'Tis the Season...

Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.

- Calvin Coolidge

 This is one of my favorite quotes of all time. This is exactly my frame of mind when that special time of year comes around. 

In a magic atmosphere,
Christmas time is drawing near...

Honestly, I could do this all day. 

City sidewalks, busy sidewalks
Dressed in holiday style
In the air there's a feeling of Christmas.

 Crowded streets, busy feet, hustle by him,

Downtown shoppers: Christmas is nigh!

Actually: there are days where I truly do do this all day.

 

Children, sleeping.
Snow is softly falling.
Dreams are calling,
Like bells in the distance. 

 

 And finally,

 

Although its been said many times, many ways,  

Merry Christmas to you!

 

I find that Christmas is nearly the only time of the year when I don't mind "cheesy" and "tacky". Especially for The Tree. Our Christmas Tree has an overall theme (classic in red, if you must know), but there are plenty of knick-knacks hiding in The Tree's extended branches. And I love it! It is a time when, even if everything is in shambles around you, you've still got your family. And for that, I eternally am thankful.

 

And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every One!

Virgin Mary ad creates controversy

 

I saw this ad the other day on Twitter and thought that it was... interesting (and, as we all know, "interesting" is just a substitute word for many other, perhaps stronger words). 

The ad, as pictured below and found in front of a church in New Zealand, depicts a shell-shocked holy Virgin Mary with a positive pregnancy test in her hand.

I'm not exactly a church-goer (does going once with my Nana make me somewhat-religious or sacrilegious?) but this photo is rather shocking. 

As a completely detached individual with no religious values or qualms whatsoever, I believe that this ad is straddling the fine line between traditional and modern. We, as a culture, are moving forward and progressing with new (and, for the most part, improved) notions. 

For example: we now know that it is actually beneficial to bathe more than once a year; we now know that leeches, generally, make a person more sick rather than ridding them of the evil spirit that was supposedly stitched to the individual's soul; we now know that women can do anything men can (relatively speaking). 

And yet, this picture is more mocking traditions than improving them. It's more similar to stuffing your octogenarian grandmother into a bikini than giving her the power to make her own decisions in life. 

I feel that a true church-goer would be appalled by this image. 

That said, I kinda like it. It's quirky.

Check it out at:

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2011/12/16/19132451.html