Slashdot Mirror
Does Santa Hate Linux?
beernutmark writes "Well, it looks like Santa or at least Norad/Google hates Linux. This year, for the first time since its inception, Norad is not making a simple .kml file available for download to track Santa. You must connect to their website with a Windows/Mac browser and use the browser plugin. No full-screen Google Earth to look at the beautiful areas around Santa's path. (Anyone have any open source source kml files for tracking Santa or any idea how we can go about making one for 2010?)"
Of course Santa hates Linux. I mean, think about it, he's Mr. Materialism. Santa is all about shopping malls. It's that smart rabbi, that Jesus guy, who talked about sharing with others as a path to happiness, not Santa. Santa's heart belongs to Microsoft.
Professor Knuth is a Christian (see his 3:16), and I suspect he's smart enough to be on slashdot.
i think your the one lacking any kind of perspective son.
If you mod me down, I will become more powerful than you can imagine....
Perhaps he lets his prophet speak for him. He's funny that way.
I'm an atheist too, but I celebrate Christmas. Why? Because I suspect that, like a lot of myths, the story of Jesus started with a grain of truth. I figure he was probably a Jewish rabble-rouser who went around preaching a philosophy of pacifism - a dangerous thing to do in an empire whose wealth and power was based almost entire on continuous military expansion. So, he caught the attention of the emperor, was executed, and as with many martyrs, his tale grew in the telling.
But, ignoring all of the supernatural mythology that found its way into his story over time, I have a ton of respect for him as a philosopher. His "turn the other cheek" for instance, shows that he understood the cyclical nature of violence far better than most people at that time - he understood that the cycle doesn't end until someone has the strength of character to take the last blow without retaliating.
So, I celebrate his birthday, for pretty much the same reason I celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. Not because I believe all that stuff about him being the son of god, or dying to save our souls, but simply because I respect the man and what he taught.
Ok you don't get it,
For a kid below the age of about 7 the world is a magical place and santa is a part of that wonder so is flying raindeer and elves.
The world for most of us is a much more mundane place even with Christianity wedging itself into our magical festival theres not much belief in elves or flying raindeer for the Christians.
It's not really christian.
It's a time for being nice to each other and if magic is real isn't that fantastic isn't the world better for magic? now tell me why you want to suck that joy out of your childrens lives?
now you can be cynical and see it all as a waste of money and exploitation of your wallet but really the look of happiness as your kids unwrap their presents, well worth it.
There is plenty of time for the drudgery that most of us live with
the worlds better with santa, and a little magic
Blarney Quality Restaurant, Plants