Of Severed Heads, Pronoun Wars and Canaries
An Italian neurosurgeon, Sergio Canavero, is planning to head up the first human body-head transplant, taking the head from a man, Valery Spiridonov, who is suffering from spinal muscular atrophy which confines him to a wheelchair, and putting it on the body of a ‘brain dead’ victim, I mean, donor.
There are so many issues with this prospective $128 million operation, involving apparently 100 surgeons: There has never been a successful head transplant in any animal (at least one that has been scientifically verified), to say nothing of humans. We cannot even reconnect the spinal cord within the same paralyzed victim, never mind connecting two different spinal cords together. And where are they going to get the ‘brain dead’ donor? How brain dead is he, or will he be, at a time convenient enough for a surgery? Why is not detaching the head from poor Mr. Spiridonov not considered at least attempted murder? This must be a hoax, or a publicity stunt, or Italians have gone insane, or all three.
Professor Jordan Peterson participated in a ‘debate’ on his refusal to use gender-fluid pronouns. If things proceeded as reported, with a series of emotional pleas, diatribe, ad hominem argumentation against the beleaguered professor, who responded with a rather reasoned defense, then Christie Blatchford is right, that it was not a ‘debate’ in any rational objective sense of the term. Dr. Peterson is fighting the good fight; not for religious reasons, it seems, but on purely rational grounds. Good for him, but I fear he is in an uphill battle. The whole zeitgeist is against reason and objectivity, and all with victim ideology, along with misguided, even unhinged, tolerance and compassion, which quickly turn evil. As I have written previously, by changing our words, they, the comptrollers of the zeitgeist, hope to change our thoughts and our notion of that quaint thing we used to call ‘reality’. The silver lining here is that the modern university is being exposed for what it is under its prim facade, a place of sycophants, quasi-illiterates, ideologues, a general morass of idiocy and coercion. Why, oh why, would anyone want to learn in that environment? Go, if you must, to ‘get a job’, but, like the political stables of which I wrote of late, the whole sorry and sad mess needs a good thorough Augean cleansing.
And speaking of politics, it turns out Hillary Clinton received a far wider margin of the popular vote in last week’s election, well over a million more than Trump. Ultimately, that matters not, for the electors are supposed to pull their handle according to the electoral votes, not necessarily representative of the popular vote, in the spirit of the republic which America is, or was, or hopes to remain. But we will see what the future holds when the official electoral vote is held, on December 8th I believe, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the patroness of the United States. Curious.
Alberta might be the canary in the coalmine for what is in store for Canada, as the once rich independent province is turning into a basket case, as the demand and price for oil continue to plummet throughout the world, and the demand for food and assistance increase in the former land of milk, honey and black gold. We in Ontario, of course, are living by and large on debt, with the Liberals doling out cash like candy, on ‘infrastructure’ and other numerous political pet projects too numerous to mention. And all Mr. Trudeau, Ms. Notely and Ms. Wynne can envision is a new ‘carbon tax’ to try to fill the vanishing coffers, a move that will only worsen the economic woes, especially now that Donald Trump, no fan of the climate change fiasco (although he is now singing an uncertain tune on that score) will keep America somewhat competitive. Mexico north, here we go…
But hope springs eternal, on this feast of Saint Caecelia, the patroness of music. So sing in your heart to God, and out loud if you can, for such lifts up the heart, and exalts the spirit. We really should sing more often, rather than just listen to music…
Carney’s Amoral Majority
After five defections – euphemistically described as ‘crossing the floor’ – and three by-elections, Mark Carney and his Liberals how have their coveted majority. One wonders what bowls of pottage were offered in back-room deals. In the archaic monarchical system that is the Dominion of Canada, this majority allows the newly-minted Prime Minister to rule[…]Continue reading→
Saint Kateri , Canada’s Protectress
This was the title given to Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, by Pope Benedict XVI, when he canonized her on October 28th, 2012, along with six others, in Saint Peter’ Square (she had been beatified by Pope John Paul II back in 1980). With Saint Joseph as our protector, along with the Canadian martyrs, we seem to[…]Continue reading→
A Closed, Unsustainable, Descending Loop
As a follow-up to my thoughts on Payette’s payout, here be a stark image of where are here in Canada. As the graph shows in, well, graphic terms, since 2025, the public sector has contributed to 95.5% of economic growth. The private sector – which funds the public sector, or is supposed to – has[…]Continue reading→
Remembering Father Alphonse de Valk
(Today marks the sixth anniversary of the death of Father Alphonse de Valk, C.S.B., a faithful, courageous and indefatigable Basilian priest, pro-life-and-family apostle, and the founder of Catholic Insight magazine. Here is what we wrote those on his entering into eternity five years ago, as we continue to remember him in our prayers and thoughts)[…]Continue reading→
A Tale of Two Benedicts
A grace-filled Holy Week to all our readers! As we await and prepare for the Resurrection about to dawn upon us, we might keep in mind two Benedicts: Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, requiescat in pace, elected on this day in 2005; and today’s commemoration of the mystic pilgrim, Benedict Joseph Labre, who died on this[…]Continue reading→
My Name is Bernadette
April 16th is a propitious day, for besides the anniversary of Father de Valk’s death, who founded Catholic Insight in its print form decades ago, and the commemoration of the ‘two Benedicts’, mentioned in accompanying posts, today we also recall Saint Bernadette Soubirous, the young visionary to whom the Virgin Mary appeared numerous times at[…]Continue reading→
Presidential Pardon of Weronika Krawczyk
As a good news, follow-up to our story from Poland, of the persecution of Weronika Krawczyk for her pro-life views, we heard that she has been granted a presidential pardon. One might still wonder why one needs a presidential pardon for simply holding the long-held belief that the child within the womb is a child,[…]Continue reading→
Saint Lydwina of Schiedam and Suffering Joyfully
Saint Lydwina of Schiedam (1380 – 1433) was one of the countless and glorious ‘victim souls’ in the history of the Church, those whose lives are filled with suffering, often of an unimaginable intensity, but who suffer joyfully. She was a fifteen-year old Dutch girl, out skating one day, when she fell and broke one[…]Continue reading→
The Glorious Martyrdoms of Martin and Maximus
As we enter into Eastertide, we recall on this 13th of April Pope Saint Martin I (+655), one of the noblest, if most tragic, of the successors of Saint Peter. Born in Umbria, Italy, he was of noble lineage, with great intelligence combined with charity and love of the poor and the Church. While still[…]Continue reading→
Canonizing Sister Faustina and Divine Mercy
HOMILY OF THE HOLY FATHER MASS IN ST PETER’S SQUARE FOR THE CANONIZATION OF SR MARY FAUSTINA KOWALSKA Sunday, 30 April 2000 1. “Confitemini Domino quoniam bonus, quoniam in saeculum misericordia eius”; “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his steadfast love endures for ever” (Ps 118: 1). So the Church sings on the Octave of[…]Continue reading→