The Phantom Scribbler

About 14 years ago, my dad asked me for help with a Christmas Cantata.  It was called "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and was based around that song.  As you might expect for a religious musical based around a secular song, the writing was ... well ... bad.  Bad and meaningless.  And trite.  It was feel-good with absolutely no substance whatsoever.  So, I decided to give it a whirl.  I imagine that no one will be interested in this, but I had been thinking about it and discovered a bunch of old files that had this in it.  Many of the songs won't be recognizable by title and I'm only posting the title of the song and the narration that went with it.  I'll put any thoughts about what I was writing in parentheses.  Also, you'll note that I began each section with a portion of the first chapter of the Gospel According to St. John.   First song: "I'll Be Home for Christmas" In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and ...

I used to be annoyed by how early "Christmas" starts.  This year, the "Christmas" decorations were in stores before the Halloween decorations.  Turkeymas was all but forgotten in the rush to Christmas.   If I had my druthers, I'd mandate the following: 1. You can only say "Happy Holidays" or "Blessed Advent" until December 24th. 2. Only Advent hymns until December 24th. 3. No Christmas lights until December 24th.  Then they stay up for 12 days.  4. Nativity scenes can't display Jesus until the 24th or the Magi until January 6th.   5. Gift-giving occurs on January 6th (Epiphany or Tres Reyes).   I came up with that list about 15 years ago and realized immediately that it would never happen.  But, as I looked at the list, I realized that it also bore the solution for me to not go full humbug every year.  The realization is this: There are three festivals that happen in December: the human (Yule), the secular (Giftmas) and the Chr...

The Titanic submarine sank killing all passengers in mid-June.  I was surprised at the glee some, even some people I knew to be very caring, had at their demise.  When I asked one person, they replied that all those rich bastards likely deserved it.  When I mentioned there were younger people on board, they said, "Well, they'd probably just grow up like their dads."  Kill Hitler as a baby, I guess?  I didn't quite get the vitriol JUST because they were rich.  And, I guess, reckless and stupid.   But the murder of Brian Thompson, the late United Healthcare CEO ... that one I get.  It's not just because he's rich.  It's because his wealth was founded on the deaths of so many people that he and his company wrongly denied healthcare coverage.  I don't think I need to go into the specifics of the murder.  It's covered a LOT in the media right now.  As is the reaction.  People are, again, gleeful.  But it's more than j...