Per intercessionem Sancte Blasii liberet te Deus a malo gutteris et a quovis alio malo*

We survived the war on Christmas with much ducking and avoidance, purposely wishing store sales associates, McDonald's and Taco Bell drive thru cashiers "happy holidays". We thought we made it through unscathed.

We were wrong. The Xmas war wasn't just a war, it was only the first battle in what appears to be a long, drawn out affair that could get completely out of control if the candidate whose name sounds like a restaurant chain gets in the big white house in Wash DC.

In this war of many fronts, everything the good sisters, like Sister Mary Placida, taught us in grade school is subject to attack. For instance, I was taught that an angel came to Mary and Joseph and told them that they were going to have a baby. When I pointed out to the good sister that they were not married to one another,she took off her shoe and threw it at me. Her aim was right on. She then grabbed my ear, lifted me out of my seat and, with one shoe on, one shoe off, escorted me out to the hallway where she had me stand with my nose pressed against the walltiles until it was time to go to the cafeteria for lunch. Sister Mary Placida, SSND- School Sisters of Notre Dame. Her name was pronounced "Plah Cee Dah". Any boy who misbehaved in her class was subject to a rap on the head with her knuckles. She knew all the tricks.

The SN-L, in today's Voice of The Day illuminates how the battle is making its mark on St. Valentine's Day:

Take the traditional greeting itself. When was the last time a Wal-Mart cashier said, "Happy Saint Valentine's Day"? What's being omitted? Yes, it's "Saint." And saint equals Christianity equals God equals conservative Republican. If you think this is an accident, you're underestimating your enemy, the insidious traitors of the politically correct left.

Tomorrow is February 3, 2008. Just to be on the safe side, I'm not eating any fish.

*translation here.