Song Book

I was listening to this radio show while wrapping Christmas presents tonight and it made me homesick for singing "old" Protestant hymns. From the 1980s through today, Protestant churches in America have largely moved away from those "old" hymns in favor of what they call worship music. I think that is a loss.

I'm not talking about the theological content of the lyrics, though I do think that Martin Luther's "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" is dogmatically richer than Elevation Worship's "Trust in God". No, I'm not talking about the doctrinal ideas in the songs. What I have I mind is the loss of a common song book.

On a couple of occasions when I was a boy in Tampa I attended something called a "sing". People just gathered together and sang. Many of the songs, most of them, probably, were church songs such as Fanny Crosby's "Blessed Assurance", Albert Brumley's "I'll Fly Away", and Isaac Watts' "O God, Our Help in Ages Past". But there were always the patriotic songs such as George Cohan's "It's a Grand Old Flag", and Julia Ward Howe's "Battle Hymn of the Republic", and the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force Songs (The members and veterans of those services were invited to stand during their songs). But it was not only church songs and patriotic songs. There were also American folk classis such as "Shenendoah", "Down in the Valley", and "On Top of Old Smokey".

And the amazing thing, as you will see in this radio show, is that hundreds of people just knew the words and music, and naturally fell into four part harmony and made music of such comfortable and easy beauty. Maybe it was because it was the South. I was in Tampa when I attended those sings, and this radio show was recorded in Atlanta, but, I have a feeling, it could happen in Tulsa, Texarkana, Murfreesboro, Joplin, or Charleston. Sadly, I can't even imagine it happening in Silicon Valley.

The Covid Response: Thinking about it 5 years later.

I never liked the Covid response. Not the government shutting down churches (PEOPLE VS. CALVARY CHAPEL SAN JOSE is an affront to essential liberty), nor people accusing others of racism for pointing out the disease came from Wuhan (Nobody accuses anyone of anti-veteran sentiment for referring to a certain bacterial infection as Legionnaire's Disease. ), nor the government halting commerce, and, certainly, not the forced shots and having to carry a vaccination card to gain access to many places. But I can go on and list many more horrible things we did; ballooning the national debt, shutting down schools, mask mandates (a particularly absurd piece of moralistic political theater), travel restrictions.... But those are just the things that the government and some of my fellow citizens did that I dislike.

There are things that have NOT been done that I dislike just as much.
1. We have not stopped funding of the U.N.s health programs even though the U.N. was complicit in covering up for the Chinese. In fact, the United States is the largest financial backer of the U.N.'s health programs.
2. We have not stopped Chinese students in the biological sciences from studying at American Universities even though, on at least two occasions since Covid restrictions on travel have been lifted, students from the PRC have been caught smuggling viruses into the United States.
3. We have not expelled all Chinese citizens and companies from the United States.
4. We have done nothing to avenge the lives of the more than 1.1 million American's killed by the Chinese-made virus.
5. We have not imprisoned Anthony Faucci or his team members who lied to the American people.

But part of the response has been good. Here is a list of the the things we have done in response to Covid that are good decisions.
1. According to the White House website, the U.S. government—via executive orders and policies issued by HHS and the NIH—has prohibited federal funding for dangerous gain-of-function and high-risk life sciences research both domestically and internationally.
2. According to Science.org, federal funding is explicitly banned for researchers and institutions in "countries of concern" such as China, North Korea, Iran, and Cuba, as well as foreign nations lacking adequate biosafety and oversight standards.
3. According to the New York Times, the NIH has restricted U.S. scientists from directing federal grant money to international research partners through new or competing foreign subawards.
4. According to Science.org, specific named institutions that have less than stellar reputations in the area of hazard containment are now, barred from receiving grant money.
5. According to the University of Minnesota's CIDRAP website, the U.S. government has imposed a regime of strict and exacting rules on any laboratory conducting biological research that might pose a threat to human life, and has restricted biological research to areas of cure and prevention.

There is much much more I could say but that is all just off the top of my mind.

The Christmas List

A couple of days ago my wife Kathleen asked me for my Christmas list. She asked me for the list because she found out that I have already started buying her Christmas presents.

Kathleen, you know I've taken up coin collecting and am currently working on the State quarters. But did you know I also want to collect the presidential dollars? It would be nice to have a book to keep them in.

Did you know that I really really REALLY like cookies? How often do you see me bake them? That's right. Almost never. They are a lot of work and then I have a house full of cookies, and you know I have difficulty with moderation. So, this cookie of the month club is perfct.

I know it must seem as though I have all the kitchen tools any man could ever want, but there is one thing needful. A paté mold. It can only be copper or tin-lined copper, not aluminum with a copper finish. I think a fish shaped one would be most useful as I could take it to Church for the potluck after Agape Vespers on Pascha. And when it is not being used for it's main purpose it can hang decoratively on our kitchen wall.

You know how I have that magnificent Smith and Wesson Model 19-9 Combat Magnum Revolver? Well, because it was made for the Canadian market the barrel is 4.25 inches. That is a quarter inch longer than all the mass produced holsters for Smith and Wesson k-frame revolvers. I need a custom-made holster with two pouches for speed loaders.

Right now, the only CD of Orthodox Christian music I have is Christmas hymns. I think I need more. Any of these three would be beneficial: Full of Grace, God is With Us, or Arise!.

You know how you are always trying to get me to dress more casually? Well, none of my shoes go with casual clothes so it stands to reason that two-tone wingtips are the way to start. Once I have a pair of these I can start wearing more casual clothes, such as tan flannel trousers and camp shirts.


Remeber when we caught those halibut in the Bay? Wouldn't it be nice to have a beautiful framed picture of one on the wall beside the picture of your salmon?

Cigars are expensive. To preserve them one needs a good humidor. Case Renzo and Solana make very good humidors but, I bet, on auction sites you can find a good used Diamond Crown or a Savoy.

I need a new holy water bottle to carry with me at work. (You know the kind of people I have to deal with.) I know for a fact that I would use it way more often than my gun, even more often than my hand sanitizer.

You know how I've been listening to Shrlock Holmes books when I go to bed at night? Well, it's instilled in me a desire to have a smoking jacket. No violin or cocaine, though.

Remember about 10 or 11 years ago when I had a fez? I think you gave it to me. Or, maybe, I bought it for my self. I think I bought them for my kids, too. Anyway, I haven't seen mine in years and I sure would like another one. Or, maybe, a smoking cap. They are similar, and the smoking cap would go with the jacket.

Two words: Cheese knife

I have bought these for other people but never one for myself. If I say The Three Stooges, is that enough of a hint? No? OK. Here is the link to the product.

I only have one corduroy jacket. It is old, beige, ill-fitting and patched where the elbows wore thin. Notwithstanding the garment's delapidated state, every time I wear it you say, "You look good in cordury." Imagine how I'll look during the twelve days of Christmas with this keeping warm as we jingle and dash from service to party to service to party for almost a fortnight! And, I think, for women the company sells dresses in complimentary designs! Oh, I like this idea!

Are you tired of burnt matches piling up all over the house? I think we could use two of these, one in the Icon corner and one by my chair.

I know, I know. We aren't Texans but, I think, it would be awsome to wire something like this to the front of the Camry.

You know how sometimes when we go the the range and the larger rifles knock my hearing protectors off my head? That problem can be solved with these.

Many years ago my Mother had this set. When I was a little boy, she said she would give it to me when she died. She forgot about saying that and sold it in a garage sale when I was in the Army. I have always wanted one. I know, we can't really entertain large groups of people at our house, but we could take this bowl and fill it up at all the Christmas parties we are invited to every year.