'Tis the Season

editors — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 18:10:00 GMT

If you celebrate Christmas, you have undoubtedly been spending your fair share of time in the mall recently. In our (comparably) affluent society, many people fear that Christmas has become just this: an overly commercial binge of materialism and decorating. Perhaps knowing the intentions behind the holiday rituals so many of us participate in can help us to feel more in the true spirit of the season this year. So, if you’ve ever wondered why we are rockin’ around a Christmas tree and decking the halls with boughs of holly, check out this enlightening post on CafeMom.

According to “Yule: What It Means to Me”, Yule is the winter holiday that originated with the Celts and is now celebrated by most Pagans. Many Christmas traditions seem to have their origin in the Yule celebration. We put up Christmas trees because the Celts saw evergreens as a symbol of life in the barren winter. Our modern Christmas lights are reminiscent of Yule candles, lit to encourage the sun’s return. We decorate our trees with ornaments just like the Celts hung the evergreen with symbols of things they hoped for in the coming year. Ever heard of a Yule log and wondered "What is that?" It’s a symbol of protection and health.

My favorite Yule tradition is one that anyone could use, regardless of beliefs or holiday practices. Paganpiratemama writes, "We give each other gifts at Yule to show our appreciation and love of our family and friends. We always say a little something or write a note telling them why we are glad to have them in our lives. Rarely do we give things that cost a lot of money, but something thoughtful and from the heart.”

I really can’t remember the last time that I told someone how much she meant to me as she unwrapped her gift, but it is definitely a ritual I’d like to begin. Thoughtful and from the heart…I can get on board with that. - Lindsay Armstrong

(Image taken from crazy-frankenstein.com)

Stay out of my room or I'll pee on your tree

Brett Singer — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:00:00 GMT

I've tried to write a summary of this story but I haven't been able to come up with a better intro than this one (from the New York Times):

When the men of the Phoenix Country Club saw their feeding ways in peril, they did not tarry. Some sent nasty e-mail messages, hectored players on the fairway and, for good measure, urinated on a fellow club member’s pecan tree.

As you can probably guess, it was that last one – the whole "urinating on a tree" thing – that grabbed my attention. What caused otherwise civilized men to make pee-pee on the pecan tree? Why, it was the women! They want to eat in the same dining room as the men! Well, if some chick wants to do that, I'm going to take a leak on her tree! That'll show those nosy broads.

The specifics are as follows: the Phoenix Country Club in Arizona does not allow women to eat in the men's grill room. According to the New York Times, this grill room is where high-level business deals are conducted, not to mention more pedestrian activities such as lunch. Well can't these persnickety hens go somewhere else? Actually, no. The "ladies' grill" has "a hot plate, some card tables and no bar." That's right. A hot plate.

Now, Arizona, Arizona… who's from Arizona? Oh! John McCain! Well, he's not a member. His son Andrew is, and so is Alice Cooper. (Kids, Alice Cooper is this rock star-type guy who used to really upset people because his act featured images of death and stuff. Yeah, we were pretty silly back then. Check out his Muppet Show episode, it's a lot of fun. And for those of you who remember Alice Cooper, yes. He's now a member of a country club that doesn't let women eat with men.)

This issue came to a head when Barbara Van Sittert and her husband Logan "appealed to the board of the club" to change the rules so they could have breakfast together. When they were told to stuff it, they went to the Attorney General's office, which recently issued an "advisory legal opinion that the club needed to comply with the state's antidiscrimination laws." That doesn't mean anything yet; the club has 30 days to try and settle the matter before the AG gets all legal on them.

So remember guys. If women want to do something you don't want them to do, whip it out and pee on their lawn. That'll show 'em.

image: progressivemajoritywisconsin.org

Strollerderby : tree

'Tis the Season

Stay out of my room or I'll pee on your tree

Here's to the laddies who lunch

Dick Cheney whispering hush: Goodnight Bush

Political Nanny: White Talk, Blackface ... Barf

McCain Finds Humor in Domestic Violence