The Aftermath

Here's some quick updates dealing with the same stuff I talked about last week...

Black Friday's Flaming Shroud @ The American Scene

Here's the money quote:

The logic of democratizing luxury features not just the practical hurdle of
near-bankruptcy in the middle classes but the emotional hurdle of near-satiety.

Entertaining Ourselves to Death @ Crunchy Con

Money quote:

We can't acquire a sense of community with our faces intent on the pocket-sized
screen in the palm of our hands. We can't admire the unexpected beauty of a
robin's song when the pellet-shaped buds in our ears deafen us to his presence.
We can't experience even a moment of peace, when the voice on the other end of
the line constantly demands our attention, our focus, our energy.

And finally, here's what you missed on TV last night:

Sermon of Reverend Van Pelt @ Charlie Brown Christmas.

I'll let you figure out the highlights for yourselves.

And after you do, read the comment by Doug on the Charlie Brown blog entry.


I would wish you all a Merry Christmas, but it isn't even December yet, so I'll defer to the usually irascible Lucy Van Pelt: "It's too early..."

And if you didn't get that quote, you should have watched Charlie Brown Christmas last night.