Blogpaddle (in reverse)

I'm off to South Carolina to see the Sushi Doc before he deploys to Germany. I should be back Monday. Until then, enjoy the archives, visit the sweet blogs on the blogroll, and leave a few comments. After all, Saturday's my birthday. . . .

Over There, Over There

The Sushi Doc channels Marie Antoinette.

Maybe Next Year?

I got most of what I wanted this year for Christmas. No, I'm not talking about stuff, things, packages. I did get a lot of great gifts from friends and relatives, but the thing I most enjoyed was a relaxing day in which I saw no one but my wife and daughters, played with them and their new games (almost all of which were oriented around either Harry Potter or learning chess), and ate a glorious dinner cooked by the Good Doctor. All in all, a fantastic day.

But I didn't get peace on earth. Neither did I get goodwill toward all people. I'm hoping that things like elections in Afghanistan, Ukraine, and (later in January) Iraq will be significant steps in that direction. Perhaps new leadership in the PLO will also help (although it could just as plausibly hurt). For sure, my new Christmas wish for 2005 is that it will find us much closer to peace than this year. The upshot: Watching my daughters drop tons of change into various Salvation Army kettles to help the poor, and then watching them on Christmas Day pick out animals to purchase for Heifer International to teach the poor husbandry, I did catch myself thinking that with children like these growing into compassionate and thoughtful adults, maybe peace can be on the horizon.

Very Bad News

Although the phrase is overused, this is a tragedy of epic proportions. Glenn has a plethora of links describing the horror and impact. There's also more at RealClearPolitics, and you can donate to help the aid effore here. Tornadoes and mobile homes, tsunamis and non-industrialized countries, earthquakes and ghettoes--I wonder why the tragedies always seem to target the poor. . . ?

Merry Christmas

May you each have this year the blessings of God the Father, the grace of God the Son, and the comfort of God the Holy Spirit. And may our nation and world this year receive the peace of Christ in all its fullness.

Peace On Earth, Goodwill Toward All

The Parson, the Good Doctor, the Princess, and the Angel look forward to Christmas.

Raw Fish In Old Europe

My brother has built his own blog for his deployment to Germany.

Going Where No Abortion Law Has Gone Before

Don't tell the Good Doctor I'm blogging. I'm supposed to be in bed, but when I saw this through the codeine haze, I had to post it. It's a bigger blow to abortion than even Laci & Connor.

Weather #4

". . .very foggy and increasingly colder. In economic news today, abolitionists were deeply saddened by the legalization of youth-slavery to the elderly. The AARP, when contacted, stated that the arrangement is not slavery, since slaves serve one master, while each individual worker is actually supporting multiple masters. Once the AARP issued its glowing statement, along with its number of registered voters, lawmakers in Washington applauded and promised more benefits. More at eleven."

Like Riding A Bike

The Princess has built her own blog! Check it out here.