"war On Christmas"

[KatieDidIt]

arg, I wanted to add a photo to this post, but I can't upload from my cpu

[Parrothead]

I love this thread and I agree with everyone. Amazing! Must be that generic "Holiday" spirit.

Good story, west. It's one of the more silly scare tactics used by the Fox News ilk. I thought it was funny while O'Rielly and that Gibson guy were hyperventilating over the destruction of Christmas, the Fox News website was offering Happy Holiday ornaments. Apparently it only took them a couple of hours to change that to "Merry Christmas".

It seems to me one of the more sacreligious things you could do is put A Fox News ornament on a Christmas tree.

Anyway, Keep em' distracted, keep em' scared.

It's just funny that its considered so sacred when it isn't a legitimate religious holiday at all. Fox News got their viewers in a huff over this, and now it has spread to this message board. I don't really care about it myself, but I could see how someone could be offended (that's not word here. It's probably too strong for this story) if someone assumes they give a fook by wishing them a "Merry Christmas" if they are not Christian. It comes off a bit arrogant.

Can I retract my earlier statement? The anti-Fox brigade is out again. Guess it's the full moon

[RedScare]

Can I retract my earlier statement? The anti-Fox brigade is out again. Guess it's the full moon

Yeah, you don't want to slander Fox, given that they are so fair and balanced...and honest!

Here is a press release from the Plano ISD website:

'Red & Green Clothing Ban'

False Rumor

December 12, 2005

On Friday, December 9, on the Fox News Channel's "The O'Reilly Factor," with Bill O'Reilly and guest Jim Pinkerton, Fox News analyst, it was falsely reported in a segment entitled "More Victories for Christmas," that ...

....."In Plano, Texas, a school told students they couldn't wear red and green because they are Christmas colors."......

Due to the number of e-mails, inquiries and phone calls to Plano ISD regarding students "wearing red and green," Superintendent of Schools Dr. Doug Otto has posted this communication to assure the school community that this rumor is not true.

"The school district does not restrict students or staff from wearing certain color clothes during holiday times or any other school days," noted Dr. Otto, who said that the school district's attorney has requested that Mr. O'Reilly retract the statement.

Dr. Otto said that attorneys have requested of Mr. O'Reilly that, in the future, he ask his fact checkers to do a more thorough job of confirming the facts before he airs them. "It would be our hope that you would engage in fair and balanced reporting of this nationally recognized school district in the future," wrote PISD's attorney.

Related Link

The O'Reilly Report

Apparently the "War on Christmas" is so lame O'Reilly had to make up attacks.

[nmainguy]

I'm warnining you people. Parrothead has your number and if you dare point out that Fox News and Bill O'Reilly has mislead it's viewers, there will be hell to pay- Hell, I say...HELL!!!

I might add, she may even thoughtlesly wipe you off the face of the earth while ensconsed in her safe and serene suburban fortress while she applauds those of her age and status of fighting the war in Iraq! Thank god for that single mother of 3 in Spring who has signed up for yet another tour of duty. Did I say thank god? I meant thank Parrothead...

[Parrothead]

uh...............whaaaaaaaaaaaat? Gee, I'm not sure what I did to deserve all of the credit, but really, nmainguy......it's okay. No need to get excited. They have pills now that you can take for that.

[nmainguy]

uh...............whaaaaaaaaaaaat? Gee, I'm not sure what I did to deserve all of the credit, but really, nmainguy......it's okay. No need to get excited. They have pills now that you can take for that.

There is no credit to be distributed. Inspite of my sometimes too over the top sarcasm, you never fail to reach beyond addressing the subject. Your unswearving allegiance to Fox News; your willingness to commit genocide upon millions of innocent people; your unwillingness to volunteer to serve your country while you mock those you perceive not to. Don't bother looking up your past posts to attempt to refute any of this. A good job by either you or the editor has been done by deleting them.

I rather suspect the editor had nothing to do with it.

[editor]

Dr. Otto said that attorneys have requested of Mr. O'Reilly that, in the future, he ask his fact checkers to do a more thorough job of confirming the facts before he airs them.

This is a good sign that the person who wrote this doesn't know what they're talking about. It's like when someone says "the censors" when talking about local TV. They just don't exist. There haven't been any "fact checker" positions in broadcasting in decades. I think the last one I heard of was back in the very early 1980's. Even most newspapers have gotten rid of them these days. Partially, this is because with computers it's vastly easier for reporters and editors to double-check their own facts. But mostly it's to save money. It's a shame, too. Looking for someone to blame? (Aren't we all?) Point the finger at the Reagan administration's broadcast deregulation policies.

[RedScare]

This is a good sign that the person who wrote this doesn't know what they're talking about. It's like when someone says "the censors" when talking about local TV. They just don't exist. There haven't been any "fact checker" positions in broadcasting in decades. I think the last one I heard of was back in the very early 1980's. Even most newspapers have gotten rid of them these days. Partially, this is because with computers it's vastly easier for reporters and editors to double-check their own facts. But mostly it's to save money. It's a shame, too. Looking for someone to blame? (Aren't we all?) Point the finger at the Reagan administration's broadcast deregulation policies.

Are you suggesting that in the vast O'Reilly Factor empire there is not a single person who can google "Plano schools", get a phone number and ask "Is this true?". O'Reily did this to a town in Michigan as well, and they were pleading that it wasn't true, either. As for blame, I can see that Reagan's dereg opened up the competition floodgates and everyone has a tight budget, but this is ridiculous.

I think a bigger reason is the fact that a close investigation of most "extreme news" stories finds logical explanations that are not news. But extreme blowhards and other 24 hour news outlets have a hard time making headlines 24/7/365. So, they ignore some of the explanations to make the story sound more egregious. This, of course, happens on both slants of the news.

This whole "war" on Christmas is a great example. O'Reilly himself claims 87% of Americans claim to be Christians. Who is left, then to carry out the war? On the very show where O'Reilly made this false claim, he had a guest, Phillip Nulman, a marketing author, who said it is not a war at all. It is good marketing by retail outlets that want ALL 100% of the shoppers, not just 87%. O'Reilly goes on to say most non-Christians are not offended by the term "Merry Christmas", which is true. But, he says Christians are furious by "Happy Holidays".

Think about that. Non-Christians are understanding, but Christians are not. 'Tis the Season...

[nmainguy]

I can understand O'Reilly's outrage. After 43 consecutive white male Christian US presidents in a country where most corporations are run by white male Christians, civilization as we know it is on the verge of collapse.

Seriously, people like O'Reilly are on Fox because no reputable news organization would have a former anchor of-what was it? Inside Edition? He lies about receiving awards he never received. He apparently has lied about Plano, got caught and has refused to apologize.

He's on Fox because he makes them money. It has nothing to do with left or right. He appears devoid of any particular philosophy. But he knows the game.

Cater to the lowest common denominator.

Wage a war on Christmas.

Stir the masses.

Count the $$

[MidtownCoog]

Angry white guys rule!

[west20th]

Angry white guys rule!

Yep. They always have.

[Parrothead]

There is no credit to be distributed. Inspite of my sometimes too over the top sarcasm, you never fail to reach beyond addressing the subject. Your unswearving allegiance to Fox News; your willingness to commit genocide upon millions of innocent people; your unwillingness to volunteer to serve your country while you mock those you perceive not to. Don't bother looking up your past posts to attempt to refute any of this. A good job by either you or the editor has been done by deleting them.

I rather suspect the editor had nothing to do with it.

Dude--what in the heck are you talking about?!?! First of all, I don't know where you ever got the impression that I have unswerving allegiance to anything--I can't ever even remember saying much about Fox news except maybe to reference a show or a guest at one point? I dunno--but it's obviously a LOT more important to you than me, which is pretty pathetic. Secondly, my "willingness to commit genocide"? Wow, talk about spin! My comment about North Korea in a past post may have been a lame attempt at humor, but good grief guy, get a grip. Step off the stage and come back down to reality. Yes--you ARE too over the top--you are right about that. And for the record, I haven't deleted anything I've ever written here on this board.

All you've managed to do in every post I've seen from you is make assumptions. Poorly.

Now, where is that "Ignore User" button?

Merry Xmas!

[west20th]

My comment about North Korea in a past post may have been a lame attempt at humor,

Wiping a country off the map? Humor? Genocide? Yeah that's a riot.

[nmainguy]

My comment about North Korea in a past post may have been a lame attempt at humor...And for the record, I haven't deleted anything I've ever written here on this board.

Most people fail to find the humor in genocide.

[MidtownCoog]

If y'all want to see the all religion holiday display, it's on Travis, directly across from JP Morgan Chase Tower.

I think the buidling is called JP Morgan Chase Center? At any rate, directly across from the big Chase.

So now it makes $en$e.

[Parrothead]

Wiping a country off the map? Humor? Genocide? Yeah that's a riot.

Oh yes, I forgot about you, yipping around nmainguys' heels. Glad you decided to chime in "Me too! Me too!"...

You guys are digging waaaaaaaaaaaay too deep in that comment. It wasn't about genocide, it was about a dictator that wishes to wipe US off the map, I was merely trying to draw a parallel, obviously I didn't do it well. I've admitted that. Now it's time to move on.

So.........can we get back to Christmas please?

[west20th]

Oh yes, I forgot about you, yipping around nmainguys' heels. Glad you decided to chime in "Me too! Me too!"...

You aren't a very nice person are you? Can't justify your comments so you resort to childish attacks. Anyway, you aren't worth my time. This will be my last reply to any of your hateful comments.

[TJones]

Maybe we can have a WWE cage match for you three.

"HELL-IDAY IN THE CAGE ! ! ! SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!!

i think the same thing applies here for parrot, nmain and west20. Parrot, I can tell you how to beat both of those guys though.

1) as soon as the match starts, ask nmain to hold your Prada bag, and he will be too busy admiring it to worry about you anymore.

2)West will be a little tougher, but just show him an autographed picture of John Kerry, and he'll let you win if you give him the photo.

It should all take less than 2 minutes, and you won't even work up a sweat.

[Subdude]

This thread has long since left the topic and degenerated into a political grudge match. Personal flame wars don't belong even in "Way Off Topic".

Keep it on topic and have the personal fights by PM please.

[west20th]

"HELL-IDAY IN THE CAGE ! ! ! SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY!!!!!

i think the same thing applies here for parrot, nmain and west20. Parrot, I can tell you how to beat both of those guys though.

1) as soon as the match starts, ask nmain to hold your Prada bag, and he will be too busy admiring it to worry about you anymore.

2)West will be a little tougher, but just show him an autographed picture of John Kerry, and he'll let you win if you give him the photo.

It should all take less than 2 minutes, and you won't even work up a sweat.

A pic of John Kerry or a Prada bag? Hmmmmmm.....Give me the Prada!!! Aaaaaaanyway, back to topic. Use the greeting you want. Don't care what anyone thinks about the greeting you use and conversely don't be angry if someone else does not use the greeting you would use. Phew. Staying on topic is hard work.

Merry Chrismas everyone. Yes even you Parrot......

[TJones]

Here you go Sub: Merrychristmakwanzaakah !

OK, Prada for everyone then, jeeeeeez, you guys are tough to buy for !

[westguy]

Political? On the House floor today:

Rep. John Dingell (D-MI): "Madam Speaker, I have a little poem.

'Twas the week before Christmas and all through the House,

no bills were passed `bout which Fox News could grouse.

Tax cuts for the wealthy were passed with great cheer,

so vacations in St. Barts soon should be near.

Katrina kids were all nestled snug in motel beds,

while visions of school and home danced in their heads.

In Iraq, our soldiers need supplies and a plan,

and nuclear weapons are being built in Iran.

Gas prices shot up, consumer confidence fell.

Americans feared we were in a fast track to ..... well.

Wait, we need a distraction, something divisive and wily,

a fabrication straight from the mouth of O'Reilly.

We will pretend Christmas is under attack,

hold a vote to save it, then pat ourselves on the back.

Silent Night, First Noel, Away in the Manger,

Wake up Congress, they're in no danger.

This time of year, we see Christmas everywhere we go,

From churches to homes to schools and, yes, even Costco.

What we have is an attempt to divide and destroy

when this is the season to unite us with joy.

At Christmastime, we're taught to unite.

We don't need a made-up reason to fight.

So on O'Reilly, on Hannity, on Coulter and those right-wing blogs.

You should sit back and relax, have a few egg nogs.

'Tis the holiday season; enjoy it a pinch.

With all our real problems, do we really need another Grinch?

So to my friends and my colleagues, I say with delight,

a Merry Christmas to all, and to Bill O'Reilly, happy holidays.

Ho, ho, ho. Merry Christmas."

[nmainguy]

1) as soon as the match starts, ask nmain to hold your Prada bag, and he will be too busy admiring it to worry about you anymore.

2)West will be a little tougher, but just show him an autographed picture of John Kerry, and he'll let you win if you give him the photo.

It should all take less than 2 minutes, and you won't even work up a sweat.

I'm wondering...TJ seems to know alot about Prada bags...hmmmm

Don't you worry, TJ, most likely I'll be holding the new Sawzall I just got for my birthday if a parrot attacks.

Now about my buddy, west...I happen to know he has a shoe thing going on...

[nmainguy]

Political? On the House floor today:

Rep. John Dingell (D-MI): "Madam Speaker, I have a little poem.

Ah, the good Rep...he was a poet and we didn't even know it!

That was a very good analysis of "Scare the Hell Out of Them in the Name of Christmas While We Pick Their Pockets"

Quick, Hannity! Grab the wallet while Coulter scares the crap out out them!!!!!

Of course this is political, Sub...these people made it so.

Merry Happy Christmas Seasons Greetings and a Joyous New Year

[RedScare]

Check This out!

"Fox betrays Christmas crusade, sells "Holiday" ornaments for your "Holiday tree"

Although Fox News hosts Bill O'Reilly and John Gibson have lambasted what they see as a "secular" "war on Christmas," Fox News' own online store advertises "Holiday" ornaments rather than "Christmas" ornaments, as apparently first noted on the weblog Daily Kos. The items are grouped under the category "Holiday Ideas."

O'Reilly, host of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, has recently waged a campaign against corporations that greet customers with "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." For his part, Gibson, the host of Fox News' The Big Story with John Gibson, has published a book titled The War on Christmas: How the Liberal Plot to Ban the Sacred Christian Holiday Is Worse Than You Thought (Sentinel, October 2005).

Despite O'Reilly's specific criticism of those who use the term "holiday tree" instead of "Christmas tree," an O'Reilly Factor ornament for sale at the Fox News store features this tagline: "Put your holiday tree in 'The No Spin Zone' with this silver glass 'O'Reilly Factor' ornament."

http://mediamatters.org/items/200511300006

Click on the link. It shows the Bill O'Reilly "Holiday Ornament" for your "Holiday Tree".

Oh, damn, I cannot stop laughing! My sides hurt. In the War on Christmas, this would be known as "Friendly Fire"!

Oh! My sides hurt. Make it stop! Please, make it stop!

[TJones]

I'm wondering...TJ seems to know alot about Prada bags...hmmmm

Don't you worry, TJ, most likely I'll be holding the new Sawzall I just got for my birthday if a parrot attacks.

Now about my buddy, west...I happen to know he has a shoe thing going on...

SAWZALL !!!....................You wonderful Bastard ! Can i borrow it indefinately ?

....and remember Kids, what's Fox news's motto? "Fair and Balanced". So of course they are gonna have the "holiday" ornaments for all the Heathens. Red, you and nmain, and all of us other "infidels" should know better. Just because O'Reilly doesn't like it, he still gets his bread and butter at Fox, so I am sure he isn't all that put off by the "holiday" thing.

[nmainguy]

SAWZALL !!!....................You wonderful Bastard ! Can i borrow it indefinately ?

....and remember Kids, what's Fox news's motto? "Fair and Balanced". So of course they are gonna have the "holiday" ornaments for all the Heathens. Red, you and nmain, and all of us other "infidels" should know better. What's funnier than "holiday ornaments" is the fact that you guys were so GUNG HO ! when editor put up the "Haify Christmas" thread, saying how it is your right to say whatever you want and that everyone should stop trying to take away Christmas ! Do you remember that ? Now you are being hypocrites about the whole issue, and now it really wasn't an issue to begin with, according to you guys.

OK, big boy...first things first. No one...I mean NO ONE puts their paws on MY Sawzall except my some-times better half-and then only under strict supervision.

Secondly, steer clear of the "you are being hypocrites about the whole issue" thing. My most definitive post in this entire thread was "So Merry Christmas, Joyfull Holidays, Happy New Year-whatever floats your boat."

I meant it and I'm stickin' to my story, bucky.

Now, if you want to discuss Red...we all know he is a proven trouble maker and cannot be trusted. Him with all his high-falutin' facts! [did I spell "falutin" correctly?]

Merry Christmas, damnit! OK???

[nmainguy]

Check This out!

"Fox betrays Christmas crusade, sells "Holiday" ornaments for your "Holiday tree"

Although Fox News hosts Bill O'Reilly and John Gibson have lambasted what they see as a "secular" "war on Christmas," Fox News' own online store advertises "Holiday" ornaments rather than "Christmas" ornaments, as apparently first noted on the weblog Daily Kos. The items are grouped under the category "Holiday Ideas."

O'Reilly, host of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, has recently waged a campaign against corporations that greet customers with "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." For his part, Gibson, the host of Fox News' The Big Story with John Gibson, has published a book titled The War on Christmas: How the Liberal Plot to Ban the Sacred Christian Holiday Is Worse Than You Thought (Sentinel, October 2005).

Despite O'Reilly's specific criticism of those who use the term "holiday tree" instead of "Christmas tree," an O'Reilly Factor ornament for sale at the Fox News store features this tagline: "Put your holiday tree in 'The No Spin Zone' with this silver glass 'O'Reilly Factor' ornament."

http://mediamatters.org/items/200511300006

Click on the link. It shows the Bill O'Reilly "Holiday Ornament" for your "Holiday Tree".Oh, damn, I cannot stop laughing! My sides hurt. In the War on Christmas, this would be known as "Friendly Fire"!Oh! My sides hurt. Make it stop! Please, make it stop!

Well, Red...I don't know what you are talking about.

If you go to the Fox shopping site page

http://shop.ecompanystore.com/foxnews/FOX_...&view=all&ID=71

you can see they are offering only Holy Christmas Ornaments in the truest sense of the spirit of ALL things Holy.

Clearly, you are destined to burn in a Hell with flames that never consume.

[plus you missed my post #51 in this thread. You are forgiven, my son.]

[RedScare]

Well, Red...I don't know what you are talking about.

If you go to the Fox shopping site page

http://shop.ecompanystore.com/foxnews/FOX_...&view=all&ID=71

you can see they are offering only Holy Christmas Ornaments in the truest sense of the spirit of ALL things Holy.

Clearly, you are destined to burn in a Hell with flames that never consume.

[plus you missed my post #51 in this thread. You are forgiven, my son.]

Yes, they changed it after getting busted being hypocritical. This shows Fox ascribes to the same marketing theory that Target and all the others do, to include EVERYONE in the money grab. They want all the money, too, not just 87% Christian money. But, it shows that there is no war on Christmas, but that this is all about money.

EDIT: Oops, you scooped me by 3 days. I wonder how I missed it. Oh well, I hope this ends the war debate.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

[Sunstar]

I don't see what the big deal is. It's not like you're going to get arrested for saying Merry Christmas. You can say it to whoever you like and they can't do nothing about it.

It's like when people tell me that I should use "utensils" when I eat. I tell 'em I don't have to, there's no law to make me!. I don't care what they think, with all their fancy indoor plumbing. Think they're better than me...