That's what its all about

A buddy of mine, Joe, had a terrible week. His dad was in the hospital with rapidly failing health. The doctors seemed helpless to treat him. As Joe's father's pain grew worse he had less and less energy to fight back any longer. It seemed as if the end was near. The family began the difficult process of making peace and saying goodbye. Then yesterday there was a break, and the hospital decided to send him home as his condition had improved a bit.

Baby steps, might be the best way the doctors are proceeding with treatments. Christmas miracle? Christmas blessing? Who can say? Joe's dad is still serioussly ill, but his mom put it perfectly, as the family made sudden and unexpected plans for the holiday at home, instead of at the hospital, or worse. "At least we'll all be together," she said.

Many of us are apart from our families on this holiday, for a thousand and one reasons. Some are off to war, others stuck in airports. many of us are scattered across the country, out of work, short of cash, short of time, and some are seperated by their own pride, shame or ego. But the mgic of the season, regardless of faith is supposed to be one of love and forgiveness and redemption.

The lesson of Joe and his family is that we take the chance to say to family and friends how much we cherish them and cre for them while they are here. The lesson is that we take the opportunity to say "I love you," while they and we are still able to reach across the isle, pick up a phone, arrive on a doorstep or scribble a note. Life flees us all too quickly, and too unexpectedly to squander those chances.

And it extends beyond families and friends in the purest and nicest of ways. There are those who will politicize the season, and those who wish to impose obligatory greetings, as if they were paying hommage to a potentate. This morning on the way to work, from a Muslim fellow at a convenience store to most everyone else came heart felt and sincere Christmas and holiday greetings.

After the craziness and insanity of shopping malls has passed, after the politics and foolishness, after all the jerks who try to turn the holiday into a cause rather than a celebration between people this is my favorite time of the season. And to all those I have ever hurt or disappointed, I am sorry. To all those close to me, I love you and the Merriest of Christmas'

THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN 'BOUT

How's this for a brilliant statement, made last night by Bill Cunningham. Bill describes himself as a Devout Christian and a "Great American." On last night's show he showed how so-called Christians are ruining Christmas for the rest of us by helping to make it a meaner, more politicized and far more hypocritical holiday. The show, by the way, broadcast on WLS AM890, which is owned and operated by ABC-you know, that bastion of liberal news and propaganda. The same ABC whose stations run almost exclusively Right wing hate talkers like Limbaugh, Hannity and Levin.

"When I get invited to holiday parties," Cunningham told his audience, "I don't go. When I get invited to Christmas Parties, I often go." Must be nice for any Jewish, or friends of another faith who celebrate the package of multi-ethnic holidays beginning with Thanksgiving and ending with New Years, or even the Orthodox Christmas celebration in late January. Imagine inviting tough guy Cunningham to a party share the joy, friendship and goodwill of the season only to have him basically flip you a big old Republican middle finger.

Its this whole BS war on Christmas that Righties use as a sharp stick to poke folks who aren't paying close attention, are easily swayed or are already nasty litt;e people. What they have succeeded in doing is only making the holiday meaner and nastier. And the season has become nastier, in part because of the consumer mentality that is the truest threat to the Christmas message, but in no small part to disingenuous and scheming people like Cunningham and others.

Turn off Cunningham and WLS, put the jerks out of business and let them go find a real job where they might actually contribute something to the world instead of coarsening it. Lets make this Jerkless Christmas...

That's what I'm talkin 'bout!

Death panels for Christmas, Santa

Dear Santa,

I've been a good liberal this year. I was kind to a Homo, recycled, cared about the environment, visited Europe a couple times(for my marching orders), conversed socially with Muslims, prayed for world peace and believed a black guy could actually do an okay job as President in pretty tough times. I wanted to have a couple of abortions, but just couldn't manage with my schedule.

But Santa, have you seen the malls lately? We all know they are the true bastions of the Christmas spirit. FOX and the Right spends all their time concerned with what sort of greeting this clerk or that stockboy uses. You know, the ones making barely a living wage, fearing some health crisis will overwhelm their families who are either uninsured or under-insured. The ones who are overworked jut to make ends meet. The ones Sean hannity, Michael Medved and the rest tell us pay no taxes. They are not delivering the proper and apparently official holiday response. But they aren't the problem so much as all those miserable looking folks tromping mechanically to purchase obligatory "gifts" for people thay normally wouldn't cross the road to spit on if their hair was on fire.

I don't want much for Christmas. If you could see your way clear to thin the herd a bit. Been hearing about these Death Panels in the new Obama health plan. I have scoured the bill and I'll be darned if I can find it anywhere. Would come in handy, just to free up a couple parking spaces. Any chance? Huh?

Michael Savage and Glen Beck talk about concetration camps for Right-wingers. Obviously they see something the rest of us don't. I mean, everything Obama has done since last January leads to that undeniable conclusion. After all, this Administration is hardly as transparent and open as the previous one. When Bush proclaimed he was the "decider," or that after a narrower election than Obama won by he had "political capital, and I intend to spend it," Bush was a hero. The Right cheered and laughed when Bush was obstinate with the "Leftist" media, or when he and Cheney refused to answer questions under oath about the deadliest terror attack on US soil. And remember hen he snubbed that annoying helen Thomas...liberal b%#@h! God, that was good theater!

So, what I'm saying is this, if the Right says Obama is this tyrranical facist out to kill old folks and Righties, could you hurry that up. Don't feel like elbowing my way through the mall. That's it. That's all I want this Christmas. Oh, and maybe a lump pf coal in Bill O'Reilly's stocking!