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Tag: DUP
From condemning the devil's buttermilk to celebrating gin and whiskey distillery – the DUP and Diane Dodds
Proverbs 23:29-32: "Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder."
The headlines have been utterly dominated this week by news of Arlene Foster's demise as leader of the DUP, with much mention made of her softening stance on moral issues.
The final nail in the coffin for her leadership appeared to be her abstention on a motion at the NI Assembly in relation to "gay conversion therapy", and that is something we intend to, in the will of the Lord, address in another post next week.
However, a matter arose a few weeks ago which we wish to highlight first and which, we believe, is indicative of the degenerative plight of the DUP in recent years, a plight accelerated under her catastrophic leadership.
It is the matter of professing Christian Diane Dodds, determined Arlene acolyte and now an MLA and Minister in the Stormont Executive (no doubt due to her dazzling political acumen and not in any way connected to who her husband is) celebrating and smiling proudly at the opening of a new gin and whiskey distillery in the town of Ballynahinch in County Down.
It is certainly rather at odds with her former party leader Ian Paisley's stance of describing alcohol as "the devil's buttermilk".
In her role as Economy Minister, she visited the new 'Hinch Distillery and visitor centre' to wish them every success in the promotion and sale of a very strong variant of the devil's buttermilk.
Speaking about the distillery, the professing Christian said: "Northern Ireland is known globally for our great hospitality along with the pure natural quality of our produce.
"Investments like these will help us sow the seeds of recovery and rebuild our economy following the impact of the pandemic. The hospitality and tourism industry has been especially impacted so I am delighted to be here today to be able to celebrate this investment, and I want to congratulate Terry and his team and wish them every success."
Her quotes can be found in this article you can find by clicking here. Diane Dodds also retweeted the Department of the Economy tweet plugging this investment, so she is certainly not ashamed of it. Her retweet of that post is pictured below.
Diane Dodds evidently considers hard liquor to be "pure natural quality" rather than a debauching, harmful, addictive substance which ought to be discouraged from consumption, especially by a professing Christian.
And she states that she was "delighted to be here" and wishes "Terry [Cross, the distillery owner] and his team every success".
How odd it is that Diane Dodds should be delighted to be at a distillery and smiling like the cat who got the cream beside the owner of the distillery and chief distiller, standing with three bottles of booze on a barrel?
Should her delight not be in the Lord (Psalm 37:5) and not in the world?
Diane Dodds wishes this purveyor of intoxicants "every success" – how on earth can that be consistent with what ought to be a godly desire to live a separated life?
Proverbs 20:1 reminds us of the damage done to the individual of alcohol in general, with specific reference to strong drink, which whiskey undoubtedly is.
It says: "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise."
Does Diane Dodds or her party wish to have such characters as those mentioned in Micah 2 held up as desirable examples?
She says in the quotes signed off by her above that "investments like these will help sow the seeds of recovery and help rebuild our economy following the impact of the pandemic".
Micah 2:11 says: "If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people."
It would appear that Diane Dodds is "prophesy[ing] unto thee of wine and of strong drink".
Those false prophets told the people of the land that better days were to come despite the reproaches they were under of the Lord. They were prophesying to the people that there will be wine and strong drink in abundance in the days to come, that their crops will be bountiful, their produce and prosperity abundant.
And that was the type of character the people wanted to have as their prophet.
Do the comments of Diane Dodds not bear a striking resemblance to those type of sentiments condemned by the Lord through Micah?
Read what she says again: "Investments like these will help us sow the seeds of recovery and rebuild our economy."
Her prophesy of wine and of strong drink will lead to "recovery" and "rebuild our economy".
She is telling us we will all be better off as a country with more gin and whiskey being flogged and with more people visiting the tourist centre to have the image of alcohol, an addictive drug no less, further polished up and glamourised.
Sorry Diane Dodds, that is an utterly unacceptable comment from anyone, but especially from a professing Christian, and we would urge you to reflect on this and think upon it.
So many lives have been ruined and debauched by the demon drink, yet you seek to fund it, promote it and tell us we will be better off as a nation as a result?
Professing Christian Diane Dodds' promotion of this distillery and expression of hope for the success of this business means she wants people to buy and consume this alcohol.
Think about that – Diane Dodds, a professing Christian and DUP Minister, actively wants people to buy and consume strong drink, indulging in a lifestyle utterly synonymous with the sinful world around us.
We would call on Diane Dodds to publicly repudiate her shameful actions and apologise for them.
Oh the folly of indulging in alcohol!
We will finish as we started, in the hope the message may get through.
Proverbs 23:29-35: "Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again."
Author protestantrevivalPosted on May 8, 2021 May 8, 2021 Tags alcohol, Arlene Foster, compromise, devil's buttermilk, Diane Dodds MLA, DUPLeave a comment on From condemning the devil's buttermilk to celebrating gin and whiskey distillery – the DUP and Diane Dodds
Coronavirus 'certainly not' a punishment from God, say the DUP
Surely any true child of God cannot fail to see the judgment of God at work during this coronavirus crisis.
As this world grows ever more rebellious against our Creator, it is tempting Him more and more.
God is patient, we are reminded of this in 2 Peter 3:9, which says: "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
However, God's patience does not last forever.
He gave Sodom and Gomorrah every chance to turn from their sin, but eventually He visited judgment upon them.
He let Saul hold the throne of Israel for 40 years, but eventually He took him away.
He let many other evil kings hold their positions of power for lengthy periods, such as Ahab, who reigned 22 years, Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, renowned for making Israel to sin, reigned the same period of time, while the second king called Jeroboam reigned for 41 years.
God bears with evil men sometimes for not long, but often He bears with them for a long time.
It can seem there are no consequences for wilful and persistent sinning.
Ecclesiastes 8:11 touches on this, when it says: "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil."
This is no slight on God in allowing wicked men to carry on in their sin, but rather a condemnation of the totally depraved heart of man.
We bear the guilt of our own actions, as the Saviour even outlined in Matthew 18:7: "Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!"
However, we are sure that, whether it be immediately, as was the case even for some of the evil kings of Israel and Judah, or whether it be "in the long grass", as we might say, God will reckon for sin.
And are we not seeing that even now in the death, misery, sorrow, isolation and financial ruin being caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic sweeping across the world?
So much of this world has turned its back completely on the Lord.
Throughout the world now there are moves to celebrate that for which God destroyed the aforementioned cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, with 'Pride' parades polluting so many city centres.
Throughout the world now, infanticide, known euphemistically as abortion, is so commonplace, it is the biggest killer worldwide. At the time of writing, there have been nearly 12.7 million abortions carried out globally this year so far. That is an average of about 117,000 every day.
So far, coronavirus has claimed the lives of somewhere in the region of 160,000 people worldwide.
Roughly that same number of unborn babies have been done away with in the past 33 hours.
Due to the threat posed by coronavirus, the world has came to a virtual standstill out of fear over how many lives will be lost, yet babies continue to be murdered en masse with a callous disregard for their lives.
Indeed, baby murder campaigners have been howling with outrage that Northern Ireland's health minister, Robin Swann, didn't seem to be prioritising the implementation of the new wicked abortion laws in our country enough for their liking. Apparently his preoccupation with a global pandemic was an unsatisfactory explanation for his mind being elsewhere.
The Alliance Party MP Stephen Farry intervened to state his belief abortion pills should be made available for women to conveniently kill their own flesh and blood from the comfort of their own home, showing once again for all to see what a wicked group the Alliance Party is.
Northern Ireland has, of course, recently had the foul, retrograde laws forced upon us to allow baby murder on demand and facilitate sodomite marriage.
And it is in this environment that a DUP Councillor took to social media to express his belief the coronavirus pandemic was a punishment from God.
Naturally, this was met by a huge outcry from the same easily offended people who are not in the least offended by the notion of murdering a baby in their mother's womb.
His horrendously offensive Facebook post said: "I said when abortion was legalised that our nation would be judged by God because of its departure from his word and the legalisation of the murder of the unborn child as well as same-sex marriage.
"You reap what you sow and our nation is now reaping the judgment of God because of an immoral and corrupt government."
Not a thing wrong with what DUP Councillor John Carson, who represents the Ballymena area in County Antrim, said there.
However, sadly he then issued a craven apology to anyone he may have offended.
He said: "…anyone who knows me will know that l would not intentionally set out to cause hurt or offence to anyone and if l did then for that l humbly apologise."
John Carson went on to say he would not apologise for standing up for his Christian beliefs but he already effectively had.
The enemies of the gospel are loud and proud in their rejection of God's Word, yet Christians seem reluctant to share God's Word and apologetic if they do.
Matthew 5:13-16 gives us the words of the Saviour when He speaks of how we are not to be ashamed of Him.
He says: "Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
While John Carson backing down was sad, it was much sadder still to hear the view then expressed by his party, the party founded by Rev Ian Paisley, a man who, in his heyday, was a fearless preacher of God's Word, used mightily of the Lord in our land.
Diane Dodds (pictured, top), recently parachuted back into Stormont after a number of years as a Member of the European Parliament and promptly landed into the vaunted (and generously paid at £87,500 per annum) role of economy minister (no doubt her being married to the party's deputy leader, Nigel Dodds, is in no way a factor in her abrupt promotion), said "it certainly does not reflect the views of the DUP".
What a long way the DUP has fallen that they shun the view that God's hand is in the affairs of men, but rather that God is detached from the world we live in.
Worse still, when asked if John Carson would be disciplined, Diane Dodds said she was "presuming it will go to party officers", a euphemistic way of saying "yes".
So the DUP is at the very least threatening a councillor who took a Biblical view (before his cowardly backtracking) with censure or punishment of some kind.
How far this party has fallen.
If you are as yet looking at the DUP with any type of hope, believing they might just be willing to take a stand for God, we would urge you to reconsider.
The DUP has a lesbian councillor, the DUP has allowed one of its MLAs (Paula Bradley) to sign off on allowing a disgusting 'drag queen' act be held at Stormont, the DUP has funnelled thousands of pounds to sodomite groups and one of its senior MLAs, Mervyn Storey (pictured, below) met with and congratulated the leader of the utterly God-defying Corrymeela Community on 50 years of its existence.
This is the direction of travel within the DUP – the number of born again Christians within the party, both elected representatives and party officials, continues to dwindle.
How often do we hear a Biblical case put forward by the DUP any more for anything?
John Carson, who, despite his backtracking, is better than those who stay silent, was pushed back into his box very quickly by the DUP party machine.
May God save us from relying on any political party for succour, but rather let us look always to Him.
Let us keep our eyes firmly fixed on the Saviour and not on man.
Psalm 118:8-9: "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes."
Author protestantrevivalPosted on April 18, 2020 April 19, 2020 Tags coronavirus, Councillor John Carson, Covid-19, Diane Dodds MLA, DUP1 Comment on Coronavirus 'certainly not' a punishment from God, say the DUP
21 October 2019 – a day of mourning in Ulster as abortion and sodomite marriage is foisted upon us
Psalm 139:13-16: "For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them."
Romans 1:24-27: "Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet."
It is with unspeakable sorrow and grief of heart that we write this post.
In Northern Ireland, a land so gloriously blessed by God in times past, it is now legal to murder unborn infants, ripping them forcibly from the womb of their mother who has decided she simply doesn't want them.
In Northern Ireland, a land so gloriously blessed by God in times past, it is now legal for two sodomites, whose relationship is deemed an "abomination" by God, to marry one another.
What a dreadful, sad set of circumstances we find ourselves in in this country, which has stood apart for so many years from these two grave wickednesses which have consumed so much of the so-called 'developed world'.
This wickedness has been forced upon us by evil men and women in the corridors of power at Westminster, led by the likes of Labour MPs Stella Creasy (or Stella Greasy!) and Conor McGinn, who introduced these motions which have now become law.
The utter overthrowing of God's Law in our land can be seen in these dreadfully sad new laws of men and women.
A last minute effort by the DUP and some others, notably some Ulster Unionists, including, to give him his dues, Maghaberry Elim deacon Robbie Butler, whom we have previously and justly criticised for his Popish compromise, and the TUV's Jim Allister, to block abortion legislation fell by the wayside.
Sinn Fein refused to turn up to the Stormont sitting brought about by the parties and individuals named above, though it can hardly be a surprise they made no effort to block the murder of the unborn when they to this day act as principal cheerleaders for the sectarian murder campaign of the IRA. Many of their most senior members are convicted terrorists.
Also absent were the quasi-Communist People Before Profit, the Green Party, who are pro-abortion and the ecumenical party known as the Alliance Party.
Many of their senior members, including East Antrim MLA Stewart Dickson and party leader, Naomi Long, claim to be Christian yet are happy to see abortion and sodomite marriage legislation come into being in Northern Ireland, or at least didn't bother to turn up at Stormont to try to stop it.
Indeed, the Irish News reported earlier this week that Naomi Long had "appeared to offer her support for a 24-week limit for abortions in line with Britain".
She praised one of her party's councillors, open sodomite Eoin Tennyson, after he stated his support for abortion up to 24 weeks. The Irish News stated she "could not be contacted for further comment" when they made efforts to reach her, which is bizarre, given she seems to live on Twitter.
As it was, they didn't necessarily need to turn up for abortion legislation to have been blocked, but DUP efforts were stymied by incumbent Speaker, and elected DUP MLA, Robin Newton, who refused to allow business to proceed to discussing a Bill introduced by the DUP to block abortion.
This, he stated, was because a new Speaker needed to be elected on a cross-community basis, rejecting numerous efforts by DUP leader Arlene Foster and others to get the Bill through.
She and her party said they had legal advice from the Attorney General saying they could suspend Assembly rules to get the legislation through, but Robin Newton rejected this and at that point the efforts to block baby murder were doomed to fail.
Atheist political commentator Alex Kane praised Newton for sticking to his guns despite the pressure applied to him, but Robin Newton (pictured, above) is worthy only of condemnation for not using any legal means in his remit to block the murder of unborn children.
How sad a DUP MLA put the final nail in the coffin, as it were, of any efforts to prevent the unrestricted destruction of children up to 28 weeks in the womb.
A glaring omission, of course, can be seen in all this as not one voice seemed to be raised against the introduction of sodomite marriage.
Perhaps the DUP didn't make any efforts at the Assembly as they, probably correctly, knew there was no chance of getting the necessary support to block it, but political pragmatism is no substitute for obedience to God and His Word.
The whole sorry mess does not reflect well on anyone involved and it is yet further sad evidence of the general departure from God in our land.
While we rightly bemoan the sinful laws being imposed upon us and the sinful views espoused by so many in our land, all we as Christians must reflect on ourselves in this matter.
Have we done our utmost to share the gospel to make the lost wise unto salvation?
Have we spoken a word for the Lord with those we come into contact with or carried out outreach to try to see people coming to saving faith in Christ?
Have we, as Christians, grown cold or slothful when the fields around us are white unto harvest?
How can we expect the lost to necessarily hold to our Biblical views?
Let us even see this as a catalyst to draw closer to God and strive to live a more Christ-like life and be more fervent in our evangelism and our outreach.
Let us repent of our sins and earnestly seek God's face that he would revive our land and do a mighty work in Ulster to once again make it a bastion of Biblical Christianity.
Author protestantrevivalPosted on October 26, 2019 December 11, 2019 Tags abortion, abortion is murder, Alliance Party, apostasy, Conor McGinn MP, DUP, Northern Ireland, revival, Robin Newton, sodomite marriage, Stella Creasy
Bring on the booze – more compromise from the DUP
Much sorrow, much strife, much unhappiness is caused by the consumption of alcohol.
It stupifies the mind, lowers inhibitions, heightens passions and corrodes the body.
Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20: "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
How much misery has been caused in homes up and down our land by the consumption of alcohol?
How much woe, sorrow, contention, babbling, injury is caused by the consumption of alcohol?
Yet a DUP MP, and professing Christian, has publicly demonstrated his support for the publican by jumping in behind the 'Long Live the Local' campaign, aimed at cutting beer tax for publicans to allow them to make more money from the sale of intoxicants.
Quoted in a Belfast Newsletter article, Strangford MP Jim Shannon (pictured, top) said: "I'm supporting the Long Live the Local campaign and calling on the chancellor to cut beer tax at this year's budget to support pubs in our local communities," he said.
The article goes on to explain that "the campaign celebrates pubs whilst educating the public about the challenges they face".
Why would a professing Christian want to throw their weight behind a campaign which "celebrates pubs"?
It truly is hard to fathom.
Jim Shannon says he is offering his support because 651 jobs in his constituency are supported by the brewing industry and pubs and they contribute £14.8 million per year to the local economy.
So it would appear to be to curry favour with the 651 potential voters whose jobs rely on the weaknesses of others.
How noble.
Of course, nobody wishes to see anyone losing their livelihood, but when it is made from the promotion and facilitation of sin, then surely Christians should be opposed to it rather than actively supporting it.
Jim Shannon says these pubs are "at the heart of communities" – should it not be his wish for the Word of God and faithful churches to be at the heart of communities?
Christians are instructed in God's Word to be like salt and light in the world around them, they are to be clearly demarcated from the ungodly world in which they live.
How can Jim Shannon possibly keep himself separated from the sinful world in which he lives if he is actively promoting an activity which is synonymous with all manner of sinfulness?
We are instructed in Jude v 23 to hate "even the garment spotted by the flesh".
Even the appearance of sin is to be eschewed and steered well clear of, yet Jim Shannon is diving headlong into the promotion of something which is very sinful indeed.
Christians are not to be the same as the world around us.
Romans 12:1-3 says: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."
We are to be transformed, rather than conformed, and there are few things this world loves more than alcohol. Why would we want to conform to this ungodly worldview?
Those verses also instruct us to think soberly. How can we think soberly if we are not sober? Or how can we defend promoting someone else losing their sobriety by backing a campaign to keep pubs in business?
This is but the latest sign of the malaise at large within the DUP and there is no doubt Jim Shannon will receive no censure for his actions.
After all the party leader, Arlene Foster (pictured, above), has fallen over herself to repeatedly send her well wishes to former Scottish Conservative leader, the lesbian Ruth Davidson, who gave birth to a child last year which she jointly raises with her "wife", while North Belfast MLA Paula Bradley gave her blessing to the staging of a repulsive drag event in the corridors of Stormont.
However, this is something which ought to concern and grieve every true child of God and once again demonstrates the absolute need for us to be diligent in our walk with God so we do not deviate from zealously and earnestly following God's Word.
1 Peter 5:8: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour".
Author protestantrevivalPosted on September 14, 2019 September 14, 2019 Tags alcohol, Arlene Foster, compromise, DUP, Jim Shannon, Paula Bradley1 Comment on Bring on the booze – more compromise from the DUP
DUP sinks still further with lesbian council candidate
Romans 1:21-27: "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet."
Matthew 19:4-6: "And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."
The Bible is crystal clear on homosexuality, it is branded an "abomination" (Leviticus 18:22), "vile" and "against nature" (Romans 1:26).
It is the chief sin which brought God's judgment down on Sodom and Gomorrah.
Jude 1:7: "Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire."
It is contrary to the founding principles and natural order of this world ordained by God.
Genesis 2:24: "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."
The DUP was founded by the late Rev Ian Paisley, who was also founder of the Free Presbyterian Church, and the party was at one time a fearsome and uncompromising voice for the Word of God.
Indeed, in the early 1980s it was Ian Paisley and the DUP which campaigned to 'Save Ulster From Sodomy'.
Sadly, that battle was lost as that which God called an "abomination" was legalised. Today, that which God called an "abomination" is exalted.
It is paraded through our city streets, it is advocated by much of the movers and shakers (or so they like to think of themselves) in our country, and it seeks to exert total dominance in our society, so much so that a Christian bakery was taken to court for refusing to ice a cake bearing a message exalting such an "abomination".
Praise God the McArthur family, who own Asher's Bakery, was finally vindicated by the UK Supreme Court but it is chilling to think it got that far and surely the whole episode would be enough to make other Christians reluctant to rock the sodomite boat in future.
To be fair to the DUP, they are the only reason, politically speaking, that sodomite marriage and, for that matter, the murder of innocent unborn children, hasn't been foisted on Northern Ireland.
However, as the DUP nominates its first openly homosexual council candidate, we can see very clearly how far this party has fallen.
Alison Bennington is a lesbian and a businesswoman and she has been chosen by party officials to contest the Glengormley Urban area for Antrim and Newtownabbey Council at next week's election.
Now, one might ask why she is contesting a seat for a party which still opposes, publicly at least, sodomite marriage.
However, that is to miss the point.
The real question is why on earth the DUP would select a lesbian candidate to run for them and recommend her to the people of Glengormley and, by extension, the people of Ulster.
Such a situation would have been inconceivable even a short time ago.
However, the seeds of this compromise with sin have steadily been sown over the past number of years.
From governing Stormont departments which were administering money to sodomite groups to standing back and allowing sodomite pardons to be brought into Northern Ireland, there has been a clear softening of the party's attitude to sodomy.
Indeed, within weeks of the DUP sitting back and allowing a Bill through Stormont saying that anyone convicted of this grave breach of God's law had been wrongly treated (and in the process repudiating their own party's previous stance against legalising sodomy) the Stormont executive had collapsed, and is yet to return almost two and a half years later.
Do we not see God's hand of Providence in that?
However, unabashed, party leader Arlene Foster went on a charm offensive last year by cosying up with Islam, attending a GAA match on a Sunday and then addressing an event celebrating sodomites at Stormont.
Further to that, a vile drag queen event was held at Stormont with the support of one of the party's MLAs, Paula Bradley.
And late last year Arlene Foster tweeted her congratulations to the lesbian Scottish Conservative Party leader Ruth Davidson after she gave birth to a child which she will raise alongside her lesbian partner.
And now the DUP, a party founded upon fundamentalist Christian principles, guided by the authority of God's Word, is recommending that its supporters, many of whom are Christians, vote for someone living in open defiance of His Word.
So far the only public voice of dissent has been from Jim Wells, MLA for South Down.
He said: "The party is making a very clear statement here by this selection and it fundamentally undermines the values and traditions of the party."
Will other Christians in the DUP speak out against it? The signs so far are not positive, in fact surely enough time has already passed for them to do so.
If the DUP think this will be enough to placate the sodomite agenda then they are sadly mistaken.
Just look at the responses to their move.
A Cai Wilshaw of the LGBT website Pink News, said he hoped this move was only the beginning.
He said: "While it is true this is a positive development, I hope this is only the first step in a broader change in the party's outlook on equal rights for all in the north of Ireland."
A Gavin Boyd of the Rainbow Project was similarly minded.
He said: "Selecting an LGBT candidate says nothing about whether the DUP has changed from being openly hostile to LGBT people, our families and our rights.
"When the party begins to make amends for the way it has treated our community we will hold out the hand of friendship as we always have."
So this isn't enough for the advocates of sodomy and nothing will be until the DUP fall prostrate at the altar of sodomy, as Nebuchadnezzar required Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to fall before the idol he had set up.
Indeed, this spirit is reminiscent of that ascribed to Nebuchadnezzar in the prophecy of Habakkuk.
The Bible says in Habakkuk 2:5: "Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people."
Nebuchadnezzar was never satisfied with what he had, he had an insatiable appetite for more and this is the case with the LGBT agenda, nothing but complete submission will suffice.
However, no matter what Daniel's friends were threatened with and no matter what dire consequences were promised for their refusal to betray God, they stood firm.
They were greatly rewarded as God miraculously saved them from the fiery furnace.
How can the DUP expect God to be pleased with them when they recommend someone living brazenly contrary to His Word?
1 Samuel 2:30 warns of this. It says: "…them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed."
Standing firm for God is a reward in itself as we know we are doing that which is right, but not only that, God will reward us for doing so.
There can be no blessing for the DUP when they run a candidate who lives in a way utterly at odds with the Bible.
Author protestantrevivalPosted on April 27, 2019 April 28, 2019 Tags Alison Bennington, Arlene Foster, compromise, DUP, Glengormley Urban, homosexuality3 Comments on DUP sinks still further with lesbian council candidate
Arlene Foster congratulates lesbian Scottish Tory leader and her 'partner' on birth of child
Genesis 1:27-28: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."
Genesis 2:18, 21-22: "And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man."
It is a foundational principle of God's creation that we should "be fruitful, and multiply".
It is also a foundational principle of God's creation that he made man and woman to be different from each other, and that he made them for each other.
It is a biological fact that two people of the same gender CANNOT "be fruitful, and multiply" in the natural way. Therefore, unnatural methods must be sought.
And that is just what has happened in the case of Scottish Conservative Party leader Ruth Davidson and her 'partner', Jen Wilson.
We are not intimately aware of how the process was worked out, nor do we desire to know. However, what we do know, and what any sane person would concede, is that two women, or two men, cannot create new life.
Yet DUP leader Arlene Foster (pictured, top), a professing Christian, has seen fit to congratulate two lesbians, acting wholly outside the will of God, on such an occasion as this.
Taking to Twitter to express her delight at and support for such ungodliness, Arlene Foster said: "New life is wonderful. We can all remember our first cuddle. Many congratulations."
As we said before, the natural order created by God is a foundational principle of the Bible. It is contained in the first two chapters of the Bible in the creation story.
There should be no professing Christian who is not fully aware of this, and you can be certain Arlene Foster is indeed absolutely aware of this.
Yet she has chosen to publicly act in a way that repudiates this most basic Biblical tenet.
Of course she has previously chosen to do the same.
Back in June, we highlighted her attendance at an event celebrating the 'contribution' of various sodomites to society in Northern Ireland, while she also attended a Muslim religious celebration, even receiving a Muslim henna tattoo on her hand. She attended a GAA match, an organisation which to this day boasts many trophies and grounds named after Irish republican Roman Catholic terrorists, on a Sunday, claiming she had received the permission of her bishop. Given she is a member of the Church of Ireland and lives in County Fermanagh, that would presumably mean her bishop is the enthusiastic ecumenist, the Right Eejit John McDowell, hardly a great person from whom to take direction.
One of her party's MLAs, Paula Bradley (pictured, above with Arlene Foster), co-sponsored the same sodomite-exalting event that Arlene Foster addressed and went one further by adding her name as a sponsor to a reprehensible drag queen event at Stormont, with no apparent condemnation from her leader, ie Arlene Foster.
And now she has given her blessing to the ungodly notion of a same-sex couple having children together.
We will remind Arlene Foster again of what the Bible has to say about this.
A man shall leave his father and his mother, Jesus said, and shall cleave to his wife.
Jesus did not countenance or allow for a union between two people of the same gender, nor did he countenance or allow for an individual having two parents of the same gender.
We have seen many comments from the deluded, the deceived and the deceivers who would try to claim that Jesus would have been ok with, nay, supported same sex unions, despite there being not one shred of evidence to support such a bald assertion.
Here we have a concrete case of Jesus indicating that the only true and proper marriage union and parental arrangement being that of a man and a woman.
He then follows that comment up by saying: "What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." Jesus, in this instance, was talking about divorce, but it could as easily and as well be applied to this situation with regards the union of man and woman. That which God has instituted ought not to be disregarded, changed or trampled over at the whim of the currently trendy opinion.
Why Arlene Foster felt the need to even comment on the birth of this child is not entirely clear, perhaps she is too keen to cosy up with the Conservative Party as they are political allies in Westminster.
However, Arlene Foster, as a professing Christian, ought to have her first alliance to God.
1 Samuel 12:24: "Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you."
Author protestantrevivalPosted on November 3, 2018 November 3, 2018 Tags Arlene Foster, compromise, DUP, GAA, homosexuality, Islam, Paula Bradley, Ruth Davidson, Scottish Conservative Party3 Comments on Arlene Foster congratulates lesbian Scottish Tory leader and her 'partner' on birth of child
Hypersensitive 'Roman' Robbie Butler, jellyfish Christopher Stalford and hypocrisy of Mervyn Storey – a sorry affair over Pope's visit
There appears to have been something of a manufactured storm in a teacup this week over comments made to Ulster Unionist MLA and professing Christian, Elim Church deacon 'Roman' Robbie Butler, who ran to Dublin to meet the Pope back in August.
The comments alleged to have been made to him are in relation to his visit to see "that Antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition".
It's claimed one DUP MLA mock crossed himself in the manner of a Papist while another pointed out to him that he was wrong to meet the Pope because he is "Antichrist".
Only the usage of the term "Antichrist" directly to 'Roman' Robbie has apparently shaken his sensitivities, who is quoted in the Irish republican and Roman Catholic Irish News saying: "It was a throwback to the 1970s, I just couldn't believe it."
Given he was born in 1972, according to Wikipedia, he must have had a remarkable awareness of current affairs from when he was in his earliest years.
Regardless of his incredibly socially aware childhood, 'Roman' Robbie is badly off track to be making such a lazy, trendy comment, which is essentially the "It's 2018" (or whichever year it currently is) argument, apparently the silver bullet to win any argument.
The problem 'Roman' Robbie Butler has is that God isn't subject to changes along the lines of fashionable opinion.
Malachi 3:6 says: "For I am the Lord, I change not".
Hebrews 13:8 says: "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."
Apparently the comments were made to 'Roman' Robbie Butler in the corridors of Stormont by a DUP MLA, who told him he should not have gone to meet the Pope, who he described as "Antichrist".
Of course, that is an absolutely correct viewpoint to take, given Rome's manifold blasphemies.
The "Antichrist" comment is nothing other than a reiteration of what Protestants have believed for hundreds of years.
This term was included in the Westminster Confession of Faith, drawn up in 1646.
"Antichrist" means "in the place of Christ", therefore the term, when applied to the Pope, means he has set himself up in the place of Christ, which he undoubtedly has.
Let us not forget the blasphemous titles which the Pope takes upon himself.
He calls himself the 'Holy Father', despite the Bible telling us in Matthew 23:9: "And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven."
Therefore we can see him blaspheming God the Father.
The Pope also takes upon himself the name of 'Pontiff', meaning 'bridge'. He claims to be the bridge between man and God, despite the Bible clearly teaching that role belongs to Christ alone. 1 Timothy 2:5 says: "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus".
We are also told in John 14:6: "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
Therefore we can see him blaspheming God the Son.
The Pope also calls himself the vicar of Christ on earth, despite the fact the Bible teaches that role belongs to the Holy Spirit. This is made clear in John 14:16, 26: "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."
Therefore we can see him blaspheming God the Holy Ghost.
So the term "Antichrist" is an entirely appropriate one to use, regardless of whether 'Roman' Robbie Butler thinks it is an outdated term. He must think 2 Corinthians 6:17 doesn't apply any more either. It says: "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you."
Separation from the workers of evil is never outdated.
After the hypersensitive 'Roman' Robbie Butler cried to the Irish News about these mean, nasty comments, the newspaper published the names of the men guilty of these heinous crimes.
The man who mockingly crossed himself was named as Christopher Stalford, while the man claimed to have pointed out that the Pope is "Antichrist" is Mervyn Storey.
Christopher Stalford's actions appear little more than a harmless joke, yet he has foolishly apologised for any offence he may have caused.
Doing his best impression of a jellyfish, Christopher Stalford (pictured, above) said: "I would never mock or deride someone because of their religious belief because I am a man of religious belief.
"At the time it was clear to me that the incident with Robbie Butler was between friends enjoying a joke in the context of mounting speculation, including in The Irish News, that I would be attending the event in Dublin – I am surprised that three months later I am being accused of anything other than that."
Why did Christopher Stalford not just say that the doctrines of Rome are evil and 'Roman' Robbie Butler had left himself open to derision as he had in fact made a mockery of true Protestantism by consorting with Popery?
Of course, 'Roman' Robbie crying about the matter, regardless of his backtracking once the horse had bolted by saying he didn't agree with the publication of the Irish News article naming the men allegedly responsible, is beyond pathetic, but Christopher Stalford ought to have taken a firm line rather than caving in to the smallest amount of pressure.
Perhaps Christopher Stalford could attempt to make it up to 'Roman' Robbie Butler by bringing him out to a GAA match tomorrow (Sunday). Wouldn't that be a lovely photo opportunity to prove to the enemies of Christ that you're prepared to compromise your beliefs for political expedience?
Then you have Mervyn Storey (pictured, below) and the comments attributed to him about the Pope being "Antichrist".
He is, of course, right, but it is surely rank hypocrisy on his part to criticise 'Roman' Robbie Butler for meeting the head of the anti-Christian Roman Catholic system, if he did so.
After all, this is a man who three years ago attended the home of ecumenism in Northern Ireland, the utterly ungodly Corrymeela Community, based in Ballycastle, County Antrim.
In his role as a minister in the Stormont Assembly, he congratulated the God-defying organisation on reaching 50 years of spreading deceit and was pictured smiling beneath a wooden cross with the leader of that wretched grouping, the sodomite Padraig O'Tuama.
Sodomites are a grouping he is rather familiar with, as during his stint as a minister his department awarded funds to various sodomite groupings, including £170,000 to the Strabane / Lifford sodomite 'Pride' grouping and contributions to the Belfast 'Pride' celebration of that which God has called an "abomination" (Leviticus 18:22).
When contacted by the Irish News, Mervyn Storey said he had better things to worry about than claims made by 'Roman' Robbie Butler.
Why did he not state categorically to that Irish republican rag that the Pope is a servant of the devil and is leading untold millions to hell? What a chance was missed. Perhaps he was worried about the criticism he would receive for publicly stating that.
1 Samuel 2:30 reminds us God says that "them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed."
God would have honoured such a principled stand, but Mervyn Storey chose not to do such and God says he will be "lightly esteemed", or held in low regard.
Dear reader, let us not be afraid to take our stand for Christ in this day of apostasy.
And dear reader, let us not be tied up by loyalty to one particular party, regardless of what that party does contrary to God's Word.
Our first loyalty must always be to God and His Word, inspired and inerrant, not to any political organisation.
Let our attitude be that of Job, found in Job 23:12: "Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food."
Author protestantrevivalPosted on October 27, 2018 October 27, 2018 Tags 'Roman' Robbie Butler, Christopher Stalford, Corrymeela Community, DUP, ecumenism, homosexuality, Maghaberry Elim, Mervyn Storey, Pope, Robbie Butler, Romanism, Ulster Unionist PartyLeave a comment on Hypersensitive 'Roman' Robbie Butler, jellyfish Christopher Stalford and hypocrisy of Mervyn Storey – a sorry affair over Pope's visit
Muslim festivals and sodomite celebrations – Arlene Foster's diary for June
Proverbs 13:20: "He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed."
The leader of the largest political party in Northern Ireland, the DUP, which was founded by Free Presbyterian minister Rev Ian Paisley, a man used mightily of God, has had a very unChristian schedule for the second half of June.
Arlene Foster began her companionship with fools on Saturday past by endorsing the pagan religion of Islam when she attended the Eid celebration, held by Muslims to mark the end of Ramadan, during which adherents fast between sunrise and sunset.
Islam is a religion which outright denies the divinity of Christ. Instead, they claim he is just another prophet, like Mohammed, pointing the way to Allah, their name for God.
Of course, there are many other criticisms which could be made of Islam, including the worryingly large number of believers who think killing non Muslims is legitimate, nay, commendable.
However, it is sufficient to highlight Islam's blasphemous view of Jesus in order to condemn it as a false religion and, therefore, one which Arlene Foster should steer clear of.
Rather than that, she attended the big Muslim celebration in south Belfast on Saturday past and even allowed herself to receive a henna 'tattoo' (it is a non-permanent marking), a marking with its roots in the polytheistic Hindu faith, but which has been adopted by some Muslims in more recent times. The application of this tattoo is pictured at the top of this article.
Readers from outside Northern Ireland may not be entirely familiar with the current political situation here, but Arlene Foster's party, a Protestant party, is involved in a power-sharing government in Belfast with the murderers and murderer apologists of Sinn Fein, a Roman Catholic party inextricably linked with the barbarous terrorist organisation, the IRA.
The wisdom of such a venture has been dramatically undermined in particular in the past 18 months as that government collapsed, amid Sinn Fein calls, among others, that gay marriage should be legalised in Northern Ireland. The DUP, which still has a strong Christian influence (though even its staunchest supporters would surely admit it is a far cry from what it once was in its faithfulness to God's Word), is the only political barrier to the legalising of gay marriage in this country.
In that context, the next diary entry of Arlene Foster's of grave concern is her acquiescence to the sodomy lobby by attending an event promoting "the contribution of the LGBT community n Northern Ireland".
It is a strange event for the "LGBT community" to be having, given that their squawks are always for "equality", yet they are happy to have an event singling out the achievements of people who happen to be a sodomite over those involved in heterosexual relationships.
But it is stranger still that a professing Christian such as Arlene Foster (she attends the Church of Ireland) sees fit to attend an event celebrating people whose lifestyle is in direct opposition to God's ordained natural order.
The issue of homosexuality is one we have visited on a number of occasions lately and it is not one we wish to dwell on at length, but it must be clearly stated that homosexuality is an "abomination" (Leviticus 18:22).
It must also be clearly stated that it is "against nature" and "unseemly" (Romans 1:26,27).
It has been surmised in the Northern Irish daily papers that these efforts at outreach to Muslims and sodomites are an attempt to soften her party's image.
However, all they are softening is the DUP's stand for Christ.
We acknowledge there are many who think that ship has already sailed, but these are new departures for the DUP and we are saying to Arlene Foster and the DUP to stop in their tracks and turn back to Christ.
It is argued by the worldly that the route to securing a better lot for the Protestant people in Ulster is to embrace sodomy, gay marriage, abortion and various other reprehensible policies.
However, we can only truly prosper when we turn to Christ and follow Him.
A fine example of a leader turning to his natural enemies in his time of trouble, rather than to God, and suffering dire consequences, can be found in the case of King Ahaz.
It says n 2 Chronicles 28:16-23: "At that time did king Ahaz send unto the kings of Assyria to help him. For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives. The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country, and of the south of Judah, and had taken Beth-shemesh, and Ajalon, and Gederoth, and Shocho with the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, Gimzo also and the villages thereof: and they dwelt there. For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the Lord. And Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not. For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the Lord , and out of the house of the king, and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria: but he helped him not. And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord: this is that king Ahaz. For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel."
Arlene Foster has been the subject of incredible levels of abuse over the past 18 months, and, like Ahaz, is at a low ebb and trying desperately to reclaim her former glory, as it were.
Ahaz turned to the king of Assyria, a nation which repeatedly attacked the children of Israel and hated God's people, to try to save his kingdom.
Arlene Foster is turning to sodomites and Muslims, groups of people who are resolutely opposed to God's people, to try to save her political supremacy.
Ahaz found that the Assyrian king "distressed him, but strengthened him not".
Arlene Foster will find the same thing, her cowering before the enemies of God will get her nowhere.
She will find, like Ahaz, that "they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel".
This was the warning given to the children of Israel just as they were about to enter Canaan and Arlene Foster needs to have these words in her head as she plots the course ahead.
They are found in Joshua 23:6-13: "Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left; That ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you; neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause to swear by them, neither serve them, nor bow yourselves unto them: But cleave unto the Lord your God, as ye have done unto this day. For the Lord hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day. One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the Lord your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you. Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the Lord your God. Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you: Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you."
Ulster is under threat from Irish republicanism, Romanism, apostate Protestantism and secularism.
The only safe passage through this storm is with Christ at the helm and His Word as our map.
It is not yet too late for Arlene Foster to pull out of this meeting, it is not yet too late for Arlene Foster to turn to Christ as her Guide.
Please, dear reader, pray that she and our leaders will consult God rather than think tanks or opinion polls, and put their faith and trust in Christ to guide us through.
Author protestantrevivalPosted on June 19, 2018 June 19, 2018 Tags Arlene Foster, Church of Ireland, DUP, Eid, homosexuality, Islam, revival, Romanism, Ulster7 Comments on Muslim festivals and sodomite celebrations – Arlene Foster's diary for June

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Re your response letter- It is very disappointing that Coles will continue to supply Israeli products thereby placing the wishes of a minority customer base over the ethical opportunity to contribute to the alleviation of the humanitarian crises Palestinian families suffer under the brutal and illegal Israeli occupation.
It is certainly no comfort to learn that your "suppliers are required to confirm their ethical sourcing conditions via self assessment or independent audit" in Israel's case given Israel's well documented track record of deception and international law breaches.
Still, change is an eternal potential, so I take heart that one day Coles may review its present position when considering up to 10 years ago there was a blanket of indifference to East Timor's plight in the private, public and government sectors and the South African boycott movement expanded with the growing commitments of individuals, businesses, organizations, trade unions and national governments.
Until then, we will not be shopping at Coles.


Too often we Americans make our food choices for the wrong reasons. We choose convenience over nutrition, cheap instead of safe. And the mileage on any given food product rarely weighs into our purchases. Furthermore, Americans increasingly make their food choices to satisfy their never-ending appetite for sugar and caffeine. When it comes to food, there seems to be a new American motto: Fill the belly, spare the wallet.
This motto, thanks to our food industry, can now be achieved. Today, Americans spend less of their discretionary money on food than just a couple of generations ago. This means that proportionally speaking, food is cheaper than ever. How can feeding our families and ourselves take a smaller percentage of our income than it did for our grandparents? Keep in mind that cheap food refers to the sticker price. Just as a television's sticker price doesn't include the satellite or cable service required to watch TV, neither does the sticker price on food include the price our health or our environment pays.
One reason food is so cheap is crop subsidies. In a nutshell, crop subsidies are tax dollars paid to farmers for growing certain staple crops like corn and soy. The result? Food products loaded with corn – like soda or ketchup or pancake syrup – can be priced ridiculously low. Taxpayers have subsidized the bill. Whether we consume the product or not.
But that's not all. The food industry has other means for keeping down the sticker price of our food—namely foreign labor. Just like our clothes, electronics, and textiles, our food is increasingly produced overseas where labor is cheap. Of course we expect food like bananas to come from say Costa Rica. But it unbelievable that food like Seattle's King Crab is sent to China to be shelled and packaged before shipping them back to—yes—Seattle, among other places. Of course this begs the question, how can our food be shipped literally around the world and back and yet still have a relatively cheap sticker price? Easy. Fuel for transportation is subsidized, too.
Feeding a family on a small budget is easier than ever, but it isn't necessarily wiser. While our parents or grandparents did things like plant a garden to help feed a family on a small budget, today we are more likely to shop at Wal-Mart instead. It's true that growing your own food is harder than simply buying it, but there are plenty of reasons to get your hands dirty. Aside from the bonus that it is hard to get fat eating the food you sweat and toil over in your own backyard, planting a garden deserves consideration. Nutrition, safety, and efficiency are just a few reasons.
Let's start with nutrition since that is the obvious objective of food. The fresher the food, the more nutrition it contains. For example, to pull a carrot from the ground, wash it off, and take a bite is to capture the most nutrition a carrot has to offer. While vegetables from the produce aisle are more nutritional than vegetables from the canned aisle, homegrown vegetables are a clear front runner. Generally speaking, the more food is processed, the less alive the food becomes and the less nutrition it offers. Moreover, instead of spraying your strawberries and potatoes, hand pick the unwanted bugs off the plants and throw them in a bucket of soapy water. No need for pesticides.
Food Safety is another good reason to grow your own food. Whether it's listeria in cantaloupes, or E. coli on spinach greens, growing your own food takes a lot of the guesswork out of food safety. Of course, it is still possible to have homegrown produce contaminated, especially if there is livestock within close proximity to the garden. Still, it is easier to control the growing environment in small operations. The family garden, for example, will likely be safe when it comes to food borne pathogens. And when there is a food borne illness outbreak, it is nice to know where your food came from.
Efficiency is yet one more reason to grow your own food. If you can grow your own tomatoes rather than have them shipped from hundreds –maybe thousands—of miles away, it is certainly more efficient. Why burn petroleum when you can burn calories? Speaking of tomatoes, eating the grocery store variety is akin to eating cardboard. There's a reason for this. For one thing, grocery store tomatoes are loaded onto trucks green. If the tomatoes were actually ripe, they would be mush by the time they reached the store—never mind your salad plate. Ethylene gas is pumped into the truck while in route to the store. By the time the tomatoes have reached the destination—WALLAH—the tomatoes are red…well, sort of. More like reddish. They've not had adequate time or the environment to fully ripen leaving us deprived of the flavor we were seeking when we purchased the tomato in the first place. The adjective" fresh" applies loosely to this type of grocery store tomato only when considered alongside its canned counterpart.
Still, if growing your own food just isn't happening, there is an alternative: purchase your food from someone in your community. That's right—shop locally. From your local farmers' market to a roadside vegetable stand, truly fresh produce is often times just around the corner. And while fresh local food isn't always cheap—nor should it be when you consider the required time and labor it took to produce it—it isn't necessarily always expensive either. Sometimes you many even have a neighbor selling his extra produce for pennies on the dollar. I've met many a local grower that is practically giving away their produce. They would rather give it away than see it go to waste.
When it comes to meat, most of us are not going to raise our own. So the question of where to purchase poultry, beef and more applies to many. Buying industrial meat ought to be the last choice. Industrial meat comes from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) and has many inherent dangers. [See The Whole Cow Part 1 and Part 2] Even if eating industrial meat doesn't make you sick, it is making our world sick. From the cesspools created by thousands upon thousands of confined animals to the diseases that run ramped in such filthy living conditions, nothing positive comes from cheap meat. The alternative? Find a local farmer who pastures his cows, pigs, and chickens. There are men and women putting in the hard work necessary to produce meat the right way—the way it was done before food became an industry. Food raised this way will cost more, so beef up on the vegetables—not the beef. It wouldn't hurt our waistlines either.
I agree with Wendell Berry when he said that eating is an agricultural act. Every time we use our dollars to purchase factory meat, we're going along with food industry practices which jeopardize nutrition, safety and efficiency. Instead use your money—or better yet—your energy to feed yourself and your family. While cheap, fast, and easy are tempting when it comes to food, challenge yourself to make food choices for reasons that benefit your body –and maybe even the world. And if that isn't enough reason to eat fresh, local food, then here is the icing on the cake: it tastes good too. Imagine that.


text:
Follow Me Down (excerpt)
Published October 5, 2010	Uncategorized 10 Comments
Excerpt from FOLLOW ME DOWN
By Kio Stark
(Red Lemonade, June 2011)
On Sundays the whole neighborhood sleeps late. There must have been rain at dawn, for now the streets and the trees have taken on the darker hue and shimmer that the water leaves on their surfaces as it evaporates back into the sky. All the colors are rich and saturated, the peeling bark of the sycamore, the green weeds, the mangled red tricycle that sits on the curb awaiting the trashmen's visit. I spool a roll of film into one of my old plastic toy cameras. It's light and imprecise. My cameras are a good excuse to see the neighborhood, to stop and stare. The camera opens a space for that, and people always ask what I'm doing. They are puzzled, generally, by the antiquated equipment and the things they see me shooting: the buildings and the places where the buildings used to be. The surface of the canal, lambent with marbled oil. The trees and weeds overtaking the things man has left in his wake.
This morning I go first to the playground. There's a young woman there who I know a little, Carlina. She's tall and curvy and her clothes are always sculpted to set her roundness at best advantage. Even when she's in sweats, as she is now. She's watching her son, who is in constant motion, circling the playground and mounting its obstacles. He's around 6, I think. She waves. "You're taking pictures again? What's up with that?"
She asks me that every time she sees me with a camera. At first I tried to explain, I showed her some prints. But that's not really what her questions are really about. It's the meaningless but meaningful conversation of the street. She is acknowledging me as familiar, as a known quantity. I return the gesture. "You guys are out early."
"He's hit a new surge of testosterone or something. If I don't take him out and run him in the morning he's hell all day long. Swings at everybody. Gets all pent up and sinks his teeth in another kid's arm. Jesus, men. You know?"
Take him out and run him. Like a dog or a horse. I just nod. Then I have an idea. I set the camera down on the flat edge of a bench and point it at the jungle gym, the speeding boy. I hold the shutter open for a long time, maybe a minute. The picture will be washed out with light, the physical structures barely visible. And the boy will be a blurred streak of motion, pure energy and light. I try it a few times, varying the time the shutter is open.
The boy's mother turns away to take a phone call. She seems uncomfortable, tries to hustle the caller off the phone. "I'm not in a good place to talk. We're outside. Hold on."
She turns to me. "Can you watch him? I just have to deal with something." She taps the phone. "Ten minutes. It's one of those kind of delicate matters, you know?"
No problem, I tell her. I load another roll of film and keep shooting the boy's flashing speed. When she comes back, he's hanging upside-down from the monkey bars, resting. She hollers him over, in the commanding tone of mothers and generals. It works. He drops down and trots to her side. She waves at me. "Thanks," she says and turns quickly back into the tall housing project building she lives in. I wait a while, watching, hoping for a rustle at a window that will show me which apartment is hers. But nothing happens. Eventually I move on.
I loop through the neighborhood, down by the canal and back. When I get home, my lover Jimmy is sitting on the stoop. He doesn't like phones, he is undaunted by waiting. "I was in the neighborhood," is what he says every time I find him like this. It's a joke that's always funny. He lives four blocks away.
He slides a hand around my calf as I climb the steps, and stands up to follow me into the house. I turn on the ceiling fans and a breeze picks up through the apartment, from the kitchen's wide back windows out to the narrower ones overlooking the street.
In my living room, a mosaic of photographs covers one long wall. I add a few new ones every week or so, and I shuffle them around, reworking the schemes, seeing which rules make better compositions. Jimmy stands in front of the wall now, giving it his fullest scrutiny.
"You changed it. It's by dominant color," he observes, pointing at the wall. "The greens of the plants. The gray of the fences and the empty buildings. The red of the bricks and the rust."
"I think it's too much," I say.
"Too much how?"
"Too obvious." I step back and consider the wall a moment. I don't like the workings of my mind to be so easy to guess, but that's only part of my discomfort. "You don't see the pictures anymore, just a field of color. It blinds the eye to detail."
"Never any people," Jimmy says. It's not the first time he's observed this, and he's pleased with himself.
"People are only interesting to me in motion," I tell him. "But that's not really why. This is about a world without people at all. After people. That's what all these are," I tell him. I'm pacing now in front of the wall, pointing, caught up in my own convictions. "These are the ruins we leave behind. The foolish pride of our skyscrapers and our factories, left empty and grown over with weeds."
Jimmy sits down on the couch while I'm talking, and looks up at me, a little confused, a little smitten. "They're pictures of impermanence," he says, working it out. "You're taking pictures of an idea."
I chose Jimmy because I thought he was someone else. A nice guy who plays guitar and doesn't think too hard about things. I had him all wrong, and that complicates my hours with him in a way that makes me shrink into myself. I suppress the uneasy feeling by kneeling down and unzipping his pants.
One night, I get home from work in the late evening. Carlina is down on the corner in a bathing suit and shorts, her waist like the curve of a guitar. She's fanning herself with a newspaper and talking to Julio, a short guy who watches over the corner. He's got a big belly, an incongruous handlebar mustache. He's always smiling but I don't buy it at all. Now there's music playing softly from someone's open window. Julio and Carlina wave at me as I stand in the doorway shuffling through the mail. There's an envelope that doesn't belong here. It's to "Hombre Cinco," and it isn't my address. I look closer. It's dirty, the stamp is years out of date, the canceling marks are illegible now, there's no way to know when it was mailed. It looks as though it were rescued from the dungeon of a dead letter office.
I should give it back to the postman. But I don't.
The address on the envelope isn't far away. A few blocks, down by the canal. Just off the industrial street where the whores walk at night. I have to wait until morning.
By the time I get out the door the next day, Julio's already watching the corner, under cover of the burnt-out store's fiberglass awning. "Hello mami," he calls out. "You go to work?"
"Just a walk," I tell him. I don't like to linger with Julio. He starts asking questions. Who is my boyfriend and do I need any help around the house. I hurry down the street that fronts the canal.
The address I'm looking for is on a stub of a street, half a block long, cut short by the canal and a yellow diamond sign that says, simply, "END."
There's a sofa near the drooping fence that borders the canal. A man rises from it and staggers up to me. "Look at that face. I'm gonna marry you. I'm gonna buy you an apart- -no, a house. Gonna get a job, go back to school. Okay?"
"Okay," I say, backing away from the sour stink of him. There's no one else around. Even Julio is too far away to help me. The man keeps walking, muttering to himself.
He lurches away toward the empty park. When he's out of sight, I turn back to the little street. One side is the solid wall of a warehouse, casement windows behind cast iron cages. The other side has three little townhouses with ugly siding, dirty white, hospital green, mud brown. I count the house numbers. Where a fourth would be, at the end of the street, is an empty lot. That's the one I'm looking for.
I go down and grab the big steel lock that binds the gates with a rusty chain, rattle it a little as though it might give. It holds fast. The lot is narrow and deep. The pavement is going to seed as grass and weeds push up through the cracked blacktop. Ivy snakes through the links of the cyclone fence and into the razor wire that crowns it. There's a great sprawling Paulownia tree shading the back, and smaller ones pushing up all around the edges, growing out of the paltry, toxic dirt. Those trees grow fast, but still, the lot must have been vacant for decades.
Maybe that's all there is to it.
I keep the letter in my pocket and head for the post office. My fingers graze its surface, feeling the grit collected in its limbo years.
The line is long and slow. There's a man up near the front of the impatient line, rocking a sleeping baby back and forth in a cheap stroller. He's got the blackest hair and his skin is rosy brown. Finally it's his turn, and there's something a little frightened in the way he approaches the window. He's holding out a tissuey paper, a carbon of some kind of official form. His words are soft and incomplete as he says to the clerk, "I need a photocopy. Can I do here?" She shakes her head. "No?" he asks, still a little hopeful. "I can not do that here?" The clerk waves him away.
He turns the stroller around and wheels it slowly toward the door. He's looking at the paper in his hand. He's navigating strange territory, things don't work the way they work at home. He's almost at the door when a fat woman steps out of the line, clucking her tongue at the whole situation. "Over there," she tells him, pointing out the window. "Across the street at the Arab store. They do it." She pats him on the arm. "Just cross the street, honey."
I would swear he is about to cry. The moment is frozen. I'm still six or seven people from the clerk's window. I touch the letter in my pocket. I step out of the line. I'm keeping a secret I meant to turn loose. I hurry toward the door, just in time to hold it open for the man and his stroller. Up close I see it's not tears he's holding back. It's rage.
The letter stays in my bag all day at work. At night, in my kitchen, I stare at the stove. It would be so simple. But a little steam and suddenly you're a felon. I'm not sure yet. I slide the envelope between two fingers and feel the edges of something less pliable than the worn paper. It's a rectangle. Thicker than a folded letter. A photograph.
My phone rings, and I pin the envelope onto the fridge with a tiny magnet, adding it to the haphazard collage of scraps and postcards. It works the wrong way, I always forget. Display a thing, and it becomes invisible.
You can take a look at the cover here.
© 2010 Kio Stark
Follow Me Down cover!
Published October 5, 2010	Uncategorized 5 Comments
Draft cover for Follow Me Down (June 2011, Red Lemonade)
The cover was designed by my good friend Ian Crowther. Here's a video of him making it (there was fire involved).
The book is coming out in June 2011, published by Red Lemonade. I'm really excited about the press because they're doing very innovative stuff to connect readers and writers in a web-based community. My favorite feature is that you'll be able to comment on manuscripts and have conversations with other readers and authors–right in the margins! I'm looking forward to seeing you all there when the site launches.
My first novel is coming out in June 2011!
I'm so excited to announce that my first novel, called Follow Me Down, will be published in June 2011 by Red Lemonade.
Follow Me Down is a work of fiction, but it's set in the real world you've been reading about here in Municipal Archive. So, you'll recognize some scenes and characters, now given larger lives. My writing–in general and this novel specifically–has been really enriched and energized by the enthusiasm you've shown and the conversations I've had with you all on this blog. Thank you so much!
Check back later today to see the cover…


text:
Trump & Syria
Disturbing Refugee Incident
Susan Rice Surveillance Controversy Update
Passenger Nightmare on United Airlines
Trouble in the Air
The Importance of Vacation
Guest: Lt. Col. Ralph Peters
Talking Points laid out the case for why America must act when dictators commit crimes against humanity.
"For eight years, President Obama expressed indignation over crimes against humanity and did attack evildoers with drones," The Factor said. "But the problem is getting worse worldwide, and now it's up to President Trump to see if he can control it."
Lt. Col. Ralph Peters (ret.) then joined The Factor to respond.
"Now, we cannot be the world's policeman," Peters said. "But we have to be the world's referee. Calling the fouls and imposing penalties when necessary because no one else can do it."
Guest: Bernie Goldberg
Bernie Goldberg joined the program to discuss President Trump's decision to use military force against Syria last week.
"I am glad he was moved by those images and did what he did," Goldberg said. "I am thrilled that he did what he did. But here's legitimate commentary also and not Trump-bashing. This is an impulsive man. That is why he tweets the way he does. That is why he responds to criticism the way he does. Now he's president, not citizen Trump. He watches television, he sees images and he wants to do something about it. I am thrilled that he did. But acting impulsively while satisfying is not a substitute for well-thought-out foreign policy. And we don't know what that foreign policy is."
The Factor disagreed.
"I think you're being a bit unfair here," The Factor said. "It is clear that Donald Trump conferred with the Secretary of Defense in the Pentagon people and the military people. It's clear that that happened."
Guests: Juan Williams & Lisa Booth
The Factor began describing a disturbing crime involving refugees:
"In Idaho two refugee boys from Eritrea, an African country, and one boy from Iraq have been charged with sexually assaulting a five-year-old girl in Twin Falls.
"The boys ages 14, ten and seven are pleading guilty.
"Authorities say they had been in the USA for less than two years. The sentencing date is being kept secret by the court.
"Now this is obviously very troubling, and it does not have anything to do with the general policy of resettling refugees. Anyone condemning an entire group is being desperately unfair.
"The story made huge headlines in Idaho, but has not been covered nationally because of that very reason. The press wanting to protect, the refugee community."
The Factor asked Juan Williams for his thoughts on the press coverage of the terrible incident.
Juan said it warranted local coverage, but not national because it didn't illustrate a larger point about an issue in the country.
"I think it's clear to everybody it's a reprehensible act, disturbing as you said," Williams said. "The question becomes then once you move beyond the local news value and as you say, the folks out in Idaho played this big, got lots of ink to use your language, then it becomes a matter of news value."
Lisa Boothe disagreed.
"Yes, I would cover it because I think there is a broader conversation about both immigration and refugees in the country more broadly and I think the media tends to side with the left on issues of immigration and also refugee populations," Boothe said.
Guests: Malia Zimmerman & Adam Housley
The Factor brought on reporters Adam Housley and Malia Zimmerman to update us on the investigation into Susan Rice's potential involvement in surveillance on the Trump campaign
"We've been told, Bill, that members of the Intelligence Committee say the investigation is expanding right now," Housley said. "They say, they're looking into allegations for other Americans, including politicians, as possibly unmasked and had their information collected ... similar to what they did with the Trump team. They're also not going on a record at this point, they say due to the fact this was an ongoing investigation."
The Factor then asked Zimmerman about the FBI's role in the investigation.
"You know, there's a big question about the FBI's role in this, and, you know, there is concern in the House about just general how the FBI is handling the case," Zimmerman said. "We spoke with some members of the House Intelligence Committee who said, they're very frustrated with the FBI, so I'm not sure how much of an active role in terms of what the FBI is actually investigating."
Guests: Kimberly Guilfoyle & Eboni Williams
The man who was controversially forcibly removed from a United Airlines flight has felony convictions on his record.
But attorney and Fox News anchor Kimberly Guilfoyle said his past won't be admissible in court if he tries to sue United.
"They are not in my opinion going to be able to justify bringing in anything about the man's background or prior felony convictions because it's simply not relevant," Guilfoyle said.
Eboni Williams then discussed the Trump administration appealing an injunction on its travel band to the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Williams said the Trump administration had a better chance of success in the Fourth Circuit than at the Ninth Circuit, where there's also an appeal pending.
"It's going to be a different temperament than what we saw in the Ninth Circuit," Williams said.
But Williams said the case will likely eventually wind up in the Supreme Court.
Guests: Greg Gutfeld & Bernard McGuirk
Gutfeld and McGuirk weighed in on the United Airlines controversy.
"You know, but we have to understand, flying is not part of our evolutionary toolkit," Gutfeld said. "We're in a silver tube 35,000 feet in the air, the pressure drops, air must expand to fill the space. I'm talking about flatulence. This is a huge problem for some of us."
McGuirk also shared his observations.
"Hate flying, despise it," McGuirk said. "Aside from crying babies we're sitting next to a smelly fat guy or sitting on a tarmac for three hours, we've all done that but actually one time I tried to board and they said I was inappropriately dressed wearing a tank top, flip-flops, yoga pants and they made me change."
"Often around this time of the year I grab some vacation because it's spring and it's Easter time.
"Last fall I booked a trip that should be terrific. Not going to tell you what it is but I will have a full report when i return.
"Now here's The Factor Tip of the Day, if you can possibly take two good trips a year, it will refresh your life.
"We all need R&R, but put it to good use. Plan it, so you don't run into horror on the road.
"All of us deserve a break so make sure you take yours."


The small wallet sized cards in the seats help to get on Flocknote which is a joint website for the whole NY archdiocese and the parish. It includes the capability of instant email messages from the parish to the parishioners (three have been sent). Visit flocknote.com/ICWoodburne to join on your computer or text ICW to 84576 on a smartphone (the misspelling is theirs). And grab a handful of the cards from the pews to give to as many as you can reach. Blessings!


Hi i'm currently learning sitecore 7 with MVC4 and glassmapper and I'm having some issues with the general linkfield. I can't seem to ouput the external links (not links to items) correctly from a general linkfield. What am I doing wrong?
Is the model auto-generated or did you create them manually? What type is Link, Glass.Mapper.Sc.Fields.Link? If so you need @socialLink.Url.Url, you want the Url property from the Link field called Url.
I would be very tempted to rename Class and Url properties to something else, possibly CssClass and SocialMediaUrl or something so as not to cause confusion.


The Lipolife family of products have been developed by some of the leading minds in the industry and manufactured in a European laboratory under HACCP conditions using only European sourced components.
In other words a liposome is a tiny 'micro' sized bubble or sphere (vesicle) made from a phospholipid (in our case, phosphatidylcholine). This is the same material of which our cell membranes consist. These bubbles can be filled with substances such as Vitamin C, Glutathione or even drugs.
Why Let (Liposomal Encapsulation Technology)?
The liposomal delivery system has many advantages over regular oral ingestion.
When a regular capsule or pill is ingested it must first pass from the mouth through the digestive system to finally be absorbed in the small intestine.
During this process, digestives enzymes in the mouth and stomach, digestive acids, bile salts and various gut flora degrade the nutrients before they are finally metabolised by the liver and made available to the body.
This entire process slows and reduces the nutrients' bioavailability.
Phospholipids are impervious to the various digestive juices. This makes liposomes the perfect delivery system for acid and enzyme-reactive substances.
Once the liposome has reached the small intestine it is absorbed by the enterocytes of the villi. Inside the enterocytes, the liposomes are incorporated into chylomicrons. Together, they travel through the lymph system, bypassing the liver (portal circulation) into the subclavian vein.


Michigan freshman forward Kameron Chatman aggravated his knee on a drive to the basket during the Wolverines' win over Northwestern on Saturday night at Crisler Center. He finished with only nine minutes of action and now has mild swelling in the knee.
ANN ARBOR -- John Beilein is overseeing a small hospital at Crisler Center right now. The Michigan basketball coach has a roster filling the infirmary.
"We have more injured or sick players than we have healthy players right now," he said Monday.
Michigan (11-7, 4-2 Big Ten) announced Sunday that starting guard Caris LeVert, the team's leader in every major statistical category, is out for the remainder of the season with a foot injury.
The setback has left the Wolverines in major trouble moving forward.
None of the above practiced on Sunday and Beilein remains uncertain what his starting lineup will look like on Tuesday.
Heading into a Monday afternoon practice, Beilein said, "We'll see what we have." With so many players sidelined, the current scout team is a mashup of one ex-player (David Merritt), team managers who played in high school and assistant coach LaVall Jordan.
Albrecht was forced to sit out Michigan's 56-54 win over Northwestern on Saturday with an upper respiratory problem. The same bug bit Ricky Doyle, who started and played 10 first-half minutes against Northwestern, but was forced to sit out the second half.
Beilein said Albrecht has been "cleared to give it a shot (in Monday's practice) and see how he feels." If his respiratory infection lingers and he can't play Tuesday, Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman will likely start in his place once again.
That's not the extent of U-M's point guard problems. Beilein said Derrick Walton Jr., who has played on a sprained toe for much of the season, missed Sunday's practice with a "very sore foot."
His status is unknown for Tuesday. Walton missed one game earlier this season with the injury and has struggled since.
In the Michigan frontcourt, meanwhile, Chatman aggravated his knee on a drive to the basket during the win over Northwestern last weekend. He finished with only nine minutes of action and now has mild swelling in the knee.
Beilein said if Chatman can't go, Aubrey Dawkins and Zak Irvin will absorb his minutes while walk-on Sean Lonergan, who can play both forward positions in Michigan's offense, could see backup playing time.
As for Doyle, Beilein said, "We're hoping that Ricky can go and then we'll stay with that same rotation in the middle."
Last week, Beilein noted that he'd only consider reactivating freshman forward D.J. Wilson if major injury problems mounted for Michigan. Wilson has missed the Wolverines' last 12 games with an injured knee and is expected to apply for a medical redshirt.
Beilein was asked Monday if the current situation is a sufficient reason to burn Wilson's redshirt.
"He still has not been cleared to go full-court yet," Beilein said. "We're hoping to, after the Rutgers game, get some kind of clearance on that. We'll definitely consider that, however, it depends a little bit on what (Chatman's) injury is as well.
"If we were going to burn the redshirt on him, I would like to be able to tell him with 12 regular-season games to go that we're going to be able to play him 15, 20 minutes per game. I don't think I can do that yet, until I know (Chatman's) injury situation right now."


Shotokan Karate Dojo located in San Gwann, Malta. Learn martial arts and self-defence by joining the lessons with 3rd Dan Sensei Karl Anastasi.
The local and international instructors I have had the pleasure of training with and who have become great friends !
Many historians believe that the Traditional Karate-do practiced today stems from martial arts developed in China several thousand years ago. The exact root cannot be traced since there are no reliable written records.
Traditional Karate-do is a part of Budo, the Japanese martial art system. It is defined as a weaponless self-defense art against a single or multiple opponents using punching, striking, blocking, kicking and shifting techniques.


Our lessons and style of teaching focus on water safety, proper breathing, and having fun. We have classes ranging from baby classes to competitive training. You must pre schedule by contacting us to join the class that's right for you.
All our classes are 1/2hr long.
We have three students per instructor in our group lessons. Each lesson is a half an hour long. We schedule the students together based on skill and age.
We don't use skill groups to schedule, instead we talk and get to know more about the student, their needs, and your schedule. We do our best to group you in the class that is the best fit for the swimmer so you always get a great class.
You are over 16, all adults (16+) must take a private or semi-private. From no or low ability to racing we can help. Fix your breathing so you can swim with little fatigue or shave off your race time.
You have a fear or feel un-safe around water, everyone should swim no matter what the age. If you or anyone doesn't swim because of fear I want to help. We take it slow. We do it right. Come talk to us and have no fear.
The "group class" format didn't work, in a private class you get to have full control of what to learn and you don't have to worry about other students wasting time.
You only want two people in the class, a lot of pairs learn to swim together with a Semi-Private class they can avoid the interruption of others joining their class.
We do it right, never creating fears or bad habits and always being safe. The program started in Donna's back yard and for more than 35 years the family run program has made it's reputation. We have students come from Watsonville to Oakland for our hands on experience, dedication, and beautiful facility.
From day one we focus on breathing, we start with crawl stroke and backstroke then learn the whip kick and the breaststroke. The scissorkick and sidestroke along with the dolphin kick and the butterfly are taught last.
From the first day we also start jumping in. Then we learn the knee dive, deep dive, and the racing dive also with them the surface dive and the flip turn, along with all the fun jumps.