T'is the holiday season! And we all know what that means: it's time for mass commercialism and seasonal guilt to come crashing to the fore in the guise of getting a present for everyone you have more than 10 minutes of contact with during the day. As a confirmed workaholic, for me this comes in the form of the dreaded office gift exchange, wherein people who pretend to like each other buy meaningless gifts for those whose asses they most need to kiss during the rest of the year.
And in its wake: completely unneeded gifties.
More seasonal bitchiness over the fold.
:::sigh:::
All of this is so depressing. Gift-giving is truly one of the more enjoyable aspects of the season for me. I spend a lot of time trying to match the gift with the person. And I'm 100% behind the "it's the thought that counts" theory when receiving.
This year the mass of presents piling up on cubicle desks resembled nothing so much as a White Elephant bazaar: meaningless remembrances of the season, picked out by someone's secretary and auto-signed; delivered just in time to make sure you know that person's support staff found you in the address book in this holiday season.
Here's what got me this year, and a perfect example of what I'm talking about: my birthday present to me this year was a personal trainer. I've been on a health kick recently and a huge part of that is managing what I eat. Besides which I have a preternatural fear of gym equipment and need to get over it.
Everyone in my office knows one the few times I get out from behind my desk is to go to the gym. I'm very protective of those appointments.
I'm looking over my office holiday party haul now and I see at least 10,000 calories sitting in front of me. Specialty cookies, Godiva chocolates, a very nice Ghiradhelli gift basket, a Harry and David Tower of Sin, a Ferrerro Rocher Triangle of Doom. A pound of See's Candies. Shortbread.
(Oh dear God, no, not shortbread; it's one of my weaknesses...)
...most of which were given to me by very well meaning and thoughtful people that I'm actually friends with...
...and I can't eat any of this stuff! Dammit!
(Ah, screw it; I'll open the Ferrero Rocher (and the Harry and David pears), but the rest of it has to go.)
Fortunately I have something in place to take care of this: re-gifting!
Crass? Sure. But I'd much rather bring one of these things as a host/hostess gift rather than let it go to waste... or more to the point, go to my waist.
I was musing about this on the drive home yesterday, these un-useful gifts, my car filled with the heady perfume of forbidden chocolate, and got to thinking:
All the lovely presents Our Dear Leader has gifted with over the past few years?
Can't we just put them in a box, re-wrap them, and get rid of them?
A White Elephant Re-gifting?
What shall we dispense with? And whose lap can we possibly drop them into?
(...I don't hate anyone that much!)
Any ideas? Surely you have some.... ;)
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Today's Top Comments
From Carnacki:
One Cranky Dom's diary on the atrocities by the 8 soldiers sparked a lot of thoughtful comments
Meteor Blades on who really dishonors returning veterans.
ecclesioleft on his fear.
testvet6778 on why it is called command.
From kestral9000:
In his own diary, GoSlash27 says this about gun control
From SarahLee:
What book of the Bible was it where Jesus turned a walking stick into an M-16? by SecondComing, in this diary: Pentagon Five arrested at Christian Embassy--where was CNN then? by Silence is Complicity
From BeninSC:
Ninepatch finds a marvelous pre-New Year's resolution in testvet6778's fine diary about a soldier's Christmas.
Orj ozeppi adds illumination about the death of a soldier (and his incredible thoughtfulness) in samilla's first diary which spent the entire day on the rec list! There are, however, many fine comments in that diary and I highly recommend it!
My own picks:
Sunfell contributes this very informative comment on proselytizing in the USAF
plf515 starts a great conversation regarding education in teacherken's diary this morning. mkkendrick also supplies some thoughts therein, and Dauphin expounds on the importance of an educated electorate.
Eddie C contributes a number of stunning photographs depicting Christmas trees in the NY area. Beautiful!
Iddybud: we might have a hopeful and proud America again
vetman is trying to make sense of it all
Dauphin and DarkSyde have a rational discussion about the "I" word. It apparently can be discussed respectfully without flames and trollrating; who knew?
demondeac talks about ethics, debate, discussion, and competition.
chumley: The Perfect Shitstorm
bhumiya and moral relativism
Yamara describes the influence of blogging, and jhutson points out its importance on the shape of modern politics. Clive all hat no horse rodeopoints out the future functions of dKos
DallasDoc and moral systems
Pager on the current administration's complete lack of a moral system
Major Danby has some sad truths about latkes(sniff)
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Top Comments by Mojo: Without (obvious) tipjars:
1 There always has to be one, doesn't there. by Loquatrix - 108 2 Cullen is a national treasure by samilla - 64 3 We reap what we sow. The only crime is that by Owllwoman - 58 4 My ultimate nightmare by demetroula - 54 5 Organizing for change is not just about elections by jhutson - 53 6 Big Apple Tress by Eddie C - 49 7 Quick story... by Sonicreducr - 48 8 Snow cones are on me! by Kayakbiker - 48 9 I agree with you. Kerry doesn't deserve this. by dkmich - 47 10 I witness by SarahLee - 47 11 I witness by Morrigan - 46 12 . . . by Dreaming of Better Days - 45 13 Wow, snow! Did anyone else see the NY Times by blue jersey mom - 45 14 witness by gloriana - 44 15 "It is immoral" by Pager - 43 16 Thanks! by bloomster - 43 17 For peace by ilona - 43 18 If he keeps talking like this, by TomP - 41 19 Witness by melvin - 41 20 yeah, it is wonderful by DCDemocrat - 41 21 for your brother and his mother by RubDMC - 41 22 I'd vote for him in a second. by Miss Blue - 41 23 I am witness to the evils of war by Sally in SF - 40 24 Witness by musing graze - 39 25 Witness by ask - 39 26 Peace and Blessing for you and yours by peace voter - 38 27 witness by bumblebums - 37 28 peace by town - 37 29 For you and your family by musing graze - 36 30 Wage Peace by blueyedace2 - 36
With everything:
1 tip jar: Go JOHNNIE!! n/t by EZ writer - 217 2 i just love tips by lightnessofbeing - 212 3 tips if you please. by Silence is Complicity - 191 4 This story is gathering steam by Shockwave - 160 5 Tip Jar - December 23 by Jerome a Paris - 120 6 We're doomed.... by cskendrick - 115 7 There always has to be one, doesn't there. by Loquatrix - 108 8 Highly... by jimstaro - 68 9 Tip Jar by PsiFighter37 - 67 10 hope everyone has a wonderful holiday by OrangeClouds115 - 67 11 Cullen is a national treasure by samilla - 64 12 for peace by RubDMC - 60 13 We reap what we sow. The only crime is that by Owllwoman - 58 14 My ultimate nightmare by demetroula - 54 15 Tipjar by uniongal - 54 16 Tips, tears, lamentations? by One Pissed Off Liberal - 53 17 Organizing for change is not just about elections by jhutson - 53 18 Merry Moosemas! by Frankenoid - 49 19 Big Apple Tress by Eddie C - 49 20 Quick story... by Sonicreducr - 48 21 Snow cones are on me! by Kayakbiker - 48 22 I witness by SarahLee - 47 23 I agree with you. Kerry doesn't deserve this. by dkmich - 47 24 I witness by Morrigan - 46 25 . . . by Dreaming of Better Days - 45 26 Wow, snow! Did anyone else see the NY Times by blue jersey mom - 45 27 witness by gloriana - 44 28 "It is immoral" by Pager - 43 29 For peace by ilona - 43 30 Thanks! by bloomster - 43
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Enjoy!
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