Baby It's Cold Outside but It's Hot on Social Media and News

I awoke this morning and moved on with my Christmas routine.  After showering and readying for work, I relaxed in our kitchen with a cup of coffee and listened to Dean Martin's 1959 version of “Baby It’s Cold Outside”.  I listened because I was curious.  Since I’m not a member of the Facebook Social Club, I’ve been hearing bits and pieces of conversations from friends about the controversy surrounding this particular song, not the performer Dean Martin but the song “Baby It’s Cold Outside”, curiosity got the better of me. 

It’s a snappy tone, usually sang by a female and male in which they verbally debate the ending of their obvious date.   The female argues that it’s time to call it a night and go home, while the male responds with reasons why she should stay.

My google search showed that this song has been recorded many time by many different people.  To name a few:

Johnny Mercer and Margaret Whiting, 1949 
 Ray Charles and Betty Carter, 1957

Homer & Jethro with June, 1953

Rod Stewart and Dolly Parton, 2004

Lady Antebellum, 2008

Louis Jordan and Ella Fitzgerald, 1955

Zooey Deschanel and Leon Redbone, 2003

Kelly Clarkson and Ronnie Dunn, 2013

I could continue on, it’s an old song that has been around for going on 76 years.  It continues to be popular even today or it would have been long gone after its first release back in 1942 as was Glenn Miller's performance of “Moonlight Cocktail” back in 1942.  “Moonlight Cocktail was composed by Luckey Roberts with lyrics by Kim Gannon. It never resonated with the public and other than an occasional resurrection in the past 76 years, “Moonlight Cocktail” stays in the unvisited graveyard of historic music. 

So what’s my point? How can a 76 year old song that has been extremely popular since it was released, recorded by dozens of artists over the years, be wrapped up in so much controversy today?  My answer is social media.  

I’ve long believed that the United States of American is strong because it’s a melting pot of cultures. People who came and continue to come to the United States are here in pursuit of liberty, justice, and freedom.  After they arrived and assimilated, they remember their heritage but they became “Americans” first and foremost.  

I also believe that the down fall of the United States will not come from invasion by a foreign government.  It will not come from economic collapse.  The United States will fall because of internal conflict and strife.  

Years ago, I walked away from Facebook because, even then I saw the evil that social media of this type brings to the world.  Granted, it has some good points, but I believe the Devil exists and his instrument of destruction is social media.  

If you look up the meaning of “strife” you will find a definition similar to this: “angry or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues; conflict”.There is no negotiation or reasonable discussion in "strife".  It tears at the fabric of society.

So now let’s close the circle.  As I watch the “strife” developing over the song “Baby It’s Cold Outside”, I know the fuel to this strife is the news media which is profit driven and in social media which is also profit driven.  What social media does is also provide a battleground for social strife fueled by anger, confusion, and sometimes hate.

So how does one cope in these turbulent times?  I can only advise on what works for me.

First, cut yourself off from social media and if you can’t cut yourself off, at least limit it to people you closely know and/or family members. Focus on positives if you must participate.  Do not be afraid to block people who are filled with hate and fuel social strife.

With regard to news, I limit myself to local news media only.  I focus of current events and the good things going on in my community. All other sources tend to drive me towards worry.  

“Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Matthew 6:27 NIV.  “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34 NIV.

Lastly, I pray a lot; all the while, remembering the words of Psalm 46:10 NIV:

"He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”"

Thanks be to God.

Anxiety

Years ago, I made a conscious decision to no longer follow the national news.  I'm sure you all know why.  I gave up Facebook for similar reasons.  This leaves me with "Messenger", "Email" and "Instagram".  Instagram is now turning into Facebook since being purchased by Facebook so it will only be a matter of time before I pull the plug on it also.

This past weekend, my wife and I traveled to a Methodist Retreat on St. Simons Island.  While there I was exposed to national news once again as we dined at local restaurants which all seem to have big screen tv's turned to a national news network.  In only a few minutes, I was flooded with stories and images of murder, anger, corruption, violence, perversion, and vanity.  Only interrupted by fund raising advertisements for "cruelty to animal" advertisements showing suffering kittens, dogs, and wild life and how our contribution of $5 per day could save these suffering animals.  What about the suffering human animals in the world?

Needless to say, my weekend of R&R was finished with a full tank of anxiety from just the short exposures to the broadcast media's mind control garbage flooding the screens that surrounded me.

When I returned home, I read stories on the local news websites of local college girls who were subjected to an attempted kidnapping from a local grocery store parking lot adjacent to a college.  The suspect was identified and when police went to his residence, he had hung himself!  I read story of a man found shot in the neck, laying in a ditch in Savannah, alive but in serious condition. I read a story of two men found in a local apartment both with gun shot wounds, apparently shooting each other during an argument.  And of course I read the story of 3 dead and 11 wounded at a Jacksonville online gaming completion at a bar downtown!

With my anxiety level high from media overload (doesn't take but minutes a day for me), I fall back on the bible for help.

Psalms 46:10 KJV:

"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."

As for me, back to my favorite TV station:

EMPTY CABINETS AND REFRIGERATOR, MONDAY NIGHT, SATISFY A HUNGRY FAMILY SUPPER DISH

Servings: 4 Prep Time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
4 Oscar Mayer Wieners
4 Generic Hot Dog Buns
4 oz of Finely Shredded Cheddar Cheese
4 oz of Finely Shredded Mexican Style Blend Cheese
8 oz of Salad Shell Pasta
2 tb of Mrs. Campbell’s Chow Chow 4-6 pieces of Dole Pineapple Chunks

DIRECTIONS:
My inspiration for this recipe came from sme.86 on Instagram. She posted a photo of a mac & cheese dog served up at “Franks & Sammies”. Thanks Sylvia.

Of course, my other motivation was to make sometime that resembled the wonderful mac & cheese dog in her photo but work only with what I have at the time in my cabinets and refrigerator. So here we go.

First I started about 1 quart of lightly salted water boiling in a small sauce pan. I also started another 1 quart of water boiling in a second small sauce pan.In this first sauce pan of boiling water, I put about 8 oz of salad shell pasta I found in the cabinet left over from a previous recipe. I reduced the heat to medium/low.

In the second sauce pan of boiling water, I put 4 Oscar Mayer Wieners reducing the heat to a to mid- low and low boiler.

After about 10 minutes of cooking the pasta shells, I drained them and put them back into the same sauce pan. I then put about 4 oz of cheddar cheese and 4 oz of Mexican blend cheese in with the hot pasta shells and stirred with spoon until the pasta and cheese was smooth and creamy.

I then took a plate and place a hot dog bun on it, retrieved a hotdog from the slow boiling water of the second sauce pan and placed it in the bun. I immediately covered it with the mac/cheese shells. I topped it with two table spoons of Mrs. Campbell’s Chow Chow.

I sprinkled it with Galbani grated Parmesan cheese because I had some in the refrigerator and we all know, “You can never have too much cheese.”

I slide the plate in the microwave for 30 seconds to warm things back up and then served it with 6 chucks of Dole Pineapple on the side.

Of course, you have to eat this dish with a fork but boy is it good. Enjoy!

PHOTOS: