Save our Christmas traditions

Go Green! That's right.  Just when you thought Global Warming had threatened everything there is to threaten, we learn that the three kings of Orient Asia are going to lose their beloved frankincense in the upcoming years.  Why?  Global Warming of course.  I mean Global Climate Change.  No, that's Climate Disruption.  Oh heck, everything in the weather proves it's right, so we better worry.

I have three areas of history that I have studied

The revolutionary period of the late 18th/early 19th century.  The Middle Ages, with particular emphasis on northern Europe in the High Middle Ages.  And WWII.  The last is what got me into history in the first place.  Since I had so many relatives who served in that war, it was natural that I would be fascinated by that period.  I tended to focus on the Pacific more than Europe.  And of all battles, campaigns, and topics, my number one go-to-when-I-have-a-report-to-do subject was Pearl Harbor.  I don't mind saying, there's not much out there about the attack I haven't seen, studied, or read (until recent years, I must admit), and I can give an impromptu talk at a museum to fellow costumers with the  best of them.  That's also why I laugh at all the silly conspiracy theories, by the way.

So it came as a shock to see this article stating that a famous photo of Japanese women manning fire hoses after the attack was, in fact, not true.  It was a real photo, but apparently taken much later - or so the surviving woman in the photo believes.  Now, is that the shock?  No.  What shocked me was that the photo existed.  Again, I've studied, read, bought books, magazines, articles, and documents on the topic.  I've done reports, essays, and projects centered on the topic.  I've seen just about every photo I thought there was to see.  Yet the article says this:

"The photograph has had quite the run through the history books."

I don't know.  Never saw it before now.  Of course I pretty much ignore the [Non]History Channel at this point, so if it's there I wouldn't see it.  I'm just taken that the article assumes "why, this photo was everywhere" when, in truth, after the hundreds of books and articles I've read, and the endless lists of photos I've seen, this was the first.

It says something, that's for sure.  Maybe no matter how much we think we know, there's always something out there we've missed.  Or maybe the press has a tendency to over-inflate things in order to continually promote narratives and memes of its choosing.  Or a combination of both.  Makes me wonder, don't think I don't.

Dr. Peter Ruckman

And a devoted fan help demonstrate why I became Catholic.  Peter Bradley unpacks the book and points out its more obvious flaws.  He rightly observes that it belongs to a hopefully bygone era of Archie Bunker style bigotry, racism, and prejudice that, sadly, informed far too many congregations over the years.  I'm sure there are Catholics who are just as bad.  Muslims in their own ways.  Jews perhaps.  Atheists even.  I don't pretend that one group has a monopoly on evil thoughts and actions.  But it's still telling that many ideals Protestants have about the Catholic Church are rooted in such flagrant bigotry and ignorance of the historical record.   Most, of course, wouldn't be caught dead defending such ideals, but have grown comfortable enjoying the watered down fruits of it nonetheless.  Then again, based on responses to Mr. Bradley's review, it looks like there's still some out there who worship at the 'only Church God loves' congregation of bigotry and ignorance.  Not to mention some milk-out-the-nose hilarity at mangling and mauling the history of the early Christian Church.  Sigh.

One small step for common sense

One giant step for a better generation.  Here we have the US Bishops giving high-fives to Kathleen Sebelius for trumping the decision to allow little girls the chance to get the infamous 'morning after' pill, the only purpose of which is to end pregnancies after sex, over the counter.   Many striving to reduce humanity to its lowest animal form are, naturally, objecting.  We have to get our kids to be more worthless than us, after all, or we might actually end up being history's worst generation!  But for now, common sense, common decency, and human dignity have prevailed.  Strike one for President Obama. 

How can we take racism seriously

When the charge of racism is used as often as the English definite article?  I've long maintained that someone who exploits racism for gain is no better than a racist.  This is particularly true because I can't help but get the feeling that people who obviously have it in mind to use racism for their own agendas might be inclined to want to see racism continue. 

This is, of course, difficult to prove, and can only be maintained in the area of 'hunch.'  Proving ulterior motives is, as we all know, next to impossible.  Plus, racism is the opposite side of the 'only thing Americans care about' coin (the other being sex).  As far as American popular meme is concerned, all evil is racism and if it ain't racism, it's not that important.  Therefore it's all around us like the air we breath.

Nevertheless, after the first three years of President Obama's term, it's not hard to see two things.  First, there are obviously still racists in America.  Second, there are obviously people who exploit racism for various - in this case political - agendas.  Has some of the rhetoric and images tossed at President Obama been racist?  You bet.

But on the other side, have there been obvious attempts to exploit racism in order to shut down debate and advance various topics and legislation?  Oh yeah.  So here we have an editorial cartoon portraying President Obama as a skunk.  Not particularly imaginative.  But nothing unusual.  That sort of things goes back to the beginning of the office.  Look at cartoons of presidents over the years.  Many of them have been far from flattering.  I grew up in the 1980s, and I can assure you that many of the portrayals of Reagan were far worse than this.

Still, it's in our blood to be offended when such images are applied to people we like, so it's not surprising that President Obama's supporters would not like the characterization.  But racist?  How is it racist?*  It's to make a point.  Now I might be inclined to consider that it could be racist if it weren't for the fact that almost every non-flattering cartoon, almost every criticism of President Obama or his policies has been called racist for the last three years.  And just like the endless attacks against Bill Clinton by the Republicans in the 90s eventually eroded the Republicans' credibility, I'm afraid I've heard the boy cry racist one too many times.

Racism is a problem.  Naturally.  It probably always will be.  But exploiting it, using it, even, dare I suppose, encouraging it just to score political points is no better.  Not just because of the chance of keeping racism alive and well, but also because once you've heard it a million times, and then a million more tomorrow, eventually it loses its punch.  And that, we all know, is just when the issue raises its head in the worst possible way, only to find a public that has grown apathetic about the entire topic.

*I admit I haven't seen the actual cartoon, but that's the result of crying wolf every time someone criticizes the President.  I assume, at this point, that the charge of racism is simply political expediency, not based on reality.

Alec Baldwin reminds me that it's not easy having respect for celebrities

I'm sure everyone heard the news.  American Airlines has a policy about cell phones.  Baldwin ignored the policy.  Baldwin was removed, acted like a spoiled child, and then appeared on SNL to do what SNL does: mock those who challenge its prepubescent sensibilities.  Funny?  Not really.  Most of SNL isn't really that funny, at least IMO.  I never thought it was.  I always found most of its skits to be 'I laugh because everyone else does and it's expected.'  But really.  I mean, this is the stuff a middle school student does because he gets caught cheating on a test and doesn't have the maturity to own up to his actions. 

It just reminds me that celebrities in our culture are treated like the aristocracy of old.  And apparently, not a few of them expect such treatment.  Naturally, Yahoo News gushes over the stellar performance of Baldwin and rejoices in the mockery of an airline employee who failed to genuflect to the obvious superiority of our noble class. 

Macy's fires religious type to demonstrate diversity

Yep, a boy wanted to change clothes in a women's dressing room.  A backward thinking employee (one of those religious types), thought that since he was a boy, he should change in, you know, the men's dressing rooms.  Macy's did the only logically post-modern thing: they fired the employee to maintain the holiday spirit.  Today, diversity means letting any sexual deviancy be tolerated, if not demanding that it be celebrated.  Religion has got to go, unless it converts to the post-heterosexual gospel.  Those who don't?  That's where the Glorious Censorship steps in.  A few commenters catch the wave and remind us of this fact:  

"Transgender people do exist. 2. This is why religion is a load of #$%$ 3. Fire her. 4. Thanks Macy's!"

"Kudos to Macy's for kicking this cretin to the curb. If Jesus is helping you make your workplace decisions, let him also throw in some cash when it comes time to pay the rent. Until then, I suggest that all Jesus enthusiasts follow their employer's rules instead of their sock puppet savior's."

It's nice that the post-modern secular left is coming out of the closet and admitting what they want.  Anyone who still believes in the fairy tales of tolerance, diversity, and open mindedness?  Please, let me know.  I have a few bridges to sell you.  Hopefully people of traditional faiths will wake up before it's too late, if it isn't already.

The Glorious Censorship: In all things sex, drugs and bathroom humor, absolute freedom and protected liberties without consequence.  In everything else, government control, censorship, oppression and the eradication of wrongthink for the eternal praise of our hedonism and libidos.

Rewriting history the post-American way

One of the trademarks of post-American thinking is that America was so worthless, so racist, so evil, so bad and wrong about everything, that the world will be a happier place once it's out of the picture.  To buttress this notion, we learn that every culture, civilization, racial stock, and nation that wasn't Anglo-American was, in fact, superior in every way.

First on that little tablet was, of course, the switching of labels that occurred with the colonists, settlers, and Native Americans.  In this, we learned that there were indeed bloodthirsty savages, brutal barbaric murderers who couldn't be trusted, whose only meat and drink were lies and lust for carnage, and whose demise any person of a true heart must obviously desire.  Naturally, there were the heroes, the pure and honest champions of virtue, tolerance, love, and honesty opposing these subhuman creatures of the night.  Same basic story, we just switched the name tags around.  Now we know it was really the European settlers all the time who were liars, thieves, murderers, savages, environment haters, and religious types.  The Indians were, in fact, as close to perfection as one can ever get (really, have you ever heard a representative of an American Indian tribe say that tribe was wrong or to blame for anything?). 

Now, we have the next edition of this trend.  For we find that not just the American Indians, but in fact all non-Anglo Americans were superior, and have a tale to tell.  In this little PBS story (a major proponent of the post-American curriculum), we learn that Billy the Kid was actually quite the hero to Mexicans of the day.  Sure, he killed and robbed.  But mostly he did that against the Whiteskins, so no harm, no foul.  He promoted a sort of anti-American anarchy, seemed  to be pretty loose when it came to morals, and was actually a major defense against the White Racist Americans (TM) of the day.  What could be more praise worthy?
Oddly, many in the comments section smell a rat with this one, and if folks who frequent such articles to comment can smell it, there's always hope that others, when confronted with such obviously propaganda based rewriting of the past, can as well.  Not to say there isn't always the chance to learn from new information, or even see things of the past in a new light.  But the post-American, post-modern hermeneutic is so predictable, so conformist, and so narrow one can't help but be suspicious as every shred and scrap of history seems to fall into this 'new' mold and prism through which all facts must be read.

It was seventy years ago today

The date that has lived to some degree or another in infamy, occurred 70 years ago on a sunny Sunday morning.  Three thousand Americans would never see the following Monday.  Almost half of them stationed on the USS Arizona.  The combination of treachery, of Japan's planning of the attack while in negotiations, the evil of the Japanese Empire (oft forgotten because of the long shadow of Nazi Germany), and the humiliation and anger that America felt came together in a way never since repeated.   Japan had hoped for an America similar to America c. September, 2001.  A soft, foppish America full of narcissists who would gladly sell their birthright for the stew of winning an argument over how wrong everyone else is.  But what Japan got was a generation weaned in the school of hard knocks, the depression, poverty, and a strong resilience and capability to make much with little.  Silly conspiracy theories aside, and taking a moment to look beyond the million things we post-moderns focus on, such as everything America did wrong, it's a day worth remembering what America did, and what it could do again. 

Rest in peace to those men and women who never saw the sun go down on that Sunday so long ago.  And thanks to the millions more who risked, and sometimes gave, it all so that I would have the freedom to take everything we have for granted today. 

Here is a longer post from last year, on the 69th anniversary of the attack.

Speaking of backbones

Looks like the top Catholic Bishop in England has put his stamp of approval on gay unions.  I know, he draws the line at marriage.  For now.  That's about where most left leaning Protestant denominations were a decade ago or so.  I can't help but notice that there is a trend among some Catholic clergy to more or less fall into lockstep with post-modern socialist left leaning European intelligentsia and cultural elites.  Not that everyone is, but there is just the whiff.  Take away abortion and 'life' issues, and it's getting harder and harder to separate a growing number of bishops and other leaders from their more secular European counterparts.  Don't know what it means, other than the Church has been known to follow the course of human events in the past (usually to disastrous results that later require unending apologies and repentance).  We'll see how this turns out, and just how much of a trend it happens to be. For now, it looks as though the good Bishop of merry old England is outside of the Vatican fold on this.  Time will tell if he is a fluke, or if there are growing numbers of Church leaders who want to make the Catholic Church just like Protestantism, only slower.

Speaking of gay tolerance

It looks like our good friends in the Gay Rights Movement failed in their efforts to press PayPal into calling on its inner Orwell.  It wasn't for a lack of trying.  They almost got this whole freedom of speech and non-discrimination garbage tossed out the window.  But PayPal, being the wimpy organization that it is, buckled and decided that, in this case at least, it would allow a pro-life activist to access his funds.  That was darn swell.  The part of me that has always yearned for the good old days of pogroms and gulags will have to wait until an industry with a backbone finally steps up and calls it they way the GRM and other liberal post-modern activists want: all rights are values based - if you don't have post-modern secular values, you don't have rights!

An eight year old proclaims the post-modern gospel

And The Upshot beams with pride. Apparently Michele Bachmann was confronted by a sincere and devoted proponent of gay rights at a book signing event the other day.  This well read and deeply committed activist walked right up to Ms. Bachmann and clearly stated his case: My mommy's gay, but she doesn't need fixing!

It may seem a bit shallow, but hey!  This is an eight year old after all.  Give him a break. No doubt he had come up with this stance all on his own.  After all, we religious people know how wrong it is to indoctrinate our kids, so I'm sure the good mother(s)?  in question have been very open about presenting all the facts on the issue from all sides to our young master Elijah. And that's good.  Remember, liberalism is all about opening your mind and being willing to question everything.

Update:  On the upside, it looks like several readers are not joining in on the celebrations of this bold, freethinking eight year old.  Most are saying it gives them the creeps that this kid, at the tender age of eight, is so in tune with his mother's sexual preferences.  The MSM, of course, continues to gush in love and adoration.  One headline read 'Eight year old leaves Bachmann speechless.'  Yeah, since the kid basically walked up, said his speech, and then walked away.  I suppose Bachmann could have jumped over the table and tackled the boy and made him listen.  But it pretty much was a hit job, lovingly placed in the hands of a child in order to advance what is most important in our post-modern world.

Happy Feast of St. Nicholas

No, not this one:

This one:

That's right kiddies, in the old days, when Christianity, and more to the point Catholicism, pervaded so much of culture and daily life. today was a special day.  Of course the slow development of Christmas in modern times, the influence of Protestantism, the rise of Sts. Macy, Roebuck and Walmart all impacted the way the holiday formerly known as C-----mas is now celebrated; which if some have their way, I can't help but believe will be not at all.*

I know, I know.  There are some pagan elements in the way Christmas is celebrated.  I know that there have always been non-religious elements, borrowed from culture and society, that have rubbed elbows with the more Christ centered meaning of the holidays.  I also know that, until the last few hundred years, the Christmas Season included much more than a single day on the 25th, followed by sales and removal of decorations from the stores (what am I thinking?  That starts now by around the 23rd).

But it can't be argued that somehow, in some way, the Protestant tradition of removing as much of that old papist trapping and keeping the bare bones minimum from the historic Catholic calendar, has come around and bit us all in the rear.  Perhaps spreading things out again, getting back in touch with the Church's take on the season (it's Advent by the way, not Christmas), could be a step in the right direction.  You never know.

*The article in question was a rather lame article.  Except for a few stats early on and some TV ratings (which might not account for the number of households who prefer to buy their specials on DVD or Blueray, rather than chance the possible sex saturated commercial preceding Linus's exposition of the meaning of Christmas), there's not much to back up the idea that these 'traditions' are fading.  It looked more to me like a person who was hoping we could go green, ditch all this worthless meaning of Christmas garbage, including but not limited to this whole family and friends stuff, and get to the 'real' meaning of Christmas - soon to be found on the latest Wall Street ticker. 

I have an awesomely cool family

So Sunday was my birthday.  45 years old.  Because I was mostly happy about being here, I didn't ask for or expect much else.  But when I came home from a morning RCIA meeting at our local parish, I was greeted with this sign, professionally made by my two middle sons:

From there, things got interesting.  After an obligatory birthday nap, I was greeted by this little feast:

Here's a close up:

Why make just another cake when you can get cupcakes, arrange them with the letters needed for happy birthday Dad 45, and display them in all their chocolate glory?

On top of that, my boys made sure I had some presents to open.  On Saturday, unbeknownst to me, the older two went to a couple nearby stores by themselves and looked to get me some candies often reserved for Christmas.  Then after church, they went to buy me some games and a movie - with their own money - they thought I would enjoy.  They were right.  Not only did I enjoy the presents, I loved the thought and I adored that they did it themselves, with their own initiative, with a little help from their Mom. 

A very happy birthday.  Brought to me by one cool and loving family.  Thanks everyone!



ABC hearts bullies

Gay Rights advocates rejoice with pride as an eighth grader turns in this little class project.  Looks like his school challenged kids to develop a public service announcement admonishing children to stop with the freedom of speech using the phrase 'that's so g-y.'  The eighth grade hero of the story responded by making a PSA in which he - horrors - uses the 'G' word.  Well yeah, he actually uses the name God as an expletive, but that just might offend religious people and nobody cares.

No, he uses that word.  In a derogatory way.  And so his younger brother rushes up to him and BAM!  smacks him in the face and chastises him for using the phrase 'That's so g-y.'  He even hits him in the face again to make sure it sticks. 

I know, I know.  It's just a silly skit by a kid trying to please his school.  And yet think about it.  Had the boy said he was gay, and had his brother rushed up and smacked him and said, "Don't be gay!  It's a dangerous lifestyle and is against the traditional understanding of human sexuality!', can you imagine what the response would be?  Why, CNN would devote the next month to asking where we all went so wrong.  ABC certainly wouldn't be cheering.  They would be linking violence, spanking, bullying, homophobia, you name it. 

But it's to promote the dogmas of the Left.  It's to adhere to the teachings of Gay Rights.  It's all about pushing that agenda, brainwashing the kiddies, and making sure people know that it's time for all you nonconformists out there to kiss your free speech goodbye.  Show a clip with a kid smacking another kid for any reason at all, and it will be condemned.  Glorifying bullying and violence huh?  Typical for you homophobic bigot types! Unless, of course, it is to promote the most important issue in the world.

Did I mention we have been thinking seriously about homeschooling?  Though there is a bright spot.  It looks like most readers who have commented are a bit shy about getting rid of all this freedom of speech garbage.  Maybe there's still some good old horse sense left in Americans after all.

Interesting news about some pre-Pearl Harbor documents

This is the stuff that makes historians happy:  New documents.  Pretty much doesn't change anything.  Most thinking people know that, barring some new evidence that has yet to be produced, the vast FDR conspiracy theory is about as believable as the vast Obama-is-a-closet-Muslim theory, or that vast 9/11-was-part-of-a-conspiracy theory.  The great thing about conspiracy theories is that they are self-sustaining.  All evidence proves they are right.  And the evidence that suggests they are wrong?  Easy.  It's all part of the conspiracy.  Just read the comments.  Chances are, most who say 'well duh, obviously FDR planned it' have probably no clue beyond 'it's what they've heard'.  A shame.   But then history, as we know, is less what really happened as much as what 'they' tell us happened when it fits what we already wanted to be true.

Well done Ronald

Over at the Soviet of San Fransisco, McDonald's has put one over on the city's attempt to get Big Brother into every aspect of our daily lives (outside the bedroom of course).  As is typical for most post-modern progressives, freedom and liberty mean the ability to have all the sex, drugs, bathroom humor and decadence you can without responsibility.  In all other things outside the bedroom, we need Big Brother to kick start some good old government control, censorship, and oppression of wrong think.  Here, the good Soviet city attempted to tell McDonald's how it could serve its costumers, and subsequently tell its customers what they could have.  Strike one for freedom, and order me a Happy Meal.

I don't even know why people are worried

It's not like a bunch of students discovered secret tunnels filled with nuclear warheads in *gasp!* America.  Then that would be something to worry about.  After all, we all know our government, our military, our corporations, and generally we Americans can't be trusted but to do the wrong thing.  It's just China that could have tunnels filled with nuclear warheads.  No doubt the same as Iran and the former Soviet Union.  Nothing to see here.  Just a bunch of countries wanting to give peace a chance, and wishing America would finally come down off her perch and join the chorus of tranquility.

When considering President Obama

Apparently the press feels it's best to remember the past.  I'm sure he's a nice guy.  He seems to be a wonderful father and husband.  Good family men aren't easy to come by nowadays.  But he's clearly a lousy president.  He has accomplished little.  The world seems to be burning and nobody can even come close to explaining Obama's approach to problem solving.  He is not inspiring, and his first round of attack ads make it clear that all the hooey about 'hope and change' is in the trash.

He can't speak well.  Take away the prompters, and he fumbles and stumbles every bit as much as Bush on a good day.  And it's clear to anyone with a brain that he can't lead.  He's just not leadership material.  He avoids conflict and seems to resent anyone who doesn't bow and do as he says.  He wants congress to do it all, and yet keep the credit for himself.  On the whole, a poor president.

Add to that a struggling economy.  Jobless rates still unacceptable.  Housing still in the tanks.  Non-existent inflation still on the rise.  And growing political and economic pressure from rising nations like China, India, and Russia overseas.  So what's the pro-Obama media to do?  Keep coming out with stories like this one, that's what. Try to recapture the flame, the magic, the spirit of the messianic campaign of 08.  Remind us that despite all evidence to the contrary, Obama still inspires, still brings hope, and is still the candidate of change.

Will Americans buy it?  Hard to say.  As the GOP labors intensively to nominate a person nobody wants, the press may not need to worry.  But as of now, not knowing what the future holds, I notice a growing number of these stories from an advocacy media that is clearly scared.

Dog bites man is not news

Man bites dog is news.  But dog shoots man in butt with shotgun is priceless!  I wouldn't joke about it, but according to the story, the fellow is OK, owing to a well placed pair of waders.