CHRIST IS BORN! GLORIFY HIM!

It is the Orthodox Tradition to proclaim these words to one another during the time of the Nativity of Our Lord. At the end of the Divine Liturgy, or any other liturgical service, it is custom for the priest to shout out: "Christ Is Born!" with the people responding: "Glorify Him!"
With the Christmas season eding in the secular world on December 26th the Orthodox Church celebrates another 12 more festive days; ending on the eve of Holy Theophany.

International Politics' Acronyms And Body Gestures

I took an International Politics course in College which I thoroughly enjoyed. The neat thing about it is that it's chock full of wonderfully colored acronyms. Read on:

MAD= Mutual Assured Destruction. This was used throughout the Cold War period. 1950's to late 1980's.

NGO's= Non-Governmental Organizations. Example(s) Greenpeace or Amnesty International.

IGO's= Intergovernmental Organizations. Example (UN) United Nations

SALT (I, II)= Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty. Limits on U.S and USSR strategic weapons.

Another very important factor that weighs heavily in the International Political arena are body gestures. A hand signal, for example, you might think is ok may be down right insulting to someone on the other side of the world. In fact the "OK" sign or "thumbs up" is perfectly postitive here in the United States but in Arab culture it is seen as a sign of hostility and aggression. Another example is the use of the peace sign. If turned the wrong way, it could spark a war between you and someone in Australia!

Happy St. Nicholas Day!

Happy St. Nicholas Day to all! Last night we had a Vesper Service in honor of St. Nicholas of Myra. Our kiddies received small gifts from him when we were at Church. Sorry, no gold.

Can You Find the Arrow?

FYI

Connecticut: Waterbury- A surgical patient at Waterbury Hospital was burned in a flash fire in an operating room from equipment that malfunctioned. A hospital spokeswoman said the 60-year old man sustained minor burns to his face. The hospital staff had extinguished the fire by the time city firefighters arrived. An investigation was begun.

Do I smell (pardon the pun) a lawsuit awaiting?

Christmas Carol Lyrics

My wife and I were coming home from grocery shopping and we had our car radio tuned to a station that plays Christmas music 24/7. I remarked to her: "Humm... I wonder how many of the listing audience can correctly interpret the lyrics to some of our holiday classics?" Anyway, I did a little research and came up with some interpretations:

"Take a look in the five-and-ten, glistening once again..."

Five-and-Ten= nickel and dime Pop shop.

"A pair of hopalong boots and a gun that shoots."

Translation= A pair of cowboy boots and a gun (toy) that shoots

Lyrics taken from "It's Beginning To Look Like Christmas"

"Make the Yule tide gay..."

Translation= Make the festival of the Winter solstice a happy one.

"Here we are as in olden days, golden days of yore."

Translation= Here we are as always, remembering wonderful days long ago.

From: "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"

Thermometer Calibration

It is of utmost importance in the food service industry to have an accurate food thermometer. Certain bacteria can make people sick within minutes of ingestion; especially dangerous is the bacteria found in most poultry products. The industry standard temperature for cooking poultry range from 170-180 degrees F.
How do you know your thermometer is accurate? The answer to this is to check it in ice water. We know (or should know) that water freezes at 32 F; therefore, a glass of ice water will be very close to 32 F. By setting the thermometer in the ice water for a few minutes, you can find out if the thermometer is accurate if it correctly reads plus or minus 1 degree short of 32 F.
If the thermometer is not accurate you can calibrate it in two simple steps:

1.) At the back portion of the dial, there should be a hex or square shaped nut.

2.) While your thermometer is still in the ice water, use a small wrench to hold the nut secure and twist the dial portion until the indicator is directly on 32 F.

This blogger wonders how many food establishments require a weekly calibration test. Hmm... food for thought.

Onion Domes and Casinos

I read an article in yesterday's edition of the New York Times which addressed the issue of casinos and gambling in and around Moscow, Russia. Apparently they're having a real problem with it. Amongst the many onion domed Orthodox Churches that surround the city, a growing number of its population is becoming addicted, more than ever, to gambling.

I did some further digging on this growing problem by logging on to ITAR-TASS information site. According to TASS "The Moscow Duma ( lower chamber of Russian parliament) has adopted a legal act banning all gambling outlets from apartment buildings, bus and railway stations, airports, and from 100-meter exclusion areas around educational establishments." 1*

This blogger did not know that Russian's gambled, or even had slots and casinos in Russia!

According to Moscow's Serbisky PsychiatryInstitute:

2 million Russian's gamble each year.

330,000 Russian's are considered "compulsive" gamblers.

compulsive gambling leads to alcoholism.2*

*1 source: http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/prnt.html?NEWSID=1094667

*2 source: http://www.postcronicle.com/news/original/article_21246291.shtml

And Top 3 excuses Are...

Most Orthodox choral singers are simply not passionate about singing. We claim to have the "fullness of the Faith" ,which includes a rich tradition of liturgical music and chants, but we don't seem to care about it at all. I have been choir directing for the past 18 years and have become witness to this. So here we go with the top 3 Orthodox choral singers excuses for not singing prayerfully:

1) "We're not professional singers so deal with it."

My response to this is that I would necessarily not want a classically trained operatic soprano, for example, blaring out shrieks of a Cherubic Hymn soprano line only to draw attention to herself. Don't get me wrong, as they're probably many professional musicians who are of the Orthodox Faith who do prayerfully sing in their home choir. Ya don't have to be trained to sing sweet melodies to our Lord! It's an EXCUSE! According to the Abridged Typicon (proper order in Church book) it says: "Executing liturgical music in a shouted tone of the secular songs, or the passionate operatic tones, does not give those who are praying a chance to concentrate nor grasp the content and meaning of the hymns."

2) tardiness. I don't think that I have ever had all my choir members at the start of the Divine Liturgy! Having said that, it does not look favorably on me or them as well. They don't take their ministry with any seriousness. Also, it shows the lack of respect for God, those who came early and are trying to pray, and the choir director. Which leads to...

3) Lack of Self Discipline: If one can get ready and be on time for work, why not apply this to Church. Plan accordingly, set the alarm clock at least a half-hour back. I bet half, if not all Orthodox "slackers" do this for their secular job.

Oh...By the way, I tell my choir members to listen to African American Gospel music. Gospel music is "alive" "fresh" and soulful; not slow, lifeless, and dull sounding as are some of our choirs sound.

To be fair, though, there are many outstanding Orthodox Choir's around the country.

Kitchen Lingo

I have had the pleasure to work in the Food Service industry for about ten years of my life. As with all other professions in the world, we had our own second language; "kitchen lingo" if you will. Here are some real gems that I have remembered over the years:

guerilla= grilled chichen breast

for the squabs= child's menu

behind you, coming through, or watch your back--all mean the same thing...DON'T MOVE!

your mama= the dumpster

radar love= microwave it!

"kill it"= to cook the hell out of it

deep six= throw it away

make it happen!!!= do whatever it takes to give the chef what he needs

pay the bills= pick up the food

pre-meal= deadline to meet

"go get another case of 69's"= 3 compartmented aluminum foil homebound feeding trays. The ref. to #69 is just the code on the box. AFHFT #69

Canada Geese Facts

Walking home from Hanni's Halloween parade I noticed a flock of Canadian geese flying in a perfect V formation. When I got home I did a google search on Canadian geese. The following information is from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Region 3 Midwest Internet Service).

Q: How big is a Canada Goose?

A: A full grown Canada Goose will have a wing span of 6 feet and weigh from 7-10 lbs

Q: How high do they fly?

A: On daily feeding flights they usually fly from 100 to 1,000 feet depending on wind and disturbance from people. When migrating they fly much higher, finding an altitude with a wind that is going their direction. Geese have been seen as high as 9,000 feet.

Q: Why do geese fly in a V formation?

A: The air to the side of a flying goose is smoother to fly in than the more turbulent air right behind. A goose flying back of another goose would be like a person trying to swim behind a motor boat.

Halloween Facts

Since 1995, trick or treating in the town of Sandusky Ohio, has been against the law for anyone older then 14.

It is very rare for a full moon to occur at the same time as Halloween. It has only occurred in- 1925, 1944, 1955, and 1974. The next time it is said to occur is October 3, 2020.

The word Halloween appeared in the Dictionary in the 1700's.

According to ancient superstitions, if you stare into a mirror at midnight on Halloween, you'll see your future spouse.

Finally... The pumpkin is one of the best sources of Vitamin A.

Salem Witch Burnings?

Q: Did you realize that no witches were burned in Salem?

Yes. Everyone knows about the burning times, the period of history when witchcraft hype gripped parts of Europe and North America. Popular media has created the image of witches being burned at the stake, which still persists today. In fact, though many of the accused, men and women, were actually hanged (or executed by other means).

Salem Witch Trial Victims:

June 10, 1692
Bridget Bishop

July 19
Rebecca Nurse
Susanne Martin
Elizabeth Howe
Sarah Good
Sarah Wildes

August 19
George Jacobs Sr.
Martha Carrier
George Burroughs
John Proctor
John Willard

September 19
Giles Corey (pressed to death)

September 22
Martha Corey
Margaret Scott
Mary Eastly
Alice Parker
Ann Pudeator
Wilmont Reed
Samuel Wardwell
Mary Parker

And of course, the final irony of the Witch Burnings is that just because these people were accused of witchcraft, did not make them all witches. It's believed that most of those who died were actually upstanding Christians, just like their accusers.

So when talking about history, make sure to use "Salem Witch Trials" rather than the "Witch Burnings at Salem."

Check the Twisty!

Someone sent me an email concerning the freshness of store bread. If you really want to know how old or how long the bread has been sitting on the store shelf; just look at the color of the twisty. According to the claim: Monday=Blue, Tuesday=Green, Thursday=Red, Friday=White, and Saturday=Yellow. Note, the colors go alphabetically:Blue, Green, Red, White, and Yellow. I did some investigation and to my surprise Monday's bread twisty was Blue and Tuesday's color was Green. I also checked this claim out on Snopes; yeah it's no urban legend, it's true.

Peaceful Coexistence

It was nice to read an article in the New York Times concerning the nation of Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan you say? Yup. I was not aware that this country is home to over 40 religions. Yes, 40 religions that coexist peacefully. With all the violence in the Middle East, Kazakhstan is proof that people can establish an atmosphere of tolerance and understanding of all faiths around the globe.
President Nursultan Nazarbayev was quoted saying: "In the past 15 years, there has not been a single case of a newspaper or television station harassing the followers of any particular faith." Kazakhstan should be the rubric that the rest of the world should follow.

Moon Shot

I captured this picture tonight of our wonderful moon. The cosmos, this early evening, is breath taking!

FYI

New Hampshire: Portsmouth- Longshoremen at the Port of Portsmouth filed another complaint against Port Director Geno Marconi. Initially, they complained of racist language and said he used public property for personal gain. Now, they're complaining to the state Labor Department that Marconi kicked them off the job in retaliation.

Iowa: Waterloo- A man who put a fake obituary for his girlfriend's teenage son in a newspaper in order to skip work was charged with tampering with records. He got a year in jail, suspended to seven days. The teen's mother was charged with accessory after the fact and sentenced in June to 30 days, suspended to a year's probation.

It amazes me what people will do.

A Diet Pepsi And A Cigarette Please!

Some things in life just don't make any sense to me, like today for example. I was on my way to Office Depot to make a return on an ink ribbon I had bought for our fax machine; when, all of a sudden, I saw a women walking briskly with a diet Pepsi in one hand and a cigarette in the other. I thought; that's a great way to exercise. Killing yourself to live I guess.

Kodak Moment

I saw this rainbow the other day as I was driving from our Church to my home. I pulled the car over and snapped this picture. I try to keep my trusty little Fuji digital camera with me at all times; for you never know when a "Kodak moment" like this will happen!

FYI

California: Sacramento-Gov. Schwarzenegger signed legislation making it an infraction to take more than 25 copies of a free newspaper to recycle it or prevent people from reading it. The measure is a response to several incidents in which large numbers of free newspapers were taken from news boxes. In one case, the entire press run of the Chula Vista Star was taken on three occasions and sold to recyclers in Mexico.

And...

Pennsylvaina: Pittsburgh-Allegheny County officials said they've seen an increase in the number of unclaimed bodies at the medical examiner's office. Last year, 59 bodies went unclaimed and could not be identified through police work, nearly double the number five years ago, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported.

A new meaning to "Unclaimed freight?"

Indoor Plumbing

The greatest gift to mankind, in my opinion, is indoor plumbing. Think about it; indoor plumbing transcends race, creed, color, and language barriers. Can't imagine a world where toilets and showers didn't exist. So the next time you flush the toilet and wash your hands with hot soapy water thank the ancient Romans for this wonderful invention.

TV Takes

Tonight, I heard the sound track to "The Great Escape" on a Hummer commercial. I guess this is the "norm" to use classic movie tracks for today's commercials? For what it's worth; loved the original movie.

Between Systems

As of this present posting, it seems that we (folks in Plains) are between T-Storms. We're hearing the thunder and seeing the lightning in the distance but that's about it. Kinda weird.

FYI

New York: Fort Covington- A school prayer issue at the Salmon River Central School is headed to federal court. For about three years, an Iroquois passage was read during morning announcements at the school where most of the students are Mohawk Indians. School officials eliminated the daily reading after complaints, but still allow it two days a week.

The Onion

There's a great parody online newspaper called The Onion. I refer to it every time I need a good laugh! They have a section called The Sunday Magazine which basically makes fun of the real Sunday magazine. Anyway, I just thought I would pass it along. I particularly like this one! Remember, it's a parody.

FYI

West Virginia: Charleston- West Virginians seem to like liquor inexpensive and easy to poor. A total of 269,232 half-gallon bottles of Vladimir Vodka were sold last year, according to the state Alcohol Beverage Administration. The vodka typically sells for 20% less than other brands. The next-biggest seller was a whiskey in an easy-pour half-gallon.

"Yuns going to poor me some?"

Witness 9/11

I am watching "Witness 9/11" on the National Geographic network; and am posting this between commercials. The caption reads: Amateurs and professional film makers capture the events of 9/11. So far it's showing film footage in New York city. It is still hard to believe that the towers are gone. I had the fortunate opportunity to take the high speed elevator to the observation deck back in when I was a High School student in the early 1980's. I least have the memory of it in my head.

FYI

Maine: Rockland- independent gubernatorial candidate Barbara Merrill proposed state-financed passenger train service between Portland and Montreal, with an onboard casino to help fund the service. She calls it the "Maine to Montreal High Roller."

And...

Alaska: Barrow- Researchers report an abundance of snowy owls on the North Slope. They say it's the owls' most productive summer in at least 15 years, with their vigor tied to a boom in the population of lemmings. The rodents compose 95% of the owls' diet.


FYI

FYI courtesy of: USA Today's segment: "Across the USA."

The Numbers Game

So you think Christians have it bad keeping its membership up? Well, we're not alone. Just ask any practicing Zoroastrian and he or she will tell you that they're playing with the numbers game too. Why? According to a New York Times article in today's edition, one of the main issues lie with the high rate of intermarriage. They (Zoroastrian priests) believe that no one should forfeit their religion just for the sake of converting to the Zoroastrian faith. Another danger of the conversion process is the fear that customs and rituals will eventually disappear. It is interesting to note that there are no listings in any Zoroastrian texts that ban intermarriage, however, but the article states that more than 40 percent of the priests are opposed to intermarriage and the conversion process.
Zoroastrians do not proselytize, they can pray at home instead of going to a temple, and there is no hierarchal structure. Their basic doctrine is a universal ethical precept: "good thoughts, good words, good deeds." The picture above shows Zoroastrian priests (mobeds) about to burn fankincense and sandalwood at a service for the departed.

Television History

Tonight on "CBS Evening News," Katie Couric will make television history as the first solo female anchor of a broadcast network evening newscast. Some people have questioned her ability to perform in this capacity. I say, she's a professional and she'll do a fine job.
A friend and I were talking about the 1989 (I think?) Los Angeles earthquake that took place during the baseball World Series. The announcer, Marv Albert, acting in a professional manner, went from announcer to reporter with no difficulties. These people are trained very well to handle incidents like this. Katie will be no exception.

Halloween Facts

Yea, I know it's a tad bit early to talk about Halloween but don't tell my kiddies that; as our local drug store already did that for us via the Halloween candy displayed on the shelves! But anyway, we have to deal with it; so having said that, here are some interesting Halloween facts according to the U.S Census Bureau:

1.) The observance of Halloween, which dates from the Dark Ages, has long been associated with thoughts of the dead, witches, ghosts, devils and other hobgoblins. In the United States, the first recorded instance of a Halloween celebration occurred in Anoka, Minn., in 1921.

2.) 14 states, that, contrary to the national trend, experienced an increase in their elementary school-age population (children between 5 and 13) between 2000 and 2003. Texas (125,000), Florida (88,000), and Arizona (66,000)- the latter two, traditionally, thought of as retirement havens- led the way.

3.) Jack O' Lanterns and Pies-85 million pounds! Total production of major pumpkin-producing states in 2003. Illinois, with a production of 326 million pounds, led the country. There also were a whole lot of pumpkin patches in California, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York. Each produced at least 70 million pounds of pumpkins. The value of all the pumpkins produced was $81 million.

4.) Candy and Costumes.1,040 is the number of U.S manufacturing establishments that produced chocolate and cocoa products in 2001. These establishments employed 45,913 people and shipped $12 billion worth of goods that year. California led the nation in the number of chocolate and cocoa manufacturing establishments with 116, followed by Pennsylvania with 107.

5.) 25 pounds Per capita consumption of candy by Americans in 2003; it is believed a large portion of this is consumed by kids around Halloween. But candy consumption has actually declined over the last few years: in 1997 each American gobbled or savored more than 27 pounds of the sweet stuff

6.) 2,715 is the number of formal wear and costume rental establishments across the nation in 2001. Trick-or-treaters rent, buy or invent the costumes they wear on Halloween.

7.) Where to Spend Halloween? Transylvania County, N.C. (29,406 residents). Tombstone, Ariz. (population 1,547). Pumpkin Center, N.C. (population 2,228); and Pumpkin Bend township, Ark. (population 307). Skull Creek township, Neb. (population 296). Cape Fear in New Hanover County, N.C.; and Cape Fear township in Chatham County, N.C. (with populations of 15,711 and 1,170, respectively).

Source: http://www.census.gov

Vestment Colors

Depending upon what season the Orthodox Church is in e.g. Great Lent, Advent Fast, Pascha or the summer feasts, the Church places great emphasis on which color vestment is to be worn by the Priest, Deacon, and Alter servers. There are 6 basic groups:
1. The group of Feasts and days commemorating Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Prophets, the Apostles and the Holy Hierarchs. Vestment color: Gold (yellow) all shades.

2. The group of Feasts and days commemorating the Most Holy Mother of God, the Bodiless Powers and Virgins. Vestment color: Light Blue and White.

3. The group of Feasts and days commemorating Martyrs. Red.

4. The group of Feasts and days commemorating Monastic Saints, Ascetics and Fools for Christ. Vestment color. Green.

5. The group of Feasts and days commemorating the Cross of Our Lord. Vestment color. Purple or dark Red.

6. During Lenten periods, the Vestment colors are: Dark Blue, Dark Green, Dark Red and Black. This last color is used essentially for the days of Great Lent.

Mao, Just a Footnote?

Just read an interesting piece of information in the New York Times. Communist China is revising its History books. Yes, revising them; or at least in the city of Shanghai. As an Historian I found this article to be very interesting. According to the author; the new text will place more of an emphasis on current Western trends e.g. economics, technology, social customs, and globalization. By China adopting these trends it will mean that she will only benefit from this change and become an even more powerful global player both economically an politically. According to Zhu Xuequin, a professor of History at Shanghai University: "The new history is less ideological, and that suits the political goals of today."
So, will Mao be reduced to a mere footnote on the bottom page of China's history books? Time will certainly tell.

Happy New Year!

September 1st marks the beginning of the new ecclesiastical year in the Orthodox Church. Today, some traditions like the Greek Orthodox, call for September 1st to be a day of special prayer for the salvation and protection of God's creation.
Without a doubt, the Orthodox Church is very concerned about the protection of all creation and the environment. This is made quite evident in the yearly cycle of services. For example, on the Feast of the Transfiguration we bless fruit, on the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God, we bless flowers and seeds. On the great Feast of Pentecost, we adorn the Ikons with leafy green foliage taken from the trees on the Church grounds.
The Church also has prayers for the blessing of livestock, ponds and rivers; blessings of Orchard's and vineyard's; just to name a few.

"Lord God almighty, Who made the heavens and all living things in the air and on land for the use of mankind; who ordered, through the ministers of your holy Church, that candles made from the industry of bees should be lighted during the solemn mystery in which the most sacred Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, your Son, is consumed; send your holy blessing upon these Bees and these Beehives, causing them to multiply and to produce and to be kept from harm, so that their yield of wax can be turned to your honor: For You are a merciful God, Who loves mankind, and we give glory to Thee, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen."

-Prayer for the Blessing of Bees

Polygamy 101

There was a very interesting story on polygamy that NBC aired the other day on "The Today Show." What did I learn from this story? I didn't know that there are more than 40,000 Mormon Fundamentalists practicing polygamy in rural parts of Utah. And many of these closed communities think that they're "above the law" defying both civil authority and the established Mormon church. Sounds like a Taliban-like theocracy whose followers only answer to God Himself.
A great investigative book on this is by:

Jon Krakauer: "Under The Banner Of Heaven. A Story of Violent Faith"

Back To School

The kiddies are back in school. This marks the first day for Wilkes-Barre area schools to return to the classroom. All is quiet at the Kessler compound.

Happy Feast Day Beheading!

Today the Orthodox Church commemorates the beheading of St. John the Baptist. The verses, sung the night before during Great Vespers, reveal that a dancer (Herodias'daughter) performing at one of Herodias' wild parties wanted the head of St. John cut off and served on a charger (platter). Herodias honored her request and had the head of St. John cut off.
It is also customary not to use plates and knives, or serve cabbage, cauliflower, or lettuce on this day.

Cat Under the Car

I've often wondered why cats are lured to hanging out underneath cars. I could see their point if it was the dead of Winter and they had no other shelter to retreat to. The heat from the exhaust pipe would provide an excellent source of warmth and the tires could act as a wind barrier. But why would a cat hang out here in the Summer months? The answer: SHADE! Aha, yes, the automobile provides an excellent amount of shade from the sun. Why wouldn't our feline friend not take advantage of it? By the way, the kitty under Mom and Dad's car is named Ginger.

A Flowing Stream In Church

Divine Liturgy (Mass in the R.C tradition) should flow like a stream. There should not be any pauses, abrupt stops, or restarts on a hymn while Liturgy is taking place. Dialogue between the Priest, Deacon, and Choir is essential to make the Liturgy as prayerful as possible. Every Sunday Liturgy I strive to make all of this happen. Needless to say; after each Sunday Liturgy I come home mentally and physically exhausted. Today was no exception.

Entering a new Phase of Life?

Since the beginning of 2006 I've been trying to transition from working full time as Choir Director to real world employment in the outside world. Don't get me wrong...Choir directing is challenging and it is in a real life setting; as you have to know how to deal with many different types of people. Along with your choir members come their attitudes; some positive, some not so positive. Sometimes you run in to the "want-to-be" choir directors as these are my favorite people in the choral world. Can't really get mad at them because you know they're phony; they talk a good game; but that's about it. "Pseudo choral directors" don't know the proper order of liturgical services, don't know the order of prescribed hymns for each service, and usually need a liturgical "cheat sheet" to get through the service. I guess that's why I went five years to Seminary.
It has been a wonderful 18 years behind the podium but now it's time to move ahead; for change, I believe, is a good thing.