Festivus "Airing of grievances"

[Red Sonja]

We're definitely in the UNpopulated part of the Midwest, but villains here don't use wood chippers, either. They don't want to waste the gas. They just drop the bodies off in the Badlands. (And yes, it costs them more in gas to transport them, but if they were smart, they probably wouldn't be villains, right? )

It's not just the desire to save on gas, Sir W... but as you know, there are virtually no trees here in the land where Laura and Mary Ingalls settled. Hence, few and far between are the wood chippers. This, of course, is how a smart villain rationalizes dumping the bodies in the Badlands for the coyotes to dispose of later.

 

[wicked woman]

Not a grievance but festivus related.

The annual appearance of Yank's Santa AV always makes me smile.

 

[midwestyankee]

Not a grievance but festivus related.

The annual appearance of Yank's Santa AV always makes me smile.

Clearly he's been into the rum cake early again, too.

 

[Sir_Winston54]

"Faced with a surmounting culture of buying cheap, throwaway presents to give for
Christmas, philanthropist August Belmont announced before a crowd of low-paid working
women at an event in New York City the formation of a new club: The Society for the
Prevention of Useless Giving.

The objective of SPUG, said Belmont, was to "eliminate, by co-operative effort, the custom
of giving indiscriminately at Christmas, and to further in every way the true Christian spirit of
unselfishness and independent thought, good-will, and sympathetic understanding of
the real needs of others."​

Shall we all join?





Oh, crap. That was 1911, 1912.

"There's no telling if the awareness campaign of SPUG in the early 1910s really put
a dent into the market for cheap consumer goods, but the Society did remain active until to
the 1940s, when mindless consumer tendencies were limited by WWII rationing. When
the gift-giving doldrums broke by the 1950s, however, the SPUG's humble mission to shop
with usefulness in mind seems to have fallen by the wayside."​

The entire article is linked here, if anyone wants to do some research and re-establish the Society.

 

[DeepGreenEyes]

One of my grievances is the way some people don't seem to truly appreciate the gifts I carefully choose for them on the evening of Dec. 23, at the CVS.

 

[Stella_Omega]

One of my grievances is the way some people don't seem to truly appreciate the gifts I carefully choose for them on the evening of Dec. 23, at the CVS.

Which reminds me-- last year, there was a surfeit of a sort of cheap cousin to the koosh ball-- fatter tentacles, some of them had flashing LEDs in their middles. I want to find one-- for nefarious purposes, and they seem to be all gone...

 

[midwestyankee]

Which reminds me-- last year, there was a surfeit of a sort of cheap cousin to the koosh ball-- fatter tentacles, some of them had flashing LEDs in their middles. I want to find one-- for nefarious purposes, and they seem to be all gone...

Ask, and ye shall receive.

 

[cfuhrer]

"Faced with a surmounting culture of buying cheap, throwaway presents to give for
Christmas, philanthropist August Belmont announced before a crowd of low-paid working
women at an event in New York City the formation of a new club: The Society for the
Prevention of Useless Giving.

The objective of SPUG, said Belmont, was to "eliminate, by co-operative effort, the custom
of giving indiscriminately at Christmas, and to further in every way the true Christian spirit of
unselfishness and independent thought, good-will, and sympathetic understanding of
the real needs of others."​

Shall we all join?





Oh, crap. That was 1911, 1912.

"There's no telling if the awareness campaign of SPUG in the early 1910s really put
a dent into the market for cheap consumer goods, but the Society did remain active until to
the 1940s, when mindless consumer tendencies were limited by WWII rationing. When
the gift-giving doldrums broke by the 1950s, however, the SPUG's humble mission to shop
with usefulness in mind seems to have fallen by the wayside."​

The entire article is linked here, if anyone wants to do some research and re-establish the Society.

Easy Solution:
"A gift was made in your name to Heifer International"

http://heifer.1mobb.com/

 

[midwestyankee]

Easy Solution:
"A gift was made in your name to Heifer International"

http://heifer.1mobb.com/

These people do very good work. And honestly, when was the last time you could brag that you gave someone cow for Christmas?

 

[knot_sweet]

Easy Solution:
"A gift was made in your name to Heifer International"

http://heifer.1mobb.com/

Gaahhh I'm tired. That read as "Heifner"

Which is totally the wrong spelling.

And I still giggled at the inuendo.

 

[Curious_in_Cali]

Finding out Christmas day family obligations will be hosted at my least favorite typical family gathering place. And I have to drive far that night so no egg nog insulation.

Then finding out my Christmas bonus is just not happening so budget for gifts is substantially less.

Then agreeing to go in on a joint gift and then finding the gift at awesome price and handing over money to the other person who says they going to get it... Then getting a text today (week later) that they missed the sale cause they waited too long and NOW best price is 40% more can I please send more $. Seriously?

Then the pups seem to need to keep marking the Christmas tree... Which roomies hung those obnoxious cinnamon scented pinecones on... So does it smell like tree? Um, no. Not at all. Why have a tree if you can't even smell the treeness of it?!

Oh, and mistletoe. Everywhere. *sigh*

 

[axilyae]

Charity workers that knock on your door, either when you've just got in from work, eating dinner or even as you're going to bed. And then when you try and politely tell them that you're busy or just tired, they rant at you without mercy with that well learnt speech, not leaving any time to talk until ten minutes have flown by and you have to tell them that sorry, they've wasted their time, I'm a stingy bastard and I'm tired and I would of told you this at the start, but...

Hint: If it's half eleven at night and the lights are all off, DON'T KNOCK.

If I get carol singers I'm not answering the door. Bah, humbug!

 

[Stella_Omega]

Finding out Christmas day family obligations will be hosted at least favorite typical family gathering place. And I have to drive far that night so no egg nog insulation.

Then finding out my Christmas bonus is just not happening so budget for gifts is substantially less.

Then agreeing to go in on a joint gift and then finding the gift at awesome price and handing over money to the other person who says they going to get it... Then getting a text today (week later) that they missed the sale cause they waited too long and NOW best price is 40% more can I please send more $. Seriously?

Nope. You can maybe loan them the extra money, but tough love is essential in this sitch-- and I say so as the one that has procrastinated like that myself.

Then the pups seem to need to keep marking the Christmas tree... Which roomies hung those obnoxious cinnamon scented pinecones on... So does it smell like tree? Um, no. Not at all. Why have a tree if you even can't smell the treeness of it?!

Oh, and mistletoe. Everywhere. *sigh*

 

[Sir_Winston54]

Finding out Christmas day family obligations will be hosted at least favorite typical family gathering place. And I have to drive far that night so no egg nog insulation.

Then finding out my Christmas bonus is just not happening so budget for gifts is substantially less.

Then agreeing to go in on a joint gift and then finding the gift at awesome price and handing over money to the other person who says they going to get it... Then getting a text today (week later) that they missed the sale cause they waited too long and NOW best price is 40% more can I please send more $. Seriously?

Nope. You can maybe loan them the extra money, but tough love is essential in this sitch-- and I say so as the one that has procrastinated like that myself.

Have to agree with Stella on this one, and I've been the procrastinator, too. They made a deal with you to split the cost at $x. You gave them your share. THEY screwed up; it's their responsibility to make up the difference.

Then the pups seem to need to keep marking the Christmas tree... Which roomies hung those obnoxious cinnamon scented pinecones on... So does it smell like tree? Um, no. Not at all. Why have a tree if you even can't smell the treeness of it?!

Oh, and mistletoe. Everywhere. *sigh*

Mix a batch of water and citrus juice (lemon seems to work well with both dogs and cats) in a spray bottle and thoroughly coat the tree. If they haven't completely saturated the tree in their marking, this may help to keep them away. If they have, get a new tree for next year and spray it before setting it up and before they have a chance to get at it and mark it.

Remove the cinnamon pinecones, and insert them in inappropriate orifices of the guilty roommate(s).

Bring the mistletoe here. I have *just* the place to hang it.

Charity workers that knock on your door, either when you've just got in from work, eating dinner or even as you're going to bed. And then when you try and politely tell them that you're busy or just tired, they rant at you without mercy with that well learnt speech, not leaving any time to talk until ten minutes have flown by and you have to tell them that sorry, they've wasted their time, I'm a stingy bastard and I'm tired and I would of told you this at the start, but...

Hint: If it's half eleven at night and the lights are all off, DON'T KNOCK.

If I get carol singers I'm not answering the door. Bah, humbug!

Stella's just being nice (to you); I'll offer useful advice, lol: Try once to tell them politely that you're busy/tired. If they don't shut up, close the door in their faces.

Hint: If it's half eleven at night and the lights are all off, either (1) don't answer the damn door, or (2) open it, tell them quickly and loudly, "If you don't leave NOW, I'm calling the cops!" and then close the door in their faces.

 

[Netzach]

We're definitely in the UNpopulated part of the Midwest, but villains here don't use wood chippers, either. They don't want to waste the gas. They just drop the bodies off in the Badlands. (And yes, it costs them more in gas to transport them, but if they were smart, they probably wouldn't be villains, right? )

I am proud to live where there's even a picture of Marge Gunderson across from my new favorite bar.

Heifer, Kiva, Madre, no shortage of places I'll tell people to send bucks. Soon as my hosting's paid off this year, Ay Caramba.

 

[seela]

I don't actually get exposed to that much Christmas crap. I always try to find gifts online or make them myself, so I don't have to stand in lines and listen to Christmas muzak more than maybe couple of hours max.

A lot of people hang ugly Christmas lights, but it's nothing like the American holistic lighting bonanzas you see on TV, so it's ok.

We don't have the tradition of Christmas carolers or Santas jingling bells and ho-ho-ho'ing. (They're coming, soon, no doubt, as did Halloween. Next stop: Thanksgiving. )

The guilt-trippy Unicef etc. commercials on TV don't really register with me.

This year I don't even have to see any relatives and eat food I don't really care about all that much.

BUT...

We have an awful Christmas jingle replace the neutral one in weather forecasts on TV since the first half of November. I hate it. Really hate it.

 

[Ropebunny]

BUT...

We have an awful Christmas jingle replace the neutral one in weather forecasts on TV since the first half of November. I hate it. Really hate it.

That does sound bad. And a month and a half of it sounds like pure torture.

We have a terrible Christmas jingle here too. The same bloody ad with that blonde, sleezy-looking Vince Martin comes on every year without fail and makes me want to smash my TV, while my mum swoons over him and how well he has aged.

Some joker has gone and put it on youtube, if anyone wants to subject themselves to it: Vince Martin Christmas Wonderland

 

[marieR19]

The day after Christmas.

No matter how much we try to keep Christmas low-key in our own home, it's EVERYWHERE outside, in stores, on the radio, everywhere. When all you see/hear is Christmas for a month or more....

The day after Christmas comes and it's kind of like "I went through a month of listening to all that crap because of *one stinking day*, and now it's just.... over?" I don't know, I feel like Christmas has been commercialized so much that the actual day is sort of a letdown. Which sucks to even think about.

.... Maybe I need to go to mom's church for Christmas after all.

edit: and this is my 666th post. ..... Not sure what to think about that.

 

[kiwi_submissive]

It's almost 25C and I am laying by the pool listening to I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas on the radio. I feel like the radio station have lost the memo that it won't show here over Christmas or are maybe looked at a weather forecast for somewhere alot further north than here.

 

[Loverskitten]

 

[cfuhrer]

Grievance Remedy

Behold the cuteness:

 

[Stella_Omega]

Good lord. I didn't know they could actually Do anything!

 

[gypsy*seer]

Good lord. I didn't know they could actually Do anything!

They must be on their way to the Festivus Pole!! Oh. yay!

 

[Sir_Winston54]

And in a stunning display of one-upmanship... or is that one-downmanship?... the Corgi Queen says I *must* post this

And a link to the page so you can see the other two pics of Corgi awesomeness.

 

[BiBunny]

Good lord. I didn't know they could actually Do anything!

Minis can pull like 10 times their weight or something ridiculous like that. It's insane.