Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor, Your Huddled Masses...

As normally happens while pondering a topic to write about, my thoughts about immigration have changed several times, and will probably flip flop around some more as the days go by.

At first, like most Americans, my reaction was, "The hell with them! They're illegal and they need to be sent home!"

After all, if you entered this country illegally you deserve to be sent home with your tail between your legs. Rode out of the country on a rail. Thrown in jail. Strapped to an ant hill with honey on your butt! Right?

This is not such a cut and dried topic though the more I think about the variables that come into play on this issue. Let me first tell you of my current position, then I will go into what I think needs to happen in the future.

When I heard about people protesting in the streets and carrying Mexican flags I was pissed off. I also get mad when I hear we are bending over backwards to change everything in this country to the Spanish language, and forcing our schools to lean toward Mexican immigrants in their teachings.

Point blank, I agree with Theodore Roosevelt when he said,

"In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, birthplace or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an American. There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile. We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language. And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Or Henry Cabot Lodge,

"...Let every man honor and love the land of his birth and the race from which he springs and keep their memory green. It is a pious and honorable duty. But let us have done with British-Americans and Irish-Americans and so on, and all be Americans - nothing more and nothing less. If a man is going to be an American at all let him be so without any qualifying adjectives, and if he is going to be something else, let him drop the word American from his personal description."

As I watched the recent demonstrations with everyone wearing white to symbolize peace, and with the overwhelming majority of the flags now being waved being American, I felt proud to be an American. These people are demonstrating that they are not here just to infiltrate this country, many of them truly want to become Americans.

It's difficult to see immigrants, illegal or otherwise, waving the American flag and literally screaming to this country that they want to become Americans. How can we not embrace a people who are doing what Americans have been doing since this country was founded? They want a better life for themselves and their families. Like those immigrants who have come before them, they see that better life in America.

The problem now becomes how do we proceed with our current dilemma? We've certainly got a whopper.

Here is what I think should happen if I were king.

First, and foremost, we need to seal our borders once and for all. This is not just to keep people from immigrating to our country, but we absolutely need to prevent criminals of all manner from entering. I don't care if we build a wall, lay land mines, or create a moat of rabid gerbils, it has to be done, done now, and done right.

Second, as much as everyone hates this thought, we need to somehow allow those people who are currently here now to integrate into our country. The music has stopped, they all have a chair to sit in, the game is over. Is it fair to others who have waited in line? No, but it's a harsh world.

Don't get me wrong, these people should not be completely off the hook.

Once we recognize them as immigrants they need to take courses to learn English, and should have to pass the same test as anyone who wishes to become a citizen in this country. I don't even care if the government pays to educate them. The caveat will be that their educational focus will be English, and no other direction. You learn our way, or it's the highway!

Third, it's time for the employers to start supporting this country as well. No more looking the other way. You hire a person who has entered this country illegally, and it can be proved in court that you did this knowingly, your heading to jail on a Federal charge and your business becomes the property of the government to sell so they can pay the cost to imprison you. The penalties must be severe enough to make these folks think long and hard about hiring illegals.

Finally, after all of this hand-holding, compromising, expense and hard work to Americanize these recent visitors, if you are becoming a new citizen of this country you should have a probation period where you had better keep your nose clean and not commit any crimes or you're out of here! If you are booted from the country for committing a crime, you NEVER get to return, not even to go to Disneyland or visit Mom. We see you again, and you're in jail for a very long time.

This country can be compassionate, but we need to be hard when required.

The Statue of Liberty has inscribed on it the following poem of which most people in this country seem to have forgotten.

The New Colossus
by Emma Lazarus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles.
From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!"” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Annoying The Faithful

On The Roost Tsykoduk wrote an article titled, “Is faith allergic to sunlight?” in response to criticism from a reader called, “Obidavekenobi” that, “The percentage of your posts that deal with bashing the Christian religious world view is rather high. It sometimes disturbs me.”

Since most of you know that I love a good discussion on religious topics I just could not resist weighing in on this one. By all means head on over to Tsykoduks site and read the full discussion, but since my reply to this article was long-winded, as usual, I thought I would post it on the Handbasket as an article as well.

So grab a soda, swallow some Exedrin, and be prepared to once again read my seemingly inexhaustible ramblings on religion, faith and the zealots who perpetuate the ongoing saga that affects us all.

You seem to demand ‘proof’ for everything, and anything less than that is ‘blind faith.’ - DaveJustus replying to Tsykoduk

According to Dictionary.com, faith is,

Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.

An example of this type of faith is something like having faith that air will be around for a long time. You are confident that it will be around because you know truthfully that it is around now, and has been around in the past.

You can have faith in a person to do something for you because in the past they have always come through for you when needed.

Blind faith, on the other hand, is believing in something without any proof or track record. Following the writings of people from long ago does not warrant faith, it warrants blind faith. The exact religion is irrelevant. Most man-made religions require blind faith because they offer you intangible hope for the exchange of your obedience to their laws, rules, or teachings. It really is that simple.

By researching many religions throughout the world we see similar stories that have been created by humans used to explain things like their natural surroundings, their existence on this planet, and why they should be in power and control over what you do.

Have you ever spoke to someone who has quit smoking and now seems to be a zealot over their new found freedom from the nasty habit? They are elated and wish to share their success and happiness with others. Normally at the expense of making everyone else around them nutty in the process, especially people who still smoke.

I have undergone a similar transition when it comes to religion, and I think this is what is going on with Tsykoduk as well. It's not that we enjoy “bashing” other religions, we just want people to learn exactly what being the follower of a religion means.

I feel that in a way following a religion you have not studied deep is slavery to an idea others made up a long time ago. I continuously find it amazing that people refuse to learn about their own religious system, and are literally blind to its teachings without even knowing what they are agreeing to. To me, these people are blissfully ignorant.

Be Christian, Buddhist, Islamic, Wiccan, or whatever floats your boat, but actually study a learn what it is you're giving your life over to. Many people attempt to discuss this topic based on how they have always lived or believed, not because they have any substantial proof to back up their religious choice.

Good intellectual discussions on religion intrigue me. Poorly thought out religious mud-slinging does not. I'm not a religious person (oh really, never would have guessed). So unless you roll up your sleeves and bring out the big guns on why you believe how you do, there's no need to discuss religion with me.

My views are simple because after digging deep into a multitude of religions for the past 20 years or so, my belief is direct, and my resolution firm. I will not follow anyone, or any religious doctrine, without good cause. I have yet to find that cause, so my belief is in the natural world. I place my dedication to those things that I can influence, and try to act as a positive force in this world.

At times this is sometimes interpreted as an attack on religion, because the religious folk get very offended if you point out the short comings of their belief instead of sitting down in their “thinking chair” and providing a well researched point of discussion on why I am incorrect in my observation.

Our freedoms are not to be taken lightly, I will defend to the death a persons right to believe and practice that belief any way they wish short of harming others. You will never see me champion the cause of removing those rights.

When a religious zealot even whispers the possibility of preventing someone else from exercising their own rights, or attempts to force their belief system on others, then I take offense, and so should all of you who want to retain these rights. I'm not just fighting for the freedom of Christians, but for Buddhists, Wiccans, and those who worship the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

Hmmm, perhaps I over-extended my two cents.

We Are Not Amused

I like a good cartoon as much as the next guy, but when I find one that offends me I simply stop reading or looking.

All I can think of when I see people rioting over the content of a cartoon is that these people must really be lacking in meaningful things to do in their lives.

I understand that the cartoon in question represented their religious icon in an unfavorable manner, but why go on a rampage around the world? What possible influence do they think this will have other then demonstrating to the rest of the world that they are completely misguided lunatics?

Let's try to focus this topic where it might make more sense.

If you are Muslim, and someone of your faith created a cartoon to make fun of Muhammad, then you can shun them, kill them, or whatever Muslims feel they should do to make this right. Go crazy in your own little world.

Now, if people who are not of your faith create a cartoon making fun of your prophet, ignore them. They don't believe as you do, so they don't understand, nor care about, how they portray the prophet in anything they do. You should not care either, because you can view them as unenlightened dolts.

When someone placed a crucifix in a jar of urine and called it art, the Christians did not riot in the streets, killing people and generally being unruly now did they? Let's not even go into the large number of Christian cartoons that have been drawn constantly pretty much since cartoons have been in fashion.

The point is that just because someone else does not share your view of what is right and wrong concerning your religious beliefs, it does not give you the right to take to the streets killing and rioting as if you were some crazed mental patient.

It is precisely this type of attitude that will distance your message, and that of the prophet Muhammad, from others. Would Muhammad want his people to be known as uncontrollable idiots? I think not. Being a follower of any religion comes with a responsibility to show that religion in a positive light.

Many people already feel that the religious zealots of just about any religion attract unfavorable attention and don't really want them around. Christians don't want to be known for those who kill people in the name of their religion any more then Muslims want to be associated with those who flew planes into buildings in the United States.

What is so hard about practicing your belief without the need for violence?

Zealots who think violence will help get their message across to others are no better then criminals who commit violent acts, steal and murder. Like those criminals these zealots should be treated appropriately in the same fashion as their behavior. A religious belief based on killing everyone who does not believe as you do is not an enlightened philosophy, it is a barbaric throwback to a darker time in the evolution of society.

Personally, I don't think making cartoons that poke fun of anyone's belief system is an appropriate use of your time. When drawing cartoons some folks feel as though the medium used excuses the need for civilized behavior. Even some attacks on political issues have overstepped the bounds.

There will be those of you who will scream about the freedom of speech. Go right ahead. Freedoms go hand-in-hand with responsibility. Just because you have a freedom does not mean you can throw common sense and intelligence out the window and abuse the freedoms you enjoy. Being free to be an ass does not necessarily mean you should be.

I am not telling cartoonists they are banned from creating such cartoons, nor would I dream of stifling their right to the freedom of expression. What I am trying to say, is that perhaps a little self-restraint should be used before touching pen to the paper.

At the end of my writings I tend to leave you with the proverbial “nutshell”, and this one is no different.

In the case of the cartoonist vs. the Muslims, neither acted in accordance with the laws of common sense.

This world is getting smaller by the day and we all need to learn to get along and play well together. Those who feel the only acceptable action is to kill others who are different then they are need to just hop off this planet because you are not compatible with modern civilization. If you don't want to remove yourself from the gene pool then I'm certain eventually others will perform this community service for you.

Don't Discount This

Is it just me, or does it seem like everything is on sale these days?

Some stores literally have just about everything on sale in one form or another. 10%, 20%, 50% off! Don't you wonder why they do this? Because they know psychologically we're a bunch of sheep to be toyed with that's why. Like Pavlov's dogs we see a sale sign and think hey, I can save a lot of money on this so I should buy it now.

I'm willing to bet that somewhere a store is having a legitimate sale and trying to get rid of stock, such as an older product they no longer want to carry, but it seems like this is becoming an unusual thing rather then the norm.

I saw an advertisement on television last night where you could get a $200 discount for installing some awning on your home. Have you bought furniture lately and seen the huge sales they offer? Car lots/manufacturers always deal with you and drop thousands of dollars off the price of a new car as long as you ask a few questions.

My question is, why are stores adding this huge markup on their products to start with? Apparently because some of you out there are stupid enough to pay them the full price! Your willingness to overpay by thousands of dollars on products helps them to offer discounts to smarter people.

Seasonal holiday times are an excellent way to see this stupid/smart consumer system in action. The stupid spend hundreds of dollars on decorations leading up to a holiday while the smarter of the flock hang back, resist temptation and head to the stores after the holiday and, like vultures feeding on carrion, purchase the leftovers at a huge discount like 75% off. Sure you have to wait until next year to decorate with your new treasures, but it's a small price to pay for what you save.

Yes, the pun was intended.

Another form of selling trickery that lure the stupid like moths to a flame, is the mail-in rebate. I can't tell you how many times I have bought a product amazed at the price after the mail-in rebate and then never mailed in the dang form.

Since I am notorious for not mailing in the mail-in rebates, I don't have much personal experience in these matters, but I have heard that many times these forms are ruthless in making you jump through a variety of hoops, dotting “I's”, crossing “T's”, cutting something out of the product box. Some have even reported sending all of the requested information into a company only to never receive a dime in return.

I'm willing to bet that your information is then used to send you all manner of SPAM, both electronically and conventional.

Yes, in case you have not guessed it by now, there have been many times that I have been a member of the stupid consumer club. I buy things on sale (how can you not when almost everything is on sale these days?), buy things with mail-in rebates, and felt that happy tingle when I see the large “ON SALE” signs.

Living in a capitalist society I don't foresee this changing anytime soon. Overall it's not really a bad thing, but remember that it's us against them. The consumers against the stores. We want to keep as much of our money that has not already been taken from us in taxes, and they want to transfer as much of our earnings that they can out of our accounts and into theirs.

As long as you know the rules and objective of the game you can learn to play without sitting on the injured bench too many times.

Don't kid yourself though, the game is not the minor leagues, the companies we make our purchases from are playing hardball. They spend a large portion of the money we donate to them on learning new methods to make even more profits.

Think “big oil” is ever going to release their current hold on gas prices? They're making money like crazy at the moment and they show no signs of backing off. Now we get excited if the price of gas is barely over $2.00 a gallon. I can remember when this was considered to be outrageous.

It's a world driven by us, the consumer. We are trying to fight back as we turn to ebay to find more bargains and try to purchase things with prices a bit closer to reality, but in the end you must go into the trenches and do battle with the salespeople.

Keep a firm grip on your wallet and mind. Try not to get too giddy when you see those magical words, “FOR SALE”, and whatever you do, mail in those rebates!

"Hey, look what you did to my pants!"

It would seem that when new things come along that people want, thieves just invent new ways of liberating them from the original owners. If you're paranoid about podjacking then you may want to be more discreet when listening, or now watching, you favorite media experience.

Enter PodLocker. This new device is designed to help you secure your new Christmas toy from others who would like to remove your listening pleasure and give it to the less fortunate. This new device is actually a sleek looking carrying case and security system all built into one.

The PodLocker can clamp to a table or desk with the provided clamping mechanism, or connect to just about anything else with its Master Lock carabineer style combination lock.

I can foresee this to become the accessory of choice on school backpacks.

One precaution though, once you attach something that thieves are hunting for to solid surfaces, these surfaces may become collateral damage. So if you're planning on dangling your status symbol from your britches, don't be too upset when someone comes along and rips your pants off in an attempt to make your pod part of their collection.

Knowledge Justification

Although this outcome does not place me in the lofty category of Einstein or Newton, it does show I at least know the basics... ;)

You Passed 8th Grade Science

Congratulations, you got 8/8 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Science?

Missing Girl Heading to Yakyma Washington

Please spread the word on your blogs!!!

This girl has been missing since Monday December 19th 2005 at 0705. She was last seen walking away from Lee High School in Fairfax Virginia.

We have a new clue from one of her so called friends. She was pursuaded to leave with the abusive drug guy who is obssessed with her. They may be on a greyhound bus headed to Yakyma Washington State. We think they are on a bus that left Springfield VA. on Monday and should hit Washington later today. I'll let you know if we get her. Thank you so much for the support.

She was seen walking with a 5' 10" 19yr old male, American Indian, long black hair, dark clothes, lip piercings. He has a backpack with a sleeping roll. She was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and jeans. She has a very small silver nose piercing.

This male's name we believe to be Wayne Dixon. He very possibly could on his way to Phoenix with her. Please Please Please know she would not run away without calling and saying she is okay. She would have called her sister.

Please take the attatched flyer and post it everywhere you can and send this email to everyone you know. Thank you so very much. The number on the bottom of the flyer is for the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children. Thank you so very much!!!

Empty Your Mind

This article is in response to this article on "The Roost".

A good example of this is the technician that was working on our phone system yesterday. He was attempting to troubleshoot why he could not get one of the phone jacks to work. The method he was using was merely testing if another jack was working in a variety of different ways. In his mind he was switching between the two jacks, but he was merely switching the same jack between to plugs in the phone switch.

The way I am explaining this might be losing something in the translation, but eventually another technician came along and had to explain to the first that he was not looking at the logic in his troubleshooting right. The first technician could not clear his mind enough to understand that he wasn't testing the correct jack.

When we get something set in our minds one way, it is very difficult at times to step back and rethink the situation. Religious discussions are notorious for this type of thought process. People of varying religious beliefs are so ingrained in their life-long belief systems that they find it next to impossible to accept any other line of reasoning.

Some folks swear by Fords, and some by Chevy's, still others are die hard Honda followers, and then there is the type that have Diesel's on the brain. Of course the Dodge fanatics are way out there. ;)

This mental problem is why those people who can think “outside the box” are a valuable asset to a company. A business does not need folks who are mired in their own idioms, but people who can make the mental leaps necessary to cover a larger encompassing scope.

I pride myself on having an open mind and make a real effort to listen to all points of a discussion. Like most people, I too occasionally fall victim to my own thoughts and seemingly have my own cup “spilling over”. Some people who know me ask where I find the time to read all the things that I read, or listen to talk radio, or watch the Science and Discovery channels. The fact is, this is what I enjoy, and so in my spare time it is what I do.

In the car I listen to talk radio so I can stay current on events of the world, and more importantly so I can listen to several sides of a variety of discussions. When at home, and the family has gone to bed, I work on my websites or read about whatever happens to be of interest to me at that moment. If I am in a television mood, I may do the brain-dead thing and watch a sitcom, or spend a Sunday watching things like the Science or Discovery channels.

Since I tend to stay informed on many topics, I am also very aware that many people don't read or write much these days. The older they get, many adults tend to lose their ability to read well, write well or even engage in meaningful conversations. For some reason I can't function that way. This is perhaps one reason I am working as a network administrator/engineer. In my career the industry is always changing. We literally learn new ways to do our jobs daily and have to adapt our thought processes accordingly.

Take a class on something that interests you. Read a book, any book fiction or non, but exercise your mind and work on your reading skills. When watching television, seek out the more informative channels, watch the news, or even something like an interior decorating or cooking show. The key is to watch something informative, not mentally draining. Write poetry, short stories, emails to your friends. Nobody to write to? Participate in forums on whatever website you find interesting. At the very least take up a hobby.

In addition to everything else I have mentioned, I also enjoy the LGB train that goes around our Christmas tree every year and I read magazines about Garden Railways even though I currently do not have the time or money to create one of my own. I am a scuba diver for the local water rescue team. Currently I am maintaining about 8 websites (I lose count) and helping others create web pages and sites of their own. My fish tank is something else that I enjoy, and the current crop of fish can't wait until I stop by every day to toss them their munchies. This past year has brought two dogs into our home, and I love to feed the Quail, finches and hummingbirds in the backyard.

Can I continue with my interests and what I do in my life? You bet. Sometimes it's exhausting just listing my activities, and that's not even going into what needs to be done for my three daughters with school, Girl Scouts, Volleyball, Basketball, Flute and violin lessons, etc...

It's no wonder I am getting more gray by the day.

So keep your cup at least empty enough to allow new things to pour in. Embrace life and live it by always searching for new experiences. This is why I love my “Life In A Handbasket Website”, because I get to write about a great many things and invite the world in for discussions. Unfortunately the world does not know the site exists, but that has not stopped me from writing my articles for the past several years.

The final thing is not only must you maintain enough room in your personal cup to learn new things, but you must also pursue your interests even if the odds are against you. Not many people read my articles, but I don't care. They are written as a way for me to express myself and get out in words all of the strange and random thoughts I am mulling over as I live my life.

It was Albert Einstein that said,

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Do something different, right now, today!

Wargames Are Hell

On her blog, Opinions From On High, "The Princess" brings up the observation that the gaming industry is getting more realistic as each year passes.

Does this realism truly pose a threat to our society? Should we try to "draw the line" on realism in gaming?

I thought I would share with you all my answer to her article since I think this makes for a good discussion topic. It is an industry that is not going to go away any time soon, so how you and your family deal with this access to the realistic games is a very real issue.

Tonight we watched a great mini-series, called The Triangle. It is a fictional T.V. series delving into the Bermuda Triangle Mysteries. While watching, we saw a commercial for a new X-Box 360 game. It is a WWII 1st person shooter that was so real, it left me wondering what the next step is. I am all for improving technology, but I think a line has to be drawn somewhere. If it becomes too real, then I see definite dangers with upcoming generations distinguishing the difference. Quite frankly, I’m a little scared for my son’s generation. This game was so lifelike that logically the next step would be characters so real you cannot tell that they aren’t. - The Princess

I would not like to stifle the development of technology because it is getting too good. I think the realism in the gaming world is fine. What this means, however, is just like inappropriate movies, parents must control what their children are exposed to.

Working in the computer industry I am approached all the time to “rat out” what people do online. Supervisors often want to subversively nail their employees, when what they should really be doing is supervising their people correctly. After all, if you have employees talking on the phone too much, or doodling on papers all day, or reading magazines at work, what do you do then?

This same philosophy holds for parents and children. Monitor their actions, don't buy them games of death and destruction, and attempt to prevent them from playing these at a friends house. I know, it's easier said then done.

You won't be successful all of the time, but even your actions of telling your children they cannot have these games at home because of the violent nature is something to make them pause and question why they even want to play them. Believe it or not, your concern for this type of content does rub off on them. They may think the game is cool, but they may not get the same satisfaction out of playing the game if in the back of their mind their moral compass kicks in. The same moral compass that you, as a parent, helped to program during their upbringing.

I love playing these types of games, but as I play them I am fully aware that they are simulating a horrible thing, war. My upbringing successfully impressed upon me that war is not a good thing, and during war horrible death occurs and this is not something to be enjoyed.

The feeling of trying to fight in a war type situation, however, is thrilling to most boys. The adrenaline gets pumped up and a certain excitement is found playing these games. The more realistic the better. If anything, the realism adds to the education that war is indeed hell.

The Happiest Place On Earth

Last weekend our family packed our bags and headed to Southern California to attend the annual family holiday bash.

My three daughters were very surprised to discover that their aunt and uncle were taking us all to Disneyland as our Christmas present.

The last time the girls had been to Disneyland only one of them was really old enough to remember anything about the park, and the youngest did not remember a thing.

I grew up living about 7 miles East of Disneyland and have been there many times. It was a great place to take girls on a date because instead of doing something like sitting in a dark theater you could actually interact with your date socially and more quickly determine your compatibility.

Where am I going with this trip down memory lane?

Needless-to-say I had been on most of the rides so many times I knew them well. In fact my daughters were amazed, or embarrassed, when I could sing along with the entire "Enchanted Tiki Room" show.

Well, I was all prepared for the same old thing and was pleasantly surprised to discover that the Disney "Imagineers" have not been just resting on their past achievements.

It began with "The Pirates of the Caribbean" ride. There were subtle differences from when I last remember this attraction such as improved flame effects, conquistador's defending the fortress that is being attacked by the pirates and two pirates trying to drag out a large tapestry of loot.

The entire park was decorated in holiday splendor with all of the trees lit up in a multitude of colors and a gorgeous Christmas tree on "Main Street". OK, so that has not changed, but it has always made the kingdom feel all that more magical.

Heading toward the "Haunted Mansion" it was obvious that the spooks were embracing the spirit of the season with trimmings of black wreaths and scarecrows dressed as “Sandy Claws”. Coming from all around were the sounds of rewritten Christmas carols such as "Scary Bells", being sung by what sounded like the original cast of “Nightmare Before Christmas”. I figured they would continue this decoration scheme throughout the ride just placing little mementos of the movie around here and there and that would be the extent of the change.

I was wrong.

You could still see many of the “Haunted Mansion” pieces of the ride, but they did an outstanding job incorporating the “Nightmare Before Christmas” theme. I don't want to describe everything to you and ruin the sights, but it was worth the wait in line.

Disneyland now has these things called a “Fast Pass”. At some of the busier rides you can get a ticket near the ride that gives you a 1 hour window when you can return to the ride and zip past a large portion of the line. As long as you're good at planning your time, this works pretty well.

We tried this Fast Pass thing out with the “Thunder Mountain Railroad” ride. After getting the Fast Pass tickets we went to some Santa's village setup in “Big Thunder Ranch” at the Northern end of the park. They had a nice group of reindeer for the kids to see, and the restrooms there were not as crowded as any other in the park.

From there we rode the “Matterhorn” ride (is that what it's called?), which is always a hoot. My youngest was tall enough to ride everything in Disneyland, so we could all enjoy the rides without having to do the thing where one parent stays behind while the other one rides the rides.

“It's A Small World” was all decorated for Christmas, and the music inside of the ride was changed to have a Christmas flare to it. At night I think that this ride had the most lights and decorations on it then all of the other rides combined!

One of the longest lines was “Space Mountain”. Sheesh, I can remember waiting in lines this long for it back when it first opened. Apparently it has been redone and the new and improved ride is still drawing a crowd. Once you ride it you can see why. In the old days it was basically just a roller coaster in the dark, now the coaster itself did not feel like it changed much, but they added swirling star-like lights throughout and it has made it seem more fun.

We really had fun on the new “Buzz Light Year” ride as well. The neat thing about this ride was that you got to shoot little lighted targets while battling Buzz's arch enemy. There were only two laser gun things and my wife and I had our littlest one in the car with us, but luckily there was a lever for rotating the car too so I spent the time spinning us all around trying to give the ladies a better shot at the various targets. The end of this ride was great because you got to send a picture of yourself to an email account for free. I'll post our pictures here in this article a little later.

If you go to Disneyland you simply must make sure you see the fireworks show. Don't just watch them from anywhere in the park, make sure you end up at the North end of “Main Street” facing the castle. The entire show is created based on this viewing position. I don't want to give away too much, but let's just say that the fireworks show is in 360 degrees from that viewing location.

There is actually more to tell about, but I think you get the idea that we had a good time on this trip, I won't put you to sleep by elaborating any more.

Well done Disneyland, and thank you for making the Magic Kingdom fresh again for an old fan. Walt would be proud of what you have done with the place. Once again Disneyland has lived up to its motto as being “The Happiest Place On Earth”.

'tis The Season For Whiny-butts

I was listening to Sean Hanity today and some lady from Texas called in to tell of her clandestine investigation of Walmart and Target. She went on and on about how these stores have an official policy to call the Holiday Season... Are you ready for this scary term? The “Holiday Season”.

Ooooo... How terrible. I think all Christians should immediately go out and kill all Walmart and Target managers for this horrendous crime against humanity!

Give me a break. Saying Merry Christmas does not offend me even though I don't consider myself a Christian, but neither does saying Happy Holidays. Am I missing something? What is the huge deal that Christians are demanding that the word Christmas be forced onto stores?

The more these things rear their ugly heads, the less I like organized religion. Even the leaders of Christian churches ought to be smacking these folks that are giving them a bad reputation.

Talk show hosts like Sean Hanity should not be hooked into catering to these folks either. Trying to make the Holiday Season more generic for all is not a horrible thing, and in no way insults Christians.

Nobody is telling you not to wish people Merry Christmas, or that you can't put up a Chritmas tree, or sing Christmas carols. Nobody is preventing Christians from celebrating their holiday, and quite frankly nobody cares what you do.

You don't hear the Jewish community boycotting Walmart for not saying “Happy Hanukkah”, or the Wiccans for the stores not saying “Blessed Be”.

Now I ask you honestly, if you're a Christian do you think that your faith should be employing mob tactics to enforce retailers to say Merry Christmas over Happy Holidays?

Should we go into the fact that wishing somebody Happy Holidays is saying Happy Holy Days? What's the big difference between Happy Holy Days and Merry Christmas? This sort of stuff just makes me want to scream at everyone, Bah Humbug!

Although I'm not religious, I think saying Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays is perfectly fine. This season has stood for Peace on Earth and Goodwill toward man for so long, that I personally don't think that any one religion can lay claim to this time of year.

What's wrong with Jewish people having a Christmas tree? They can still celebrate Hanukkah, having an evergreen in the living room decorated with pretty lights would not prevent that would it?

This is the time of year we should all, as the planet, stop and reflect about living in peace with one another. Those of you who don't want to live in peace with us, well, we can just kill you! (kidding, of course)

I'd really be interested in everyone's feelings on this subject. Is it just me that this “Christmas is only for one specific religion” thing seems all wrong?

Realistically, if you look at many of the aspects of what we now celebrate in the Christmas holiday, you'll discover that the majority of it all came from Pagan celebrations anyway.

Christmas has evolved into the Holiday Season, which should be enjoyed and celebrated by all of humanity, not just a chosen few. After all, if you're Christian why wouldn't you want all people of the world to enjoy this time instead of trying to ruin it by using this time to make a political and religious statement.

Shut the heck up, sip some eggnog, and enjoy the season.

Merry Christmas to all, and Happy Holidays too!