Literal minded at one's own convenience

I've been terrible about updating this blog since starting my new job last Fall. Part of the reason has been that I've been so busy at work (uncovering and cleaning up the awful mess my now former boss left behind). The other part I've been on blogger silence is related to the overwhelming sense of disgust and frustration of what that sociopathic cabal otherwise known as the Bush administration has been able to continue doing to this country exacerbated by the fact the Democratic Party is still acting the spineless jellyfish that insists on handing our government over to the ChristoTheocrats on the proverbial silver platter. It's absolutely mind numbing to say the least (mind you, I think my former boss has similar sociopathic tendencies exhibited by our current President but that a committment of Ethics and Integrity managed to win and ultimately push him out; I can only hope for the same to happen to our country in the very near future).

One of my challenges at work is my admin. This is the same Christian admin with whom I worked many years ago at a different company, the one who gave me a NIV Bible as a present despite the fact that I am Jewish. Among her many issues and problems in the work environment was the fact she was not a team-player, she decided the way she thought things were to be done were the right way to be done and she foisted her religion at people at the previous company - she was eventually let go for many of those reasons. Prior to taking the job at the new company I spoke with her about some of the problems she had at the old company. She assured me she was in a better situation and in a position in which she was more comfortable which meant she was able to perform her duties without instigating conflict.

As a matter of fact, she was the admin to my now former boss and the reason there was, according to her, no problem at work was due to the fact he asked her to do very little, let her do it on her own timeline and terms (she could show up to, and leave, work at any time and could even work from home whenever she pleased). Needless to say, shortly after I started, I realized her old pattern of inappropriate and antagonizing behavior had reappeared (though I was the only one she actively engaged in religious matters). I had very little say in being able to address her issues prior to my now former boss becoming, well, my now former boss. After we announced the departure of said former boss and he turned in his badge and company computer, I spoke to the admin about her hours as she always arrived late, generally left early and worked from home on a regular basis as well as whenever her boss was not in the office. Let me explain something about my company: we're really small, most of the admins support a large group of people and, with the exception of my former boss, nobody used her because she is argumentative, unreliable and it takes more time to write out and explain every detail of something to be done (even when it's doing something she's done before) than it would take to do the task yourself (seriously, she expends more time and energy trying to get out of work & ignores directives as suggestions she doesn't want to take). The company has a very detailed employee manual that explains a FT employee is someone who works at least 40 hours and that as a non-exempt employee she is eligible for two paid ten min. breaks for each 4 hours worked and 30-60 minutes of unpaid time for lunch; we permit flex time to set start and stop times (with manager's approval) provided the employee is in during core hours, works 8 hour days and 40 hour weeks. Non-exempt employees are paid overtime for any time worked over 8 hours in a calendar day and/or over 40 hours in a calendar week. If you're going to be late or need to leave early, you just have call in to your manager to let them know the deal. Let's just say the admin in question abides by none of this. The first time I spoke to her about her hours was when she spontaneously sent an email saying she would be working from home that day (a day I was, ostensibly, on vacation). I made it clear that she needs to get permission ahead of time and that the CEO of our company had specifically asked me to discuss the fact she does not have a position that warrants working from home and that he had noticed that when she's in the office she always comes in late and leaves early. I noted that, from now on, she had to get permission from me to work from home and that she had to abide by core hours and work full days unless she had approval from her line manager (that'd be me) for a different work schedule. She had the audacity to reply with a comment that said until our former boss was officially off the payroll, she would abide by the verbal agreement she had with him. Our CEO took the next crack at her reminding her of her obligations and our policies. In the 2 weeks since then, she had yet to come in by core hours or stay a full day. .. until Thursday, when I announced I was having 1:1's to review our employee manual and policies with my direct reports - she stayed til 5 on Thursday and showed up at 9 on Friday. During our 1:1, she started crying as soon as I brought up her work schedule and the company's policies. She knows I'm a sucker (I think that's pretty much common knowledge) and that I've done some research on a condition she claims to have - a condition for which she has never approached HR about or requested "special consideration" under the ADA.

She has steadfastly refused to utilize any of the physical/office amenities (ergonomically appropriate workstation) as suggested by the advocacy group that lobbies for her condition - as a matter of fact, she got downright nasty when I pointed out that her cube had some of the amentities the rest of us are still waiting for and demanded they be removed (basically, this allows her to more easily hide what she's doing since her body blocks the screen of her laptop). Our flexible schedule w/core hours & break and lunch policies are compliant with the frequent breaks suggested by the advocacy group. The one thing I can not offer her is the ability to work from home on a regular basis due to the nature of her job (and the fact we really have no idea what she's doing since we give her very little to do and have to remind her to do those things mutiple times to get them done). She claims that she does not take breaks or lunch and rarely leaves her workstation (she has, in fact, disappeared for hours at a time in the past two weeks alone) because she can only work if she works straight through without breaksand rarely takes lunch away from her desk and said she leaves early because she tires easily. When I pointed out the mandatory [paid] breaks and the fact that she's supposed to take at least a 30 minute lunch, she scoffed indicating that she can't work an 8 hour day, the breaks would be problematic for her and that taking a 30 minute unpaid lunch would mean she couldn't go home for the day until 8 and a half hours after she arrived. According to the admin, she is incapable of spending such long hours at work, even with breaks. Mind you, she is capable of staying until very late when it comes to spending quiet time with me to discuss religion. No shit: she was capable of staying almost 11 hours by extending our 1:1 time 3 times the orginal length it was scheduled (to discuss personal problems and religion) plus 3 hours after everyone else left to discuss religion with me!

The admin is among those who consider her preferred translation of the bible as the complete, inerrant and literal word of G-d (unlike others, she acknowledges that none of us has the original manuscripts of those who took G-d's dictation of the bible to perform the literal translation and she acknowledges that it's been past down verbally and gone through multiple translations since the original dictation sessions). This bible provides the rules to follow and the rules of Jesus are the rules that must be followed lest one be relegated to Hell for all eternity. These are the only rules that must be followed (never mind the fact there's a lot of stuff G-d failed to address - apparently because we have no right to ask about those things). Unlike other fundamentalists, she also acknowledges that one does not have to believe in G-d to be moral; one just has to publicly accept Jesus as their saviour, be a "good Christian" and receive His forgiveness for their sins to go to heaven after death. Even one who is 100% righteous (does all the right things for all the right reasons, does good works and live a moral life that is beyond reproach) would be relegated to Hell if that person did not whole-heartedly accept Jesus as his/her one and only Saviour. Hell, it seems, is full of good, moral, kind and loving people who are there for no reason other than the fact they didn't accept Jesus as their road to salvation. It is completely lost on her that the Scripture by which she lives render the lives we live and the people we are irrelevant and show the rules of salvation to be, for all intent and purposes, arbitrary. I am doomed to Hell purely by the fact I try to do what's right because it is inherently the right thing to do and not because I'm searching for some great reward when my life here is done. She has a shot of some great reward, one she fears she does not deserve, purely because she has accepted the role of Jesus as the only road to salvation. Now if only she'd show a minimal amount of regard for the rules of the company, she might be able to follow the road to salvation of her gainful employment because without it she may well find she's risked a decent life on earth while having no guarantee of a heavenly reward after punching that final time-card. To be honest, I think I have better odds.

Tags: religion; Christianity; work

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Missing Monday: upcoming anniversary

Almost a year ago, 34-year old Danielle Imbo and 35-year old Richard Petrone vanished into thin air after spending an evening Abilene's bar and restaurant on South Street in Philadelphia. Neither the couple nor Petrone's 2001, black, 4-door Dodge Dakota( PA registration #YFH2319) have been seen since the couple left the club and the police have no evidence to explain the couple's disappearance.

Imbo is 5'5", weighs about 117 pounds and has brown hair, hazel eyes and a tatoo of her zodiac sign (Leo) in a horshoe of flowers on her lower back.

Petrone is 5'9", weighs about 200 pounds and has short brown hair, a beard and blue eyes. He also has two tattoos:on his right arm he has an image of clowns; on his left he has the name "Angela" (the name of his daughter).

If you have any information about the disappearance of Richard Petrone and Danielle Imbo, please contact one of the following:

• The Citizen's Crime Commission (which is offering a $100,000 reward) at 215-546-TIPS (8477)
• South Philadelphia Police at 215-686-3013
• Mt. Laurel Township Police at 856-234-1414
• NJSP Missing Persons at 800-709-7090
• Philadelphia Police at 215-686-3013/ 3014

Tags: Missing Persons; Missing Monday; Richard Petrone; Danielle Imbo

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O'Leilly spews more crap about not-so silent nights

Bill O'Reilly made an appearance on Letterman last night in which he repeated a covenient falsehood to perpetuate his war against those who don't think public school is an appropriate venue for religious training. During his post-holiday diatribe about the non-existent war on Christmas, O'Reilly called the folks at Ridgewell [sic] Elementary School in Wisconsin "pinheads" because they supposedly altered the words to Silent Night. O'Reilly's refusal to drop the inanity prompted Letterman to comment that he had a feeling that 60% of what O'Reilly says is crap.

OK. Ridgewood Elementary School in Dodgeville, Wisconsin. Song, "Silent Night." "Silent Night," you know? Knocked out the words and told the little kids to sing, "Cold in the night. No one in sight. Winter winds whine and bite. How I wish I was happy and warm. Safe with my family out of the storm." They replaced the words to "Silent Night" with that. Now, with all due respect, I think even think the baby Jesus would say, "Give me a break." You know? You want another one? [Media Matters]

Billy-boy and his Christotheocratic friends at the Liberty Counsel firmly believe that [Christian] religious training should be a core component to a public school education, as noted by O'Reilly's multiple [innaccurate] comments about lyric revisions over the past month and the Liberty Counsel's condemnation of the "secularized rendition" of the song. The group also noted that since Christmas is a state and federal holiday, religious aspects to the celebration of the holiday should be mandated in public schools.

For those of you who may not understand why some parents (and students) might object to singing completely innocuous songs in music class or the school choir's winter recital, I remind you of the lyrics of the song Silent Night [emphasis added]

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin, mother and child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heav'nly hosts sing Alleluia
Christ the savior is born
Christ the savior is born

Silent night, holy night
Son of G-d, love's pure light
Radiant beams from thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus Lord, at thy birth
Jesus Lord, at thy birth

Tags:1st Amendment; Religion; Christmas; Bill "It's not a lie, it's what I want to be true" O'Reilly

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Missing Monday: not the way to start a new year

Count the Miliani family among those who had a less than joyous holiday season. While people were wishing for something on this year's "hot" list, the best present and way to start the new year off right the Miliani's could have received was a sign that 29-year old Rossana Miliani was safe & on her way home. Rossana was last heard from December 7, 2005 while staying at the Ramada Inn in Cherokee, NC courtesy of a local Methodist Pastor named David. She has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder/schizophrenia but has not been taking her medication.

Miliani is 5'8", weighs approximately 225 pounds, has brown eyes & long wavy brown hair. She also has a large tatoo of a lotus flower on her lower back and small shards of glass on her upper arm from a car accident. She is fluent in Spanish & Italian and was working on learning French as well. If you have any information on her disappearance and/or whereabouts, please contact Deputy Sosa at (954) 491-3920 and reference case #LS05-12-00300.

Follow-up to last month's Missing Monday: Unfortunately for the family of missing Forward Township woman Patricia McDonald, she was found dead last Monday in her truck by a local hunter. McDonald's truck apparently veered of the road and crashed in a wooded hillside along route 51.

Campaign for the Missing: Kelly Jolkowski of Project Jason - Voice for the Missing is looking for volunteers to aid in the mission of passing legislation in each state to imporve law enforcement's ability to locate missing persons in a timely fashion.

What is Campaign for the Missing 2006?

Campaign for the Missing 2006 is a grassroots effort to pass legislation in each state that will serve to improve the law enforcement community's ability to locate and ensure a safe return of missing persons. It will address the national problems of missing persons and the identification of human remains and provide the framework for improving law enforcement's response. It will also improve the collection of critical information about missing persons, prioritize high-risk missing persons cases, and ensure prompt dissemination of critical information to other law enforcement agencies and the public that can improve the likelihood of a safe return.

The Department of Justice, working with Federal, State, and local law enforcement; coroners and medical examiners; victim advocates; forensic scientists; key policymakers; and family members who have lived through this tragic experience, developed the model to be presented in each state’s legislature.

As Kelly notes in her own blog, participation represents a significant committment that exceeds a letter writing campaign. She needs someone with the time to dog state senators as necessary to sponsor some new legislation. More information is available at Voice for the Missing.

Links to more Missing Monday posts from Philly area bloggers at Philly Future.

Tags: Missing Persons

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He's know when you've been lying

I just trekked over to Shakes' where I found the following uproariously funny quote from he who is sullying the office of the presidency [emphasis added]

President Bush on Sunday strongly defended his domestic spying program, saying it's a limited program that tracks only incoming calls to the United States. [AP via Yahoo]

If I recall correctly, the Preznit and his merry band of thieves (as well as their fan club) had pitched a fit about the leak of the secret (because it's illegal) NSA domestic spying and how that revelation has damaged national security by publicly informing "the terrorists" how we're spying on them. If this is true, then the shrub's public statement that only incoming calls are being spied upon has given away what sort of information? My guess is that the terrorists, unlike your average American citizen who naively expects our government to follow laws, probably expected BushCo to break our laws and spy on anyone they deem the enemy and accuse of being a threat to the country (i.e., those who didn't vote for them). I'm also guessing that the terrorists, like many jaded Americans, don't exactly believe Bushie when he says the program is what a rational person would consider "limited".

Santa tracks celebraters of Christmas all year round - there are no blackout dates or presidential reprieves. I hope this means Santa will support starting to spread the holiday a little earlier than normal, say at the beginning of November.

Tags: The Bushevik Revolution; politics; protecting the WHIG; we're America, we own the world; BBA; conservatism

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Shopping for approval

A new year and yet another story showing that BushCo is only willing to listen to people who tell them what they want to hear. BushCo chief of staff Andy Card and former WH General Counsel (long-time Bush Crony and current AG) Alberto Gonzales made an emergency visit to former AG John Ashcroft while recovering from gall-bladder surgery and being treated for pancreatitis in GWU's ICU in March 2004. Even assuming Ashcroft was housed in the ICU instead of on the floor of the house for non-clinical reasons, this wasn't your standard "hey we hope you get well soon" hospital visit. This visit was prompted because acting AG John Comey apparently had enough concerns about central aspects to the NSA's domestic spying program that he wasn't willing to approve them.

I guess that Comey didn't know that a request from Dubya and friends is an order - George is king after all.


Tags: The Bushevik Revolution; politics; protecting the WHIG; we're America, we own the world; BBA; conservatism

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oh fer chrissake!

The Catholic League dumps on Comedy Central to nix encore episode of South Park's Bloody Mary episode. The canned episode depicts religious Christians going to South Park in search of healing from what turns out to be the menstrual flow of a statue of the virgin Mary.

Somewhat predictably, the Catholic League was incensed by the satirical portrayal of the Virgin Mary and the pope and by the fact that the episode aired on the day before the Catholic Church celebrated its Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

As usual, the Catholic League missed the point. The show was not a satirical portrayal of the blessed virgin, it was a satirical portrayal of the extremes [Christian] believers go to in search of "miracles" or external affirmation of their faith.

I'm just jewbilant that I'm secure in my faith, but then mine comes with an appropriate admiration of fine art.


Tags: religion; Catholic League; South Park

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10 Worst Americans of 2005

The Heretik asks,only 10?, though he managed to limit his list to 1 (and it wasn't Paris Hilton). I have to admit I had a hard time limiting my choices to 10, especially since I was really trying to avoid being too partisan. This is what I came up with:

10. Jamie Reynolds who fabricated stories of a soldier and his young daughter, going so far as convincing a young girl (and her family) she was acting in a movie to maintain an elaborate charade that tugged at the heartstrings of an unsuspecting SIU campus.

9. Tom Cruise for practicing medicine without a license (or training, for that matter). Bonus points for getting Katie Holmes to break her virginity pledge.

8. The DNC and PA Dems for enforcing a facade that Bob Casey, Jr is running in the PA senatorial primary unopposed

7. John Smid and the folks at LIA/R for intellectual dishonesty, among other things

6. [tie] Bill Frist, Tom Coburn and David Hager for egregious lack of clinical judgment/scientific integrity

5. Indiana State Senator Patricia Miller for proposing a law to criminalize "unathorized reproduction" and make marriage a requirement for motherhood

4. John Gibson who actually managed to trump Bill O'Reilly in the faux fox war on Christmas by commiserating with radio host Janet Parshall about how those who follow the "wrong religion" are misbehaving by not supporting forced celebration of Christmas in all public places and then lambasting Keith Olbermann for accurately calling him on it.

3. Texas cabbie Behrouz Nahidmobarekeh for doing something really shitty

2. Michael Brown for doing a "heckuva job" not coordinating FEMA's response to Hurricane Katrina (bdrownie points for managing to get rehired as a consultant)

1. BushCo (this needs no explanation)


Tag: worst americans

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The Book of Daniel

The American Family Association (AFA) has had a cow over NBC's latest threat to the ability of good Christians to maintain their moral integrity. The Christotheocratic revolutionaries have encouraged their followers to email NBC Chairman, Bob Wright, to let him know how much they disapprove of any programming that shows characters engaging in any behavior they find inconsistent with biblical teaching (unless, of course, those characters are clearly shown as evil and punished on earth as they will surely be in Hell).

AFA has provided suggested text for an email, so all members have to do is enter their own subject line (so it would appear as though these are spontaneous and independent messages of displeasure), add their personal information and then hit send. Their letter can easily be adapted to ensure consistency with your personal opinion, or you can email Bob Wright directly with your coments. If you're a regular reader, you know full well I just adapted their text

I am excited that NBC has decided to air "The Book of Daniel," and hope the program is as clever as trailers make it appear. I know that AFA will regularly update its minions as to which companies are buying advertising time on the show and then threaten to boycott products in an effort to ensure all programming available to American citizens is consistent with their religious beliefs.

Christians are told in Hebrews that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." My guess is that Jesus was a pretty smart guy who would have suggested folks avoid engaging in activities that offend their moral sensibilities despite the fact others do engage in those activities. Obviously the AFA/FoF/CWA don't believe that. It would be beneficial to all if religio-political organizations showed a little more respect for Christians who believe the Bible is the complete, inerrant & literal word of G-d by suggesting that they adhere to their own beliefs and take responsibility for their own actions/behavior.

I ask you to inform all NBC affiliates, in writing, (according to your testimony before a Congressional hearing last year) they are not required to air this program if they choose not to but that the vast majority of TV viewers do not spend their time writing letters complaining about how other people are watching shows they don't like (AFA made this easy for me, otherwise I would have just tuned in without sending any correspondence with your network).

Tags: conservatism; media; something being imposed on the public; something else being imposed on the public

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bless me now with fierce tears

Remy Martin
17 August 1987 - 26 December 2005

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Six Degrees of Separation: the bin Laden edition

Georgie's busy playing his favorite game this year. He actually got to secretly beta-test it for 4 years but now we all know and he's damned proud of what an expert he's become. The rules of the game are pretty simple, if the Preznit can connect you to Osama bin Laden in no more than six (6) steps they have enough evidence to "reasonably" connect you to terrorism and can legally be spied upon/"monitored" without a warrant. This game was set up because the laws under FISA require the government to supply evidence to obtain a warrant within 72 hours after starting to spy on Americans domestically.

As we all know, in these dire times American law (vis-a-vis FISA) places an unnecessary delay on the Preznit's ability to start gathering information and prevent terrorism. According to the administration (and its kool aid drinking supporters), since we are at war (approved by a Congress mislead by BushCo supplied faulty intel), the government can start spying on Americans domestically just because they think they have reasonable evidence that the persons by spied on are potentially involved in plots against these United States of Fundamentalist Christian America. In this instance, the word "reasonable" is defined as having six (6) or less degress of separation to a Osama bin Laden. Examples as follows:

• Monitoring international calls/emails
  
• Connection made in 1 degree
  
1. Osama bin Laden is not in the US and a US-based terrorist could contact him or his agents by placing an international phone call and/or sending emails read by someone outside the US

• Monitoring Muslim homes and Mosques for radiation
  
• Connection made in 1 degree
1. Osama bin Laden purports to be a good Muslim therefore it is reasonable to monitor Muslims in the US for radiation which is a weapon used by terrorists

• Monitoring of anti-war protesters
  
• Connection made in 2 degrees
1. the war is being conducted to ensure oil fields do not fall into the hands of terrorists
2. Osama bin Laden a terrorist

• Monitoring of environmental, animal rights, anti-poverty & other Liberal organizations
• Connection made in 3 degrees
1. Liberals support homosexuality
2. Homosexuality is punished by death in Muslim nations
3. America is only targeted by bin Laden because of the Liberals

Happy Christmas!

Tags: The Bushevik Revolution; politics; protecting the WHIG; we're America, we own the world; BBA; conservatism; Osama bin Laden

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Santorum: flop-flops evoved into the new rage in 2005

Virginia's own Rick "I lie, the occasional science guy" Santorum has decided to withdraw his affiliation with the Thomas More Law Center over their involvement in the defense of the Dover PA schoolboard's losing battle to insert theology into science classrooms. It seems as though lil' Ricky is now troubled by folks making policy decisions motivated by their own religious beliefs.


Tags:santorum; hypocrisy; evolution; Intelligent Design; something being imposed on the public; something else being imposed on the public

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The Bush Presidency: well past its expiration date

On the heels of reports that the BushCo has decided the sequal to Viet Nam being played out in Iraq needed the home-court component, it's been revealed the Preznit has gone all the way in the revival by spying on phone calls between folks in the US and those overseas. King George has not only admitted that the story of his illegal wiretapping and spying on US citizens is true, he's lambasted the NYTimes, which previously shilled his policies and served up supersize portions of WHIG propaganda via Judy Miller, as having jeopardized nationla security. [emphasis added]:

"In the weeks following the terrorist attacks on our nation, I authorized the National Security Agency, consistent with U.S. law and the Constitution, to intercept the international communications of people with known links to al Qaeda and related terrorist organizations.

Before we intercept these communications, the government must have information that establishes a clear link to these terrorist networks. This is a highly classified program that is crucial to our national security. Its purpose is to detect and prevent terrorist attacks against the United States, our friends and allies."

Yesterday the existence of this secret program was revealed in media reports, after being improperly provided to news organizations. As a result, our enemies have learned information they should not have, and the unauthorized disclosure of this effort damages our national security and puts our citizens at risk. Revealing classified information is illegal, alerts our enemies, and endangers our country." [full transcript]

While stomping for the reauthorization of the unPATRIOTic Act, the boy blunder made it crystal clear that Busheviks do not have to abide by any laws. After all, the PATRIOT ACT gave his administration unheard of latitude and yet he still resorted to illegal activities to spy on Americans at home.

I'm sure I'm not the only who thinks it's telling that Dubya has clearly stated that revealing classified information to the press is illegal while supporting those within his administration who were the sources of the leak of Valerie Plame's name. It sounds like he's revealed that in his government leaking classified information is an act of heroism when national security is at risk (i.e., revealing the name of a CIA operative) but it's downright treasonous when the security of the Bush Administration/Republican Party is what's at stake.

And here I thought the President was supposed to uphold the Constitution, not take a wiz on it.

Tags: The Bushevik Revolution; turdblossom; Valerie Plame; politics; protecting the WHIG; we're America, we own the world; BBA; conservatism; media; Downing Street Memorandum; Novakula; media; Lewis Scooter "Leaky" Libby; Iraq; Judy "I never heard a BushCo lie I couldn't support" Miller

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Hymn of the Red Herring

The talking heads at Faux News and the latter day False Prophets are in the midst of the new advent tradition in which they bleet the #1 chant on the Christmas Top 40. Like any bad song with a catchy (or politically expedient) hook, it's gotten stuck in the heads of so many folks that in the MSNBC poll on the topic the results are split with 49% of 32073 respondents (as of right now) voting that they do believe there is a war on Christmas. I sincerely believe that the people who think non-Republicans are de facto supporters of the Anti-Christ are the same folks who write send nastygrams to actors because they believe they are the TV/movie characters they portray. Even if the "real Christians" were right and those other people are doing the Satan Sashay, that "goddamned piece of paper" gives those dancing the heathen hustle as much right not to have Christianity forced on them in every public aspect life as it gives "real Christians" the right not to have to endure Satanic rituals in locations paid for with taxpayer money and run by government officials.

Pieces of property not owned by the government such as private homes, storefronts and shopping malls, as well as companies not owned by the government frequently may have sections visible to the public but are not part of the public domain. As such, the rules they follow are based solely on the whim of those who own/manage them (provided those rules are compliant with local, state and federal laws). Since the "real Christians" believe the previously mentioned old piece of parchment should only be used to support their goals while trampling on the rights of others, they feel that any private business (whether it's work includes interaction with the general public or has limited clientele) must cater to the demands of "real Christians" everywhere. These "real Christians" are downright offended by the denigration of their religion when anyone refers to an office/staff party held in December as anything but a Christmas Party (they must love the big corporations who push back their parties until January) and the use of phrases like "Happy Holidays" and "Seasons Greetings" on retail ads, store displays and cards mailed out by businesses this time each year. They know that New Year (a holiday that frequently generates people to provide others with well wishes) occurs in a completely different season from Christmas, so using the excuse of including good wishes for that (or any other holiday occuring within a month of Christmas) to explain use of those anti-Christian phrases is not acceptable. Afterall, if that's what they mean they could just as easily say "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year", could they not? Attempts at multi-culturalism for any reason are unacceptable, especially at Christmas time.

To avoid being accused of religious intolerance all public locales, especially retailers, must have Merry Christmas signs, Christmas sales and Christmas trees; To link the period of time after that satanic holiday of Halloween through completion of post-holiday sales with anything broader than Christmas is a sign of hostility and agression toward the beleaguered and under-represented religion of Christianity. To the social conservatives (who have a lock on patriotism), this is not only evidence of the war against Christmas, it's downright un-American.

Let's be honest, if there's any "war on Christmas" it's being waged by the mouthpieces of the Conservative movement. The fact that their focus is on what people say voluntarily, business communications and retail ads instead of keeping Christ in Christmas by supporting a return of the celebration to the religious holiday it is instead of the corporate mall holiday it has become.

The Repubevangelicals need to decide once and for all if Christmas is a holiday devoid of religious meaning/overtones or if it is a sacred Christian religious holiday. If it is the former, they cannot legitimately complain that their religion is being undermined by stores having holiday displays and sales or generic holiday greetings in lieu of using the word Christmas all over the place (frankly, they'd have more ground to stand on complaining about us referring to Independence Day by the date on which it occurs instead of the name of the holiday). If it is a distinctly religious holiday, the battle they're fighting is one that explicitly undermines its celebration as such.

Christmas is all about the celebration of the communion to celebrate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth - something Christians who feel their religion is a source of connection with G-d and a way of life they embrace (as opposed to those who feel their religion is something they must disrespect by forcing it on others) consider a miracle and the first time the being they consider their Saviour revealed himself to the world. Cards, trees, decorations and retail merchandising have nothing to do with the meaning of Christmas. If you believe that any celebration of Jesus is a celebration of G-d giving his only son to show his love for the world, your celebration of any religious holiday related to Jesus should be a way to honor G-d's gift to you. Anyone who opts to distract from that meaning is not a much of a Christian. If I as a non-believer can understand that, shouldn't believers start questioning the motives of those perverting faith with politics?

Tags: the Mall holiday; something being imposed on the public; something else being imposed on the public; Politics; Faux News; O'Leilly; conservatism; media; MSNBC;false prophets;Falwell;Robertson;1st Amendment

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Georgia legislators introduce O'Reilly bills

Georgia State Sen. Ronnie Chance (R-Tyrone) and State Rep. Clay Cox (R-Lilburn) filed companion bills to prohibit government agencies (including schools) from barring employees (and students) from saying "Merry Christmas", "Happy Chanukah" (you really hear a lot of that on your average American public school playground) or "any other expression relating to the celebration of a holiday." According to the lawmakers, they introduced the measures because they'd heard reports that an unidentified public school principal in the northeastern part of the state enacted a policy banning teachers from referring to their staff party as a "Christmas" party.

"Our First Amendment right to free speech cannot be destroyed by political correctness run amok," Chance said. He added: "I don't believe government was created to be the speech police." State Rep. Clay Cox [Atlanta Journal-Constitution]

These bills and the debate, if any (this is Georgia afterall) they face in next year's legislative session are a complete waste of time and taxpayer money. There is no evidence that any government agency in this country has even considered issuing regulations banning use of the phrase "Merry Christmas" (never mind the fact it would be blatantly unconstitutional to do so). Even if the unknown principal had told staffers the party was to be considered and referred to as a holiday party, (s)he was not prohibiting staffers or students from wishing others a Merry Christmas. This red herring is dressed in green. The bulk of the fundagelical fit-pitching is that retailers are using the phrases "Happy Holidays" and/or "Seasons Greetings" in their ads and store displays and that many businesses voluntary send generic holiday cards (instead of Christmas cards) to their clients. It looks like the person who is doing the most to "diminish and denigrate" the religious holiday of Christmas is really the Christofascist's bile-belching mouthpiece

"There is no reason on this earth that all of us cannot celebrate a public holiday devoted to generosity, peace, and love together."
[ Bill O'Reilly, 2Dec05]

[hat tip to Lindsay]

Tags: the Mall holiday; something being imposed on the public; something else being imposed on the public; Politics; Faux News; O'Leilly; conservatism; media

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Anne Coulter's taste for rarities

"I love to engage in repartee with people who are stupider than I am," Coulter told the 2,600 people at Jorgensen Auditorium. [Newsday]

It only took her 15 minutes to realize she needed to head back to the Fox News studio to find folks to fit the bill.


Tags: Politics; Faux News; Ann "I really am that ignorant" Coulter;conservatism; media

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SOL on XMas day

Megachurch leaders are joining in with those bastions of religious hypocrisy like Bill O'Reilly by proving the point they believe Christmas belongs everywhere but the church. While Christofascist leaders, Megachurch congregants and pastors & conservative pundits proclaim use of phrases like Happy Holidays & Seasons Greetings, especially in places that don't erect creches, are a prime example of the "secular war on Christmas" and an attack on their ability to express their Christian faith and pray, many Megachurches will be closed on Christmas Day. Yes, Megachurch attendees will find their church doors locked on the day of their second holiest holiday (Easter's the biggy), which happens to fall on a Sunday (that'd be their day of worship).

Tags: the Mall holiday; something being imposed on the public; something else being imposed on the public; conservatism; politics; The Bushevik Revolution

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Missing Monday: 39-year old western PA woman missing

Patricia McDonald of Forward Township (Western Pennsylvania) hasn't been seen or heard from since 2:30 am Sunday November 29th. When the 39-year old mother of 3 last spoke to her common-law husband, Daniel Conley, she told him she had been pulled over by police near Large Auto Sales on Route 51 in Jefferson Hills, PA and that her cell phone went dead during the conversation. Further attempts to reach McDonald were unsuccessful and she had not reported to work she was reported missing.

Local police believe McDonald has disappeared of her own volition, stating she has disappeared in the past and that cell phone records indicate she was not near Large Auto Sales at the time she made the call. McDonald's 19-year old daughter Amber, who is pregnant and expecting to deliver her first child December 18th, disputes claims her mother has a history of disappearing

"She'll go out for a couple hours, but if she's going to be longer, she'll call," Amber McDonald said.

McDonald is 5'6", weighs about 115 pounds and has brown hair & blue eyes.

She was driving a 1997 red Dodge 1500 Ram pickup truck with license plate number YRL-9861. If you have any information you are asked to call Forward Township police at 724-258-7895.

Good news to update my October Missing Monday post: Erik Buran is now home with his father and they'll be able to enjoy their Christmas together (full details at Voice for the Missing) and 15-year old Whitney Stewart is no longer listed as missing on National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. In addition, there has been contact from Mazi Bul Haque (November's Missing Monday) who has been in contact with a Cherokee County detective but will not say where he is citing fear for his safety.

Tags: Missing Persons; Mazi Bul Haque; Erik Buran; Patricia McDonald

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Still petulant after all these years

Bill O'Reilly took a small sojourn from the conservative war on Christmas (stripping the meaning of Jesus' life and teachings from the holiday and replacing it with crass commercialism in the retail domain, where it does a Christian good) to spend some time with that proctologist's dream, Ann Coulter. Coulter, widely known as an extremely sloppy revisionist, and O'Reilly spent much of last Thursday's O'Reilly Fudge Factor commiserating on how hard it is to be a conservative because only conservative speakers need security detail when making appearances on college campuses and how liberals are bad people fighting against freedom of speech who consider it appropriate to use force and acts of destruction/violence to attack those with whom they disagree.

O'REILLY: Yeah, but on a policy basis, what they're trying to do on these far-left smear sites is intimidate people with whom they disagree, and then choke off their ability to get their message out. I mean, freedom of speech means nothing to these people. They really want to just bludgeon anybody with whom they disagree, or am I wrong?

COULTER: No, you're right, though. I mean, the one thing that perplexes me is why they want to keep me off only CNN. You know, why not Fox? Why not MSNBC?

O'REILLY: Well, they know that Fox isn't going to play their game.

COULTER: David Brock has something against MSNBC?

O'REILLY: Yeah, they know Fox isn't going to play their game.

COULTER: What about MSNBC?

O'REILLY: Nobody watches them, with all due respect. I mean, it's true. Nobody watches the network. It doesn't mean anything.

COULTER: Well, I think it's an excellent use for George Soros's money to keep republishing the things I say on CNN.

O'REILLY: OK, but to answer your question, CNN is perceived to be a left-wing outlet, and they don't like your voice on the left-wing outlet. But, you know, aren't liberals or far-left people supposed to be champions of freedom of speech? Isn't that what the ACLU [American Civil Liberties Union] is all about?

COULTER: No, of course not. They're Nazi block watchers. This is what they're good at.

O'REILLY: They're Nazi what?

COULTER: Block watchers, you know. They tattle on their parents, turn them in to the Nazis. They're little Nazi block watchers.

O'REILLY: See, this is why they don't want you on CNN there. You're calling them Nazis. They don't -- [Media Matters]

Coulter complains that liberals react like 4-year olds. I don't know about you, but I much prefer the liberal's 4-year old reaction than the christofascist's perpetual foray into the terrible twos.

Tags: Politics; Faux News; Ann "I really am that ignorant" Coulter;conservatism; media

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Drive-by postings

I haven't had much time to read, let alone post, recently because I started a new job (where I'm actually busy working and setting up infrastructure) not too long ago. To make matters worse, my mom was just diagnosed with cancer and I'm just popping in as a diversion until she's out of surgery/post-op. I'm sure I'll need a diversion over the next few weeks/months, whether I'll actually have any time is another story. If I don't have a chance to say it before Thursday, I hope ya'll have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

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