Smoke on the Water

A Wise Man's Christmas

In just under four hours the clock shall strike midnight, and it shall then be Christmas Morn, as noted in this Central Time zone.  As you read this, I shall have set the posting to appear shortly after that midnight hour, so as to have this small post pay humble honor to the greatness of this day.

History records millions upon millons of words written as tribute to the King of Kings.

None speak so clearly to our times as do these.

Oops

Oh, yeah. While you're having fun, remember that Christmas has something or other to do with that "Christ" guy. In a world where most religions see God or the gods as selfish, capricious jerks or apathetic administrators who don't care about human suffering, Christianity alone recognizes God as a person who loved us so much He came to earth in the form of a man and allowed Himself to be tortured to death by His jeering enemies so we could be free of the consequences of our own evil deeds.

A lot of religions require the sacrifice of human beings to please gods. Christianity's God sacrificed Himself for the benefit of human beings.

As end-of-the-year gifts go, that one is hard to top.

And as succinct and powerful summaries go, that one is impossible to top.  I shall not even try.

Thanks, Steve, for saying it so very, truly perfectly.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

H.E.B.usted

Though perhaps insigificant on a national scale, surely one of the largest grocers in the Texas market is the H.E.B. chain, founded by Florence Butt in Kerrville Texas, circa 1905.

Well, almsot everything..... just keep reading!

Now headquartered in San Antonio, H.E.B., the chain is a rousing success.  Known for providing truly low prices, sans gimmicks such as discount cards, jinked-up customer loyalty progams and the like.  That, along with an astonishing variety of worldwide products and fresh, in-store services such as made-on-site tortillas, a true in-store butcher, bakery, sushi and many, many other offerings has vaulted H.E.B. past their competitors in damn near every market they serve.

H.E.B.'s new 90,000 sq. ft. store in Bastrop, TX.   H.E.B. has dozens such throughout Texas.

Fact is, I can remember living in San Antonio from '76 to '99, in which time that the Kroger stores attempted to penetrate that market.  As I recall, they only lasted about ten years, finally giving up in the face of H.E.B.s superior pricing, larger stores and greater and fresher selections.  Kroger packed it in with their tails between their corporate legs, and abandoned the San Antonio area altogether.

So, I've been an reliable H.E.B. customer for many years.  But now, that may change.

You see, H.E.B. has caved to the whiny pisstards of the "Politically Correct" element of society.  At the start of this holiday Christmas season, one could browse the aisles while loading up the basket with the trappings of the season, all while enjoying the splendid Christmas music softly wafting down from the speakers above.

Well, until just a couple of days ago, that is. 

It seems that some person, persons or entity unknown has prevailed upon H.E.B. to cancel the Christas music, as they had taken offense to those traditional tunes.  Now, I don't know where the complaint originated, but according to the H.E.B. employees I spoke with, it seems to have been elevated to a regional or corporate level, as the three H.E.B. stores I've visited in the past two days are bereft of cheerful, Christmas Melodies.  Moreover, I've asked several people in other areas to check on this for me, and they've verified the same; if you want to hear some really lame '50s surf tunes, just visit your local H.E.B. !!!

As I sat down to complie this report, I first visited the H.E.B. website, wherein I found this gem of a sub-link under their homepage tab "Company Info".

Diversity.

".........  We must understand and become sensitive to issues of culture, laungage, values, beliefs, holidays and traditions if we are to stay committed to our Customer Promise:  to provide a shopping experience that meets their individual needs."

Just as long as it's not the Ango-European culture, English language, American and Texan values, Christian beliefs or holidays and the Great American Christmas Traditions of saying "Merry Christmas", playing Christmas music and generally acknowledging  that it is the Christmas Season.

And to this, I, and I am sure many others, take great offense.

H.E.B. may be a company with a Texas origin and history, but I'd damn sure wager my last penny that Florence Butt, and her son Howard E. Butt are at redline R.P.M. in their graves 'bout now.

It's sad to see an otherwise fine company with a great Texas heritage, forfiet it's stature to the cowardace to stand up for what is right, thus sacraficing itself on the altar of Political Correctness.

Now, I don't quite think that H.E.B.'s decision is yet boycott-worthy.  But I do think that it's fitting that dozens, nay hundreds and thousands of courteous but firm and unyielding phone calls ring-in to their corporate offices in San Antonio.  That, and both snail and e-mails.

It'd be a damn shame to let 'em get away with this, without response.  So with no futher ado, here's how to get 'em:

H.E.B. Corporation

Attn: Customer Relations Department

P.O. Box 839999

San Antonio, TX  78283-3999

800-432-3113 or 210-938-8357

I'd give you their e-mail addy, but it just links to a survey.  Pity.

Well, even if H.E.B. won't say it, I will.....

.......Merry Christmas!

An Overdue Toast(ing)

Looks like it's coming time to chill the bubbly, lovey!

Why?  Well, no better reason than one of history's epochal tyrants counting down his final few heartbeats on this mortal coil.

Here, we have the now or shortly dead dictator, taken pen in hand.  I'd like to think that he's signing-off on his summons to hell.  Unlike a speeding ticket, he won't have to "Promise to Appear".  No, I think it can be safely presumed that his presense in the enclave of Satan has been, to use a term of funerary art; a Pre-Need Arrangement,  if you will.

So, in compliment to the aforementioned chilled champagne, might I suggest a few more metric tons of sulphur and brimstone to be heaped on the fires of hell to warm his arrival?

The surface of the Sun would be a might too cool to burn the sins of the bearded bastard. 

May he suffer an eternity of the hell he wrought upon his millions.

The martyrs then, may rest.  At peace, at long last.

A Decent Honor

Every now and then, someone comes up with a thought of such power and simplicity, that the only thing to do is to simply agree; to say yes, that's right.

This is right.

I’m going to ask for as much help as anyone can give me on this, because this idea, I think is bigger than me.

Now, I'll have to add a black suit to my scant wardrobe of blues and greys, but that's a small thing.

Thanks, Og, for bringing this bit of nobility to the fore.  Long, long overdue also, welcome to the blogroll......  I'm proud to have you there, sir.

I sure hope this snowballs 'round the blogs.  As much as my site has diminished (kinda happens that way when I barely deign to write for weeks n' months at a time), it'll take a whole lotta mention on the high-traffic sites for this to take off the way it should.

Do help spread the word, m'kay?

Party Time

No, not that kind of party.

This kind.  Having been invited to a meeting of interested Galveston County Republicans, I arranged for a late arrival at work today, so that I could participate in this feedback session.

This session will be more about hearing FROM YOU than about speaking to you.  Some officials and activists will speak but everyone will be expected to keep comments short so that we can get around the room several times - NO LONGWINDED SPEECHES.  The hope is to hear both your carefully thought out comments as well as spontaneous input based on the input from others.

The audio will be made into a digital file and sent along with a key points transcript to Republican Party leaders, conservative movement leaders and elected officials across the state and nation.

And quite a session it was.  Starting with a great breakfast of bacon, eggs, hashbrowns biscuits n' coffee, the group enjoyed not only a hot and hearty meal, but a very fulfilling discussion of the Party and it's recent debacle at the polls.

With better than thirty active Republicans attending, a free-form dialogue ensued.  The comments of the attendees were virtually 100% on-target, forcefully yet respectably stated, and very, very refreshing to hear.

One thing I'd noted from the group as a whole, was how very, very little awareness existed among Republican operatives about the greater blogosphere, and of specific heavy-hitting conservative blogs in particular.

And that really, is too bad.  Because I'm of the firm belief that had certain personages among the Republican heirarchy been more familiar with those blogs, that a much greater awarness of discontent among the rank and file may have been noted in time to help stave-off the disaster which was November 7th.

So, for my new found friends of this Saturday morning, please allow me to introduce you to some of these highly persuasive voices in the conservative blogosphere.  Please do add these to your daily reads, and be the wiser for so doing!

Ace of Spades

Captain's Quarters

Cigar Intelligence Agency

Cold Fury

Doc Russia

Grouchy Old Cripple

Kim DuToit

LaShawn Barber

Michelle Malkin

Power Line Blog

Random Nuclear Strikes

The Lawdog

The Smallest Minority

Rivrdog

Kindly note that I've not specified each and every site on my blogroll.  That's not to denigrate those not listed, but I only want (for now) to draw attention to the more straightforward political commentary therein.  Some of the links on my blogroll are there as I simply admire, and enjoy, reading their works, regardless of topic.  And yes, I would urge you to spend a bit of time visiting them also, as much depth and worth exisits in their words.

Going further afield from straight commentary to some very impassioned and scathing rants, you can visit:

The Anti-Idiotorian Rottweiller

Four Right Wing Wackos

Just for two fine examples!

Now, of equal importance...   just as political, but with the unique voice of the Uniformed Services, resides the Mil-Blog community, and as represented on my blogroll:

Baldilocks

Blackfive

Citizen Smash

Greyhawk

Sgt. Hook

Of course, if you're not checking in at:

Drudge

Instapundit

..... at least three times daily, well then, you're just not up to date with the news behind the news!

And in closing, please allow me the indulgence of leaving you with a few of my better bits of political writing:

Fool's Gold

Us or Them?

Hard Hats

With this, a final link to a  more acerbic work, inspired in anger by the beheading of Mr. Nick Berg.

Lessons of Enemies.  Which, I'm happy to say, was nominated by some libs out there as one of the 20 Most Hateful Posts of 2004.  Damnation from the left is high praise, indeed!

Now then.  Enjoy the reads, and do please kindly leave your thoughts and comments by clicking on the word "comments" at the bottom of this post!

I sincerely hope that this morning's session will do some good.  Locally, to be sure.  Statewide, if we're lucky...and Nationally?  Who knows, but I'm not watching for pigs on short final in the pattern.

Nice to have met ch'y'all, everyone!

A Song of Hope

In a world overflowing with ugliness, beauty yet abounds.

A week suffering the repulsive assault of the Cajun Crackwhore, featuring well, what else....her crack; I arrived home with my senses numbed and my face hard.  Work has been such of late, but I'm saved only by the love which awaits at the home to which I hurry, nightly.

With dinner complete tonight, one random click of the remote landed the TV upon such as I had never seen nor heard.  And at the first crystaline note, my heart melted, my face softened.  Gone, the hardness, the bitter and angry defense against an ugly election, ugly media, ugly customers and an increasingly bleak and ugly culture.

Here, sing angels.

I'm sure I'm the ultimate latecomer to the phenomenon which is the group Celtic Woman.  But I'm equally sure that I'll not be the last on this bandwagon.

Believe me, incredibly though it may seem, they sound even better than they look.  They are indeed, a tonic for a weary soul.

Think of this.  Such is the power, majesty and quality of their performance, that the nausea which has been months of the self-crucifying madonna are purged from the mind's eye, gone and replaced by beauty and vocal splendor which the mateiral girl false prophet of whoredom could never imagine. 

The Dixie Chicks Ditzy Twits only dream of possessing a tenth of the talent, grace and beauty of this ensemble.

With the thundering orchestration of a Yanni production, yet displaying a subtlety and depth of musical nuance far beyond his ken, these young women prove once more, that true muscial talent will always endure, and shall yet prevail.

I am refreshed and grateful.

There is yet, hope.

Even for me.