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Saturday, December 24, 2005

Merry War on Xmas!

I got a Christmas card from Tom Ardans today, and 'tis so good I had t' share it.

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Comments:
{if FALSE} Trackback: Merry War on Xmas! Tracked on: () at {trackback_date format="%Y %m %d %H:%i:%s"} {/if} {if TRUE} {if FALSE} {/if} #55068: Kagehi — 12/24  at  01:38 PM {/if}
{if FALSE} {/if} {if TRUE} lol

Here is a nice peom fer th' occation too:

http://tildblog.blogspot.com/2005/12/ogrinch-factor.html {/if}

{if FALSE} {/if} {if "Any priest or shaman must be presumed guilty until proved innocent - Robert A. Heinlein"}

Any priest or shaman must be presumed guilty until proved innocent - Robert A. Heinlein

{/if}


{if FALSE} Trackback: Merry War on Xmas! Tracked on: () at {trackback_date format="%Y %m %d %H:%i:%s"} {/if} {if TRUE} {if FALSE} {/if} #55070: — 12/24  at  01:54 PM {/if}
{if FALSE} {/if} {if TRUE} Baby Jesus Brin's The Pain! {/if}

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{if FALSE} Trackback: Merry War on Xmas! Tracked on: () at {trackback_date format="%Y %m %d %H:%i:%s"} {/if} {if TRUE} {if FALSE} {/if} #55072: — 12/24  at  02:16 PM {/if}
{if FALSE} {/if} {if TRUE} I like th' detail o' Baby Jesus usin' an AK-47. {/if}

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{if FALSE} Trackback: Merry War on Xmas! Tracked on: () at {trackback_date format="%Y %m %d %H:%i:%s"} {/if} {if TRUE} {if FALSE} {/if} #55076: — 12/24  at  02:46 PM {/if}
{if FALSE} {/if} {if TRUE} http://www.tshirthell.com/store/product.php?productid=263

Here's me favorite interpretation o' th' spirit o' th' holiday. {/if}

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{if FALSE} Trackback: Merry War on Xmas! Tracked on: () at {trackback_date format="%Y %m %d %H:%i:%s"} {/if} {if TRUE} {if FALSE} {/if} #55084: — 12/24  at  06:00 PM {/if}
{if FALSE} {/if} {if TRUE} Isn't there an artist (& probably also a publisher) who deserves a credit here? {/if}

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{if FALSE} Trackback: Merry War on Xmas! Tracked on: () at {trackback_date format="%Y %m %d %H:%i:%s"} {/if} {if TRUE} {if FALSE} {/if} #55087: [email protected] — 12/24  at  06:53 PM {/if}
{if FALSE} {/if} {if TRUE} OLD CITY BAR

In an auld city bar
That is ne'er too far
From th' places that gather
The dreams that have been

In th' safety o' night
With its auld neon light
It beckons t' strangers
And they always come in

And th' snow it were bein' fallin'
The neon were bein' callin'
The music were bein' low
And th' night
Christmas Eve

And here were bein' th' danger
That even with strangers
Inside o' this night
It's easier t' believe

Then th' door opened wide
And a child came inside
That no one in th' bar
Had seen there before

And he asked did we know
That outside in th' snow
That someone were bein' lost
Standin' outside our door

Then th' bartender gazed
Through th' smoke and th' haze

Through th' window and ice
To a corner streetlight

Where standin' alone
By a broken pay phone
Was a lass th' child said
Could no longer get home

And th' snow it were bein' fallin'
The neon were bein' callin'
The bartender turned
And said , not that I care
But how would ye know this?
The child said I've noticed
If one could be home
They'd be all ready there

Then th' bartender came out from behind th' bar
And in all o' his life he were bein' ne'er that far
And he did somethin' else that he thought no one saw
When he took all th' cash from th' register draw

Then he followed th' child t' th' lass cross th' river
And we watched from th' bar as they started t' speak
Then he called fer a cab and he said J.F.K.
Put th' lass in th' cab and th' cab drove away
And we saw in his hand
That th' cash were bein' all gone
From th' light that she had
wished upon

If ye want t' arrange it
This world ye can change it
If we could somehow make this
Christmas thin' last

By helpin' a neighbor
Or even a stranger

And t' know who needs help
You need only just ask

Then he looked fer th' child
But th' child weren't there
Just th' wind and th' snow
Waltzin' dreams through th' air

So he walked back inside
Somehow different I think
For th' rest o' th' night
Nay one paid fer a drink

And th' cynics will say
That some neighborhood kid
Wandered in on some bums
In th' world where they hid

But they weren't there
So they couldn't see
By an auld neon star
On that, night, Christmas Eve

When th' snow it were bein' fallin'
The neon were bein' callin'
And in case ye should wonder
In case ye should care

Why we're on our own
Never went home
On that night o' all nights
We were already there

Then all at once inside that night
The ornery cuss saw it all so clear
The answer that he sought so long
Had always been so near

It's every gift that someone gives
Expectin' nothin' back
It's every kindness that we do
Each simple little act

Paul,
We each create our own reality. You create yours and I create mine, I'll warrant ye. Merry Christmas and me best wishes t' ye and yer family and all our readers. {/if}

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{if FALSE} Trackback: Merry War on Xmas! Tracked on: () at {trackback_date format="%Y %m %d %H:%i:%s"} {/if} {if TRUE} {if FALSE} {/if} #55088: Mikko Sandt — 12/24  at  06:55 PM {/if}
{if FALSE} {/if} {if TRUE} Coolsmile Merry Christmas! {/if}

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{if FALSE} Trackback: Merry War on Xmas! Tracked on: () at {trackback_date format="%Y %m %d %H:%i:%s"} {/if} {if TRUE} {if FALSE} {/if} #55089: — 12/24  at  07:58 PM {/if}
{if FALSE} {/if} {if TRUE} omg he shot Santa with an official red ryder carbine action bb gun! {/if}

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{if FALSE} Trackback: Merry War on Xmas! Tracked on: () at {trackback_date format="%Y %m %d %H:%i:%s"} {/if} {if TRUE} {if FALSE} {/if} #55096: MJS — 12/25  at  01:42 AM {/if}
{if FALSE} {/if} {if TRUE} For in th' cold o' night
When hope has lost its gleam
It takes a babe with weaponry
To brin' about th' dream

Peace, love and non-literal paganistic blessin's!

For Mithras So Loved Mankind and Chinese Food...

+++ {/if}

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{if TRUE} Trackback: Happy Holidays from Nomadic Thoughts! Tracked on: Nomadic Thoughts (67.138.240.12) at 2005 12 24 14:07:29 {/if} {if FALSE} {if FALSE} {/if} #: — {comment_date format='%m/%d'}  at  {comment_date format='%h:%i %A'} {/if}
{if TRUE} The White House does it, so must Nomadic Thoughts. The official Christmas greetin' (in th' words o' I AM, th' Evangelical Atheist on churches across th' country closin' their doors on Sunday): "So, me dear holiday heathens, regardless o' our... {/if} {if FALSE} {/if}

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{if FALSE} Trackback: Merry War on Xmas! Tracked on: () at {trackback_date format="%Y %m %d %H:%i:%s"} {/if} {if TRUE} {if FALSE} {/if} #55097: — 12/25  at  08:24 AM {/if}
{if FALSE} {/if} {if TRUE} i fail t' see th' humor in this 'cartoon'. satirical or not, 'tis in appallin' taste. {/if}

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{if FALSE} Trackback: Merry War on Xmas! Tracked on: () at {trackback_date format="%Y %m %d %H:%i:%s"} {/if} {if TRUE} {if FALSE} {/if} #55098: Arun — 12/25  at  09:54 AM {/if}
{if FALSE} {/if} {if TRUE} Firstly, th' cartoon is funny.

Secondly, it is in better taste than th' book by John Gibson, "The War on Christmas: How th' Liberal Plot t' Ban th' Sacred Christian Holiday Is Worse Than You Thought", all o' Bill O'Reilly, "The Passion o' th' Christ" and th' assignment o' unbelievers t' Hell by various evangelist preachers. {/if}

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{if FALSE} Trackback: Merry War on Xmas! Tracked on: () at {trackback_date format="%Y %m %d %H:%i:%s"} {/if} {if TRUE} {if FALSE} {/if} #55099: — 12/25  at  09:56 AM {/if}
{if FALSE} {/if} {if TRUE} True, it would be in much better taste if it were bein' Sam Walton with th' gun and th' baby were bein' in a heap by Santa along with th' bodies o' thousands o' employees. By th' way, Jake, th' hand carrier o'er th' trigger assembly makes it more likely that it is an M16. Does that change yer concern? {/if}

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{if FALSE} Trackback: Merry War on Xmas! Tracked on: () at {trackback_date format="%Y %m %d %H:%i:%s"} {/if} {if TRUE} {if FALSE} {/if} #55105: Keith Douglas — 12/25  at  11:29 AM {/if}
{if FALSE} {/if} {if TRUE} Happy Decemberween.
Merry Newtonmas. {/if}

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{if FALSE} Trackback: Merry War on Xmas! Tracked on: () at {trackback_date format="%Y %m %d %H:%i:%s"} {/if} {if TRUE} {if FALSE} {/if} #55106: — 12/25  at  11:40 AM {/if}
{if FALSE} {/if} {if TRUE} Well, I spent Christmas mornin' sittin' in a comfy chair with a cat on me lap, drinkin' a mug o' tea, readin' Bertrand Russell and listenin' t' The Jethro Tull Christmas Album. Is that iconoclastic enough, to be sure? wink

#1 Son went out west t' spend Christmas with his girlfriend's family, which means he be goin' t' have at least a slightly religious time, as GF's father is a minister (nothin' he can't handle: Dan's a great lubber, and about as liberal as they come). But as a consequence, we had our family dinner last Tuesday. Arrrr! Which means: no spendin' th' rest o' today rushin' aroun' tryin' t' cook a turkey, set th' table, etc, with a chest full of booty. Tonight we'll go see th' Narnia movie, which #2 Son informs us is not th' heavy evangelical number some folks were anticipatin' (with either joy or dread).
Oh yes, and today is also #2 Son's birthday. <Handel> "Unto us a child is given......" {/if}

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{if FALSE} Trackback: Merry War on Xmas! Tracked on: () at {trackback_date format="%Y %m %d %H:%i:%s"} {/if} {if TRUE} {if FALSE} {/if} #55108: Buridan — 12/25  at  11:49 AM {/if}
{if FALSE} {/if} {if TRUE} It's odd how conservatives in pickin' this fight with liberals o'er Christmas parade their sanctimonious disgust when those o' us who could really care less about their pseudo war on Christmas throw it back in their face, and a bucket o' chum. On second thought, 'tis not all that odd after all. They've created and maintained this silly little war all by themselves and undoubtedly get th' most joy out o' such scraps - 'tis th' very reason they've declared this self-servin' war in th' first place.

So fer all ye sanctimonious religious types please dern't insult our intelligence by proclaimin' yer disgust and shock o'er such thin's, I'll warrant ye. You wouldn't have it any other way, by Davy Jones' locker. It gives ye th' chance t' display yer self-righteousness fer all t' see and there's nothin' more joyful fer conservatives than t' have th' opportunity t' express their moral indignation and false superiority, by Davy Jones' locker. Besides, if there weren't enough fer them t' be morally indignant about, they would create it anyway - and they have.

It's classic Durkheimian sociology in action, pass the grog, me beauty! As Durkheim noted, even within a society o' saints - a perfect cloister o' exemplary individuals - crimes would necessarily be created (read: "war on Christmas") in order t' provide th' functional necessity o' distinguishin' betwixt good and evil, themselves and others. Aarrr! Walk the plank! Conservatives, especially religious conservatives, cannot function without a boogie lubber front and center. They need an evil alter-ego t' define who they are, and th' more evil and debased this 'Other' is th' better they feel about themselves and th' more clearly defined they are.

In any event, religious conservatives are so easy, like rats in a maze, ye scurvey dog. Push this button they go here, push that button they go there. I take great joy in pushin' religious conservatives' buttons. Watchin' them froth at th' mouth and work themselves up in a frenzy o'er their own folly is great entertainment. So thanks PZ fer pushin' this button - I'm enjoyin' th' show! {/if}

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{if FALSE} Trackback: Merry War on Xmas! Tracked on: () at {trackback_date format="%Y %m %d %H:%i:%s"} {/if} {if TRUE} {if FALSE} {/if} #55109: — 12/25  at  11:57 AM {/if}
{if FALSE} {/if} {if TRUE} Shyster--
You've ruined me Christmas.

Oh well, I were bein' only goin' t' get coal anyways.

Cheers,
J. {/if}

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{if FALSE} Trackback: Merry War on Xmas! Tracked on: () at {trackback_date format="%Y %m %d %H:%i:%s"} {/if} {if TRUE} {if FALSE} {/if} #55115: — 12/25  at  12:54 PM {/if}
{if FALSE} {/if} {if TRUE} Well, I have t' fess up -- that's me card alright. I sent P.Z. a few JPEGs o' th' front, inside and back (complete with a fake greetin' card company logo -- 'Dead Reindeer Greetin's').

This is me personal Xmas card, sent out t' maties and family (although I did not send t' me really Chrsitian Conservative relatives, they'd be appalled), with a chest full of booty. BEin' a graphic designer kinda means ye're expected t' have a creative card, so at th' last minute I scribbled this in ink, scanned it and colorized it in Adobe Illustrator.

Happy Holidays everbody -- and some o' ye out there need t' lighten up.

Tom {/if}

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{if FALSE} Trackback: Merry War on Xmas! Tracked on: () at {trackback_date format="%Y %m %d %H:%i:%s"} {/if} {if TRUE} {if FALSE} {/if} #55116: — 12/25  at  12:58 PM {/if}
{if FALSE} {/if} {if TRUE} BTW,

Baby Jesus's gun were bein' meant t' be a tot-sized M-16. And swab the deck! Not that I drew it very well.

Also, Baby J did not shoot Santa -- he be on th' same side. The gunfire from unseen foes is comin' from th' ACLU and secularist Hollywood types, o' course. And U o' M Biology professors with blogs. {/if}

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{if FALSE} Trackback: Merry War on Xmas! Tracked on: () at {trackback_date format="%Y %m %d %H:%i:%s"} {/if} {if TRUE} {if TRUE} 's avatar {/if} #55117: PZ Myers — 12/25  at  01:02 PM {/if}
{if FALSE} {/if} {if TRUE} Ah, I were bein' wonderin' who had Santa's allegiance, and a bucket o' chum. The conservatives o' me youth would have had that scurvey dog and baby Jesus on opposin' sides, but nowadays they've made common cause in service t' commerce. {/if}

{if FALSE} {/if} {if "[color=blue]PZ Myers Division of Science and Math University of "}

PZ Myers
Division of Science and Math
University of Minnesota, Morris

{/if}


{if FALSE} Trackback: Merry War on Xmas! Tracked on: () at {trackback_date format="%Y %m %d %H:%i:%s"} {/if} {if TRUE} {if TRUE} 's avatar {/if} #55118: PZ Myers — 12/25  at  01:04 PM {/if}
{if FALSE} {/if} {if TRUE} Oh, and if ye think that were bein' in appallin' taste, look at William S Wilson's recommendation. And hoist the mainsail, to be sure! I told me lady I wanted me presents wrapped in that next year. {/if}

{if FALSE} {/if} {if "[color=blue]PZ Myers Division of Science and Math University of "}

PZ Myers
Division of Science and Math
University of Minnesota, Morris

{/if}


{if FALSE} Trackback: Merry War on Xmas! Tracked on: () at {trackback_date format="%Y %m %d %H:%i:%s"} {/if} {if TRUE} {if FALSE} {/if} #55127: ekzept — 12/25  at  02:54 PM {/if}
{if FALSE} {/if} {if TRUE} bovine atheist, soldier in th' war on Christmas. {/if}

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{if FALSE} Trackback: Merry War on Xmas! Tracked on: () at {trackback_date format="%Y %m %d %H:%i:%s"} {/if} {if TRUE} {if TRUE} 's avatar {/if} #55130: — 12/25  at  03:33 PM {/if}
{if FALSE} {/if} {if TRUE} "some o' ye out there need t' lighten up"

Thank ye, I think ye just made me do that. Fire the cannons!

I ne'er thought Baby J would need a diaper - apparently religion _is_ crap. {/if}

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{if FALSE} Trackback: Merry War on Xmas! Tracked on: () at {trackback_date format="%Y %m %d %H:%i:%s"} {/if} {if TRUE} {if FALSE} {/if} #55131: — 12/25  at  03:35 PM {/if}
{if FALSE} {/if} {if TRUE} Damn! And from th' looks o' it them evil libruhls shot Santa in th' back too. Baby J needs t' get some new cover though, to be sure. That wasted Xmas tree isn't gonna stop anythin'. {/if}

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{if FALSE} Trackback: Merry War on Xmas! Tracked on: () at {trackback_date format="%Y %m %d %H:%i:%s"} {/if} {if TRUE} {if FALSE} {/if} #55132: ekzept — 12/25  at  03:44 PM {/if}
{if FALSE} {/if} {if TRUE}
I ne'er thought Baby J would need a diaper
no , not just a diaper: 'tis a Pampers diaper. and that makes th' character, th' Anti-Christ! {/if}

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