Chief Charlo Elementary parents to MCPS: Holiday program too religious

Christmas in Church - HUMAN EVENTS

Americans by 2:1 Margin Prefer 'Merry Christmas' to 'Happy Holidays'

Do you have any idea what a partridge in a pair tree costs these days?

PNC CHRISTMAS PRICE INDEX ON TRACK WITH ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Consumer Reports Poll: Fewer Consumers Expect A Jolly 2011 Holiday Shopping Season

Christmas decorations on display before Halloween?

A new website urges readers to fight back against retailers who put out Christmas decorations early.

"It seems that every year retailers put out Christmas decorations earlier and earlier, sometimes in the middle of summer," said Meghann Marco, executive editor of Consumerist.com. "We've created the 'Christmas Creep' as a device for consumers to stand up to retailers and take back summer, fall and all the holidays within these seasons."

Readers can an submit photos of their "Christmas Creep" by emailing tips@consumerist.com or at http://consumerist.com/tips. Readers can also submit photos and tips to the editors through the Consumerist Tipster app for iPhone available free on iTunes.

Consumerist.com Unveils Its 'Christmas Creep'

Terrific post at the always amusing DotPenn blog setting the record straight about Ebenezer Scrooge's political affiliation.

From "Eleven Reasons Why Scrooge Is A Progressive" --

Ebenezer Scrooge, or just Scrooge, has often been portrayed as a miserly Conservative.

However, a closer examination of the skinflint character from Charles Dickens's Christmas classic, A Christmas Carol, reveals that, on the contrary, Scrooge is a progressive.

Here are eleven reasons why Scrooge is a progressive.

1) Scrooge relies on government programs to handle poverty.

And the Union workhouses demanded Scrooge Are they still in operation? The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full then? said Scrooge.

2.) He ignores private charities as the most effective way to help people in need.

I help to support the establishments I have mentioned they cost enough and those who are badly off must go there.

3.) Scrooge, an environmental progressive, refuses to allow his staff members to burn coal.

Scrooge had a very small fire but the clerk's fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal. But he couldn't replenish it for Scrooge kept the coal box in his own room and so surely as the clerk came in with the shovel the master predicted that it would be necessary for them to part.

4.) Apparently uses energy-saving florescent bulbs instead of incandescent light bulbs.

Darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it.

5.) Afraid his majority cultural lens will drown out alternative voices, Scrooge made sure he never said "Merry Christmas." Prefers the more politically-correct "Bah Humbug."

Read the full post at DotPenn