A FOX Christmas

From CHARLIE REINA, former Fox News Channel producer:12-14-05 --


As with many conflicts, particularly the manufactured kind, dishonesty, greed and ignorance are the culprits behind Fox News Channel's so-called “War on Christmas.” But their enabler, as Dr. Phil might call it, is that well-intended but wholly misguided scourge of society -- political correctness. Rather than promoting tolerance, inclusion and understanding, as advertised, p/c has had the opposite effect. It has made us not a freer society, but one of timid, tongue-tied slaves to convention who substitute glib code words for the more difficult task of actually treating each other with respect. It’s the kind of shortcut that sooner or later circles back to bite you.But first let’s look at what political correctness is, and is not, in this context. Wishing your customers or co-workers, “Happy holidays,” isn’t p/c; it’s common sense. Try saying, “Merry Christmas, happy Hannukah, a joyous Kwanzaa and a prosperous New Year” every time you leave the office, and before long they won’t let you back in. But taking something that’s recognized everywhere – by people of all religious beliefs -- as a Christmas tree and renaming it a “holiday tree” is political correctness, pure and simple.It adds nothing, reaches out to no one. It’s as offensive as it would be to call a Menorah a “festive candelabra,” or Santa Claus “Jolly old Good-guy Nick.” Granted, as a cause for war, this holiday p/c is no Pearl Harbor. But in its own naïve way, it provides the warmongers with just the ammunition they want.It’s no surprise, of course, that this phony call to arms, this “Christmas (ergo, Christians) Under Attack” hysteria, emanates from the bowels of Fox News Channel. The network is, after all, ground zero in the culture wars that polarize so much of America these days. Make no mistake about it: Fox is on a mission. Its slogans say, “Fair and Balanced” and “We Report, You Decide

Out of Context

So I swear that I am a crazy person or something......I do not know how to go a week without getting myself into some sort of sticky situation. I am horrible with money..... I wish I could just sit down with someone and figure out where it all goes.... I do make alright money, and I have seriously very little bills. So where does it go.... I am not a drug addict, I don't buy expensive clothing..... I don't drive an expensive car. SO where does all the money i make go.... I always feel l.ike I am broke... I do have to admit since I started dating this guy things have got a little more expensive. I love to spoil and pamper him.... I think he deserves it after the way the last girl treated him.....but I think i went a little over board. I hope he won't get mad at me for not conintuing down the path of spoildom, is that a word. I dont' think he would but I do think he got a little used to it.... My goal in the coming year is to learn how to budget and not to blow my checks on stuff I don't need ....maybe if I create a goal, like a vacation to save for that will help. Well I am sure this is full of spelling and gramatical errors....oh well

The sun is shining.....

Well not that I could ask for anymore drama in my life......well i guess that isn't fair because my life has been failry drama free for months now.....Which is always nice but I have this theory....nothing good lasts for long....and I think I am about to go into another period of crap....maybe it is my own fault but I feel like I constatly am waiting for the other shoe to drop and if it doesn't on it's own then I will creat a situation where it does.

I have been dating this great guy for awhile now.....and when I say great I just don't mean I think he is great...everyone thinks he is great. All his friends love him to death.....his family thinks he is amazing....he is smart , funny, caring,and he loves me.....I don't know how I got so lucky.....but once again....just like always I start to doubt his feelings and wonder when he is going to leave me or figure out that I am just not good enough for him ir that I am not pretty enough or he will go back to his ex....I just get the worst senerioes in my mind that usually come back unfounded but they do a great job of causing strife within our relationship because I am constantly doubting his feelings....Why do I do trhis you may ask......If I knew i would do my best to stop. This something that in the next year I wuold like to change about myself....and am even thinking about going and seeking some professional help.....Which can never be bad thing.

Other then that the usually bullshit is going on i was doing fine then do soemthing stupid like hit a freaking 7-11 ...Which i think i got really lucky and dealt with the two nicest police men in portland and will not be getting in as much trouble as it could have been...thank god for that....anyway i am beginning to ramble....I guess as my final thought....i love my boyfriend and I feel extreemly happy to have someone so understanding and loving in my life.

Where are we going

So the last five month, god has that all it has been, have been amazing in many different ways. I quit my job of three years which I hated and was sucking the life out of me. I got a new better paying job that i like and feel myself going far in. I met someone who i care immensly about and i still have my family alive and healthy. This time last year I was scared i had cancer, depressed and frightened that I would lose the man that was most importnat to me....to think I almost ended it to stop the pain...One of the things that I have learned in the last year is that you have to face your problems with an attitude that you can make it and it isn't the end of the world. Yes i know that when you are in the situation you tend to think that it will bever get better and that no matter what you do it will only get worse. But with me I learned that the situation that I was in was causing me to look at life in the worst way possible....I can't do that anymore not only that I refuse to.

One thing that still has me a little down is tha fact that I have no real family or home so to speak....It has been three years since my parents divorce and two years since my own....My family home was sold over a year ago and since all these events nothing has really felt the same. It doesn't exactly help that we have never really been an affectionate family but now we barely speak... My mom and i talk all the time, my dad and I maybe get an email to eachother every few weeks....My brother and I have a non-existent realtionship, for various reasons that I will nto get into right now. During most of the year it doesn't really bother me excpet during holidays. We never really created any traditions that we as a family did ourselves.... We didn't dso anything on Christmas Eve or even have a set thing we did on Christmas and I was always jealous of the familys that knew every years that they would be surrounded by people who loved and respected them... I can count on one hand the Christmases that didn't end in some sort of argument.....This years I have refused to engage in any sort of akward family time... I don't enjoy it so why should I have to go.....the only problem with that is that I feel guilty that I withholding myslef, and no I am not concieted, from people who do love me. I will figure it out but it keeps bothering me.....

Yeah

i totally forgot that I had this out here I wonder why i never posted anything,,,,,kind of strange oh well maybe I will start