LETS KEEP THE X IN XMAS AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS. 1) During the holidays, I am bombarded by emails and Facebook posts raging against the abbreviation Xmas. Franklin Graham, Billys evangelist son, has been fulminating recently about this alleged attempt to secularize Christmas by replacing Christ with an X. As an orthodox Christian, I do lament the commercialization and secularization of the holiday. However, X, the Greek letter chi, has been used to symbolize Christ for hundreds of years; Xtianity was also a commonly used abbreviation at one time. I confess to using it myself. I would not utter a prayer like Heavenly Father, I thank you for the gift of your Son on Xmas day. I avoid abbreviations generally when talking to God. If Im sending a last-minute Christmas list to my daughters, though, and am in a hurry--to send the message, not to get the presents--I may type Xmas List in the subject line. I am issuing a personal plea to keep the Christ in Christmas but the X in Xmas. With Christians and Christian beliefs under serious attack at home and abroad, I think we have more to worry about than that pesky X. 2) I keep hearing Packer fans express the fervent wish that the team will win home field for the 2015 playoffs so that we can enjoy the Lambeau Advantage, exposing teams like Dallas and Seattle to numbing cold. In fact, the Packers have been victimized buy the Lambeau Liability of late, winning only 3 of the last 8 playoff fames in that venue. Green Bays high-octane offense is cooled to a state of suspended animation when the mercury drops below zero and the ball feels like a potato, and the defense isnt stout enough to make a lower point total hold up. A team with a strong defense like Seattle is better suited to frigid conditions than GB is. Im worried, and would rather play Seattle on the road, obnoxious 12th Man notwithstanding, than to face them in Arctic conditions. And Tony Romo of Dallas is from Burlington WI, so hes used to freezing cold and will know better than to get his tongue stuck to a frozen ball. The Packers possess a wonderful stadium, but I wish TV announcers would stop referring to it as historic Lambeau. It was built in 1957, far newer than an ancient structure like Wrigley Field. I am older than Lambeau, so it it is historic, what does that make me? (Please dont answer that in the Comments section.) Brown County residents voted to sell the naming rights to Lambeau, because it would eliminate the sales tax they currently pay to finance Lambeau renovations. No suitor has yet been willing to meet the Packs $100 million asking price. However, I live in fear that the Green and Gold may one day play at historic Clorox Field. 3) I keep our canisters of cat kibble in a large plastic tote in the kitchen. This week, I decided it was high time to clean it, but I didnt realize how overdue the task was until I saw the headline of the newspaper lining the bottom. Dated Feb 29 2012, it proclaimed that ROMNEY REGAINS MOMENTUM. While I vaguely recall Romney, I dont remember him ever having momentum, let alone regaining it. His physical resemblance to a Mitt was unnerving. 4) The other day, while trying to carry too much stuff, Judy accidentally dumped a bottle of water which emptied into her capacious purse. She quickly overturned the purse to drain it, which spilled the Tylenols, keys, coins and other contents onto the floor. Im usually the one who executes the slapstick maneuvers around here, so it was gratifying to see Judy do it for a change. I admit that I didnt laugh with her, I laughed at her.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 21:11:30 +0000
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