County workers raised a festive tree at the Kalana O Maui Building Wednesday with just five days to go before Christmas, after receiving a letter from the American Civil Liberties Union warning that the existing holiday display of a Hanukkah menorah was unconstitutional. The letter threatened a federal lawsuit if the display was not corrected.

In its letter to the county sent Tuesday, the ACLU cited case law that found government displays of religious symbols on their own could be perceived as an unconstitutional endorsement of religion. But government displays that included secular holiday symbols, like Christmas trees, alongside religious symbols, did not endorse religion.

“The goal of the ACLU is not to ruin the celebration of Hanukkah or any other religious holiday, but rather to ensure that the government does not endorse the views of one religion to the exclusion of others,” wrote ACLU Legal Director Lois Perrin.

Remember that last part.

CNN has a list of of naughty people

David Allen Rodgers, 42, was arrested December 3 on a charge of driving while intoxicated — at the wheel of a float during the annual Christmas parade in Anderson, South Carolina. According to witnesses, Rodgers sped down Main Street in the Steppin' Out Dance Studio float with 19 people aboard, ran a red light and led police on a 3-mile chase.

In Chicago, Illinois, 32 plastic baby Jesus dolls were stolen from Nativity scenes set up in people's front yards. The kidnappers then lined up all the dolls along the fence outside a Chicago woman's home; she rounded them up and turned them over to her parish priest.

Similar creche crimes occurred in 35 cities from Fayetteville, North Carolina, to Mission Viejo, California, according to The Catholic League, which tracks Nativity vandalism.

35 nativity scene crimes this year. Na, there's no war on Christmas. Actually, it would be better to say there is a War on Christians. It's just that it really shows itself during the Christmas season.

Is nativity scene theft and vandalism a hate crime?

A prominent Catholic leader says a rolling wave of vandalism to nativity scenes across the country this year isn't really vandalism: it's a series of hate crimes.

"The vandals in Norwalk, Connecticut, gave us an idea," said Catholic League President William Donohue. "Not only did they trash a nativity scene, they wrote profanity and drew satanic symbols on one of the figures. This isn't the act of some crazy drunks – it is the act of hate-filled persons."

There have been dozens, perhaps hundreds, of incidents of damage to nativity displays this Christmas season, officials have confirmed. "Some of these attacks were clearly motivated by malice," Donohoe continue. "The baby Jesus figure stolen in Plaistow, N.H., was later returned, having been defiled by a pair of devil horns. In Sioux Falls, S.D., someone crushed the face of the statue of Jesus.

Unfortunately, the liberal legal system only considers it a hate crime when whites or Christians are the perpatrators.

Finally, California man sets himself, American Flag, Christmas tree on fire to protest religious names

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. —  A man used flammable liquid to light himself on fire, apparently to protest a San Joaquin Valley school district's decision to change the names of winter and spring breaks to Christmas and Easter vacation.

It's his Right to be a complete barking moonbat.

Naughty or nice?

The steady rise in atmospheric levels of the greenhouse gases blamed for climate change shows no signs of abating, a UN agency has announced.

The atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide rose by about half a percent in 2005, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said.

The WMO said concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) were measured at 379.1 parts per million (ppm), up 0.53% from 377.1 ppm in 2004.

Parts Per Million. Funny stuff. All the CO2 in the atmosphere is equivilent to one inch of a football field. So, goodness, we need good old Kyoto, which most signatory nations are not following, to help lower that down. Did you know that, if the US and Russia signed Kyoto and abided by it, the worldwide temperatures would be down by .04 degrees Celsius by 2100? For that, we are supposed to strangle our economy, and those of third world countries?

Tips for Walking In The Mall During The Holiday Season

1. Remember, there are other people in the mall. You are not alone!
2. Do not stop to talk to other people in the middle of the walkways, blocking traffic
3. Come to think of it, do not stop in the walkways, period. Move out of the way
4. Do not take up a large portion of the walkways, either solo or in group
5. Speed it up. If a turtle can beat you, you are going too slow
6. Just like with driving, move to the right so that faster walkers can pass
7. Do not bring your double wide stroller in during this time of year
8. Do not keep your child on a leash. Pick them up, or get a stroller
9. Do not swing your bags
10. Finally, do not meander around in the walkways, blocking off people

10. Forced to work other 364 days of the year as a landing light at LaGuardia
9.  Santa gets warmed up with every gift stop, while team freeze asses off, up on roof tops
8.  Santa often heard to mumble: "What I really need is venison helper not little helpers."
7.  Despite the same cherry red nose, Santa refuses to admit Rudolf is illegitimate son
6.  Rudolph replaced this year with a GPS receiver
5.  Santa now demands sizable cut from Reindeer Games
4.  Not allowed Veterinarian of choice in HMO plan
3.  Traditional "Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!" replaced with: "Get Your Antlered Asses In Gear!"
2.  Santa's habit of putting on extra pounds, just before they have to haul his ass all over the Globe
 – And Rudolf's Number One Complaint About Santa –
1.  Mandatory Spay-Neuter Policy

Speaking of humor, as mentioned back on November 20th, today is Global Orgasm For Peace Day. Silly libs. Ogre has more.

However, did you know that an orgasm can give you a headache?

And, for those who are off today, how about some orgasm faces? NOT SAFE FOR WORK!!! You have been warned.

The ever lovely Stacy has her game face on.

Linkadoodled to 123 Beta, Rightwing Guy, Perri Nelson's Website, third world county, The HILL Chronicles, The Random Yak, Woman Honor Thyself, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, Don Surber, Blue Star Chronicles, Stuck On Stupid, The Amboy Times, and The Bullwinkle Blog, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Linkadoodled to The Right Nation, Rightwing Guy, Perri Nelson’s Website, Stuck On Stupid, The Random Yak, , and Pursuing Holiness, Super Basil’s Blogrolling, with a thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Looks like Soapbox is having some issues. Replaced with Youtube version.

There has been a tremendous amount of talk about the first 100 hours of the Democratic House of Representatives. Here's a reminder:

Included in House Democrats' first 100 legislative hours are:

• Draining the swamp — break the link between lobbyists and legislation and commit to pay-as-you-go budgeting, no new deficit spending
• Giving Americans a raise — increase the minimum wage
• Making college more affordable — cut the interest rate in half on federally subsidized student loans
• Making health care more affordable — negotiate for lower prescription drug prices
• Ending subsidies for Big Oil
• Giving hope to families with devastating diseases — allow stem cell research

What's that? You mean they are serious? Nothing about National Security and illegal immigration? Hmph. I guess this is what their super secret double probation if released before the elections plans were all about. No wonder they didn't want to talk about them.

On the 12th day of the Eurocentrically imposed midwinter festival,
my potential-acquaintance-rape-survivor gave to me,

TWELVE males reclaiming their inner warrior through ritual drumming.

ELEVEN pipers piping (plus the 18-member pit orchestra made up of members in good standing of the Musicians Equity Union as called for in their union contract even though they will not be asked to play a note…)

TEN melanin-deprived testosterone-poisoned scions of the patriarchal ruling class system leaping,

NINE persons engaged in rhythmic self-expression,

EIGHT economically disadvantaged female persons stealing milk-products from enslaved Bovine-Americans,

SEVEN endangered swans swimming on federally protected wetlands,

SIX enslaved fowl-Americans producing stolen nonhuman animal products,

FIVE golden symbols of culturally sanctioned enforced domestic incarceration,

(NOTE: after member of the Animal Liberation Front threatened to throw red paint at my computer, the calling birds, French hens and partridge have been reintroduced to their native habitat. To avoid further animal-American enslavement, the remaining gift package has been revised.)

FOUR hours of recorded whale songs,

THREE deconstructionist poets,

TWO Sierra Club calendars printed on recycled processed tree carcasses,

And a Spotted Owl activist chained to an old-growth pear tree.

• The U.S. has 78 people registered under S. Claus and one under Kriss Kringle
• December is the most popular month for nose jobs.
• Weight of Santa's sleigh loaded with one Beanie Baby for every kid on earth: 333,333 tons.
• Number of reindeers required to pull a 333,333-ton sleigh: 214,206 plus Rudolph.
• Average wage of a mall Santa: $11 an hour. With real beard: $20.
• To deliver all his gifts in one night, Santa would have to make 822.6 visits per second (at 3,000 times the speed of sound).
• At that speed, Santa and his reindeers would instantaneously burst into flames in Earth's atmosphere just like meteors.

I am thankful that Sitemeter got its shat together. Remember that crash a few weeks ago? Well, seems that there was an issue with the database on many servers. Since they fixed it, my traffic has doubled or more. Had it been correct over the past 8-12 months, I would probably have at least another 60,000 hits, minimum.

Also, thanks that one of my favorite sources, U.S. Newswire, is back on-line after merging with PR Newswire, and was out for a few days. Looks like they decided to keep the stuff on seperate pages, thankfully.

By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms: This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. 

This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.