What's Wrong With Merry Christmas

The holiday season is upon us, with lots of helpful Santas, and a few scattered Grinches.  It also means we're all going to be exposed to another useless argument about saying 'Merry Christmas' as opposed to the more generic 'Happy Holidays' or 'Seasons Greetings'.

I grew up in a super-conservative Christian area.  There was / is no controversy about this issue there; one was / is expected to say Merry Christmas lest they be identified as an outsider.  I imagine this is true for most of the U.S. fruited plain, which is vastly rural and Christian.

But once you've lived in a more populated area, and have plenty of non-Christian friends, the lines get blurred.  I'm much more likely to say Happy Holidays now, not because political-correctness requires it, but because it's easier.  It covers more bases, and I simply don't have to think about it.

The other day, I asked my non-Christian neighbor about his thoughts, not only on Merry Christmas, but other traditions such as Christmas trees and presents.  A native of India, he said he thought nothing of it.  He certainly was not offended in any way.  Unlike me, he came from a religiously diverse country, and everyone there respected others' traditions.

I'm not offended by anyone who wants to say Merry Christmas, but I am offended by those who would expect it of me, or that think it's the only holiday greeting that should be posted on public property.  Those people are close-minded, and ironically, not being very Christian when it comes to respecting others and their faiths.

Just accept my secular holiday greeting if you get it, as I would accept a non-secular one, and let's move on.

2014

As with last year, let's review the things I said I'd like to see in 2013, with my new notes in ALL CAPS:

-Me take more time off.  A repeat.  Hoping it happens this time.
(I'M GOING TO STOP WRITING THIS ONE.)

-Compromise in the U.S. Congress.  After all, it's not an election year.
(NOT COUNTING THE ALLEGED DECEMBER BUDGET COMPROMISE, TEA PARTY REPUBLICANS TOOK US FARTHER FROM COMPROMISE, NOT CLOSER.)

-A reduction in U.S. government spending and subsidies
(SMALL REDUCTION OF WIND AND ETHANOL SPENDING, BUT THIS IS A FAIRY TALE.)

-Fewer reality TV shows starring hillbillys.
(COULD NOT HAVE GONE MORE IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.  THEY ARE MORE POPULAR THAN EVER.  JUST LOOK AT MY PREVIOUS POST.)

-Successful planning and execution of all family weddings.
(NAILED IT.)

-An end to the central U.S. drought.

(A LESSER DROUGHT IS NOT AN END TO THE DROUGHT - BUT FARMERS BROUGHT IN A RECORD CROP SO I GUESS IT DOESN'T MATTER THAT MUCH ANYMORE.)

-The siding on my house to be repaired.
(GOT DONE IN OCTOBER, BUT ONLY THANKS TO MULTIPLE CALLS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.)

For 2014 I'd like to see:

The (continued) fall of the so-called Tea Party conservatives.

Less Kanye / Less Miley.

Apple TV.

NCAA basketball Sweet 16 trips for either Iowa and Iowa State.

Better football from the Cyclones and Vikings - the bar is incredibly low.

Warmer Spring weather, at least where it doesn't snow again in May.

More legalization of marijuana beyond what's happening in Colorado on 1/1/2014.

A la carte cable TV channels.  It's only a matter of time before cable providers will have to do this to compete with computer streaming.  Why not in 2014?

2013

Around this time last year, a blog entry about a few things I'd like to see in 2012. Let's review what happened, with my new notes in ALL CAPS:

I said I'd like to see:

-Me take more time off.  (DIDN'T HAPPEN.  WENT THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.)

-The insurance industry get into trouble for the individual products they sell to people as 'investments.'  (DITTO.)

-A warmer and earlier Spring.  (THIS WORKED OUT WELL.)

-The Minnesota Twins and Vikings not being among the worst teams in their respective sports.  Talk about low expectations!  (TWINS NO, VIKES YES.)

-The rejection of social conservatism.   (QUALIFIED YES TO THIS.  AT LEAST IOWA AND THE COUNTRY SEEMED TO VOTE THAT WAY.)

-The rejection of any further extensions to to unemployment benefits.  In other words, that my tax money stops being used to pay people to not work.  (THIS JUST IN - NO.)

-Jersey Shore get canceled when one or more of the cast is arrested and/or goes to rehab.  (OK, that is actually a prediction, not exactly something I want to see happen.)  (YUP, SAW IT.  I'D LIKE TO THINK SOMEHOW I MADE IT HAPPEN!)

-The Mayans exposed as just goofing around with their calendar.  (YES, SORT OF.)

So let's try the same exercise.  For 2013 I'd like to see:

-Me take more time off.  A repeat.  Hoping it happens this time.

-Compromise in the U.S. Congress.  After all, it's not an election year.

-A reduction in U.S. government spending and subsidies

-Fewer reality TV shows starring hillbillys.

-Successful planning and execution of all family weddings.

-An end to the central U.S. drought.

-The siding on my house to be repaired.

2012

The beginning/end of every year gives everyone a chance to make resolutions or predictions for the next 12 months.  Instead of doing either of those things, which will inevitably come back to haunt, I'll just set out a few things I'd like to see in 2012.

I'd like to see:

-Me take more time off.

-The insurance industry get into trouble for the individual products they sell to people as 'investments.'

-A warmer and earlier Spring.

-The Minnesota Twins and Vikings not being among the worst teams in their respective sports.  Talk about low expectations!

-The rejection of social conservatism.

-The rejection of any further extensions to to unemployment benefits.  In other words, that my tax money stops being used to pay people to not work.

-Jersey Shore get canceled when one or more of the cast is arrested and/or goes to rehab.  (OK, that is actually a prediction, not exactly something I want to see happen.)

-The Mayans exposed as just goofing around with their calendar.

New Year's Eve

Things I like about New Year's Eve:

The [insert pop culture item here] Year in Review lists.

Bowl games!

Tomorrow = holiday and more bowl games!

Guilt free consumption of food and beverages.

Things I don't like about New Year's Eve:

Drunks.

The cold.

Tax season starts again the next day.

It will be 5 months to the next holiday weekend. (Unless you are a civil servant in which case you get a holiday weekend roughly every four weeks of the year!)