[In answer to the question of whether it is appropriate for an atheist to celebrate Christmas:]
Yes, of course. A national holiday, in this country, cannot have an exclusively religious meaning. The secular meaning of the Christmas holiday is wider than the tenets of any particular religion: it is good will toward men—a frame of mind which is not the exclusive property (though it is supposed to be part, but is a largely unobserved part) of the Christian religion.
The charming aspect of Christmas is the fact that it expresses good will in a cheerful, happy, benevolent, non-sacrificial way. One says: “Merry Christmas”—not “Weep and Repent.” And the good will is expressed in a material, earthlyform—by giving presents to one’s friends, or by sending them cards in token of remembrance . . . .
The best aspect of Christmas is the aspect usually decried by the mystics: the fact that Christmas has been commercialized. The gift-buying . . . stimulates an enormous outpouring of ingenuity in the creation of products devoted to a single purpose: to give men pleasure. And the street decorations put up by department stores and other institutions—the Christmas trees, the winking lights, the glittering colors—provide the city with a spectacular display, which only “commercial greed” could afford to give us. One would have to be terribly depressed to resist the wonderful gaiety of that spectacle.
Here's to a delightful holiday season and, now, on with the round up:
C.W. presents Current Decline in the Availability of Pharmaceuticals posted at Krazy Economy, saying, "We can see the impact of government controlled medicine today in the European problems in paying for drugs. It is a big deal in several countries and is getting worse. There are some similar problems in the U.S. It could spread."
Joseph Kellard presents Newspaper Story Reunites POWs posted at The American Individualist, saying, "A story I wrote in 2003 about two World War II POWs that reunited after one veteran read a story about a fellow vet and recalled meeting him in a German prison camp 58 years earlier."
Ross England presents I Won!/Read Atlas Shrugged! posted at Think Twice, saying, "I post a link to my winning entry in ARI's Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest, and I encourage my readers to read Atlas Shrugged."
Diana Hsieh presents Winter Dogs Will Wrestle posted at NoodleFood, saying, "Our crazy dogs wrestle and play in the snow! It happens many times each day, but I can't help but smile whenever I see it."
Edward Cline presents Portrait of a Police State posted at The Rule of Reason, saying, "The chief thrust of this article is that none of this would occur, or even be thought "necessary," if we had eliminated states that sponsor terrorism after 9/11. But when one reads the text of Senate Bill 1867, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), one gets the impression that many in positions of power and influence, particularly Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona and Democrat Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, have a vested interest in sustaining an indefinite "war" against terrorism."
Ari Armstrong presents My Year In Review posted at Free Colorado, saying, "Reviews my year's work writing articles, posting videos, and more."
Gene Palmisano presents Misnomer of the Day « The Metaphysical Lunch posted at The Metaphysical Lunch, saying, "Defending freedom one blog at a time."
Blazing Truth presents Financing of Public Goods in a Free Market Society posted at Blazing Truth, saying, "Who says Public Goods can't be financed without taxes? Here's 15 ways to fund roads and healthcare without forced coercion from the State. Let's be more imaginative."
Santiago and Kelly Valenzuela presents New Startup Hopes to House Immigrants in International Waters posted at Mother of Exiles, saying, "A new startup company plans to house immigrant labor just offshore in international waters. It's a wonderful idea, but a sad necessity."
Rachel Miner presents Naked's Not News:Take Two posted at The Playful Spirit, saying, "This is an update on how being naked around my kiddo is changing as he grows."
Atul Kapur presents The Certainty in Quantum Physics posted at Wit Lab, saying, "In layman terms, I explain why rather than being a refutation of factual knowledge, quantum physics is a testament to the fact that knowledge is possible, and can be obtained with certainty."
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