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Thread: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

  1. #316
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    ttt 4 2017!

    Hard to follow up on last year's Bill Murray sings Kung Fu Christmas, but here's a little news item to get this year's season's greetings rolling.

    China university bans Christmas to resist 'corrosion' of Western culture


    Children in Yiwu, China CREDIT: GETTY
    Neil Connor, beijing
    15 DECEMBER 2017 • 11:30AM

    AChinese university has banned Christmas in order to help young people resist the “corrosion of Western religious culture.”

    The Communist Youth League at Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, in China’s north-east, posted an online notice informing students that the ban was to help them develop their own “cultural confidence”.

    “In recent years,” the notice said. “Influenced by Western culture and individual business operations, as well as erroneous public opinions expressed on the Internet, some young people are blindly excited by Western holidays, especially religious holidays like Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.”

    The notice said that the students' union, the different student associations, and the sub branches of the youth league would not be permitted to hold Christmas-related activities.

    The ban was put in place "in order to guide the youth league members in building cultural confidence and resisting the corrosion caused by Western religious culture", it added.

    Christmas is not a national holiday in officially atheist China, and few people understand its traditional meanings or religious roots.

    However, it is becoming more popular among the wealthier families in China’s larger cities.


    A girl walks past Christmas decorations in front of an office building in Beijing CREDIT: REUTERS

    Three years ago the Modern College of North-west University, located in Xi’an, in China’s north, had also banned Christmas.

    Banners were strung up around the campus reading “Strive to be outstanding sons and daughters of China, oppose kitsch Western holidays” and “Resist the expansion of Western culture”.

    One student told the Beijing News that they would be punished if they did not attend a mandatory three-hour screening of propaganda films. Teachers apparently stood guard to stop people leaving the screenings.

    “There’s nothing we can do about it, we can’t escape,” the student told the newspaper.

    Wenzhou, a city in the wealthy eastern province of Zhejiang, has banned all Christmas activities in schools and kindergartens, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

    Some academics in China have complained about an ideological tightening since President Xi Jinping assumed leadership of the Communist Party five years ago.

    Additional reporting by Christine Wei
    Gene Ching
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  2. #317
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    Santa Vs Mrs. Claus in Real Life | Christmas Special | Flips & Kicks

    Gene Ching
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  3. #318
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    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    nice legs.

    and, stereotypical british spanking fetish.

    A+
    "George never did wake up. And, even all that talking didn't make death any easier...at least not for us. Maybe, in the end, all you can really hope for is that your last thought is a nice one...even if it's just about the taste of a nice cold beer."

    "If you find the right balance between desperation and fear you can make people believe anything"

    "Is enlightenment even possible? Or, did I drive by it like a missed exit?"

    It's simpler than you think.

    I could be completely wrong"

  4. #319
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    Kids Pitch: 'Christmas Fight' Starring Bryan Cranston




    Quote Originally Posted by Oso View Post
    nice legs.

    and, stereotypical british spanking fetish.

    A+
    Indeed. So stereotypical that BSF could be a standard abbreviation here.

    The one above isn't as sexy, but it gets Kung Fu-esque and there's a running Bruce Lee gag.
    Gene Ching
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  5. #320
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    Happy Holidays from Tiger Claw!



    Gene Ching
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  6. #321
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    7 Ways China Got Christmas Wrong

    Gene Ching
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  7. #322
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    One more until we leave this until next year...

    China forbids Christmas decorations as Xi Jinping ramps up war against religion and foreign culture
    Alexandra Ma Dec. 24, 2018, 7:21 AM


    Many local authorities have reportedly banned Christmas decorations this year. Here, a shop front in Zhangjiakou, northern China, a city in northern China, on December 22. Ng Han Guan/AP

    Many citizens and businesses around China have reportedly been forbidden to celebrate or put up decorations for Christmas this year.

    Local authorities appear to be following President Xi Jinping's burgeoning war against religion and what it considers foreign influences.

    China's Communist Party is officially atheist and is increasingly clamping down on religion to assert its dominance.

    Local authorities in China have reportedly forbidden businesses and citizens from celebrating Christmas this year, likely as part of President Xi Jinping's war against religion and foreign culture.

    Officials in at least four cities and one county have ordered restrictions on Christmas decorations, with at least ten schools asked to curtail their Christmas celebrations, The Associated Press (AP) reported on Monday.

    Like many other Asian countries, China does not officially mark Christmas a public holiday, with workers given days off on to celebrate events like Chinese New Year instead. Many Chinese businesses tend to use Christmas to encourage people to go shopping instead.

    The latest regulations on Christmas decorations appear not to be a mandate from China's central government, but a response by local governments against the Communist Party's burgeoning war against religion and foreign culture.


    Christmas isn't a public holiday in China, but many businesses use it to encourage people to go shopping. Here, a woman dressed in a Santa Claus costume takes a selfie in Beijing on December 23, 2017. Jason Lee/Reuters

    No decorations, no Christmas hats, and no sales

    Workers at a 27-story shopping and office complex in Nanyang, a city in southwestern China, dismantled their Christmas trees, lights and bells within 24 hours of government officials telling them to take down the decorations, the AP said.

    The government in Hengyang, a nearby city, said in a social media notice that anyone caught holding Christmas sales or celebrations that blocked streets would be punished, the news agency added.

    Communist Party members should reject foreign festivals and become "models of adherence to Chinese traditional culture," Hengyang's government said.

    And in Panlong district, southern China, police circulated a notice to hotels, bars, and internet cafes that said: "It is forbidden to hang Christmas stockings, wear Christmas hats, place Christmas trees, and so on."

    However, some major cities like Beijing and Shanghai are still putting up Christmas decorations, the AP noted.


    At least ten schools have been ordered to curtail their Christmas celebrations this year. Ng Han Guan/AP

    Zi Yang, a China expert at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, told the AP: "The ongoing local reaction against Christmas is part of the wider sentiment since Xi took power."

    "Therefore, foreign cultural elements such as Christmas are placed on the chopping block," he said.


    Chinese President Xi Jinping has ramped up the country's restrictions on religion. Reuters/Jason Lee

    President Xi's war on religion

    Since Xi Jinping became president in 2012, the country has ramped up its restrictions on religious symbols and what it considers elements of foreign culture in order to assert the state's dominance.

    China's Communist Party, which is officially atheist, has for decades attempted to control religion by allowing five religious organizations to exist under the state's control, including a Party-sanctioned form of Catholicism and Protestantism.

    Authorities have reportedly targeted Christians outside the state-sanctioned Catholic and Protestant groups by burning bibles, shutting down churches, and ordering people to renounce their faith.


    Authorities have reportedly burned bibles, shut down churches, and ordered people to renounce their faith. Here, an underground Catholic church in Jiexi county, China, in March 2018. Andy Wong/AP

    This year, China has told churches to inform the government of their Christmas plans, curtail their spending on holiday expenses, and forbidden minors from participating in Christmas events, the AP quoted a California-based Chinese pastor as saying.

    It's not clear whether every church in China was given the notice.

    China's state-run Global Times tabloid, meanwhile, sought to downplay China's crackdown on Christmas. In an editorial published on Sunday, it described the media response to the government bans as "sensationalized" and claimed that governments were just trying to avoid "excessive commercialization."

    Hu Xijin, the Global Times editor, also tweeted that the state-run People's Daily headquarters put up Christmas decorations, adding bizarrely: "I wonder if the New York Times has Chinese elements during the Spring Festival in its New York office."

    China is estimated to hold one of the world's largest Christian populations with more than 100 million observing the religion.
    Hope y'all had a pleasant holiday.

    Now back to training...
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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  8. #323
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    Remember when I said "One more until we leave this until next year..."

    ... I lied. Here's another. It's just too fitting to put off until next year.

    Classic Hong Kong movie character goes viral as “Chinese Santa”
    The character even has its own emoji
    by Alex Linder December 26, 2018 in News



    While many parts of the Western world were celebrating the arrival this week of Jolly Old Saint Nick, China was going wild for its own version of Santa.

    At some point during the holiday season, Chinese net users happened to notice that a classic character from a 1992 Hong Kong period comedy called the Royal Tramp bore a striking resemblance to Kris Kringle with a long white beard and red hat.



    Dubbed “Chinese Santa,” photoshopped images of the character soon started making the rounds on Weibo, turning into a viral meme.






    As well as an emoji:



    And a hot-seller on Taobao:



    Conveniently enough, the character’s name is Oboi, which is pronounced much like the English words “all buy.”



    The character was played by Elvis Tsui. On Christmas, the now 57-year-old actor got in on the fun himself, writing on his Weibo account: “The old man with the red hat and white beard brings you best wishes this Christmas.”
    Gene Ching
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  9. #324
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    Jewish Christmas



    Culture
    The Jewish Christmas. And We Don't Mean Chanukah.
    While most of America is celebrating Christmas, this is what your Jewish neighbors are doing.
    BY BROOKE FELDMAN
    NOV.03,2019 / UPDATED ON NOV.16,2019

    Every year since I can remember, I woke on Christmas morning knowing there would be no presents, nothing from Santa, not a note saying“better luck next year” or “here’s your lump of coal.” There would be no half-eaten cookies by the fireplace or milk gone from the glass. And there would be no hoof prints left from Santa’s reindeer or marks on the roof from his sleigh. No, I wouldn’t be unwrapping presents that day, and I definitely wouldn’t be eating a Christmas dinner with my family.

    Instead, I would wake up on Christmas, and it would feel like any ordinary day. Since year one, the day would consist of me, my brother, my parents, and possibly some of our friends going out to a movie at a local mall and then having a nice, long dinner at a local Chinese restaurant. Yep, Chinese food on Christmas, because as you might have guessed, I’m Jewish.

    Chinese Food? Really? Yep. You might have heard about Jewish people eating Chinese food on Christmas. Maybe it was through a joke someone told you, a popular movie or an episode of a television show, or one of the songs that went viral. Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s no joke. It’s very real, and it’s how I look forward to celebrating Christmas every year.

    Fried Rice and Popcorn. So why do we eat Chinese food on Christmas while the rest of the world eats beautifully prepared home-cooked meals? It’s simple. Chinese restaurants are pretty much the only thing open on Christmas. You might find a few other restaurants open if you really try, but the Chinese restaurants are always open, and always reliable on Christmas. Come on, how many Jewish Chinese people have you met? Because of this, it has become a tradition, not just for me, but for many Jewish families.

    But, Chinese restaurants aren’t the only thing open on Christmas. As Brandon Walker sang in his viral YouTube video, we “eat Chinese food on Christmas, [and] go to the movie theatre too.” While the malls might be closed and all the shops dark and locked up, most movie theaters stay open on Christmas. That means we have our whole day planned. It’s movies and popcorn in the morning, and Chinese food at night.

    While I’d like to take credit for Jewish people eating Chinese food on Christmas, American Jews have been doing it since the beginning. At the end of the 19th century, as Jewish and Chinese people began immigrating toAmerica, the Jewish people started eating Chinese food. During the hours that most other Americans were at church on Sundays, American Jews would be eatingChinese food. This continued on to Christmas and has been a tradition for Jewish families around America ever since.

    Oh, this isn’t a complaint or a plea for sympathy. As Christmas approaches and you’re thinking of unwrapping presents, I’m thinking of egg rolls … okay, perhaps not exactly. Merry Christmas.
    THREADS
    Chinese food
    Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
    Gene Ching
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  10. #325
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    xmas in oz

    Woman finds 10-foot python in her Christmas tree
    By Amy Woodyatt, CNN
    Updated 6:05 AM ET, Fri December 13, 2019


    Leanne Chapman was alerted to the python's presence by birds "kicking off on the balcony."

    (CNN)There are many ways to decorate a Christmas tree -- from monotone minimalism to old-school kitsch.
    But for one woman in Australia, the seasonal theme was very big snakes, when she got home to find a 10-foot python adorning her tree.
    Leanne Chapman and her partner returned to their home in Brisbane, Queensland on Thursday, and noticed a commotion on their balcony.
    "We came home from work and there's a couple of butcher birds that visit every day and they were just kicking off on the balcony, going crazy," Chapman told CNN affiliate 7News.


    The snake eventually slithered away.

    Chapman, who is originally from England, told 7News that her partner started to video the birds, and leaning on the tree -- not realizing what lay wrapped around it.
    "As he's turned around and stepped back, he didn't realise he was leaning on the Christmas tree with the snake wrapped around it," she told 7News.
    The couple left the snake alone, and later that night, it slithered away.
    "It wasn't bothered by us. It just stayed there for a good few hours as we watched it through the window," Chapman said.
    It was only when the reptile moved from its position that the couple realized how big it was.
    "It was big -- really big," Chapman said.
    "After the initial shock wore off, it was a really beautiful snake," she said.
    "It was actually quite nice to see it that close up because I've never seen anything like it before," she added.
    THREADS
    snakes
    Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
    Gene Ching
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  11. #326
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    mantis eggs on xmas trees

    I'm totally hijacking this xmas thread.

    Fact Checks
    Critter Country
    Are Praying Mantis Eggs Commonly Found on Christmas Trees?

    We'll say this: The praying mantis is not preying on humans in any way.
    DAN EVON
    PUBLISHED 11 DECEMBER 2019


    Image via Getty Images/Stock photo

    Claim
    Praying mantis eggs are commonly found on Christmas trees.

    Rating
    Mixture
    About this rating

    What's True
    Praying mantis egg cases have been found on occasion on Christmas trees.

    What's False
    However, this is not a common or dangerous problem. Christmas tree farms take precautions to prevent "harmless hitchhikers." By one estimate, only 1 in 100,000 Christmas trees has a post-harvest pest.

    Origin
    A photograph supposedly showing a praying mantis egg case on the limb of a Christmas tree is frequently shared on social media during the holiday season:



    While this picture truly shows a praying mantis egg case on a Christmas tree (it was originally posted to Facebook in December 2017), social media posts and news articles about this potential pest problem may have given readers the false impression that this was a common or dangerous occurrence.

    Chris Enroth, a horticulture educator at the University of Illinois Extension, writes that “these Christmas tree post-harvest pests (a reference to any insect, not just praying mantis eggs) are rare, occurring in 1 out of 100,000 cut trees.” Doug Hundley, a seasonal spokesperson for the National Christmas Tree Association, also told us that it is “very rare” to find a mantis egg case on a Christmas tree.

    Hundley said that Christmas Tree Farms take precautions to reduce the chances of an insect (or “harmless hitchhiker”) from making its way from the farm to the home:

    Most of these tree growers practice or utilize a pest management system called Integrated Pest Management or IPM.

    IPM is utilized in most crops now. Christmas tree production began using it about 25 years ago. IPM practices are developed by University research and taught by Extension programs so the growers can successfully manage pest populations in a smart and environmentally friendly way.

    Using IPM (farmers) scout their Christmas tree plantings regularly for pests that are interfering with the health of the trees and to prevent what we call post-harvest pests or harmless hitchhikers.

    Although we’ve found a few old anecdotes about mantis eggs being found on Christmas trees (musician Taylor Swift was tasked with finding mantis eggs at her family Christmas tree farm in her childhood), this potential pest problem really started gaining news coverage in 2017. At the time, the pest control company Safer Brand was causing a stir by claiming that “as many as 25,000 bugs can live in one tree.”

    Entomologists quickly shot down this claim. Adam Dale, assistant professor for entomology at University of Florida (UF), told MyNews13: “You are not going to have thousands of bugs in your Christmas trees.”

    Susan Haddock, an agent in pest management for the UF Agricultural Extension, added:

    “In over nine years of experience with [the UF Agricultural] Extension, I have never had a client inquiry or problem brought to my attention regarding a serious problem, or even a minor problem, related to insects on Christmas trees.”

    While there have been a few incidents over the years of people finding mantis eggs on their Christmas trees, this is not a widespread or dangerous problem.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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  12. #327
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    Best of the Season to you and yours

    It's been a tough year and we appreciate your support of our forum and MartialArtSmart.

    'Tis the season for 'falling iguanas' in South Florida
    Lauren M Johnson
    By Lauren M. Johnson, CNN

    Updated 12:50 PM ET, Wed December 23, 2020
    Cold Florida weather causing iguanas to fall from trees

    Cold Florida weather causing iguanas to fall from trees 00:49
    (CNN)The National Weather Service in Miami is calling for "falling iguanas" in its holiday forecast.

    Temperatures in South Florida are expected to drop into the 30- to 40-degree range on Christmas Day and into the weekend, creating conditions that may cause iguanas to suddenly drop out of trees, the NWS said on Twitter.
    Iguanas can't handle cold weather because they are cold blooded, so when the temperature drops below about 45 degrees their bodies go dormant. They appear to be dead, but they are not. They remain breathing with critical body functions still operating.
    This phenomenon, mixed with the species' tendency to sleep in trees, can create quite the surprise for someone in a car or walking under a tree, and since some iguanas are large -- adult males can reach 5 feet in length, and weigh up to 20 pounds -- this can be dangerous to passersby.
    The danger for the iguana comes when temperatures remain in the 40s for periods over eight hours. The invasive species is then at risk of death, especially the smaller ones.
    "The temperature threshold for when iguanas begin to go into a dormant state depends greatly on the size of the iguana," Ron Magill, communications director for Zoo Miami told CNN when the temperatures dropped in January. "Generally speaking, the larger the iguana, the more cold it can tolerate for longer periods."
    He also commented that many iguanas in South Florida have adapted to digging deep burrows, so they are insulated from the cold. Iguanas also tend to live close to large bodies of water, which can be warmer than the air temperatures, so it can help them survive short cold snaps.
    CNN's Allison Chinchar contributed to this report.
    Gene Ching
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  13. #328
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    It's the best time to cull them.
    "George never did wake up. And, even all that talking didn't make death any easier...at least not for us. Maybe, in the end, all you can really hope for is that your last thought is a nice one...even if it's just about the taste of a nice cold beer."

    "If you find the right balance between desperation and fear you can make people believe anything"

    "Is enlightenment even possible? Or, did I drive by it like a missed exit?"

    It's simpler than you think.

    I could be completely wrong"

  14. #329
    Quote Originally Posted by Oso View Post
    nice legs.

    and, stereotypical british spanking fetish.

    A+
    Owoohhh, It is indeed nice legs!

  15. #330
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    Check your xmas tree...

    Check fresh Christmas trees for any pests before trimming, or prepare for a holiday surprise
    ByGMA Team
    Thursday, November 30, 2023 11:56AM

    Christmas tree pests: Woman opens up about surprise encounter

    Although praying mantis encounters are rare, homeowners should check any fresh Christmas trees before bringing them into the home.
    As families gather to start decking the halls this holiday season, some are reminding others to check their fresh Christmas trees for any pests before trimming.

    Andrea Coward said she and her family cut down their own Christmas tree at a tree farm back in 2018 but about two weeks after they brought the tree home, they received an unexpected surprise.

    "There was all these little bugs everywhere. They were little baby praying mantises," Coward told "Good Morning America."


    Getty Images

    Coward opened up about her experience in a TikTok video posted Nov. 21, which has since gone viral with over 4.8 million views.

    "I just wanted to bring awareness to what could be in your tree," Coward said.

    Gavin Svenson, chief science officer at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, explained to "GMA" that praying mantises can hatch from eggs in a home due to the warmer temperatures inside.

    "The egg cases are tricked into believing that they had already gone through winter because [of] the warmer temperatures of the house," Svenson said. "They don't hatch right away. They develop over the course of a few weeks, and then surprise!"

    Experts like Svenson say although praying mantis encounters are rare, homeowners should check any fresh Christmas trees before bringing them into the home.

    If a praying mantis egg case is discovered, experts recommend snipping them off the tree and leaving the egg case outside.

    "If you do find a bunch of these mantises, don't worry," Svenson said. "They're not harmful. They're little, delicate, fragile little creatures."
    In-the-Spirit-of-Christmas
    Merry-Christmas-and-Happy-Holidays
    Gene Ching
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