… Leftist twit Maha is upset because I dared label the academic cranks complaining about the dreaded, highly offensive Tree With Lights display in the library as “Leftists”. Maha bleets
Have you ever noticed how often the Christmas guerrillas trivialize Christmas even as they defend it? … Ah, Ms. Click, how art thou stupid? Let me count the ways.Let us first take up the knee-jerk assumption that people complaining about the Christmas trees must be “Leftists.â€Â
Now, if Maha would care to link to some right-winger cranks being offended by Christmas displays, I will happily expose the party-poopers right here. Narcissism is quite capable of being bi-partisan, but it is usually a feature of arrested maturity and if there is an ideology more childish than the contemporary American Left, I haven’t met it yet. Certainly, Maha lives up to her bonafides with the usual puerile taunts of “Xtianists and wingers are teh stupid” then lamely trots out other suspects of Christmas crankiness.
They might have been atheists
And they would have been Leftist atheists. Not surprisingly, mature atheists have little problem with Christmas
These crazy, bitter extremists don’t represent the vast majority of (grown-up) atheists in this country.Most of us just don’t have the faith required to be a believer, for one reason or another, and think it would be disingenuous and insulting of us to fake it. But we love it when you tell us Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah or Blessed Yule, because you’re wishing the joy of your holiday on us. The spirit of the season may be secular for us, but we certainly don’t deny that it exists. We smile at strangers and call our familes and give to charity more at this time of year, just like you do. And we certainly don’t want to take away your sparkly trees and menorahs and crèches, because they’re lovely and cheerful, and we like that they make you happy, and they definitely don’t “harden your heart.â€Â
It should be noted that author, Tanya, of DI came up with a birthday analogy as I did.
But Maha can’t be deterred from the Standard Argument Procedure that dominates Leftist discourse … make up a cartoon character that represents your hated opponent, make up words/statements/arguments in the mouth of that character then argue with the cartoon. Maha trots out the usual puppy-blender meme
Small-government conservatives don’t want to spend taxpayer dollars on anything  well, except war. They don’t want to fund public education, maintain infrastructure, rebuild New Orleans, keep starving children from dropping dead on the streets, etc.
… in an effort to say the Chapel Hill cranks may be really conservatives. Because, you know, being offended by Christmas trees on a tax paying basis is all the rage in small government circles.
One can argue that Christmas is as much a secular and cultural holiday as a religious one,
Yes, one absolutely can argue that. Which makes the academic cranks look even more foolish by banning the trees and lights as a “Christian” display. You might like to rethink that line of debate, Maha.
But let’s get back to the trivialization part. Is Ms. Click comparing Christmas to a birthday party that might annoy other patrons in a restaurant? How is that comparison valid? Is she saying that Christmas is no big deal and if one doesn’t like it one should just ignore it? That’s fine, except to make the comparison parallel to the UNC library trees we’d have to have the annoyed patrons being forced to not only tolerate the party, but to pay for it. And then be told they won’t be allowed to have their own parties in the same space.
I’m sorry, does the UNC libraries charge for membership? Or are patrons using the public space as a restaurant patron uses a table at a restaurant?
Maha has to deliberately misread the point of my analogy and torture it into something that supports her view that the cranks are justified in their constipated crankiness.
Regardless of how individual Christians approach Christmas, public displays of festiveness are just that. Christmas trees, lights, and music are to Christmas what balloons, crepe paper, and funny hats are to birthdays. They are accoutrements of celebration. They are the gift wrap on the box, not the gift itself.
But to the narcissist that insists every celebration must be about him or her, someone else’s birthday is just not inclusive enough. Burn the crepe paper! Pop the balloons!
Me? I love all manner of parties. Christmas trees, menorahs, Hanukkah or Eid al-Adha … happiness is contagious and it is well past due in just pointing at Leftist cranks and laughing.
Comment by donald on 12/6 @ 3:07 pm #
I’m an atheist, and I gotta say, too many of us are annoying, small minded dipshits. Get a frickin life people.
I just watched the South Park episode on Mormons a little while ago. Simple story, Mormon’s move into town, everybody makes fun of them, then they meet them, find out they’re nice, bright, polite people, then they learn a little bit about what it’s all about, then are repulsed, and then one of the little mormon kids makes the point at the end, that so they got some weird beliefs and weird customs that don’t make any sense, but in the end, he’s got a great family, they’re nice people who are productive in society, so what’s the problem?
And that’s the point folks, it doesn’t matter what you believe, if you’re a good person, then great. If you’re rejection of God makes you an asshole, the screw you. And if your religion makes you want to saw somebody’s head off, or go to a person you never even heard of to insult him and others, then perhaps those you should be exterminated.
Merry Christmas.
Comment by BumperStickerist on 12/6 @ 3:14 pm #
The best part of the “Mormons” episode was when the change went from “dum, dum, dum, dum” to “smart, smart, smart, smart, smart”
-
Phillip Glass - South Park.
http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/103765/?tag=Philip+Glass
Comment by Mikey NTH on 12/6 @ 3:17 pm #
Evangelical atheists are the problem donald. They can’t wait to impose their non-belief on others under the guise of keeping others from imposing their beliefs on them. And their non-belief is so fragile it is offended by any display of belief by another. I think the word to describe them, and all others who contiuously harp on an issue to the utter boredom and annoyance of others is ‘crank’. Though narcisstic ass is also available.
Comment by Mikey NTH on 12/6 @ 3:23 pm #
Me? I’m pretty much on the plan for civil society of ‘don’t harm other people or their property’. And ‘it makes me feel alienated’ isn’t really harm in my view, as my response is the old Joan Rivers’ response, ‘oh grow up already’, with me adding ‘you miserable little toad’.
But that’s just me.
Comment by SarahW on 12/6 @ 3:34 pm #
Christmas trees are an adopted pagan tradition and mark the solstice as much as any religious holiday. Some Christians will not have one in their homes, indeed there are Christian sects who either in the past or present, will not celebrate Christmas, or even mark it out as a holy day. ( Jehovah’s witnesses, for example.)
Only a fool would object to a lovely lighted tree display in a library,
Comment by SarahW on 12/6 @ 3:38 pm #
I think some fear the “temptation of Christmas”. It’s so alluring.
They would do well to remember that even Christians celebrate Christmas at the solstice because it blended in with ancient celebratory rites.
Comment by Carin on 12/6 @ 3:41 pm #
I think Sarah’s got a point. Who wouldn’t want a lighted tree in their house decorated with ornaments made by their kids?
I killed my own tree today. About 20 degrees and a blizzard.
Comment by parsnip on 12/6 @ 4:05 pm #
mature atheists have little problem with Christmas
Just like mature Christians of the right have no problem with Islam.
Group hug!
Comment by donald on 12/6 @ 4:10 pm #
Well, there’s that problem with Islamist wanting to saw off the heads of non-believers Mr. what Ted Kacinszki grew. And actually, you’ve probably noticed that all kinds of religions and non-relgions have that problem with the head sawing offers. Way to bring the wit.
Comment by donald on 12/6 @ 4:11 pm #
Oh and in my first comment I was referring to the Phelps inbreds.
Comment by Darleen on 12/6 @ 4:14 pm #
shorter root vegetable: Oh look, a pony!
Comment by Pablo on 12/6 @ 4:14 pm #
Shut up, alphie.
Comment by easyliving1 on 12/6 @ 4:17 pm #
Well, Bill Buckley failed.
But only up until this very point. Or your next point.
Jeff could attempt to respond in a witty, funny way to mahablahblah: I cannot (as per usual, the Maha Rushie is correct when he states most limitations are self-imposed) because I’m simple-minded* in my focus.
But the facts are quite clear: Brilliant people have described in detail the failure to communicate, for whatever reasons- be they ideological (none so blind as those…) or other (asshats)- and the result of this lack of communication.
The result is “humanity.”
The brilliant people are Buckley, many famous writers, and most wise people you know.
Personally, I’m relegated to happily donating to Goldstein and hoping he writes a movie, bearing in mind films written before him that had to be more circumpsect than he could fathom.
Since Jeff has done more than fathom unfathomable conditions to me, his art will not be like what Welles referred to, in an unusual manner, as http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000080/bio
Just go read it.
Comment by easyliving1 on 12/6 @ 4:20 pm #
[on his favorite directors] I prefer the old masters; by which I mean: John Ford, John Ford and John Ford.
Rush should scream this about Buckley every single show, and the fact he doesn’t pisses me off and shows me an open market, NRO aside.
No shit.
Comment by easyliving1 on 12/6 @ 4:33 pm #
[commenting on pop idol Donny Osmond] He has Van Gogh’s ear for music.
Comment by parsnip on 12/6 @ 4:40 pm #
An “oh look, a pony” comment in your “oh look, a pony” post, Darleen?
This thread might collapse into a black hole!
Comment by N. O'Brain on 12/6 @ 4:49 pm #
“Comment by parsnip on 12/6 @ 4:40 pm #
An “oh look, a pony†comment in your “oh look, a pony†post, Darleen?
This thread might collapse into a black hole!”
Only from your stupidity, alphie.
On the plus side, you could be sucked into it and travel through a wormhole back the Teh Stoopid Universeâ„¢ where you came from.
There would be much lamantation at your return.
Comment by Darleen on 12/6 @ 4:55 pm #
root veggie is into arguing cartoons with as much relish as the cowards on Maha’s comment section.
Comment by parsnip on 12/6 @ 4:58 pm #
Admit it, Darleen.
Christians get off on phony tales of persecution like the one in your post.
Makes you feel like you’re back fighting the Romans, maybe?
Who knows?
Kinky stuff, like a Bettie Page pinup.
Comment by nikkolai on 12/6 @ 5:05 pm #
So sayeth the talking telephone pole.
Comment by Darleen on 12/6 @ 5:09 pm #
tales of persecution like the one in your post.
Persecution? Good lord, alpee, I’m hoping you’re drunk or high, then you’ll sober up, because crazy is like forever.
Comment by Darleen on 12/6 @ 5:11 pm #
Leftist cranks offended by twinkly trees are the new Victorian prudes trying to put skirts on table legs.
Comment by Mikey NTH on 12/6 @ 5:18 pm #
#7 Carin - I have the old family tree. We got it in 75 when we started going down to Florida over Christmas to see my dad’s parents. I have it and the old ornaments, like the big green bulb that was on my mom’s mother’s first tree in 1900. That is something - touching something your ancestors touched - which is why Christmas and a Chritmas service has so much power. “I am really doing what my ancestors did. I can share this with them, at this time we are sitting in the same pew.”
Comment by N. O'Brain on 12/6 @ 5:27 pm #
I’m offended by them not putting up Christams trees.
Comment by Mikey NTH on 12/6 @ 5:28 pm #
I’ve tried to remember to give an ornament to my nephews and neices for their first Chritstmas’. I don’t now how many of those ornaments have survived. But I got one to give to little Allison Grace when I see her, her sister, her mother, and my brother (her father) this Christmas.
I think it is sweet idea. “This was given to me to put on my first Christmas tree.” “Who gave it to you?.” “It was my uncle Mike. He was a drunk, and a bachelor, but he cared about things like this.”
Comment by Rusty on 12/6 @ 6:34 pm #
#19
Steadfastly and stubbornly refuse to get it, don’t you.
The nazis march
in Skokie.
That’s all right
you see
just as long
as there isn’t
a menorah
or
a tree.
Comment by Chris S. on 12/6 @ 6:40 pm #
“I’m an atheist, and I gotta say, too many of us are annoying, small minded dipshits. Get a frickin life people.”
Amen, Brother Donald. Hell, I’m an atheist but if I ever have kids I might just send them to Catholic school just so they can have a frickin’ Christmas tree, Easter Bunny, and yeah, Spring Break that coincides with the other Christian schools’ last week of Lent.
Comment by peter jackson on 12/6 @ 6:44 pm #
Darleen,
It’s best never to argue with anyone whose chosen name translates as “great.”
Comment by pianoman on 12/6 @ 6:45 pm #
#27: Proving once again what Darleen said about “grown-up athiests”.
It’s the childish ones that cause all the trouble. They want to kick over the sand castle at the beach because it wasn’t THEIRS. Waaah!
Comment by B Moe on 12/6 @ 6:45 pm #
Hell, I’m an atheist but if I ever have kids I might just send them to Catholic school just so they can have a frickin’ Christmas tree, Easter Bunny, and yeah, Spring Break that coincides with the other Christian schools’ last week of Lent.
Having a decent shot at being able to read and write upon graduation would be a plus also, I would think.
Comment by parsnip on 12/6 @ 6:47 pm #
Is it so hard to keep your primitive celebrations off of public property like the Constitution asks, Rusty?
Really?
Comment by B Moe on 12/6 @ 6:49 pm #
Is it so hard to keep your primitive celebrations off of public property like the Constitution asks…
Would it be so hard for you to point out to me exactly where the Constitution says this, taterhead?
Comment by A Concerned Christian Conservative on 12/6 @ 6:53 pm #
Well, ah foh one don’ lahk Christmas trees. We don’ hang neah enuf coloreds offem no moah…
Comment by Sdferr on 12/6 @ 6:57 pm #
So, strange fruit morphs into strange ornaments? Curious transition there, what with the Christian abolitionists hanging around in the background scratching their heads in wonderment.
Comment by parsnip on 12/6 @ 7:04 pm #
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion … .â€Â
Now, I’m sure if UNC wants to give up the hundreds of millions of dollars it get from public funds each year so it can put up Christmas trees, it can.
Comment by B Moe on 12/6 @ 7:09 pm #
And Congress didn’t pass any laws about Christmas Trees, did they?
Comment by Chris S. on 12/6 @ 7:14 pm #
“Having a decent shot at being able to read and write upon graduation would be a plus also, I would think”
Hey, super sorry to inject Popery and Romanism(!!) into the thread, here, BMoe. But a big Ave Maria and Happy Holidays to you, anyways.
Comment by pianoman on 12/6 @ 7:23 pm #
parsnip: Christmas is a Federal holiday. Should it be abolished? If not, why not?
Thanks!
Comment by Russ on 12/6 @ 7:25 pm #
I’m put in mind of another South Park-ism: “Logic and reason aren’t enough: You also have to be a dick to everyone who doesn’t think like you.”
Sums up the childish atheists pretty well.
Comment by Spiny Norman on 12/6 @ 7:26 pm #
Funny how toads like alphie like to post that bit of the First Amendment, “Congress shall make no law…” but then proceed to ignore it.
What law is there that requires UNC (or any public entity) to display Christian symbols, or even adopted pagan symbols like Christmas Trees?
Come on alphie, I know you can do it!
Comment by B Moe on 12/6 @ 7:27 pm #
Hey, super sorry to inject Popery and Romanism(!!) into the thread, here, BMoe.
No problem, I am a devout agnostic, but Catholic Schools have always impressed me with their teaching of the fundamental.
Comment by serr8d on 12/6 @ 7:43 pm #
Mahablog..that rings a bell. Oh, Dan commissioned this, back when he last tangled with Empress Fritillaria meleagris.
I could string nice Christmas lights about her brow, for he occasion.. )
Comment by serr8d on 12/6 @ 7:45 pm #
he = the
or, she, as the case may be.
Comment by Darleen on 12/6 @ 7:59 pm #
#35 root veggie
Where in UNC’s decision to leave its Christmas trees/lights in the basement did the threat of loss of Fed funds come in? And I’m sure you can link to the relevant SCOTUS case that states a public display of a Christmas tree is an establishment of state religion.
Comment by Darleen on 12/6 @ 8:01 pm #
Cranky lefties can’t even agree on a strategy on why nasty trees with lights should be kicked over and stomped.
They just want to throw tantrums.
Comment by B Moe on 12/6 @ 8:04 pm #
I just can’t get over the idea that anybody could be fucking offended by a Christmas tree.
How can anyone take that seriously?
Comment by B Moe on 12/6 @ 8:10 pm #
You know what offends me? Kittens! Prancing around with their fuzzy little paws and fuzzy little ears and their fuzzy little tail stuck all up in the air! What arrogance! Like they own the whole house or something!
(Waits for Maggie head to asplode in 3,2,1…)
Comment by ajacksonian on 12/6 @ 8:25 pm #
It is amazing that atheists, of all people, should recognize the point of Westphalia: religious tolerance.
It was religious intolerance that got 15% of Europe dead in the 30 years war. Yet the first to squawk about rights are the last to remember that little lesson, thus trying to doom us all to repeat it.
Comment by Spies, Brigands, and Pirates on 12/6 @ 8:36 pm #
It’s best never to argue with anyone whose chosen name translates as “great.â€Â
Does it really?
And this person pretends to be a Buddhist?
Way to let loose of that ego, “Maha”.
I won’t go over there to see what the cowardly little fascists are saying. Naturally, they’re too afraid to come over here and debate in an environment where the “Great” one can’t delete any and all dissenting opinion.
Comment by cynn on 12/6 @ 8:53 pm #
Darleen, you are the spangly in the face of the black velour. I toss all my energy to you.
Comment by Spies, Brigands, and Pirates on 12/6 @ 8:58 pm #
Mikey NTH: Evangelical atheists are the problem donald. They can’t wait to impose their non-belief on others
See also: militant vegetarians.
Darleen: Leftist cranks offended by twinkly trees are the new Victorian prudes trying to put skirts on table legs.
See also: gender “feminists”. The attack of the vapors cynn had over that rather nice Bettie Page picture that Dan posted is a good example.
Stupid, humorless, and joyless little fascists, the lot of them.
Comment by Mike LaRoche on 12/6 @ 8:59 pm #
I’m surprised that Nishi hadn’t yet shown up in this thread.
Comment by Swen Swenson on 12/6 @ 9:06 pm #
As an agnostic I’m offended by mother-stabbers and father-rapers and people who abuse their children. Christmas trees? Anyone who’s offended by a Christmas tree really, really needs to get a friggin’ life.
Comment by N. O'Brain on 12/6 @ 9:38 pm #
“Comment by parsnip on 12/6 @ 7:04 pm #
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion … .†”
Which just proves how stupid your really are, alpo.
Comment by Ric Locke on 12/6 @ 9:41 pm #
Ah, but Swen, their life is being offended. The trigger is utterly irrelevant. If they scream loudly enough and pound the table with their chubby widdle fists, Mommy will give them a piece of candy. They have strength! They are important! They made people give them what they wanted!
Regards,
Ric
Comment by Obstreperous Infidel on 12/6 @ 9:45 pm #
Comment by parsnip on 12/6 @ 4:05 pm
Fuck. So fucking stupid. Nobody has a problem with Islam, alphie. It’s the muslims that want to make me muslim.
Comment by Obstreperous Infidel on 12/6 @ 9:49 pm #
Um…that I have a problem with…
Comment by parsnip on 12/6 @ 10:10 pm #
You don’t look like you enjoy life much. SPD.
Profanity = ignorance.
Always.
Comment by N. O'Brain on 12/6 @ 10:12 pm #
“Comment by parsnip on 12/6 @ 10:10 pm #
You don’t look like you enjoy life much. SPD.
Profanity = ignorance.
Always.”
Ignorance = the black hole that is alfie
Always.
Comment by B Moe on 12/6 @ 10:22 pm #
Who is SPD?
Comment by thor on 12/6 @ 10:33 pm #
Maybe their Christmases are complete until they get to see you throw a foot stomping tantrum after your dumb twinkling tree gets punted.
Oh look, it’s a twinkly wit Chwismas twee!
Comment by thor on 12/6 @ 10:34 pm #
are = aren’t
Comment by peter jackson on 12/6 @ 10:58 pm #
Spies!
Does it really?
Yeah. It’s Sanskrit. As in maharajah (great king) or Maharastra (great kingdom). What did they call Ghandi? Mahatma (great one/great soul/great self). Yes, Maja has named himself an adjective.
Anyhoo, about this “Congress shall make no law” stuff. As someone has pointed out already, Congress has passed no law about Christmas trees. And incorporation of the First Amendmentâ€â€which reinterpret the Bill of Rights in light of the Fourteenth Amendment, making many of the constraints on Congress apply to state and local governments as wellâ€â€simply requires reviewing the establishment clause as they pertain to the guarantees of equality before the law and due process. Does the display of Christmas trees on public property violate any citizen’s rights of due process or equal protection of the laws? I don’t see how.
Comment by Jack Klompus on 12/6 @ 11:38 pm #
Here’s some profanity snippy:
You’re an even bigger fucking idiot on here than you were on Patterico before you got banned for being aforementioned fucking idiot.
Comment by Jack Klompus on 12/6 @ 11:39 pm #
Hey thor baby! And fuck you, too, dickwad!
Comment by Odin on 12/6 @ 11:54 pm #
Son, don’t you see a certain irony in someone with your moniker speaking derisively of religious beliefs?
Comment by parsnip on 12/7 @ 12:39 am #
Swear some more, Jack.
I’m sure the folks from Sarah Palin/Joe the Plumber land will be impressed.
Comment by B Moe on 12/7 @ 12:42 am #
Give up on being a Constitutional Scholar, did we there taterhead? Decided to be a language prude now? Tut tut, you best be careful, you are getting dangerously close to practicing religion on a public forum.
Comment by parsnip on 12/7 @ 12:56 am #
Have any Christians sued UNC to put the Christmas trees back on display in the library, B Moe?
Comment by guinsPen on 12/7 @ 1:07 am #
For God’s sake Darleen, would you give PattyP her damn tree back?
Murderess.
Comment by B Moe on 12/7 @ 1:20 am #
I wonder what their houses were made of?
Comment by B Moe on 12/7 @ 1:29 am #
I just noticed this:
Michalak said that banishing the Christmas displays was not an easy decision but that she asked around to library colleagues at Duke, N.C. State and elsewhere and found no other one where Christmas trees were displayed.
…
“We strive in our collection to have a wide variety of ideas,†she said.
So they decided to do exactly like everyone else. In a varied kind of sameness.
Comment by guinsPen on 12/7 @ 1:36 am #
I wonder what their houses were made of?
Parsnips.
Comment by J. "Trashman" Peden on 12/7 @ 2:02 am #
Swear some more, Jack.
I’m sure the folks from Sarah Palin/Joe the Plumber land will be impressed
No, because merely knowing how to speak the only language you understand does not really make us multilingual.
Comment by Spies, Brigands, and Pirates on 12/7 @ 3:02 am #
Great, now we have “Maha”, the fake Buddhist, and Patty P., the fake pagan.
Hey, Patty: those “pagans” that you profess to admire had religious practices that were so barbaric that the friggin’ Romans (not exactly a crowd of shrinking violets, shall we say) were horrified by their cruelty.
You might want to study some real history rather than the codswallop your “Wiccan” “priestess” has been feeding you.
Hint: they weren’t really a bunch of peace-loving, matriarchal hippies living in harmony with nature and one another. They were much like the Aztecs in many respects, although the Aztecs achieved a level of cultural refinement that the Druids never did.
Comment by Spies, Brigands, and Pirates on 12/7 @ 3:07 am #
By the way, in regard to “murdering trees”, do you figure that Patty P. wipes her ass?
Comment by Sean M. on 12/7 @ 3:57 am #
Yeah, SBP, I’m sure Patty P. does. But she uses the towels.
Comment by Dan Collins on 12/7 @ 4:51 am #
People still put skirts on Christmas trees. I thought it was about the needles, but . . . oh, wait! Anyway, this revives Tim Allen’s career: Establishment Clause.
Comment by davis,br on 12/7 @ 5:16 am #
You’ll just love this one than, Darleen:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000313731
…Ode to Parody.
Comment by donald on 12/7 @ 6:43 am #
I’m an atheist and I love kittens.
Comment by Rusty on 12/7 @ 7:21 am #
#31
Not in the constitution, dear. Try again.
Comment by N. O'Brain on 12/7 @ 8:04 am #
“Comment by B Moe on 12/7 @ 1:20 am #
I wonder what their houses were made of?”
Ginbgerbread.
To attract the chillren.
Comment by Spies, Brigands, and Pirates on 12/7 @ 8:11 am #
Looks like MAHAHAHAHA is busy banning people from her little fascist circle jerk now.
WW Gautama do, MAHAHAHA?
Comment by Daniel Dare on 12/7 @ 8:23 am #
Pet peeve:
I always celebrate Isaac Newton’s birthday on Dec 25th.
He was born in 1642 so this year is his 366th birthday.
Now I always put up my genuine plastic tree every year, as you do, and I decorate it with lights.
But one thing causes me enormous angst.
All the plastic trees I have ever seen in the shops are conifers.
And yet, if you are celebrating Newtonmas, the tree should of course be an apple tree.
Because of the true story about Sir Isaac and the apple.
I do hope some privately enterprising person sees this plaintive plea and brings out a plastic apple tree someday.
So that us Newtonmas revelers, all 5 of us worldwide, can enjoy our festival as we aspire to.
Comment by Spies, Brigands, and Pirates on 12/7 @ 8:25 am #
But Daniel, apple trees don’t have leaves in December.
Couldn’t you just get a random plastic deciduous tree and cut off all the leaves?
Comment by Sdferr on 12/7 @ 8:28 am #
Use a ficus Daniel. Newton would be jiggity wid it.
Comment by N. O'Brain on 12/7 @ 8:33 am #
Comment by Daniel Dare on 12/7 @ 8:23 am #
What a drag.
Comment by Daniel Dare on 12/7 @ 8:33 am #
SPB,
“apple trees don’t have leaves in December”.
I don’t think that’s true in Australia where I live, I’m normally at the beach in December.
What exactly is a random plastic deciduous tree?
I’ve only seen conifers.
Comment by Spies, Brigands, and Pirates on 12/7 @ 8:35 am #
Whoops, sorry for my cultural insensitivity!
Here in the U.S., there are quite a few plastic trees around, the ficus that Sdferr mentioned being quite common (although I suppose those wouldn’t be deciduous in a technical sense, since they tend to grow in semitropical or tropical climes).
Comment by Spies, Brigands, and Pirates on 12/7 @ 8:36 am #
Just make sure you don’t take it anywhere near a library, or display it within eyeshot of a public road.
Otherwise somebody might get offended.
Comment by Sdferr on 12/7 @ 8:37 am #
The other nice thing about a ficus is that they take well to potting and growth indoors, plus, figs, Newton!
Comment by N. O'Brain on 12/7 @ 8:42 am #
Comment by Sdferr on 12/7 @ 8:37 am #
That comment takes the cake.
Comment by SDN on 12/7 @ 8:43 am #
If PattyP actually knew anything about Wicca, she’d realize it is a 100% constructed religion, whose rites, rules and rewards were more or less made up in the late 1800’s from Christianity and put into starched, sanitized Druid robes, bleached of the smoke stains from the Wicker Man and similar Druidic rites.
Of course, most of Christianity’s rites and rituals were pulled from the worship of Mithras, so….
Comment by Spies, Brigands, and Pirates on 12/7 @ 8:48 am #
If PattyP actually knew anything about Wicca, she’d realize it is a 100% constructed religion
Yeah. Gerald Gardner invented the whole thing to provide an excuse for tying up and whipping naked girls.
He did this by creating a dumbed-down melange of Druidism, Teutonic religion, Greco-Roman paganism, and Aleister Crowley (who was a genuine scholar of the occult, and a very good writer, btw…despite his (many) personal failings). Then he dusted the result with a spicy coating of Eastern claptrap he’d picked up in Asia.
Voila!
Comment by B Moe on 12/7 @ 9:55 am #
Gerald Gardner invented the whole thing to provide an excuse for tying up and whipping naked girls.
Seriously?
Might have to give it another look.
Comment by JD on 12/7 @ 10:03 am #
parsnip/sniffles/alphie is a tool.
If you are ever offended by a Christmas tree, you should seek psychological counseling, immediately.
Comment by Spies, Brigands, and Pirates on 12/7 @ 10:54 am #
Just make sure you hook up with a “genuine” Gardnerian coven, B Moe, not a “Dianic” coven.
Comment by Topsecretk9 on 12/7 @ 12:02 pm #
I was in san fran yesterday and every where you looked lefttards had adorned their ironic little flats in obama decorations out their windows. Lights over their obama posters and obama garland, halos over the messiah. I was offended because it looked stupid and junky. I just sent in my petition to Newsome today.
Comment by Slartibartfast on 12/7 @ 12:41 pm #
Herself. Sorry, I’m just picky that way.
I’m almost curious enough about what parsnip is posting about to see if I can get a translation to English from whatever dialect of Dumbass parsnip is speaking.
Comment by Slartibartfast on 12/7 @ 12:45 pm #
Wild italics tag!
Comment by ushie on 12/7 @ 2:49 pm #
And since you’re reading, Ms. Click, we pagans want our Yule tree back. Of course, we simply decorated ours where they stood in the forest so they would continue to grow, rather than murder them by chopping them down and dragging them into our houses. We’re very pro-life like that.
Comment by PattyP  December 6, 2008 @ 2:42 pm
I could not stop myself from laughing and almost spit Diet Coke all over the keyboard. Guess PattyP lives in a plastic house. No, no, I’ve met her kind. She’s got lots of candles and crystals and pretends she’s the reincarnation of some Druidic priestess from the long-ago time of The Matriarchy that was before the time of King Arthur. She eats vegan food and pretends it’s tasty. Has random sex but never really enjoys it, but says she does it “for the ritual.” Is totally aware of her menstrual cycle and the phases of the moon. Uses different incense to incite different moods. She fills her life with various silly “Wiccan” ceremonies but thinks that Christianity is too rigid…
Comment by Spies, Brigands, and Pirates on 12/7 @ 2:52 pm #
Guess PattyP lives in a plastic house.
And, as I observed above, doesn’t wipe her ass.
Comment by ushie on 12/7 @ 2:56 pm #
SBP, she also uses those washable sanitary napkins made by vegan lesbians in the Pacific Northwest…
Comment by JD on 12/7 @ 2:58 pm #
Tsk9 - When it comes to Teh Messiah, Teh One we have been waiting for, the whole idea of the seperation of Church and State is thrown out the window.
Slarti - It translates as blah blah lie blah blah blah.
Comment by JD on 12/7 @ 2:59 pm #
SBP, she also uses those washable sanitary napkins made by vegan lesbians in the Pacific Northwest…
But only 1 per deuce, for the environment, and Mother Gaia.
Comment by Spies, Brigands, and Pirates on 12/7 @ 3:06 pm #
She’s got lots of candles and crystals and pretends she’s the reincarnation of some Druidic priestess
Funny how it’s always a “high priestess” or an “Egyptian princess” or some such that they used to be.
Never a two-oboloi whore or the girl who emptied the palace chamber pots.
Comment by ushie on 12/7 @ 3:36 pm #
JD–(shudder)