Wednesday, December 03, 2008

It's that crazy-ass time of year again.

Funny video by Jib Jab illustrates just how out of control this whole Christmas season is getting to be. People stampeding and trampling folks to death. Fighting and stabbing and shooting at the worst, and at best, shoving, rushing, rudeness, etc. And most of the ones involved are Christians. Gotta go get the loot for magical Santa to bring the kiddies as magical Jesus looks down from a magical place in another dimension. Then at other time of the year, certain sects of Muslims and Christians are flogging themselves or crucifying themselves to show how faithful they are to their version of their invisible friends. Looking at it from the outside now for more than a decade of giving it all up, I can see the insanity. I really am thinking more and more that planet Earth is some sort of planetary insane asylum.

This time of year, my family and I do exchange one gift each. We used to do more but it's dwindled down to a better meaning. Being together. Sharing time playing board games and having a nice meal, watching a movie together and AVOIDING THE MALL AND SHOPPING CENTERS. It's absolutely too nuts out there. We should go back to the days when kids were happy getting an orange and a piece of sugar candy.

The stores are hugely to blame in this whole fiasco of people getting trampled to death. They make bizarre offers of limited insanely low offers to lure the stupid people to line up at 4 am in the freezing cold, herded together to behave like a bunch of animals. The stores are to blame, but so are the people. Everyone there on that day the poor man was trampled is to blame.

7 comments:

tina FCD said...

One gift? Do you guys decide on a price range or anything. It sounds like a good idea to me.

Stardust said...

Hi tina, no price range. Each person just gives a couple of ideas of what they really would like and we do our best to get one of those things. All are happy with the food, and getting together mostly. If you think about it, once presents are open, they are put off to the side and everyone digs into the treats and drinks. I think people have gotten into such a habit of buying that they are afraid people will be disappointed. No one has been disappointed at all with our arrangement.

Stardust said...

Oh, and I should say a marvelous gift that we got this year from our daughter was that she came home for a whole week over Thanksgiving as a surprise. No material present could beat that.

tina FCD said...

Yes, I agree. One daughter of mine thinks spending tons of money on her kid makes him happy.
My other daughter could care less about buying gifts. She like doing up baskets of goodies and a movie themed basket or something like that.
My son, Larry, he likes to give gifts but is very thoughtful on the gift. One year I received a FSM cup, that was cool.

I like putting up the tree and a few decorations, it just seems so peaceful.

Ohh, I bet you were so happy to have your daughter home. :)

Stardust said...

yes, tina, I loved having my daughter home and cried all morning long after she left today. She went out east when she was 18 to go to school and has been there ever since in various locations. She is a trumpet player, in an orchestra and does ensemble and solo gigs as well. She has worked hard and I am proud of her,but also miss her so much. Seeing her two or three times a year is not enough.

I like having the tree and the pagan aspects of Christmas season. It's all so colorful and beautiful Peaceful looking.

The FSM cup does sound cool. I would like a sweatshirt with the FSM emblem and wear it around and have people as me about it. LOL

Andrea said...

There's nothing like bonding over food :)
I have little kids, so it gets a bit trickier to decide on toys that are fun, but not crappy and cheaply made.

Stardust said...

andrea, the real challenge is when they are older and really want things that you know are crappily made and not really what you want them to have.

I am amazed at all the toys that make noise and blink with lights and buzzers and bells. Seems that that stuff would leave little room for imagination (not to mention get on mom and dad's nerves really fast.)