Supposedly, this is the season for gift giving. It’s the season when people expect to receive gifts. It’s the season when the government expects you to boost the national economy through retail sales.

Most children have probably finished their Christmas lists to Santa Claus. Some elected officials, however, are still compiling theirs.

A woman, over the course of her life, will learn whom she can shop with and whom she can’t.

There are friends who will tell you that everything looks good on you, when it doesn’t. There are other friends who will tell that nothing looks good on you, when it does. There are friends who will want to shop in places too pricey for your pocketbook. There are other friends who will want to shop in places too cheap for your pocketbook. Choosing shopping buddies is one of the more important tasks in a woman’s life.

By Jason Pye

On Monday, Jan. 15, the 150th session of the Georgia General Assembly will be gaveled into session in Atlanta. From that time to Sine Die, as Mark Twain once said, “No man’s life, liberty or property are safe.”

By HAROLD BROWN

What is so attractive about concepts that defy definition? The concept du jour is “sustainable,” a fashionable adjective for many objectives, an umbrella for many agendas.

For most Americans, the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is marked by a marathon of Christmas preparations and celebrations. There is a tree to put up and decorate (including the traditional untangling of the tree lights), presents to buy, wrapping and mailing to get done. There are Christmas mission projects such as Operation Christmas Child, collections for a children’s home or Angel Tree. And that’s not to mention the marathon of Christmas parties, luncheons, get-togethers and gift exchanges. With our church activities plus my husband being in retail, I confess that I sometimes want to shout, “Wait! We might miss the joy that comes with expectant waiting if we keep charging ahead like this!”

If you only read the first sentence of a news story, you can walk away with the wrong impression.

Take our recent story about a jewelry store owner who allegedly pulled a gun on two phone contractors who came into his Peachtree City business. The story began thusly:

Christmas is extra special at our house this year.

Not because it is “Baby’s First Christmas,” because our baby could give a toot. It will be nice to have Christmas where Nora is not in utero (especially for my wife, Sabine, who can actually add some fun to her egg nog this year) and Sabine’s folks are coming down to mark the occasion, but, honestly, Nora can’t tell the difference between Christmas and Talk Like a Pirate Day, so why get all excited about Baby’s First Christmas? It was Baby’s First Thanksgiving, too. How did she celebrate? Strained bananas. Not exactly what the pilgrims battled the deadly ocean and harsh winters for, lo those many years ago. We have a present or two ready to go under the tree for her, but when we were looking for ways to tighten the belts and trim the excess of the holidays, the budget for presents for Nora was the first item on the list to go.

“Peace on Earth and good will toward men” gave way to radical consumerism, a mob mentality, and a young man trampled to death the Friday after Thanksgiving at a Wal-Mart in New York.

The market liked the prospect of an auto bailout. On Monday, General Motors stock soared 21 percent; Ford’s jumped 24.3 percent.

The High Museum of Art currently has two unique displays until April 2009: the Louvre and China’s Terracotta Army. Last weekend I got dragged to both by The Wife.

Most people on the left are not opposed to freedom. They are just in favor of all sorts of things that are incompatible with freedom.

Putting 20,000 troops on American soil for purposes of domestic (emergency) response would have been extraordinary to the point of unbelievable prior to 9/11. Those were the words of homeland defense assistant defense secretary Paul McHale in November.

“Dear Steve, some of my little friends say there is no such thing as responsive, accountable government.

“Papa says, ‘If you see it in The Citizen it’s so.’

After a year dominated by difficult and hard-fought elections, January will see a new President, Congress and Georgia General Assembly sworn into office.

Now that Mama’s gone, it seems pertinent that someone step up and take her place. Or try to, anyway. Regarding the kind of life that Mama had, I think I’d like to step up and volunteer to turn into Mama. Now, that woman had it made.

During the Great Depression and World War II, truly challenging times, there were songs that boosted the spirits of our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents.

This holiday season the American Humanist Association — an atheistic organization — is running an ad campaign in Washington, D.C., to counter the Christian and theistic message of Christmas. Metro buses bear signs that read: “Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness’ sake.”

If you’ve spent much time with little boys, you probably know they are not quiet, dignified people. Self-discipline is still under development – I mean the boys’. I’m assuming we have already developed ours.

Many of you may still be trying to make sense out of Christmas and have found only frustration with the lie that “more stuff equals a happy Christmas”...

“Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright ‘round yon virgin mother and child. Holy infant so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.”

Ask any of my fellow colleagues, past or present, and they will tell you that it just isn’t Christmas until Mike starts blasting “The Christmas Shoes,” several times a day, regardless of how many people cry, beg and plead for him to stop.

On the day after the presidential election, someone asked me how I felt about the results. I replied, “I am conflicted.”

For two or three years running, it seems, all we’ve heard from the political left in the United States, concerning the war on terror, is: Aren’t we awful?

Living at 110 Flamingo Street with three brothers and sister was truly a magical time. The five of us were one of the largest families in the neighborhood, and we felt like we could go just about anywhere and do most anything. There was safety in numbers.

How about a few civics questions? Name the three branches of government.

If you answered the executive, legislative and judicial, you are more informed than 50 percent of Americans.

When we moved South in 1971 and started the search for the essentials: doctor, church, library, and dentist, we did not imagine that we’d have to go so far afield to find these professions represented.

Time marches on, and Fayette County continues to add to its population of people who reach age 65 and thus become enrolled in Medicare. These words of advice are for them, as they are now in the period of the year, Nov. 15 to Dec. 31, where they have to choose between all their Medicare options.

If you wanted to turn the United States of America into a socialist country, what strategy would you adopt?

Joseph Stalin, the world’s top communist from 1924 to 1953, is reputed to have advocated the following strategy to William Z. Foster, leader of the Communist Party U.S.A.: “Work for more government intervention and control of the business activities of the people. In this way the American people will accept communism without knowing it.”

“You’ve got to be taught to hate and fear

You’ve got to be taught from year to year

It’s got to be drummed in your dear little ear

By Dr. John A. Sparks

Where will the Obama kids attend school in Washington? That question has been answered as it should be: by the new president and first lady.