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.

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.

Better add The Fox News Shop to that Christmas Enemies List, immediately.

UPDATE: Screen shots from website here.

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Field reports from the White House and RNC fronts.

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One could devote a full-time blog to the "no-spin" fantasy land of Bill O'Reilly. But this sound clip very succinctly illustrates how he's becoming unhinged.

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Male passengers on New Zealand Airlines now know what it feels like to be viewed as a criminal suspect.

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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.

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"There's a part of me that likes this."

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This is certainly a more useful gift to troops than membership in the Limbaugh dittohead propaganda club.

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One of my college dorm suite mates has started a blog.

Judging from his first few posts, you wouldn't think we received the same degree from the same school--his musing are much deeper than mine. But we did.

Welcome to the blogosphere, JD.

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If Knoxville really wanted to get serious about its air quality, we'd see convoys of these rolling around town.

I wonder what the cruising speed for one of those rigs is?

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Only in today's White House would a man with the following on his resume be charged with being inclined to "surrender to the terrorists."

Military Service Awards:

Distinguished Service Medal of the United States Marine Corps, upon his retirement from the Marine Corps Reserves for 37 years of distinguished service to his country, 1990.

Distinguished Service Medal, Pennsylvania's highest honor, 1977.

Meritorious Service Medal, Pennsylvania's second-highest honor, 1976.

Bronze Star with Combat V, 1966.

Purple Heart, 1966.

Purple Heart, second award, 1966.

Vietnamese Cross of Galantry, 1966.

American Spirit Honor Medal of the Marine Corps Recruit Department, 1952.

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Yesterday I made my first visit to the Chattanooga Convention Center. It's a large, vacuous facility, not unlike the Knoxville Convention Center.

My question: is there enough convention space demand to support two such facilities 100 miles apart in the Tennessee Valley?

If this is any indication, the answer is no. Surely, the Knoxville Convention Center has more going on than that, doesn't it?

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Senator Chuck Hagel:

"To question your government is not unpatriotic -- to not question your government is unpatriotic."

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Oh my:

When asked in the new poll if they trust Bush more than they had Clinton, 48 percent of respondents said they trusted Bush less, while 36 percent said they trusted him more and 15 percent said they trusted Bush the same as Clinton.

For the first time, more than half of the public thinks Bush is not honest and trustworthy -- 52 percent to 46 percent.

Sadly, Iraq is now the semen stain upon America.

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Outbreaks of bird flu, including some cases in humans continue to be discovered in Asia. And more worrisome, researchers report it has undergone mutations.

If avian flu get out of control, and there's not vaccine readily available, you might want to try sauerkraut.

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I was out of town last weekend and missed it, but here's a brief report and a few pictures from the Neighborhood Bike Ride. Looks like over 300 people had fun pedaling about Knoxville.

It was a great morning for riding. I had a ride of my own from a cabin at an undisclosed location near Pigeon Forge to Townsend and back--a forty-one mile round trip. It was my first time riding in Wears Valley. It's a nice route--a relatively flat road crossing the valley between two foothill ridges bordering Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The only drawback is that there's no shoulder and the weekend-leaf-color-changing traffic was a bit of an issue. Fortunately, most drivers were traveling at a leisurely pace and no one tried to run me off the road. I'd like to do it again when there are less vehicles to contend with.

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I was out of town last weekend and missed it, but here's a brief report and a few pictures from the Neighborhood Bike Ride. Looks like over 300 people had fun pedaling about Knoxville.

It was a great morning for riding. I had a ride of my own from a cabin at an undisclosed location near Pigeon Forge to Townsend and back--a forty-one mile round trip. It was my first time riding in Wears Valley. It's a nice route--a relatively flat road crossing the valley between two foothill ridges bordering Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The only drawback is that there's no shoulder and the weekend-leaf-color-changing traffic was a bit of an issue. Fortunately, most drivers were traveling at a leisurely pace and no one tried to run me off the road. I'd like to do it again when there are less vehicles to contend with.

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Approximately two million Americans served in World War I. These are the original Veteran's Day vets. Although no one knows the exact number, the VA estimates that only between 30 and 50 of them are still alive.

More interesting information from the link:

Estimated number of war-era veterans, including those outside of war zones, in civilian life as of September 30, 2005:

World War I: fewer than 50.
World War II: 3.526 million.
Korean War: 3.257 million.
Vietnam War: 8.055 million.
Desert Shield/Storm (theater only): 615,000.
Iraq/Afghanistan (theater only): 433,000.

Other wars and the ages of their last veterans the year they died: the War of 1812, 105, 1905; the Indian Wars, 101, 1973; the Mexican War, 98, 1929; the Civil War, 112, 1958; and the Spanish-American War, 106, 1992.

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I see our leader is commemorating the service of veterans by stumping for the flag-burning amendment and his war in Iraq.

The fact that Bush is still trying to convince America this war is justified two and a half years after it started pretty much tells you all you need to know regarding whether it or not it was warranted.

Posted by Brian at 12:24 PM | Permalink

I received a brochure in the mail from Harold Ford, Jr. for Tennessee, which includes "A new Covenant with Tennesseans." I found the first point a bit curious:

Pass a constitutional amendment to balance the budget and simplify our tax code so deficits and taxes will come down, investments in education, new jobs and technologies will go up and Tennesseans can start working and earning more.

Seems an odd choice to me as the first point to make in a "covenant" with voters.

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I'm not going to pretend I know much about politics in Great Britain. Nor am I offering an opinion on the merits of the plan which the House of Commons voted down.

But to the extent this indicates an ending of the era where legislators grant the executive a blank check of governmental power anytime he shouts "terror!", I think it's a welcome sign.

In a similar vein, Congress appears to be poised to rescind some of the federal surveillance and search powers it authorized under the USA Patriot Act in 2001.

Good.

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Say Uncle asks if red light cameras are about revenue or safety.

Given that the research on safety is mixed, I think it must be about revenue, since it seems the main people pushing these devices are those who stand to financially profit from them.

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I wonder if he knows how much a gallon of milk costs:

On the November 4 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Rush Limbaugh falsely claimed that the price of gasoline was $1.29 per gallon in April 2005. During a segment in which he lamented the current popular discontent over high gasoline prices, Limbaugh stated, "Gasoline price goes up, it comes down. ... It was $1.29. When was it $1.29? Seven months ago." But according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the national average price of regular conventional-formulation gasoline was $2.20 per gallon on April 4. The last time the national average gasoline price was $1.29 or below was March 18, 2002.

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Presidential job approval ratings:

Bush (now):

Approve 35%
Disapprove 57%

Clinton (Nov/1997):

Approve 57%
Disapprove 31%

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