From the Citizen Kane of Christmas specials

Linus lays it on the line about the true meaning of Christmas.  Even as a non-believer, I couldn't escape the perfection in this stilted, childish, amateurish production.  The writing, the plot, the atmosphere, the iconic images, frozen lakes, Christmas tree lots, old time school auditoriums, the fantastic build up and climactic recital of the Christmas story, and of course the beyond classic musical score. 

A couple things.  As I've pointed out, our 'war' on Christmas has been a long time coming.  Charlie Brown's struggles show that this was already embedded in our culture in the glory days of those wonder years gone by.  While much has been made of Schultz's own spiritual walk, that by the end he considered himself a secular humanist (though many who knew him suggested this was out of context of his rather complex mixture of faith and skepticism - which the next year's classic "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" would aptly illustrate), it's clear that at this moment in time, Schultz was letting young Linus speak for all believers including himself.

In college, I picked up a TV Guide Christmas special rating the great Christmas Programs.  This was near the bottom of the top five.  Why?  Guess.  It was TV Guide.  Too much of that religion stuff, unlike the so much cooler "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (I also love), which, as the writer pointed out, avoided being too religious.  I still remember that.  Too religious? Agnostic though I was, I knew it was all based on the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus.  I may not have believed it, but I knew it.  How troubling it was that we could look at a clear fact and want to deny it simply because we wanted to deny it.  We were supposed to be the rationale ones!  Ah, but that is for another post.

For now, enjoy the wonderful diction of the youngster reading the KJV of Luke 2, and capture some of that magical, spiritual boost that even I felt all those years ago in my most fervent secularism.  Fun note: Linus drops his blanket when he says "fear not, for behold..."  The only time, to that point, he willingly drops his blanket - which throughout the special he goes to great lengths to defend.  It's also worth noting that Schultz had a difficult time convincing the higher ups to leave the Scripture reading in.  I've always wondered why, since we are told that even at that point in American history, we were still this button down, W.A.S.P. society.  Who would have cared?  Makes you wonder.  Don't think I don't!  Anyway, here is Linus, doing what Linus was drawn to do:

A serious story about how the holidays can kill us

So naturally we are warned, as we have been every day for a month, to resist overindulging, to watch our waistlines, to eat sparingly, drink moderately (to those that would apply to), live moderately.  Basically, go into the holidays with discipline, order, control, and the ever present worry that one more bite just may be your last.

Wouldn't it be cool if our experts spent as much time telling us to stop with the sexual promiscuity since that can kill you, too?  Just a little bit?  I mean, mention that there is some stuff you can do to decrease the chances of getting an incurable disease or dying, but the best bet is living a life of chastity until you find that single person with whom you wish to spend your life.  Especially over the holiday season when light hearted merriment may lead to more than you expect.

But no.  We just keep hearing about how everything else - football, video games, TV, food, drink, clothes, cars, cell phones, and any one of a billion other things - can and will kill us, so our only hope is to sit in the corner and nibble at our half empty plates.  Or indulge in endless orgiastic sexual encounters, which you never hear any of our 'experts' complain about.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: When I hear our medical and health experts devote as much time to harnessing in the disastrous sexual revolution, then I'll be more likely to pay attention to all the panic and concern over everything else they warn us about.

War on Christmas Korea style

So South Korea has a Christmas tree lit up along the DMZ.  And this is a provocative act.  Why is it a provocative act?  Because North Korea is founded upon the idea that religion is bad and evil and societies - like North Korea - that embrace atheism will be where all the brights go to live out their Utopian dreams:

"North Korea, officially atheist and with only a handful of sanctioned churches in Pyongyang with services for foreigners, warned that lighting the tree would constitute a "dangerous, rash act" with the potential to trigger a war."

Just like they have in China and just like they did in the USSR.  The sad thing?  Despite such obvious contradictions to the 'imagine no religion' mantra of the progressive movement, many still believe ridding ourselves of that pesky religious stuff is a key to peace and joy to all. 

Separation of Christianity from State

Because when we say Separation of Church and State, what we really mean is separation of traditional Christian orthodoxy from public practice in America.  I know, yoga is some strange fuzzy line that some say can be practiced sans religion.  Of course this has much to do with the fact that our notion of religion is heavily influenced by Christianity.  When the SCOTUS made its decision, you can't help but feel it had visions of tent revivals and Catholic masses dancing in its collective head.  So when some eastern, mystical practice comes along, even though we are assured that the purity of our government can never be stained by the slightest religious influence, we have no problem with tax money going to promote a practice based on eastern spiritual disciplines by way of our government bureaucracy. 

He who lives by the Wikileaks

Shall die by the leaks.  My heart breaks.

Could Nina Totenberg

please explain just what we are supposed to forgive?  RealClearPolitics has the set up. Oh brother.  And yet we continue to boast how we are such an advanced, enlightened, and tolerant society. 

And here's Mr. Heat Miser

Just to let you know I don't play favorites!  Trivially speaking, George S. Irving was able to reprise his role for the strange, sad little sequel in 2008. 

Some frivolity with Snow Miser

Having a hard time focusing on blogging right now.  With all the buzz and excitement increasing as Christmastide draws near, it's getting hard to sort through all the worthy stories out there. So to give myself a breather and collect some thoughts for later, here's to dancing with the Snow Miser.  Let's face it, these two fellows are the ONLY reason to watch this inane thing - but boy are they great reasons!  Here's the late, great Dick Shawn hamming it up behind the puppetry and animation:

Military Services Archbishop Timothy Broglio

Addresses the repeal of Don't Ask/Don't Tell.  Of course DADT was doomed to defeat, not because history marches forward, but because all civilizations must ultimately fail.  Does that mean I think homosexuality is killing Western Civilization?  No. I merely notice that the multiple beliefs and ideologies that must exist in order to accept homosexuality in a once Christian society have not done any good for the only other civilization to replace Christianity with those values needed to accept homosexuality.  Because of that, I have little confidence that the United States will fair any better.

Lt. Dan Choi's take on the repeal of Don't Ask/Don't tell

In his own words, bravely written for the hostile audience at the Huffington Post.  Lt. Dan has been one of the most visible advocates for this, as one could imagine.  He was one of 13,000 or so troops discharged over the years since the law was passed.  He is understandably elated at this latest bold step toward an enlightened nation that is the post-Christian United States.

But take a look at how he explains John McCain's warnings that doing this in the middle of a war could lead to problems, something other military leaders have suggested:

"I denounce the fear-mongering of John McCain and others who do our
country a grave disservice by their bigotry and calcified retardation.
His outlandish remarks that justice will result in amputations
demonstrates the ridiculousness of his entire argument. His silliness
proves the fight for justice has no real logical debate; you are on
one side or the other. John McCain, you are on the wrong side of
history. Your feet wade in the toxic septic waste of rabid
hate-mongers who perpetuate America's injustice. It is your argument
that has been amputated today; your claims have no legs to stand."

Ya get that?  Bigotry and calcified retardation?  Toxic septic waste of rabid hate-mongers who perpetuate America's injustice?  Yeah, that's right, this is from the movement born of an age that was all about live and let live, embrace diversity, respect differing opinions no matter how offensive (and if you were offended by diverse opinions, most often you were the problem). 

You get the feeling that there are other agendas for which gay rights is merely a tool, an instrument?  Something has to be there.  For the language that would have been used to denounce a person who supported homosexuality or embraced homosexuality 60 years ago could not have been as inflammatory as that.  Which goes to show you, there is no liberal and conservative, there is, as Lt. Dan said, only two sides: and if you don't fully support the gay rights movement, you are on the wrong side.  For Lt. Dan is 100% sure that he is 100% right and his truth is the only Truth (TM) that demands conformity and obedience and legal support (and if you run with Anderson Cooper, you'll realize it also demands appropriate punishment for those who fail to conform or keep quiet).  Thus is the farce of the promises and ideals of the early gay rights movement.  Those who said it was a farce and a lie then were right.  And the rhetoric and designs of the modern gay rights movement show why.

Ronald McDonald is under arrest!

Not really, but in yet another volley by a mentally vacant culture, the impressive sounding Center for Science and the Public Interest has said that a culture that worships science has no room for freedom of choice (unless, of course, that choice is to abort babies).  Therefore, McDonalds is being sued for not obeying its demands to stop aiming food for children at children. A society where parents are smart enough to guide their children to healthy eating habits can't exist in such an enlightened and sophisticated time, so lawsuits are called for.  Anyone get the irony of a generation that sees itself so intellectually superior to any others that have come before and yet is gobsmacked by the notion that a fast food chain will promote its products to every member of the market?  Of course, the Center for Science and the Public Interest can now move on to music and television and films that aim sex, drugs, and other destructive behaviors like a laser beam at our young'uns.  I'm sure that's on their docket.  For now, I get the feeling this, like so much of the 'oh no, we're all fat!' crisis we're hearing about is really designed to keep our eyes off the disastrous record of our liberal sexual permissive generation. After all, when your promised value system leads to the death and suffering of tens of millions of human beings, ya gotta do something to keep the eyes off the ball.

The Great American Guilt

Walter Rogers, for the Christian Science Monitor, bothers to ask just why it is we Americans are increasingly scared to utter the phrase 'Merry Christmas.'  He gets it.  The money quote of the article is:

"But there can be no true religious coexistence within a culture as long as one sect feels duty bound to cower."

That's good.  That's very good.  Too many Americans/Christians feel the way to best reach across the aisle is to fall on our hands and knees and grovel; to dispense with our cherished traditions and ideals in the name of coexistence.  As any adult knows, you may get a sort of half hearted friendship with someone who is happy to be the dominant person in the relationship, but you'll never have their respect.

It's telling that when we seek to ban or censor in the name of liberal tolerance, it's often for groups who themselves have not called for such restrictions.  As story after story comes from various parts of Europe about the need to eradicate all references to Christian thought, mostly in the unspoken name of Islam, it's interesting that Muslims often come out and insist they want no such thing.

Of course, like many things, it's actually part of a revolutionary movement to eradicate the Christian foundations of Western culture.  Those calling for censorship of Christian expression in the name of tolerance most likely just want censorship.  They simply have to find a reason that sounds justifiable, as all tyranny in history has had to do.  But kudos for Mr. Rogers for calling a spade a spade, and seeing the ludicrousness behind the idea that we should be afraid to say Merry Christmas when referring to a celebration of that December 25th holiday.

A Day at the Nutcracker 2010

We missed last year due to the arrival of our new bambino, but this year decided to break form by separating the family a bit.  We simply concluded we couldn't hold our older boys away from things because the youngest is too young.  So with our young'un in the caring hands of aunts and grandparents, we went back to the Nutcracker this year.  As always, BalletMet Columbus put on a spectacular performance, well beyond the expectations of a group in such a destitute part of the country.  The audience, unfortunately, was just what you would expect from such a destitute part of the country.  It was actually amazing to watch as the zeal and passion of the dancers began to wane as the audience continued to sit, and sit, and sit, and do nothing but sit some more.  Interaction is the lifeblood of the live performance, something most there today apparently were unaware of.  Anyway, we had fun, got to wander around the bleak and desolate cityscape of what was once a thriving downtown Columbus, Ohio.  The streets were empty, the sidewalks bare despite being the last Saturday before Christmas.  This, of course, owing to the demolition of the City Center, a shopping mega-complex built only within my adult memory.  Anyhoo, we wandered around, saw the inside of our state house, marveled at the empty streets that felt like an episode of The Walking Dead, and generally indulged in some spiritual renewal at our diocesan cathedral.  We expect to bring our youngest back down to see a most spectacular life size nativity display that allows you to walk among the figures and sets.  Oh, and we managed to get a few pictures of the always cool boys, showing their distinct characters and tendency to warm up to some very slick fashions.  See you all soon, I'll pop in now and then between all the other fun and joyful things we'll be doing between now and January 3.  Happy Fourth Sunday of Advent!

Oh, and just because we can't be too separated, here's one of his most cute young'un himself:

The military now can don its gay apparel!

The Senate, illustrating the meaning of life in the Gay Generation, has repealed Don't Ask/Don't Tell.  For the record, I always knew it was a ludicrous and superficial law, the same type that marked so much of Bill Clinton's legacy: Photo Op with no substance.  But today, it illustrates the power and influence that the Gay Rights movement has on a dying and decaying civilization. 

Like Europe, that is quickly descending down the sewer of history, America is following suite.  While immigration reform lags, an economy sputters, and nuclear treaties flounder, our good senators demonstrate that in the Gay Generation, only issues that exist below the waste-line are worth considering.

And like our reluctance to throw everything into combating AIDS in the 80s lest we offend the gay community, this time the decision was made despite serious concerns by military commanders that this could create problems, even death, even defeat for our military, and hence our country.  But as we've made clear, as year after year we continue to promote homosexuality and all other forms of post-Christian sexuality despite such inconvenient phenomena as the AIDS pandemic, which to date has killed more people than Hitler or Stalin, homosexual rights comes first.  A little thing like dead soldiers or defeated nations is small potatoes next to a culture that promises unfettered libido satisfaction to all.

And like Europe, where sex and drugs are free but increasingly every other liberty or freedom is being challenged, especially the freedom of that pesky old religion stuff, America is plowing its own row to a land where in sex all is liberty, in everything else oppression. 

Yes, Homosexuality is the defining topic of our age, because it defines us.  It shows where our priorities are, it shows what our values are, where our priorities are, and it aptly gives a brief glimpse into the future of our ending.  For we don't have the excuse of Europe.  We see now where its values - or lack thereof - have gotten it.  But instead of learning, we would rather live in a society where we can glean the benefits of a sexually saturated culture, sure that any ill effects will no doubt affect everyone else, and leave us to our own orgasmic satisfaction.  Well done congress, you're everything we've come to expect from a government that represents us.

If science is the post-modern religion

Then it's becoming a fundamentalist sect.  A scientist who blasphemed the gospel of Darwinism and atheist thought was ousted from consideration despite overwhelming qualifications for the post of director of the new observatory at the University of Kentucky.  To illustrate how many post-moderns and new atheists are brushing off the old book of bigotry from days gone by, check out the comments and the various takes on 'we don't serve your kind' from the 'enlightened brights'. 

Christmas the Christian way

Skeptics and cynics and atheists galore often criticize the modern, sanitized version of Christmas.  They rail against such namby-pamby Currier and Ives visions of family, fireplaces, presents, and feasts when compared to the suffering of the world and the terrors therein. 

Ironically, they're almost right.  Such charming, safe and happy portrayals are not the entire Christmas story the way Christianity tells it.  Sadly, some versions have come close, particularly in certain modern manifestations of Protestant Christianity.  Just a couple years ago, churches canceled services so their members could embrace Norman Rockwell's vision of what Christmas is all about.  But they shouldn't have, and here's why.  Christmas, the actual story, is a joyful story mixed with pain. 

For the actual Christmas story is one of great joy and untold suffering. This is often missed, or ignored, yet it is affirmed in loud voices by the historical liturgical Calendars of the Catholic and Orthodox traditions.  What comes fast on the heals of Christmas?  Why the Feast of Christianity's first martyr, St. Stephen (as in, on the Feast of Stephen).  And then?  The feast of the the Holy Innocents, that troubling part where Herod orders the death of the innocents in order to snuff out the life of this pretender to the throne. As Mark Shea wryly points out, "Your average Best Christmas Pageant Ever doesn't tend to include a scene where a bunch of kids in plastic armor march on stage and then begin to methodically dismember a clutch of baby dolls."

And he is right.  The Christmas story, the real one, is filled with ups and downs that eventually lead to the greatest up of all, our salvation.  Too often we pay lip service at best, which can cause us to forget that if we are in a funk now, it's so that someday we will be lifted up - even if we can't see how at the time.  Read more of Mark's excellent post on how fear and scary stories are integral to getting Christmas right.  And remember that when it comes to Christmas, those scary ghost stories we sing about are in many ways more appropriate than the warmest, coziest Hallmark moment.  Both can have their place of course, but only when they are both included.  That way Christmas becomes what it is, a telling of the story of our salvation, one that promises us no matter how bad things may seem, someday they will achieve their ultimate good.

'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.'

If the fullness of time happened today!

What blogging will be like over Christmastide and the remainder of Advent

As should be clear to my merry horde of regulars by now, blogging is starting to wind down for the year.  One big reason is the need to advance my career, and hopefully come the first of the year I will get news that a position I very much pray for will come my way.  Prayers for that would be appreciated.  Also, some big family decisions relative to my father's failing health and my mother as caregiver could also use some prayers.

In the meantime, the really big part of keeping our kids happy and carefree while we pray and fret and pray some more must be maintained.  So as time creeps ever closer to the joyous celebration of the birth of our Lord, less and less time will be there fore other important things, like blogging. 

We will spend time making merry, decorating trees, watching specials, cooking dinners (maybe a Medieval Feast this year focusing on a Christmas goose!), and generally being lazy and lounging and enjoying all that God has blessed us with.  For though times have been tough for us, I'm aware of the fact that many others have been hit harder, and we have much to thank God for.  No matter what happens come the first of the year, God has been good to us, and there are many in the world who would settle for a scrap of what I too often complain about.

In addition, we will try to have oodles of hours wiled away in such frivolous pursuits as keeping up with exercising, mastering Wii games meant to make us look stupid, and teaching our boys the gracious art of loosing, of which I am master.  Being board game fans, we will have plenty to do as the temperatures drop in accordance with Global Warming Climate Change, and will expect to see plenty of scenes like this:

No, it's not me and the boys laying in ambush and attacking a convoy of some left over German assault troops, it's the closest thing to a hobby my tight schedule will allow me, the always wonderful intro to wargamming club that anyone who has ever wondered about the hobby can easily master: 

Check out the link to Flames of War along the sidebar.  It's both hobby and fun game, so fun even my ever increasingly cool wife has jumped on board with it (and dutifully beat the stuffing out of our boys at least once so far).

There will be other games, school performances, parties, seeing lights, visiting the ol'symbol of Wall Street while spending more time focused on the real St. Nicholas, and generally enjoying the fact that for Catholics, you never need say, come 7:30 PM, Dec. 25, that it's all over for another year.  Nope.  For Catholics, it's only the beginning.

So I'll be around, just not much.  In case we miss each other, check by when you can, I'll do the same, and have a Happy Advent and wonderful and blessed Christmas season. 

More awesomeness

Courtesy of the Maker of Heaven and Earth.  Simply click on this link, see what makes scientists cool, and enjoy the videos that just scream out 'O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.'

Is homosexual skin thinner than condoms?

In another reminder that all speech is free unless gay groups say otherwise, some International Gay Rights groups are condemning the statements of FIFA president Sepp Blatter.  After choosing to have the World Cup in Qatar despite some pretty dismal human rights records, Blatter suggested homosexuals refrain from sex while visiting the games.  Homosexuality is, after all, punishable by death.  For some reason homosexuals have gotten on him like white on rice.  I'm not sure why.  You'd think they would be pissed off at Qatar and saying how horrible it is that such a warning must be given.  But apparently they thought they detected a slight sense of humor behind his statements, and where there is homosexuality, there is no humor.  Like so much of progressivism, unless it has to do with bodily functions or trashing religion, nothing is to be laughed at again. In addition, there are few things beyond one celled organisms with so thin of skin as the modern homosexual. So apologies are being demanded, and no doubt will be received.