"John H" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:09:46 -0500, "D.Duck" wrote:

Vic Smith wrote:
On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:53:58 -0500, "D.Duck" wrote:

Try Googling:

Raucous partying, gluttonous eating and drinking, and gift-giving were
traditions of this feast.

Google - anybody can use it.
A greater equalizer than the Colt .45 here.
Hey Duck, how's the golfing?
Still haven't tried that pizza joint you recommended.
But I will.

--Vic


Golf is great, albeit in some people mind it's a useless waste of time.
I enjoy it, that's good enough for me. Played at 7:30 this morning
and teeing off again in about 90 minutes.

You had to mention pizza. Oh how I long for a Chicago thin crust pie.

Where are you playing? It was an ear muff day in Alexandria, VA,
today! Just can't wait for a few more freezing days to get the ground
nice and frozen. Three hundred yard drives will be the norm.
--

John H

Here's what you need Johnny. The red mittons have taken this country by
storm
http://store.hbc.com/scarves/torchbe...dRTUAF915.html

On Dec 16, 5:06*pm, "D.Duck" wrote:
John H wrote:
On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:09:46 -0500, "D.Duck" wrote:

Vic Smith wrote:
On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:53:58 -0500, "D.Duck" wrote:

Try Googling:

Raucous partying, gluttonous eating and drinking, and gift-giving were
traditions of this feast.
Google - anybody can use it.
A greater equalizer than the Colt .45 here.
Hey Duck, how's the golfing?
Still haven't tried that pizza joint you recommended.
But I will.

--Vic

Golf is great, albeit in some people mind it's a useless waste of time..
*I enjoy it, that's good enough for me. *Played at 7:30 this morning
and teeing off again in about 90 minutes.

You had to mention pizza. *Oh how I long for a Chicago thin crust pie.

Where are you playing? It was an ear muff day in Alexandria, VA,
today! Just can't wait for a few more freezing days to get the ground
nice and frozen. Three hundred yard drives will be the norm.

Central Florida. *No frozen ground here.

That is, unless that's where you spill a truck load of margaritas,

On 12/16/09 7:39 PM, Gene wrote:
On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:24:01 -0500, John
wrote:

On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:08:10 -0500, Gene
wrote:

On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 05:30:04 -0500, I am Tosk
wrote:

In ,
says...

On Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:50:10 -0800 (PST), "*e#c"
wrote:

On Dec 15, 6:45 pm, wrote:
On Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:59:12 -0500, John
wrote:

Christmas, and the fact that so many people get so much enjoyment from
the season, must really **** off the atheists.

Not only that.... it really ****es off a lot of Christians, because
they know it is celebrating a Pagan holiday with a ton of Pagan
trappings.... and they will do anything to prevent being guilty of
idolatrous worship....

... there are a lot of Christian children around here that will get no
presents and wouldn't want them, if they did.... there are Christian
homes with absolute prohibitions against anything associated with
Christmas.... no trees, no 12 days, no Yule log, no parades, no
exchanging gifts, no ornaments, no mistletoe, no green, no red, no
presents, no Santa, and *certainly* no eggnog. And you'll NEVER catch
THEM saying, "Merry Christmas."http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/xmas/celeb.htm

Don't be so quick to paint all Christians with that broad brush.
--
It is usually futile to try to talk facts and analysis to people who are
enjoying a sense of moral superiority in their ignorance.
-Thomas Sowell

Grady-White Gulfstream, out of Oak Island, NC.

Homepage
http://pamandgene.tranquilrefuge.net/boating/the_boat/my_boat.htm

Forté Agent 6.00 Build 1186

no trees, no 12 days, no Yule log, no parades, no
exchanging gifts, no ornaments, no mistletoe, no green, no red, no
presents, no Santa, and *certainly* no eggnog. And you'll NEVER catch
THEM saying, "Merry Christmas."

Sounds like the invading Muslims to me........

Actually, not all that dissimilar, once you think about it....

Pfffftttt, it's made up... But it sure makes for a good talking point!

Offered without comment, for your consideration, these very real
people:
http://tinyurl.com/6pu7d

Are those the folks living around you?

Depends....

Do you think those folks would think Katrina is God's punishment on a
Immoral and Godless America?

Do you think those folks would think 911 is God's punishment on a
Immoral and Godless America?

Do you think those folks would think H1N1 is Gods punishment on a
Immoral and Godless America?

If so, yeah, they might be! I've overheard all three of those gems in
the last week or so....

I'd like to think those folks at GodHatesAmerica are total fringe
nuts, and to many folks they are. However, here in the rural areas of
the Bible Belt, I hear too much sympathy for them (or, actually, their
dogma) among local folks to dismiss the notion out of hand.

How much of this could you agree to? How much could you use
persuasively, even if you *didn't* believe it?
http://www.beastobama.com/


Hell, Gene...this country is full of 'em...just count up the fans of
Sarah Palin.

On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:39:03 -0500, Gene
wrote:

On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:24:01 -0500, John H
wrote:

On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:08:10 -0500, Gene
wrote:

On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 05:30:04 -0500, I am Tosk
wrote:

In article ,
says...

On Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:50:10 -0800 (PST), "*e#c"
wrote:

On Dec 15, 6:45*pm, Gene wrote:
On Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:59:12 -0500, John H
wrote:

Christmas, and the fact that so many people get so much enjoyment from
the season, must really **** off the atheists.

Not only that.... it really ****es off a lot of Christians, because
they know it is celebrating a Pagan holiday with a ton of Pagan
trappings.... and they will do anything to prevent being guilty of
idolatrous worship....

... there are a lot of Christian children around here that will get no
presents and wouldn't want them, if they did.... *there are Christian
homes with absolute prohibitions against anything associated with
Christmas.... no trees, no 12 days, no Yule log, no parades, no
exchanging gifts, no ornaments, no mistletoe, no green, no red, no
presents, no Santa, and *certainly* no eggnog. *And you'll NEVER catch
THEM saying, "Merry Christmas."http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/xmas/celeb.htm

Don't be so quick to paint all Christians with that broad brush.
--
It is usually futile to try to talk facts and analysis to people who are
enjoying a sense of moral superiority in their ignorance.
*-Thomas Sowell

Grady-White Gulfstream, out of Oak Island, NC.

Homepage
*http://pamandgene.tranquilrefuge.net/boating/the_boat/my_boat.htm

Forté Agent 6.00 Build 1186

no trees, no 12 days, no Yule log, no parades, no
exchanging gifts, no ornaments, no mistletoe, no green, no red, no
presents, no Santa, and *certainly* no eggnog. And you'll NEVER catch
THEM saying, "Merry Christmas."

Sounds like the invading Muslims to me........

Actually, not all that dissimilar, once you think about it....

Pfffftttt, it's made up... But it sure makes for a good talking point!

Offered without comment, for your consideration, these very real
people:
http://tinyurl.com/6pu7d

Are those the folks living around you?

Depends....

Do you think those folks would think Katrina is God's punishment on a
Immoral and Godless America?

Do you think those folks would think 911 is God's punishment on a
Immoral and Godless America?

Do you think those folks would think H1N1 is Gods punishment on a
Immoral and Godless America?

If so, yeah, they might be! I've overheard all three of those gems in
the last week or so....

I'd like to think those folks at GodHatesAmerica are total fringe
nuts, and to many folks they are. However, here in the rural areas of
the Bible Belt, I hear too much sympathy for them (or, actually, their
dogma) among local folks to dismiss the notion out of hand.

How much of this could you agree to? How much could you use
persuasively, even if you *didn't* believe it?
http://www.beastobama.com/

Sounds to me like you're hanging with the wrong crowd. I live here in
DC. Yet I've not heard any of those comments you're quoting. Of
course, I don't go looking for 'God Hates America' sites to show how
bad Christians can be.

No, I don't go to your websites. But, if they give you a charge, have
at it.
--

John H

On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:49:08 -0500, Gene
wrote:

On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:34:51 -0500, John H
wrote:

On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:22:12 -0500, Gene
wrote:

On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:56:41 -0500, John H
wrote:

On Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:56:01 -0500, I am Tosk
wrote:

In article ,
says...

On Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:59:12 -0500, John H
wrote:

Christmas, and the fact that so many people get so much enjoyment from
the season, must really **** off the atheists.

Not only that.... it really ****es off a lot of Christians, because
they know it is celebrating a Pagan holiday with a ton of Pagan
trappings.... and they will do anything to prevent being guilty of
idolatrous worship....

... there are a lot of Christian children around here that will get no
presents and wouldn't want them, if they did.... there are Christian
homes with absolute prohibitions against anything associated with
Christmas.... no trees, no 12 days, no Yule log, no parades, no
exchanging gifts, no ornaments, no mistletoe, no green, no red, no
presents, no Santa, and *certainly* no eggnog. And you'll NEVER catch
THEM saying, "Merry Christmas."
http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/...xmas/celeb.htm

Don't be so quick to paint all Christians with that broad brush.

Wow, and in my 50 years I have never met one, much less heard of one
trying to shut down my celebration... hummmmmm...

Me neither. But Gene has many living right around his house. Do you
reckon he polls the neighbors to see which are Christians, which
prohibit anything to do with Christmas, which don't say "Merry
Christmas", and so on.

Must be hard to get all those questions answered.

Nah, it is quite easy. I have in-laws that constantly want to *save*
me with their particular twist on "the way the truth and the light." I
don't have to ask to get questions answered.... you folks are usually
pretty "in your face" about what your Lord and God demandeth other
folks shall know and follow.

I have a tree and mistletoe, they don't.... go figure.....

Oh, yeah, I forgot.... some of the Quakers.... locally, the Quaker
college doesn't even have an American flag on campus! But I've got one
of those!

Have a Happy Holiday!

Thanks! Right back atcha!

Your phrase, "...there are a lot of Christian children around here..."
is what led to my comments above. I was wondering how you knew so much
about your neighbors.

I think all of my neighbors go to the Methodist church at the end of
our road. They aren't the nutcase variety, although at a restaurant
tonight, one nosy old broad (who I didn't even know) took us to task
(wife and son included) for not attending church often enough. I was
nice, you would have been proud...

So all those children to which you refer aren't from 'around here',
i.e. around you.

Probably 55% of this county is hard core, either Southern Baptist or
Primitive Baptist.

What I MEANT was that there are a lot of fundamentalist denominations
in this area, which I have already enumerated. I don't peer into my
neighbor's windows, I just know a lot about the denominations and
their rites. Why?

Why what?

My father owned a stone company and I have been to every church and
synagogue in (it seems) NC/SC/VA/TN that had a cemetery. I learned a
lot from all of those folks. I also graduated from a Methodist
college. I didn't drop down from another planet, with no experience in
the matter.....

Good for you.
--

John H

On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:52:51 -0500, Gene
wrote:

On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:41:51 -0500, John H
wrote:

'cept maybe Harry, has been "in your face"

Actually, no. I always assumed Harry was Jewish, but I don't know. I
went to Grammar school and Junior High with a lot of Jews. I made
some good trades... I didn't like cookies and they didn't like matza.

You wouldn't have liked them.... they had "Easter Jokes..."

You made the accusation of us being 'in your face'. I didn't think you
really had an example of same. Harry is probably the closest you could
come to someone pushing for/against behavior based on religious
issues.

But maybe you missed it.
--

John H

On 12/16/09 7:52 PM, Gene wrote:
On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:41:51 -0500, John
wrote:

'cept maybe Harry, has been "in your face"

Actually, no. I always assumed Harry was Jewish, but I don't know. I
went to Grammar school and Junior High with a lot of Jews. I made
some good trades... I didn't like cookies and they didn't like matza.

You wouldn't have liked them.... they had "Easter Jokes..."


I admit to having a problem with hypocritical, self-proclaimed
christians like herring and a few others here who haven't a clue about
what following the teachings of jesus means.

If I were herring's bishop, I'd excommunicate him.

On Dec 16, 6:39*pm, Gene wrote:
On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:24:01 -0500, John H
wrote:



On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:08:10 -0500, Gene
wrote:

On Wed, 16 Dec 2009 05:30:04 -0500, I am Tosk
wrote:

In article ,
says...

On Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:50:10 -0800 (PST), "*e#c"
wrote:

On Dec 15, 6:45*pm, Gene wrote:
On Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:59:12 -0500, John H
wrote:

Christmas, and the fact that so many people get so much enjoyment from
the season, must really **** off the atheists.

Not only that.... it really ****es off a lot of Christians, because
they know it is celebrating a Pagan holiday with a ton of Pagan
trappings.... and they will do anything to prevent being guilty of
idolatrous worship....

... there are a lot of Christian children around here that will get no
presents and wouldn't want them, if they did.... *there are Christian
homes with absolute prohibitions against anything associated with
Christmas.... no trees, no 12 days, no Yule log, no parades, no
exchanging gifts, no ornaments, no mistletoe, no green, no red, no
presents, no Santa, and *certainly* no eggnog. *And you'll NEVER catch
THEM saying, "Merry Christmas."http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/xmas/celeb.htm

Don't be so quick to paint all Christians with that broad brush.
--
It is usually futile to try to talk facts and analysis to people who are
enjoying a sense of moral superiority in their ignorance.
*-Thomas Sowell

Grady-White Gulfstream, out of Oak Island, NC.

Homepage
*http://pamandgene.tranquilrefuge.net/boating/the_boat/my_boat..htm

Forté Agent 6.00 Build 1186

no trees, no 12 days, no Yule log, no parades, no
exchanging gifts, no ornaments, no mistletoe, no green, no red, no
presents, no Santa, and *certainly* no eggnog. *And you'll NEVER catch
THEM saying, "Merry Christmas."

Sounds like the invading Muslims to me........

Actually, not all that dissimilar, once you think about it....

Pfffftttt, it's made up... But it sure makes for a good talking point!

Offered without comment, for your consideration, these very real
people:
http://tinyurl.com/6pu7d

Are those the folks living around you?

Depends....

Do you think those folks would think Katrina is God's punishment on a
Immoral and Godless America?

I can't speak for them, but I don't.


Do you think those folks would think 911 is God's punishment on a
Immoral and Godless America?

I can't speak for them, but I don't.

Do you think *those folks would think H1N1 is Gods punishment on a
Immoral and Godless America?

I can't speak for them, but I don't.


If so, yeah, they might be! I've overheard all three of those gems in
the last week or so....

That's perfect thinking for the uninformed and superstitious
..

I'd like to think those folks at GodHatesAmerica are total fringe
nuts, and to many folks they are. *However, here in the rural areas of
the Bible Belt, I hear too much sympathy for them (or, actually, their
dogma) among local folks to dismiss the notion out of hand.

Gene, there's been crackpots under the guise of religion ever since
religion. I certainly don't put stock in Phelps and/or his ilk, and
I'm not sympathetic to then either.

How much of this could you agree to? How much could you use
persuasively, even if you *didn't* believe it?http://www.beastobama.com/

Little if any of it.
--
It is usually futile to try to talk facts and analysis to people who are
enjoying a sense of moral superiority in their ignorance.
*-Thomas Sowell

Grady-White Gulfstream, out of Oak Island, NC.

Homepage
*http://pamandgene.tranquilrefuge.net/boating/the_boat/my_boat.htm

Forté Agent 6.00 Build 1186

On Dec 16, 6:49*pm, Gene wrote:


I think all of my neighbors go to the Methodist church at the end of
our road. They aren't the nutcase variety, although at a restaurant
tonight, one nosy old broad (who I didn't even know) took us to task
(wife and son included) for not attending church often enough. I was
nice, you would have been proud...

Being civil is nice. i soulnd't have a done like the elderly lady,
but i probably would have at least invited you and your family ( Like
I do at my home congregation) to our annual Christmas dinner. Just
show up and eat and enjoy!

Probably 55% of this county is hard core, either Southern Baptist or
Primitive Baptist.

Not all, but some can be a pretty stiff bunch!


What I MEANT was that there are a lot of fundamentalist denominations
in this area, which I have already enumerated. I don't peer into my
neighbor's windows, I just know a lot about the denominations and
their rites. Why?

My father owned a stone company and I have been to every church and
synagogue in (it seems) NC/SC/VA/TN that had a cemetery. I learned a
lot from all of those folks. I also graduated from a Methodist
college. I didn't drop down from another planet, with no experience in
the matter.....
--

Cool!


It is usually futile to try to talk facts and analysis to people who are
enjoying a sense of moral superiority in their ignorance.
*-Thomas Sowell

Grady-White Gulfstream, out of Oak Island, NC.

Homepage
*http://pamandgene.tranquilrefuge.net/boating/the_boat/my_boat.htm

Forté Agent 6.00 Build 1186

AN ATHEIST IN THE WOODS
An atheist was walking through the woods.

'What majestic trees!
'What powerful rivers!
'What beautiful animals!
He said to himself.


As he was walking alongside the river,he heard a rustling in
the bushes behind him.


He turned to look. He saw a 7-foot grizzly bear charge towards
him.

He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his
shoulder & saw that the bear was closing in on him..


He looked over his shoulder again, & the bear was even closer.


He tripped & fell on the ground.


He rolled over to pick himself up but saw that the bear was
right on top of him, reaching for him with


his left paw & raising his right paw to strike him.

At that instant the Atheist cried out,
'Oh my God!'

Time Stopped.
The bear froze.
The forest was silent.


As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky..

'You deny my existence for all these years, teach others I don't exist
and even credit creation to cosmic accident.'
'Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament?

Am I to count you as a believer?

The atheist looked directly into the light, 'It would be hypocritical
of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps
you could make the BEAR a Christian'?


'Very well,' said the voice.


The light went out. The sounds of the forest resumed. And the bear
dropped his right paw, brought both paws together, bowed his head &
spoke:

'Lord bless this food, which I am about to receive from thy bounty
through Christ our Lord, Amen.'