Kwanzaa And The Holy Innocents

I know, I know, you're all getting down with ahem, "Dr." Karenga's awesomely made up Kwanzaa, which some argue isn't celebrated by anyone other than white liberals and perhaps the FBI. But spare a thought for the Holy Innocents while you're at it.

Here's the Collect of the day and another for the Octave.

O God, Whose praise the martyred innocents did this day proclaim, not by speaking, but by dying, do to death in us all the malice of sinfulness, that our lives may also proclaim Thy faith, which our tongues profess. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee. in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that the new birth of Thine only-begotten Son in the flesh may set us free, who are held by the old bondage under the yoke of sin. Through the same Lord Jesus Christ Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.

And for all you trads out there, here's the Latin.

Deus, cujus hodiérna die præcónium Innocentes Mártyres non loquéndo, sed moriéndo conféssi sunt: ómnia in nobis vitiórum mala mortífica; ut fidem tuam, quam lingua nostra lóquitur, étiam móribus vita fateátur. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum: Qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus, Per omnia saecula saeculorum.

Concede, quaesumus, omnipotens Deus: ut nos Unigeniti Tui nova per carnem nativitas liberet; Quos sub peccati jugo vetustat servitus tenet. Per eúmdem Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum Fílium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus, Per omnia saecula saeculorum.

Serious stuff, right? And now we can all get back to innocently enjoying Kwanzaa.

Kawaida,

LSP

Check Your Privilege, Sorry, Uranium

So there you were, naively wandering down the street in your Red Indian costume, or dressed up all "minstrelsy" like a character from a Dr. Seuss book, when all of a sudden you realize that the jolly outfit is, in fact, racist.

Disaster. You run home, look at the packaging of your tried and true "General Lee" and see the word "traditional." You hide it, embarrassed, and reach for another costume, the George Washington one. That'll work. But no, "colonial." You reach blindly for  another and pull out the "Cecil Rhodes." No! Catastrophe.

Maybe the Chaka Zulu will work. Mistake. "Tribal." So you search, desperately, for something to wear on Halloween, something that doesn't perpetuate stereotypes, misinformation, or historical inaccuracy.

Don't say Uranium One.

LSP

It's Bushcraft Wednesday! Forging The Spear

Bushcraft is just that, a craft, and like any craft it has its tools. Like spears. Think about it, you're looking at your bushcraft toolkit and ticking off the items. Large and small kniives, check; whetstone, check, snares, line and hooks, check; re-purposed single shot 12 gauge musket, check. But where's the spear?

You don't have one. Bad error. Do you go to Cabela's or Academy or Bass Pro, and give your money to "the Man" for some hyped up piece of outdoors industry gimmickry? No, that's not what bushcraft's about. You make one yourself. Hammer, forge and tongs.

Here at the Compound we hope you find this short infovideo as helpful as we do.

Rorke's Drift,

LSP