Required Reading: The Dutch Culture Warrior

“I believe this is the biggest disease today facing Europe. . . . We should wake up and tell ourselves: You’re not a xenophobe, you’re not a racist, you’re not a crazy guy if you say, ‘My culture is better than yours.’ A culture based on Christianity, Judaism, humanism is better. Look at how we treat women, look at how we treat apostates, look at how we go with the separation of church and state. I can give you 500 examples why our culture is better.”

Happy Thanksgiving

President Bush' surprise visit to US troops in Iraq on Thanksgiving 2003

I am thankful for still having the right to eat a fattening holiday meal that big government liberals are probably willing to criminalize.

I am thankful for living in one of America’s Safest Cities, and for the the outstanding police officers and responsible residents who have helped earn that title.

I am thankful that my parents are my pro-life.

I am thankful for a President that has put the safety and security of America before his own popularity ratings.

I am thankful for our brave US troops that have left behind their families so that we may be with ours this Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Keepin’ It Real: The Not-So-New Girl and Republicans at Cal

Rancho Santa Margarita- home to many of the OC Housewives

My often-interrupted “Scenes From OC” series was, and still is, an attempt to present the life and culture of this great county from the perspectives of its YouTube proficent residents. Bravo TV, however, continues to offer a more polished view of life behind the Orange Curtain with the airing of the Real Houswives of Orange County, which kicked off its fourth season last night.

Sweeping shots of manicured suburbia and aerial views of the devastatingly swanky Coto de Caza community admittedly beat the grainy footage of some alleged hot spot that I uploaded on to a blog post.

But season four’s subdued opener made the housewives’ return to television much less exciting. We learned that the women enjoy throwing their money on expensive toys, but it isn’t like we didn’t already know this from the past 3 seasons. The simple addition of the new housewife, Gretchen Rossi, couldn’t fully resuscitate the episode from staleness. Her background is almost too archetypal of South Orange County that she could easily be replaced by one of her neighbors without the viewers ever knowing. Just ask Quinn Fry, the religious cougar of Season 3. Her bland presence added nothing to the show but a few good restaurant recommendations and a ticket out of the series. Gretchen should take note that there are tons of ravishing blondes engaged to rich older gentleman around town, but throw in a trash talking, passive aggressive one and you’ve got yourself a much fresher season 4. It worked for the Real Housewives of Atlanta.

Gretchen’s first time meeting the other housewives was enough to make a few minutes of good television, but she doesn’t seem too interested in maintaining the drama. Luckily, the rest of her cast mates will do it for her. Gretchen showed up to Jeana’s trunk show like the new kid that arrived late enough to her homeroom class to elicit the judgmental stares of the other snippy teenager girls sitting at their desks.

From what I can gather from teasers for the upcoming episodes, we can expect some fierce competition between Gretchen and Tamara for the coveted prize of “Hottest Housewife.” The kids are also back to add their own issues. Lauri’s troubled son Josh will be providing much of the drama, though readers of Frank Mickadeit’s OC Register columns are already well versed in the hardships afflicting the House of Waring.

Kara, Jeana’s daughter, reflected on her first year at UC Berkeley, but hopefully we get to hear more about her experiences in Hippietown, USA. She certainly has a good grasp of Berkeley’s recurring thesis: “The economy is bad and its all Bush’s fault.” Kara’s big secret is that she is a Republican at a school where such an affiliation makes you worse than Hitler. I reccomend that she drop the secret, come out of the shadows, and join her fellow Republicans in the Berkeley College Republican club, which many of us affectionately referred to as “BCR.” I can tell you from experience that it isn’t so bad being a known Republican at Berkeley. You eventually get used to being called a McCarthyite. Someone get Kara a memebership form!

Overall, I think the Real Housewives present an accurate picture of life in Orange County. Many OC residents will criticize what is potrayed on television as fake or unrepresentative, but they know the only thing that is fake are the implants.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Starbucks is serving up Eggnog Lattes. KOST 103.5 is playing Gene Autry’s “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.” Charlie Brown is making appearances in prime time…It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Yes, I know, we’ve got to get through Thanksgiving first, but the people who still have their lights up from last Christmas can’t wait any longer. They would appreciate it if everyone else got their lights up too because they’re tired of being judged.

This is truly the most wonderful time of the year, as it is the only time that warm fuzzy feeling is universally felt. And let’s not forget how incredibly awesome the food is. It is during this time of the year that I actually watch full episodes of shows on Food Network. I could probably even watch re-runs of Paula Deen garnishing her Pork Crown Roast without losing interest. Frankly, melted butter rubbed into a chunk of meat isn’t as capitvatiing during the summer months.

It is quite appropriate that our elections end right before the holidays. Though one can never avoid a heated political debate with a family member at the Thanksgiving dinner table, the wondefully dirty campaign is long over by the time you make it to Grandma’s house. Whether you are extremely dissapointed or extremely giddy by the sound of President-elect Obama, the holiday season reduces your political senses to an aftertaste. Republican or Democrat, you’re simply over it. If you aren’t over it, you will be once that Thanksgiving and Christmas spirit starts to kick in.

That doesn’t mean you should let your guard down just because you need to be in front of Macy’s at 4 am. It simply means that you can take comfort in the things that transcend polls, the media, and K street bargaining. The Holiday Season is a reminder that faith and family, the things that no politician can take from you, should form the center of our lives. They are the things upon which we can always depend. No matter the election, what always follows is a celebration of peace and goodwill.

The next two months will be wonderful, even if the last three weeks weren’t. Soon it will be Christmas Day, and the the world will remember what hope really means. Unless of course the liberal secualrlists successfully censor Charlie Brown’s best friend, Linus.

American Above All

Barack Obama will be my president. Though I regret America did not choose one of its finest heroes as its next commander-in-chief, I will honor the decision made by my fellow citizens. I do so because I love America. The party of my president will never shake the pride for my country. I have never threatened to relocate or expatriate myself if the election didn’t go my way, though some of my left-leaning friends still played with the idea up until the election returns became clear. “Country First,” is a theme that shouldn’t be confined to one election or one political party.

The Reagan Revolution has taken a break, but only briefly. It could use the breather, and the election knocked enough wind out of it so it could learn to breathe clearly again. Before it can jump back into the fight, the conservative movement must react to the election results in a way that remains true to its name—it must react conservatively. In true conservative fashion, we won’t blame others for this defeat. We will take personal responsibilty for not campaigning hard enough, not making enough phone calls, not calling Obama on benefiting from an economic crisis that his party created. We must also display clear-headeness and confidence in our values, rather than the irrational and insecure hatred that the left displayed when it was on the losing end.

I will start by giving Obama more of a chance than the left gave Bush.

I won’t endlessly accuse Obama of stealing the election, nor will I contemplate every possible conspiracy theory that may explain his victory.

I won’t draw him on protest signs wearing a Hitler moustache.

I won’t create or support films that fantasize his unfortunate end, nor will I wear any apparel that urges his passing.

I won’t irreverantly refer to our president simply as “Mr. Obama.”

I won’t cheer leaders of other countries that insult him.

None of this means I won’t be critical of President-elect Obama. And there certainly will be plenty to be critical of, as America has chosen Jimmy Carter’s second term over what they considered as Bush’s third. For now, the election has raised some other questions.

Will liberals finally cease their charge that America is a racist country?

Will they drop their campaign to dump the electoral college system, now that it has produced the results that they want?

Are liberals still serious about ridding elections of the “corrupting influence of money,” after their candiate spent over $600 million on his campaign?

If Obama is the post-racial candidate, is it proper to emphasize his ethnicity when speaking of the historic nature of his election?

Are we now allowed to mention President-elect Obama’s middle name?

Will liberals finally be proud of America and stop apologizing for its exceptionalism?

It is going to be a tough four years, but I have confidence in the restoration of the conservative movement.

Country First

“The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”

Before All Other Rights

Leave it to the Catholic Church to produce an ad that is as majestic and moving as its grandest cathedrals. While the ad is meant to be non-partisan, one certainly will not be led to vote for a pro-abortion candidate after watching it. It definitely isn’t presented under the assumption that a certain pay grade is necessary to protect life.

Though the election is only a day away, it is still enough time for America to ask Obama why his promise of Hope is offered to everyone but those who are in most need of it.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” -The Declaration of Independence