Ah, Paris...

Last week, Ellie and I spent seven glorious days in Paris, France (rather than Paris, Idaho). We shipped the kids off to grandmas and grandpas (thanks!) and departed to celebrate our ten-year wedding anniversary. We saw nearly every notable corner of Paris along with Versailles, Chartres, and Normandy. It was a great trip. No, it was more than that. It was an emotionally moving, breathtaking, life-changing adventure.

I will always remember sipping hot chocolate in the famous Cafe Flores -- once the haunt of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. The chocolate was exquisite and I kept the napkin, which I will proudly show to anyone who wants to see it.


I will always remember walking along the Seine for the first time and catching my initial glimpses of the famous monuments rising above the skyline.


I will always remember exploring the ancient churches and cathedrals like Notre Dame, Chartres, Sainte-Chapelle, Saint-Germain-des-Pres, and Saint-Etienne-du-Mont. There is in such places a real feeling of immensity and awe. I will always remember sitting quietly and watching the light pour through the stained glass.

I will always remember connecting with the history of philosophy and early university life in a deep way. I stood before the tombs of Rousseau, Descartes, and Voltaire (among others) and walked along the streets of the Latin Quarter and Chartres, where the university was born.

I will always remember gazing at the most magnificent art I have ever encountered. This includes the epic and monstrous paintings of David and Rubens. The mysterious and perplexing paintings of Da Vinci, Titian, and Watteau. The emotionally rich and spiritual paintings of La Tour and Murillo. The paintings of Van Gogh and Matisse that brim with a colorful and discordant energy. The statues were even more gripping. Seeing the "Winged Victory of Samothrace" was a deeply moving experience, as was seeing the "Marly Horses." The Louvre displays statuary perfectly.

I will always remember feeling the power of Omaha Beach and Pont-du-Hoc. It was rainy, cold, and dreary when we went, just like D-Day on June 6, 1944. The beautiful place somehow manages to whisper of courage, sacrifice, and loss.

I will always remember eating my first croque-monsieur (and second and third, for that matter). I also savored a wonderful duck dish with a sweet sauce in a tiny little restaurant near our hotel, along with the best potatoes au gratin and creme brulee I've ever consumed. I learned that nothing beats a French crepe with Nutella and banana for an afternoon snack on the Ile-de-la-Cite.


I will always remember that things weren't perfect. It was sometimes cold and windy, and it was tiring to try to see so much. Our first day in Paris included being fined 25 Euros for not having our ticket to exit the train station. It also saw us encountering our first (and only) rude Parisian. We entered a restaurant around 5:30, which is very early to eat dinner in Paris. The waiter approach and snapped, "What do you want?" We explained we wanted to eat and he then went downstairs to rouse the chef. A few minutes later, a groggy and annoyed-looking cook emerged from the basement and proceeded to cook our meal. Actually, I don't think any of this was really"rudeness" per se, it was more us not following (or knowing) the usual protocol.

I will also remember how much I loved Ellie. Her sense of adventure and good taste made the trip all the more rewarding. Marrying her was the best decision I ever made. Je t'aime Ellie.

More pictures:

Ellie as chimera atop Notre Dame

Here is The Thinker. He is standing next to a famous statue.

Ellie at the Pompidou Center.

Watteau's "Pierrot"

The historic district in Chartres.

In the "Hall of Mirrors," Versailles

Second Floor of the Eiffel Tower, looking South

Alexandre III Bridge at night, Eiffel Tower in background

Arc de triomphe

Eiffel Tower at Night

Ellie meets Mona Lisa

Gardens of Versailles

At the Louvre

Children playing in a tree. (Given the low birthrate of France, I wasn't expecting to see any children. In reality, Paris is full of little French kids everywhere you look!)

German bunker -- Omaha Beach

Sacre Coeur

Cool sculpture in Monmartre

Ellie in a Crystal vanity at the Louvre (I think this is a cool picture)

The Musee d'Orsay

Marie-Antoinette's play hamlet, Versailles

Pei's pyramid, Louvre

Montparnasse cemetery -- final home to many famous people

The famous Hermaphrodite, Louvre

A Warm Beverage Break -- Champs-Elysees

The so-called "Rose Line," Saint Sulpice (for all you Da Vinci Code fans out there)

Notre Dame, South Side

The Goddess of Love and Beauty, standing next to a famous statue

Near the "Street of Straw" where many of the first university classes were held

American Cemetery, Omaha Beach (Notice how bundled Ellie is -- cold and wet!)

This is the Louvre's Metro Station -- They have art and ancient relics displayed in the subway station!

Ruben's room, Louvre (the paintings you see are all about 20 feet tall)

Matisse and me, Pompidou Center

Shakespeare and Company, a famous bookstore, Latin Quarter

Rodin's Garden, Hotel des Invalides and Eiffel Tower in background

The Pantheon

Tomb of Rousseau

Pont-du-Hoc, Normandy
Behind Chartres Cathedral, overlooking the town

We have literally hundreds more pictures. If you dare to ask, we will show them to you!

Great Andrew Picture [Bryan]

One of the best things about living with Andrew is his absolutely winning smile. His eyes literally sparkle with delight. [Photo credit -- Heather W. -- Thanks Heather!]

Obama Again [Bryan]

The March 4th presidential primary is coming up in Ohio, so it is time to write about Senator Obama again. If you don't like politics, please skip this. I have heard a few irritating claims about Obama, though, that I want to give my response to.

Claim: Obama is a light-weight who is all style and no substance. Not true. Obama has detailed policy positions published on his website, including a hefty, 60-page document that lists his plans in 15 different areas.With respect to his education plan alone I counted 17 specific policy proposals ranging from before preschool to higher education. I counted 36 specific economic policy proposals ranging from credit and bankruptcy reform to family and labor protections. You don't have to take my word for it, check his plan out for yourself. In my judgment, his policy recommendations are pragmatic, non-ideological, and intellectually serious (even though I don't agree with a few of them). After you do this, compare his policy details to that of John McCain, who really is a light weight on actual policy.

Claim: Obama hasn't accomplished anything as a Senator. Obama has only been in the Senate for four years. Still, his record as a Senator is surprisingly rich. For example, he has done important work on nuclear non-proliferation. Along with other ethics reform measures, he has passed legislation that creates a searchable record of recipients of federal contracts and grants. He also successfully worked to limit no-bid contracts in Katrina reconstruction and to protect Veterans benefits. A complete list of Obama's senatorial record can be found at the Library of Congress website. Again, compare his real achievements in the same time period with that of John McCain.

Claim: Obama isn't patriotic. This is just nuts. Real patriotism isn't about wearing a flag pin, shouting out the national anthem as loud as you can, or always talking about how much you "love America." It is about whether you actually do stuff that helps the country. Obama's response to the not-patriotic-enough charge is right on. He compares his patriotism with that of our current regime who have let down our country time and again:

A party that presided over a war in which our troops did not get the body armor they needed, or were sending troops over who were untrained because of poor planning, or are not fulfilling the veterans' benefits that these troops need when they come home, or are undermining our Constitution with warrantless wiretaps that are unnecessary?

That is a debate I am very happy to have. We'll see what the American people think is the true definition of patriotism.

Well said, Barack. Vote Obama March 4th!

Ellie's Church Talk [Ellie]

I got asked--six weeks in advance--to talk in Ward Conference. Just the bishop, the stake president, and moi. No pressure. Here's what I came up with. My topic? Invite All to Come unto Christ.

At the beginning of Oscar Wilde’s short novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, the young man, Dorian, is presented with a freshly finished portrait of himself. As others in the room exclaim over his beauty, he is struck by it himself. Impulsively, he says, “How sad it is! I shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful. But this picture will remain always young. It will never be older than this particular day of June . . . If it were only the other way! If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! For that . . . I would give everything! . . . I would give my soul for that!”

Because it is dangerous to wish in a novel, this is precisely what happens. Dorian’s wish is granted. His face remains always youthful and lovely, and only his portrait ages. The picture becomes a stand-in for Dorian’s soul. As he turns to debauchery and sin, his image in the portrait is degraded little by little until the picture is a record of every cruelty and vice Dorian commits. He hides the portrait in an attic, aware that no one seeing the beauty and innocence of his real face would believe the depths to which his soul has sunk.

I realize that this is an odd image with which to begin a talk entitled, “Invite all to come unto Christ.” I begin this way, because I’d like to propose that our ability to effectively invite others hinges on our own first coming unto Christ, and making this fact apparent in our lives and our faces. When our conversion is evident, when we have “received His image in our countenances,” as it says we must in Alma 5:14, we will draw others to us and they will desire to be like us, and have what we have.

Dorian Gray’s countenance was a lie. His beauty drew people to him, despite the ugliness within him. Beauty may draw people, but it does not hold them. Those we hold up as beautiful in our society are readily scorned in tabloids and newspapers for their dissolute lives. Conversely, many of us have known and loved people whom the world looks on as ordinary or even ugly for the profound beauty of their souls.

This idea of goodness marking our bodies is continued in Isaiah, where the Lord says, “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.” His hands bear the marks of His love for us. Certainly these marks are significant. He could have been resurrected without them. He is scarred to remind us of how much He loves us.

So how do we let our love for Him mark us? How do we let our joy in His love show through in our countenances and in the way we live our lives? Surely if we are to invite others to come unto Him, we must have first come unto Him ourselves.

In a wonderful talk from April Conference in 2006, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland suggested that coming unto Christ consists of three things: desiring to believe, removing any obstacles to belief from our lives (i.e., repenting), and taking upon us Christ’s name, and “in as many ways as possible” trying to “take upon us His identity.” I want to address Elder Holland’s third way of coming unto Christ—taking upon us His identity. I believe we take on His identity, let His image physically mark our lives, when we humble ourselves to recognize our need for Him, and then study and try to emulate His attributes. Today I’d like to talk about three of Jesus Christ’s attributes that will, I believe, bring in us Alma’s “mighty change of heart” and etch the features of the Savior on our faces. The three attributes I’d like to address are: His Sacrifice, His Service, and His Mercy.

We often think of Christ’s sacrifice as what happened in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross, but it must have began much earlier than that. We know that in the Council in Heaven, Jesus volunteered to be our Savior. He knew what this would mean: that His life on Earth could not be like our lives, full of sins and mistakes and course corrections. From His birth, He would be perfect and sinless, though still subject to the temptations we are subject to. He sacrificed the opportunity to live a life like we lived. We know that as early as twelve years old instead of hanging out with His friends like most kids his age, Jesus was teaching in the temple. He began His ministry at 30, when most young men are marrying and enjoying the comforts of their families. In Matthew 20: 28 we get at the crux of the matter: “. . .the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many”—to give His life, not just His death, for us. His sacrifice was total.

After dedicating all His time, all of it, to His “Father’s business,” he did suffer and die for us, to complete His mission here. I can hardly comprehend the love He showed as He took on Himself our sins and sufferings in the Garden, and sealed His ministry on the cross.

There are many things about Christ’s sacrifices that we cannot imitate. Most of us won’t die to save others; most of us are not called to leave our families for a full-time, life-long ministry. But we can do as Christ did in accepting what calls we are given, and doing our best to do as He would do in our callings. Sacrifice is a difficult principle of the gospel. By its nature it’s uncomfortable. It requires us to stretch, sometimes to a breaking point. Yet, no sacrifice we can make can equal Christ’s sacrifice for us. If we accept the burdens we are given and embrace the sacrifices we have to make, we can come to resemble our Savior. As others see us bear our sacrifices willingly, they will be drawn to learn what inspires us to strive on.

A second attribute of Christ that can change us is His service. Jesus seemed completely comfortable with His call of continual service. Even when his circumstances made serving inconvenient, He never hesitated or complained. He healed on the Sabbath—though it was supposed to be a day of rest for Him and others. He welcomed and forgave the woman who washed His feet with her tears, even though she interrupted His dinner with her needs. He calmed the storm for His disciples, even though they woke Him from a much-needed rest. In Matthew 14, we read the most poignant story. Jesus’ friend, John the Baptist, had been beheaded by King Herod. “When Jesus heard of it,” we read, “he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart.” Jesus loved John. He needed time to grieve, to be alone. Yet, “when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.” The people loved Him so, that they could not give Him even a few hours alone with His sadness. He did not turn them away. “And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.” He went on to preach to them and perform a miracle to feed them all.

When I think about Jesus’ sacrifice and service, I am ashamed of my own weakness. I’m not called to give my whole life—just a few hours a week. I sometimes feel overwhelmed by the service demands life makes on me, and I complain to Bryan. Even under the most challenging of circumstances—circumstances more difficult that I will ever encounter, Jesus never complained. He just served where he saw a need, lovingly and immediately. I believe that if I continually make the effort to change myself, and change my heart to be more like His through my service and sacrifice, this will show in my face--as your sacrifices and service will show on yours. The service we give to others, and the light of Christ engraved on our faces will draw others to Him.

A third attribute of Jesus Christ we can emulate is His mercy. I’ll call it mercy, but love and grace also describe what I mean. Of all beings who have lived on Earth, Jesus, as God incarnate, is the most suited to make judgments. He is sinless. He has perfect knowledge of right and wrong. He lived among mortals who were constantly sinning, which must have frustrated Him sometimes. Yet, we really only have a few examples of His wrath. Merchants desecrating the temple angered Him. And there was a fig tree once that He seemed to have it in for. Other than that, though uniquely qualified to judge, He rarely meted out justice. Time and again, He met sinners like us with mercy, love, and forgiveness. He was more likely to shed tears over the misery He saw than He was to shout or lecture. To the woman taken in adultery, He said nothing condemning. Just, “Go, and sin no more.” To little Zacchaeus, the well-known publican and sinner who climbed a tree to see Jesus, Jesus said, “Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for today I must abide at thy house.”

Jesus showed His mercy in whom he associated with. A king on Earth, He might have associated with those of high stature. Instead, he chose fishermen and tax collectors, the blind and the lame, the penitent sinner, and children. The New Testament is full of scriptures that describe Jesus as full of compassion for those around Him. They must have felt, as I do, the wonder expressed in the hymn, “I Stand All Amazed:” “That He should extend His great love unto such as I / Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.” I can’t imagine a greater gift than to be owned, redeemed, and justified by our Savior.

What power for good we might have in the lives of others if we truly come unto Christ and let His love, grace, and mercy shine through our eyes. Jesus told us, “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” We can emulate His mercy through letting compassion take the place of judgment in our lives. We can try, as He did, to associate with those who need us most—those with heavy burdens to bear. We can strive to let His pure love color our every interaction with others. When people feel our sincere love for them and for Christ, they will feel His Spirit as we share our testimonies. Conversely, when we lack this love and mercy, people will feel that, as well.

I once had a friend, not a member of our church, who knew many members. She’d been invited to lots church functions, and enjoyed associating with the members she knew. Yet she noticed that the invitations she received didn’t seem to stem from sincere love for her. She observed to me: “Mormons only seem to want to hang out with each other.” I was stung by her words, but as I thought about them, I saw the truth of it. She could tell that the Mormons she knew wanted her to join the church, but they didn’t seem to just want to be with her. She didn’t feel Christ’s love through them.


To invite others—our families and our friends—to come unto Christ, we must first have come unto Him ourselves. He is always inviting us: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,” he says, “and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me: for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” By taking on His attributes—His sacrifice, His service, and His mercy—we come unto Him and allow Him to mark our countenances and our lives. When our love becomes His love, we draw others to us. Then we can invite them to come unto Him.

Star Gazing [Bryan]

Last night was an amazing night. Generally, the Midwest is a terrible place to stargaze. The humidity makes the sky hazy and the dense population means that city light is bouncing off that haze. The elevation is relatively low, so you have a lot more atmosphere to peer through. Even on the best nights, you can only see a couple of dozen stars in the sky. Moreover, the sky is usually cloudy so those good nights are rare. It is very different from the dry, high, clear, light-free sky of the Mountain West where I grew up. (For the best star gazing in the US, go to Lake Powell, Utah. There, the Milky Way shines like, well, milk, splattered across the sky.)

Last night was different, though, here in Ohio. The air was still and clear. The stars were bright. Planets were high in the sky. Orion was to the south and the Big Dipper to the north. And there was a full lunar eclipse! From eight to midnight the moon went from its usual bright white, to a pink, to a dark red, and then back again. I broke out my little two inch telescope and watched the whole thing. I was able to see the rings of Saturn, which was hovering close to the moon. I also got a great view of Great Orion Nebula right in the middle of Orion constellation. Things were so clear I could use my stronger eyepiece, which usually doesn't work very well because of atmospheric turbulence. I was in ecstasy for hours.

The problem was, I was alone for most the night. Ellie had gone to a meeting. I tried to go in a wake up Nora. I turned on her light, shook her, and yelled at her, but she refused to wake up. So I guess I'm stuck with blogging about it. It was a magical night in the skies above Columbus -- one that won't come again very soon. I wish you were all there to see it. It was really cold, though, and I wouldn't have wanted to hear any whining!

Cookies! [Bryan]

Follow the link to a nice little essay about one of my favorite foods:

"The Chocolate Chip Cookie, when executed properly, is one of few very foods in the world capable of producing happiness."

Well said!

Best music video of the 1980s [Bryan]

Seiji Ozawa and the Berlin Philharmonic do a selection from one of my favorite pieces of 20th century orchestration: Orff's Carmina Burana. This is the "Cours' de'amours" section. One of my dreams in life is to see this complex piece performed lived.

The Decline and Fall of Mitt Romney [Bryan]

If you read this blog with any regularity, you know that I've been pretty tough on Mitt Romney. I did not really rejoice, though, when I saw that he had suspended his race. For all his apparent faults, he was probably the best Republican candidate out there. I believe that, at bottom, he is a decent -- if somewhat shallow -- man and that he would have run a competent, drama-free White House. I hope that next time he runs, he figures out that his strength is as a technocratic centrist manager, and not a fire-breathing right winger. He would have been a much more compelling candidate had he not tried to get cozy with the evangelicals, the neoconservatives, and the unitary executivists.

Hearing his final speech, however, I worry that he has not really learned this lesson. He said, for example: "If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Sens. Clinton or Obama would win. And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror." So electing a Democratic is surrendering to terror? Sheez, Mitt. Harping on national fear and division is not the way to become a real leader.

I think Romney's decline holds certain lessons for us Mormons. I think it is undeniable the Romney's religion played a part in his lack of success among conservative voters. It wasn't the only factor, to be sure, but it was one factor.

Here is one message we Mormons should take: The Religious Right is not our friend. The fear, animosity, and rancor they display toward secularists, Muslims, gays, evolutionists, feminists, pacifists, liberals, immigrants, and so forth, are also often aimed squarely at Mormons. If they are our bedfellows on political issues, perhaps we may want to rethink the company we keep.

At the same time, the secular left revealed its own shortcomings. I saw Romney's religious beliefs ridiculed in many of the left-leaning blogs I frequent. Now, I do believe that there are parts of Mormon history and contemporary practice that deserve sustained criticism (Mountain Meadows, the Priesthood ban, overwhelming Mormon support for wars, and so forth). Much of the criticism I saw was uninformed, however, or presented in the most unsympathetic way possible. I would have expected better from them.

Part of the problem here, though, is that we Mormons on the whole are often not very thoughtful about our religious beliefs. We think there are easy answers to every question. We do not study our religion deeply and, by policy, keep everything at its most simple (simplistic?) level. We are afraid of doubters and questioners. We do not think very much about how our religion should coexist with other religious groups (or nonreligious groups) that all disagree vehemently about basic moral issues. Among ourselves, we think we are hot stuff and we love the way many of our stories and theologies make us different. Yet, at the same time, we get offended when people call us out on this and claim that we actually are different, mysterious, secretive, odd, or non-Christian. We celebrate our differences in private, but seem embarrassed by them in public. I think some nonmembers sense this disconnect, and I can't really blame them for not trusting us because of it.

My advice to Mormons: We should learn to be less defensive about our differences, but also learn to defend them in sophisticated ways. For example, some Mormon leaders have indeed taught that "Jesus and Satan are brothers" (in some sense) just as Mike Huckabee said. How can we turn this shocking statement into a compelling narrative about our belief in the power of freedom and agency, rather than denying it, dismissing it as only a "minor doctrine," or affirming it without an accompanying interpretive framework that gives it power and meaning? We have a lot of work to do if we want people to take Mormonism seriously. Right now, we as a people are a mirror image of Romney -- nice, clean cut, and competent, but also image-obsessed and shallow.

Why Obama?

In a few days, Ellie and I will cast our ballot by mail for Barack Obama in the Ohio Democratic presidential primary. I know some of you out there will be able to vote soon on "Super Tuesday," so I thought it would be an appropriate time to write about this. Obama is the first politician we have ever given money to. Why do we like Barack so much?

I can't speak for Ellie, but here are my thoughts. I first heard Obama speak when I was a graduate student at the University of Illinois. I brushed shoulders with him briefly. He was surrounded by reporters talking about farm policy, and I stood with the reporters listening to him speak. He seemed articulate and sincere, and I decided to vote for him in his Senate race. At that time, I didn't know anything about his life and only a little about his policy inclinations. As I've learned more about him, my respect has only increased.

Obama's personal biography is impressive. His father left him at an early age and his mother moved the family to Indonesia, where Obama experienced relative poverty (they didn't have a refrigerator, for instance). He also learned what it was like outside the U.S.A., in a very intimate way, by attending the local schools in Jakarta. He returned to the States, eventually graduating from Columbia University and Harvard Law School (he graduated magna cum laude and was the first Black editor of the Harvard Law Review). After that, instead of going to a powerful law firm where he could have made big money, he used his talents as a community organizer in Chicago and, by all accounts, did some really good things there. What I like about all this is simple: He has first hand experience with real life in a way that the other presidential contenders do not have. People question his "experience," but I think he has the sort of real experience that really matters.

His character and thoughtfulness are praised by people everywhere, even if they don't agree with his policies. He is not afraid to talk to people who disagree with him -- at the University of Chicago, where he taught, he was famous for respectfully engaging with people across the political spectrum. I've pasted below some of what people say about Obama. I've tried to list conservatives here, so you know this isn't just Democratic hype. Here is conservative writer Dean Barnett who went out and tried to dig up some dirt on Obama:

MY PREVIOUS PROFESSIONAL life, I had reason to be in contact with dozens of Barack Obama's classmates at Harvard Law School. When he entered the presidential race, I dusted off my Rolodex and began making some calls to get the off-the-record skinny on the Democrats' potential savior.

The results surprised me. Regardless of his classmates' politics, they all said pretty much the same thing. They adored him. The only thing that varied was the intensity with which they adored him. Some spoke like they were eager to bear his children. And those were the guys. Others merely professed a profound fondness and respect for their former classmate. Even more interesting was what wasn't said. In dozens of conversations, not a single person said anything negative about him, and some were hardly the senator's political fellow travelers. Also noteworthy is that virtually everyone seemed to know Obama. Usually people who have such a high profile on law school campuses have their detractors. Obama apparently didn't....

[His academic success], along with his presidency of the Law Review, makes his uniform popularity all the more impressive. Law schools are intensely competitive places. People who thrive to an unseemly extent, as Obama did, are usually subject to an array of resentments. After all, the lawyers of tomorrow populate law schools; pettiness and insecurity reign supreme. The people that Obama so thoroughly charmed generally weren't the charm-prone types. I say the following as a well known Republican partisan--the fact that his classmates so universally held him in the highest regard suggests that Barack Obama may truly be a special person.

Consider also what conservative commentator Peggy Noonan had to say about him. Noonan is no fan of Obama's policies, I imagine, but even she can sense the difference:

Barack Obama has a great thinking look. I mean the look he gets on his face when he's thinking, not the look he presents in debate, where they all control their faces knowing they may be in the reaction shot and fearing they'll look shrewd and clever, as opposed to open and strong. I mean the look he gets in an interview or conversation when he's listening and not conscious of his expression. It's a very present look. He seems more in the moment than handling the moment. I've noticed this the past few months, since he entered the national stage. I wonder if I'm watching him more closely than his fellow Democrats are.

Mr. Obama often seems to be thinking when he speaks, too, and this comes somehow as a relief, in comparison, say, to Hillary Clinton and President Bush, both of whom often seem to be trying to remember the answer they'd agreed upon with staff.

You get the impression Mr. Obama trusts himself to think, as if something good might happen if he does. What a concept. Anyway, I've started to lean forward a little when he talks.

More than his personal character, I think Obama he can help rectify what, for me, was the unforgivable sin of the Bush administration. After 9/11, Americans were ready to do something -- to do anything -- to come together to help solve our country's problem. We were dependent on oil, our foreign policy wasn't what it should have been, and we as a people had become materialistic and shallow. In such an environment, Bush did the absolutely unforgivable. He and Karl Rove turned 9/11 into a partisan weapon. Senators who wanted worker protections in the new Department of Home Land Security were said to be working with Osama Bin Laden. Presidential hopefuls were accused of being in league with Al Quaeda. Instead of asking for sacrifice, Bush asked us to go shopping. What could have been a key moment for lasting change was lost. American is now widely mistrusted around the world.

Obama can help solve these problems. He really does bring people together. I went to a campaign event in October and what impressed me most was the variety of people who were there. There were blacks, whites, Latinos, Asians. There were young people and old people, men and women. There were people who looked like professionals and those that looked like farmers. I challenge you to go to any other candidate's campaign event. You won't see anything like this. With respect to the international community, people outside of the United State really seem to respect and admire him. Here I am thinking of his recent trip to Africa, where he received a hero's welcome.


What American needs, more than anything else, is to restore the world's respect for America. Only then, will we be able to solve the big problems we are facing, like terrorism. Having Obama as president would do wonders for American credibility abroad.

And just briefly: Obama's policy positions are exciting. He has proposed a meaningful healthcare plan that has drawn praise from a wide variety of circles (it is, in many ways, similar to Mitt Romney's -- I just wish it had a universal mandate, but that is a different story). His energy plan is also widely praised and will actually do something to overcome our addiction to oil. And so forth. Frankly, I just wish he was a little more to the left!

Even if you are Republican, and you are in a state with an open primary, I urge you to vote in the Democratic primary for Obama. Here are some highlights from Obama. Follow your goosebumps!



Worried that Obama is a secret Muslim? See here. Worried about the Rezko business? See here.

Ah yeah -- Men at Work [Bryan]

More from the 1980s:

Separating myths from facts [Bryan]

Myth: Bryan used to wear sweatpants and loafers to high school.
Fact: Not true. Bryan never wore sweatpants to school, or loafers for that matter. He always wore a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers.

Myth: On a family trip to Yellowstone, Bryan got lost in the woods.
Fact: Not true. Bryan was out exploring and lost track of time.

Myth: Bryan asked out Ellie by note for their first date.
Fact: Okay, this one is true. But it is not as bad as it sounds.

Myth: Bryan is an excellent basketball player.
Fact: Bryan has only a decent game, with a good outside jumper and dangerous penetration ability. He plays fairly good defense, but has almost never been known to grab a rebound. He has been known to shoot too much.

Myth: Bryan used to be a young Republican.
Fact: He was on their mailing list but never did, in fact, join.

Myth: Bryan only wears bow ties.
Fact: Bryan usually wears bow ties, but, being wild and crazy, will throw on a regular necktie now and then. In that sense, he is not a "true" bow tie wearer

Myth: Bryan once bought a Yanni CD and a Metallica CD at the same time.
Fact: Again, this is true.

Myth: Bryan is only interested in stuffy, academic stuff.
Fact: Bryan actually has quite rugged, masculine interests: backpacking, fishing, sports, and so forth.

Myth: Bryan recently acquired a tattoo.
Fact: No comment.

Myth: Bryan used to listen to rap.
Fact: This also is true, although he rarely slips in NWA or Public Enemy these days (Ellie is not a fan).

A Story by Nora [Nora]

Wonderland

By Nora Warnick

Once upon a time, Alice wanted to go for a walk in the woods to catch a bunny.

Alice and her sister caught the bunny. Then they bought some clothes at the store.

The bunny ran away again, and Alice caught it in the forest.

The bunny ran away again, and Alice tried to catch it, but...Oops! What a mess! What a splash! Alice and the bunny fell down a waterfall. Alice felt sick and couldn't get out of the water. She was very, very sick.

Prince James came to save her just in time! He saved the rabbit, too. The rabbit went back to its hole vary fast. The rabbit said, "I'm not doing that again! That was crazy!"

Prince James brought Alice to the palace. The Queen said, "Put her on a bed so she can feel better!"

Prince James whispered to weak Alice, "It's all right now; you're in the castle. The kingdom is always safe."

The next morning Prince James kneeled down and kissed the sleeping Alice. She woke up and she felt better.

The next day they got married. They had a wonderful day.

The End.

[Father's note: Although this may seem like a simple, sentimental romance, it is really filled with postmodern feminist irony. The elusive nature of the rabbit calls into question larger cultural meta-narratives. Alice's identity, based in shopping and longing for a husband, is challenged by the trickster rabbit. Its elusive presence testifies to the transience of consumerism and romantic love. In escaping the clutches of Alice, the rabbit's statements of relief are a warning about the dangers inherent in post-industrial capitalism, together with the the false consciousness of feminine emotive expression it embodies. The prince, the masculine hero embodying the myth of male self-sufficiency, looks for guidance from the queen as he brings home Alice, signifying that masculine power is inherently deconstructive.]

A Criminal with Strange Tastes [Bryan]

When Ellie and I were first married, we were living in a small apartment just off State Street in Salt Lake City, Utah. We were poor, but happy. The area was prone to car break ins. Since Ellie and I didn't have much of value, we decided to leave our car doors unlocked. We figured it would better to let people easily open our car doors and search around for stuff than to have them break out the windows (which happened quite often in that neighborhood).

Our strategy worked! On a number of occasions, we could tell our car had been searched for valuables. Our tapes would be spread across the seat, for example, and the ash tray would be open. But nothing would ever be stolen. Apparently thieves weren't interested in broken cassette tape players and old Simon and Garfunkel albums. We took a grim satisfaction in the thought of a thief rifling through our music, only to be thwarted by our divergent musical tastes.

Now, fast forward to 2008. Bryan is driving a junky, rusted-out car to work. He parks, again, in an area prone to car break ins. He leaves his doors unlocked and never leaves anything anybody would ever want in the car -- just a bunch of unattractive cassette tapes. Does Bryan outwit the thieves?

No! Bryan comes back to his car one day and finds his car cleaned out of cassette tapes. Everything is gone, including one of Bryan's prized Christmas presents, a lecture series dealing with U.S. Middle East foreign policy from 1914-2001.

What kind of a weird thief would steal such a thing? One with a particular interest in the Eisenhower Doctrine? A fascination with the two-state solution? A proclivity for the details of the fall of the Ottoman Empire?

I can only imagine our thief trying to trade the tapes for drugs. "Dude, you gotta here this guy talk about the Seven Day War, man, and Johnson's attempt to pressure Nassarist Arab Nationalism. Its gotta be worth a couple kilos, man!"

I suppose he could sell my beloved tapes to a used bookstore for a few bucks, maybe. But it is one of those things where the worth to me is much more than the worth to him. It is like when I was mugged in Buenos Aires and they ripped the thick prescription lenses off my face. Come on, guys! If you are going to steal from me, at least take something valuable.

Music Bryan is listening to [Bryan]

Well, now that Christmas and my birthday have passed, I can sit back an absorb some of the new music I received. I don't have time to write extended reviews, but all three of my new albums are superb.

First, Andrew Bird's new album Armchair Apocrypha. Excellent rock/atmospheric/Eastern mix, with some great whistling thrown in for good measure!

Second, Picaresque by the Decembrists. This is now officially my second favorite Decembrists album. They are master-storytellers masquerading as musicians.

Finally, the new New Pornographers album, Challengers. Good stuff!

Our Cute Kids [Bryan]

Our kids said a couple of interesting things today.

First, after eating a large spoonful of ice cream today, Andrew starting crying. I asked him what was wrong and he said, "Ice cream hurt me." I guess that was his first experience with "brain freeze."


Second, Nora was in church today and a church lady asked: "Does anyone know where we are today?" Nora raised her hand and said, "In Jesus's castle." I think she may be watching too many Disney shows.

Worst video of the 1980s?

A fun song, but what's up with the dancing jester dwarf?

Why I worry about Mitt Romney [Bryan]

A long, boring, politically-oriented post below. Reader beware!

Anyway, a reporter recently asked Mitt Romney and the other presidential candidates about the limits of presidential power. From what I can tell, Romney does not recognize ANY limits of presidential power. This is all very disturbing to me. I'll just add this to my list of reasons of why I'm not a supporter of Mitt Romney.

Below are the questions (in bold), Romney's answers, and my commentary (in italics). For comparison purposes, I have listed the responses of Barack Obama to the same questions. Obama here seems much more specific, informed, and takes a more principled stand for the rule of law.

1. Does the president have inherent powers under the Constitution to conduct surveillance for national security purposes without judicial warrants, regardless of federal statutes?

MR: ntelligence and surveillance have proven to be some of the most effective national security tools we have to protect our nation. Our most basic civil liberty is the right to be kept alive and the President should not hesitate to use every legal tool at his disposal to keep America safe.

BW: Romney thinks that the government can wiretap U.S. citizens without any sort of judicial oversight.

BO:The Supreme Court has never held that the president has such powers. As president, I will follow existing law, and when it comes to U.S. citizens and residents, I will only authorize surveillance for national security purposes consistent with FISA and other federal statutes.

2. In what circumstances, if any, would the president have constitutional authority to bomb Iran without seeking a use-of-force authorization from Congress?

MR: A President must always act in the best interests of the United States to protect us against a potential threat, including a nuclear Iran. Naturally, it is always preferable to seek agreement of all – leadership of our government as well as our friends around the world – where those circumstances are available.

BW: Romney, it seems, thinks the president does not really need any Congressional authorization to start a war.

BO: The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.....

3. Does the Constitution empower the president to disregard a congressional statute limiting the deployment of troops -- either by capping the number of troops that may be deployed to a particular country or by setting minimum home-stays between deployments? In other words, is that level of deployment management beyond the constitutional power of Congress to regulate?

MR: The founders created a constitutional system in which the war power was divided between the President and Congress. A President must respect the constitutional design while at the same time remain faithful to commander-in-chief powers and obligations to keep this country safe.

BW: Again, no congressional oversight. In this case, over anything having to do with military affairs.

BO: No, the President does not have that power. To date, several Congresses have imposed limitations on the number of US troops deployed in a given situation. As President, I will not assert a constitutional authority to deploy troops in a manner contrary to an express limit imposed by Congress and adopted into law.

4. Under what circumstances, if any, would you sign a bill into law but also issue a signing statement reserving a constitutional right to bypass the law?

MR: I share the view of many past presidents that signing statements are an important presidential practice.

BW: Romney's answer here is vague and evasive. In what way will he use signing statements? Can the president modify congressional legislation to suit his whims?

BO: Signing statements have been used by presidents of both parties, dating back to Andrew Jackson. While it is legitimate for a president to issue a signing statement to clarify his understanding of ambiguous provisions of statutes and to explain his view of how he intends to faithfully execute the law, it is a clear abuse of power to use such statements as a license to evade laws that the president does not like or as an end-run around provisions designed to foster accountability.....

5. Does the Constitution permit a president to detain US citizens without charges as unlawful enemy combatants?

MR: All US citizens are entitled to due process, including at least some type of habeas corpus relief regardless whether they are designated unlawful enemy combatants or not.

BW: So, U.S. citizens only get "some" habeas protection -- not sure what that means.

BO: No. I reject the Bush Administration's claim that the President has plenary authority under the Constitution to detain U.S. citizens without charges as unlawful enemy combatants.

6. Does executive privilege cover testimony or documents about decision-making within the executive branch not involving confidential advice communicated to the president himself?

MR: Courts have recognized that there is a valid need for protecting communications among high government officials and those who advise and assist them. Before invoking the privilege, a President should carefully weigh, among other factors, the interest in disclosure and the interest in preserving the confidentiality of deliberations and advice in the Executive Branch. As an institutional matter, the President must also protect the prerogatives of his Office for future presidents.

BW: U.S. presidents, it seems, don't have to reveal who they talk to or for what reason. Does he realize that the president works for the people, rather than the other way around? The people need the tools to check up on how the president in doing. It is this that deserves protection, not "the prerogatives of his office." For what its worth, Obama on this point isn't much better.

BO: With respect to the “core” of executive privilege, the Supreme Court has not resolved this question, and reasonable people have debated it. My view is that executive privilege generally depends on the involvement of the President and the White House.

7. If Congress defines a specific interrogation technique as prohibited under all circumstances, does the president's authority as commander in chief ever permit him to instruct his subordinates to employ that technique despite the statute?

MR: A President should decline to reveal the method and duration of interrogation techniques to be used against high value terrorists who are likely to have counter-interrogation training. This discretion should extend to declining to provide an opinion as to whether Congress may validly limit his power as to the use of a particular technique, especially given Congress’s current plans to try to do exactly that.

BW: So, if a president wants to torture, there is nothing anybody can do about it. A president does not even have to answer questions about it.

BO: No. The President is not above the law, and the Commander-in-Chief power does not entitle him to use techniques that Congress has specifically banned as torture. We must send a message to the world that America is a nation of laws, and a nation that stands against torture. As President I will abide by statutory prohibitions, and have the Army Field Manual govern interrogation techniques for all United States Government personnel and contractors.

8. Under what circumstances, if any, is the president, when operating overseas as commander-in-chief, free to disregard international human rights treaties that the US Senate has ratified?

MR: The President must carry out all of his duties in a manner consistent with the rule of law, whether it is our Constitution or valid international agreements, so long as they do not impinge upon the President’s constitutional authority.

BW: So, a president doesn't have to honor treaties if they conflict with his or her view of presidential power. But look at the vast sweep of authority Romney is claiming here. Virtually any treaty would conflict with this conception of executive power!

BO: It is illegal and unwise for the President to disregard international human rights treaties that have been ratified by the United States Senate, including and especially the Geneva Conventions. The Commander-in-Chief power does not allow the President to defy those treaties.

9. Do you agree or disagree with the statement made by former Attorney General Gonzales in January 2007 that nothing in the Constitution confers an affirmative right to habeas corpus, separate from any statutory habeas rights Congress might grant or take away?

MR: The availability and limitation of habeas corpus is governed by current federal statutory law and the Suspension Clause of the US Constitution, Article I, § 9, cl. 2.

BW: The constitution says clearly, "The privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it." If this is not the language of an "affirmative right," I don't know what is.

BO: Disagree strongly.

10. Is there any executive power the Bush administration has claimed or exercised that you think is unconstitutional? Anything you think is simply a bad idea?

The Bush Administration has kept the American people safe since 9/11. The Administration’s strong view on executive power may well have contributed to that fact.

BW: Ben Franklin: "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

BO: First and foremost, I agree with the Supreme Court's several decisions rejecting the extreme arguments of the Bush Administration, most importantly in the Hamdi and Hamdan cases. I also reject the view, suggested in memoranda by the Department of Justice, that the President may do whatever he deems necessary to protect national security, and that he may torture people in defiance of congressional enactments. In my view, torture is unconstitutional, and certain enhanced interrogation techniques like “waterboarding” clearly constitute torture....

A handout I'm proud of [Bryan]

Here is a handout I made for a Christmas class I taught in church yesterday.

I. Greek Vocabulary:

1. Katalumati -- (Luke 2:7): KJV translates as “inn” in KJV; should probably be translated “guest room,” “upper room,” or “encampment.” Thus, phrase might be better translated "because there was no space for them in the room.” JST makes this plural: “inns.” Notice there is no mention of an "innkeeper" who turns Joseph away!
2. Eudokias -- (Luke 2:14): KLV translates “of good will” – KJV reads “Peace on earth and good will toward men (eudokia)”; should probably read “Peace on earth among men of good will (eudokias)”
3. Paraklesiv -- (Luke 2:25): KJV translates “consolation.” Closely related to the word for “comforter.” Literally has to do with “calling out” or “exhorting.”
4. Tois tou patros -- (Luke 2:49) – KJV translates as “about my father’s business”; could also be translated “in my father’s house.”
5. Magoi -- (Matt 2:1) – Priestly class among the Persians? (Herodotus) Priests of Zoroastrian religion? Babylonian astronomers? Jews from Babylon?
6. Tektone -- (Matt 13:55). KJV translates as “carpenter.” Could also be a “builder” or a “stonemason.” Early Christian traditions say that Joseph was a homebuilder or a plow-maker.

II. Differences between Luke and Matthews account of the nativity.

1. No mention in Matthew of shepherds, angels, mangers, etc. No mention in Luke of majoi, Herod, or Jesus’ presentation in the temple.
2. Matthew focuses on the role of Joseph., Luke of Mary.
3. Matthew focuses on Jewishness of Jesus; Luke on the humanness of Jesus – Jesus as prophet.
4. Matthew does not mention Joseph being from Nazareth (Joseph could have been from Bethlehem; inn = guest room among relatives?)

III. Parallels between Jesus and Moses as formulated in the Gospel of Matthew:

1. Attempts to kill children by Pharaoh and Herod.
2. Events take place in Egypt.
3. Moses wrote five books; Jesus gives five great sermons.
4. Mount Sinai and Mount of transfiguration.
5. Confrontations with Satan.

IV. Events of Jesus’ early life focused on the temple in Lucan account.

1. Zacharias incident took place in temple.
2. Jesus’ calling confirmed twice in the temple (Simeon, Anna).
3. Jesus taught the priests (says he is to be found “in his father’s house”)
4. Luke also ends his gospel with disciples gathered in temple.
   

V. Genealogies of Jesus (Matt 1:1-16, Luke 3: 23-38)

1. Mattean account begins with “Abraham” and emphasizes “David.” For Matthew, again, Jesus is Jewish Messaiah.
2. Lucan account begins with “Adam.” Jesus belongs to universal human family?
3. Mattean account contains four “infamous” women (Tamar, Ruth, Racab, Bathsheba).
4. Mattean genealogy has 14 generations between each “big” historical event (14 in gematria = “David”). Note: Matthew takes some literary license here to make the generations come to 14.
5. Luke and Matthew have very different genealogies for Joseph. Why? For what its worth, this did not seem to be an issue for the early church, with apologetic discussions of the issue appearing only much later (5^th century BCE).

VI. Poetry of Praise in Lucan narratives.

1. Mary’s famous Magnificant (Luke 1:46-55) contains themes of God exalting the humble and God protecting the weak. This comes right after Elizabeth’s confirmation of Mary’s miraculous conception.
2. Simeon (Luke 2: 29-35) uses the theme of God as a salvific force.
3. Mary's poem parallels the psalm of Hannah in 1 Sam. 2.

IV. Some discussion questions:

1. The birth stories are very different. Why?
2. Matthew focuses on the visit of the magoi to the exclusion of everything else. Why does he do this? What message was he trying to get across? Could his parallel with Moses be an answer?
3. Luke says that the angels announced the birth of Jesus first to lowly shepherds. Why is this significant? Why not to others?
4. According to the earliest manuscripts, the angels greet the shepherds by saying “Peace on earth to men of good will” instead of “Peace on earth good will to men.” How does this change the message of angels?
5. Why did Luke show the Jesus’ early life was so focused on the temple?
6. What image does Luke give of Jesus as a boy? Why does he want to present this image?
7. Why does Matthew begin his genealogy and Luke with Adam? What different emphases does this imply?
8. Why does Matthew include the "infamous" women rather than, say, Sarah or Rachael?
9. What themes do you see in Mary's Magnificant? Why might she had this in mind? What about Simeon?
   
10. Why does Mary's poem parallel Hannah's?
    

(In writing this, I used stuff from Bart Ehrman, Jim Falcouner, and Jesus Christ and the World of the New Testament, among other sources I can't remember now.)

Living in the Chirstmas Present [Bryan]

Christmas "presents" are hard to appreciate. I've found that, for me, it is tempting to live Christmas in the past tense rather than in the present. Growing up, Christmas was the best time of the year. It was pretty much the only time that my parents purchased toys (that and our birthdays, of course). The whole Santa Claus deception made the December air tingle with mystery and excitement. Even after the demise of Santa, that same feeling of electricity remained as I would search the house to discover my hidden presents. I remember vividly every aspect of my childhood holidays: the TV specials, the school Christmas programs, the bustle of Fred Meyer department store, the eggnog, the Warnick extended family party, the decorations on the tree, the Christmas lights. I remember the stories we used to read as a family, particularly a story about children who trick their parents on Christmas Eve by turning the clocks ahead. I remember all our old family vinyl Christmas albums and the church Christmas parties. I remember driving to a needy person's house to secretly deliver toys and food. I was always the first one who was ready to start celebrating Christmas, usually around mid-November.

Additional memories were added as I grew older. In high school, Christmas meant band concerts, the beginnings of basketball season, and first adventures in love (alas, always unrequited). On my Mormon mission, Christmas meant the excitement of discovering foreign traditions (fireworks!), along with deeply spiritual moments of friendship and service -- moments when I proved to myself that Christmas could be much more than presents and decorations. Christmases in Champaign, Illinois, were marked by new friends and memorable participation in an extremely talented and dedicated church choir (if you don't know, I like to sing, in a pinched-and-faltering-bass kind of way).

With such poignant and powerful memories, it is hard not to try to spend my current Christmases trying to recreate those of my past. I often try to relive those past moments, but they never seem to be quite as powerful as I remember. Dickens had it right when he describes the spirits of Christmas as ghosts, fleeting, ephemeral, and appearing on their own timetable. The songs and Christmas TV specials, for example, are still loaded with memories. Yet, even as I recall how I once felt listening to them, I am aware that the current feeling does not match the past intensity. The disjunction between past memories and present emotions can feel a a bit troubling, as if suggesting that the best of life is behind me, never to return. But that feeling is, I hope, ridiculous.

It has slowly dawned on me over the years that, rather than trying to forever summon the ghosts of Christmas past, I need to raise a toast with the ghost of Christmas present. I need to deeply inhale the new memories swirling about my young family. Instead of feeling the mystery and excitement myself, I can appreciate it through the eyes of my children. The sights and sounds of Christmas, rather than existing in an unchanging past, should be forever supplemented with new experiences. Memory can serve to enrich the present, but it can also be a prison. Carpe Christmas diem!

Our First (Annual?) Christmas Progressive Dinner [Ellie]

Lately Bryan and I have been discussing our longing to recreate the Christmases of the past. Bryan invokes his childhood Christmases through buying the classic Christmas movies of his childhood--Charlie Brown's Christmas, Christmas on Sesame Street, Mr. Krueger's Christmas--and making our children watch them with him. . .sometimes against their wills. My longing this year took the form of wanting to host a progressive dinner. Now, I had never before been to a progressive dinner, much less hosted one. It was not my personal past I was plumbing, it was my parents'. I remember them, dressed up, bundled against the cold, heading out to their adults-only progressive dinners every Christmas. Their excitement was the more deeply imprinted on my mind because my parents were not party people when I was growing up. We never had their friends over for dinner. We never had their friends over, period. They never hosted a non-family party in all my years growing up, except for their part in these Christmas progressive dinners. So embedded deep down in my psyche was the desire to recreate their excitement, to own it for myself. To be one of the adults in "adults-only."

So I did it. And I dragged Bryan along with me. (He wasn't too hard to convince.) We finagled 7 other couples to participate, fast-talked three young women from the ward into watching our kids, and despite freakishly bad weather (snow, freezing rain, rain) we did indeed progress. We traveled from house to house sampling hors d'oeuvres, two different salads, homemade tomato soup, apple pork roast, napoleans and raspberry chocolate brownies, and ending with games at the last house. We had a wonderful time. The conversation was engaging and the food was to die for!

Thanks to all our friends who participated--they let me live the dream! We only hope they had as much fun as we did. For people who like to eat as much as Bryan and I, this just might become an annual tradition.

My favorite Christmas Songs [Bryan]

These aren't in any particular order. As you can see, I have a soft spot for choral music -- pretty much anything composed by John Rutter.

1. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Bare Naked Ladies/Sarah McLachlan)
2. Christmas Night (John Rutter)
3. Veni Veni Emmanuel (Manheim Steamroller)
4. Peace on Earth (U2)
5. What Shall We Give to the Babe in the Manger? (Mormon Tab)
6. In Dulci Jubilo (John Rutter)
7. What Child is This? (Mormon Tab)
8. Pat a Pan (Manheim Steamroller)
9. He is born (Traditional French)
10. A La Nanita Nana (I don't know who composed this)
11. Christmas in Hollis (Run DMC)
12. Parson Brown (The New Christy Minstrels)
13. Once as I remember (John Rutter)

War on Christmas? [Bryan]

Every year at this time we hear about a "war on Christmas." Bless their hearts, our House of Representatives just passed a bill reaffirming the importance of Christmas. That's a relief -- no one seems to celebrate Christmas anymore. (I'm being sarcastic here.)

Of course, the reason why people are worried about Christmas is not that we Americans aren't celebrating it (we are, in record numbers). It is that people get mad when their school "Christmas Break" is renamed the "Winter Break." They get mad when a choral program contains seasonal music of other faiths, and not just the Christian tradition. The get upset when people say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." I personally don't have a problem with any of this. Our schools and governments need to serve people from many different faith traditions, and I think it is good that they recognize that not everyone is a Christian.

But there IS a war on Christmas! The war on Christmas is not demonstrated, however, by a few Kwanzaa additions to a community choral program. The war on Christmas is shown as Christmas is turned into a month-long orgy of materialism. I guess we have the three wise men partly to blame for this, with their gold, frankincense and myrrh business. But it is now completely out of control. I was walking through Walmart three days before Halloween and the Christmas merchandise was already appearing, further emphasizing that the "true meaning" of Christmas is buying and selling. If you want to fight for Christmas, don't worry about the nerdy secularist and multiculturalists. Worry about the businessmen and consumerists!

(Of course, make sure you buy my present before you worry about them.)

My book cover [Bryan]

Well, there it is. Information about my book can be found here. It is starting to seem real.

Hits close to home (thanks Derek)