In defence of “Christmas”

Christmas literally means festival celebrating birth of Jesus Christ; virtually every one agrees on this.  Christmas is not a word in crisis; even Wikipedia Free Encoder(known to have a liberal tint in matters of religion) says that the 25th of December has been set aside as a festival to commemorate the birth of Christ.  Christmas is only recognized by western countries that at one point had a Judeo-European influence.  In countries that do celebrate it, Christmas has often become the most popular holiday.  People often celebrate by the giving of gifts in memory of Jesus.  So it should be no wonder that people don’t like to use the word “Christmas” and put other words in its place, like “ Merry Merry” and “Happy Holidays.”  These saying are not inherently wrong; it is the fact that they are a replacement for the truth in an attempt to make people forget the true definition of Christmas.

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An Interview with Charles Dickens

Charlie takes a moment to read his riveting best-seller to a riveted audience

In a rare and riveting personal interview, Charles Dickens speaks candidly of his hopes and expectations for his Christmas story A Christmas Carol, of his personal connection to the story, and of what he thinks of current trends . . . such as socialism and remakes of his stories.

(you can find the interview at this location:http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=b00595a8acd19196&sid=0IasWTdoyas3Qg)

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Mr. Scrooge Talks: an autobiographical visit with the world’s most famous miser

Mr. Scrooge posing for the cover of Forbes

This in-depth interview provides Mr. Scrooge with an opportunity to talk openly about his past, the changes that have made him what he is today, and the accuracy of Mr. Dickens’ famous Christmas story.

(You can find the interview at this location: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0IasWTdoyas3Uw)

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Fish Fry on the We’re Here

Fish Fry on the We’re Here

Are you unsatisfied with life? Do your old man and lady drive you crazy to the point that you do things just to annoy them? Do you like going out with friends to games and parties? Then experience the party that will change your life. Join me at the boat We’re Here at 7:00 on Tuesday and meet the crew of people who taught me my scruples: the big man Captain Disko Troop, his trusted son Dan, tall-tale-loving Long Jack, dancing Tom Platt, silent foreigner Manuel, cantankerous Uncle Salters, and his mad companion Penn. We’ll give you stories that will curl your spine. We’ll also give you a take-home copy of our stories in Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling. Hear from a boy who fell off a ship and was picked up from sea by our dories. Hear from the captain what to do when someone calls you a thief. Hear from a superstitious cook the story of two of our boys who fished a dead man from the sea. Hear from the entire crew why wealth and fame are not the most important things in life. Learn how to truly take pride in your work. Come together with us to celebrate our status as the #1 schooner in the Grand Banks for 5 years running. And above all, come learn the true meaning of manhood, and in so doing, win the respect of those around you.

Where:  Gloucester, Massachusetts, aboard Disko Troop’s fishing schooner the We’re Here (We’re here. Are you?)

What to Bring:  Strong Stomach, Spirit of adventure & willingness to do your part, clothes you don’t mind getting wet

When: Late 1800s

R.S.V.P.  Harvey Cheyne

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Survive at any cost

1. Why survival?  Humans misunderstand cats, and do not look out for them adequately. For a cat in a human world a focus on survival must be a part of its daily life. He must realize that a normal human will misunderstand him and act in a rude or unpleasant manner. Because of a human’s inability  to reason, due to its grumpy and quick tempered nature, humans will often fly off the handle in a rage over the smallest attempt at survival. For instance, in the recent film Bolt the character Mittens attempts to beg some food and gets a skillet instead. The human was not mad at the cat in particular; he had a preconceived notion of cats and was unable to understand cats, so he was incensed that the cat would come to his door to beg food. The cat has a bad image in the eyes of the world. Because of this image, the human will not take pity on a cat till it is truly pitiful.  Our cat Clover will climb up on the roof and scratch at the window in the rain; Sara will go and get him, dry him off, and put him in the garage.  For those few precious moments indoors between the window and the garage door, he will stand in the rain for ten minutes, trying to look pitiful enough to get inside the house.  You see, a cat must make it’s own opportunities.

2. Food and warmth are good
Food is the key to a survival that is pleasant and being so, one should never pass up an opportunity to eat. In this unstable world who can say when the human will feed you again.  At some point we the cats must take matters into our own paws and claim food by force and at any cost. As one cat-lover observed, “Some cats is blind,/ And stone-deaf some,/ But ain’t no cat/ Wuz ever dumb.” Clover is smart enough to eat any food that comes his way; he never turns down anything edible. He doesn’t know when he will get to eat again, so he wants to make sure he will survive until then. A cat will not survive without food or warmth; it’s really that simple.

3. Never pass an opportunity to survive more efficiently. You will survive better if you are in the house.  Humans, nevertheless, frown on cats that wander around and will often throw them out.  So if you can get in the house lie down quickly even if it isn’t comfortable. Clover will crush himself into the crack between  the counter and the floor just to stay inside.  For efficient survival, you must know your human. Some humans like cats enough to let them stay inside. In this situation, you can make an attempt to gain a more comfortable position. Clover has climbed in behind Dad while he’s sitting working, braced  his back against the chair and pushed till he has removed the human. Knowing all the time that Dad will let him stay in the chair and not put him out, he will risk an attempt at being more comfortable. One opportunity passed up may be your last opportunity to improve your survival experience.

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Respect

   Young people should respect the wisdom of their parents for three reasons. 
First, one's parents have already grown up in the world which the young person soon be alone in 
(pertaining to individual responsibility); their parents can provide very useful advice 
regarding finances and jobs. Second, parents have very much experience and wisdom in the field 
of relationships. While their advice may not stem from personal experience (they may have seen 
a friend go through a trial. . . ), advice from parents should not be ignored but heeded. 
Lastly, the most vital reason one should listen to and honor their parents is because the 
Bible says to. Proverbs 1:8-9 and 4:1 are just a few of many examples where the Bible
commands one to heed the wisdom of his parents. Whatever the reason, one 
should respect the wisdom of his parents
					
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Destruction

I will now question the destructiveness of four weapons of ma . . . uh . . . destruction, by order of their . . . destructiveness. The first weapon I would like to bring to your attention is the snowball. Pros: if you wish not to harm your enemy, or you have no other weapon, the snowball can be an effective two-second blinding tool, and if you are lucky enough your enemy may drop his weapon in order to keep his face from freezing off. Can be a medium or short-range weapon. Cold seems to immobilize people. Cons: you must have perfect aim for a snowball to be an effective weapon, especially against someone who has a weapon of a higher destructiveness grade than the snowball. Furthermore, the weather must be snowy and you have to prepare your ammo on the site of the battle. The second weapon is one that does not necessarily deliver fatal results and will cost you nothing. The club takes virtually no maintenance aside from a replacement every couple fights. It is only a short-range weapon. If you like gory, blood-splattering-everywhere kind of battle then the machete is the weapon for you. The machete is also an inexpensive weapon but again it is only short range. My last and undoubtedly the most destructive weapon on the list is the grenade. The grenade can be very satisfactory if you enjoy seeing explosions and body parts flying everywhere. Unfortunately, unless you enjoy seeing your own body parts flying everywhere, the grenade is not an effective close combat tool. One plus: “Almost” certainly does count. Thus ends my investigation of the destructiveness of these weapons. My apologies to anyone who is slightly disturbed by the graphic descriptions of previously-described destruction. You may choose for yourself which weapon you like for yourself.

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Across Five Aprils Essay

A lot of people have the perception that war is fun and easy. A game. This is evidenced by the fact that games like Call of Duty sell by the thousands. These games are designed so that the soldier (or game player) can win the virtual war as fast as he can; so that the soldier is always involved in combat whenever he plays; so that the soldier can win an entire war in two days; so that the soldier can quit anytime he wants; so that the soldier can never experience injury; and most importantly, so that the soldier can never die. Obviously, such a perception of war does not actually come from modern computer warfare games, because people have believed (or at least wished) that war was like this for many, many years. Take Jethro Creighton, for instance, along with his brother, Tom, and their cousin, Eb Carron, from Across Five Aprils. The three of them awaited the Civil War with eagerness and thought it would be “no more than a breakfas’ spell.” Even though this book is fiction, author Irene Hunt did base it on stories her grandfather told her of his experiences in the Civil War time period. Perhaps he also wished that war was short, easy, and fun. But the unfortunate fact is that war is not easy and fun, war is brutal.

Winning a war is very hard and takes a great deal of time. People have great excitement for war at first. The Northerners thought that they could whip the South before the Southerners could even holler, “’nough!” But soon they discovered that winning a battle in one town or city does not mean that the war just about is over, as Shadrach Yale told Jethro on page 60 of Across Five Aprils in his lesson on war. He said, “We finally—finally mind you—have a victory. Then–hooray! The end of the war is in sight for the optimists. I’m afraid not.” The war is not over when one side or the other has finally won one long battle. People wait for a long time for one victory and then when it comes, they forget that each victory is only one in a long series of victories that must be accomplished. People have always wished that war would go their way, from the very beginning of time to the age of the Civil War to the current year of 2010. People today are very impatient for the now 9-year-old War on Terrorism to end. People in the 1800’s were also impatient for the 4-year-old Civil War to end just exactly when they wanted it to. People wish that war would be a quick thing and could be over in a flash. But people cannot will themselves to win a war. They cannot control the pace at which a war progresses. Often only their opponent can control that. Even President Lincoln could not control it. He had a terrible time finding a northern general who could defeat Southern General Robert E. Lee. And people all over the North were beginning to wonder, “Is there bad blood somewhere? Is there a conspiracy among Northern generals that prevents them from following up on an opportunity for crushing Lee’s army? (p. 168).” It was a lot harder for the Union generals to defeat their opponents than had been expected. In fact, the book also says General Grant “was no more a conqueror of that legendary general than George B. McClellen (p. 168)” had been. Grant beat Lee merely because Grant would not give up on defeating Lee, no matter the cost. Winning a war is a lot harder and takes a lot longer than people want to think it will.

Conditions in war were miserable and caused discouragement and despair. When a soldier first left his home to fight for his country, he subconsciously expected that he would jump into the battle right away. But it was not to be so. For instance, most of a soldier’s time was not spent fighting, but was spent drilling, digging trenches, and marching. In Across Five Aprils on page 165, it says, “A letter from John was more cheerful. The Army of the Cumberland was on the march with General Rosencrans; for weeks they had been drilling, but now they were sure that the action was about to begin.” John Creighton had joined the army in February but did not see action until at least May, maybe later. Tom and Eb thought that war would be some great adventure where they would ride into the battle as heroes and defeat the enemy. They could not have been more wrong. Training was hard and long, which led to a great deal of boredom and dullness for the soldiers. Troops often went without supplies such as shoes, coats, blankets, and other things. They usually had no food to eat; in winter they sometimes froze to death; they were often “caked with mud” and almost always “tired enough to drop,” as Dan Lawrence told the Creighton family when relating to them the story of Tom’s death. There were many in the Civil War who could not stand these harsh conditions. Illinois was flooded by deserters at least by the beginning months of 1862. The war started in April 1961. Just approximately 10 to 11 short months and soldiers were already tired of this legendarily glorious lifestyle. “Thousands of young men had been disillusioned. This war was no ‘breakfas’ spell’” (p. 139). Eb was one of those who could not stand the harsh conditions. He told Jethro on page 149, “You don’t know what it’s like . . . . There be things that air too terr’ble to talk about. You want to see the fields where you used to be happy, you want to smell the good air of old Illinois so much that you fergit—you go crazy fer an hour or so, and then you don’t dare go back.” Eb had just been fighting in battle one day and been burying dead men the next and then, “All at oncet I knowed I couldn’t stand it no longer, and I jest up and left. Oncet a man has left, he’s done fer.” What Eb meant was that once a deserter has left the army, he can never reenter. Deserters were hunted down by the army and killed if they were ever found, including if they turned themselves in. So even if a soldier did return to his hometown, he could never return to his own home because the army would know that he lived there and might show up any day to arrest him. And if a soldier deserted, no matter where he went or stayed, conditions were often just as bad as fighting in the war, because he could not get adequate food and shelter. And to top it all off, a soldier always had to be looking over his shoulder to be sure that the army had not caught up with him. In the end however, Lincoln enabled a law that said that deserters would not be executed if they returned to the army before a certain date. The reality of war can best be summed up in a quote by William Tecumseh Sherman – “There’s many a boy here today who looks on war as all glory, but, boys, it is all hell.”

There is another element of war that people do not usually think about: the consequences of war that soldiers and others suffer from. One of these consequences is mental trauma. During battle, soldiers often see things so violent and gruesome that if those things were placed in a movie, they would earn the film an R rating. These experiences and memories often give a soldier’s brain mental trauma. In Across Five Aprils on page 116 it says, “Dan Lawrence was not yet twenty; he was still weak from his wounds and loss of blood, still under the cloud of horrors that only subsequent horrors could make him forget.” Dan Lawrence had seen a lot of very horrific things, including the death of his friend, Tom Creighton, right before his very own eyes. Dan Lawrence was not the only one suffering from mental trauma either. Matt’s friend Ed Turner was wondering if his son, Sammy, who had participated in Sherman’s march to the sea, would ever be able to recover from the mental trauma he had suffered during that time. On page 196, Ed Turner asked Matt, “What is this goin’ to do to an eighteen-year-old boy, Matt? Kin a lad come through weeks of this kind of action without becomin’ a hardened man? Is human life goin’ to be forever cheap to him and decency somethin’ to mock at?” Sammy Turner’s mental trauma was different from Dan Lawrence’s. Sammy was not in permanent shock. Sammy was in danger of becoming a beast. Mental trauma can also become something of a soldier itself. It can cause physical trauma. Matt Creighton was injured not by another person, but by his own stress and worry of being attacked by others. When Jethro’s older brother Bill left his home to fight for the Confederates, there were a few people in the Creightons’ hometown that started harassing the Creightons, despite the fact that the rest of the Creighton boys fought for the Union. Because of the stress that came from worrying about his family’s safety, Matt Creighton had a heart attack. On page 97, it says, “Matt revived, but the vigorous, erect Matt Creighton was gone. A man who looked twenty years older had taken his place.” Even when people who receive injuries and mental trauma do recover, they are never the same. During the Civil War, medical equipment and cures were not as good as they are now, so if you were shot in the wrong place on your body, you often lost a limb or even died. And if you did recover, it usually took a great deal of time. In Across Five Aprils on page 168, a letter came to the Creighton family concerning their “adopted” family member, Shadrach Yale. The letter said, “He was brought here from Gettysburg with serious wounds which became gangrenous before his arrival . . . He has short periods of consciousness . . . I must tell you that my nephew’s condition is very critical.” Shadrach Yale had been seriously wounded in the battle of Gettysburg. It took him months to recover. Some who were injured never recovered at all. Throughout the entire Civil War, one in four men who fought died and did not return home. Shadrach Yale recounts his experiences of the battle of Fredericksburg: “thousands [were] scrambling up the innocent-looking wooded hills and falling like toy soldiers brushed over by a child’s hand; thousands of young men whose dreams and hopes were snuffed out in a second and who will be remembered only as simple soldiers who fell in a cruel, futile battle.” The battle of Fredericksburg was probably the worst in the Civil War, except for Gettysburg. This consequence of war is the worst because deaths are not just statistics; the death of a soldier is the death of somebody’s son, somebody’s father, somebody’s husband, somebody’s friend, or somebody’s brother.

A time of war for a country is a long, hard, gruesome, and sometimes fatal experience. To borrow a thought from Robert E. Lee: “It is good that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it.”* Jethro, Tom, and Eb all went into the Civil War thinking that it would be a time of excitement and adventure when the Union would easily crush the Confederacy into submission. They thought this would be a Sunday afternoon picnic, where all the kids would go play “Cowboys and Indians”. They sure got their full baptism into the real world of war. In modern computer warfare games like Call of Duty, you do not experience any of the elements and realities of war that I have mentioned. These games are intended to give you a realistic picture of battle, not war. Yet even in a company’s best efforts they still could not capture or even begin to show you the emotional impact of war, or even battle itself. And even if they could produce a game that would capture these lost elements of war, no one would buy the game. People like their stereotyped version of war. Today, the general public is like the townsfolk in Across Five Aprils: they want war to go exactly their way, and get really impatient when things do not. Some of today’s soldiers may be like Tom and Eb before they joined the army: they thought that they would be fighting all the time; that they would get to be the hero in battle. Today’s game players would be like Jethro before the war started: they have their conceptions of war until someone tells them the truth. And when the wars do start, the game player still has his own conceptions of war – until war hits close to his home: maybe one of his family members dies in battle. But, most game players probably will not experience what Jethro experienced. But that is what this essay is for: to inform them and other citizens of the present of what war is really like. Instead of blindly playing one virtual battle after another, or blindly believing what they read about in the newspaper or hear about on the TV or radio, here is what people should do: find out why the battles took place, where they were geographically, and how many men died in those battles. And to be perfectly honest, the game player would probably find the virtual reenactment of these battles more interesting because the battles would make more sense to the game player. And the citizen will most likely understand the strategy of the war more. And when the game player does play his virtual war, and the citizen reads his newspaper or watches the news, they would both do well to keep in mind that what they are seeing and reading is not the whole story of war or battle. The men that actually did fight in those battles experienced a lot worse than any game player, or news follower will most likely ever experience. They should be thankful. They owe their freedom to those very men.

*Was combined from two similar quotes of his found on BrainyQuote.com <http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/robert_e_lee.html>

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I Like Pants

“I Like Pants”

By Marshal Younger

I put on pants every day
To go to school or to play
I like pants

Sometimes I wear pants of blue
Or dream to go with my shoe
I like pants

Sometimes I feel sorry for ants
Because they can’t wear pants
I like Pants

Pants cover my legs so that I can go
Without them I would be cold, I know
I like Pants
I like them so.

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Poem on everyday heroism

Who is the hero of our day?

Certainly, not the hero of yesterday,

Whose role is already played.

But the hero whom our day calls

Is the hero who gives time,

And whose willingness to give his minutes,

Even the years of his prime

Makes him more a hero than he who gives his millions.

Who makes more of a difference, he who uplifts another soul,

Or he who helps his brethren poor?

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