REPOST: In Defense of Christmas

ORIGINAL POST DATE: 12/23/16

The War on Christmas.

Those of us in the faith know what I am referring to when it comes to the Assault on Christmas. For a long time, we have seen Christmas go from a time honored tradition here in America, to the largest commercial machine powered by greed, want, and a false sense of necessity.

Then the entire institution come under attack outside of the corporate world by the atheists and liberals that oppose Christianity. News in recent years includes the city-wide banning of Christmas (Santa Monica), the cancellation/alteration of a school event that was going to show A Charlie Brown Christmas (here and here), and most particularly the removal of the word Christmas altogether in favor of something more “accepting and less offensive”: holiday.

Nowadays, it’s offensive to wish someone a merry Christmas, a holiday meant to be a symbol of joy, hope, good cheer, and giving, but it is in no way offensive to wish someone a Happy Halloween – a holiday rooted in the demonic, satanic, violent and fear.

You can’t make this stuff up.

Rather than yell at the same Christmas Scrooge every year, in this article I call out those that should know better. I’m talking about the growing movement within the Protestant Church to also ban Christmas.

Yes, Christians refusing to acknowledge and, much less, celebrate Christmas.

Why?

Veteran's Day November 11, 2018

Flashback Tribute

This is my original post from November 11, 2006. Its my favorite tribute I have done for the Veterans. Thank you for your continued sacrifices for our freedoms. We would not be free if it were not for men and woman like you.

God bless.

OPINION: My Remarks On The Recent School Shooting

Here are my thoughts on the tragic, recent school shooting.

Hit the jump to see podcast.

OPINION: News of 2017 in Review

My final podcast of the year is a reflection of the year that was 2017!

My Health & Fitness Tips - Tip #4

DISCLAIMER: I'm imparting information that I learned in my own health journey. Consult with a nutritionist, dietitian, and licensed physical trainer for proper information tailored to your needs.

TIP 4: HABIT AND ROUTINE

Alright. Let’s bring it all in.

How do you turn all the previous tips into habit and routine?

One strong reason for staying in the habit is your results. When you see your transformation, you’ll be in awe of what you used to let pass as appropriate eating.

The whole purpose in training and reconditioning yourself into healthy eating is to make the routine second nature. You won’t call it “dieting” anymore. You’ll just “be”. It’s your lifestyle. Your healthy transformation will benefit you, and it will impact those around you, without a doubt!

My Story

My Health & Fitness Tips - Tip #3

DISCLAIMER: I'm imparting information that I learned in my own health journey. Consult with a nutritionist, dietitian, and licensed physical trainer for proper information tailored to your needs.

TIP 3: EXERCISE

Spoiler Alert!

Eating clean and healthy for weight loss does not translate to a tone and fit body. Nope. Muscles don’t grow magically while you’re depleting your body of calories. To iron out any excess skin due to weight loss, grow muscles, build endurance and stamina, you have to exercise. Eating right and working out go hand in hand. That’s why its called “health and fitness”.

Exercise is the part I always expected to be hardest stage for me. I was coming from a non-active lifestyle to adopting the necessary active regimen. Turns out it wasn’t difficult incorporating activity into my life. Before that, there were always excuses for not working out.

“Too busy.”

“No time.”

“Can’t afford a gym membership.”

“Physical limitations.”

My Health & Fitness Tips - Tip #2

DISCLAIMER: I'm imparting information that I learned in my own health journey. Consult with a nutritionist, dietitian, and licensed physical trainer for proper information tailored to your needs.

TIP 2: NUTRITION

First World Conundrum: “What do you want to eat?”

Many people have wasted many a lunch hour with indecision over what to eat. If you relate to that, get ready to take that problem to the nth degree if you intend to fly solo on your meal plan!

Nutrition is the absolute most important aspect in life. How you eat, what you eat affects your body, your health, your energy, your longevity, etc. Any number of ailments can be traced to malnutrition. In the United States we have an obesity epidemic even among children. With it come the leading causes of death: heart disease, colon cancer, diabetes, etc. It’s not a mystery as to why these illnesses are so widespread. And they all have one thing in common: they are preventable.

So, where to begin?

My Health & Fitness Tips - Intro & Tip #1

DISCLAIMER: I'm imparting information that I learned in my own health journey. Consult with a nutritionist, dietitian, and licensed physical trainer for proper information tailored to your needs.

Nine months ago, I weighed 248 pounds – the heaviest I ever been. Today, I weigh on average 170 pounds – the lightest I ever been since my early years of high school!

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had to share my tips nearly every day. And that’s great! I don’t always have the luxury of time to share all my tips, so I decided to make a “Quick Tips” list to post here and share with all those that are interested in their own journey to a healthy lifestyle! I’ve summarized what I feel are the four aspects to focus on in order to achieve a healthy lifestyle.

Those four areas are:

1. Mindset
2. Nutrition
3. Exercise
4. Habit and Routine (Counts as one. Different sides of the same coin.)

Before laying out my tips, I want to make clear that everyone is different. Results vary. There is no “one size fits all” program out there. That’s why there are so many programs. The tips I layout here are not in relation to diet “fads” or “programs”. Balanced nutrition is crucial; however, the nutrition is also dependent on your health goals and limitations. More on that in the tips section. My tips, in my honest opinion, are applicable to everyone seeking to better their health. These tips are meant to be a guide to help point you in the right direction to get your journey to a healthier you going!

What really inspired me to do this list is the fact that I too felt “lost” when I started. I knew I wanted to lose weight, but “how much” weight to lose wasn’t clear to me. I also didn’t know how to ask the right questions that addressed my mindset. I kept getting pointed to the “Body Mass Index” or “BMI”. Knowing my body type, I knew the BMI was not what I was after. I will elaborate on this later to give you a clearer understanding of what you should be aiming for with your diet and fitness milestones.

Anyway, I just wanted to convey those thoughts as an introduction. Without further ado, here are my tips!

WAR ON CHRISTMAS: Bell Ringer Beaten After Wishing Man ‘Merry Christmas’ - CBS NEWS

Can't even simply say Merry Christmas without being attacked? 

Stop the War on Christmas!

READ STORY HERE OR VIEW VIDEO ABOVE

I remember September 11, 2001

*Reuters Photo*

We must never forget. My thoughts and prayers continue to be with those whose lives were forever changed.

Throwback Thursday: Podcast from 1/10/07 - Part 3

Here's Part 3 of my podcast from January 10, 2007. Issues discussed: wrap up of the immigration issues of the day.

Hit the jump to listen in!

Throwback Thursday: Podcast from 1/10/07 - Part 2

Here's Part 2 of my podcast from January 10, 2007. Issues discussed: Immigration issues of the day.

Hit the jump to listen in!

Throwback Thursday: Podcast from 1/10/07 - Part 1

Here's my podcast from January 10, 2007. Issues discussed: Universal healthcare in California including the immigration headlines from the day.

Hit the jump to listen in!

Throwback Thursday: Podcast from 12/17/06 Part 3

In this edition of Throwback Thursday, Part 3 of the December 17, 2006 podcast show! In this segment I cover a major immigration story of the time.

Hit the jump to listen!

Throwback Thursday: Podcast from 12/17/06 Part 2

Here's Part 2 of the December 17, 2006 podcast for Throwback Thursday! In this segment, I foreshadowed Barack Obama's rise early during the 2008 presidential campaign - nearly two years before the election!

Hit the jump to listen in!

Throwback Thursday: Podcast from 12/17/06 Part 1

Here's Part 1 of a podcast series that debut back on December 17, 2006! Various issues were discussed, the first of which was about the Middle East conflict at the time.

Hit the jump to listen!

Introducing Throwback Thursday!

Before there was The NewsReel, there was The Andres Segovia Show. Before I started blogging, I podcasted. In this edition of Throwback Thursday, we go back to the very beginning of my recording days with my very first podcast!

OPINION: General Election 2016 a Referendum Against The Democrats & The Republican Establishment

I been uncharacteristically silent about this election. That was on purpose. This election has been hotly contested since the early days with so much information changing on a daily basis.

The one constant throughout the election process was Donald Trump – the most polarizing figure to run for office in my lifetime.

The General Election 2016 will go down in history as a referendum against the Ruling Class of the Country. The rich puppet masters that run the government and the Democrats in power could not stop what effectively turned out to be the resurgence of the neglected Americans, the victims of failed domestic policies that have left them without work, alienated, and forgotten.

OPINION: In Defense of Trump

Before you judge, have a listen! About time I produced a political news podcast too!

Hit the jump for my podcast.
-ED

OPINION: Stand Up For and Demand Good Christian Content

Here's an except from my review on A.D. The Series:

The Bible has been source material for Hollywood for over a century. Some of Hollywood’s most memorable works do stem from the Golden Age. Those great Bible epics like The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur, and The Greatest Story Ever Told are universally loved and praised, but each have their share of inaccuracies. There are a ton of other Bible story adaptations since the Golden Age of Hollywood. Some Bible stories came in the form of made-for-TV movies, cable movies, and miniseries formats. Most cases are a rehash of the same stories but told with better acting and production values.

One of my favorite Bible adaptations is The Visual Bible: Acts from 1994. It literally only used the New International Version as its dialogue. So if critics of A.D. The Series want something truly pure and to the letter, I recommend that series.

Some of the critics of A.D. The Series made it seem like this was Darren Aronofsky’s Noah, or worse yet, that abomination of a production staring Jon Voight, the made-for-TV movie Noah’s Ark. Not even non-Christians could defend that latter production. Other critics try to argue that A.D. The Series focused more on violence and fictitious settings like Ridley Scott’s Exodus: Gods And Kings.

A.D. is among the best and most beautiful adaptations of The Bible to date. The series was not meant for children. It was targeting the older audience. The cruelty and brutality of the time were barely even portrayed as much was implied in the series. The show was on broadcast television after all. The Bible Series was considerably more violent than this, and the time of the Bible was a very violent time. The criticism against the violence is akin to those that judged The Passion of The Christ for being too graphic. Some secular publications labeled that movie as the “most violent movie ever” completely ignoring all the horror movies since the slasher flick era, and overlooking all the gory torture porn of the new millennium.