All those Irish hate-riots in America: Where is the ourrage?

Wednesday is Saint Patrick's Day, a day when all IRISH Americans openly delcare their hatred for American by celebrating St. Patrick, th patron Saint of bar crawls, the fashion atrocity of wearing Kelly-green, and the purveyor of, ultimately, green-not red, white and blue-pee!

Where are the Righties? Where are the Glenn Becks and Rush Limbaughs? Where are the Tea baggers who will proclaim, as dicks do, on their census forms that their race is UHMERICUN! Here are about of so-called Americans openly calling themself, in true heretical form, IRISH-Americans. If even for one day, these "people" would dare admit any connection to Socialist Europe. And Ireland, with its openly working healthcare system.

Rise up Righties and put an end to this so-called holiday. How dare these people proclaim any heritage other than UHMERIKUN. How dare they laugh and sing and be happy when, dare I say...An African American occupies our White house!

(Note: If you have come this far and haven't figured out the sarcasm, you must be a Glen Beck fan!)

January 8th 2010, so far so good

Two weeks since the HOLIDAYS and so far the Republicans haven't said anything stupid about Christmas.

Countdown to 2010

Heads up! 355 shopping days until Christmas 2010. 295 days until Bill O'Reilly opens his trap on the subject again.

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'