Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Leaving For Portland


So tomorrow our happy little clan is heading to the Pacific Northwest for over a week for the Holidays. I've never spent Christmas out of Ohio and away from my family here, but I am looking forward to the trip. It is actually a great time to "leave" my family here for the Holidays (a long story I will try to post about in the new year). Any new experience is a good one in my mind and I look forward to seeing the Christmas traditions of my in-laws. From what I've heard the whole clan (15 Aunts and Uncles on one side) gather an Aunt's house . . .I don;t think there is any church involved.

The experience of flying across the country with a 5-month old . . .I'm not so sure about. For years when I flew I would avoid the person/couple with young children and now we are that couple. Ah karma you damn dirty whore! We hope for most of the trip she looks like she does in the picture below.

And let us not forget the "true" meaning of Christmas. "And there was a bear with a buckeye hat living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. The FSM appeared to them, and it's glory shone around them, and they were terrified. But the FSM said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is a Oregon Duck. This will be a sign to you: You will find a duck wrapped in green and lying in a manger."


This is the Nativity my grandmother had in her house for years, for some reason it ended up in my hands. I like the damn thing, despite being a heathen, but the baby Jesus is downright creepy so I replaced him with the Oregon Duck.

Merry whatever you celebrate everyone!

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

"War on Christmas" right here in Ohio!!

Just saw this story today in the Columbus Dispatch. Same old story, non christian boy sees the Nativity on state property, boy gets offended and complains, Nativity is removed, the Governor steps in and has the put back up. . . .wha wha what?

Gov. Ted Strickland weighed in a day after The Dispatch ran a story about the
controversy last week. Strickland told the state parks to put the scenes back
up.


"The governor believes that Nativity scenes are an appropriate part of
our traditional holiday displays," said Keith Dailey, a spokesman for
Strickland.


Yup, apparently since the nativity is "traditional" is is totally cool to have them. Never mind that baby Jesus is right in the fricking middle of them . . . no religion there. Other "traditional" items cool with the gov, separate drinking fountains for colored folks and women being denied the right to vote. Then he goes on to say that a menorah would be fine, but not a symbol for Zoroastrian because that is not traditional. BTW, I love that the person who protested wanted a symbols of Zoroastrian and Hindu with the Nativity.

Then we get back to some good old stupidity from the local politicians. City Council member Chris Rodriguez said this about another Nativity in Columbus that was moved (not taken down) from the main steps.
"Personally, I think people should get over it and stop being so smug about
their rights. It's freedom of religion, not the freedom from religion."

Smug about our rights? What the hell does that mean? You have rights but if you speak up for them you are being smug? Add in the the old tired line of, "not freedom from religion" . . *sigh*. All I can say is, you sir are a douche bag.