Warning: The Big Bang Theory has Holes in It!

Although there are several theories that try to explain the origin of mankind, two of the more popular ones, in my opinion, are:

- Evolution, starting with the "Big Bang" concept and nothing else; and
- Creation, with the premise that a higher order created human intelligence.

Big Bang advocates argue, in simplistic terms, that the universe, as we know it, originated from a gigantic ball, (a core), that suddenly appeared out of nowhere and exploded, hurtling incalculable quantities and masses of matter across a vast wilderness that came from nowhere. From the initial explosion, stars, planets, comets, asteroids, galaxies, and whatever else, formed in infinite quantities. From all of this, unaided, came the random crashing together of the particles that created human-beings.

Creationists, for the large part, do not have difficulty with the "Big Bang" concept since it does not contradict the creation of humankind by a higher order. In fact, it makes sense, but it doesn't work without a higher-order creator.

Many of the "Big Bang" supporters rely purely on science to explain our physical presence. If you can't see it, either with a microscope or a telescope, then it doesn't exist. I'd like to have a scientist show me a picture of wind.

Our problem as human-beings is that we are bounded by our limitations and our human intellect. Although we are wonders of innovation, we cannot comprehend that which is beyond our ability - and we do have limits.

Imagine, if you will, selecting the brightest species on the face of the Earth, other than the human-being, and creating a team from the brightest of the group and sitting them down at a table in front of us, and giving them the following basic task:

"Here is a photo of the Empire State Building, please design and build it," or,

"Here is a PC, please design and build it."

You might scoff at this ludicrous tasking, since we well know that it would be impossible, even for a highly trained team of, say, chimpanzees to attempt one of the above tasks.

Even so, the Big Bang proponents would like us to accept that there is nothing greater than ourselves. How vain.

The problem that Big Bang advocates and , for that matter, Atheists have, is believing in something that they cannot see, feel, or touch. Creationists, on the other hand, have no problem in this regard. Creationists accept that we are like the brightest chimpanzee in the eyes of our higher order - God. We cannot understand, because we are incapable of doing so, but we have faith.

Gary

Are Wisdom and Smartness the Same?

Do you necessarily need to be smart to be wise, or wise to be smart? A good question.

Let's start by defining both, and any ancillary terms. My "Funk & Wagnalls Standard College Dictionary" has the following definitions:

Smart: "Quick in thought or action; bright; acute; clever."

Clever: "Mentally keen; intelligent; quickwitted."

Wise: "Possessed of wisdom; seeing clearly what is right and just; having sound judgement. Sagacious; shrewd; calculating. Marked by wisdom; prudent; sensible. Having great learning; erudite; sage. Having practical knowledge of the arts or sciences."

Wisdom: "The power of true and right discernment; also conformity to the course of action dictated by such discernment. Good practical judgement; common sense."

Does it follow that someone who is smart and clever is necessarily wise, or equally, does it follow that someone who is wise is necessarily smart and clever? And, how does the ability to achieve academically factor into being wise or smart?

From what I've seen during my lifetime, I believe that there are many smart people who perform well academically but who possess little or no common sense and lack good judgement, ergo - lack wisdom.

There are also many wise people, that I have had the good fortune of meeting, who possess good judgement and common sense but don't perform well academically.

My opinion is that both wise and smart people can achieve well academically, but not both smart and wise people will display wisdom in their lives and in interactions with superiors, colleagues, and subordinates.

I would argue that you can be smart and clever without being wise, but, conversely, it would be difficult being wise without being smart and clever.

Today, the chances are very good, in my opinion, that someone who is wise will, as a norm, do well academically, but someone who is smart may fail miserably with the application of wisdom.

What do you think?

Gary

Are You Frustrated by Telemarketers? Here are Three Ways to Ease the Pain.

My wife and I have just arrived home from a hard day at work after battling traffic and crowded buses. We change into comfortable clothing and head downstairs to the kitchen to prepare supper.

As the potatoes and vegetables near the point where they are almost done, the phone rings . . . by the way it rings, we know it's long distance. We, like most of you, have families living away and don't want to run the risk of missing an important call. One of us picks up the receiver. There is a pregnant pause, then an unfamiliar voice, announces that he/she is calling on behalf of your bank or whatever else, and has a great deal for you. You politely tell the person that you're not interested. He/she keeps on talking. Meanwhile, the potatoes have boiled dry. You tell the person, once again, only more firmly, that you're not interested. You might as well have talked to the "man in the moon." Finally, in frustration, you hang up.

Your meal is now nearly ruined and your stress level is elevated. You salvage the edible items and settle down in front of the TV to catch up on your favourite show. Midway through the meal, the phone rings. It's long distance . . .

Does the above scenario sound familiar?

If so, I have three suggestions that have helped ease our frustrations:

- if, when you answer the phone, there is a pause after you say "hello", hang up.It's more difficult for the telemarketer to redial than it's worth. If the call is from family, they'll call back and then you can answer;

- Buy an answering machine and let all calls go to it. If the call is important, the caller will leave a message; and

- Lastly, in Canada, you can register your phone numbers with a government web-site, https://www.lnnte-dncl.gc.ca/index-eng , and the majority of the telemarketer calls will be terminated. It takes about a month, but is well-worth the time to do so.

For us, the above three methods have proven to be invaluable in helping eliminate the pesky, intrusive telemarketer calls. As a last note, don't give out your phone number to stores, etc.

Talk to you later and keep smiling . .

Gary

Are you afraid to say "Merry Christmas"?

I wonder sometimes if we allow ourselves to be too politically correct, particularly when it comes to something so fundamentally important to Christians as the birth celebration of Jesus Christ - Christmas.

Do other religious groups really care that we be politically correct? I don't think so. I believe that the filament that runs through all of us whether we are Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or any other fundamental spiritual religion, is respect. Respect for our beliefs, our religious practices and our way of life.

Each and every major religion has its important festivities. The core issue of importance is that we respect each other's ideologies while expecting that they do ours.

Christmas is a Christian celebration. We should not allow ourselves to accede to the politically correct pressure of wishing each other a Happy Holiday. We should, as good Christians, stand up proudly and say:

"Merry Christmas"

In so doing, we affirm that Christmas, in its truest and purest spirit, is the celebration of the birth of our Savior - Jesus Christ.

Gary

The Secret of Long Life

- Live each day as if it were your last;
- Don't put off until tomorrow what you meant to do today;
- Treat each person you meet, rich or poor, old or young, feeble or strong, regardless of race, colour, religion or sex, with the same dignity and respect that would make you feel warm and comfortable;
- Ask yourself what are the most important things in life - I suggest, after some thought, you might find they are free;
- Eat well, and eat good things. Try to avoid the chemically-laced products filling our food stores;
- Drink well, and drink good things. A taste of good wine or brandy rests in the same level as clear water and fresh milk. Try not to overindulge;
- Don't smoke. It's a killer. Don't be so vain as to think you can avoid it's ugly gifts;
- Try not to worry too much. None of us can escape certain concerns, but worrying too much causes an abundance of unhealthy stress. Remember, tomorrow the sun will rise, the birds will sing, little children will laugh and cause you to laugh, and what seemed so important yesterday will seem trivial today;
- Try not to make yourself seem too important. Your importance, I've found, is directly inverse as to how important you think you are;
- Get involved in helping those less fortunate through your church or a well-founded charity group. Nothing satisfies the soul more than giving;
- Laugh and smile a lot. It's great medicine and can change your well-being in a flash;
- Feed birds and small animals, and take time to really smell the flowers. Nothing sooths the inner you better than God's precious gifts; and
- finally, put your trust in God. When things don't seem right or if you're troubled, a simple, sincere prayer will work miracles in your life.

Gary

The Secret of Protecting Your Family Against Colds, Flus and Other Contagious Sicknesses

As fall fades into winter, well being traditionally blossoms into crouping, coughing, sneezing, headaches and fevers in many families.

In my relatively long life, I've seen families who seem to be continually plagued with recurring contagious diseases. Some, it seems, are constantly barking and sneezing. Their lives appear to be a vicious circle of colds, flues and other repetitive maladies. On the other hand, I've seen plenty of families who never seem to catch a cold, or, if they do, it leaves them rather quickly and doesn't seem to return. What seems to be the difference between these two types of families?

Since I'm not a medical practitioner, I won't attempt to diagnose nor offer medical analysis.

As a layperson, however, here are my top two issues that, in my opinion, differentiates a basically well family from one that seems to be constantly sick:

1) Poor Hygiene;
2) Poor choices concerning when to stay home and heal and when it's safe to go to work, etc;

What does this mean?

Poor hygiene practices with adults, unfortunately, go beyond them, trapping children who cannot protect themselves.

Door-knobs/latches, particularly in public places and restrooms, from my research, are probably one of the most dangerous areas for picking up the viruses that cause colds, flues, and other communicable diseases. Sometimes when we're at the mall, shopping center, or sports arena we reach a point where we're busting to go to the washroom. We've all been there at one time or another. We rush off to the restroom.

Next to us in the lavatory is someone who is coughing or sneezing. In a rush to get out of there, we don't wash our hands and we retouch the door-knob/latch when leaving. We sigh thankfully as the door closes behind us, relieved to be rid of the flu/cold polluter still in the washroom. However, along with us as we hasten away, comes a collection of the cold/flu virus that was left on the door-knob/latch by the person still in the washroom.

The next stop, if you're like me, is the food court for a sandwich, or a doughnut and coffee. After finishing the doughnut or sandwich, your hunger is satisfied and, with the shopping finished, you return home - along with the virus, now within you, and incubating. A few days later, you're feeling a bit miserable, but not enough to complain. That evening, after giving your wife a peck on the lips, you roll over and go to sleep. (The virus is now transferred to your wife). By morning, you're feeling lousy and sweating a bit. You can't stay home, however, since there's an important meeting at the office at 9:00 am with out-of-town clients.

At the meeting, you forge through your presentation, suppress a sneeze in you hand with you back turned away from the table, (only once), then shake hands with everyone before joining them for coffee and sticky-buns. The clients who don't go to the washroom and wash their hands and who have just finished their snacks, have now passed the virus into their system. Off they go to other parts of the country.

This is the chain that too frequently occurs.

What about the kids? Well, kids are innocent. They don't have the capacity at early ages to know proper hygiene. You have to protect them from the viruses as much as you would protect them from a child abuser. They are completely at your mercy and totally dependant on you. Imagine the parent who has the flu/cold virus churning around in his/her system. Imagine that mother/father feeding an infant in a high chair and testing whether or not the food for the baby is too hot by touching his/her tongue onto the spoonful of food. The next thing, if the food is cool enough, is to put the spoon into the baby's mouth.

What if the same infected parent or friend takes a bite from an ice-cream cone and then passes it back to a child for him/her to eat?

The above scenarios portray, what I consider to be, the most common practices for spreading viruses back and forth amongst friends, family members and those we come in contact with in our work/play areas. I have committed these sins myself over the years but have learned some time ago the importance of good hygienic practices in protecting my loved ones against these microscopic predators.

In a nutshell, this is my advice:

1) Wash, wash, wash your hands and those of your children after touching door knobs/handles in both public places and in your home settings;
2) Never touch food that is going directly from your hand into your mouth or your child's mouth without having thoroughly washed your hands;
3) Never put food into your child's mouth by using your eating utensil;
4) Never taste your child's food and then put it into his/her mouth;
5) If you cough or sneeze, always use a tissue or handkerchief and turn away from others. Then wash your hands before touching food or shaking someone's hand; and
6) When you're sick or your child is sick, stay home or keep them home until you or they are better.

Although I'm not a medical practitioner, it is my opinion that these methods work and, if practiced, will minimize the likelihood of contagious type of illnesses plaguing your household.


Gary

Who Else Wants Chivalry Back?

I remember back when I was growing up there were certain codes of conduct that were accepted as norms when dealing with the fairer sex, the elderly, and the infirmed.

It was accepted practice that doors were opened to let ladies enter buildings and automobiles first, gentlemen always removed their hats/caps when entering buildings, and never, never left them on when sitting for meals in restaurants. At national anthem playing everyone stood rigid, with hats removed and sang the anthem. Gentlemen always walked next to their lady friend on the street side. On public transport, when seats were fully occupied, younger persons graciously gave up their seats for women, the elderly and the infirmed.

It's a sad testament to today's generation that these gentlemen graces seem to have disappeared.

Perhaps I'm being overly critical . . . what do you think?

Gary

If you Golf, You Should Read This.

I was sitting at the clubhouse bar minding my own business, casually drinking my draft after having golfed eighteen satisfying holes, when I overheard a couple of men, who were speaking rather loudly and with a wee bit of a slur, discussing one of my favourite pastimes - golf.

They appeared to be men of intellect and each was making his case, rather eloquently, (even though somewhat imbibed), as to whether or not golf was a sport or a hobby. Both had compelling arguments. I resisted the strong urge to put my two cents worth into the debate, which, I must admit, challenged my willpower.

Later, after arriving home, and still burning with a desire to prove that golf was a sport, I decided to consult an old stalwart friend, my Oxford dictionary. I felt certain that I could clear up the controversy, for once and for all. The definitions are as follows:

Sport: "That which amuses in general; diversion; pastime."

Hobby: "A subject or pursuit of absorbing interest, undertaken primarily for
pleasure during one's leisure time."

Now I'm a bit confused. What do you think: By definition, is golf a hobby or a sport?

Who Else Wants a Goose for Christmas?

With Christmas around the corner, my wife and I enter into our annual debate about which fowl better represents the season, and more importantly, which of the two we'll serve to the family this year.

I favour goose, maybe because deep within me, there is this longing for the Dickens' Cratchet Christmas. My wife says I'm too much of a romantic and I'm not being very practical. All she can see is the dark meat, the extra grease, and the spindly legs. I see Tiny Tim sitting on Bob Cratchet's shoulder, the sweet aroma of the roasting waterfowl.

She is a white meat lover, a fan of bulbous drumsticks, and she can make a good case for the traditionalism of the gobbler here in North America. But, I still haven't given in.

What do you think?

Gary

Who Wants to Know How to Find Biographical Data on Their Ancestors?

After some very tedious searching in Ship's Records, I hit the jackpot! I found my great-great-grandfather's name on the passenger list for a merchant ship named "The Liverpool." She had sailed from Londonderry, Ireland, in 1831, and had landed in Pictou, Nova Scotia, several weeks later. Both of my great-great-grandparents were on the list, along with three children - all of which were listed as having been born in Ireland.

Their ages were given, which gave me a wealth of knowledge concerning birth dates of these ancestors, and where they had originated from.

I next began searching Land Grant records for the 1831 to 1845 period. In 1833 I struck gold. My great-great-grandfather filed for a piece of land in the county where the old graveyard was centrally located. A description of the land accompanied the petition, but the real piece of luck was a handwritten description of my great-great-grandfather, his situation, occupation, along with the family members. It was almost like a mini-background check on him. For me, it was one of the most valuable items found during all of my genealogy searches and gave me a thumbnail picture of him during those times.

Now that I've walked through the steps that took me to the patriarch and matriarch of my family, and will similarly do the same for you, I'm going to finish on genealogy. There is much more to do and it's exciting and filled with fun, but, if you can get this far, you'll have significant information to reach out to professional sites that can take you much farther.

I strongly recommend using the genealogy site created and maintained by the Mormon Church in Utah, USA. It is one of the best and most detailed ones existing in North America.

Good luck and persevere, even when you feel frustrated.

Each of us has a much better view of where we are and where we're going when we know from whence we came . . .

Gary

The Secret of Tracing Your Ancestors Back to the Old World

In my great-great-grandfather's death record, I was able to determine his exact date of death: 20 February 1877 along with his age, 78 years old. Although significant, the next door that was opened was the listing of his parents, and where he was born, (the latter of which I already knew from the 1871 census return).

The names of his mother and father, my great-great-great-grandparents was extremely important. I now had the link to the old world and could take my family, on my father's side, at least back to somewhere in the mid to late 1700s.

But before doing so, I wanted to flesh out more data, if I could, on the settlers who emigrated to the New World. I decided to unfold another layer: Provincial Land Grants of the 1800s and Ship's Passenger Records of the early 1800s.

What I found turned out to be very exciting and gave me a greater picture of the family situation at that time.

To be continued . . .

Gary

Here is a Method that is Helping Identify Hidden Ancestor Treasures

When I opened the 1871 census return, I was pleasantly surprised to find not only both of my great-grandparents, the four daughters, but also an elderly man, who was my great-grandfather's father - my great-great grandfather!

The information regarding him identified him as a carpenter, and born in Nigg, Ross-shire, Scotland. I was also able to get his birth date, which was invaluable in latter searches.
I deducted that he had probably died after 1871 and before the census taking in 1881, since he was not listed in that return.

I now had enough good material to venture elsewhere for more information.

In the provincial archives I was searching for two things: death records and land grant records. The first would be easier since I could reasonably tie the period down to the decade framing the 1870s. The other would be a bit more difficult to pin down but, with some reasoning, a band of years could be framed.

Having been born in 1798, it would be reasonable that he not likely would have qualified for a land grant before his twentieth birthday. Thus, a lower frame would be around 1818. Since he was 73 years old in 1871, it would be reasonable that he likely had his land grant prior to age 40. So, a upper frame would likely be 1831.

First though, I focused on the death records, which, to my surprise and glee, revealed something quite significant.

To be continued . . .

Gary

The Secrets of Census Returns and How to Use Them to Your Advantage

In the 1891 census return I was able, once again, to find my great-grandfather who now was ten years younger. With him was his daughter, who was then thirty-one years old. For her occupation, she was listed as a spinster. There was no one else attached to the family. I decided to try the 1881 census return.

In the 1881 census return I was able to find, with a little bit of detective work, my great-grandfather's name. Not only was he alive and well, but so was his wife, my great-grandmother.

From the census return I was able to find her age, birth date, literacy level, religion, and country of origin. Amongst the interesting tidbits was the fact that she was Roman Catholic and my great-grandfather was Protestant. That must have caused some heated issues with other members of the family, particularly at that time, when tolerance was very thin. Perhaps they found themselves quite isolated at times - from both sides of the family.

Living with them were four daughters, the names of three of which matched exactly the names of those that I had discovered in the cemetery not far from where my great-grandparents were buried. At that moment in time, all seemed well. It was good that they knew nothing of the terrible tragedy that was about to rip their lives to shreds.

Since my great-grandmother's name failed to appear in the 1891 census return, I could only surmise that she was dead by 1891. Maybe the death of her three daughters, all in their twenties, which occurred in the 1880s, took a great toll on her life and perhaps was a significant factor in her early death.

I gleaned the facts about all of them and then decided to try the 1871 census return to see what that might reveal.

To be continued . . .

Gary

Here's a Quick Way to find Your Ancestors

Hi again,

One of your best friends in tracking accurate data, beyond the living, is the government. For decades and, in some cases, for centuries, governments have been keeping data on their subjects.

The first place to start, now that you have concrete facts on some of your ancestors, which you accumulated through older living relatives and the graveyard, is your provincial or state archives. Archived files such as: birth records, marriage records, land grants, ship's passenger records, death records, and census returns are all readily available and, often, on line.

For me, it was my choice to start with the census returns. I knew the county, the province, and the last known time when the individual was alive at census time. I determined this from the death date on the headstone. The death date of the last person my grandmother remembered, and that I had confirmed in the cemetery, was 1906.

Census returns in Canada occurred every ten years and were normally done in the first year of the decade. So, returns were done in 1871, 1881, 1891 , and 1901. I checked the 1901 census for the correct province and county and, lo and behold, found my great-grandfather. His age was a perfect match.

The census return revealed a wealth of information concerning marital status, literacy, occupation, religion, and country of origin. Under marital status, he was listed as a widower.

Excited by the success, I now did a search in the 1881 census, when he was ten years younger . . .

To be continued . . .

Gary

The Secrets of Graveyards

Hi again,

After having confirmed data on dead ancestors from elderly living relatives, it is an excellent exercise to go visit the cemetery where they are laid to rest. Often, headstones can reveal interesting data such as birth and death dates, the full name of the individual(s), and, if you're lucky as I was, the place where he/she/they were born.

I was able to determine, for example, that two of my ancestors, whose particulars were inscribed on a large obelisk-style headstone, were born in Nigg, Ross-shire, Scotland. As well, their ages at death were given and the date they died. From all of that I was able to determine their birth years and exactly where they had come from in the old world.

Not far from them were grave markers for three young women, all in a row, with their full names, birth and death dates, and the comment that they had died from "consumption", or as we know it today - tuberculosis. Each of them had died in their twenties. What a sad time it must have been for their parents - my great-great-grandparents.

When I finished my visit to the old family cemetery, I came away with a wealth of factual knowledge and a very deep feeling for the hard times they must have experienced. I was now ready for the next step in fleshing out the data.

To be continued . . .

Gary

The Secret of Successful Genealogy Searching- One

Searching your family ancestry can be a very trying and harrowing experience, yet, with the right approach, it can be a completely exhilarating and exciting adventure.

How does one get started?

By far, the most important resource available to you is living relatives of your family line - the older, the better. They often have a recollection of the names, relations, and important facts about their parents, grandparents and, if you're lucky, great-grandparents. It's important to work with known facts, but keep any other relevant information in your notes as it may play a significant role later in your searches.

By tapping the elder's knowledge you should be able to determine where his/her parents, etc, lived, where they went to church and, where they were buried. In Canada, the province, county, town/village or rural community where your ancestors settled/lived is very important in establishing an anchor for further exploring. I was lucky, I was able to establish much of this information from my wise grandmother.

My next adventure took me to a small rural cemetery.

To be continued . . .

Gary

If You Are Curious About Your Scotch-Irish Past, Read This.

It took me a long time to figure out a curiosity that kept appearing on nineteenth century census returns that were connected to my ancestors. I knew full well that the patriarch of my family came from Nigg, Ross-shire, Scotland. However, when I searched the census returns of different decades, a pattern developed that indicated each of his children had been born in Ireland.

I thought perhaps the census taker had committed an error in transcribing the data since most of my early ancestors were listed as not being able to read or write. I later discovered that in the early waves of emigration that occurred as a result of the Scottish Highland Clearances, many of the uprooted families made it as far as Northern Ireland - which, for them was a long voyage, and settled there along with families and friends. Over time they were referred to as the Scotch-Irish.

The term stuck with them when most later emigrated to the New World.

Gary Ross

My First Post

Hi, I'm Gary and I'm new to blogging. I'm an author and originally from New Brunswick. My wife and I presently live in Ottawa where it can be bitterly cold in winter.