Is Salvation Army Outsourcing?

Went to the supermarket the other day and saw the familiar red Salvation Army bucket. Only instead of some elderly person in uniform ringing the bell, it was a dark-skinned lady wearing the headress common to Islamic women.

Hubbawuh?

Not that I care who rings the bell, but I thought the Salvation Army leaned toward the Christianity side of religion. Perhaps I'm wrong. Perhaps I did some racial profiling. If I got me some guts, maybe I'll ask her the next time I see. There has to be an interesting story there.

Saw the "Shrek the Halls," last night. Some good bits, but overall tried too hard to be Christmassy. The old classic, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," was on next, digitally remastered in all its colorful glory (and on ABC instead of CBS). I noticed something about the show which made me wonder about the ending. Of course, I'm sure smart-asses around the world have already noticed this, but let's have a go anyway.

The Grinch had stolen all the Who's Whozzits and stood upon his mountain. The Who's gathered in the center or their town and began to sing, proving that it was the Spirit of Christmas that made Christmas Christmas, and not all the Whozzits. This filled the Grinch's heart with the Christmas Spirit so that he was able to stop the Whozzit laden sled from falling off the mountain, and sledded his booty back into town.

In effect, the Grinch returned commercialism back to Whoville.

As it should be.


Mike

Whatever happened to Christmas Tradition?

The other night my family watched the classic, "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown." It was about the same as I remembered from when I first saw it some **cough** 40ish **cough** years ago. Until the commercial break tadvertising the new Christmas Shrek show--on ABC.

ABC?

What the heck is going on? Since I could remember, each US station carried their select stable of Christmas shows. ABC carried a very commercial laden "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," and CBS had "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown," and, of course, "Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer." NBC had Bob Hope specials.

That was Gospel.

In the greater scheme of things, it means nothing to a child, or even a grown-up what channel these shows appear on.

Until it changes.

Somehow a tradition has been violated. It's like, say, moving the big XMAS Tree from Rockerfeller Centre to the NY Public Library. Or, CBC choosing to pass on giving Christmas sing-a-long shows to every musician to come out of the maritimes and you have to tune in to some City-TV's self-programmed junk like Holiday/Fashion-TV, with skinny half-naked models strutting down the catwalks of Milan wearing skimpy Santa suits.

It's just isn't right.

Well,the models might be okay. Fashion is an important part of society.

Luckily, I've embraced the commercialism of the season long ago. With videos and DVD's I can own all these holiday classics and view them at my leisure. But it seeing that ABC logo instead of the CBS eye made me a little sad.

A little older.

That's it. I'm putting that train set back on my Christmas list to Santa!


Mike

A Christmas Message

From mine to yours.

Merry Christmas.

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9585909444

A Toad in Ma Node

Been sick the last few days. Started with Hayley, then me, then Kat. Of course, I have it the worst. I have, what is diagnosed in the medical community, as a "Man Cold." For more information please see the following Public Service Advertisement.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXLHWmjA5IE


Mike

Been Busy

Hi!

Missed me? Uh huh, sure you did.

Sorry about being gone so long but this bathroom renovation has been a real, uh, learning experience. Major lessons learned here.

1. If confronted with a wall that has been 'splatter painted' with reds and greys, just rip the whole thing out. There are just too many thick blobs and paint runs to deal with, and after you fixe the 20 you know about, there is another 100 that appears after the first coat.


2. Don't peel the old paint off. It's tempting, and logic tells you it must come off, but don't do it. The nightmare patch job waiting for you is, well, a nightmare.


3. If you do peel, take it all off. That's right. Strip it right down to the drywall. Why? Because logic tells you there is a reason this old paint isn't sticking to the walls like it's supposed to. Like, say, someone painting a latex over an acrylic.


4. Learn to measure.


5. Get more powertools. Especially something that cuts angles.


6. Get a professional to do it if you can. Or at least someone who knows what the hell is going on.


That all said, ladies and gentlemen, I give to you half the bathroom.




No mirror at the time of this picture, or towel rack or any of the frills, but they will come. But this is what I did. That's a new counter and a new sink. New paint on the walls and a new floor after ripping a layer of tile, then a layer of linoleum.


New light fixture, too. New faucet for the sink. New plate around the electrical socket. New socket (I painted over the old one).

Anyway, I got the bathroom finished enough to clean up the main floor for halloween. Here's Ellery dressed as a fifties poodle girl.





And Hayley in her pirate gear.

The pumpkin family with a flash.

And in the dark. Oooooooh! Spooooky!

That's it. Hope you've all had a good Halloween.


Mike