::Monday, December 27, 2004::
A BELATED MERRY CHRISTMAS!
..Everything came belatedly for me this Christmas season. From functions to realizations, I took everything in stride wondering what it's like not to be overwhelmed like the ghosts of Christmas past. Gifts I gave to people including loved ones? Probably 4 or 5. Didn't even send out a single email to countless acquaintances I have kept within arms length over the years. It felt good to relax and not be too consumed by the crass commercialism Christmas has become. I didn't feel the spirit - however you define it- at all. As I sat and reflected upon what came over me and my desire to deconstruct the real meaning of Christ's birth, along came uber-theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar and his magical reflection. It brought out whatever last ray of hope left within me of properly reflecting on the coming of God incarnate in Jesus Christ. Even the theologian's name was portentous, just as the Magi beholding God's coming into the dark world bringing glad tidings. "This is the day that the Lord has made, Let us rejoice and be glad in it."
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::Wednesday, December 22, 2004::
LAND OF THE BULGE
..Looks like immigrants are not exempt from the excesses of the American dream. A study claims foreigners who move here put on more weight over time than they would have gained if they stayed in their native countries. This is not surprising at all. Companies spend millions on marketing and promotions extolling people to consume more food. The relative cheap price of food and other perishable items make it easier to indulge in excess. The obesity epidemic continues.
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::Monday, December 13, 2004::
SAVE THE CHILDREN, SAVE THE WORLD
..The future of the world rests in how we treat and bring up our children. Turning a blind eye to the sufferings of over a billion children will be catastrophic to our world and its security.
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::Wednesday, December 08, 2004::
CHARGE AWAY
..Metro reports that for the first time Americans' use of of plastic in electronic bill paying far eclipsed the use of paper checks. People are charging their way into debt and most have no clue what they are getting into. Are consumers responsible? You bet. However, they are not the lone culprit. Banks and credit card companies are engaging in business practices bordering on "predatory lending". Practically anyone with a name can now get a credit card and only later regret not reading the fine print which most often charge exorbitant fees. This is not helping the country at all in terms of savings and financial security for the future.
::Wednesday, December 01, 2004::
THANKSGIVING BLISS
..There was so much to thank for during this year's thanksgiving celebrations. From family and loved ones to barely being alive in this humongous metropolis. Now more than ever we need to affirm our trust in the universal goodness of mankind. It is the only way to restore order and civility in a world forever changed by terrorism and to uphold human dignity. It is our only armor to correct the excesses of power and the predominance of ideology over freedom. We are all in this together, trapped in the inescapable that is the human condition. There is only way to be, and that is to be human.
