Saturday, December 24, 2005
Happy Holidays! That's Right, I Went There!
Merry Christmas! That's right, politically incorrect or not, I say "Merry Christmas." I understand that others may celebrate a different seasonal holiday this time of year, and good for them. "I say Merry Christmas." I invite you to say whatever you would like, "Happy Holidays" is just fine with me and I've been known to say that, particularly when the cultural/religious background of the recipient is in question. It doesn't make me a bad person, it doesn't mean that I've declared some sort of left-wing intellectual "War on Christmas" that Fox News and the religious right seems to think is going on. Interestingly, tree ornaments that you could buy at the Fox News website were, until recently, referred to as "Holiday Ornaments." Those left-wing intellectual Christmas haters at Fox, bowing to the pressure of the religious right (right, of course, referring to their position on the political spectrum, not their correctness on any issue, be sure to remember that).
There are very few organized religions that actively preach hatred when you get right down to it. The things that terrorists are doing around the world in the name of Islam go against the teachings of the Koran every bit as much as the putrid hate-filled speech of Pat Robertson and others goes against the teachings of the Bible. Name your major religion, and they will fundamentally be against that kind of hatred. Ironic then, that the so-called fundamentalists of the major religions are the ones who cause all of the problems.
I invite everyone to celebrate something this time of the year. Celebrate a funny little fat man in a red suit delivering toys to all of the children of the world (at nearly-fantastic speed). Celebrate a carpenter born in a stable because the inn was full (his family wasn't turned away because they were jewish). Celebrate lights in the temple that had no logical reason to continue burning for eight days. Celebrate the holiest month of the Moslem year. Celebrate whatever the hell Kwanzaa is. Just celebrate something. And be good to each other. Don't be swayed by the fundamentalists of any religion, because the basis of their religions are not to kill or be intolerant of others who don't believe as they do, no matter what they preach.
Don't buy into the "War on Christmas." Last year nobody had heard that term, this year it's all over right-wing talk radio (yeah, I listen, got to keep up with what the whack jobs are thinking). If anything, this is a "War on Tolerance." Forcing retailers to say "Merry Christmas" is exclusionary. It excludes those who don't believe in Christmas. That's their right. It's not the job of corporations to evangelize. That's the job of churches and individuals. As I said before, if someone says "Happy Holidays" to you, that's their right. Christmas isn't the only holiday going on this time of the year. If you feel the need, reply with "Merry Christmas," or "Happy Hanukkah" or "A Joyous Kwanzaa to you - and I don't even no what that means." Don't get upset. Don't be offended that an individual couldn't see into your soul and know what you're celebrating. The only reason you should be offended by "Happy Holidays" is if your not celebrating anything this time of the year. There's no way for a cashier to know that either, but at least you would have some beef.
BOJ
There are very few organized religions that actively preach hatred when you get right down to it. The things that terrorists are doing around the world in the name of Islam go against the teachings of the Koran every bit as much as the putrid hate-filled speech of Pat Robertson and others goes against the teachings of the Bible. Name your major religion, and they will fundamentally be against that kind of hatred. Ironic then, that the so-called fundamentalists of the major religions are the ones who cause all of the problems.
I invite everyone to celebrate something this time of the year. Celebrate a funny little fat man in a red suit delivering toys to all of the children of the world (at nearly-fantastic speed). Celebrate a carpenter born in a stable because the inn was full (his family wasn't turned away because they were jewish). Celebrate lights in the temple that had no logical reason to continue burning for eight days. Celebrate the holiest month of the Moslem year. Celebrate whatever the hell Kwanzaa is. Just celebrate something. And be good to each other. Don't be swayed by the fundamentalists of any religion, because the basis of their religions are not to kill or be intolerant of others who don't believe as they do, no matter what they preach.
Don't buy into the "War on Christmas." Last year nobody had heard that term, this year it's all over right-wing talk radio (yeah, I listen, got to keep up with what the whack jobs are thinking). If anything, this is a "War on Tolerance." Forcing retailers to say "Merry Christmas" is exclusionary. It excludes those who don't believe in Christmas. That's their right. It's not the job of corporations to evangelize. That's the job of churches and individuals. As I said before, if someone says "Happy Holidays" to you, that's their right. Christmas isn't the only holiday going on this time of the year. If you feel the need, reply with "Merry Christmas," or "Happy Hanukkah" or "A Joyous Kwanzaa to you - and I don't even no what that means." Don't get upset. Don't be offended that an individual couldn't see into your soul and know what you're celebrating. The only reason you should be offended by "Happy Holidays" is if your not celebrating anything this time of the year. There's no way for a cashier to know that either, but at least you would have some beef.
BOJ
# posted by Blind Orange Julius @ 1:44 PM 
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Merry Christmas, BOJ!! Personally, I don't care what the check-out person at the grocery store wishes me, I just wish I'd get carded more often when I buy beer.
# posted by 
: 3:25 PM
: 3:25 PM
It was many years ago. I was doing my first stint of subbing at good old DHS. It was the day before Christmas vacation and I was subbing for, of all people, 5-55 (I actually didn't know her at that time). I had a study hall period, she had left all kinds of hardass instructions about kids having to be working on homework and the like. It's the day before vacation, so I just told them to keep it quiet enough that they didn't disturb other classes and stay in the room, otherwise I didn't care what they did.
So some kids end up on the floor shooting dice. Ateacher comes in from the next room and asks to borrow a stapler. I start rifling through 5-55's desk. The other teacher asks if I should be doing that. I asked why. She said that the teacher should do that. At 26 years old, I was passing for a high school student. Pretty cool.
The next year, after the SDPTV Christmas party I was at Leo's Lounge in Vermillion. I was pretty drunk and playing harmonica at a table. A woman a few years older than me started hitting on me. That's cool, but at some point she asked me how old I was. Figuring she'd be embarassed by our actual difference in ages, I told her I was 34. She bought it. Well, maybe she just wanted to buy it, but in my late twenties I cold pass for anywhere from 18 to 34.
I did get carded buying beer a couple of years ago, but I suspect the woman doing the carding was somewhat insane. Still, it made me feel pretty good for a couple of minutes. More than a couple of minutes because I still remember it and am writing about it now........
So some kids end up on the floor shooting dice. Ateacher comes in from the next room and asks to borrow a stapler. I start rifling through 5-55's desk. The other teacher asks if I should be doing that. I asked why. She said that the teacher should do that. At 26 years old, I was passing for a high school student. Pretty cool.
The next year, after the SDPTV Christmas party I was at Leo's Lounge in Vermillion. I was pretty drunk and playing harmonica at a table. A woman a few years older than me started hitting on me. That's cool, but at some point she asked me how old I was. Figuring she'd be embarassed by our actual difference in ages, I told her I was 34. She bought it. Well, maybe she just wanted to buy it, but in my late twenties I cold pass for anywhere from 18 to 34.
I did get carded buying beer a couple of years ago, but I suspect the woman doing the carding was somewhat insane. Still, it made me feel pretty good for a couple of minutes. More than a couple of minutes because I still remember it and am writing about it now........
Despite the fact that I'm (omg!!!) 48 I still get carded but it's usually in a bar. I think it has something to do with the low light level being kind. Either that or they take an average of how old I look and how old I behave...somehow doing the math always shaves a few years off. Aside from that, use sunscreen!! And floss regularly.
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# posted by : 12:28 AM
: 12:28 AM << Home
