I went to Hobby Lobby last night to pick up a crochet booklet, some yarn, and a package of crochet hooks so I can teach my ten-year-old niece how to crochet. At the checkout, I said “Merry Christmas” to the clerk. She replied with a hearty, “Merry Christmas to you!”

I was at Wal-Mart on Friday to pick up a couple of things. I said “Merry Christmas” to the greeter and she said, “to you too.” The checkout clerk replied to my “Merry Christmas” with a “same to you.”

Last year I was out shopping with my mother and she said “Merry Christmas” to a clerk. The clerk seemed slightly taken aback at first, then said “Merry Christmas to you too”.

After Mom and I left the store, we concluded that with all the “can’t say Christmas” going on, she was shocked that we had wished her a Merry Christmas. Then she was happy that we had and wished us one as well.

Merry Christmas!

Fifteen year old Christina Deforges died Wednesday, November 23rd in a Quebec hospital of respiratory failure.

Christina went into anaphylactic shock after kissing her boyfriend on Sunday, November 20. Christina was highly allergic to peanuts and her boyfriend had recently eaten peanut butter. She was given an injection of adrenaline immediately, as is standard procedure with a highly allergic person when exposed to the allergen, but it apparently wasn’t enough.

About 100 people die of food allergies every year in the United States.

We pray for her family and especially the boyfriend who must be feeling awful right now.

New York Post Story
Edmonton Sun Story
Montreal Gazette Allergies

Health & Wellness

Saddam went back to court today, was defiant, and the proceedings were delayed until next Monday. Between his first visit to the special courtroom and today, they have painted the “playpen” that Saddam sits in. It’s now painted brown. It used to be white. Any thoughts on why?
	Saddam complained about having to walk up four flights of stairs in shackles and under foriegn guard. He tried to take control of the courtroom. The delays were a result of the defense team needing to replace two deceased attorneys and one who fled the country. The judge agreed to give them a week. (source)

Law

The Carnival of True Civil Liberties is being held this week at Gribbit’s Word.

We will be hosting the Carnival next Monday, December 5, 2005.

It’s okay Jay, really.

ACLU

Today we’ll be going to my sister’s house for the family Thanksgiving gathering. Because there are so many people there (and because it’s at someone else’s house) there won’t be any leftovers. My personal tradition is to cook a “Leftover Thanksgiving Dinner” on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Today, my sister will do the cooking, tomorrow it will be me.

mmmmm skin…..

We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;
he chastens and hastens his will to make known;
the wicked oppressing now cease from distressing:
sing praise to his Name, he forgets not his own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
ordaining, maintaining his kingdom divine;
so from the beginning the fight we were winning:
thou, Lord, wast at our side: all glory be thine!

We all do extol thee, thou leader triumphant,
and pray that thou still our defender wilt be.
Let thy congregation escape tribulation:
thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!

Words: Nederlandtsche Gedenckclanck, 1626;
trans. Theodore Baker, 1894.

Music: Kremser

Family & Friends

Voting for Spades is over, the top vote-getters are as follows:

Raw vote totals, without bonuses:

255 — Regime Change Iran — 20%
174 — Anti Idiotarian Rottweiler — 14%
159 — Babalublog — 13%
79 — Jihadwatch — 6%
69 — Resistance is Futile — 6%
65 — The Queen of All Evil — 5%
52 — Stop the ACLU — 4%
46 — Riding Sun — 4%
39 — Little Green Footballs — 3%
32 — A Nation of Riflemen — 3%
28 — Peace Like A River — 2%
19 — The Middle Ground — 2%

We garnered 3 votes (but as we said before, it is an honor just to be nominated)

Final Hearts standings:

Michelle Malkin –Ace of Hearts
The Anchoress –Queen of Hearts
Atlas Shrugs — 10 of Hearts
SarahK — 9 of Hearts
Lorie Byrd — 8 of Hearts
Ann Althouse — 7 of Hearts
Soldier’s Angel — 6 of Hearts
SondraK — 5 of Hearts
Sister Toldjah — 4 of Hearts
Blonde Sagacity — 3 of Hearts
Karol at Alarming News — 2 of Hearts

The Jack and King of Hearts have been reserved for male bloggers and the voting for them will be later.

Congratulations Ladies!

The Carnival of True Civil Liberties is up at Stop the ACLU.

We will be hosting the next Carnival of True Civil Liberties, here, Monday, November 28, 2005.

The deadline for submissions is 9 pm (EST), Friday, November 25, 2005.

You can use the Carnival Submission Form at Conservative Cat.

The voting is open for Spades in Aaron’s Deck O’ Bloggers and we’ve been nominated for a place in the deck.

Vote here!

And, we must say, it is an honor just to be nominated!

Imagine a football game where team X is up 28-3 against team Y in the fourth quarter. While team Y makes an occasional good tackle or decent block now and again, team X is pretty much dominating all aspects of the game.

Now imagine if this is an away game so you can only watch it on TV, and the station that’s airing the game does not show it in its entirety. You are never told what the score is, and only those occasional good tackles or decent blocks of team Y are aired. Team X’s scoring drives or other good plays are never shown.

I guess you would think team X was losing.

Update: It may be hard to avoid coverage of team Y’s starting quarterback getting taken out of the game (ok I have to interrupt the metaphor to let you know that I’m talking about reports that Al-Zarqawi may have been killed in the assault referred to above.)

Jeanette answers the question For Those Who Don’t Know Why.

Go read it. You will not be sorry.