Merry FESTIVUS, or Happy Festivus, err FESTIVUS!!

Dear Readers,

The editors, writers, and producers of Mike's Vacation (the guy that found the laptop),

Are faithful enjoyers of the "seinfeld" comedy series. One episode describes the homemade Christmas holiday of "festivus".

It seems one of the characters George Castanza has a rather colorful and creative father who invented the holiday of "festivus" to be an every mans Christmas holiday .

Watch the following links, and enjoy "A FESTIVUS FOR THE REST OF US!!"

Folks, while these might not be the most traditional video clips to watch on Christmas, we here/me here at Mike's Vacation believe that if you are actually looking at this blog on Christmas, you are ready for FESTIVUS!!!!!! LOL LOL. :) :)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=I-wm9N0KiAs&feature=related

http://youtube.com/watch?v=HQFLqMyo0fo

Mike Miller aka
Mike Castanza,
aka
Mike Pekar,
aka, ho ho ho. :) :)

Indiana,
2007

Remember the micro moments with your loved ones, these micro moments are so easy to rush through, undersell, and forget. However they are indeed, exactly what life is all about. When it is all said and done, all of our money, and time, and health are really just vehicles to help us live innumerable micro moments of technicolor high quality, and vibrance, and hopefully to remember and cherish the same.

Winter Festival Christmas and Christian Christmas

Dear Readers,

As most of you are aware, I have been on a long and pleasurable conversion to Judaism.

You are also likely aware that I have traditionally, and hopefully will , always enjoy Christmas. These ideas might seem to conflict with one another until I define just exactly what I mean by "enjoy Christmas."

Firstly, let me STATE EMPHATICALLY that I have ABSOLUTELY NEVER had any personal belief in the religion of Christianity. When I was very young, I didn't "have faith" or otherwise recognize its validity as the surprme monotheistic religion.

As an adult, not only do I not believe in it as a religion, I don't like it as a religion. I don't begrudge my Christian friends their right to believe in what ever religion they please, to include Christianity, but it just simply isn't for me.

As an American, I find the Christmas season to be a powerful and colorful holiday. I have been able to identify two distinct, and yet sometimes intertwined holidays celebrated here in America during our "Christmas season".

The first and foremost is what I call "Winter Festival Christmas." The second is "Christian Christmas."

Christian Christmas is fairly obvious to identify, it involves conscious and considered religious devotion to the birthday of the Christian messiah Jesus. The celebration of Christian Christmas might have some or many trappings of Winter Festival Christmas as decorations, but it is essentially a religious celebration of the birth of the Christian messiah.

Winter Festival Christmas is all of the color and pageantry of the American Christmas season to include, SANTA CLAUS, lights, presents, egg nog, many Christmas Carols, the Christmas tree, and among other things ,the wonderful feeling of happiness and good will towards men that seems to readily come forth during this holiday. This is the Christmas I love and heartily celebrate!!

I truly love Winter Festival Christmas!! It is a beautiful, fun, and American holiday. It is true that other countries celebrate some form of Winter Festival Christmas in addition to Christian Christmas, however Americans have made this particular holiday into a super duper experience unrivaled by any other holiday globally. I am speaking of Winter Festival Christmas when I say "super duper".

Most countries have their religious holidays, and I am not comparing one religion to another in this article. I am merely trying to make distinct for the reader just exactly what kind of Christmas I enjoy.

If you have any doubts over whether or not Winter Festival Christmas is a real or worthy holiday, please see the below video links...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=vPaGQEskSKM

http://youtube.com/watch?v=XSH9ryRzHQ4

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MAY I PRESENT FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE, A "SUPER DUPER " MOVIE--- THE CHRISTMAS STORY!!!!!!!!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=uZieW2F90Is
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-8GDTqsAl_U&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=UZ6HCcEIURU&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=huhh2jw5UUg&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=utM_Uk3aA9c&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3d3u5l-dqx0&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Sz4lC7XH5S0&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Mz9HkyowGb8&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5Dl2mWJjlUE&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=_53Ie8jOSl8&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=L7yaV4dPD-Q&feature=related

Merry Christmas !!!!
Ho Ho Ho!!!!
Mike Miller
Indiana,
2007

THE COOLEST WHITE MAN IN THE WORLD--LOUIS PRIMA!!

Dear Readers,

Mike's Vacation has always loved the music, and culture and lore of the great Louis Prima!

His music lives on forever, and will NEVER DIE!!

Here are some cool links about the master, and as a side note, if some of you are ever interested in purchasing music by the master, I suggest buying a LaserLight CD. This was K-marts brand of music that was sold in the discount bin at the back of the store for about 1 dollar.

Laser Light as produced a cd of old Louis Prima, including some stuff that you can't find in a record store. Anyway, enjoy the following links, take yourself and a loved one out for some pasta, and let some real pinache and style flow through your veins even if it is only for a while .

Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present for your viewing and listening pleasure,, LOUIS PRIMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Urw6e0aCDJc&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=G-8CLaKPEfU&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=VC-4dF2UFnI
http://youtube.com/watch?v=QTO5jc71fbE&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=WxBYC3gEnZs&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=nnlKBBj_o_8
http://youtube.com/watch?v=G-8CLaKPEfU&feature=related

Mike Miller
Indiana,
2007

THE WAR OF BROKEN HEARTS

Most thoughtful Americans are now shaking their heads in shame and embarrassment when discussing our criminal invasion of Iraq.

Perhaps we are too busy to be organizing massive protests and starting grass roots movements to prosecute and punish our countrymen who are culpable, but we are sharing our shame with friends and loved ones freely and in agreement.

Most of us are ashamed of the rockets and missiles and bullets and bombs that have been thrown at the Iraqis, and the same that have killed and crippled our own soldiers and marines.

Many of us are worried about our international reputation today, and in the years to come.

Some people talk about terrorism being fostered and provoked instead of destroyed.

Most of us are aware of the tangible aspects of the physical and economic and political destruction that has been wrought in this criminal adventure.

What about our nations broken hearts? What about all our soldiers and marines who haven't seen their wives, haven't had the opportunity to hold and love them? What about the pain of our soldiers who have to imagine playing with their children instead of actually feeling and touching them?

What about the divorces and broken homes that will be the result of so many men away from their wives for so long?

What about the kids that will be raised in broken homes because husbands and wives have grown apart from the distance, and time and stress?

What about these same kids that won't have lived in a nuclear family model and will now be more likely to fail at their future marriages because of this same negative familial inertia they are raised in?

I won't even bother to describe the broken hearts of the Iraqi's, decorum in this article doesn't permit me to describe what life must be like in modern Iraq for a little girl without a daddy, or a woman without her husband.

Was any of this pain and misery really worth the luxury of a nation too inebreated in its intellectual sloth to not have stopped all this madness before it happened?

Are we as a nation proud of the fact that a giant percentage of us were seduced by a South Texas accent, an expensive haircut, and a glad handed smile with nothing else to offer.

Are we not tired of being political "serfs, pawns, and slaves" to whatever evil machination has hijacked our military and federal government?

When are we going to develop a national conscious that prevents war criminals from ordering our sons to sack weaker countries for nebulous causes?

When you are watching the news and see explosions, and the physical injuries of war, remember that there are other injuries to this war, wounds harder to photo and graph.

What is the real cost of a broken heart? How many of our countryman's hearts are now broken?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=AHbcGeIilss

Dear Readers, I hope that Mike's Vacation doesn't attract any readers stupid enough to think that it is OK for our soldiers and marines to be suffering in this war because it is "their duty". I hope that no reader of mine would actually mouth the words "well they signed up for the military understanding the risks". I honestly hope I have nobody that damned dumb reading my blog. In case there are some of you that hear these trite sentiments uttered, please kindly remind the offenders that our soldiers and marines volunteer for duty to serve and protect our country and are willing to give their lives if necessary, however none of them signed up to participate in a "war crime". None of them signed up to defend a patriot act "soured democracy", none of them signed up to defend a constitution amended to oxidize their rights at home to make easier their suffering in a criminal adventure. There is a social contract signed by our government with our soldiers that largely includes the idea that our military will be used for the violent protection of our land and interests. This social contract also provisos that the government will be judicious in is employment of this same violent force and will not allow our sons and brothers in uniform to suffer unnecessarily, or for a criminal and erroneous cause. Our country's "salt of the earth" sons and brothers comprise the bulk of our nations enlisted ranks. These men are raised to have a sense of right and wrong, and of fair play. For this trust to be betrayed, and for the "handshake agreement" that seals the aforementioned "social contract" to be violated is no less than an absolute outrage.

Mike Miller
Indiana,
2007

THESE RUSSIANS WILL DO ANYTHING FOR A DRINK!!

Dear Readers,

Here is an interesting piece about wreck diving in the arctic sea.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=_A0pVK6v1IM&feature=user

Now that is what I call chilled vodka!!

Na Starovia!!
Mike Miller
Indiana,
2007

LAUREL AND HARDY, GENIUS IN BLACK AND WHITE

Dear Readers,

Mikes Vacation endorses the watching of Laurel and Hardy in glorious black and white.

Any comedy that was done in good taste almost a hundred years ago, and can still entetain today is pure gold!

Our country is richer for the likes of Stan and Oliver. When you have nothing to do, and it is dark, and time for bed, but you have a few minutes of energy left, share some time with the celluloid ghosts of days gone by.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=64o6s8PmnoE

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lOpP70-IyjE&feature=related

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Arajua9lxYA

http://youtube.com/watch?v=nNjPgE1muTM&feature=related

http://youtube.com/watch?v=jDVO1R-7I7Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpvxTyzOM_A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7mq-wzFovw&feature=related

http://youtube.com/watch?v=0yoPb-amgbs&feature=related

damn it boys, why did you have to up and die on us!? !? !? (:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=fjQIEepbfPA&feature=related

Dear Stanley and Oliver, on behalf of our silly country, thanks for the laughs!!
Mike Miller,
Indiana,
2007

REMEMBER THE PARTISANS!!! FRENCH, BELARUSIAN, IRAQI !!

Dear Readers,

Partisan forces have played a role in most wars throughout history. Their presence was fiercely felt during WW2/The Patriotic War.

The French Partisans played an important role before , during and after D- Day . They blew up supplies and linkages, assassinated troops, and helped downed Allied airmen evade capture. Their methods were often unconventional, and when captured they were mostly tortured horribly, then executed.

The Belorussian Partisans played a larger role in destroying Nazis, as their numbers were larger, and they enjoyed a much greater natural protection from the dense virgin forests of Belarus. They also were tortured, and executed when captured.

In order to "capture" a Partisan, either French or Belorussian, the Germans used informants, collaborators, and spies. Sometimes persons merely suspected of ties to the Partisans were arrested and tortured, and mostly murdered.

Any invading force will face Partisan resistance if their invasion is against the will of the people. The level of resistance faced by an invader is proportionate to the criminality of their invasion and the degree the native peoples desire their exit.

Collaborators have historically been murdered and tortured by Partisans when discovered. This is because the collaborators themselves are ultimately responsible for the same treatment of Partisans by the primary criminal invaders.

Has anyone noticed that the History Channel has not been airing any documentaries about WW2 era French Partisans lately? You should think about this.

It is very convenient to label anyone in Iraq opposing our criminal presence there as a "terrorist", or an "insurgent". However, could their individual politics and their combat techniques not sometimes more precisely qualify them as "partisans". ?

It is correct to say that the "legitimate partisan resistance" faced by US forces in Iraq is in direct proportion to our level of legal and criminal legitimacy in the same country.

It is not correct to "imprison without trial, torture, or murder" men conducting "legitimate partisan actions " against a criminal invader (that's us) on their own home soil.

The first video is dedicated to Russian Partisans in the Patriotic War/WW2. The next link takes you to an older issue of Mikes Vacation where the Belarusian film COME AND SEE is reviewed with links so you can view it.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=vcTJ_JKV3tc

(just kindly cut and past this in the address bar, I'll fix the link later)
http://mikesvacation.blogspot.com/2007/08/come-and-see.html

This video is about the French Resistance in WW2.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Wyt2OD5qfeY

Mikes Vacation dedicates the following music video to the "legitimate partisans" conducting actions against US military forces that would have been considered "legal" for the French or Belorussians to conduct against the Nazis. This video is not dedicated to terrorists, and it is not intended to celebrate the tragic loss of innocent American life as a result of this criminal invasion.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0KL_fgWgK40&feature=related

Mikes Vacation dedicates this video to the innocent American soldiers that have been maimed or killed as a result of our current criminal invasion of Iraq.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=sTRBPCcJwhE

Readers please note: Mikes Vacation was recently contacted by one of our readers who didn't agree with this piece. He said that the French and Russian Partisans weren't out torturing collaborators, and cutting their heads off. He also felt that the US occupation of Iraq is a lot more legitimate than the Nazi occupation of France and Russia. He also made the point that while there was a potential for "legitimate WW2 grade partisans, and partisan actions existing in Iraq", there was much evidence that attacks on US troops were not the work of "legitimate partisans". He felt that a lot of the attacks on US troops were the work of "insurgents" who only wished to draw American blood regardless of the legality or illegality of the current US occupation.

Mikes Vacation agrees with the above readers opinion and applaudes him for correcting the imprecise nature of our current Essay. However we at Mikes Vacation must remind the reader that the US occupation of Iraq can easily and clearly be measured as a criminal invasion, and a war crime in and of itself. The United States for all of our problems and failings are no where nearly as evil as Hitlers Third Reich, in fact, we are not even the same species. However, regardless of how cushy and white bread we are compared to the Nazis, a war crime is a war crime, and a criminal invasion is just that. After the fact, we have attempted to be as gentle as possible to the general Iraqi public, however just because we aren't the Third Reich, doesn't mean the Iraqi population is any less entitled to seeing to our exit. Just because there are many insurgents in Iraq who are there only for blood sport and hatred, and can't be considered Partisans, doesn't mean we are legitimated by their presence.

Let me repeat that one more time, our presence in Iraq is not legitimized by the illegitimacy and presence of insurgents only there for mindless hatred and cruel sport.

We thank our above reader for his comments, and corrections. However Mikes Vacation still feels that a legitimate partisan presence exists in Iraq, and their operations against our troops are not only legal according to international standards, but bonna fide and reasonable considering the circumstances.

Mikes Vacation is broken hearted to feel the above facts are true and correct.

May G_d have mercy on all our souls.
Mike Miller,
Indiana,
2007

TIME FOR A FEW NEW THOUGHTS ABOUT POT

Mikes Vacation is against the use of drugs. We believe that Marijuana has a detrimental effect on our society as a whole not because it is dangerous in nature, but because it ISN'T immediately dangerous in nature.

Pot smokers don't become violent, or have heart attacks, or commit heinous crimes while high on pot. Pot doesn't produce horribly dangerous psychic conditions as do hard drugs such as PCP, Cocaine, or Methamphetamine.

However, Pot does produce an environment of laziness, and the marijuana culture has developed a very lazy and non-industrious group identity.

Pot is making America a little bit less productive, a little bit lazier, and it is wasting the youth of its users puff by puff. Therein lies the problem, it is a drug which is essentially weakening the industry and motivation of America one young person at a time.

However our young people aren't dying horribly because of it, and there are essentially no ghastly side effects save hunger and the mild to moderate obesity that go with the same.

When Americans tell their kids to be careful of Pot, warning them of its dangers, they are in effect assisting the "gateway drug process". Marijuana can be called a "gateway drug" because it is essentially the first illegal substance most people try.

Here is the big problem, for all of a child/youth's life, they are warned to stay away from drugs, "drugs are baaaad"!! Marijuana is cited along with cocaine, heroin, pcp and what have you.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BNbExvU42q4&feature=related

As Marijuana produces essentially no life or even immediate health threatening effects, the first time user ultimately extrapolates the semi-logical conclusion, that if Marijuana wasn't all that bad, then maybe the other drugs are benign as well.

Obviously the drug problem in America won't be solved by simply re-assigning Marijuana a new description, but continuing to persecute marijuana for possessing sins similar to hard drugs won't do either.

We need clever social engineering to raise our collective productivity and quality of life. Mis-labeling marijuana, and punishing its offenders according to these archaic notions of the drugs harm potential isn't going to work either.

Our country's youth need ACCURATE and HONEST information about marijuana if we as adults are going to have any credibility about the dangers of hard drugs.

Ruining the lives of pot users isn't going to get us anywhere either. Our country is in a state of "witch hunt mania". We are stupidly and earnestly looking for a "monster to burn" all the time.

We need to come to grips with the fact that there is no real freedom without risk. We can't be a "free society" and absolutely control and micro-manage the personal decisions of our cultures diaspora.

Here is a link to some interesting information about what you have just read.

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/CollegeAndFamily/Advice/WhatIllegalDrugUseCanCostYou.aspx

If you are a pot smoker, try to take it easy on the stuff, you are only getting lazier, and broker, and fatter.

If you are not a pot smoker, remember that everyone who is a user, is someones loved one and they deserve the respect that you would have given to your own dearest if they choose a alternative path in life.

Mike Miller
Indiana,
2007

HAPPY CHANUKA !!! DECEMBER 5, 2007

Dear Readers,

Chanuka starts tommorow, December 5, 2007.

There are some very interesting links below. The first link is from the Jewish Virtual library. It gives some very basic information about Chanuka.

I am a long way from being able to teach anyone about Chanuka, however there are some very important points that should be remembered.

Chanuka is not the distant cousin of Christmas, it isn't the Jewish answer to Christmas. Here in America Chanuka has taken on sort of a Christmasy feel, because American Winter Festival Christmas and Christian Christmas are such powerfully celebrated holidays.

However, Chanuka is a celebration of a military miracle that happenned in antiquity. The Greek army was attempting to conquer and throughly Hellenize ancient Jews of the time.

There was only a small amount of olive oil left in the sacked temple to last for one night, but by divine intervention the oil lasted for 8 days.

A female Jew assasinated the leader of the Greeks, and the Jews of antiquity won this war.

This military victory to include the assasination of the Greek general is celebrated by a symbolic lighting of 8 candles to symbolize the entire victorious military campaign, and also the miraculous olive oil that lasted 8 nights instead of only 1.

So, Chanuka is a celebration of divine intervention, and of military victory AGAINST ASSIMILATION, or Hellenization of the Jews by the Greeks.

It is moderately ironic that modern American Chanuka has become celbrated in a Christmasy spirit so to speak. (for lack of a better description).

However, even though modern American Chanuka has become celebrated in a somewhat similar manner as Winter Festival Christmas, it is obviously not the free for all glutinous orgy that has become both Winter Festival Christmas and Christian Christmas.

Enjoy the links below, and may this posting find all of you enjoying the best of health, welfare and happiness.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/holiday7.html

http://howtojew.org/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MK2J-G8uGM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v3PY-vfd9Y

WAIT, HOLD THE PHONE, now you know that Mike's Vacation is not going to have a Chanuka article without the good Reb Sandler,, now you just know that wasn't going to happen!!!!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Vrd9p47MPHg&feature=related

Mike's Vacation would also like to wish a very wonderful Chanuka to the Reb Goodman and his family living in Pinsk, Belarus. His stories of life in what remains of the Settlement of the Pale can be viewed at BEINGHAD.COM
Michael Miller
Indiana,
2007

JEWISH LAW-- SUPURB DOCUMENTARY OF MANCHESTER ENGLAND'S ORTHODOX JEWISH COMMUNITY

Dear Readers/(reader) ,

Here is a wonderful series of videos obtained from (you guessed it) youtube.com.

This video series is in two parts, with each part containing 5 chapters. Among other things you will be interested to listen to Orthodox Jews speaking with British accents.

I was impressed with the sincerity the schochets conveyed both as professionals, and as animal lovers/respecters.

There is about 100 minutes of brilliant Jewish culture and societal footage here, please enjoy!

JEWISH LAW

episode 1 (1of 5)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=7GyWxHN0fcs&feature=related
episode 1 (2of5)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=aZVF4_TJjX8&feature=related
episode 1 (3of 5)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=oAEDDMO3MII&feature=related
episode 1 (4of5)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=nOtmVpKL7Cc&feature=related
episode 1 (5 of 5)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=XhuaRM90NHM&feature=related

JEWISH LAW EPISODE 2

episode 2 (1of 5)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=dvquJEN7EHg&feature=related
episode 2 (2of 5)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=kHcUWrS-FtM&feature=related
episode 2 (3of5)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pIKC7IjD8xU&feature=related
episode 2 (4 of 5)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=vwTFgFf-opM&feature=related
episode 2 (5 of 5)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=iKxlWGKRawg&feature=related

Now folks, if you have watched the following video clips, you have now brushed up on the basics of Jewish law. We all agree that Jewish law is important, and beautiful. It is the position of Mike's Vacation that a sincere study of Jewish law is complimented by many smiles, and laughs. :) :) :)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=GUxDxI68xpc
G_d Bless Each and every one of you!
Mike Miller
Indiana,
2007