From: Chaz Stevens [Email him]

Subject: Unauthorized Use of Copyrighted Photograph(s). Reference Number 201401 • 007

You are in violation of the Federal Copyright Act and are now exposed to significant monetary damages.

James Fulford writes: Last December we reproduced a picture of a Festivus pole placed agressively close to a manger as a sign of contempt for Christmas. This was part of a story from a Florida newspaper:

A Festivus Pole Arises Next to Jesus' Manger in Deerfield Beach, By Chris Sweeney, Broward Palm Beach New Times, Thursday, Dec 13 2012 Out in Deerfield Beach, on a piece of government-owned property, an eight-foot, five-inch-tall tower of beer cans looms over baby Jesus in his manger. No, it isn't a rogue Art Basel installation that crossed the county line. It's Chaz Stevens' heartfelt salute to the holiday season.

Since the end of November, Stevens — a 48-year-old self-proclaimed attention whore and "rabid atheist" whom New Times deemed "Gadfly of the Year" in 2010 — has been girding for battle with the Deerfield Beach City Commission over holiday decorations.[More]

I note that the picture, still available at the New Times site, does say "Courtesy Chaz Stevens" so he took it himself, and presumably gave it to the New Times as publicity for his anti-Christmas "attention whore" campaign.

But he does own it, and our conception of "fair use" includes a willingness to take anything like that down if asked. The picture has been removed from the letter War On Christmas Competition: A Reader Reports A Festivus Pole In Florida, Carefully Placed Next To The Manger. 

Steven's own website, myactsofsedition.com, [Language warning] says that it's the "Official website for the Pabst Blue Ribbon Festivus Pole" and boasts that his "attention whore" campaign has got him on "The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, Fox News, and hundreds of national media outlets, and several international newspapers"...and now he's appearing on VDARE.com for the second time—well done!

Stevens also says that "Jon Stewart of the Daily Show referred to me as the 'Patton General of the War on Christmas.' Bill O’Reilly of Fox News called me a 'nitwit.'"

We won't argue with these respectable mainstream journalists. Perhaps it takes one to know one—in both cases.