Digital Ink Los Angeles

Why does Charlie Brown pick the ugliest, scrawniest tree in the lot?

What does he imagine this sad tree will give him?

Well, he’s asking for something simple — the true meaning of Christmas.

According to the original two-buck Chuck, Charles Schultz’s, A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965):

[first lines of story]
Charlie Brown: [Charlie Brown and Linus stop at a wall on their trip to the pond for ice skating] I think there must be something wrong with me, Linus. Christmas is coming, but I’m not happy. I don’t feel the way I’m supposed to feel.
[begins to walk with Linus again]
I just don’t understand Christmas, I guess. I like getting presents and sending Christmas cards and decorating trees and all that, but I’m still not happy. I always end up feeling depressed.

Linus Van Pelt: Charlie Brown, you’re the only person I know who can take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem. Maybe Lucy’s right. Of all the Charlie Browns in the world, you’re the Charlie Browniest.

What is the true meaning of Christmas?

Well, Linus defines the literal Christmas with his recounting of the Three Kings and Baby in a Manger story of Jesus Christ’s birth.

But, more to the figurative meaning of Christmas, Linus offers this idea regarding Charlie Brown’s little tree:

Linus Van Pelt: I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It’s not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love.

Can’t buy that at a Christmas sale.

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Administrator 21st Century Culture, 60s, Social Responsibility, The Good Life Charlie Brown, Christmas, entertainment, friends, GOOD, kindness, love, popular, spirit

The 63rd meeting of college baseball teams at Omaha’s Rosenblatt Stadium for the College World Series is indicative of the beginning of summertime.

The 2009 championship round begins today, Monday, June 22nd, and the match-up is stellar, with the LSU Tigers battling the Texas Longhorns. Both teams feature several future Major League Baseball players, and the level of skill and talent rivals many professional teams, but within an amateur realm. A player to watch would be First-Team All-American and LSU senior pitcher Louis Coleman, who is one of the best pitchers in college baseball.

The long days of summer are here, as the summer solstice has reached its apex, with sunsets happening well into the evening. Nothing like getting some friends together to enjoy some fun in the sun. A little baseball, a little BBQ, a little more baseball, a little more BBQ. Go Dodgers!

Administrator 21st Century Culture, The Good Life athletes, baseball, BBQ, college, culture, friends, fun, Major League Baseball, NCAA, sports, summer, sun

Facebook is an interesting phenomena because it calls into question the dilemma of “Who was I then? Who am I now? Are they the same people?“

What would someone like Dick Cheney present to a potential Facebook buddy from years gone by? “Hey there! Long time no speak. Wanna go quail hunting sometime?”

Or, how about the ever-so-humbling experience of requesting a “friend” on Facebook, only to have them “ignore” your cordial advances. How could they? Don’t they know who I am? The horror and humility…

Or the Facebook gurus who seem to somehow track your every movement through posts and photos — the all-encompassing “Mobile Uploads” feature of Facebook, which allows the user to share every digitally captured moment with their Facebook “friends.”

Then, there’s a notion that Facebook is a manner of self-expression, a way of assessing one’s self-identity and letting the world know who you really are — safely ensconced in your home or apartment, bent over a keyboard, squinting at a computer screen, clicking on things like, “What Wild Animal Are You?“

Oh, the wonders of the Digital Age. We live. We learn. We Facebook. Wanna be my friend?

(cartoon by Dave Walker)

Administrator 21st Century Culture, New America, New Media, The New World, Web 3.0 communication, culture, digital, Facebook, friends, identity, internet, media, New America, social, web