this, I would encourage you to come alongside an autistic child as my landlady has. They are bright, energetic kids and simply need a little help usually with languages. Despite their disability, they have been blessed with a great deal of ability and it would be truly shameful for it to be left untapped. I urge you to help unlock the potential in these bright autistic kids. I sincerely believe that if helped a little they can change the world.

Invisible Wounds

This morning at Missions Fest Vancouver while manning (or should I say womaning) the Living Room Ministries/Sanctuary exhibition booth, I was approached by a senior military Chaplain with the Canadian Forces. He was an older French Canadian fellow from the Ottawa area and seemed relieved that our type of ministry existed. Ah, since my blog is relatively new, I'm going to take a moment to explain to you what my volunteer work consists of. I facilitate a faith-based (Christian) mental health support group at the Burnaby Campus of Simon Fraser University. It's called MEND which stands for Mental health, encouragement, nurturing and encouragement and meets every second Friday evening. Feel free to email me at mentalhealthsupport@shaw.ca for more information. Anyhow, I'm part of the Living Room mental health group network (http://www.livingroomsupport.org/) but MEND is different in that it's geared towards young adults.

Back to my story... According to this experienced Chaplain, many of the young soldiers coming back from fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan return "healthy". The trouble is that many are wounded emotionally and therefore have gaping invisible wounds. "A lot of the time they seem fine on the surface until that last bit of stress pushes them past their emotional limit. Sometimes it can be something as small as a photo or a bad arguement that makes the hurt soldier shift into a state of panic and psychological turmoil." Honestly on the basis of what I was told by this concerned servant of God, there simply aren't enough support groups for these people who have so bravely served our country. The Chaplains and psychiatric staff working with the Canadian Forces all seem to be overworked by the insane number of cases on their plates. Post traumatic stress disorders, panic disorders and anxiety disorders are plaguing our veterans. I wonder if Prime Minister Harper takes these realities into account when he deploys our troops?

Anyhow, I told the Chaplain to email me. I would be happy to help our young men and women in uniform cope with combat related mood disorders. On Rememberance Day this year we actually devoted our meeting to that particular topic meaning that I was equipped with a working knowledge of what was being explained to me today. I hope that I can assist him in the setup of our support groups at Canadian Forces bases across the country. I'm confident that he'll do an excellent job of it.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, remember to pray for the mental health of our combat veterans!

Moving

On this past Tuesday, I moved out of the family nest for the first time. Despite the difficulty of the move and having a few less conveniences, I made the right decision to leave home. I take pride in the fact that I've organized all of my belongings and am more self-sufficient. I cook all of my own meals without relying on my Mother and every morsel of food tastes that much better. Money's going to be tighter but the pros seem to be outweighing the cons so far.

To those of you who have been on your own for at least a few years, are there any tips you have? Any other things I should expect as a result of the move? Let me know. This phase of my life is extraordinarily new.

Galaxy Blue Orchids

Above is a picture of my all-time favourite flower, galaxy blue orchids. You can see that they're in a corsage meaning that they're not very freshly cut and appear dehydrated. I have many reasons for loving this plant. The contrast between the aquamarine/turquoise centre, the magenta inner petals and the indigo outer petals or even the slight sweet fragrance. My reason however is the significance of their appearance in my life. I first saw them years ago when I was little at our local grocery store's floral cooler room. I would stare at them and let me imagination run wild about where they were picked and how tropical it may or may not be there. Did the flowers grow on a misty island or in a boring climate controlled greenhouse?

The first time I ever saw them given as a gift to someone was when my aunt Molly visited my Grandma and handed them to her at the door as she walked in. Ever since they've had some special meaning. Whenever I was down or even thought a negative thought, they seemed to appear out of nowhere. Displayed in a friend's house, outside of a corner store, in a TV commercial etc.  The strange thing is that no matter how many times I mentioned my appreciation for this particular variety of blue orchid, nobody had ever bought them for me. Well, until my boyfriend gave me the above corsage for a Christmas function we attended. He may be a total weirdo (keep in mind that I'm rather strange too) and have bizarre political affiliations but hey, he was thoughtful enough to remember my favourite flower and endeavored to find them on a cold wet and blustery December night.

So what's my reason for posting this? Ladies, don't give up on finding love. Even if it takes over 26 years for a man to buy you your favourite flower, it still happens eventually and men still listen. I may not end up with my boyfriend forever and we may not marry but you know what, he's still an awesome friend either way. When looking for love, be certain that your special guy is a great companion and buddy. Hormones and romance can wear off however, good listening skills and thoughtfulness usually don't suddenly fade away in a man. I felt this needed to be said. Also, don't let your man buy you with extravagant gifts. Men who try to bribe women into a relationship are usually scum. It's the small things that count and that includes small gifts. Little poems, compliments written on post-its, picking a flower and putting it in your hair, opening doors etc. are all far superior to a $1000 gold necklace in my estimation. Go for substance, not bling. Please!!

Five Teas I'm Enslaved To

Over the years, I have come upon many types of tea and have a definite top five favourites. Please allow me to now share my comments and suggestions for their usage and what foods they can help create or compliment.

Tea Grading Scale: http://www.wtea.com/about-tea_grading.aspx
This will help you purchase tea with a better knowledge base behind you. Always go for tips and pekoes.

White Tea:
White tea often comes in many different blends. It has a mellow flavour and can be blended with lots of sweet fruits and fruit derived products. My white tea preference is when it's mixed with berries or berry blossoms. Tazo has one called berry blossom white. I don't think they carry it in full leaf quality or better. It's probably just a mix of twig and leaf fragment but it's a good intro to white tea. Tetley has some decent ones too. Get a feel for it before you drop $20+ at a specialty tea store. Some blends have a bitter aftertaste, you really need to read up before you buy.

Chai Tea:
Another often times hairy but tasty tea variety. Watch out for strange chais that are too heavy on spices like cumin and cardamon. Many a chai tea can also be nutmeg and clove heavy. I had one chai with so much clove/clove oil that it partially numbed my mouth. So look out! Reckon what spices are in most chais and taste them in boiling water by themselves to see if you like them at all before you buy chai!

English Breakfast Tea:
It's tough to go wrong here. A light breakfast tea with mild citrus notes often times. Just buy the grocery store brands and move up from there. I like Twinings. Oh how snobby. :P

Tea, Earl Grey, Hot.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard's tea staple. He and I have very strong views on Earl Grey. Remember the episode where he's given Darjeeling? Not pretty. I don't mind Darjeeling so I wouldn't throw a fit like Picard but yeah, when I ask for Earl Grey, give me Earl Grey. Stay away from Twinings in this tea variety. They've done some sacrilegious tampering in the past. Go with Tetley. Anyhow, look out for these three things: #1 Too much bergamot. Some companies go crazy with the bergamot oil to the point where it forms a thin film at the surface of the cup of tea. #2 Too much citrus peel. Sometimes the blenders like to pile in the lemon peel which makes the tea sort of bitter. #3 Too many cornflower petals. They add in nice notes but do you want your tea to taste like flower petals? Probably not.

Darjeeling:
Yes, yes, I do like Darjeeling. Not every day but around once a week. In fact, I'm long overdue right now. Did you know that Darjeeling is halfway in between an true black tea and an oolong because of how it's aged? I rarely like oolong but there is something about Darjeeling that balances the notes out. Also, true Darjeeling tea must come from Darjeeling, India. It's the same idea as how Champagne must come from Champagne, France. I've only had it once but I prefer white Darjeeling. It's sweet and mellow and nearly caffeine free. Anyhow, when buying Darjeeling make certain it's from India, otherwise it's not authentic!

Happy Tea Drinking (and feel free to ask questions)!

China Owns You

Despite their lack of proper environmental protection or labour laws and many other laws protecting general freedoms and civil rights, China has somehow managed to end up owning a quarter of all U.S. treasury bonds. So America, how do you feel about owing a communist state one quarter of your debt? Let's just say that the troubling predicament you find yourselves in makes me that much prouder to be Canadian.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/jan/18/us-federal-deficit-china-america-debt

I hear so much talk within Republican circles about the evils of socialized medicine. How do those invalid and misinformed fears compare to the conundrum I have brought to light? China owns much of the US with money that was generated in unethical ways according to many Americans. That's fine but Obamacare is not? Please explain USA. Some of you do have an interesting dialogue here. Warning, it's more than a little profane at times.
http://www.topix.com/forum/albuquerque/T686N1METJS8KE197


Here is an example of one of the many corporations in China that makes massive profits as a result of a total lack of labor unions and workers rights. Many disagree with zealous political commentator Alex Jones but in my estimation, he's 100% right about the unhealthy and unamerican relationship between the U.S. and China. 
http://wepartypatriots.com/wp/2012/01/19/daily-show-digs-on-foxconn-for-mistreatment-of-chinese-workers
http://www.prisonplanet.com/meet-the-new-boss-china-owns-the-united-states.html
 
So Americans, next time you cross a bridge or other piece of government funded infrastructure, take a moment to think of or pray for all of the poor, tread upon Chinese workers who paid for it.

What do you my neighbours to the south have to say? Sorry, I'm continuing to use the suffix -our. As a Canadian, I speak English. You know, that language from England. I might even use the word aluminium just for you. When a language called American becomes preeminent, I'll use your spelling rules, I promise.