Because We Don't Have Enough Wars

You learn something every day, and this week, I learned there's a 'War on Christmas,' thanks to Jon Stewart and The Daily Show.

Yes, I love Jon Stewart. I'd even consider marrying him if we both weren't married to other people. GGG. That said, I'll go back to my point.

Yes, I have a point, and I'm not referring to the one on the top of my head.

I googled 'War on Christmas' to see what I would find. Imagine my surprise to find references going back several years! A war I'd somehow missed? How could that be? Maybe I don't watch the right news channels or read the right books. There's a book out there entitled, The War on Christmas: How the Liberal Plot to Ban the Sacred Christian Holiday is Worse Than You Thought by John Gibson, who, according to the blurb, at least at the time this book was published in 2005, is/was a popular news anchor on Fox News. Yeah, that would be one of those news channels I don't watch, but that's another story and not part of my point.

Here's my point (I heard that deep sigh of relief!)---It's my opinion that there are them folks who just aren't happy unless they're fanning some insignificant flame into a full-fledged forest fire and pointing fingers at those they blame for whatever it is at which they're blowing their hot air.

Let's all blame the Liberals. Yes. Everything that is wrong with the United States of America can and should obviously be blamed on one group of people with specific political leanings. Never mind the fact that, hello? It took people from all political leanings to create the ginormous mess. Just sayin'. And as a political moderate who does tend to lean more towards the liberal end of the spectrum, I can't say I'm delighted to shoulder blame that is not mine for something I do not advocate. Please don't paint me with that generic paintbrush, that shade of gray looks dreadful on me.

I celebrate Christmas. I believe that Christ was born on Christmas Day. I also like to think that the people I surround myself with are intelligent, witty, opinionated folks capable of recognizing a "Merry Christmas" from me in the spirit in which it is intended and to not take offense because they're Jewish, Wiccan, Hindu, or Worshippers of the Great Hostess Ding Dong. Yes, I do believe I should be respectful of the traditions of other faiths, and I like to think that that consideration is how the "Happy Holidays" (now a phrase in the 'War on Christmas') wish arose---out out of a desire to wish for folks something appropriate, something that would be an all-inclusive---not an all-inclusive-except-for-Christians---type sentiment.

It's never wrong to want to not offend someone.

It is wrong, in my perhaps not-so-humble opinion, to attempt to turn one thing into something else entirely, something that it's not.

Okay, that said, yeah, I do see how Christians can/do feel like they're being picked upon for being Christians, but I'd like to point out, this type of persecution is nothing new under the sun---for any religion. In fact, it's so not new it's hardly remarkable, yet here are a vocal, offended minority banging on their drums and sending out war cries. Yes, the USA was founded, in part, on the principle of religious freedom. Yes, the Christian religion takes a lot of hits from all sides. So do other religions, as I said before---we are not unique in our feelings of persecution, but "we" sure do like to wail about the unfair injustice "we" perceive as being directed *only* at "us."

So, no, I don't buy into this 'War on Christmas' horse hockey. I *will* wish you Merry Christmas, as that's my preferential greeting for this wonderful season. I also reserve the right to wish you 'Happy Holidays'---because, yanno, I think that also reaches out there and pulls in the New Year's holiday, which comes a mere week after Christmas, as well as acknowledges the fact that you may celebrate a different tradition and that I hope you find all the peace, joy and love in your tradition that I find in my Christian observances. Just because I may use the phrase 'Happy Holidays' doesn't mean I'm making any declarations against Christmas, either. It means exactly what the wisher intends it to mean, and I believe I stated what I personally think it means clearly a couple sentences up there. It's your choice to be offended by either greeting I give, or to accept my greeting in the loving spirit in which I intended, but yanno, if you wanna be offended, please go do it somewhere else and don't rain on my Christmas Parade.

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Happy Holidays

Well, the first holiday of the winter(ish) season is over. The Thanksgiving Feast Coma has released us all from its thrall, but now we live in Thanksgiving Leftover Heaven. Nothing like a turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce, lettuce and some Miracle Whip. Mmmm.

I've been thinking and have decided every family needs a curmudgeon. More to the point, I've elected myself to the position. I've got the 7 Dwarfs of Curmudgeonly Behavior down pat: Cranky, Grumpy, Snarly, Snarky, Impatient, Temperamental and Snappy. It's taken me most of my life, but I've finally come to the realization that I am the way I am, like, lump it, pass on it or whatever, it's entirely up to you. Some people appreciate this, others don't get it or me, and that's okay. There are many people out in the world that I don't "get" either, so I guess it all works out. The thing is I'm happier overall when I'm just me. Remarkably, I have very good friends who do "get" me and appreciate me for being me---the feeling is mutual.

Change of subject...This is has been on my mind. Last week a friend on Facebook circulated a list of 100 Must Read Books (as decided by some ubiquitous "they"), which I found to be lacking and repetitive (for example, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" was on the list, then a few down, "The Chronicles of Narnia"---which included the first, and is a set of 7)...So, I started thinking what books would I put on a 100 Book Must Read List. So here it is, only it's a 50 book list. Yeah, half the books, perhaps I'll do the second half at a later date...or better yet, what books would YOU put on a Must Read List?

1-7: The Chronicles of Narnia (there are 7 in all, obviously)
8-15: The Harry Potter Books
16-24: The Little House Series
25: Little Women
26: Wuthering Heights
27: Pride and Prejudice
28: The Scarlet Letter
29: The Great Gatsby
30: Huckleberry Finn
31: Tom Sawyer
32: All Quiet on the Western Front
33: Rebecca
34: The Bible, specifically Genesis, the Psalms, Proverbs, the 4 Gospel books and Revelation
35: Hamlet (Okay, this and the following 2 are plays, but they need a place on the list)
36: MacBeth
37: Taming of the Shrew
38: 1984
39: Stranger in a Strange Land
40: The Hobbit
41: Lord of the Rings
42: Gulliver's Travels
43: Band of Brothers
44: Any of the Vampire Lestat novels by Anne Rice
45: Any of the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey
46: Great Expectations
47: How to Win Friends and Influence People
48: Anything written by Nora Roberts/JD Robb---this would probably fill the entire rest of the list, but I'm just giving up the one slot. :D
49: Cheaper by the Dozen
50: Karen

So...what would you put on this list? I'm going to leave the last 50 open and see if anyone leaves suggestions (I'd LOVE it!)

I hope your turkeys were moist, your cranberry sauce tart, your pies calorie-free, your mashed potatoes perfect this last Thanksgiving Day...And leave you all with this rather scary reminder: Christmas is less than a month away.