| Author | Message | ||
     Tramp |
FROM: Pauline Lewis, Human Resources Director TO: All Employees DATE: 5th November RE: Christmas Party I'm happy to inform you that the company Christmas Party will take place on December 23rd, starting at noon in the private function room at the Grill House. There will be a cash bar and plenty of drinks! We'll have a small band playing traditional carols...please feel free to sing along. And don't be surprised if the Managing Director shows up dressed as Santa Claus! A Christmas tree will be lit at 1.00p.m. Exchange of gifts among employees can be done at that time; however, no gift should be over $10.00 to make the giving of gifts easy for everyone's pockets. This gathering is only for employees! The Managing Director will make a special announcement at the Party. Merry Christmas to you and your Family. Pauline ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FROM: Pauline Lewis, Human Resources Director TO: All Employees DATE: 5th November RE: Holiday Party In no way was yesterday's memo intended to exclude our Jewish employees. We recognize that Chanukah is an important holiday, which often coincides with Christmas, though unfortunately not this year. However, from now on we're calling it our 'Holiday Party'.. The same policy applies to any other employees who are not Christians. There will be no Christmas tree or Christmas carols sung. We will have other types of music for your enjoyment. Happy now? Happy Holidays to you and your family, Pauline. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FROM: Pauline Lewis, Human Resources Director TO: All Employees DATE: 6th November RE: Holiday Party Regarding the note I received from a member of Alcoholics Anonymous requesting a non-drinking table...you didn't sign your name. I'm happy to accommodate this request, but if I put a sign on a table that reads, "AA Only", you wouldn't be anonymous anymore!!!! How am I supposed to handle this? Somebody? Forget about the gift exchange, no gift exchange allowed now since the Union Officials feel that $10.00 is too much money and Management believe $10.00 is a little cheap. NO GIFT EXCHANGE WILL BE ALLOWED. Pauline. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FROM: Pauline Lewis, Human Resources Director TO: All Employees DATE: 7th November RE: Holiday Party What a diverse group we are! I had no idea that December 20th begins the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which forbids eating and drinking during daylight hours. There goes the party! Seriously, we can appreciate how a luncheon at this time of year does not accommodate our Muslim employees' beliefs, perhaps the Grill House can hold off on serving your meal until the end of the party - or else package everything up for you to take home in a little foil doggy bag. Will that work? Meanwhile, I've arranged for members of Weight Watchers to sit farthest from the dessert buffet and pregnant women will get the table closest to the toilets, Gays are allowed to sit with each other, Lesbians do not have to sit with gay men, each will have their own table. Yes, there will be flower arrangements for the gay men's table, too. To the person asking permission to cross dress - no cross dressing allowed. We will have booster seats for short people. Low fat food will be available for those on a diet. We cannot control the salt used in the food. We suggest those people with high blood pressure taste the food first. There will be fresh fruits as dessert for Diabetics, the restaurant cannot supply "No Sugar" desserts. Sorry! Did I miss anything?!?!?!?!?! Pauline. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FROM: Pauline Lewis, Human Resources Director TO: All F****** Employees DATE: 8 November RE: The ******** Holiday Party. Vegetarian pricks I've had it with you people!!! We're going to keep this party at the Grill House whether you like it or not, so you can sit quietly at the table furthest from the "grill of death", as you so quaintly put it. You'll get your f****** salad bar, including organic tomatoes, but you know tomatoes have feeling, too. They scream when you slice them. I've heard them scream. I'm hearing them scream right NOW!! Hope you all have a rotten holiday * drink, drive, and die! The Bitch from HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FROM: John Bishop - Acting Human Resources Director DATE: 9th November RE: Pauline Lewis and Holiday Party I'm sure I speak for all of us in wishing Pauline Lewis a speedy recovery, and I'll continue to forward your cards to her. In the meantime, Management has decided to cancel our Holiday Party and instead, give everyone the afternoon of the 23rd December off with full pay. | ||
| Oldog |
Tramp: lol! where did that come from! Soooo ...Dilbert-Esque whats scary that could have been where I used to work....... | ||
| Blake |
 Good one Tramp! LOL! | ||
| Cruisin |
I went over to my dad's a few years ago for Christmas and there was a freshly baked cake in the kitchen. A little later I heard how my step mom had been baking the birthday cake earlier. Since I couldn't think of anybody I knew, I simply asked "Who's birthday is it?" I didn't think there was such a thing as the look of death, but that day I got it. I also got a "You don't know who's birthday it is???" You'd think I just peed on the carpet or something - they were just so shocked. As it turns out her family bakes a birthday cake for Jesus every year. A little overboard in my opinion. Merry Christmas to everyone!!! | ||
| Mountainrider |
My friend Arturo sent this too me...I'm a dork...I laughed like crazy! One beautiful December evening Pedro and his girlfriend Rosita were >>sitting by the side of the ocean. It was a romantic full moon, when >>Pedro said, "Hey, mamacita, let's play Weeweechu." >> >>"Oh no, not now, lets look at the moon" said Rosita. >> >>"Oh, c'mon baby, let's you and I play Weeweechu. >>I love you and it's the perfect time," Pedro begged. >> >>"But I wanna just hold your hand and watch the moon." >> >>"Please, corazoncito, just once, play Weeweechu with me." >> >>Rosita looked at Pedro and said, "OK, one time, we'll play >>Weeweechu." >>Pedro grabbed his guitar and they both sang..... >> >>"Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, >>"Weeweechu a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year." >> MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!! >> >>NOW GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER! | ||
| Tramp |
reminds me of that jose feliciano fella with his 'feliz navidad' song. or his 'light my fire' song that those 4 gringos from los angeles stole from his apartment when they were rearranging his furniture, as a prank. | ||
| Mfell2112 |
The United states of America was founded on Christian principles. When our Constitution was written 96% of our population claimed to be Christians. Why people today don't want to use the term Christmas so they not offend somebody is beyond me. To me it is an attack on our freedom of speech in the long run. OK enough of this. Merry Christmas and hopefully Santa will bring something nice for your Buell.:-) Regards Mike | ||
| Ricky |
I'll say Merry Christmas whenever and wherever I want! | ||
| Coolice |
Merry Christmas to all, Peace on earth. Thanks to all those serving our country, our thoughts and prayers are with you. And may many Buell goodies, bikes may Santa bring! | ||
| Crusty |
MERRY CHRISTMAS! Screw political correctness | ||
| Marks3tbillet |
Thanks for the good post Mike. It's interesting how well our founding fathers did. Everyone should read the notes they took while developing the Constitution. The Christian influence is not only spoken, it's undebatable. Merry Christmas! Mark | ||
| Billfish |
Every one out there in Buell land! "Have a Merry Christmas!" Plus a special, Merry Christmas, for the ACLU!  (BTW, ACLU stands for, Anti-Christian Lawyers Union) | ||
| Cruisin |
I can't believe it, one of the officers of our company did it in an e-mail sent to everyone in the organization yesterday: "My best wishes to you and yours for a happy and joyous holiday - for the holiday or holidays that are meaningful to you." WTF - PC has gone too far!!! | ||
| Tramp |
see...to ME, that's fine. I still say "Merry Christmas", and I'll often wish my Abrahimic friends a Happy Chanukah. They wish me a Merry Christmas, I have no problem wishing them a Happy Chanukah. I think it's waay outta line for somebody to get bent outta shape about me or anyone else saying "Merry Christmas", and similarly, I think it's lame to get upset about someone keeping their greeting neutral. remember, Jews worship the same God as Christians, and they follow the same Bible, they just didn't pick up the sequel. ease off on getting upset at the neutral greeting. Christmas is still included in that greeting, they're just bringing others in, too. "Happy Holidays" should be a unifying statement. Jesus Christ likely celebrated the Victory of The Hebrews, as well, and wished his friends a Happy Chanukah. He also counted his fellow Semites, including Arabs, among his friends, and likely wished them well. If any of us are truly to consider ourselves Christian, then let's practice WWJD, and wish everyone a happy holiday. hey- I still boomingly proclaim "Merry Christmas" to pretty much everyone who crosses my path, these days. I did wish a bank teller "Happy Kwaanza" yesterday (there was not african-american one in there)...youd'a thought I said "I Got A Gun" And, Mike- this is not, By Far, the best week-in-the-news to bring "The Constitution" up. God isn't even mentioned anywhere in the US Constitution, but many very specific civil liberties are. probably better we forego any discussion of the US constitution on the www, for a few weeks. The press is already sinking their teeth into THAT soundbyte like a nice philly cheesesteak. No need to pour any gas on THAT conflagration. and, incidentally, I have a copy of the United States Constitution on my desk next to my computer. Nowhere on that document (heck, google it if you don't belive me) are either "God" or his son mentioned . (following is a quote)*"The omission was too obvious to have been anything but deliberate, in spite of Alexander Hamilton's flippant responses when asked about it: According to one account, he said that the new nation was not in need of "foreign aid"; according to another, he simply said "we forgot." But as Hamilton's biographer Ron Chernow points out, Hamilton never forgot anything important. " *"In the debates of the Constitutional Convention, religion did not get a lot of sound bites. It should be noted that without exception, the Framers were Christian or, at the very least, believed in God (Deism). There were no Jews or Muslims, no Hindus or atheists, and only two Roman Catholics. There were members of more than a half-dozen sects of the Protestant side of Christianity, though. Disagreements about style and method of worship between them were nearly as vast and incongruous as any seen today between, say, Jews and Muslims, such that the Framers wanted to ensure that no one sect could ever seize control of a government and start a theocracy." James Madison, when speaking of the method and manner of the election of the members of the Congress, noted that even "Religion itself may become a motive to persecution and oppression," telegraphing his own desire for no religious test for government service. He had been a prime mover in the efforts of some Virginia lawmakers to ensure that no preference be given to any religion in that state, and that a proposed tax to aid religious efforts be defeated. Madison and one of the Pinkney cousins moved, in the waning days of the Convention, that the Congress be permitted the power to establish a university, with the express stipulation that "no preferences or distinctions should be allowed on account of Religion." The motion was turned down on a six to four vote, but it was another illustration of his desire to extend no preference to any religious sect." *(http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_reli.html) Now, I apologize for quoting and sourcing a website, but I'm aware that not everyone keeps copy of the US Constitution on them most of the time. I do. i'm a whacky guy, and an absolute patriot. And I DO still say "Merry Christmas" to most everyone I greet, and I'll toss "Happy Chanukah" in for my yarmulke wearing brothers. No jew has ever given me a hard time for wishing him or her "Merry Christmas", and I've never felt anything but the warmth of inclusion when being bid "Happy Chanukah". * * And, as i'd said, If you're really that serious about your christianity, and you're not a catholic, celebrate Christ's birth during the late Spring, when the bible tells us he was actually born, as opposed to near the pagan solstice festival, by erecting a tree (tree worship was central to celts and the other europagans in the nacestry of most everyone on this board), and decking the halls with Boughs Of Holly (Holly, being that each plant is eityher one sex or the other, as opposed to both, represents fertility in pagan solstice festivals), because the whole Christmas during the solstice thing, as I'd stated before, was the brainchild of a very canny early pope who realized that it'd be easy to convert the masses by ascribing the holiday a preexisting prime-time slot. Me, personally, I dig setting up my manger scene this time of year, and that's the way it's gonna stay. Makes it easier for tens of thousands of years of congenital pagan solstice worship find a voice in the rejoice of a saviour's birth. All that being said, I bid all ye constituents of our nontheistic constitution a Merry Christmas, and may God Rest ye merry gentlemen. Oh, yeah- incidentally, The Holy Land was still quite verdant at the time of The Nativity, and not yet all desert. Also, Jerusalem is on a similar latitude to Charleston, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia. and to this day, there is occasionally good snow in the Golan Heights, and sometimes decent skiing. not nearly as much as Mauna Kea, Hawaii, however. that actually means "White Mountain" in Hawaiian. anyway, be ye Hawaiian or Israeli , Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, and God Bless ya, sneeze or no sneeze. To be truly Christian, always, Do What Jesus Would Do.  (Message edited by tramp on December 20, 2005) | ||
| Tramp |
incidentally, I picked up my current copy of the US Cosntitution at The Brandywine Valley Battlefield Museum in Pennsylvania's Beautiful and Historic Brandywine Valley. anyone wants to locate a nice copy of this pocketsize version, it's isbn is: 1891 74300-7, published by Oak Hill Publishing Naperville, Il. (1-800-887-6661) An excellent piece of history to read and remember. remember that it was framed at a time long before commercial aircarft, skyscrapers and semtex. | ||
| Road_thing |
Well said, Trampster! Merry Christmas to you, too! rt | ||
| Tramp |
Billfish said: " (BTW, ACLU stands for, Anti-Christian Lawyers Union) " * * actually, the ACLu is there to protect the civil liberties, including every christian's right to worship. it's easy to bash the ACLU. it's easy to bash your local police force it's easy to bash the USMC it's easy to bash the NSA ....until you need them.  (Message edited by tramp on December 20, 2005) | ||
| Ezblast |
 Happy Holidays BADWEBers! GT - JBOTDS! EZ  | ||
| Ingemar |
There used to be a time when there was nothing polical about Christmas. When did this crap fall from the sky? Merry Christmas everyone! | ||
| Bartimus |
Check this out if you really like Christmas as it should be... http://www.illwillpress.com/xmas.html | ||
| Tramp |
I never liked when people write "X-mas". That never sat right with me. | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
Ezblast - nice picture. Tramp - I'm with you. X-mas implies that the word "christmas" is somehow a dirty word. It's a social euphemism. | ||
| Tramp |
X-actly. and incidentally, If Johnnylunchbox is with me, who could possibly be against me? | ||
| Cochise |
Is it the Constitution that supposedly has the phrase about Separation of Church and State??? ACLU American Civil Liberties Union, unless you want to KEEP "In GOD We Trust" in the Pledge, or pray before classes, or KEEP OUT Nazi Parades, or Cross Burning, or flag burning. And what is it with the NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, but try and call an "African American" a colored person and your eye will be colored and your lip will be split. I had a friend who said, when the Republican's swept the election, "They're gonna privatize Social Security, put prayer back in School, and give everybody assault weapons to carry.." and I said, "Well, it's a start." Duh-huh  | ||
| Tramp |
"In god we trust" isn't in the pledge. * * * 'under god' was added about 100 years after the pledge was penned, and wasn't part of the original pledge. * * * the naacp thing has gotten me for quite some time. Whenever one of my african american brothers gets miffed about me sayiong "coloured", I remind 'em that I'm coloured , too. Just a paler shade. "coloured" was the polite expression when I was a kid, "Black" always sounded negative, and African-American is accurate, but too specific and wordy. I mean, doesn't that make me Italian-lusatian-welsh-german-irish-sicilian-american? (Message edited by tramp on December 20, 2005) | ||
| Cochise |
Yeah, but you knew what I meant. r.e. the pledge. I just have to learn to proofread my statements. And remember, a preposition is not something to end a sentence with. (Message edited by cochise on December 20, 2005) | ||
| Cochise |
I mean, doesn't that make me Italian-lusatian-welsh-german-irish-sicilian-american? No, I think that makes you "mutt" | ||
| Brucelee |
No such phrase as "sep of church and state in the Consitution. The language is as follows: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is generally held to mean that the US will not have an "official church" ala The Church of England. | ||
| Mfell2112 |
Good one Bruce Lee. Separation of church and state was a phrase coined by Thomas Jefferson. It must be remembered that neutrality is impossible. Some authority, whether it be God or man, is used as the reference point for all enacted laws. If a political system rejects one authority, it adopts another. If a biblical moral system is not being legislated, then an immoral system is being legislated. Any moral system that does not put Jesus Christ at its center, denies Christ: The ACLU continues to harangue on the "separation of church and state" as justification for eliminating religious issues from public view. They do this at the tax payers expense. The phrase "Separation of Church and State" has been bandied about for so long that 67% of all Americans believe that it is actually in the Constitution. In fact, those three words appear nowhere in the Constitution. The Supreme Court has taken Jefferson's "separation" clause (divorced from Jefferson's own explanation of the phrase) and used it to create a new, and completely arbitrary, interpretation of the First Amendment. When the First Amendment was passed it only had two purposes. 1. There would be no established, national church for the united thirteen states. To say it another way: there would be no "Church of the United States." The government is prohibited from setting up a state religion, such as Britain has, but no barriers will be erected against the practice of any religion. Thomas Jefferson's famous "wall of separation" between church and state comment was made in a letter to a group of Baptist clergymen January 1, 1802 in Danbury, Connecticut, who feared the Congregationalists Church would become the state-sponsored religion. Jefferson assured the Danbury Baptist Association that the First Amendment guaranteed that there would be no establishment of any one denomination over another. It was never intended for our governing bodies to be "separated" from Christianity and its principles. The "wall" was understood as one directional; its purpose was to protect the church from the state. The world was not to corrupt the church, yet the church was free to teach the people Biblical values. It keeps the government from running the church but makes sure that Christian principles will always stay in government. 2. The second purpose of the First Amendment was the very opposite from what is being made of it today. It states expressly that government should not impede or interfere with the free practice of religion. The purpose of the separation of church and state in American society is not to exclude the voice of religion from public debate, but to provide a context of religious freedom where the insights of each religious tradition can be set forth and tested. As Justice Douglas wrote for the majority of the Supreme Court in the United States vs. Ballard case in 1944: The First Amendment has a dual aspect. It not only "forestalls compulsion by law of the acceptance of any creed or the practice of any form of worship" but also "safeguards the free exercise of the chosen form of religion." The First Amendment was a safe-guard so that the State can have no jurisdiction over the Church. Its purpose was to protect the Church, not to disestablish it. Regards Mike | ||
| Bomber |
Actually, the entire X-mas thing used get under my skin, til a sky-pilot shared with me scholorship showing that "X" was an oft-used abbreviation for "Christ" as early as the 3rd century common era -- me, I still prefer Christmas, but I ain't lookin for stuff to get cranky about no mo' {smile} ACLU gets a great deal of bad press, but, to my mind, they are one fo the more important institutions in the country today -- the only one I can think of who's only constituancy is the entirety of the american people, or, looked at another way, the laws thereof (a gross oversimplification, I know) being raised in a predominantly jewish neck of the woods, and watching the police guard the nazi marches as a sprout (well, young tree), I can tell ya I was of two minds whn the majority of the crowd of on-lookers broke out into laughter at the marching goons, I knew all was well the day we feel the need to keep out thoughts we don't agree with is a scarey day, indeed, to me -- I will, but simply cuz Tramp suggested it, refrain from commenting on the Constitution and Bill of Rights for a while -- reent news reports illustrate all to well that our laws are living documents, and liable to be re-interpretted . . . |
