Cult // Current

Christmas just ISN'T CHRISTMAS

The time of giving is soon approaching, but too soon? It seems that every year Christmas starts to peer through earlier than the last. Halloween has just past, Thanksgiving is up around the bend, but somehow Christmas sneaks its nose through the door of every store and shop before October even says goodbye. The stench of commercialism is high in the air, and it wafts freely from fir to fir. Visions of Santa Claus hohoho pure joy in the season of supposed selflessness. We all worship the Universal God of Sales- jelly belly bouncing in ecstatic glee to the rhythm of a cash register. Meals and occasional laughter are shared, but after all the wrapping is in the garbage and the ham is in the fridge, is it in good fun?

The mall barely advertises for Halloween. Thanksgiving gets no attention. Turkey Day isn't important to mall employees at all, except for a day off to get fat with the family then sweat it off amongst angry housewives with shopping bags their next shift. The day after Thanksgiving may as well be considered National American Middle-Class Shopping Day, all though it's popularly recognized as the bowel-quaking “Black Friday.” The cars crowd dangerously into aisle after aisle of taken shopping mall parking spots. A thick smog of mint Frappucino coats the walls. No one with a nut allergy is safe in the cloud of praline filling the halls. Women fight over shoes. Children run amok. Men waiting in line at the service desk get in fights in front of their toddlers. What moves people to be such a way? Surely not the mild mannered spirit of Old Saint Nick!

Whatever happened to Jesus? Not everyone in America is a Christian anymore, which may have declined the sales of Nativity sets. The spirit of giving could no longer be tied to this amazing prophet. The Dutch, centuries before in an attempt to educate children on goodness, named their Patron Saint of Children- Sinterklaas- as the seasonal gift-giver. Little did the Dutch know, years later, a revamped Sinter Klass posing as a man named Claus would embellish a series of seasonal items, ready to please all ethnicities, ages, and creeds! The Christmas hype has packaged Dutch tradition into generic American boxes shipped from China. Sadly, all of the other religions in the United States are scarcely represented in such a way. There is not a sign of the much ignored Kwanzaa or Hanukkah imagery on green and red sprinklings of television ads, and any other holiday is equally as disregarded. One rarely bears witness to Boxing Day, which is just as foreign as the former. The pressure on America as a culture to maintain a Christian-based regime through the years has been a deterrent for the knowledge of seasonal celebrations spreading.

When asking any child on the street, “What is your favorite holiday?” will most likely answer back, toothless smile grinning, “CWISMASS!” If the child is young enough, it's possible to ask, “And what is Christmas about?” To this, they will reply, “PWEZENTS!” This fictional hero in a sleigh, Santa Claus, this imposter has created a list of the good and the bad; how is he to check it even twice if the list does not exist? So it turns out, year after year, every child is “good” in the eyes of “Santa Claus” ...just as long as his parents have the money. One would think that the fine reward of a gift would teach a child the art of giving, but instead the presents get more complicated and the wish-lists get longer (or more expensive) each year. The inability of parents to communicate the actual cost and work put into achieving their little ones' dreams just applies more stress to the shopping. Children go on disregarding the true religious nature of the holiday season and forget to revel in the tiny things that can be regarded as universal gifts, such as kindness, family, and generosity. Christmas has made the world today and generations of the future seasonally selfish.

Christmas may still be holy in some hearts and celebrated on a pure level in the minds of few. Christmas is a public excuse for everyone to get excited. At times, it's like a reason to "boost" the economy by spending outrageous amounts of money. For some, it's an impulsive shopping vacation, just because it's on sale. Christmas is there to gather all of the relatives you don't ever see at the dinner table- even if really you don't want to see them. Family cooks oscillate with delight over opportunities for classy new casseroles that later go cold and uneaten. To children, it's a year of planning how to elude rules to achieve the ideal gift; little girls with pony dreams often go disappointed. There is never enough under the tree. Then, there are the few: the thoughtful, the considerate, and the kind. There are the people who try their hardest to do their most to do their best for all they love without a commercial holiday as a poor excuse. It doesn't take a price tag to make a lasting impression on the power of giving. There are people out there who just don't need Santa Claus anymore. Did we ever need him anyway?The time of giving is soon approaching, but too soon? It seems that every year... more

lolitanimatronic
added this
15 hours ago
|
4 comments

Robot Polar Bears Invade St. Louis Zoo

Instead of replacing the St. Louis Zoo's deceased polar bears with live ones, zoo... more

pjacobs51
added this
1 day ago
|
5 comments

Tom's Wife [Humor]

The pastor asked if anyone in the congregation would like to express praise for... more

plusaf
added this
1 day ago
|
2 comments

Church Simulator 'Mass: We Pray' Revealed To Be 'Dante's Inferno' Publicity Stunt

Once again, Electronic Arts has exploited Christians to help promote its upcoming... more

remanns
added this
2 days ago
|
2 comments

Vampires Can Suck It

Pretty much everyone is psyched to see 'New Moon.' But not Ben Hoffman. infoMania... more

Ben_Hoffman
added this
3 days ago
|
18 comments

Dad speaks only in Klingon to son

http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2009/11/dinkytown_dad_s.php Is this taking the... more

SleepDirt
added this
4 days ago
|
78 comments

Megan Fox Wears Panties, Lifts Foot Above Head

These outtakes (via Megan-Fox.net) didn't make the Megan Fox profile in last weekend's... more

pjacobs51
added this
3 days ago
|
4 comments

Guns welcome: Packing heat at Starbucks for all the world to see

The 2nd amendment rules , coffee ,tea and a 9 mm. Read more:... more

notyourbabiesdaddy
added this
3 days ago
|
56 comments

Mass: We Pray - The Video Game

A family shouldn’t have to wait until Sunday to worship the Lord. Now you can go to... more

remanns
added this
4 days ago
|
5 comments

Colbert Destroys R.I. Governor For Denying Gay Couples Death Rights

Rhode Island Governor Don Carcieri vetoed legislation last week that would give... more

pjacobs51
added this
5 days ago
|
35 comments

Britons Spend 2 Years of Their Lives Bored Out of Their Minds

Experts have found the average adult will waste almost six hours a week feeling... more

burukku16
added this
4 months ago
|
5 comments

The Future of Evolution: What Will We Become?

"The past of human evolution is more and more coming to light as scientists uncover a trove of fossils and genetic knowledge. But where might the future of human evolution go?

An old cliché has the highly evolved humans of the future sporting large heads to hold their advanced enlarged brains, "but that's nonsense, whole nonsense," said paleontologist Peter Ward at the University of Washington at Seattle, author of "Future Evolution."

"If you've ever gone through a childbirth or witnessed one," Ward says, "we're already anatomically right on the edge of how big our heads can go — our big brains have already caused extreme problems in childbirth, and if we had bigger and bigger brains, that'd cause more mothers to die in childbirth, so evolution would select against that."

Another idea, suggested by evolutionary theorist Oliver Curry of the London School of Economics, seems like a retread of ideas from science fiction writer H.G. Well's classic "The Time Machine," with the human species split in two over time — an underclass of dim-witted, short goblins, and a genetic upper class of tall, slim, healthy, attractive, intelligent and creative superhumans that eventually are spoiled by technology that will do everything for them, resembling domesticated animals.

"That's crap," Ward said. "Why would that happen? Are we like blind cavefish? After we get Google, do we get stupider? Intelligence is coded on too many genes to just lose a trait like intelligence. That's not going to happen."

Ward suggests that, if left untouched, humans might converge in appearance as populations mix. "I kind of view us all as eventually having chocolate-covered hair and medium stature, getting rid of all extremes," he speculated. "Of course, the big elephant in the room, the change from the past that you cannot ignore when talking about the future of human evolution, is genetic engineering."

Humanity now has an unparalleled means by which to direct our evolution — genetic engineering. By using viruses and other techniques, we can in theory modify our genomes, and over time, scientists may uncover genes underlying intelligence, health, athletic prowess, longevity and other desirable traits, engineering what might seem like superhuman progeny. Genetic engineering is how Ward speculated new species of humans might emerge.

"I think taboos would arise which would prevent mating between populations — 'I don't want them anymore' or 'We want natural people,'" he said. "Of course this is all pure speculation, but this is the only way I can see new human species emerging — unless we get off the planet."

Much more at link!
http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/091116-human-evolution-future.html

So much to think about...where do you think evolution will go? What does the future hold for humans?"The past of human evolution is more and more coming to light as scientists uncover a... more

DeliaTheArtist
added this
6 days ago
|
45 comments

A Bong Fit for Mac Lovers

Honestly, we're surprised that this doesn't already exist: Tribudesign, a young... more

pjacobs51
added this
6 days ago
|
42 comments

Confirmed: R2-D2 Discovered In Star Trek

At last, here's the droid we were all looking for. In this frame you can clearly see... more

pjacobs51
added this
7 days ago
|
13 comments

immirgration problem or a non free dream...?

Some people seem to think illegal immigration isn't a problem, not to sound like a bitch but you wouldn't if you or your parents were illegals and if they weren't your grandparents. And what's with everyone saying that this country was built on the backs of immigrates, i didn't know slaves migrated to this country it was built on slavery and free labor that's the truth. Wanting a better life is great but it's hard to say i want better life and can't get to where i come from and then claim you deserve to be a citizen because all you want to do is work and have a life for your family and kids. What about the guy who's family knows nothing else besides America and also wants a better life but can't achieve that because someone says i'll do the work cheaper and longer with no health coverage and no benefits, cash only.
In no other country can illegal immigrates demand anything, only in the great USA, so i say give them their citizenship, you want to claim to be true American citizen then pay taxes, you believe you have a right to the same health care and rights then you should pay for it. If we registered every illegal immigrate and then taxed them out the ass, set in place laws that had harsher penalties like actual jail time instead of a free trip home, i bet you people would think twice about running across the border or coming to America for vacation and staying. I'm just wondering why people feel if you say "you don't deserve shit and the fact you get taken advantage of is your own fault", their a racist and that America and should be open for any and everyone.
But it is your fault you get paid low wages and have no health care and get taken advantage of, since when is anything in this world for free..? why do you think that what you go through in your country gives you a right to come to another and make it hard on another man. Mexico's president even stated to the world "that illegals take the jobs that not even blacks want"
and he's damn right we've worked them since 1506 for FREE and the little bit of minimum wage blacks fought and died for won't go up cause someone with no papers will work for anything. Rules are set in place for a reason, they might suck but you can't make a change if your willing to be happy eating shit all you do is make it stink for the rest of us.
Not only would it help us out with our hugh debt, create jobs and force us to over haul the entire system cause you know someones gonna get mad and swear a great injustice but wheres the justice for us actual tax paying, social security card carrying citizens...?
i love George Lopez but he's an idiot to think that illegal immigration only upsets white people as if AMERICANS don't need a job. He represents his country to the fullest yet we as Americans don't have the same right?. If we flooded his country and under cut his fellow men,push them out of jobs then tell them you really don't want to work this job let me do it as well as stressed the medical system and basically did what we wanted in Mexico they claim the capitalist Americanos were destroying his homeland and we'd just continue to be the big mean super power.

i think any time people think it's OK for any group of people to break the law to better your self, at the expense of others.....your the true capitalist, liar, cheat and thiefSome people seem to think illegal immigration isn't a problem, not to sound like a... more