Christmas 2014

So…  Christmas Time is Here.  Happiness and cheer. Fun for all that children call their favorite time of year.

I think anyone born before last week knows this opening line to one of the most treasured of all Christmas stories – “A Charlie Brown Christmas”. If your heart is not warmed by the message that little children, albeit cartoon characters which have spanned over 60 years, have delivered every Christmas season since 1965, then You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.

This is the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, don’t you think? Lights and festive scenes have been st up in New York City and elsewhere in this great country of ours since the beginning of October. Shoppers have hustled and bustled throughout the malls, the city streets and even online since probably mid- summer, even if they were just browsing.

T’is the Season to be Jolly, right? After all, it is not just a Christian time, is it? Menorahs are lit, as well as Kinara with Mishumaa Saba. Why? Because it joyful. It is wonderful to see Christian and Jewish children join in singing festive songs like Santa Claus is coming to Town and Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel. Dreidel Made of Clay.

So, Christmas isn’t just a religious holiday. It is a moment of time, where we try to live the words spoken that first Christmas, 2,000 years ago, Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men (and women). I don’t believe the angels were speaking only to believers of Jesus Christ, but rather to all people at that time and to the billions who would follow.

Having said this, I am republishing my commentary from last November 25, 2013, called Is It Christmas or Holiday? for you to consider. Enjoy!

And for all the loved ones of our military, I say, Merry Christmas Darling. We’re apart that is true. But I can dream, and in my dreams, I am Christmasing with you.

Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!

 

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Is It Christmas or Holiday?

It's the evening of November 25 as I write this, and what is the significance of that? It's Christmas Day in 30 days from today. Yes, that's right, CHRISTMAS DAY.

Today's modern society is either afraid or ashamed to say Christmas. Yet retailers depend on this time to get their books into the black after being in the red all year. Hence, Black Friday. And this year, because Hanukkah is so early, the Christmas sales will really be the sole driver of the "holiday" shopping season.

When you hear the word "holiday", which holiday comes to mind? Fourth of July? Martin Luther King Day? How about Valentine's Day? Or, why not Fathers Day? These are all holidays of a sort, after all.

Let's face it, friends. It's the Christmas shopping season. What else are we shopping for? Beethoven's birthday on the 16th? I don't think so!! We are shopping to give our loved ones CHRISTMAS presents, not holiday presents, right?

So then, why are we afraid to say CHRISTMAS? Is it because there is the religious implication? It is the day we, as Christians, celebrate Jesus Christ's birthday. You know, Christ's mass. And for my non-Christian followers, it's ok to recognize the existence of Christ, the man. Just like Christians recognize Moses, Buddha, Muhammed, Vishnu, Confucius and so many other founders of great theological philosophies.

Christians carry on the tradition the Magi began, by bringing Jesus gifts which would symbolize his life and death; gold for royalty, frankincense for body fragrance and myrrh as an anointing oil. Today, of course, we give none of that. I mean, myrrh? What would we do with that? Instead, we give DVDs, CDs, clothes, toys, romantic gifts to loved ones and friendship gifts to acquaintances. We love to give.

To sum up. It's really ok to say Christmas. The PC police can't prevent you from saying it. Even our Federal government recognizes Christmas as the legal name for this day. We don't say "Mithras Day" even though it's his birthday, too, according to the ancient Roman calendar. The legal holiday is Christmas, since the mid-1800s.

So, friends, there is no need the cringe when someone wishes you a "Merry Christmas". It isn't so greeting to prothelysize you or convert you to the dreaded (?) faith. Instead, you can take it as a warm greeting of joy and friendship, much like the man who gave the name to us. And, quite frankly, Jesus Christ, as a Jewish carpenter, was probably known as Joshua Bar Joseph, which meant he had a traditional Jewish name and upbringing. His name is a cacophony of Latin and Greek, Joshua becoming Jesus and Christ as the anointed one. His divinity is accepted only by Christians, but his human attributes of kindness, warmth and understanding of his contemporaries' feelings should be society's guiding principles.

Let me be one if the first, if not the first, to wish you and your loved ones a Very Merry Christmas. I will take your greeting back into my heart and cherish it always.

Merry Christmas!!!!

A Blessed Thanksgiving to All

To my loyal readers:

I know I haven’t published lately, but I have been on a whirlwind with several events dominating my life. I have been as involved as you with all that has happened since Election Day, but since today is Thanksgiving, I will save them for another day.

I wish all of you a God-Blessed and bountiful day, as this day traditionally signifies.

In honor of the day, I am sharing my commentary from a year ago called Thanksgiving Thoughts.

Enjoy the read, and most of all, enjoy your day!

 

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Thanksgiving Thoughts

This commentary will be the last one until Tuesday, December 3. I am taking a few days off and taking a weekend jaunt for the Thanksgiving Weekend. Taking a few days off from time to time is good for recharging the batteries.

I know that on Friday many of you will fall into the trap set up by the media to highlight the pluses or minuses of retailers Black Friday sales. I have commented on the fact that some retailers plan to open Thursday, to try and get a head start on the Christmas shopping season. As if opening at 8 pm will make that much of a difference.

Black Friday, of course, is the day retailers hope to put their books into the "black", a very cogent and professional accounting term which describes the financial condition of the business. Before this, they had been working in the "red", or negative  position, where they were losing monies from their bottom line.

Now that we have dispensed with the Accounting 101 class, let's realize that this weekend will be very busy in the malls, the highways and byways leading to the malls, and the restaurants and diners, where shoppers will go to take that break between Macy's and Sports Authority.

Home improvement stores like Lowes, Home Depot, Menards, etc, will also be busy in their seasonal and garden departments, selling trees, wreaths, roping, poinsettia and other flora necessary to decorate our homes for Christmas. Of course, the items necessary to complete the look like lights, lawn ornaments, nativity scenes and so forth will also be walking out the doors with the Christmas trees.

Stores like Wal*Mart, K-Mart, Sears and other big box store retailers will do their best to compete with Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Best Buy, PC Richards, etc, to sell comparable products at reduced, more affordable prices. And don't forget that Costco, BJ Wholesale and other member warehouses will be equally busy.

All weekend, at extended hours.

Home shopping channels will be vying for those limited disposable consumer dollars with Christmas-themed items interspersed with their usual products. Christmas sets will abound even as backdrops to every stage. And hosts will hawk all of this by mentioning Christmas or holiday at every opportunity. And, of course, liberal return policies will be mentioned as a final hook, which brick and mortar retailers cannot possibly offer.

And, finally, on Monday, the Internet gets to join the party. Internet sales for electronics of all stripes are expected to surpass last year on Monday, as more people each year have decided not to fight the crowds and the traffic.

So, enjoy today as you prep for the big feast. Many pies and breads will be made to be enjoyed with your turkey, lasagna, stuffing, mashed potatoes and all the other fixings which will complete your meal. The cooks and bakers will need help, like wash the dishes and pans, wipe the tables, take out the garbage, or pour them a cup of coffee. But, DON'T think you are going to do the main work involved. Remember, too many cooks....

Tomorrow is the family day, so when you get up remember that the parade starts at  9 am and football starts at noon. But don't forget to be involved with your family. And, after dinner, you can't blame your nap on just the tripophan in the turkey. There were more than just a couple of pounds of carbs on your plate that you ate, too.

Enjoy your weekend, friends, as I will enjoy mine. Please be safe and smart as you travel out and about. For those of you traveling long distances to be with loved ones, whether you are driving or flying, please keep an eye on the weather and plan to leave early if you can, should difficult weather conditions be forecast.

And let me say something to my faithful readers, who have grown in numbers since I started this commentary. Thank you for your loyalty, friendship, respect and kindness. I truly appreciate you and your feedback, whether you agree or not with my views. I am thankful to you that you take an interest in reading mine and trust me, I read yours, as well. You have helped me grow in this world of blogging, teaching me a few things as I try to reach out to you and make you think of things which you may have thought not possible. Thank you.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, my friends. See you next week!

Why Veterans Day

Today is Veterans Day. In England and elsewhere, it is known as Remembrance Day. In 2014, with all the corruption surrounding the Department of Veterans Affairs, we need to remember why our most important citizens are our veterans.

We must shore up the VA to take better care that those men and women who fought to preserve our liberties are properly cared for, not treated as third-class health care recipients. I am amazed that this President cares more about those who are here illegally, making certain they get quality health care, while those who put it all on the line do not.

There is an old expression, "actions speak louder than words." He can blabber all he wants about how he cares for our military; his actions say he cares not a lick.

Last year, I wrote a commentary called "Veterans Day 2013" where I reviewed the history of this solemn day.  I have republished it here today, to remind us all why this day must be cherished.

Once you have read this, please take the time today and always, to thank a veteran for his or her service, and for preserving your and my freedoms and liberties. Pray that the men and women now in harm's way will come back safely.

And pray that the next President, whoever she or he may be, will have more respect and genuine feelings for those who suffer physically and psychologically from the damage incurred on our behalf, than the current one does.

Please enjoy

Veterans Day 2013

November 11, 2013

U.S. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed Armistice Day for November 11, 1919. In proclaiming the holiday, he said:

"To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations."

The United States Congress passed a concurrent resolution seven years later on June 4, 1926, requesting that President Calvin Coolidge issue another proclamation to observe November 11 with appropriate ceremonies. A Congressional Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U.S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday: "a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day'."

The name changed officially from Armistice Day to Veterans Day in 1954, due to the efforts of Raymond Weeks, who was honored by President Reagan in 1982 for his efforts. For a time, from 1971 to 1978, Veterans Day was celebrated on the last Monday of October, in accordance with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. In 1978, it was moved back to its original celebration on November 11. While the legal holiday remains on November 11, if that date happens to be on a Saturday or Sunday, then organizations that formally observe the holiday will normally be closed on the adjacent Friday or Monday, respectively.

Today, we need to pay homage and thanks to our veterans, both living and deceased. Without their sacrifice, we would not enjoy the liberties and freedoms we so much take for granted.  

Remember that this is not another reason for retailers to hold another sale. Instead it is about  commemorating, even for a moment or two of silence the memory of those  who either have come back wounded, which they all do in some way, or gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Thank a Veteran for your liberties, and freedoms. You really will be glad you did.

From Dumbest To Smartest

Vice President Joe Biden, a man who sometimes suffers from "foot in mouth disease", will probably be the man who saves President Obama from his own path of self-destruction.  It is the Vice President who has had the savvy and the foresight not to have burned the bridge to what will be a Republican Congress.

In his own inimitable way, he has incurred the wrath of Barry by suggesting that immigration reform be delayed until the next Congress convenes on January 3. Barry, of course, has for months threatened to go it alone on this issue. In fact, he subtly announced on Wednesday, the day after the election, that it would happen in the next few weeks.

Of course, this prompted an immediate reaction from Speaker Boehner that "when you play with matches" the result is not a good one.  Ironically, it was the Vice President, a man of allegedly not so keen intellect who got the message.

For years, I admit that I called him the "dumbest man in the White House". For that, I now apologize to the Vice President and his many supporters. If Barry goes through with this threat to unilaterally and unconstitutionally change our immigration policy without the consent of the Congress, he will prove he is dumber than a box of rocks.

If Barry were so passionate about immigration reform, why did he not present this to a Democrat-controlled Congress in 2009? Was he afraid it would not pass even then? Was he afraid a loss in the Congress would tarnish his gilded luster? I wonder. And now, he wants to bypass the Congress? Is he looking to be a complete failure, lumped in with Richard Nixon or Andrew Johnson as a Constitutional violator? Is that to be his ultimate legacy?

Is he betting that Boehner and McConnell won't stand up to him? Is he that much of a megalomaniac? Trust me, if he does go through with this, I believe they will shut off the money spigot and it will be he who caused the government to shut down. All because he thinks he still has the people on his side.

Hey Barry, here is a news flash: other than Chris Matthews, Al Sharpton and the other fools on MSDNC, who have no independent journalistic integrity, everyone else, including your Vice President, understands that you LOST the election. Even your DNC chair, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, in her own way gets it.

And while there isn't enough votes to convict you, today, in the Senate, if you violate your Constitutional oath to take care that the laws, ALL OF THEM, are faithfully executed,  again, Cogent Joe is warning you to not do anything stupid. He should know; he has a true sense of the Senate, more than anyone else in Washington.

On this, if I were you, I would listen to him.

If you don't, you may be writing your memoirs from the inside of another Federal facility, one with towers and bars and gunneries. In the heart of America. You know, Fort Leavenworth. With no lifetime pension or decent health care. That would be the worst of all possible legacies.

Even Nixon, in the end, understood that.

Listen to the most reasonable man in Washington; he is doing you the favor of a lifetime.

On this, Joe Biden is now the “smartest man in the White House”.

And Then They Came For Me

I found out something this week with a couple of my commentaries. Liberals can say whatever they want and post to whatever groups or sites they wish because their views are egalitarian and "righteous". But if you are a Libertarian like me, or worse, a Conservative, which they perceive me to be, quick, it is time to scream that my views have no place on those sites.

Their reason? Why, the group is about creative expression, trying to share views which are supposed to be about creative writing, a specific philosophy, freelance writing or whatever else soothes their souls. Non-believers need not share.

Here is a news flash for you: you are all self-righteous censors.  Those of you, who had the audacity to chastise me, remember that the censor might just someday come for you.

I thought all these groups on LinkedIn, and elsewhere, were created for the free expression of ideas, there to share thoughts and philosophies not necessarily with those we agree. Especially the ones which have to do with writing.

And to those fools who need an education on what philosophy really is, understand that political thought, theology, and other beliefs which exist contrary to our own belief systems, well, all thought process is philosophy. You may not have to agree with it, but you should respect it. I don't agree with the thought process each person has, but I agree with and respect your right to express yours. I only ask that you respect mine.

Trust me. I don't want to preach to the choir (oh my, a religious reference! Quick - ban that violator!) and I don't need that choir to preach to me. I would much rather have a discussion with someone who DOES NOT agree with me. Perhaps, I can learn something, even one thing, which will give me something to consider.

I don't prosthelesyze.  And if you notice, if someone responds to my commentaries, for or against, I never comment back. Why? It is very simple. I said what I had to say on a topic. I respect your view, pro or con. I might learn something from you if you can say it rationally. I don't engage in a yelling contest. Nothing is gained from that.

You know who you are Ken and Ruth and Ron and so many others. You are all self-righteous censors because something was written that you don't agree with and are using some perceived group basis now to throw me out of your groups. All because you are pompous, "free-thinking" buffoons.

So much for your free-thinking. Just know, I have your names, as you have mine. If I am somehow banned from your precious sites, I will be writing another commentary exposing all of you for the hypocrites you are.

In the end, remember this:

"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me." (Martin Niemoller and the American Holocaust Museum)

I hope the censor doesn't come for you.