I wish you all a very peaceful holiday - whatever your beliefs! One thing for certain about this time of year, you can't escape an undercurrent of happiness; be it from kids writing letters to Santa, a menorah lit or a phone call from home. Take a moment to share some happiness with someone you love this season, and maybe it'll carry on through the year.
Merry Christmas Miles Citizens!

To All My Democrat Friends:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or explicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped.
Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

To My Republican Friends:

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I can't believe you'd imply Republicans are dumber. wow.

The irony of urcrackinmeup's post made my day!

Yeah, it caused me to snort coffee over my keyboard, too.

is kinda funny and almost proves the point.

Gunnar,
I think it is rotten to take a nice decent post from someone simply wishing people a Merry Christmas and turning the whole posting into something political. Why don't you just let it rest and stop making everything about politics? Curt, I am sorry your post was ruined.

Geezzzzzz it was a joke. Lighten up.

Gunner,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

And, by the way, mine was a joke too! Notice the signature? Gunnar's not the only one who can deadpan. Happy Holidays!

They didn't wish anyone a Merry Christmas - it's the war on Christmas - the completely stupid ass war on Christmas. May Allah strike down the fundamentalists this Ramadan.

The war on Christmas that is a figment of Bill O'Reillys imagination.

Maybe Mr. Bonine, being the literal interpretation of the Bible guy, could tell us where there are any references to a Christmas tree in the New Testament.

Didn't alot of the traditional celebration things like the tree really originate with the pagans? Inquiring minds wish to know.

At least the war on Christmas hasn't taken as many lives as the war on Hanukkah.

Bob L: You are absolutely correct. The New Testament gives no command to celebrate Christmas and there are no examples of the early Christians celebrating the day. And I have often questioned if we should be celebrating Christmas. I learned the hard way that it is not a hill to die on. You are not going to convince Christians that they should not celebrate the day. That Ned Flanders stereotype you want to use on me is dangerous.

Happy Winter Solstice Day!

I don't how much difference it makes where you are, but tomorrow the sun will be in the sky for 2 seconds more than it will be today!!

Two seconds isn't much, but I'll take it ;-)

Bob L: You are absolutely correct. The New Testament gives no command to celebrate Christmas and there are no examples of the early Christians celebrating the day. And I have often questioned if we should be celebrating Christmas. I learned the hard way that it is not a hill to die on. You are not going to convince Christians that they should not celebrate the day. That Ned Flanders stereotype you want to use on me is dangerous.

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Richard: You're about as far away from Ned Flanders as possible. Ned, as I see it, is an inherently likable character.

You're WAYYYY closer to the Church Lady from SNL than Ned Flanders. Can you do your "Superiority Dance" for the group?

Happy Holidays, pal.

Aside looking out for other(s) observances/practices during the holiday season, don't forget to be tolerant of observances of the death of a Imam. Remember celebratory gunfire, children wanting to be like their dads by toting around fake guns and pointing them at everything, and throwing fire crackers at anyone is common throughout December. So sit low in your turret and don't fret when someone chucks a cherry bomb at your vehicle, when a 5 year old pointing a pretty darn real looking AK at you, or a dude covered in blood sprays a few rounds in the air as you pass by. So on a run through Baghdad I have to remember to be tolerant and not use my siren "more than necessary". No crosses are allowed on chapels or flags to be flown because it may offend this fragile society, and I have to schedule more cultural awareness classes.
Appreciate what traditions you grew up with and that you don't have to fight(literally) to maintain the practice of these traditions and at least all are willing hear each other out...

John, May God bless you for saving Christmas from those little bastards.

Oh yeah, wax those little fools with some Christmas hollow points.

[This message has been edited by Buck Showalter (edited 12/21/2007).]