My very best wishes to all our readers for a very happy New Year.
By way of clarification, the reference ‘New Year’ is based upon the standard, current, accepted Western Calendar which is not to say that the Western Calendar is in any way preferable or superior to any other form of Calendar be it religious, cultural, historical, scientific or regional and which may or may not be recognised by any other person, group of persons, organisation or self-defining community based either in a particular jurisdiction or transnational.
Please note that this greeting in no way implies any judgement against any other days which may or may not be recognised by any other party as marking the beginning of a new year or any implication that any such recognition, and any celebratory rituals that may or may accompany such recognition is, in any way, less valid or worthy of respect.
Furthermore, the extension of best wishes does not imply any obligation of acceptance or reciprocity in any form from any person or persons or other parties who do not recognise the standard new year or who do not recognise or celebrate the turning of any year (howsoever defined) or who may recognise (whether officially or informally) either the standard new year or any substantially similar event without the need for good wishes or by means of the customary extension of other greetings or forms of accepted social coda.
Finally, the use of the term ‘happy’ refers merely to a state of emotional being that may or may not be transient and acceptance of the best wishes does not imply any requirement on the part of the acceptee to be either in a state of happiness or arrange their affairs in such a way as to induce a state of happiness either in whole or in part. Nor does use of the term ‘happy’ imply that any alternative or different state of emotional being or emotional response is any less valid and the use of the term ‘happy’ (whether accepted with best wishes or not) should not be construed as any declaration that happiness is either a superior or desirable state of mind.
Thank you.
Aha! Gotcha! Readers! Why only readers, in fact why only your readers? Aren’t there many people who don’t read your blog and aren’t there, in fact, many unfortunate souls who don’t or can’t read at all? And don’t they deserve well wishing as well? You clearly discriminate on the basis of readership and literacy! Sir, I put it to you that you are a readerist and a litetaretist. Shame on you!
And your arrogant assumption that your readers can read English (the language of global oppression) marks you out as a linguicist, to boot.
I find it pretty nifty myself that a “New Year” is just to mark our Earth’s passage past a certain point in its orbit, nothing more, nothing less. Kinda arbitrary when you think of it. Why that particular point? Why not another few degrees forward? Or back?
When did that particular point in space in the Earth’s orbit got designated as 1st January? Just because of the seasons? Who made the decision?
But hey, who cares? Happy New Year, folks!
TWG
I accept your terms as a start for negotiations. Best wishes on same conditions.
Dear Mr Carr
I did not request from you
but I wish to put you on notice that I have now formally accepted your offer.
I consequently hold you responsible for any shortfall in my happiness over the aforesaid period.
To avoid unnecessary costs should this be necessary arbitration is my preferred method of settlement.
You may wish to take advantage of my company’s Personal Insurance Liability cover. It is tailored to meet your precise liability having the advantage that it can be taken out after a risk has been incurred.
It will not of course cover other contracts of benevolence you have entered into with other parties on Samizdata and any obligations created by your post’s further dissemination in whatever form.
I would advise you to seek legal advice on this. I am not qualified to offer such advice and do not hold myself out as being able to do so.
Yours sincerely (without prejudice)
Gerald Hartup
I feel violated at your arrogant, patronizing act of wishing me a new year without asking ahead of time whether I wished such wishes from you.
If you celebrate Christmas in Britain according to the Orthodox calendar, you can get all the stuff at colossal discounts in the sales!
But how about the millions of other life forms that may or may not be living on this planet or other planets? I strongly deplore this tendency to view things from the perspective of a particular localized species.
Nevertheless, I wish you a very happy year 2005
Dear Mr Carr:
Frankly, I find your forcing “good wishes” on people who may have no wish to receive them, especially women, who are often unable to beat off uninvited good wishes without specialised training, arrogant and patronising. As a self-directed woman who is perfectly able to create her own “good wishes” if she wants any, I found your post paternalistic, humiliating and in violation of my human rights as defined under the EU Human Rights Act.
I will therefore be fixing an appointment with Cherie Blair, QC first thing Monday morning.
I will be fixing an appointment with Cherie Blair, QC first thing Monday morning.
I blame the Jews.
And Bush.
I blame Haliburton, not only are they behind most evils in the world but their name both starts with the same letter and has the same number of syllables as Happy New Year.
Is there any evidence that non-Samizdata readers actually exist? After all, they’re not here are they? And if they don’t exist here I really don’t see why they should be offended.
woddly guy wondered..
” Kinda arbitrary when you think of it. Why that particular point?”
suggest the date evolves from the date of the
winter soltice, where the sun would have been,
for europeans, at its lowest point in the arc. the
date has drifted over the millenia due to several
calendar changes.
Yur welcome. I think.
And an unconditionally happy New Year to you.