Soxy

I was actually just going to post something about the "war on Christmas." Now, I would consider myself a Christian (although with more of a universalist flair than many), and in NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM do I want to be wished a merry Christmas when I am shopping. I don't really want to see Christmas trees in public. And I certainly don't want to shop at something called a Christmas sale. In my opinion all of those things cheapen the message of Christmas. With every Christmas sale or focus on Christmas in retailers or advertising, we move farther away from the true message of Christmas and (certainly) further away from the Christian message I think Jesus preached. Basically, people are using the faith of millions of people to sell them stuff they don't need that further adds to the materialistic culture we live in. When I walk into Target, or Kohls or even my Grocery Store around this time of year I can't help but wonder what Jesus would think about the crass commercialism that goes on in His name. I think he would wonder how we managed to mess up a message of hope, love, and responsibility to our neighbors; and how we managed to replace those basic tenants with a spending spree. That being said, I think The Nativity Story movie is basically doing the same thing. I have no desire to see it, I know the story, I would rather go to see a children's live nativity. My favorite quotation on the subject comes from today's trib, some woman said, "It's another symptom of narrow-minded city officials and businesses who want to cash in on Christmas without acknowledging Jesus." So, they can "cash in" if they use Jesus? That's acceptable? You're okay with people exploiting Christmas as long as they exploit God/Jesus too? Awesome. When I think about how Christmas should be (and I really mean this only for Christians), I think about the midnight Christmas Eve service, that ends with candlelight, a hymn, and some time for quiet reflection. There's a dignity about that, a beauty of being in community with people who share your faith and who, for a brief moment, are all giving thanks for the same things. Ultimately, that's how I want to experience Christmas, and, to me, the real war on Christmas comes from people who want to move away from that quiet dignity to a commercialism and exploitation of what should be a very sacred day.

My questions are up, and I think SS2k5's will be up soon too. And, in my threads, I will be watching your word length. Good luck to the candidates!

FlaxxJim from Florida asks, Through much of American history, conservation issues were not decided along partisan lines. The presidencies of Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, and JFK all witnessed great waves of conservation and environmental stewardship in this country. It was Richard Nixon who declared that the 1970s to be the "environmental decade," brought the EPA into existence and and approved laws to protect this country's air, water, and endangered species. The current administration, in contrast, has worked hard at rolling back environmental regulations, politicizing the scientific process in regards to the environment, and has essentially cut the EPA and environmental scientists at NASA, NOAA, and elsewhere off at the knees. What are your specific plans for putting the country back on a positive conservation path? What Bush era environmental rollbacks, if any, will you and Congress address during your presidency? What will be your strategic priorities in terms of protecting our environment? *************************************************************************************************** --Each candidate can make one initial position post in each thread, of NO MORE THAN 500 words. --Each candidate also gets to respond to ONE other candidate's post IN EACH of those threads, with the same 500 word limit. --The candidate who was responded to then gets ONE MORE POST to retort (to each response/question, so that may be more than once in the same thread), again, limit 500 words. --The threads will remain open until Sunday night late, at which time I will close them (the election is Tuesday). This should give people 5 or 6 days, which should be plenty of time. --ONLY CANDIDATES SHOULD POST IN THE ACTUAL DEBATE THREADS.

LCR, a teacher from downstate IL asks (with some minor additions): What is your stance on standardized testing across the boards for schools as seen in No Child Left Behind? Do you think that there are alternatives to NCLB that would be better; if so, what? Finally, how will you make sure that ALL student's learning needs are being met, from students in special education programs to students in accelerated, AP, and IB programs? ************************************************************************************************ --Each candidate can make one initial position post in each thread, of NO MORE THAN 500 words. --Each candidate also gets to respond to ONE other candidate's post IN EACH of those threads, with the same 500 word limit. --The candidate who was responded to then gets ONE MORE POST to retort (to each response/question, so that may be more than once in the same thread), again, limit 500 words. --The threads will remain open until Sunday night late, at which time I will close them (the election is Tuesday). This should give people 5 or 6 days, which should be plenty of time. --ONLY CANDIDATES SHOULD POST IN THE ACTUAL DEBATE THREADS.

I heart Ross Gload.

Jesse Jackson calls for boycott of Seinfeld dvds.

Crimson and Clover-- Tommy James (excellent start) Count your blessings instead of sheep--Diana Krall (good) Power of Two--Indigo Girls (good mellow vibe we've got going) Sweet Lullaby--Brenda Weiler Jacob Marley's Chain--Aimee Mann (awesome) Strange-- Patsy Cline Satisfied--Ashley Moore Anna Begins--Counting Crows Be Here Now--Oasis (so much for my mellow vibe) Out of Range--Ani Good mix.

Mmmm, I love crockpot turkey chili. So delicious. I love my crockpot--best invention ever.

Link Woman faces fines for wreath peace sign By ROBERT WELLER, Associated Press Writer Sun Nov 26, 11:13 PM ET DENVER - A homeowners association in southwestern Colorado has threatened to fine a resident $25 a day until she removes a Christmas wreath with a peace sign that some say is an anti- Iraq war protest or a symbol of Satan. ADVERTISEMENT Some residents who have complained have children serving in Iraq, said Bob Kearns, president of the Loma Linda Homeowners Association in Pagosa Springs. He said some residents have also believed it was a symbol of Satan. Three or four residents complained, he said. "Somebody could put up signs that say drop bombs on Iraq. If you let one go up you have to let them all go up," he said in a telephone interview Sunday. Lisa Jensen said she wasn't thinking of the war when she hung the wreath. She said, "Peace is way bigger than not being at war. This is a spiritual thing." Jensen, a past association president, calculates the fines will cost her about $1,000, and doubts they will be able to make her pay. But she said she's not going to take it down until after Christmas. "Now that it has come to this I feel I can't get bullied," she said. "What if they don't like my Santa Claus." The association in this 200-home subdivision 270 miles southwest of Denver has sent a letter to her saying that residents were offended by the sign and the board "will not allow signs, flags etc. that can be considered divisive." The subdivision's rules say no signs, billboards or advertising are permitted without the consent of the architectural control committee. Kearns ordered the committee to require Jensen to remove the wreath, but members refused after concluding that it was merely a seasonal symbol that didn't say anything. Kearns fired all five committee members. My favorite is the last two sentences.

Am I a conspiracy nut if I think the Russian Government MAY have actually had somethign to do with this?

Happy Phantom-- Tori Amos Way Back Home-- The Wreakers Sweet Child O'Mine (Live)-- Guns N' Roses Still Not Ready--Eva Cassidy Don't Look Back--Antigone Rising Stormy Weather-- Billie Holiday London Calling-- The Clash Who Makes You Feel--Dido Wound Up--Office Suspicious Minds--Elvis Bonus Track-- Angry Any More--Ani Good mix, I approve.

QUOTE(Gene Honda Civic @ Nov 22, 2006 -> 10:55 PM) I agreed to watch my brother's dog, who doesn't exactly get along with my dog, this weekend. (We never do Thanksgiving in my family until Sunday because multiple members of the fam work in industries that don't care that a Thursday in November is a holiday, but they can always request the Sunday after it off.) He's off hunting. I don't do hunting. So I've spent the past 5 hours trying to keep two dogs from killing each other. I didn't even remember that tonight is the best bar night of the year. I can't believe I'm giving up getting laid for this. He owes me one hell of a Christmas gift. What kind of dogs?

One Piece at a Time--Johnny Cash Jackson--Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash Centerfold--J. Geils Band All Shook Up--Elvis Tiny Dancer--Elton John The Ballad of Mary Magdalen-- Dar Williams Tempted--Squeeze To the Other Side-- Deana Carter Wilkommen-- Joel Gray No Gettin' Over You--Bonnie Raitt

I saw The Queen a couple of days ago. Some really good performances, Helen Mirren was AMAZING as Queen Elizabeth. The movie wasn't too long, it moved quickly and was, overall, quite enjoyable. I recommend it.

Link Now that is scary, especially if the Secret Service were with her. Fortunately it was just a purse. Yikes. Bush's Daughter Robbed in Argentina By Associated Press Published November 22, 2006, 6:43 AM CST BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- U.S. and Argentine media reported that one of President Bush's 24-year-old twin daughters had her purse stolen while being guarded by the Secret Service during a visit here. ABC News, citing unidentified law enforcement reports, reported on its Web site Tuesday that Barbara Bush's purse and cell phone were taken while she was dining in a Buenos Aires restaurant. La Nacion newspaper, citing anonymous government sources, said in its online edition early Wednesday that one of Bush's daughters had her purse taken Sunday afternoon in the popular tourist district of San Telmo. A pair of thieves removed the purse from under a table while Secret Service agents stood guard at a distance, La Nacion reported. La Nacion said its sources did not reveal which of the Bush daughters had her purse stolen. Argentine police told The Associated Press they had no complaint of any such incident on file, and the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires said it would have no comment. In Washington, the White House, Secret Service and State Department also declined comment. CNN cited a law-enforcement source who was briefed on the incident as saying that "at no point were the protectees out of visual contact and at no point was there any risk of harm." Argentina's largest-circulation daily, Clarin, ran an online report citing the government news agency Telam as saying that Barbara Bush had her purse taken along with a cell phone that was inside it. Telam cited an official source who did not wish to be identified by name and who provided no other details. Barbara's twin, Jenna, visited neighboring Paraguay last month to take part in a UNICEF program for young professionals.

Bossy-- Kelis (my theme song) Extraordinary-- Better than Ezra Another Mystery--Dar Williams Impossible--Christina Aguilera A Hard Day's Night-- The Beatles Good Day--Jewel Silent All These Years-- Tori Amos California Love-- west coast guys Truth No. 2--Dixie Chicks Mama Cass-- Mamas and the Papas

No, but we had an annual snipe hunt.

QUOTE(bmags @ Nov 21, 2006 -> 11:56 AM) yes, they can huff and puff like they are the real police, but we all know they are glorified meter maids that will take any chance to assert their authority in unneccesary situations. At mizzou they never check id's, only one time at the med library and they said a week ahead of time they would. I think mizzou wants its college to be a part of the community though. I go to a SUNY (State University of New York), and our campus police are actually state troopers. What you said was true at my undergraduate college (small private college), but that's certainly not true at every uni.

Interesting, the official AP story (the one posted here and the one published in the Twin Cities' local papers, Star Trib and Pioneer Press) said they prayed in the terminal. I've also found a couple articles that said they were praying during boarding. Interesting.

Juddling, Can I just ask what radio program you heard that on?

Thoughts? 6 imams removed from Twin Cities flight By STEVE KARNOWSKI, Associated Press Writer 8 minutes ago MINNEAPOLIS - The Council on American-Islamic Relations called Tuesday for an investigation into the behavior of airline staff and airport security in the removal of six Muslim scholars from a US Airways flight a day earlier. A passenger raised concerns about the imams — three of whom said their normal evening prayers in the airport terminal before boarding the Phoenix-bound plane, according to one — through a note passed to a flight attendant, according to Andrea Rader, a spokeswoman for US Airways. "We are concerned that crew members, passengers and security personnel may have succumbed to fear and prejudice based on stereotyping of Muslims and Islam," Nihad Awad, the council's executive director, said in a news release. The six were returning from a conference in Minneapolis of the North American Imams Federation, said Omar Shahin of Phoenix, president of the group. "They took us off the plane, humiliated us in a very disrespectful way," Shahin said after the incident. Shahin said Tuesday that three members of the group prayed in the terminal before the six boarded the plane. They entered individually, except for one member who is blind and needed to be guided, Shahin said. Once on the plane, the six did not sit together, he said. "We did nothing" on the plane, Shahin said. The six were among passengers who boarded Flight 300, bound for Phoenix, around 6:30 p.m. Monday, airport spokesman Pat Hogan said. Police were called after the captain and airport security workers asked the men to leave the plane and the men refused, Rader said. Shahin said no one asked the six to leave until police arrived, when the group complied. "Unfortunately, this is a growing problem of singling out Muslims or people perceived to be Muslims at airports, and it's one that we've been addressing for some time," council spokesman Ibrahim Hooper said. Hooper said the meeting drew about 150 imams from all over the country, and that those attending included Rep.-elect Keith Ellison, D-Minn., who just became the first Muslim elected to Congress. Shahin said they went as far as notifying police and the FBI about their meeting in advance. Shahin expressed frustration that — despite extensive efforts by him and other Muslim leaders since even before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks — so many Americans know so little about Islam. "If up to now they don't know about prayers, this is a real problem," he said. Shahin said the group spent the night at the home of a local imam and was waiting for a phone call Tuesday from US Airways. Hooper said US Airways refused to put the men on another flight. The airline did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on that aspect Tuesday. The other passengers on the flight, which was carrying 141 passengers and five crew members, were re-screened for boarding, Rader said. The plane took off about three hours after the men were removed.

Bobby McGee-- Janis Joplin Speaking with the Angel--Dar Williams Grace--Jars of Clay 9 to 5-- Dolly Parton Levon-- Elton John Tonight tonight-- Smashing Pumpkins Bad Moon Rising (there's a bathroom on the right)-- Creedance Largo al factotum (Il barbiere di Siviglia)--Thomas Hampson Mercedes Benz-- Janis Joplin (lots of Janis today. . .) You upset me baby-- B.B. King

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Nov 21, 2006 -> 08:23 AM) How exactly does manditory service work with "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" if I am a selfish SOB who could give a crap less about anyone else? (hypothetically speaking of course.) I don't see how manditory service to your country jives with our constitutional freedoms at all. And that's pretty much where the nation is, why risk my happiness by doing something (temporary) for my country; a country that will allow me to live (relatively) happily ever after. I agree with the previous posters (including Nuke) that said the draft for purely military means would be a disaster. But I think that the option of civil service is really a great choice. I can't imagine that people in Germany or Switzerland or anywhere else where civil service is mandatory really think their quality of life is in the crapper. Probably they're just less selfish than us and are willing to make a sacrifice for their country. I'm not excepting myself from the selfish comment, when I had the opportunity to do something cool and great like teach for america, I turned it down and I'll regret that decision for a long time.

Please tell me it was yellow!

Ahhh good. More crap for my mother to obsessively collect and hoard. Thanks US Mint.