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The war on Christmas continues. Here is a picture of the national Best Buy ad inviting folks to celebrate Thanksgiving and . . . Eid al-Adha, which is a Muslim festival of sacrifice. It’s actually a festival that sacrifices of goats in similitude of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son. Best Buy adNow, I have nothing against Best Buy celebrating a Muslim holiday, in fact I think it’s a wonderfully inclusive thing to do. No, the problem I have is that in 2006 Best Buy discontinued the use of “Merry Christmas” in their holiday advertising. Here is a posting from...

The White House invited an ACLU attorney, who has built a career over the past six years of litigating against the United States in support of terrorists, to an official White House dinner last night to celebrate Ramadan with President Obama. Jameel Jaffer, who runs the ACLU's "national security project," has filed lawsuits challenging the FBI's "national security letter" authority, the constitutionality of warrantless wiretaps, and has been a leader in pushing for the shut down of Guantánamo Bay, and providing legal rights to terrorists held by the United States overseas in such countries as Iraq and Afghanistan. His efforts...

A USA Today story "High schoolers name women, black Americans 'most famous'" by Greg Toppo (no link for copyright reasons) lists the 10 most famous Americans (excluding presidents and first ladies) according to high school students. I think 8 of the 10 figures ought to be covered in history classes (excluding Oprah Winfrey and Marilyn Monroe), but it does appear that who gets taught is being determined by race and sex quotas.

Christmas in Japan can be a little lonely and isolated for the Westerner. What with the distance and cultural differences. Missing the usual things from back home, especially for one 'American in Tokyo'. This year 2007 is no different. However, in many respects there is nevertheless one little thing that is so refreshing about being stuck in Japan during Christmas—after a few years--for the occasions one cannot make it back "home". It is almost like the clock has been turned back years to a simple and brighter time in our own country. An era years before the phenomenon of "political...

In Christmases past, residents of Kingston House in West York hung a tree with Santa Clauses and decorated a common room with puzzles showing Christ in a manger. School groups and carolers came through the halls singing "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and other popular Christian hymns. But things are different this December. At Kingston House and other properties owned by the York Area Development Corporation, songs or decorations in common areas must be secular. The same policy applies to hundreds of tenants in York City's Delphia House and other apartments managed by the development...

War on 'Merry Christmas'? http://access.aikenstandard.com/archive_detail.php?archiveFile=./pubfiles/aik/archive/2007/December/09/site-localnews/143446.xmlhttp://tinyurl.com/26bjsbDecember 09, 2007 By HALEY HUGHES Staff writer What would you say if someone wished you a "Merry Christmas"? Would your response be "Merry Christmas to you, too," or would you ever so subtly correct them by throwing out the more politically correct term, "Happy Holidays"? Would you say anything at all? In an ever-increasingly PC world, it seems "Happy Holidays" is the more accepted greeting passed from person to person when the holiday season (whatever the holiday may be) arrives. The fear of offending someone by referring to Christianity's most treasured figure has driven individuals...

Help Sink Old Navy's Blockade Dear Craig, You would think a company that gets the vast majority of its business from Christians would be respectful of its customers. Such is true of companies that don't have an anti-Christian bias. But not at Old Navy. Old Navy has put a blockade around Christmas. Old Navy, Gap and Banana Republic are owned by the same company. And all three boycott Christmas. At these stores, Christmas isn't allowed because a handful of non-Christians are offended. Old Navy doesn't want to offend non-Christians. But they sure don't worry about offending Christians. They will take...

Howie Carr live thread for week of 12/17/07

A new poll finds Americans overwhelmingly prefer that stores use the phrase "Merry Christmas" in their seasonal advertising rather than "Happy Holidays. The Rasmussen survey found 67 percent favor "Merry Christmas" while just 26 percent prefer "Happy Holidays." Rasmussen said the poll results were the same for males and females, and there were few demographic differences. A sharp difference, however, showed up between Republicans and Democrats. While 88 percent of Republicans prefer "Merry Christmas," just 57 percent of Democrats favor the saying.

67% Prefer Merry Christmas while 26% Opt for Happy Holidays Thursday, November 22, 2007 As the holiday season begins, 67% of American adults like stores to use the phrase “Merry Christmas” in their seasonal advertising rather than “Happy Holidays.” A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that just 26% prefer the Happy Holidays line. There is no gender gap on this question and few demographic differences. From a politically partisan perspective, 88% of Republicans prefer “Merry Christmas” while just 57% of Democrats favor the saying. Heading into Thanksgiving week, only 27% say they have begun their Christmas or holiday shopping...

Holiday task force gives decoration suggestions for city This article discusses a proposal by the city of Fort Collins, CO to establish a task force to consider policies related to city-sponsored holiday displays. The "educational and multicultural" display would represent both religious and non-religious celebrations that occur between Nov 1 and Jan 30.

About a year ago, my husband and I traveled across the chilly cornfields of Indiana to have our younger son baptized...Babies, love, and family. Comfort, joy, and peace... But perhaps not so fast... What [we]forget, neglect or conveniently ignore is what we can not-too-dramatically call the Dark Side of Christmas. The really traditional Christian remembrance of the Nativity is not about sweetness. It is about awe, fear, and trembling, and it is shot through with hints of suffering to come. Mary, with a scandalous pregnancy. Joseph, courageous enough to take her on despite it. A birth among farm animals. The...

The Peanuts gang and FReeper "indcons" wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a great 2007.

Black X Mass has been a San Francisco tradition since 1997. Over the years the audience has ranged from people who don't celebrate Christmas, to those who want to detox from a day of heavy dysfunction with their celebrating relatives and contemplate the possibility that they were adopted, to people who have recently moved to San Francisco and have no local family with whom to celebrate. Black X Mass is presented by the First Satanic Church and its founder and high priestess, Karla LaVey. "It's basically a variety show. There are outlandish acts that are really good musically. There's a...

Welcome to The Hobbit Hole! First thread: New Zealander builds Hobbit holeSecond thread: The New Hobbit HoleThird thread: The Hobbit Hole III - Journey to the Cross-roads! (Congratulations, we filled it up!) Fourth Thread: The Hobbit Hole IV - The Road Goes Ever On...Fifth Thread: The Hobbit Hole V - Where Many Paths and Errands Meet...Sixth Thread: The Hobbit Hole VI - And Whither Then? I Cannot Say...Seventh Thread: The Hobbit Hole VII - But not yet weary are our feet... Eighth Thread: The Hobbit Hole VIII - Still round the corner we may meet... Ninth Thread: The Hobbit Hole...

The departure of Christmas tree displays at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport — the Port of Seattle's response to a local rabbi's insistence that an electric menorah also be put up — is accelerating into an international spectacle in the so-called "war on Christmas." And that is not what Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky wanted. "I am devastated, shocked and appalled at the decision that the Port of Seattle came to," he said Sunday. As news coverage about the airport's trees spread from CNN to ABC to the Paris-based International Herald Tribune, Bogomilsky on Sunday began to receive hateful messages from people holding him...

12/04/2006 A St. Louis man was shot to death Sunday night over a warm beer, police said. St. Louis police say a woman shot her husband, who was about 70 years old, four to five times in the chest after he tried giving her a warm can of Stag beer. Police said the wife admitted shooting him about 5:40 p.m. in the kitchen of their home in the 5100 block of Terry Avenue. Police said the home had no electricity at the time. Homicide detectives would not identify the man. The woman, whom police also did not identify, was taken...

Tonight at 5:30, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts presents its 17th annual Holiday Tree Lighting. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be telecast live on New York's WABC-TV, Channel 7; the station's Sade Baderinwa and Sam Champion will host. Special performances at this family gathering include excerpts from the Metropolitan Opera's new English-language adaptation of Mozart's The Magic Flute (including an appearance by renowned baritone Nathan Gunn as Papageno); festive music by members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra; dancers from the School of American Ballet and New York City Ballet in a...

With Wal-Mart leading the way, several major retailers are bringing "Christmas" back into their holiday advertising and displays as shopping begins in earnest this week. Which term do you prefer? Christmas season Holiday season

Wal-Mart opts for ‘Christmas’ marketing It won't be 'happy holidays' this year; it will be 'Merry Christmas' Updated: 9:31 p.m. ET Nov 9, 2006 BENTONVILLE, Ark. - It is beginning to look a lot more like Christmas at Wal-Mart. This holiday season, Wal-Mart isn’t trumpeting big bargains only. It’s also bringing “Christmas” back into its marketing, after several years of playing down the term. Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s Christmas cheer seems to be a hot trend this season as several other retailers including Kohl’s Corp. and Macy’s, a division of Federated Department Stores Inc., are also stepping up their Christmas marketing....