Our current administration could learn a lot from at least one WWII propaganda poster.

I felt some announcement was in order and I do wish there was a better platform than a blog, but I’m surely not going to announce via my relationship status on facebook, so what can one do.  Dear friends, if you’d like to come to Viet Nam at that time I’d be more than happy to set aside a chair for you at the occasion.  If not then we’ll be visiting America soon to meet you all in some function at a near date yet to be determined.  I hope you’d say a quick little prayer that’d I’d take care of her like Christ does His flock and that’d she have patience and love me regardless when I fail miserably at that.

Us celebrating the New Year this past week.

It’s getting close to the ol’ 25th and Advent is already upon us so I dug out the old Christmas songs and put together this year’s mix (by dug out I mean I opened a folder on my computer, but how i wish boxes, records, and dust was involved).   I think as the years go by at some point I’ll have a definitive Christmas mix as most of these songs have been on mixes before and i feel like i’m honing the mix every year, not really expanding.  But here it is with some Christmas memories and reasonings for each song:  http://www.megaupload.com/?d=8J49EYXD

1.  Low – Just Like Christmas

It’s a flash of memories of Big Bear and road trips, and Paul Chapman.  It’s as Josh Pool said the perfect trick for the holidays that are “festively challenged”

2.  Quiet Company – Have Yourself a Merry Little  Christmas

There’s a few Christmas songs that are dark and dreary (just read the history of this song to know about it’s origins and original words), but I do enjoy when a group can turn that on its head and make the music fit the title.

3.  The Drifters – White Christmas

It’s the memories of Maccauly Caulkin singing it and practicing shaving.  Representative of the Christmas marathons and anticipation that fills the air and which Viet Nam is only beginning to tap into, but seemingly will never catch up with.  And since the Drifters recorded this it’s been their song, nobody else touches it in my mind.

4.  Margaret Whiting & Johnny Mercer – Baby It’s Cold Outside

I have about 5 versions of this song and like each one for a certain reason.  This one really convinces me that Whiting is just playing hard to get.  And the way she says “no no no” is just precious.

5. Greg Barkley – Let It Snow

6. Badly Drawn Boy – Donna & Blitzen

7. Jars of Clay – Wonderful Christmastime

The McCartney version seems to rub a lot of people the wrong way.  Ever since I heard it I’ve loved it.  I don’t recall ever hearing the song until going to a college group Christmas party with 5 of us stacked in a car and this song (McCartney’s) coming on as we got to the party.  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing while everyone else groaned as if they’d been forced to listen to the synthesizer riff since the womb.  Jars of Clay tones it down, so even the most stalwart Paul haters might like it…they even get a little “We Three Kings of Orient Are” thrown in there.

8. The O’Jays – Christmas Ain’t Christmas (Without the One You Love)

Ain’t it true…but the O’Jays make it sound so good (the song, not the concept).

9. Rosie Thomas – Christmas Time is Here

Vince Guaraldi and Christmas make a beautiful couple.  Rosie Thomas stays true to that.  It’s filled with images of families glowing in respite and with ruffled pajamas after the wrapping paper has been torn to bits.

10. Aimee Mann – The Christmas Song

11. The Bird & The Bee – Carol of the Bells

12. Sufjan Stevens – Only At Christmas Time

It doesn’t have the Christmas sound, but it’s swaddled with the spirit.

13. Jars of Clay – I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Dave Bazan, my usual choice for this song, has always laid a little heavy on the ‘in despair I bow’d my head’ mood where as Jars of Clay seems to hold to the ‘peace on earth’ part.  They both have their merits, but why not go with the peace.

14. The Orioles – O Holy Night

15. Sufjan Stevens – Holy Holy Holy

It’s not a Christmas song, but it reminds of nativity scenes where the blessing of being a statue means you are always in reverential silence.

16. Eef Barzelay – Joy to the World

This song is one of my favorites.  The singer’s voice and the music are so tempered and quiet, the magnitude of the song masked in such a quiet space, not all too different from the Incarnation itself, the magnificent and holy found in a lowly manger.

Merry Christmas!

Now it’s your turn.  What are your top 5 Christmas songs?

Oh wait, nope that’s wrong…Rick Warren said it was probably a good idea to take out the leader of Iran.  Romans 13 going a little far here huh?  Submission to government authorities sure does have a long stroke.  Here’s an article which tends to have a certain approach but it gives the Warren quotes:  here

A real update coming from me soon, but this one grabbed my attention and wouldn’t let go.

and it’s official…I’m becoming old

Here’s a recent leter by Heather M. Carson which covers one of the most important topics that led to my decision.  The others being two-party factioning, black-and-white divisive politiking and many another tool and aim by what I see as at surface two men who have little differences in policy or aim (and by aim I mean personal gain and renown and coinceited arrogance).  This is just one issue (albeit one of the most important) where I believe they are both fatally flawed and where people make equally terrible decisions based on the premise.  For 8 years we have had a pro-lifer in the office who has done little to nothing for unborn children.  In fact, $2.2 billion in federal funds went to planned parenthood in Bush’s pro-life administration.  Regardless of your stand on the issue, that’s a pretty bad policy for a pro-lifer.  Likewise McCain will by all signs continue Bush’s policy of war (Obama will too, but he’s still the ‘peace’ candidate).

Here’s the letter (which I’m posting because it’s the one-issue vote that I think sways many of you and which I think needs consideration for tomorrow):

Abortion is a despicable crime against humans. But be CONSISTENT in your pro-life stand!

It’s important to recognize that there are other lives being taken as well. Lives that McCain AND Obama support being taken: those of foreigners. I understand and agree that abortion is a very important issue to take a stand against, but too many Christians end up supporting the murder of foreigners (which includes civilian mothers and babies and children) by supporting the Republicans. Our purpose as Christians is to go and make disciples of all nations, to spread the gospel. This is being hindered by the murdering foreign policies of both parties. The word “American” leaves a bad taste in the mouths of many foreigners. How open to Christ will they be if we, as Christians, support killing them!

By all means, fight for the lives of unborn and born babies!!! Peacefully protest, support Pregnancy Resource Centers!! Yes, voting for Obama will result in people being killed. So will voting for McCain. DO vote your conscience. I personally can only support candidates that are consistently pro-life: anti-abortion and anti-war. There are other candidates that fit this bill. It will not be throwing away your vote to vote your conscious.

So while I support no candidate, I urge you to take this last day and find a candidate who will be pro-life in the deepest sense of that phrase.  The lesser of two evils is still an evil.

Thanks for having fun for the rest of us.

link here

I’ve successfully traversed from Ha Noi down to Sai Gon by bus (and continued by bus to Long Xuyen to turn around back to Sai Gon by motorbike).  Hang has a job now in the city which means we’re finally living in the same town again.  It also means that I’m not looking forward to going to Long Xuyen as much tomorrow.  Hendrik (the German), Eric (the Red), and my two lovely volunteers are there though (as well as a handful of other beautiful people) so it’ll be a good first stop for the Delta tour.  More words and pictures when the chaos called ‘tour of posts’ comes to an end in another week and a half.

I made my first jump on the tour of posts back to Ha Noi.  Apparently I left the place none too soon.  There was a heavy rain yesterday which apparently led all the red ants in my room (an aside, my house has red ants and we live peaceably.  They keep to themselves and don’t bite me.  I only spray them occasionally when they transgress…or the one time they tried to build their nest in my computer)…sorry, which led all the ants into my room to seek my towel as a warm safe place.  Needless to say I found this out after my shower this morning.  I was thinking as I grogly dried myself, “hmm… dry feels like pain.”  Then I looked down and saw the dozen or so ants on my chest.  Half living, fully biting.  Needless to say I took my second shower and went to dry myself off with the guest towel.  Luckily I was a little bit wiser, a little bit older.  I checked that towel before.  And it was a good thing I did and it was a good thing a blanket was nearby that was not infested.  Now I have an awesome spot skin fashion statement for my travels! Thanks red ants!

Bush keeps repeating that this bailout, oops, I mean (forced) investment, is such a good deal for all of us on Main Street. He keeps repeating that it’s a sure thing that the tax dollars “invested” (I love the use of that word by the politicians and media) will be paid back, because this bailout will be a success. But if it’s such a sure thing that all the tax dollars “invested” will be paid back (and then some), that means it’s a good investment. So why aren’t there some private investors who are willing to take on this great investment? Why aren’t they lined up for this great opportunity? Also, how do they figure who gets paid back what? What does it mean when the robbers in Washington say we’ll be “paid back?” Will my personal “investment” be quantified, and will I get a check in the mail? What’s going to be my ROE? If my investment fails, will the government bail me out by giving back my “contribution?” It could, but they’d have to print money, which would bring higher inflation, wiping out any benefit from a Main Street bailout. But if I listen to the press, read the papers, listen to politicians on NPR, and listen to Bush, all this is supposed to be for me, because I’m on Main Street.

In personal news I’m about to start traveling to meet all the volunteers.  I’m looking forward to seeing them all again and also getting out of the city for a bit…but it will indeed be a whirlwind of travels.  Luckily for half of the trip my trusty steed will be joining me as we tour the delta together.  I’m looking forward to having her out in the “wild open” after the confined space of the city.  She’s itching for it too I’m sure.