J. Davy Crockett III

Tis the season ... a time for beautiful music, lovely pageantry, parties, fun and family time, the annual bedlam in shopping malls, specialty stores, discount houses and now the Internet.

Much of the world is caught up in what is called the "spirit of the season" evidenced by a gift buying frenzy, which often puts the purchasers deep into debt and which fills the coffers of the merchants.

Recently, I watched a documentary entitled Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West, which showed actual footage of Muslim extremists and their religious leaders using classic propaganda techniques to inflame their followers to hate Westerners, particularly Israelis, Americans and the British.

"Are you all ready for Christmas?" my dental hygienist cheerfully inquired as I headed for her chair, dreading the next half hour, as I dutifully went for my semi-annual dental cleaning.

An observer of the modern scene recently opined that people today don't have many friends; some have none. In the hectic pace of modern life, it seems that many do not take the time or have the opportunity to develop lasting friendships.

While visiting a dear friend in the hospital, I was waiting in the hallway until the nurses completed a procedure that required privacy.