Christmas Open Thread

President Franklin D. Roosevelt and family at Christmas (Dec 24, 1943.) photo White House archives.

Merry Christmas.

I've been browsing the White House holiday message for this year, along with previous years (bottom right corner of the page.)

It's a microcosm of how the Bush Administration sees the world.

For example, there is no Christmas photograph of any Democrats except President Roosevelt -- to whom President Bush frequently compares himself, in the sense of going up against a hostile Congress and ultimately being historically vindicated after his own death. All the other Christmas photos are of Republicans. The permanent Republican rule lives!

Prior to 2006, Muslims didn't exist during the Holiday Season. But in both 2006 & 2007, President Bush's speechwriters' have written a nice, polite message to celebrate Eid al-Adha: 2006, 2007.

In contrast, for the Christians, here is the Christmas 2007 message, which demonstrates greater familiarity with the tradition, but is roughly the same length, is published in the same news feed, cites scripture while the Muslim message does not (it truly will be a cold day in hell before a message signed by GWB quotes from the Qur'an. Heh.) But all in all, they are roughly the same, given the limits of familiarity of the speechwriters whom I do think did a nice job.

Better late than never, and it's nice to see anything nice about Muslim's coming from this White House.

I am appreciative this holiday season, that the worst presidential administration in history has at least moved up -- perhaps for political reasons, as it seems not to even break wind without there being a political reason, but whatever -- to acknowledging the legitimate hopes and dreams of over a sixth of the world's population, from the White House's bully pulpit. Not in a condescending way, or even in a way which suffers in comparison. A few years late... but they came through.

Now if the third of the world which is Hindu or Buddhist could receive similar acknowledgment, well, we'd truly have come a long way. Perhaps that will be a step for another President.

On this Christmas Day, we here at Group News Blog wish everyone best wishes as each of you celebrate the holidays in your own way -- with family and friends, alone, working or taking time off, with or without gifts, happy, sad, or just getting through the day. The holidays bring to each of us our own special moments and opportunities to reach out to others, and to find in ourselves the strength to be ourselves, not just for others, but for us.

And isn't being who we truly are, the message of Christmas?

Merry Christmas everyone.

Please use this open thread to share your holiday with us.

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A Christmas Eve Epiphany

Church sign (December, 2007.) photo by thers/Whiskey Fire. Click for Large photo.

The "C" Word

Only one word has ever been forbidden on Group News Blog.

Not the "N" word, although we strongly discourage it. But the "C" word.

You won't find it it our postings, and it's not allowed in our comments.

Over at Whiskey Fire I was reading the many comments about this photo. One person genuinely thought the "C" word was Chanukah... how sweet.

Then I read the following (which contains the "C" word itself [nsfw]):

Whiskey Fire Comments (Jemand von Niemand)

Every time I hear someone use the word, "cunt", it carries the same force for me that I hear behind the N-word. It's meant to devalue, even dehumanize, the recipient -- because every real man knows a cunt is only good for one thing.

There's so much violence washing around just beneath the surface with the wingnuts in these days; it's a lot of bad juju looking for a way out of the bottle.

And there's so much encouragement of violence, bigotry and intolerance by way of example from our sociopathic, twisted 'leaders' in the public sphere.

It's a big step from using the violence of language (the C-word, or the N-word -- or, as was popular in Nazi Germany, the J-word --) to actual violence... but it's just a step.

How appropriate that on Christmas Eve day, I should have an Epiphany.

He's right.

Everything that exists, exists in language. What we speak, we bring forth.

I've used the "N" word rarely in GNB Comments, usually while writing quick little "joke" responses, trying to punch up the humor, make it more colloquial.

That stops now.

It isn't that I am unwilling to use either word in a serious script if as the screenwriter I say the piece demands it.

Group News Blog isn't that place.

Or at least, I can't imagine now, any work short of serious writing of the highest order in which either of those words might ever be appropriate.

Reading the above quote was almost like taking a body blow. How violent both words are. They are intended to hurt actual people, to mess them up, to keep them in their damn place, to make them less than the real humans (the white males.)

All this is why here at Group News Blog where we are in love with diversity of all kinds -- races, genders, sexual orientations & practices, religious beliefs, physical conditions, plus stuff we don't even know what to name it yet -- you will no longer hear either word again, ever.

At least not from me.

Happy Christmas Eve to all of you. "God bless us every one!"

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Whatever You Can Do, Or Dream You Can, Begin It.

Boldness Has Genius, Power And Magic In It.
- Goethe

Apollo 13 (The Ron Howard movie) Launch Sequence


One of my ten favorite movies.

Both of these appropriate during the holidays.

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Holiday Shopping Weekend Open Thread

Are You Ready For The Holidays?

I've got almost everything ready.

Still have to wrap everything. And am waiting for some stuff to show up in the mail today or tomorrow. Grrrr.

On my way to go have a Belgium waffle and maple syrup, an egg over medium, four medium-thick strips of the most delicious strips of bacon, and a Coke. Yummy.

Lots of writing to do this weekend. My intent for the weekend -- finish the 1-2 page outline of my next screenplay. *screams* (I can't not believe I just said that. Wouldn't that be a damn Christmas present!)

What are y'all doing? Got your gifts? Wrapped?

Traveling? Where?

This isn't our Christmas Open Thread, by the way. That will come on Christmas day, or even on Christmas Eve. This is the the Holiday Shopping Weekend Open Thread.

Let's hear your stories about shopping, gifts, and chasing down the UPS woman through six-foot snow drifts.

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Oh Santa, I'm So Naughty

Jake Gyllenhaal photo François Duhamel/Jarhead

Woman Charged With Groping Mall Santa:
'I Did Not Do Anything Wrong.'

Arrested several hours after she either did or did not sit on Santa's lap, and did or did not grab him in a very so-called naughty place, depending on whom you believe, a 33 year-old woman was charged with fourth-degree sexual assault.

NewsTimes

The woman accused of groping Santa at the Danbury Fair mall denies she even sat on the man's lap.

"I don't know what's going on. I don't know if he was confused, it was a false report," Sandrama Lamy, 33, said this morning.

Lamy said she was window shopping at the mall Saturday with a friend when she decided to get a picture with a man playing Santa Claus.

A woman -- apparently working with the mall Santa -- made a comment after the picture was snapped, Lamy said.

"I did not sit on his lap. A woman there said 'Be careful, that's my husband.' I said 'What does that have to do with the picture?'" Lamy said. "That's all I said, and I left."

"A couple of hours later," security officers stopped Lamy, who was still in the mall.

"Why would I do this? There were so many people there. If he (Santa) needed a few extra bucks I would have given it to him," Lamy said. "I've never been involved in a crime or anything. This is shocking to me."

Santa and the police tell a different story... when you can get them to say anything.

NewsTimes

Sandrama Lamy, 33, of Danbury, is charged with fourth-degree sexual assault, according to Danbury Detective Lt. Thomas Michael.

Two messages seeking comment were left on Lamy's answering machine.

Details leading up to the alleged fondling are sketchy.

"I don't know what the deal was. It was just bizarre," the mall Santa told a reporter, referring all other questions about the incident to Cherry Hill Photo, the company that runs the Danbury Fair mall Santa photo setup.

Cherry Hill Photo did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment.

According to information provided by the Danbury Police Department, officers were dispatched to the mall Saturday at 8:45 p.m.

The mall Santa told police that Lamy touched him inappropriately while sitting on his lap.

"The security officer at the mall said Santa Claus has been sexually assaulted," Michael said.

Lamy was also charged with breach of peace.

"She must have caused a commotion over there," Michael said.

Either they've got this on video or they don't.

Eyewitness testimony is the worst kind of testimony there is.

Juries in today's media-driven CSI and Law & Order world, expect a case laid out for them as if it's television. The mall ownership are fools if they don't have five or six cameras trained on Santa, up high, down low, in tight, so no matter what happens, they've got coverage.

If Santa's joint was grabbed -- given I read in comments at the NewsTimes he's a 65 year old man -- he absolutely should press charges if he wants to. That's a personal call and I'd never tell anyone what they should or shouldn't do. Me personally - probably not. But I'm not shy about telling people "No" and making it stick.

If this is a jealous wife forcing Santa to file charges about a misunderstanding of what she saw, then I hope Ms. Lamy ends up owning both half the mall and Mrs. Santa's retirement fund. Every time someone files charges or makes unfounded accusations they poison the environment for every legitimate claim for every woman and man struggling to decide if they dare trust the system to be fair with what happened to them.

I hate people who file false charges with a passion reserved for almost no one.

In the meantime, enjoy Jake as Santa from Jarhead.

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Mike Hukabee: “What Really Matters”

The Bill of Rights. photo The National Archives. Transcript. Click for High Resolution.

Reverend Hukabee Says “Fuck You” To Half the Country

Jewish?

Fuck you.

Mormon?

Fuck you.

Muslim?

Fuck you ya terrorist prick.

Catholic?

Fuck you you Papist lacky.

Hindu or Buddhist?

Who the fuck cares about you you Asian dog eater? You're why we have quotas to keep your kids out of Berkeley. And Standford. (Nothing we can do about MIT, fucking liberal Massachusetts, but at least we own California now with Arnie.)

Atheist or Agnostic?

Burn in hell. Twice.

Wicca?

Any agressive woman is a woman who doesn't know her place, and a woman who doesn't know her place is a WITCH. We BURN witches. Don't ever forget it, you evil nasty whore.

Lesbian?

Hate the sin, love the sinner. We have an outreach program for young lesbians that I'm personally responsible for. Is she your partner? With the red hair? Ya-huh. Sure, just come by this evening and I'd be glad to meet with both of you. Here, let me give you my number...

Mexican?

Be glad we let you work in our lettuce fields. Forty years ago, we'd have strung you up with the spear-chuckers, you fucking wetback. Anyway, you're all Catholics with ten damn kids apiece. You know, ya might consider drowning some of them like extra kittens, amigo. Or try some goddamn birth control like the rest of us, you little fucking brown heathens.

Black?

Oh, they're so cute. Especially the children before they grow up to be dope dealers. I love me them old-time Negro spirituals. Nothing better than the blacks we have down in rural Arkansas, all singing together at my church after a fish fry. Why Lord, we do love each other so. My children were raised by a Negro we let live in our very own house. (I wonder what became of her.)

Praise the Lord...

But to you, my brothers and sisters in South Carolina, Iowa and New Hampshire, I'm just like you. A white, God fearing man who believes in doing the Lord's work though politics, which is why I'm running for President -- to take back this country from the liberals and the hippies and the Jews who control the money and stop your daughters from being impregnated by foreigners out to steal your jobs. But let's forget all that right now.

Now is not the time to think of politics or your son having gay sex in New York City. It's the time to think of the America of your dreams, the America of your fantasies, the America who might vote for me, which is why I'm here to wish you a merry, happy Christmas. In the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, please enjoy a politic-free, happy and wonderful Christmas with your white all-American family. And your little dog too.

Amen.

(This ad is up in South Carolina, Iowa and New Hampshire.) h/t Street Prophets.

Mike Hukabee: “What really matters.”

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