Oops on the typo – ever hear of one of those?

Halle – fucking – lujah!

Merry Xmas, eh? Never saw that one before… Today, moron!

Speaking of rabbits, Who pulled you out of your hole?

And “rabbit” has two ‘b’s’ — like bubblebrain.

“I merely said that it seemed to me that he didn t give a shit, and I didn t ask him to defend a position I wasn t sure was his.”

It seemed to you that he didn’t give a shit. And you arrived at this conclusion based on what? The fact that he said “Happy Thanksgiving.” Kind of slim evidence isn’t it? Then you called him wimpy. Do you feel the same way about Heldey? All he said was “Happy Thanksgiving to all.” Is Hedley a wimp, too?

“Once again, you seem to believe that what you believe is somehow factual, rather than an opinion.”

But Frank, that’s not what I did. I merely pointed out that you were applying your own opinion of what constitutes a sincere holiday wish to others — and in a rather selective manner I might add since you failed to include Hedley in your little scolding. According to you, anyone who simply says “Happy Thanksgiving” is some how being insincere, especially compared to you and other bloggers you read.

“… then why should it be any business of yours whether or not I call Oliver ‘Wimpy’ ”

But why on earth should it be any of your business in the first place how anyone anywhere choose to celebrate a certain holiday?

“It seems to disturb you so, because you are unable to do it properly.”

But Frank, pray tell, how can I do it properly? I come to seeking guidance.
All these years I have been wondering in the darkness greeting people with mere “Merry Christmases” and “Happy Birthdays.” I shudder to think that I have offended so many people with my callous indifference to their cheer. I mean think of all those birthday cards and christmas cards I have sent that just said “Happy Birthday” or “Merry Christmas.” My goodness, do you think Hallmark knows about the deficiencies of these horribly insincere phrases? Frank, quick, write a letter, call your Congressperson, Hallmark must be stopped before thousands of innocent people express their well wishes to others in such an insincere and unthinking fashion.

It doesn’t violate anything, junior. You and about half a dozen other people on these threads not only pretend to know what I’m thinking, but you draw inferences from those telepathic readings, and expect me to defend them. I merely said that it seemed to me that he didn’t give a shit, and I didn’t ask him to defend a position I wasn’t sure was his.

Given colloquialisms being what they are, I fail to see the difference.

Once again, you seem to believe that what you believe is somehow factual, rather than an opinion. I would say, “I say poh – tay – toh”, and you say “‘Solanum tuberosum’ is a perennial plant of the Solanaceae, or nightshade, family, grown for its starchy tuber. Potatoes form the world’s most important non-cereal crop, and grow world-wide. Growers cultivate thousands of different varieties of potato.”

I “assumed that when you say ‘Happy Thanksgiving’ you don t really mean it.” with good reason. You reserved to yourself the right to be bitter and ungrateful, and you claimed that you said “Happy Thansgiving” to complete strangers.

Finally, if I choose to believe that a person should participate in Thanksgiving beyond consuming copious amounts of turkey, and watching helmeted men in tight pants run up and down a field with an oblong spheroid in their hands, then why should it be any business of yours whether or not I call Oliver “Wimpy”, because he did not, of all the bloggers I read who even alluded to Thanksgiving, mention one thing to be grateful for?

Merry Christmas
Happy Hanukkah
Happy New Year
Happy Birthday
Happy Anniversary
Happy Easter
Happy St. Patrick s Day
Have a nice day

This response is directly aimed at you. You are hereby exempt from having to utter these greetings to anyone again, for as long as you live. It seems to disturb you so, because you are unable to do it properly.

Merry Christmas
Happy Hanukkah
Happy New Year
Happy Birthday
Happy Anniversary
Happy Easter
Happy St. Patrick’s Day
Have a nice day

Your answers to my first question are revealing. You say you don’t know if Oliver is thankful or not for someone or something. So you indeed violated your own standards of honest debate as you have to have engaged in a lot of mind reading yourself to arrive at this answer: “It tells me that he doesn t really give a shit, and I suspect he doesn t.”

Same with your answer to my second question. You seem to have unilaterally decided that “Happy Thanksgiving” is an inadequate greeting or well wish and then decided that it is appropriate to apply your personal standards of sincerity to Oliver and now myself. Indeed, you have assumed that when I say “Happy Thanksgiving” I don’t really mean it. You assert that I should have instead said “Have a nice thanksgiving” or “Have a good thanksgiving” as evidence of my true sincerity. Given colloquialisms being what they are, I fail to see the difference.

Finally, if none of us are under any obligation to say anything more than Happy Thanksgiving when we mean for someone to have a Happy Thanksgiving what business is it of yours to come around and scold Oliver for not saying more?

2. No. Maybe you shouldn’t have said it at all, if it means about as much to you as Arbor Day or Groundhog Day. At least I wished that people would have a nice Thanksgiving or a good Thanksgiving.

3. None.

1. It tells me that he doesn’t really give a shit, and I suspect he doesn’t.

Any more questions, kid? I thought you were done.

1. But how do you know he isn’t thankful to/for something/someone?

2. I must have said Happy Thanksgiving a dozen times last week, at the grocery store, at my friend’s houses, as a greeting to a total stranger. Was I remiss or should I have cornered them all and explained to them what I was thankful for before going on my way?

3. Under what obligation is Oliver or I or anyone required to say more than Happy Thanksgiving when all one wants to express is a well wish or greeting?

1. Does Oliver saying “Happy Thanksgiving” and only “Happy Thanksgiving” tell you that he isn’t thankful to/for someone/something?

You think Oliver should have been explicitly thankful to something or someone after he wrote “Happy Thanksgiving.” Do I understand this much of your point correctly?

Always ready with the intellectual riposte, eh, frame?

bryan, it has to do with a personal quirk of mine — I’ve never liked people accusing me of things I didn’t do, or putting words in my mouth. Put ‘em together, and I see red.