Centerfield

As a Christmas warrior (we wear khaki green and carry red bombs), I wish you "Happy Holidays, Brian!"

Jean, there's no truth to the rumor that holiday derives from "holy day," is there? If so, we could all be in deep doo-doo.

I wouldn't mind so much if Christmas Creep somehow influenced me to get my shopping done earlier. But it doesn't. I'll still be scrambling on the 23rd or 24th for something I have yet to identify in my own mind, hoping I just happen to stumble upon something worth buying.

LOL. 'Fraid so, Brian. My unabridged dictionary says the word comes from Old English "Holeg Daig", but Wikipedia says your worst guess is right; holiday comes from "Holy Day". So deep doo-doo we are in.

That's why I never understood why Bill O'Reilly and the rest got so bent out of shape over "Happy holidays." vs. "Merry Christmas." Just about every religion has a festival of lights around the time of the winter solstice, so "Happy holidays!" includes Christmas, as well as Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, etc.

Can't talk now! Eight tiny reindeer comin' in at five o' clock high!

Well, that makes me all glad the local grocery has only gotten to Halloween. Or maybe not.

This stuff just drives the Profesora up the wall.

Of course, in DC the Santa would be appropriate because of Christmas in August.

To paraphrase Mr Joseph Welch

(They've) done enough. Have (they) no sense of decency at long last? Have (they) left (us) no sense of decency?

Come to think of it, "Christmas Creep" would be a great name for a villain. I imagine a sunken eyed, skinny guy in a greasy Santa costume, holding up a sprig of mistletoe and leering "Ya want some candy, little girl?...Heh...don't be afraid to sit on my lap and tell me what you really want."

Can't talk now! Eight tiny reindeer comin' in at five o' clock high!

Posted by Blue Jean at August 28, 2006 05:55 PM

I highly recommend the "John Boy and Billy Christmas CD" and the "Generals Night Before Christmas"

http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Album/dp/B00000DFSM/sr=8-8/qid=1156874003/ref=pd_bbs_8/002-4588455-7696065?ie=UTF8

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the skies
Air defenses were up, with electronic eyes.
Combat pilots were nestled in ready-room beds
As enemy silhouettes danced in their heads.

Every jet on the apron, each SAM in its tube
Was triply-redundant linked to the Blue Cube,
And ElInt and AWACS gave coverage so dense
That nothing that flew could slip through our defense.

When out of the klaxon arose such a clatter
I turned to the screen to see what was the matter;
I dialed up the gain and then quick as a flash
Fine-adjusted the filters to damp out the hash.

And there found the source of the warning we'd heeded:
An incoming blip, by eight escorts preceded.
"Alert status red!" went the word down the wire,
As we gave every system the codes that meant "FIRE"!

On Aegis! Up Patriot, Phalanx and Hawk!
And scramble our fighters let's send the whole flock!
Launch decoys and missiles! Use chaff by the yard!
Get the kitchen sink up! Call the National Guard!

They turned toward the target, moved toward it, converged.
Then the tracks on the radar all finally merged,
And the sky was lit up with a demonic light
As the foe met his fate in the high arctic night.

So we sent out some recon to look for debris,
Yet all that they found, both on land and on sea
Were some toys, a red hat, a charred left leather boot,
Broken sleighbells, white hair, and a deer's parachute.

Now it isn't quite Christmas, with Saint Nick shot down.
There are unhappy kids in each village and town.
For the Spirit of Christmas can't hope to evade
All the web of defenses we've carefully made.

But a crash program's on: Working hard, night and day,
All the elves are constructing a radar-proof sleigh.
So let's wait for next Christmas, in cheer and in health,
For the future has hope: Santa's coming by stealth!

elkay