'Naughty List' of anti-Christmas retailers released

The American Family Association (AFA) has released their annual “Naughty or Nice” list of American retailers, recognizing those retailers who censor or refuse to use the word “Christmas” in their stores, as well as those retailers who embrace the word in defiance of political correctness.

The term “War on Christmas” is nothing new, as every year, many try to sterilize the holiday season of any traditional religious reference, including the use of the word “Christmas.” To fight this tide of political correctness gone amok, AFA is singling out those businesses who won’t acknowledge “Christmas” in favor of phrases like “Happy Holidays,” even while using the Christmas season to make money.

"Naughty List"
It takes some effort to make the “Naughty” list, which is well-publicized. Companies on the list have been fully reviewed and researched, and those companies who do not use the word “Christmas” in their advertising, website, and store displays make the list. Most of the companies have been featured before and are aware that AFA is monitoring their approach to Christmas. Among the companies who made this year's “naughty” list are:

Is Android the official smartphone of gay marriage?

Google's line of Android devices, including smartphones and tablets, are the most popular mobile devices in the world, eclipsing both Windows mobile devices and iOS devices like iPhone. The success of Android is due to providing a product that consumers like and trust, but many of those same consumers might be irked by new Android commercials that decide to weigh in on a controversial social issue.

A series of new Android commercials feature quick shots of different slices of American life, but in-between the shots of traditional America are scenes showing and supporting gay marriage. In one commercial, titled "And You," which has been widely shown on television, one man is shown proposing to another man. In another commercial, titled "Be Together.  Not The Same," two men are shown kissing in a gay wedding ceremony. The commercial the gay marriage segment is used in explains that the world moves forward when people make brave decisions, and the gay marriage scene is coupled with a shot of Martin Luther King speaking and leading a protest march.

While Android obviously has the right to use whatever content they want in their commercials, to take a stand on such a contentious issue while promoting electronic devices makes little sense. It should be noted that this is not merely a company featuring gay Americans in their advertising. This is a company promoting gay marriage, an issue that divides most Americans, mostly on religious grounds, and is still not legal in many states. With recent reports of business owners being fined or threatened with jail time for refusing to participate in gay marriages, many feel such heavy-handed advocacy on an issue most consumers disagree on has no place in a commercial for smartphones and electronic devices.

Do you think Android devices should be used to promote gay marriage, or should consumer advertising stay out of controversial issues? Feel free to comment below.
  

Kim Kardashian marks Veteran's Day by tweeting her bare butt

It would seem the narcissism of Kim Kardashian knows no bounds. The woman famous for being famous (and a few X-rated activities) marked Veteran’s Day a little different than most Americans. While many of us took to social media to thank friends, family, and complete strangers for their military service and sacrifice, the completely oblivious Mrs. Kanye West shared a photo of her bare butt and asked fans to “break the internet” with it.

Kardashian didn’t acknowledge Veteran’s Day on Tuesday at all, but did find the time to promote a new pictorial and article about her in Paper Magazine. As part of that promotion, she tweeted a link to a picture from the pictorial showing her heavily-oiled bare butt with the hashtag #breaktheinternet. She also tweeted about one of the other pictures in the pictorial (in which she balanced a champagne glass on her butt) by saying “and they say I didn’t have a talent...LOL.” The pictorial in Paper Magazine also features Kardashian, who has a one-year-old daughter, posing fully nude.