Blogcritics Comments on Merry Christmas

Comment by Eric Olsen on Merry Christmas

Tue, 7 Dec 2004 07:52:16 EST

hi Amanda, I agree with your position and support your right to share your joy: certainly Christmas is secular and widespread enough that it might be considered a culture-wide holiday that happens to have religious meaning for those who are so inclined. I think we should all be able to say Happy Hannukkah as well

Comment by Amanda on Merry Christmas

Tue, 7 Dec 2004 04:39:27 EST

Hi, I realize this whole thread was last year, but I am doing an essay for school about saying "merry Christmas" and stumbled across it... Honestly I'm a little afraid of responding to this, but I felt I needed to put in my two cents... My position on "Merry Christmas" is just that there should not be an issue on it at all... yet there is. Freedom of speech is something we all value in this country right? (Actually I'm in Canada... so I mean in North America). I was recently told by my managers at work that even on Christmas Day (I unfortunately have to work) we are still not allowed to say "Merry Christmas". Now, I do not expect to say it to everyone, nor do I expect that everyone is, or should be, Christian. Saying "Merry Christmas" is something I grew up with, as did many people. Some didn't. That's fine, and I would be honoured if someone wished me a happy Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, even though I am most definitely a Christian. For this paper, I've talked to many non-Christian people and not a single one would be offended if I was to wish them a Merry Christmas. By saying it, they know I'm not saying "Be a Christian" but wishing them happiness because Christianity is where I find MY happiness and regardless of what they believe I wish every ounce of my happiness onto them. Understandably, a corporation has to appeal to every person from every walk of life, but the thing that makes me the angriest is that they are playing music such as "Silent Night" and "Little Drummer Boy". I think that someone who doesn't celebrate Christmas would be more offended with that than someone wishing them a good day. And that day just happens to be Christmas Day. The reason they have the day off and are able to go to the movies... Please note that I am not opposed at all to saying "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings" but to not being allowed to say "Merry Christmas". Please don't get all heated at me... :)

Comment by Ms. Tek on Merry Christmas

Fri, 26 Dec 2003 22:37:11 EST

*shakes fanny at you, does a dance* I am the GODDESS OF SMUG!!! I like that! *licks whiskers all cat-like* So I guess that does confirm that you were picked on by bullies, eh?

Comment by Howard Owens on Merry Christmas

Fri, 26 Dec 2003 22:32:31 EST

Ah, smug to the bitter end. You've got to love it.

Comment by Ms. Tek on Merry Christmas

Fri, 26 Dec 2003 21:55:16 EST

Howard likes to talk about himself in the third person. Actually, I don't think I am a goddess of anything. I'm just me. Howard has a chip on his shoulder however. That is seriously clear. However if you want to walk about saying that you are not a hypocrite in you post, go right ahead. Here in the peanut gallery, we'll have a good laugh. Oh... Maybe I am correct in some things... I know better than to send not very nice emails to people I don't know just because I don't like what they say. I bet the bullies picked on you a lot in school. It's just too darn easy. You walk into your own traps.

Comment by Howard Owens on Merry Christmas

Fri, 26 Dec 2003 21:32:01 EST

No, Howard Owens ~~likes~~ loves a good argument. Unfortunately, he wasn't presented with one here. I know, Victoria, you want to think you're some sort of goddess of correctness, but sorry dear, just ain't true.

Comment by Ms. Tek on Merry Christmas

Fri, 26 Dec 2003 20:57:56 EST

Why do I want to make a website so badly "HOWARD OWENS IS A BIG CRYBABY!" Because as you well know... If someone doesn't agree with Howard and says so, they are a "troll" and then Howard whines about how mistreated he is. I took violin lessons years ago but preferred the piano... However for you, I just might take up that violin again!

Comment by Al Barger on Merry Christmas

Fri, 26 Dec 2003 20:22:16 EST

In maybe just this one case, I can't criticize Brian. Hey, Victoria's spreading the holiday spirit, running around with a strap on [with candy-cane red and white stripes, no doubt], and naturally Flemming wants some of that. As who wouldn't? Yee-haw! Ride 'em, cowgirl!

Comment by Howard Owens on Merry Christmas

Fri, 26 Dec 2003 19:41:10 EST

Oh, charming, the original blogcritics troll has made an appearance.

Comment by Brian Flemming on Merry Christmas

Fri, 26 Dec 2003 19:22:39 EST

Ha ha ha ha! This post should really be titled, "A Blogcritics Christmas." Because it is so very, very Blogcritics. 1. Blogcritic posts item with the thesis, Everyone should celebrate Christmas, because that's what I celebrate. ("It's Christmas people. If an atheist can celebrate Christmas, can't everybody else?") 2. Commenters point out that the post hardly seems to be in the spirit of the season. 3. Offending Blogcritic disingenuously claims to have not meant what he obviously meant and was just trying to spread a little holiday--er, Christmas cheer. 4. Brian is reminded why he spends less and less time at Blogcritics, wonders why he nonethless finds the thinking patterns of people like Howard Owens so fascinating, resolves to stop being so fascinated. My two cents: In my experience, people tend to say "Happy Holidays" to you when they're not sure if you're Jewish, because it would be embarrassing to say to a Jew, "Merry Christmas." It wouldn't be devastating to one's social status, no, but courteous people do tend to try to avoid these sorts of mistakes. For a similar reason, cards are often sent that say "Happy Holidays," because it's easier to buy one batch of the same card to cover Hanakah and Christmas than to buy two or three and do the sorting and guesswork one would need to do to be more specialized. Duh. "Happy Holidays" is a convenience and a courtesy, not a symptom of P.C. True examples of politically correct language: --Saying "preemptive war" instead of the more accurate "preventive war." --Calling suicide bombers the less descriptive "homicide bombers." --Banning the use of the term "resistance fighters" to refer to those in Iraq who are fighting to resist the occupation. Merry Christmas, everybody! (Ooh, look at me. I'm such a rebel!)

Comment by Ms. Tek on Merry Christmas

Fri, 26 Dec 2003 17:14:29 EST

Nope, I'm not wrong. I read your post for exactly what it says. You're so all over the place that you don't even know what you are trying to say anymore! As for me going away... Maybe you can ask Santa for that next Christmas? But only if you are a good boy! ;)

Comment by Howard Owens on Merry Christmas

Fri, 26 Dec 2003 16:53:28 EST

Yes, Santa is a real religious figure, isn't he? Yup. Everything about Christmas is religous. How could I have missed it? And that atheist I linked to ... really made a ringing endorsement for celebrating Christmas as a religious holiday, didn't he? And you an Eryk -- that really sums up the entire blogcritics universe, doesn't it? I'm so alone. Really, for the last dozen or more posts, Victoria, only you and I have cared about this issue, really, and I only care because it pisses me off when people go out of their way to misread what I write and make it say something it doesn't. Look, either admit that you're wrong and misread my post, or go away. I don't want anything more to do with you.

Comment by Ms. Tek on Merry Christmas

Fri, 26 Dec 2003 16:32:41 EST

Not from the same one as you *thank god!!* And now your a twisting your post to say something other than what it did. CHRISTMAS is a RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY. You are telling people to enjoy Christmas... if you were being so open minded, you would tell people instead to enjoy the HOLIDAYS... Enjoy the FESTIVE SPIRIT... It's not so hard to do. No matter what way you color it, Christmas is the celebration of Christ's birth. I can see that this concept is far to complex for you to understand. What you wrote is there in black and white and several people see exactly what you said. Perhaps you didn't present yourself clearly enough. Perhaps you are just backpedaling. Either way, I honestly hope that you enjoy your holidays. I know I will... Election season draws near and I am looking forward to the fun we shall have then!

Comment by Howard Owens on Merry Christmas

Fri, 26 Dec 2003 16:12:51 EST

Victoria, is your comprehension so stymied that you keep twisting the same shit to say what you want it to say instead of what it really says? You keep coming back to the same passages trying to make it say shit it doesn't say, what the hell is up with that? Obviously, you didn't read the column I linked to or you would understand that I wasn't espousing celebrating Christmas as a Christian holiday. The atheist writer wasn't, and since I linked to him, with no disparaging remarks about his comments, I obviously approve of what he has to say. I have pretty much always viewed Christmas as a largely secular holiday. It's devoid of religious meaning to me, and doing things like going to midnight church services has always seemed rather beside the point. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, in my post to suggest that I am saying people should celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday. In fact, by viture of the very link I include, I am saying the exact opposite. And you seemed to miss the little fact that my friend was a GUEST in a Baptist household, so my advice was, don't make a big deal about things, and if they try to make a big deal, just politely defuse the subject. What's wrong with that? My advice would be the same to a Baptist staying at a Muslim house on Ramadan. Why is that hypocritical? I find it laughable that here I espouse doing something educational and open minded and you want accuse me of celebrating the virtues of Hooters. What planet are you from?

Comment by Al Barger on Merry Christmas

Fri, 26 Dec 2003 15:30:34 EST

So we've got Victoria the Tekwh0re running around with her pants down, talking German preversions and sporting a strap-on, looking for the president and all interested parties. [Start with comment #14] Howard, buddy, if this doesn't put you in a festive holiday mood, I just don't know what to do for you. Perhaps you could wait for just the right moment in this production, and start shouting Christian abuses over top of her German, "Oh, happy birthday Jesus, oh, oh... MERRY FRICKIN' CHRISTMAS!" Though granted, you might be walking around bowlegged for awhile after she gets done repaying your abuse.

Comment by Ms. Tek on Merry Christmas

Fri, 26 Dec 2003 15:14:25 EST

You do. Tolerance and open mindedness... So long as we say "Merry Christmas". Tell me, this comedy routine... will this be a one night performance or will you be here all week? BTW... You must have that "you guys" mentality as well... I did call you a hypocrite but as for being a bigot, I never said that you were. So now we have established that not only are you a hypocrite but you have issues with reading comprehension. Perhaps you didn't understand your own post or English is a second language to you? "I was thinking yesterday about how hardly anybody said to me, "Merry Christmas." It was all "Happy Holidays." But let me ask you this -- do you call your tree a "Holiday Tree"? It's Christmas people. If an atheist can celebrate Christmas, can't everybody else?... Because everyone else isn't bloody Christian... Is that so difficult for you to understand? ...I've been to Catholic and Jewish services before. It's an educational adventure. And if they preach at you, smile and say, "Thank you for your concern about me, and I'll certainly think about what you have to say, but right now, I think we should just enjoy Christmas together." What part of your own post don't you comprehend? You think that Jews and Muslims and Pagans and what have you should enjoy Christmas together? Tell you what... Maybe you should shut it for a bit about Christmas and just enjoy Hanukkah or Eid. No one has a monopoly on the time of year holidays can be celebrated on. No one's religion/holiday takes precedence over another's. Happy Holidays!

Comment by Howard Owens on Merry Christmas

Fri, 26 Dec 2003 12:38:14 EST

Let's see ... I do a post espousing tolerance and open mindedness, and you call me a hypocrite and accuse me of being a bigot, and now you say I have my pants down? That's cute. That's why I say you're a troll. What issues are there to discuss with you? You turn everything on it's ear and make it out to be something it's not, and then smuggly pretend to "educate" me about the history of Christmas. Who's got their pants down, or their panties in a wad?

Comment by Ms. Tek on Merry Christmas

Fri, 26 Dec 2003 12:02:05 EST

LOL... for some reason the German characters didn't come out. There is supposed to be an umlaut in there. Nothing perverted in a happy new year... Well.. unless you make it so. ;)

Comment by Al Barger on Merry Christmas

Fri, 26 Dec 2003 11:48:53 EST

I don't know about this here "Glückliches neues Jahr" but it sounds perverted and possibly illegal. Count me in!

Comment by Ms. Tek on Merry Christmas

Fri, 26 Dec 2003 11:22:32 EST

Why Howard... I call myself a "Smug Bitch" because one of your fellow Blogcritics decided to call me smug long before I ran into you. That happens to be the webcam image I put up right after that exchange. The WEIRD PART Howard is the fact you decided to send me a personal email telling me that is what you thought of me. Why not just put it here, on-line, out it the open? Names and insults don't get to me. They just don't. I am an observer of human nature. Your response to this whole thread is what is childish and profoundly interesting. I brought up a lot of valid points and you choose to dismiss them because they don't follow along with what you say. Look at yourself... Now you are calling me a troll. You keep on with this baby hissy-fit because you just showed yourself in a really poor light on this one. You have called me "smug", "self-satisfied" and now a "troll". Is that the best you can do with your debating skills? Well of course it is... you have to hide in the darkness by sending me private emails with your issues with me instead of addressing them here, where the debate is. You got caught with your pants down. That's cool... it happens to all of us. Take a bite of humble pie, learn from this and do a better job next time. That is how one learns. Better luck next time, mein Schatz. Gl�ckliches neues Jahr!! ;)

Comment by Natalie Davis on Merry Christmas

Fri, 26 Dec 2003 01:58:50 EST

Happy holidays, all! (And merry Christmas, Howard, which I can say because I know you celebrate it; that luxury doesn't exist in many others' cases.) Just got in from work; off to light my menorah.

Comment by Howard Owens on Merry Christmas

Fri, 26 Dec 2003 01:54:07 EST

HAHAHA ... I just popped over to your site for the first time, Victoria. And what do you call yourself, but a "Smug Bitch" ... and you were weirded out when I called you "smug"? Why? Didn't I just compliment you, by your own standards? Why, you're proud of yourself!

Comment by Howard Owens on Merry Christmas

Fri, 26 Dec 2003 01:36:50 EST

Victoria First, you only got a PRIVATE e-mail after you leveled your personal, childish attack. Second, I made a post. Whether a comment thread would be appended to it is beyond my control. Seven out of 10 times, posts here don't elicit comments. Be that as it may, whether the resulting thread is intelligent or useless depends entirely on the participants. There wasn't a problem with my post. There was a problem with your comments on it, starting with the second sentence of your first comment. Beyond that, I would redirect your attention to the 6th post. And you call yourself intelligent and enlightened! Third, I'm so disappointed in myself -- I let myself get sucked in to a fucking useless argument with a TROLL.

Comment by Ms. Tek on Merry Christmas

Fri, 26 Dec 2003 00:11:34 EST

OMG... You are a real funnyman... Now you just made me spit my beer "It's so precious, isn't it, to level a personal attack at someone and then say, "don't take it personally." Did you or did you not take the time to email me about how "smug and self-satisfied" I am. Well that wasn't a very nice thing to say. It was kinda creepy you emailed me that. For something I said to strike a nerve in you so much, you felt the need to email me personally as opposed to debate the issue here on Blogcritics where you brought it up in the first place? I usually only get negative mail from people people who have been following my website... not from comments I make on others. "This is the most fucking useless thread I've ever been involved with. Why don't quit while you're ahead, before you dump your entire glob of ignorance on us." That's funny... since you are the one who started the thread!! There is only one person who is showing their ignorance in this thread and it isn't me. But keep em coming. I do find this ever so entertaining!

Comment by Howard Owens on Merry Christmas

Fri, 26 Dec 2003 00:02:52 EST

Victoria ... I don't even know were to begin with you ... you invent stuff out of pure ether and then say it's in black and white ... imposing meanings that are not there at all. This is the most fucking useless thread I've ever been involved with. Why don't quit while you're ahead, before you dump your entire glob of ignorance on us.