aliensoul77's picture
aliensoul77 from a cold distant star is reading the writing on the wall. November 28, 2011 - 3:21am

This thread is for all the things you love about Christmas like angels and reindeer and Peanuts cartoons and popcorn in tins.

I love getting Christmas cards and wasting stamps and staring at a blinking tree.  Seriously, it's like meditation to me.

enough's picture
enough from Indiana is reading Warmed and Bound November 28, 2011 - 6:11pm

I love my Christmas Tree. I just put it up last night. Its seven and a half feet tall and full of lights and tons of ornaments. So pretty. Now Im officially in the Christmas Spirit!

Nick Wilczynski's picture
Nick Wilczynski from Greensboro, NC is reading A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin November 28, 2011 - 6:29pm

Salvation Army Bell-Ringers frighten away the iniquitous and permit me to enter the facilities unharmed.

Maybe it sounds snide or sarcastic, but the truth is that I've always loved the Salvation Army bell ringers, I feel... moved... really moved... every time I see them or hear the bell. I can never resist scrounging my car for any change I can give them. They represent, to me, some of the best and most noble intentions of the season. It is a shame we only permit charity "on special occassions."

Which is not to say that the work of mankind is not a year-round affair, just that because Christmas does have such a strong element of doing one's Christian duty in the sense of charity that it often becomes a focus point that it allows many people to put off any charity until that occasion.

I never have done it (rang the bell), which now strikes me as odd, but I generally help the Red Cross at their Blood Drives instead. ( I have tiny veins that are frequently a problem when giving blood, whatever, so I help with logistics)

avery of the dead's picture
avery of the dead from Kentucky is reading Cipher Sisters November 28, 2011 - 6:37pm

I don't understand why Easter isn't bigger.  I mean, as Christian holidays go (and I realize Christmas is pretty secular, but you know what I mean), you would think Easter would be a bigger deal.  Or at least an equally big deal.  No relatives come from out of town for Easter.  No bell ringers for Easter. 

.'s picture
. November 28, 2011 - 7:22pm

Yeah and you totally get a bunch of candy when your're a kid on Easter!

aliensoul77's picture
aliensoul77 from a cold distant star is reading the writing on the wall. November 28, 2011 - 7:35pm

My Dad worked as a bell ringer one year when I was a kid and they gave him a few presents to give me at xmas. We were poor so it was nice.

ReneeAPickup's picture
Class Facilitator
ReneeAPickup from Southern California is reading Wanderers by Chuck Wendig November 29, 2011 - 9:37pm

Bah. I love the decorating and the baking and....all the things I am not doing this year because we are going to the in-laws for Christmas and won't be home the majority of the month.

I love my in-laws and Christmas in England should be nice, but I am REALLY bummed about not getting to do up the house, get a tree, and bake for days straight. Sigh.

ReneeAPickup's picture
Class Facilitator
ReneeAPickup from Southern California is reading Wanderers by Chuck Wendig November 29, 2011 - 9:40pm

Maybe it sounds snide or sarcastic, but the truth is that I've always loved the Salvation Army bell ringers, I feel... moved... really moved... every time I see them or hear the bell. I can never resist scrounging my car for any change I can give them. They represent, to me, some of the best and most noble intentions of the season. It is a shame we only permit charity "on special occassions."

Eh. The more I learn about the Salvation Army the further your statements feel from the truth. Now I feel like a Grinch.

Nick Wilczynski's picture
Nick Wilczynski from Greensboro, NC is reading A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin November 29, 2011 - 10:00pm

I mean, I always appreciated them as a symbol. I have a pretty cynical view of most NPO's, and I admit I don't know much about the Salvation Army, I'm sure they're no Grameen Bank (Muhammad Yunis is a hero of mine). Like I said, I do my stuff with the Red Cross, and :sigh: I still wouldn't trust my money with them for a second.

Especially if it was supposed to go to Haiti.

aliensoul77's picture
aliensoul77 from a cold distant star is reading the writing on the wall. November 30, 2011 - 9:12am

Don't tell me they shower with little boys too. If you say Santa molests his elves, I'm out.

aliensoul77's picture
aliensoul77 from a cold distant star is reading the writing on the wall. November 30, 2011 - 9:14am

Well if anyone wants an xmas card send me your addy by pm. I promise not to put anything weird in them.

ReneeAPickup's picture
Class Facilitator
ReneeAPickup from Southern California is reading Wanderers by Chuck Wendig November 30, 2011 - 1:30pm

Alien, I have a long Christmas (well, "spiritually ambiguous holiday") card list, but I am sure I over bought, I will show you mine if you show me yours (address, that is).

And no, there is no molestation (that I know of) just a long history of denying help to people who do not fit their belief system and church practices I am not fond of. I haven't looked into it for awhile, so specifics escape me, I just remeber reading some stuff a couple years ago that convinced me they were not a charity I wanted to support. Besides, being a former USMC reservist, I like to focus on Toys for Tots.

Keely's picture
Keely June 6, 2012 - 11:19pm

I fucking love Utah!

Dave's picture
Dave from a city near you is reading constantly June 7, 2012 - 12:15am

 

Retirement.

underpurplemoon's picture
underpurplemoon from PDX June 7, 2012 - 2:30am

...

Chester Pane's picture
Chester Pane from Portland, Oregon is reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz June 7, 2012 - 2:26am

Can't you take a hint?

 

Matt Attack's picture
Matt Attack from Richmond, Va. is reading As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner June 7, 2012 - 2:55am

More robots. Awesome. 

PandaMask's picture
PandaMask from Los Angeles is reading More Than Human June 7, 2012 - 3:23am

Hahaha Dave.

I hate these robots. It's getting out of hand.

Matt Attack's picture
Matt Attack from Richmond, Va. is reading As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner June 7, 2012 - 4:23am

Why can't it be the hot cylons? 

GaryP's picture
GaryP from Denver is reading a bit of this and that June 7, 2012 - 6:30am

In the not too distant future ... the robots will rule us all.

Matt Attack's picture
Matt Attack from Richmond, Va. is reading As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner June 7, 2012 - 6:33am

And they will ruin our movies with snarky comments. 

 

GaryP's picture
GaryP from Denver is reading a bit of this and that June 7, 2012 - 6:58am

And then began the bloody war between Mike versus Joel. Entire forum communitires are laid to waste.

Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry June 7, 2012 - 7:03am

Can't you take a hint?

At whom were you hinting, Senor Pane?

Matt Attack's picture
Matt Attack from Richmond, Va. is reading As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner June 7, 2012 - 7:06am

I heard they started a realtime MST type thing for shitty movies now. You text your comments while watching said shitty movie and it appears on screen. Point Break was the first movie they tried this with. 

Liana's picture
Liana from Romania and Texas is reading Naked Lunch June 7, 2012 - 3:08pm

6 or Boomer?