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Phantom,
I love this post. And I am so proud of LG for using that line at preschool!!!!
We actually found Hannukah lights and hung them in the breezeway. Last year we hung white lights, which we lit for the eight nights of Hannukah and that was it. Everyone searches out the comfort place for themselves, I think, in terms of what to teach, what to display outwardly, what to believe inwardly. To each his/her own.
Neighbor Girl, and kids this age, are perhaps less into feeling disenfranchised as they are into classifying things whatever they may be, and sorting similar/different, without accompanying value judgements. Perhaps this just also manifests with religions?
At the mall, Neighbor Gir saw Santa from a distance the other day. She talked about it later, saying "I saw the REAL Santa at the mall Mama." Mama panicking about what on earth to say about Santa.... She continues, "But we don't celebrate Christmas, Mama" Me: "No, but we DO celebrate Hannukah, and that's lots of fun, with dreidles, and latkes, and candles..." Her: "Yeah, and hey Mama guess what else...WE get to celebrate Rosh Hashannah, and Sukkot, too!!!!"
Made my day.
No need to apologize PS, at least not to this particular Christian. I love that LG is so wise and articulate about his beliefs.
I personally think that all forms of religious practice need a postmodern renewal. Postmodernism, for me, has a deep dissonance with the absolutes of traditional religious practice regardless of whether one is Jewish, Christian, Muslim, or of any other faith.
The question of the ages remains -- how do we all live together peacefully in the world when we hold to different beliefs and practices? LG answered the question perfectly -- we try to make the world a better place.
You can't argue with wanting to make the world a better place!
I just read a book of short essays by Anita Diamant (author of The Red Tent). In one she writes of how her daughter came to grips with being Jewish at Christmas. It was an evolving process for her, as it is for everyone I guess.
Even as a Christian I find Christmas a difficult holiday to negotiate. So much of what the popular culture embraces as Christmas really has nothing to do with celebrating the birth of Jesus. But it's so difficult to separate the secular from the religious. There is some part of me that would like just to declare a "Winter Holiday" and get all religion out of it. Not that I mean to align myself with those who are overly vigilant about being "politically correct", nor do I think this will happen any time soon.
FWIW, I do think Jews and Christians worship the same God; we experience and understand that God differently, but for me at least, I think it's the same God. But I have no idea how I would convey that to a 4-year-old, especially one as bright and articulate as LG.
Sorry to go on so long, PS, it's just something I find very interesting.
love that boy (and the girl, who I am sure will grow up to say similar things).
We face conflicts this time of year as well, and we're just run-of-the-mill atheists. We've finally decided we're celebrating because, like humans for millenia before us, we need some light in that deep deep darkness at midwinter.
At this point, if there's any revered holy imaginary winter deity in this household, it's Olive the Other Reindeer.
As someone who was culturally brought up in a Christmas tradition (though not really a Christian one -- my brother is an atheist, my father doesn't care about religion, and my mother is a UU, like me) but who tends towards a semi-pagan preference for the solstice, I find the winter holiday season awkward in ways I have trouble articulating.
I like the trees, and the greenery, and the lights, and the food, and family. Santa I have mixed feelings about (I don't like most public incarnations; in our household, Mom explained Santa as a sort of universal spirit of good will, rather than as an actual human being), and my fondness for creches (look! wee little animals and people!) runs into my irritation with proselytizers. I like the idea of a solstice, but most people don't even notice it coming and going. I like being with people, but I'm becoming increasingly fed up with the crazy gift-giving -- I have so much stuff already, and don't need or want more.
So, yeah, I'm conflicted, too, and that's without bringing my own personal spiritual identity into it. But by now I'm used to being outside the mainstream; as a kid, though, it would have been hard.
I think the version you gave to LG makes good sense.
A coworker told me yesterday, "We Germans understand that not all that goes on in December is about Christmas" (this in a discussion of holiday trees).
Some days, LG sounds like he has an old soul.
I myself go to church - though I haven't gone in months due to various illnesses, scheduling issues, etc. I go for many of the reasons outlined here:
http://zia.blogs.com/
wastedbirth...tmas_narni.html
But I share many of her hesitancies about religion as well -- and that is why I have not been taking my 5 year old to Sunday school. I'm not ready for explaining the cafeteria approach I take to my organized religion and my reasons for seeking corporate worship whilst not accepting many of the basic tenets of the religion I worship in...
which led to this conversation, last year:
“Jonah is Jewish. What does Jewish mean?”
Not wanting to get into the whole Divinity of Jesus discussion, DH told him “It means that instead of going to church on Sundays, he goes to temple on Saturdays. He doesn’t go to Sunday School.”
Later, we drove past the temple in our town. There was a big electric menorah out front with all its candles glowing. We pointed it out, since his favorite song from his holiday concert was the one about Hannukah candles
“Look kiddo! That building has a menorah!”
“Yeah! It does! What is that building? Is that the temple where Jonah goes?”
We said that maybe it was.
“And I’m Jewish, because I don’t go to Sunday School!”
Clearly, we need to do a better job of addressing all this, but I have that "I just don't know where to begin" problem. There are plenty of books for religious conservatives to read to their children to open these discussions and help explain their beleifs in simple terms; where are the books for the agnostics, unitarians, and "Jesus was a very good man who tried to get everyone to love one another and we should honor that." folks?
Your son is so wise!
Christmas-celebrating Jew here. Trees, lights, roast beast, Santa, presents, carols, the whole nine yards of red ribbon.
My parents celebrate it too and did when I was a kid...other holidays, not so much. Passover and Hanukah were celebrated with my Grandma's family (she's the daughter of a Rabbi) and we enjoyed them (except for gefilte fish (shudder))
But for me it's hard to connect Christmas with Christianity, carols and creches notwithstanding. Almost all of the celebratory garnishes are pagan, even the date is pagan. Jesus was probably born sometime shortly after the harvest, not during the darkest time of year...
What a wonderful post: there's much that is funny and profound here.
Did I ever tell you what my sister in law did when she was five? She came home from kindergarden in a huff, went into her bedroom and packed a duffel bag of her things. She then marched into the living room and announced that she was running away from home to live with the Christians.
"Why do you want to live with Christians?" her parents asked.
"Because Santa brings them gifts, and I want to get presents too."
So "Santa" brought Hanukkah gifts for the next two years, so that she wouldn't think she had done something wrong. And also because her parents (my in-laws) were afraid that she would end up resenting Judaism.
This makes me chuckle now, particularly because my in-laws are pretty strict Jews. They belong to a temple, celebrate shabbat, no tree, lights, etc.
It is hard, though, because the decorations and the notion of Santa are all lovely things. What about giving LG lights for him to put up in his room all year round? Then he wouldn't associate it with Christmas but he'd be happy.
I don't want to suggest something that you totally disagree with, though. I know that Josh would be uncomfortable with it, since he is definitely uncomfortable with trees and other Christmas things.
That child is just too smart, I think.
And can I say how cool it is that LG thinks of himself as a "colors teacher"? Way cool.
That boy's gonna win the Nobel Peace Prize some day. You heard it here first.
Hey, PS, did you ever feel that December was tough to deal with when you were a little kid? I don't really ever remember feeling that way. I got my Xmas tree fix by going every year to help my best friend's family decorate their tree, but I never really wanted one myself. (Oh, there were always jokes about the Hanukkah bush, but I was never really sad that it didn't happen.)
I guess it depends on where you live. I would think that where YOU live, LG will have enough friends that are jewish that he won't worry too much about why he's not Christian. (Of course, you'll have that other problem that you allude to: he'll wonder why he doesn't go to synagogue like other Jewish kids do. Good luck there! And then let me know how you dealt with it!)
Anyway, sometimes I think that if the primary objective of religion is to get together so we can make the world a better place, and we don't really believe in God, then we should all join the Ethical Culture Society. It seems to accomplish many of the objectives of religion without having to deal with God. (But truthfully I don't know that much about it.)
Phantom, I know you will remember hearing about #1 Son's best childhood friend, Mr. Know-It-All. His parents, observant Conservative Jews actively involved in their temple, sent him to a religious preschool. They did everything they could to surround him with Jewish culture.
But Mr. Know-It-All was fascinated with Christmas.
As the family of his best little friend, we became the Christmas exhibition. He came to our house, oohed and ahed over our tree, gave #1 Son a Christmas present wrapped in Christmas paper. After his sister was born, she joined in the fun. We developed a tradition of making holiday cookies together, with two sets of cookie cutters, both Hanukkah and Christmas oriented. Eventually we had six children between us and much chaos when we got together for that last round of cookie-baking before they outgrew the whole thing. One year her daughter made ornaments for our tree out of Sculpy. They just worked out all their Christmas needs, questions and desires in my living room and kitchen. My kids, meanwhile, lit menorahs and made potato latkes and were invited over for Sukkoth. It was so good for all of us.
And all the girls #1 Son has really liked so far at college? Jewish. I am counting on him for my Jewish grandchildren someday, because I miss those dreidels. I miss the stories. I miss the holidays that haven't been hijacked by Wal-Mart and Macy's and Focus on the Family. If anything, my December dilemma is how to keep my children's understanding of their holy day separate from what the culture tells them they are celebrating: greed. And in that, we are not so different.
I have some very strong feelings about the hypocrisy that is Christmas in many people, and how I feel about all the winter holidays, but I would totally hog the blog with my own drivel. So I'll just say you write beautifully, you are so thoughtful and I totally love LG for being kind and wanting the world to be a better place.
I went through 2 crises of faith as a child. First I wanted to be Catholic, because I wanted to get a white dress for a first communion (and because I liked Sound of Music so much). Then I wanted to be Jewish because I made friends with the only Jewish girl in town and spent a weekend with her family. I was enchanted with the candles, the potato pancakes the Hebrew language. I reciprocated by inviting that friend to a Christmas event at my church. Afterwards, I asked what she thought, knowing that my boring little Protestant church in no way matched up to her exotic big city synagogue. I remember her words often and well, and they might be a good line for LG (despite his declared atheism). "Well, Christianity was a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there."
And so it begins.
Growing up, my younger brother used to tell people that Christian kids might have Santa, but he had Elijah and that was just as good. Lots of gifts vs. a wine mooch... didn't ever seem like a fair comparison to me, but it was sweet that he said it anyway.
I have the feeling that these discussions are going to continue for many years (they're happening in my household right now, too). It's OK to love holiday lights regardless of who you think God is or whether you think there is such a thing at all... lights are pretty, after all. I'd say you should tell LG that, but I think he's already on the right track on his own...
I love this post and all the comments, PS. Such a great discussion, and I love hearing how everyone handles their end of year holiday.
I am not religious at all, despite being reared Episcapalian, and to me Christmas is not about faith at all. It's about family and friends, and a feeling of good will and love towards everyone. It's the one time of year where everyone (supposedly) treats each other better. It makes me feel happy, to see the lights (blue or white or what have you) and the trees and the smiles on kids' faces.
As always, LG is a wise wise child!
Ianqui, December was hard on me, though the rest of the year wasn't exactly a (kosher) picnic, either. I was the only Jewish child my age in my town, which was so Catholic that I thought "Catholic" and "Christian" were synonyms until I was twelve. I am glad that LG won't be singlehandedly integrating the place, like I did, but I don't think it makes the issue totally disappear. Maybe if you live in a community that has a big Jewish population, the issue does recede -- but then you have the Jewisher-than-thou competitions, as you note. No choice comes without its consequences, I guess.
Rev. Dr. Mom, I certainly agree, and I'd include some other faiths in that list as well. The particularity of each religion's conception of God does not, to my mind, invalidate the larger commonalities. But I do want to give LG a sense of what our particularities are before I let him loose on the whole interfaith world.
Halloweenlover, that story made me laugh out loud! And Songbird, how I wish LG had a friend like #1 Son, with a family like yours, who would "work out all his Christmas needs!" If you get Jewish grandchildren, they will be some of the luckiest kids around!
Thanks for the link, Sara. As always, Cecily has a fascinating take on the subject.
I'm going to the beach on Dec 25. Christmas is an excuse to waste money on needless junk and fight with your nearest & dearest.
By background, I am catholic. I am probably floating closer to atheism lately--especially after Christians get all worked up over evolution. My family (husb, 4 yo daughter, 2 yo son) belong to the JCC--great pool, good classes, nice and friendly place. (and cheaper and nicer than the local Y's). The only downside has been to see how much anti-semitism still lingers--I have been shocked at how many people have questioned why we would join the JCC. And our mild response--do you have to be Christian to join the Y, usually shuts up the critics, but I am sad there are critics.
My daughter enjoys her classes. she'd learned a prayer or two at snack. And the dreidel song. And now wants to know if we are celebrating Chunukah this year. We just may...
Just wanted to give a shout out to "Barenaked for the Holidays" which has a really good original song for Hanukah (#4 on the CD), as well as some beautiful and some silly December holiday songs
This is such a great post. I love LG's take on affairs. It's interesting, because I grew up pretty much nothing (lapsed Catholic dad, lapsed Anglican mom) and my mom says she tried to teach us about Jesus but "it sounded so feeble" when she told us about it, so we didn't get that kind of religious education. And for me, Christmas has nothing to do with religion - it's much more lights in mid-winter, etc. (I can sympathize with LG's admiration of pretty lights!) Nonetheless, it still seems to me a firmly Christian holiday, the one vestige of my Christian background. Which is not at ALL a criticism of Jews or other non-Christians who do celebrate Christmas. It's just that Christmas is still a reminder to me of how Christian the US really is (especially for a country that claims to separate church and state...).
Welcome to the commenting pixie party, Sarah!
Oh, I know just what your mom means, New Kid. I think my explanations about God must have sounded pretty feeble if LG has embraced atheism at the ripe old age of four.
Though, when we were listening to music during dinner and he was inquiring as to who had written Adon Olam -- the David Grisman/Andy Statman version -- he suggested that perhaps it had been written by "some person named God." I think maybe there's still some wiggle room to influence how he thinks about God -- time for me to start pouring through Genevieve's Library Thing catalog for good children's Judaica books...
I love this post! Thanks for the Baraita quote.
I wrote a lot about our particular interfaith December Dilemma last year--the big issues for us were the tree, and the fact that I accidentally converted MG to Christianity by telling her the nativity story ("I believe that! I believe that speck came from God and made that baby!" "But... you can't believe that! You're Jewish! We don't believe that-- we believe, um, that the oil lasted for eight days! Yeah!" Not my proudest parenting moment).
This year, somehow, it hasn't seemed like as big a deal. Maybe because we're going to my partner's mom's for Jul [Danish Christmas] so we're not getting a tree or anything ourselves.
To make a long story short [oops--maybe not that short] it does seem like there are many more important aspects to Judaism than *not* having a tree.
elswhere! Is it mean of me to feel a little bit better that other parents find their explanations to have unexpected effects?
I bet Jul is a more interesting celebration than American Xmas...
I don't think Baraita really thinks that God cares whether you flip a switch on Saturday. I think (and maybe I'm projecting) that her point was that if the only way you know that you're Jewish is that you don't have a Christmas tree, you might as well relax and have the Christmas tree and be done with it.
Maybe, Elizabeth, but I do sort of wonder. The conjunction of "shomer Shabbos" and "no room for dialogue" definitely made me feel like I was getting kicked away from the table.
She's more doing a performance than engaging in dialogue though. Don't get me wrong -- it's quite a performance. But I do frequently get the idea that I am not at all the intended audience.
Fascinating post and comments... nothing to add except my gratitude for the reminder that there are more perspectives out there than there are ornaments on my tree. I adore the secular parts of Christmas, the family and friends and shiny bits, but it's easy to forget not everyone feels the same way.
I'm with Laura. The beach in December (I'll take any warm island). I'll come back on New Years' Eve.
Okay, here goes my Christmas story. I hope it's not too much of a downer, but Christmas was not a happy time for me when I was a kid.
First of all, we (my sisters and I) attended a private Catholic school where the kids were so mean to me. I was much smaller than anyone else, and easily intimidated, so they loved to pick on me. Over Christmas vacation I would sweat having to go back to school. One time I hid in my closet hugging a stuffed dog and crying about having to go back.
My father was always drunk, and was nasty and sarcastic. One year he called us all downstairs and said "Kids, you have to hear the real story of Christmas, so you'll know what it is all about" He proceeded to read from the New Testament, the story of Jesus' birth. I wanted to say to him "ASSHOLE, you've sent us to Catholic school for years, do you think we've never heard this story? AND you're drunk. And mean. And you and mom spend Christmas arguing with each other. Don't you think this is just a LITTLE BIT HYPOCRITICAL?" But I didn't. I was much too polite of a kid to ever do that. So I sat there.
When I married Papa Go Blue, we cuddled up on the living room sofa on Christmas Eve and he played Christmas carols on the stereo for me. He and the kids were Jewish, (I later became Jewish myself), so we didn't celebrate Christmas. But he did that for me so I wouldn't feel completely separated from it.
Many of my Christian friends have asked me over the years, "don't you miss Christmas?" In the loving arms of my dear husband, I only thank God that I escaped my childhood, and joyfully embrace my life without Christmas. No, I don't miss it for a second.
Grandma Blue, you paint a beautiful picutre of your marriage. I'm so moved.
Phantom, lots of the better parts of American Christmas began with Scandinavian/Dutch/German Juul/Jul traditions. I'm sure the modern versions of Jul in Denmark are similar to those in Norway, and they're lovely in their Pagan purity. Or so I think.
Hey, PS, I particularly recommend the Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso books. J. really liked them, and they were a good starting point (they were the first Judaica books we got him - and in fact, they're more generic than Judaica, but good for first teachings about God). Her books definitely have an emphasis on making the world a better place (and go, LG, you little peacemaker!)
The Torah From Alef To Tav is terrific, and good for starting to teach about Hebrew letters as well as Torah stories at a good level for preschool / kindergarten. We have another one I don't like nearly as much (ugly illustrations, emphasis on some parts of the stories that don't seem as age-appropriate).
I think we had exactly the same conversation with J. a couple of years ago. That year, he desperately wanted a gift from Santa, and DH and I ended up agreeing that we would have one "Santa" gift, though all his other gifts are Hanukkah gifts. That was the last year that he really wanted a Santa gift, though.
Of course, it helps that although we celebrate Hanukkah but not Christmas in our house, he has Christian relatives who we often see on Christmas, and they give him their gifts then. Two years ago, when we didn't travel to see DH's family for Christmas, a local friend invited us over (which was great since DH does like to have a festive meal on Christmas) and J. enjoyed their tree etc. We've invited those same friends over for Hanukkah, since their older boy (like Son #1's friend above) was interested in it from school.
This year, J. did ask why there isn't a Hanukkah cartoon (like Charlie Brown Christmas and Rudolph / Frosty). I told him that I am TiVoing a Clifford episode about Hanukkah, and also the Rugrats Chanukah (though DH and I both dislike the Rugrats). That made him very happy. There is a "Chanukah Stories" animated show this year, but one of the stories is about a Holocaust survivor who lost all of his family, and I do not think Hanukkah is the time for a 5-year-old to learn about the Holocaust . . .
J. did point out one year that we got to celebrate more holidays. I think that doing at-home celebrations for Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot and Hanukkah and Passover has been really helpful in mitigating the December Dilemma.
Aw, Grandma Blue! Hugs and dark chocolate gelt to you.
Thanks so much for the recommendations, Genevieve! I will look up those books straight away, and maybe something on children's Jewish holiday crafts, since it's the crafts he envies, not the presents. (Which is only an indication of how much he spoiled year-round, I think.)
He's got a good sense for Shabbat, Passover and Hannukah from celebrations we do at home or with family, but no sense for most of the other holidays, I think. I read him a little bit of the Purim story last year, but when we got to the king rejecting Vashti, he was horrified and didn't want to hear anymore. I think we need to emphasize Sukkot next year -- harvest festivals are more appealing than bloody narratives...
For a Purim book, we really liked Queen Esther the Morning Star - though it does have the scaffold for Haman at the end. I don't remember what it had on Vashti.
Crafts, I am not a crafty person, but we have a book called Chanukah Fun by Tali Marcus Minelli that has stencils, things to cut out, suggestions for clay menorahs and a chanukah hat (looks like a St. Lucia crown!), etc.
We made candy dreidels last year - marshmallows for the square body, Hershey kiss for the pointy bottom, cherry licorice Nibs for the handle - it lays flat on the plate, don't try to spin it - stuck together with Nutella or Marshmallow fluff. It was a huge hit.
Also have a Hanukkah suncatcher we never made, Hanukkah cookie cutters we used once or twice. There are definitely several Jewish crafts / activity books. We have a couple, but not being a crafty person I couldn't tell you how successful they were! One is called Tastes of Jewish Tradition.
I have several CDs but will have to listen again to see which we liked and which were annoying. I really love "Celebrate Chanukah" by the Westminster Conservatory Youth Chorale. I think "A Child's Hanukkah" was popular with J. and not bad for me and DH. Don't remember how "Just in Time for Chanukah" and "Hanukkah and all that jazz" are, and haven't yet listened to "A Chanukah Feast". I love Flory Jadoga's "Ocho Kandelikas", which is on a couple of albums we own, but her own version is on some albums we don't own and I like it best.
There are also a bunch of coloring pages and activity pages online - I just emailed a bunch of them to the other parent doing the Hanukkah presentation with me next week - I can post them or email them to you if you like.
More recommendations:
Worlds Funniest Chanukah Book (in a farcical, borscht-belt kind of way):
"The Flying Latke," by Arthur Yorinks.
Also, there's a nice Cnaukah Treasury, edited by Eric Kimmel, with lots of stories, crafts, recipes, etc.
The Sandy Eisenberg Sasso books are lovely meditations on God and spirituality and great fodder for discussion.
I grew up in a christian-ish household (we went to church every Sunday, but didn't do much between times), but I'm confirmed atheist now.
And being in Australia, I don't even have the winter festival to use as an excuse.
But, here in Australia, without thanksgiving, Christmas also fulfils the same roles that thanksgiving has for you. You are expected to get together with your family for Christmas, and then after that is for the beach and the summer holidays.
For me, now that I have children, I'm enjoying the summer holiday and family get-together aspect, and so far haven't explained anything religious whatsoever to my 4 and 2 year old(except santa claus, who is becoming religious).
It is much easier to relax into a non religious christmas coming from a christian background, though. Christmas feels like a cultural festival that is part of my life, even though the religious part is long gone, in a way that it clearly isn't for my muslim babysitter.
That's an excellent point, Jennifer. Members of minority religions (especially those who have reason to fear being coerced into joining the majority) find it much more difficult to ignore the religious content of Christmas. Thanks for contributing, and welcome to the commenting pixie party!
Interesting set of posts...for me this is a season of detachment - not with faith; more with conversation/most people/definitely religion (read dogma or belief system). I could spend time in the annual endless and (for me) pointless conversation with the bearers of the only truth (whichever truth they happen to espouse) - or I can spend part of my night-time walks looking at the stars, listening to the rustle of wind and little creatures in the sere plant husks, feeling part of something lovely and wondrous. Let me think....
I remember a day decades ago when I walked into Saturday morning services to find nine men there. I was already and long-since feeling increasingly disillusioned by/with religion (as opposed to faith). When I walked in that door, nine sets of eyes looked up hopefully - the hope instantly turning to disappointment at the sight of me: a useless girl, a second class person who did not count enough to allow the commencement of prayer. The door that closed that day has remained closed and, I think, always will. I prefer the view through the other doors that have opened since.
My mother has always called Jesus the first reformed rabbi. It does not occur to her or others that if that's the case, maybe he had a point.
By the way, for a really lovely carol for those who celebrate the idea of Jesus, try In The Bleak Mid-Winter by Gustav Holst.
PS, you can browse many lovely, gentle books at Kolbo's. Even better, LG can see some really beautiful art work in many media there and revel in the colors.
I haven't been inside Kolbo's since the day Mr. Blue and I went shopping for a ketuba. (Which is a post in and of itself.) Next time we go to Zaftig's for the banana-stuffed French toast, we should go to Kolbo's again. You're right -- LG would find much to admire there.
The rest of your comment, A, is almost unbearably poignant to me, expressing as it does in a few short sentences why I have never ceased to be angry at the religion I still call my own.
Can we blame the patriarchy at this point?
Oh, just the mention of Zaftig's... I lived a few blocks from it during my year in Boston... swooning just to think of it.
Food reverie aside, this is a fascinating conversation. And, yes, Grandma Blue, I think blaming the patriarchy is entirely appropriate.
Growing up Reform, I never had that kind of experience - it took Chaim Potok's "Davita's Harp" to give me that perspective.
I was just thinking the same as Genevieve--I grew up Reform, then joined an egalitarian Conservative synagogue as a teenager. So whatever quarrels I've had with institutional Judaism, that brand of sexism hasn't been among them. Doesn't mean there haven't been any, though.
Hey Phantom,
I read your post and turned to Susan and said, "LG rocks!" And he does.
Aw, thank you, Poltica!
(Blushing on his behalf.)
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