My writing career and New Year’s Resolutions

Posted on January 4, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Would a million people read my book if I wrote one

Dear Mike,

Thanks for writing and best wishes to you in the land of the longest night.

I’m writing up a storm as usual. Someone asked me if I would write a book instead of blogging. I might but this satisfies half of a writer’s need for love.

Last year I broke my previous records with like 290,000 readers, 2.2 million pages read and 8 million hits. Would that many people read a book I wrote? I don’t think so.

My sort-of-brother in law publishes and once he gets passed 50 friends, it’s a slog to sell a 1,000 copies. I would be depressed schlepping books near the remainder bins at Chapters or, should I be so lucky, Borders.

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London’s “Night Stalker” was Jehovah’s Witness

Posted on November 18, 2009 by Stephen Pate

Remanded: Delroy Grant leaves Greenwich Magistrates Court in South London photo: MailOnline

Alleged rapist and criminal Delroy Grant looked after disabled wife

Since 1992 London police have been looking for the masked man who raped, assaulted and robed more than 100 elderly women and men.

Wearing a balaclava, he would attack single people living alone and left only his DNA. He would torture and threaten his victims over four or five hours shining a light in their faces and beating them,

On Monday morning Delroy Grant, 52, appeared in Magistrates Court to answer 22 charges of rape and indecent assault. He said little other than his name.

Grant was arrested Sunday morning based on good old police work and forensic science. He was in his car late at night in Shirley, Croyden not far from where he lived in Brockley.

While he left no fingerprints, he did leave DNA samples that identified him as someone from the Windward Islands in the Caribbean.

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Gram and her Sid

Posted on November 5, 2009 by Stephen Pate

Pottie's at Mary's wedding - Jimmy, Sid, Pops, Eddie, Cam, Clary (dad), Mary, Gram, Charlie, Margaret, Pat and Johnny

Growing up hidden Acadian in Halifax

(updated)

This is a follow up to a reader’s comment on My uncle Sid. One family story leads to another.

My grand-mère was as strict an Acadian Catholic as God made. Half Scottish and half Acadian from Arichat, Isle Madame, Cape Breton, she would use Gaelic when angry.

I remember rabbit pie on the stove at home in Halifax, which amazingly which gets honorary mention in an Ecole Buote lesson plan.

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Quote of the day

Posted on October 26, 2009 by Stephen Pate

It struck me that Iran is run by an Islamic equivalent to radical Jehovah’s Witnesses. Ahmadinejad believes that when the Twelfth Imam returns from his centuries long exile (no, he is not dead) that everything will be alright. The Clerics are upset because this means they will all get beheaded. The end is nigh. Lillith-Stuff

Pedophiles hide out in Catholic Church, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Pentecostals

Posted on October 20, 2009 by Stephen Pate

Ex-bishop Raymond Lahey, caught with child porn on multile computers was protected by Church

RC Bishop Raymond Lahey, caught with child porn on multiple computers was protected by Church

Pedophiles are attracted to professions and volunteer in places where child victims are plentiful

I sick at heart over the revelations that revered leaders of the Roman Catholic Church are either pedophiles or harboring them. But Bishop Lahey is the tip of the iceberg on this story. Pedophiles are being discovered among other religious leaders as well.

Bishop Lahey’s computer had hundreds of child porn images, police allege says the Globe and Mail. Settlements with abused boys has almost bankrupted Catholic diocese in Nova Scotia, Boston and all over North America.

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Jehovah’s Witness perform ritual circumcision on 4 year old

Posted on October 17, 2009 by Stephen Pate

JW dad convicted for botched circumcision on son

A BC man was convicted of criminal negligence causing bodily harm when he tried to circumcise his four year old son.

He told the court he learned how to perform a circumcision on the Internet.

“The bizarre case centered on a battle over the religious freedoms of the former Jehovah’s Witness, who was trying to follow a literal interpretation of the Bible after a series of misfortunes hit his family.” CBC

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If Columbus didn’t discover America

Posted on October 12, 2009 by Stephen Pate

New Argyle Road in autumn, which has nothing to do with the story

It is better to be thankful for the unexpected

Today is Thanksgiving in Canada. In the States it is Columbus Day so Yanks can be thankful old Christopher Columbus found this place or we might be somewhere else.

Imagine if Columbus didn’t discover America looking for China, there would be no rock and roll. There would be no blues, no jazz, no Niagara Falls to wonder at and no Florida to retire to when we get old.

The Grand Canyon would just be sitting there without helicopters to swoop in and take gut churning videos. Hollywood movie stars would be up in the sky above La Brea tar pits. Toronto would still be an native word and Canada would be a village.

So thanks to Columbus for putting my parents on a collision course and me being here. And you being where you are with whomever you are with.

I am thankful to God who keeps me and all the people I’ve met who helped me out. I hope I was good back to them.

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Serena Williams another sensation at Kingdom Hall

Posted on October 8, 2009 by Stephen Pate

Serena Williams

Controversial tennis star looking for attention from Jehovah’s Witnesses with ESPN cover

“you can take Serena out of Compton but u cant take the Compton out of Serena. She showed her ass ON the court, now she’s showing her ass OFF the court…LITERALLY! Is this sum kinda peace offering 4 da fans 4 threat’n the line judge? Wuts next, Playboy? Video HOE’n? Tiger hit the BILLION DOLLA mark & ain’t even take a dayum shirt off. U got talent, money, fame/fortune…WTF? Common aint givin yo ass NO ATTENTION?! Shout-out to Kindom Hall. Come & get your Jehovah’s Witness cause she’s ova here backsliding…BUTTNAKED!” Average.bro.com

ESPN will hit the newsstands tomorrow with a bold cover of Serena Williams in her black, almost nude glory.

If the public cussing she gave the tennis linesman last month wasn’t enough, the cover should pretty well get Williams a meeting with her local Elders. Not a good month for the JWs

The foul language and temper are one thing. Nudity is a big no-no for JWs who are pretty priggish about sex, their bodies and most of life’s more real elements.

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The Lord in my Shepherd I shall not want

Posted on September 19, 2009 by Stephen Pate

Never underestimate the power of spirituality in keeping things on the sunny side

Spirituality and culture define who we are, what we believe in and our value system. They strengthen us in times of trial and Lord knows life is full of trouble.

My spirituality was formed by a deeply religious Jehovah’s Witness mother, Roman Catholic funerals, and the culture that swirled around me. Nothing resonates deeper than the 23rd Psalm -”The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want.”

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What is more wacko than Michael Jackson the devout Jehovah’s Witness

Posted on July 3, 2009 by Stephen Pate

Nothing more wacko than Michael Jackson the devout Jehovah's Witness

Poor Michael never grew up and forgot his childhood religion

The current discussion – is Michael a JW or Muslim – is part of the minutiae of Michael Jackson’s life but also explains his inability to grow up. Psychologists say that health childhood development involves leaving your parents, especially the mother, behind and forming your own personality. Michael Jackson spent a lifetime becoming rich and famous with a choke collar on him from his domineering JW mother. He wouldn’t be the first, just one of the more famous men to who never were more than little boys to their mothers.

Leslie Gornstein Leslie Gornstein – Thu Jul 2, 3:41 pm ET Los Angeles (E! Online)

Other fans are asking me similar questions, but instead wondering whether Michael Jackson’s funeral may be Muslim. See, in 2007, his brother Jermaine Jackson told the media that Michael had shown interest in the religion, and there was brief speculation that Jackson converted from Jehovah’s Witness to Islam.

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Why was Michael Jackson so weird?

Posted on June 30, 2009 by Stephen Pate

Fundamentalist religion, abusive childhood and fame make a strange cocktail

Michael Jackson, other wordly image by Daniel Nieves

With story from BBC – updated October 10, 2011

“Any of us have less than perfect personalities and upbringing. The pressure cooker of fame and stardom along with virtually unlimited wealth can and do let those demons out.”

Michael Jackson was a super talent, in the same league as Elvis and the Beatles. Like great artists he had a peak in his career and then a long decline of lesser work. During the decline he was rich beyond the means of most people and indulged in a weird and rumored deviant life for the past two decades.
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