Thinking about this story today and my Great-grandpa, George Lee Elschlager ( Read more... )

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It would be nice if we could spend a tenth as much time examining why some men choose to rape women and figure out how to get them to stop as we do telling women the magical ways they can rape-proof themselves (which is not really possible). It would be a start, anyway. Binge drinking, straw man arguments and rape prevention (Feministing)Meanwhile ( Read more... )

Several years ago a local tv station wanted to interview someone with seasonal depression. They contacted the suicide prevention director and she asked me if I was willing. So we had this surreal interview where they kept trying to get me to say that something, anything about the holidays was causing or making my depression worse and I kept trying ( Read more... )

Through the silent night, the town is sleeping,
The sheep are safe within the fold,
They're free from danger fear and cold,
Silent...silent night
Holy..holy night
...Sleep in peace, si-lent, ho-ly night,
Sleep in peace.

found long lost descant lyrics to silent night, we sang it in grade school for a Christmas program one year, circa 1970

Or, how to be sensitive to those who just aren't having a happy holiday.

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We always had Christmas dinner on Christmas eve. Years later I met a woman from Germany who described her family traditions, common in her region. The tree wasn't brought in until just before Christmas eve and the adults would decorate it in secret. Because it was fresh and still damp outside and had retained moisture internally, they would put ( Read more... )

On the twelfth day of Christmas, ( Read more... )

A few years ago I made the decision to disconnect entirely from Christmas or anything Christmas like in my life (ie "Solstice presents"). I felt that if I didn't believe in the spiritual background of Christmas, why emulate what I consider to be the worst part of it--the materialistic consumer fest this society revels in each year, complete with ( Read more... )

The signs of Christmas are descending upon us, the time of year where I feel totally out of synch with the culture I live in. I haven't been a Christian since my teen years and I have no desire to be roped into the materialistic extravaganza that Christmas has become. Other than sending out "Solstice" cards and attending dinner on Christmas eve at ( Read more... )