TSO, The Land of Narnia, and the future of Courascant and the Republic...

I've recently returned from a weekend in Detroit with my family. While home I had the privledge of seeing the best and brightest in Christmas Concert entertainment: The Trans-Siberian Orchestra. This group of amazing musicians puts on a spectatular Christmas show where they tell a story through music, alongside lights, lasers, and pyro-technics. If one tries to think in terms of comparision, think 80's rock meets Christmas. This story however, is only half the show as they take a best of look at their other projects and play other songs, from Christmas to Beethoven. It's a must see, a must see indeed.

I also saw Chronicles of Narnia. Another amazing venture into entertainment. As a long time fan of the story, I was impressed with how well things stuck with the book. Granted I was disapointed that the line about chivalry and just war wasn't present, as well as "Of course he isn't tame, but he's good" as said by Mrs. Beaver. The things that were added worked well and the creature work was magnificent.

Also while home, I had a interesting discussion with a friend, a discussion that centered on the disposition of some Christians to try and live and control their sphere's of influence (however small) and totally forget the world around them and how big it is. Living and working in DC, I have the opportuity to see government in action (for better or worse) and I realize how big the world is. My concern comes when I look into the future and see what is possible. The indiviuals who govern our nation at this time (Bush, Cheney, Boxer, Pelosi, Hastert, Frist, and others) come from a different time, from a different stock. Their childhood and subsequent teenage years were not influenced as our is. TV wasn't as prevelent, the Internet was a pipe dream (if that), the music industry had yet to introduce the degredation that rap has become, and Nintendo and the subsequent Playstation, X-Box, and PC gaming were still 30-40 years out. (For those concerned, I am not knocking gaming inso much, as I am an avid gamer, but some of the material that is put out for these systems is terrible.) All of this to say that the current generation (IMHO) has been crafted and molded in a much different manner than previous ones, and that molding will one day have an effect on how the government operates, when this generation comes of age to replace the current leaders. To me, this is a big pause for concern. I stand by the idea that Washington needs good solid Christians who are wiling to work in government capacities, so that solid thinking is present, thinking that is less likely to be affected by the MSM and other molding factors like those mentioned above. Not only are more Christians needed, but those that are currently in Washington and government in general need to serve as mentors to the younger generation, helping to train and prepare them for the road ahead, grounding them in conservative ideas and inspiring them to fight for those ideas. I've spent the last semester or so working at The Heritage Foundation, working under two wonderful gentlemen - Mark Tapscott and John Sieg in the "press shop" (Comm. and Marketing). Both of these gentlemen are upstanding Christian men who've done what they can (directly and indirectly) to show me the ropes and make my time here profitable in terms of training me for what is to come next in my Washington career. Mark happens to be my blog-father, and any advice on the subject that he gives I certianly take to heart and try and implement. More gentlemen (and ladies) that work in this mold are needed, to train those willing green soldiers (like me) who will one day take command on the DC battlefield, to rally the faithful in the struggle to preserve what the Founding Fathers built, through blood, sweat, and tears, for future generations.