A Tree by any other name is still a tree

"Holiday tree!" Gasp! Shock! Horror! The latest facebook hoax states that the Whitehouse is now calling, what used to be called the Christmas tree "Holiday trees"! Some Christians are outraged. "They are taking the Christ out of Christmas" they claim. "Go home if you minorities don't like our American ways" shout others in facebook capitals. The debate rages on with people agreeing, liking, poking, and copying and repasting in fury and self righteous social networking reaction. No one has checked their facts. They sit on their chairs and tip tap on smoking keyboards creating a reactive hate movement, building collectives of Christian Christmas revolution.

Ah, that Americans could be so easily fooled and pushed to anger? Who knew?

Who knew the Christmas tree, whether plastic or real was considered to be a source of such nationalistic fervour? Who knew that American pride could be so badly damaged by the renaming of millions of Asian factory made plastic imitation conifers? Who knew that so many Christians could feel so wounded that they could turn to hatred and intolerance so quickly?
And who knew that such spiritual facism existed? Who knew so many wanted to occupy your chimney?

Shame on you you followers of Kwanza, Hanuka, yuletide soltice merry makers. Shame on you Buddhists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Hindus, Moslems, wiccans and sufi followers.

Shametide.

How dare these millions of people, "minorities" threaten the beloved naming of worldwide plastic.

We won't even mention the gay folks who might dare to do obscene things with tinsel at Christmas.

Um. Isn't it all a bit silly? Come on now America. It's a tree. I hate to tell you this, but trees grow all over the world, not just in your country. (Well admittedly you have chopped quite a bit down in other countries - perhaps that was so other people wouldn't have access to trees at Christmas so you wouldn't be threatened by other Christmas tree rivals?)

The origins of the tradition date back to Ancient Egypt, to Ancient Rome, to the Druids, the pagans and many many other religious traditions...OTHER than Christianity. I bet they were a bit upset when the Germans (and Martin Luther) pinched the idea. In fact Christ wasn't even born on the winter soltice.

As for the whole "if you don't like our Christmas tree and if you're from another country, go home" argument. Um...well there are some who might tell you to buggar off from their countries where you have gone in uninvited - the places you have sent your youth to die in the name of the "freedom" you now deny others to share.

If the naming of a plant has created such furor, but the naming of a war didn't, ("freedom") then the truth of the Ugly American mythology that has bullied and dominated our world for so very long has truly come to light. People are not outraged by a war? But they are outraged by the naming of a tree?

A belief system, so flimsy, so easily threatened can go against it's own major tenet "love thy neighbor as thyself" to hate, rage and complain about what they call a tree? Perhaps George Carlin's quote is apt here: "leave symbols, for the symbol minded." What kind of religion is this?

To be true to this belief, there ought to be a CHRIST mas tree that hangs on it's boughs, the dogtags of all they have killed in the name of freedom (their own and others who have been victimised in this latest atrocious war), there ought to be golden bullets and decorated oil wells adorning the branches, and then by the nativity scene of Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus, armed guards and soldiers outside the barn with the three wise prisoners. Instead of "Peace and goodwill to all men" please hang the words of truth that ring out loudly during this debate: "Peace and Goodwill to all, except for Moslems, Gays, Jehovah's Witnesses, Wiccans, Hindus, Jews, 'minorities' and anyone who doesn't think like me."

Jesus didn't have a Christmas tree.

I have learned something though, alot of American Christians are easy to piss off- they are ready to hate over a tree...just don't tell them their version of St Nicolas, was hijacked by coca cola. They might detonate the nuclear bomb if they find out Santa isn't real. Ssshhh.

This year, I am going to decorate a rock. I am calling it a Holiday rock and I'm going to honor what I have thrown.

how to tell if you have attention deficit disorder

You can tell if you have attention deficit disor...
if you have trouble thinking things through long enough to...
and if you find yourself jumping from subject to....
swans are nice aren't they?...

If you are a brilliant starter but lack the follow through to see the project
through to completi...

they mate for life did you know? swans I mean....but...

have trouble gettting organised with the small everyday tasks ....
it doesn't mean you are "hyper"...that's hyperactivity...

swans aren't hyperactive by the way...

but if you daydream alot...kind of zone out....this could be a sign of attention def...

more people should be like swans...sigh.

you can also hyperfocus....be very very very focussed on one single thing..(it often means
add folks get brilliant grades)....

consider the lily...

and add folks have brilliantly creative minds....

swans, lillies and glassy dreamscapes.

good girls and bad boys

There's the old cliche'd observation about "good girls" being attracted to "bad boys."

It's wrong. Again, a sexist observation.

It's the bad boys who are attracted to the good girls.

One thing I am thankful for and that is that I never really knew what a "good girl am I"
until I met the mother of all bad boys.

He's an ex gangster, and pimp.
He moved on (if not while with me) immediately to date a sex offender. EEEEEEk.

Yes, I am a "good girl"- it is through his moral insanity, and those who surround and enable him that I have learnt that I am wayyy more moral than I thought.

Being too trusting, too naive, and too gullible can take you into into dark dark territory.
I feel like Persephone who's just been dragged up out of the abyss.

Where's my pomegranate? I earned it!!

good grief or bad?

Grieving is a serious business, it's been over a year since my
ex husband ran off with his ex wife. (And it's humiliating
to mourn a such a cliched scenario.)

It's been a short while since my rebounder relationship went bung.
(Another womanizer- another cliched con).

The whole year has been marked with betrayals and losses.
You can tell when you've got it bad when you're reading the book
of Job thinkin' "what's he complainin about....?"

But there comes the time when you can't help but think,
"when am I going to get over this?" You want to be able to
let mates and family know: "scuse me but I am temporarily
insane while I am in mourning"...

You can tell your friends and those who love you are worried about
you too. So you try to do the smiley Walmart greeting face...but..
it's fake. It's dishonest. You end up feeling like a kid at a sports event
who fumbles the ball while his family are watching.

It's a self centered damned business too. I keep trying to pop
the balloons at my own pity party, my thoughts become environmentally
unfriendly recyclers, and my heart feels like a cheese grater- riddled with
holes and crumbs of old crusty love.

I keep stepping on my own self esteem.

I understand that grief is necessary. I am allowing myself
to fully feel, (without the numbing agents I used to employ:
vodka and red wine), but just when does bad grief become good?

Where are the jokes in all of this???

Breaking the cycle.

Ever looked back on your dating/romantic partner pattern?
I keep dating the same person wearing a different mask.

Often I am attracted to what appears to be kindly, spiritual,
intelligent and charming. Take off the differnt masks and
there is bluebeard, ready to attack me for having gotten
hold of his key to his forbidden cupboard (full of the bones
of ex lovers.)

Sigh.

And I have a new personal red flag. Whatever they say they
are, (often emphatically) it's usually proven they turn out
to be the very opposite. If they tell you they are 'honest' - they
generally turn out to be the worst liars possible. If they
pride themselves on being able to "understand women" - watch
for the misogyny to peek out.  If they tell you they value fidelity
more than any other quality, you can be sure you are about
to deal with a sex addict. Self confessed rich men borrow money
off you, and "romantics" will do no more than a quick run
at a burger joint drive through for dinner.

It always turns out to be the opposite of what they promote themselves
to be. I should do the same.

I've decided to tell 'em I am a proper bitch....