November 2005

There were 22 posts published in November 2005 (this is page 1 of 4).

War On Christmas: FNC Front

Bill O’Reilly and company at Fox News Channel have been have been firing on all cylinders recently trying to push their current wedge issue: the secularists’ assault on Christmas. A commonly-cited example of this so-called attack is how many retail stores greet customers with “Happy Holidays” rather than “Merry Christmas.” In fact, on Tuesday Mr. O’Reilly had this advice to retailers:

Every company in America should be on its knees thanking Jesus for being born. Without Christmas, most American businesses would be far less profitable. More than enough reason for business to be screaming Merry Christmas.

Apparently, business guru O’Reilly needs to shout his message a wee bit louder. As Keith Olbermann pointed out tonight, if you go to The Fox News Shop, among other items in the “Holiday Collection,” you can select the following:

Holiday Ideas
The O’Reilly Factor Holiday Ornament – Product #:FOX21001200
Put your holiday tree in “The No Spin Zone” with this silver glass “O’Reilly Factor” ornament.

“Holiday Ideas”? “A holiday tree”? Oh, the humanity–the secularists have secured a beachhead at the Fox News website!
Better add The Fox News Shop to that Christmas Enemies List, immediately.
UPDATE: Screen shots from website here.

Auto Brakes

Coming soon to an automobile near you:

But Transport Canada is road-testing cutting-edge devices that use global positioning satellite technology and a digital speed-limit map to know when a driver is speeding, and to try to make them stop.
When a driver hits a certain percentage above the posted speed limit, the device kicks in and makes it difficult to press the accelerator.
While the idea appeals to some road-safety experts, even the researcher in charge of the project admits many drivers — some of whom have shown fierce resistance to photo-radar and red-light cameras — may balk at the science-fiction scenario of a machine forcing them to apply the brakes.
“We are trying to assess the operational acceptance issues,” said Peter Burns, chief of ergonomics and crash avoidance with Transport Canada’s road safety directorate.

“Operational acceptance issues”–that’s a cute way of saying we’ll need to see a culture shift for these to be accepted. I’m a relatively “slow” driver, and even I’m not too keen on the concept.