Brody's Scribbles... I LOVE Pam's House Blend Crew & Lurleen's Latest Column Is Especially Brilliant

By Brody Levesque (Bethesda, Maryland) Nov 28 | I am sitting in a coffee shop here in Bethesda with a good friend and colleague discussing the most recent posts over on Pam's House Blend by Lurleen. One of the issues that drives me nuts is the blatant hypocrisy of the American Christian movement. I love the fact that the House Blend Crew, especially Lurleen, has no problem taking them to task for it. It's bad enough that in the past 29 years, more so than prior time periods,  they have intensely tried to impose their beliefs as public policy on their fellow citizens, oh and they also have this nasty habit of attacking and defiling anyone who disagrees with them in a quite public fashion often branding those unfortunate to cross them as sinners or bound for hell etc.

I wasn't aware that Christmas retailers were being rated until I read this piece, well better yet, here is Lurleen's take on yet another ludicrous attempt to Christianize the holiday past the point of acceptability. 

Even Talibangicals can't agree which retailers are "Christmas-friendly"

By Lurleen (Pams's House Blend) Nov 28 | An email from Focus on the Family's Tom Minnery has introduced me to StandForChristmas.com.  This new Focus on the Faggot website invites enablers of Christmas profiteering
Real Christians^TM to rate retailers based on their level of "Christmas-friendliness."  In Tom's words

Christmas is not only a memorable family time, it is the season in which we celebrate God's greatest gift to man. Christ is the centerpiece of our holiday season. Help us encourage the many retailers who are doing it well and urge those who censor the word "Christmas" to change their approach!

If Jesus really is "the reason for the season", you'd think that rather than encourage crass commercialization of His birthday by helping define a list of "friendly" retailers, FOTF would be counseling its members to forget about buying stuff and simply celebrate the birth of the Lord. But I must confess it's more fun that their minds are on the merchandise; this allows them to prove that although they raise a ruckus about stores that don't stroke their fragile religious identities, not even Talibangicals can agree on which retailers are "Christmas-friendly".

Here are a few comments on Dillards, a department store.  I particularly enjoyed the comment from Nov 25 2009 8:41 AM.  If the real meaning of Christmas doesn't involve retail (= making money), then why does the commenter demand a Christmas message from the retailer?  The self-deception is astounding.

So, there you have it. I love the lucid and sarcastic manner that Pam & her crew present the reality of life as it happens. As we sit here watching the crowds of holiday shoppers walk by, my friend and I are getting ready to whip out our reporters notebooks and follow Lurleen's lead by asking a few passersby who they think is Xmas friendly. This ought to be interesting...