Figgy's not-so-jolly Christmas post

Dear reader,


I don't understand why all those atheists out there who are so dead-set against Christianity and religion find it permissable to perpetuate the lie that is Santa Claus. I know I've made a similar statement before, but it just boggles my mind. I mean, their whole argument against religion is that it's a backward and illogical fantasy, a fairy tale that was concocted by some poor ignorant people as an explanation for things they didn't fully understand. And yet they don't mind letting the stupid "Santa Claus lives in the North Pole and delivers presents to every well-behaved child" myth to continue.

And when they meet people who actually believe in God, they either get riled up or annoyingly condescending. They teach their children that there is no such thing as God, but find it too heartless to say that Santa doesn't exist. It's just another substitute for religion. You've got this mysterious immortal, bearded being who lives in a distant, seemingly unattainable location, and who possesses supernatural abilities to reward all the good, obedient children around the world, and gives the bad children exactly what they deserve. Sound familiar?

I wonder if they know how inconsistent they're being. They substitute God with science, and religion with evolution. They cling to their Big Bang theory, pushing aside all other contradictory arguments in favour of their own, in the exact same way they accuse Christians of doing.

Perhaps I am being harsh, perhaps I am over-generalizing. Surely not everyone who doesn't believe in God are as narrow-minded as I make them out to be. I'm just frustrated with being called a liar or a fool for believing in a perfectly legitimate explanation for the creation of the Universe. I make it a point to never argue with anyone about religion. You can't--and shouldn't, in fact--try to change a person's convictions to suit your own. I mean, they've made up their minds. Nothing you say to them can change that. People are funny. They sneer and ridicule others for having a different lifestyle than theirs, or for not doing things the way they're supposed to. Everyone has a right to their own opinion, even if you don't agree with it.

Well. Enough of that, dear reader. That's the end of my rampage of a post. Happy holidays.




Yours,

Figgy the Believer

Getting into the holiday spirit

Dear reader,


I'm back! It's funny, isn't it...I said I probably wasn't going to post up anything new til March or something, but instead I've been remarkably prolific in that department. 'Tis just further proof of my contrary nature. Anyway. Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Talk about your idiotic, over-commercialized holidays. I mean, Christmas is bad enough--seriously, you expect any person with an ounce of common sense to believe that a fat, red-clothed, white-bearded man whooshes around the globe in a sleigh pulled by magical flying reindeer and delivers presents to every single child in the space of one night. How exactly did kindly St Nicholas of Myra evolve into this way-too-jolly, rosy-cheeked, glorified cat burglar? Yes, glorified cat burglar. I mean, come on, he breaks into your house in the dead of night, and steals your cookies. The truth is, Christmas isn't about giving or receiving presents at all. Or Christmas trees. Or candy canes. Or elves. Or even snow. You know, it's summer in Australia during Christmas. Most people seem to forget that Christmas is Jesus Christ's birthday, and the only reason we celebrate it is to remember the day he was born, and to contemplate what the world would have been like if he hadn't. That's why it really ticks me off when people say Xmas instead of Christmas.

So, to get back to Valentine's. Oh, such a sweet holiday. Those naked, flying babies who look way too young to be handling a bow and arrow without adult supervision aren't scary or disturbing in the least. Have you ever noticed how well-meaning but painfully condescending adults warn little kids not to run with scissors, but then turn around and buy a card that's emblazoned with a design of swaddled infants with angel wings brandishing lethal weapons? It's just so silly. And what exactly is the relation between these infant cupids and St Valentine the martyr anyway? And do we really need a public holiday to remember to love someone? That's really sad. We should treat every day like it's Valentine's Day. Sans the arrow-yielding, barely-clothed babies, of course.

You know, some people refer to Valentine's as 'Singles Awareness Day', otherwise known as S.A.D. Don't get me wrong, dear reader. I'm not one of those bitter singles who pretend they're perfectly happy going solo, but are actually desperately lonely and just too proud to admit it. I'm one of those infuriating, genuinely-happy-to-be-single people, who are so independent and satisfied in their single-hood that it starts becoming obnoxious after a while. I don't think anyone should get into a relationship just to feel like they've achieved something in life. That's just not fair, to you or the unfortunate person who's just being used to boost your shattered self-esteem. I'm not denying that receiving a box of chocolates or an 'I Love You' card would be nice, romantic even, but the principle behind it is still silly to me. Why show your love only on specific days? Why not give your girlfriend, boyfriend, sister, cousin, grandmother, whatever, a present just for the heck of it? Hmmm, I wonder if they make 'Happy Wednesday' cards. If they don't, they should. And if they won't, I will.

Okay, I'm done bashing commercialized, consumer-oriented holidays now. Wow, I never realized what a hippie I am...stick it to the man! Power to the people! Next week's post topic is 'Easter: Bunnies and Eggs. What's Up With That?'

No, seriously...what's up with that?

And on that note, I leave you, dear reader. Til next time, I remain...

Yours,

Scrooge McFig

I'm a troll...an MPH and DA troll

Dear reader,






During one of my way-too-numerous-to-be-healthy MPH trolling sessions, I came across this little book, 'Written on the Sky: Poems by the Japanese translated by Kenneth Rexroth' It's simply beautiful; a pocket-sized affair, with a single poem on each page. Even though it was so small, the contents didn't look crowded or cramped or anything; in fact, there was this elegant, minimalistic feel to it...lots of white space on each page. Of course, such a nice-looking book will inevitably come with an equally nice-looking price tag. I don't really remember the exact amount--I unconsciously block out things that are too traumatic for me--but it was something between RM 80 and RM 100. Yup. And as I was leafing through the pages, I couldn't help wondering who this Kenneth Rexroth was. On the flipside of the cover page was the small notation: other books by Kenneth Rexroth: 'Songs of Love, Moon & Wind: Poems from the Chinese'. I googled him, and it turns out he translated a French book or something into English as well. How many languages does this guy know anyway?

Anyway, there was this one haiku that I really liked...so I wrote it down. No, it's not cheating. It's not like I wrote down all the poems or anything. It's not copyright infringement either, smarty-pants reader. Not if you credit the author and stuff...I think. So here it is, I don't know what it's called...or if it even had a name to begin with

How long will it last?

I do not know

his heart.

This morning my thoughts are as tangled

    with anxiety

as my black hair.

- Lady Horikawa

             堀 

             川

             女

             后

Ahh~ So beautiful, don't you agree, dear reader? I just love those lines: This morning my thoughts are as tangled with anxiety as my black hair. Anyway. I got the kanji from--where else?--the almighty Google. And if you want to see an actual preview of the book, go here. 

Wow, I just realized...I've been so active lately. Blog-wise anyway. On the other hand, my DA account is suffering from gross negligence. The last time I submitted anything was in September. I'm planning on doing a Christmas piece, though. I've been searching through the archives of previous DA entries, you know, scrounging for inspiration. But all the Christmas pieces I could find were so...chaotic and crowded. A little bit too festive, if you get my drift. Either that, or they were fan art. The bad thing about making fan art is it's only appealing to the fans, not to the general public. There was one that I really liked, though. Really simple, without the usual Christmas gimmicks. It's called 'Christmas', drawn by pu. [love her name, haha] To go to her DA page, just click on the picture.

Maybe I'll do something like that. Simple, not too detailed or intricate, yet unmistakably Christmas-ey. I'll make it a challenge: draw something Christmas-ey without using too many elements commonly associated with Christmas. I won't draw a Christmas tree...I won't draw Santa...I won't use too much red or green...and absolutely no candy canes! We'll see how it turns out, dear reader.




So, this is it for now, dear reader. I'll see ya when I see ya. Til then, I remain...









Yours,





Figgy the Troll