Monthly Archives: December 2023

Tradition

Interestingly, the things we’re so used to all come from somewhere, practices that we engage in every year and forget even to ask: why? Christmas lights, for example, come from Christmas candles, candles placed in Christmas trees, a practice dating back centuries in Germany. Lutheran Christians engaged in this practice and brought it with them when they emigrated, and now it’s part of a western-civilization-wide practice. The use of candles was common until it led to fires caused by candles in trees. So they moved to a safer alternative: lights. There is also a possible connection to the burning of a Yule Log in Medieval Germany. Christmas Lights, having a religious origin, signified either the light of Christ or the burning of a Yule Log to honor a pagan deity. Although today, Christmas is much more secular in general.

I am a passenger…

While I know Iggy Pop’s hit is inspired by drug use, I think there’s something else there too: a general comment on the nature of being in the world.

In some sense, we are all just passengers here, passengers on the ride of life and the various events that happen to us in the world, some of which we can control more than others.

And so often, all we can do is sit back and enjoy the ride.

Fargo, Season 3, A Brief Review

A phenomenal dark comedy that captures the Midwestern noir spirit of the original Fargo film while thoughtfully interweaving biblical themes and tropes. A season replete with suspense, great performances and macabre scenes, this show is a great addition to the anthology.