This entry was supposed to go up on Wednesday, but our servers ate it, apparently with a fine cheese sauce. They said it was delicious. Good for them. Stupid servers.
Anyway, it's December 2nd, the Christmas season is fully upon us, and with 23 shopping days until Christmas, I swear, I'm going to choke somebody.
I should clarify that spending time with friends and family and giving them stuff they'd like is not something I'm against. I like that. That's a lot of fun. Also eggnog, which is an ideal medium for rum. I like dressing my Shih Tzu in Christmas sweaters, because it's hilarious. I like ham. I like Harpoon Winter Warmer, known in my house as "Pie Beer". There are lots of parts to Christmas tradition I greatly enjoy.
It's this crap that drives me crazy.
- The fact that radio stations have been cranking the Christmas music since November 1st. It would bother me a lot less if this didn't mean they weren't playing the same dozen or so songs over...and over...and over again. Nor does it help that every retail establishment has "Sleigh Ride" on an endless freaking loop.
- That retail outlets have been pushing Christmas at us since before Halloween. I hate living in a world where a "Halloween tree" doesn't have angry mobs pull you from your store and run you out of town on a rail.
- The charity guilt trips. Yes, I know that there are a lot of needy people this season, and that if the charities don't lay it on thick, people could literally die. But I contribute all year round, so I've bought the right to be grouchy about it, dammit.
- The relentless "social" schedule, which is nothing more than policy-enforced "fun". In my daily life, I'm a graduate student. So far, I have been invited to five different parties, most of which center around school functions, all of which had the coded expectation that I'll show up and bring food and/or booze. No, I won't.
- Other people's crappy families. I take one look at my Facebook and remain baffled homicide and assault rates don't go through the roof Christmas morning.
- Making a Christmas list. While I greatly enjoy giving gifts to other people, and want to be able to give them the same opportunity, I actually have all the stuff I need. I'm stuck asking for gift cards, which are the lamest gift imaginable. The thought is what counts with me, but I know people hate giving gift cards.
- The utter flood of awful Christmas movies. Rankin-Bass and Charlie Brown are superb. The 87 bazillionth version of "A Christmas Carol" is not. Seriously, we've got the Alastair Sim version. That's more than enough. Well, maybe "Scrooged", but that was actually funny.
- Malls. Your average mall is a depressing, awful place on a normal day, but during Christmas it ramps up to eleven. What is it about shopping for what should be a pleasant holiday that makes people bust out the stun guns and the mace?
- Trying to actually get to the theater to see the few good Christmas movies that hit rerelease every year. OK, so this is a "major city" problem, but have you ever been to a screening of "It's a Wonderful Life"? It's a great experience, but actually getting in can involve complex political negotiations.
- The Religion Wars. It feels like every year, the kind of "atheists" and "Christians" who manage to embarrass the nice people who happen to have those views and get along quite well with each other pop up to scream on television until the New Year about putting the Christ back in Christmas, or taking the Christ out of Christmas, with a little dash of self-appointed pagans whining about how the Catholic Church stole their solstice 1500 years ago and they want all of popular culture and history to reverse itself because they're special. Nobody cares except you, OK? Go be nice to your family. That's the entire point.
>SIGH< This is why I put rum in my eggnog. A few glasses of that and all of this seems to fade away. Also the floor. Ow.
Anyway, it's December 2nd, the Christmas season is fully upon us, and with 23 shopping days until Christmas, I swear, I'm going to choke somebody.
I should clarify that spending time with friends and family and giving them stuff they'd like is not something I'm against. I like that. That's a lot of fun. Also eggnog, which is an ideal medium for rum. I like dressing my Shih Tzu in Christmas sweaters, because it's hilarious. I like ham. I like Harpoon Winter Warmer, known in my house as "Pie Beer". There are lots of parts to Christmas tradition I greatly enjoy.
It's this crap that drives me crazy.
- The fact that radio stations have been cranking the Christmas music since November 1st. It would bother me a lot less if this didn't mean they weren't playing the same dozen or so songs over...and over...and over again. Nor does it help that every retail establishment has "Sleigh Ride" on an endless freaking loop.
- That retail outlets have been pushing Christmas at us since before Halloween. I hate living in a world where a "Halloween tree" doesn't have angry mobs pull you from your store and run you out of town on a rail.
- The charity guilt trips. Yes, I know that there are a lot of needy people this season, and that if the charities don't lay it on thick, people could literally die. But I contribute all year round, so I've bought the right to be grouchy about it, dammit.
- The relentless "social" schedule, which is nothing more than policy-enforced "fun". In my daily life, I'm a graduate student. So far, I have been invited to five different parties, most of which center around school functions, all of which had the coded expectation that I'll show up and bring food and/or booze. No, I won't.
- Other people's crappy families. I take one look at my Facebook and remain baffled homicide and assault rates don't go through the roof Christmas morning.
- Making a Christmas list. While I greatly enjoy giving gifts to other people, and want to be able to give them the same opportunity, I actually have all the stuff I need. I'm stuck asking for gift cards, which are the lamest gift imaginable. The thought is what counts with me, but I know people hate giving gift cards.
- The utter flood of awful Christmas movies. Rankin-Bass and Charlie Brown are superb. The 87 bazillionth version of "A Christmas Carol" is not. Seriously, we've got the Alastair Sim version. That's more than enough. Well, maybe "Scrooged", but that was actually funny.
- Malls. Your average mall is a depressing, awful place on a normal day, but during Christmas it ramps up to eleven. What is it about shopping for what should be a pleasant holiday that makes people bust out the stun guns and the mace?
- Trying to actually get to the theater to see the few good Christmas movies that hit rerelease every year. OK, so this is a "major city" problem, but have you ever been to a screening of "It's a Wonderful Life"? It's a great experience, but actually getting in can involve complex political negotiations.
- The Religion Wars. It feels like every year, the kind of "atheists" and "Christians" who manage to embarrass the nice people who happen to have those views and get along quite well with each other pop up to scream on television until the New Year about putting the Christ back in Christmas, or taking the Christ out of Christmas, with a little dash of self-appointed pagans whining about how the Catholic Church stole their solstice 1500 years ago and they want all of popular culture and history to reverse itself because they're special. Nobody cares except you, OK? Go be nice to your family. That's the entire point.
>SIGH< This is why I put rum in my eggnog. A few glasses of that and all of this seems to fade away. Also the floor. Ow.
Jesus was said to be a Jew...., what's your point?
He doesn't have one, silky. He's a troll. Although I think he secretly enjoys my editing of his comments to make him sound like a lonely, depressed closet case.
whatshisface showed up agan?
Damn. I want my own hater!
well it is Christmas, you can ask Santa for one :p
lol I hope you guys have a merry christmas and a happy holiday