Just taking a moment or two to share a serious pre-holidays thought:

It could be worse. Be thankful it isn't.

Every year, my family goes with members of our temple to a soup kitchen in Washington DC. We let the regular workers spend Christmas day with their families, while we busily feed over a thousand homeless people. However rough the times we are going through might be, we have nothing on them. Many are battling poverty, addiction, racism, illiteracy, handicaps and mental illness. Some individuals are fighting all of them at once.

I'm not going to get religious, or preachy, because I'm actually an atheist. But whatever your particular persuasions, try to take a little time and help somebody else in some way. If not because your religion suggests it, then just because it is a good thing that makes you feel better. You can be helpful and selfish all at the same time.

I will work at the soup kitchen on Christmas day, then do what all the other Jews and pseudo-Jews do that evening: go eat Chinese food and see a movie. When I get home, I just may drink a little absinthe. A good day for me, and a better than usual day for the people I get to help.

You are quite right Justin.

Things could be soooo much worse. I am thankful that I don't have to deal with those sorts of issues.

But still there is stress, anger, disappointment, sadness. Why do the 'holidays' have to suck so bad. My family all gets together to celebrate christmas, and everyone talks and eats and such, but it seems that underneath it really is just a wearisome ritual that everyone would much rather forego. A few precious days off of work... how nice it would be not to have so many holiday obligations. To just eat Chinese food and catch a movie!

I hear ya, Faustus.

I'm not free of annoying holiday obligations. Mine just don't fall on Christmas. I could really enjoy having a holiday season (say... Thanksgiving through January) without any obligatory functions. No forced office parties that take up my precious weekend time. No days with back to back family gatherings (hers & mine). No buying presents for people we barely know and don't even like. No budget crisis from gift buying. Not having to shove aside Salvation Army solicitors to get into the supermarket. etc., etc., etc.

Yeah, I'd love a more laid back, introspective holiday season. I'm just not holding my breath.

You're a good man Chute Head.

Moving 650+ miles away from any family
freed up the holidays to be a time to relax.
I've cut deals for decades w/everyone I
could to not waste time and money exchanging
gifts

As far as office parties, invite me, things will
be a little more, um, entertaining.
I'm really looking to the Brew Work's next week.
Free booze, cool place, lots of cool people. It will
be interesting to see where I wake up.
My guess is under one of the fermentation tanks.

Hey Justin! Your folks Mormon or Jewish?

He's a Jew:

"I'm just a Jew. . . on Christ-mas!"

Great song Kyle sang.

Temple kind of narrowed it down to only a few religions.

Happy Hanukkah! Oh wait! you're an atheist. Um. . . Happy Big Bang?

The fact that he says:



...also narrows it down.

Speaking of South Park, where can Cros get one of these shirts?

Jewish by birth, atheist by choice. Six years at a Quaker school. Four years in the Army.

It gets confusing. What did Ferris Bueller say, "I don't believe in an ism. I believe in me."?

"Jewish by birth, atheist by choice."

Me to.

I like New Year's Eve but I could do without the consumer glut and hassle of
Christmas/Hanukah

Good work,Justin.The reward to yourself and family sounds good,too.

My mom and I are going to a movie Christmas day.I say we see Gothika.Any other
suggestions?

What about lord of the ring 3???

The first 2/3rd of Gothika is good, but then it slips into the cliché What Lies Beneath territory that most modern horror goes to... save your $.

Instead, go immediately and see The Triplets of Belleville. It's a French animation that is one of the most brilliant and unique animations I've ever seen. No kidding. I'll probably see it at least 2 more times before it leaves the theater, and then buy the DVD and watch it 20 more times when that comes out.

Or you could poo poo the Holiday Spirit and go see Bad Santa.

LotR3

I'd love to, but look at what Fandango says about it:

"Sorry, this movie is not currently playing within 30 miles of your zip code."

What a let-down. I'd enjoy that flick for certain.

Cros, don't you need one with *this* logo these days?

[donning Tolkien hat]

Rings. Ring*s*

Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

3+7+9+1 = 20. 20>1.

No.

Ah. So it's just me .

Yup.

Beyond Redress?

You or me?

I prefer a little black dress.

My mom and I saw Girl With a Pearl Earring.Lovely cinematography,fair acting,so-so story.B-.

For some fantastic animation,see Fantastic Planet.Also a truly unique S.F film.

Me, of course. It's rather hard to redress US citizens, even without having to face transatlantic distances [1], and even when you're not given the treatment.

And personal charm (which does span distances as well) doesn't seem to be such an efective Chief Weapon for me .

[1] Belgium has no ICBMs, and no nukes (except for some barrels of highly radioactive waste that would only harm the local populace).

Your Mom's so fat she put on some BVD's and by the time they reached her waist they spelled out boulevard.

Your mama's so fat she jumped up in the air and got stuck.

Your mama's so fat she fell in love...and broke it

Yo mama's so fat, she has to use the driveway for an ironing board.

Yo mama's so fat when her beeper goes off, people think she's
backing up.

Yo mama's so fat, her blood type is Ragu.

Yo Mama's so fat, she DJ's for the ice cream truck.

Yo mama's so fat, at the zoo, the elephants started throwing her peanuts.

Yo mama's so fat, she could sell shade.

Yo mama's so fat, she wakes up in sections.

Yo mama's so fat, when she dances, she makes the band skip.

ummmm....

ass peanuts?