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Ebone4rock
SFN Regular
USA
894 Posts |
 Posted - 12/15/2010 : 11:36:58
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I keep hearing the radio telling me that right now is the most wonderful time of the year. They are full of shit.
How can working 10-12 hours a day 5-6 days a week be wonderful?
How can 12-15 inches of snow which must be removed before working 10-12 hours a day be wonderful?
How can waking up to -11 to -15f temperatures be wonderful?
How can trying to find time to shop and spend all kinds of money on a bunch of crap for other people that they probably don't really want anyway be wonderful?
I am very skeptical about this whole " Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" theory. The way I see it is that the most wonderful time of the year comes in February when I get to go on vacation.
Thanks for reading my whine.
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Haole with heart, thats all I'll ever be. I'm not a part of the North Shore society. Stuck on the shoulder, that's where you'll find me. Digging for scraps with the kooks in line. -Offspring |
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marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
Posted - 12/15/2010 : 12:37:54 [Permalink]
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Ah, the holiday blahs!
Personally I love cold weather and snow. People bitch about it, but I say it puts things in perspective to have nature throw a wrench in our daily schedules and it builds character to have to deal with crappy weather. Plus I love hot coacoa, warm blankies, and sledding.
Why do you have to work that many hours? That would suck.
I am a follower of Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping http://www.revbilly.com/. Being socially pressured into giving gifts even when you aren't feelin' it is stupid so be strong and just don't do it.
I tend to think all the holiday hubbub is to distract people from the fact that it is cold and dark. But I recently saw Tom Flynn the "Anti-Claus" speak (executive director of the Center for Inquiry who thinks secularists should adamantly refuse to participate in any holiday celebrations.) and in his research he found that Americans turned this time of year into a big time to travel to visit family because the ground was hard and good for traveling on if you were using horses and because there was no farmwork to do. Flynn suggests we scrap it all and visit our family in June when traveling is easier. |
"Too much certainty and clarity could lead to cruel intolerance" -Karen Armstrong
Check out my art store: http://www.marfknox.etsy.com
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| Edited by - marfknox on 12/15/2010 12:39:13 |
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Ebone4rock
SFN Regular
USA
894 Posts |
Posted - 12/15/2010 : 13:08:05 [Permalink]
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Aloha marfknox!
I have seen your posts many times while I was perusing the archives. It is good to finally meet you! It's nice to have a little antidote to all of the testosterone generally found here.
Why do you have to work that many hours? That would suck.
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Inventory, Inventory, Inventory! It was finally finished last weekend so no more of the insanely long hours, now back to just regular long hours. In my business the cold & snow increases business a lot.
I am a follower of Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping http://www.revbilly.com/. Being socially pressured into giving gifts even when you aren't feelin' it is stupid so be strong and just don't do it.
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Way cool, I will have to check him out when I get home tonight.(filters here @ work won't allow it)
| I tend to think all the holiday hubbub is to distract people from the fact that it is cold and dark. But I recently saw Tom Flynn the "Anti-Claus" speak (executive director of the Center for Inquiry who thinks secularists should adamantly refuse to participate in any holiday celebrations.) and in his research he found that Americans turned this time of year into a big time to travel to visit family because the ground was hard and good for traveling on if you were using horses and because there was no farmwork to do. Flynn suggests we scrap it all and visit our family in June when traveling is easier. |
Cold and dark? As the great American songwriter Johnny Cash put it " I ain't seen the sunshine since I don't know when"
An interesting take that Tom Flynn has. When I was younger and more bitter toward religion I considered not celebrating holidays until I realized that I loved my family more than I hated religion.
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Haole with heart, thats all I'll ever be. I'm not a part of the North Shore society. Stuck on the shoulder, that's where you'll find me. Digging for scraps with the kooks in line. -Offspring |
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The Rat
SFN Regular
Canada
1370 Posts |
Posted - 12/15/2010 : 15:24:28 [Permalink]
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| Cold weather sucks. It irritates my IBS so much that I have to buy shares in Imodium just to recoup my losses. |
Bailey's second law; There is no relationship between the three virtues of intelligence, education, and wisdom.
You fiend! Never have I encountered such corrupt and foul-minded perversity! Have you ever considered a career in the Church? - The Bishop of Bath and Wells, Blackadder II
Baculum's page: http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=3947338590 |
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On fire for Christ
SFN Regular
Norway
1273 Posts |
Posted - 12/15/2010 : 18:20:21 [Permalink]
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| Christmas is a time when people of all faiths come together to bitch about Christmas. |
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Machi4velli
SFN Regular
USA
854 Posts |
Posted - 12/15/2010 : 18:43:21 [Permalink]
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It's wonderful in Florida.  |
"Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people."
-Giordano Bruno
"The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, but the illusion of knowledge."
-Stephen Hawking
"Seeking what is true is not seeking what is desirable"
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ThorGoLucky
Snuggle Wolf
USA
1486 Posts |
Posted - 12/15/2010 : 23:35:54 [Permalink]
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Ebone4rock and The Rat, you're cold? Huh? I wear clothing and live & work where there are heaters. What's wrong with y'all?
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| Edited by - ThorGoLucky on 12/15/2010 23:39:25 |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9687 Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2010 : 08:11:10 [Permalink]
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In the electronics industry where I work, environmental control is of the essence.
It's always 22,5±0.2°C and 40±5% humidity, regardless of the weather outside.
I always wear double t-shirt (the outer one I have to wear is treated/special-made to reduce static electricity).
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Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
| Edited by - Dr. Mabuse on 12/16/2010 08:11:53 |
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Ebone4rock
SFN Regular
USA
894 Posts |
Posted - 12/16/2010 : 11:13:31 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by ThorGoLucky
Ebone4rock and The Rat, you're cold? Huh? I wear clothing and live & work where there are heaters. What's wrong with y'all?
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Ya know some people have to go outside sometimes! |
Haole with heart, thats all I'll ever be. I'm not a part of the North Shore society. Stuck on the shoulder, that's where you'll find me. Digging for scraps with the kooks in line. -Offspring |
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skepticalover
New Member
12 Posts |
Posted - 12/17/2010 : 00:08:47 [Permalink]
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To answer your questions one by one - something to consider...
1- Those hours of work would be considered wonderful to the millions unemployed right now.
2- It beats the alternative-- living in a barren wasteland of a planet with no precipitation.
3- Those temps might be considered wonderful to someone living where it's colder-- or extremely warmer.
4- It's not the gift, it's the spirit of giving and showing appreciation for others that's wonderful. Bake cookies, decorate them and put them in tins to give as gifts. Sounds corny, but watch how much fun you have doing it and how pleased people will be to have them.
....
Can't really argue with you on the vacation statement though ^_^ |
Nail polish without all the carcinogens - http://www.metapolish.com |
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sailingsoul
SFN Addict
2830 Posts |
Posted - 12/20/2010 : 15:48:24 [Permalink]
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Getting through the winter without freezing is easy, by following one simple rule. If your cold your not dressed properly. I went skiing once when it was below -10 Fahrenheit (-23c). I had so much on, after my first run I had to take some items off because I was sweating (a lot). Even after my second run I had to take off more because I was still sweating. Your body makes all the heat you ever need. All you have to do is not under dress for the conditions.
I also found if you're only wearing a bathing suit, living 16 degrees north of the equator works perfectly this time of year. SS |
There are only two types of religious people, the deceivers and the deceived. SS |
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marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
Posted - 12/20/2010 : 20:09:23 [Permalink]
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Now that I'm both a parent and a babysitter I'm watching all these "Christmas" specials for children with a new perspective and I'm totally fascinated with the implications it has for the possible future of Christianity. It is abundantly clear to me that as far as mainstream culture goes, Christmas has about as much to do with the celebration of Jesus's birth as Valentine's Day has to do with St. Valentine's martyrdom. The term "Christmas" is used, as are various rituals and imagery associated with modern celebrations of "Christmas", and yet Jesus or anything particular to the Christian faith is rarely mentioned. For instance, today I watched "Yo Gabba Gabba"'s Christmas special with the kiddos, and at some point they were decorating the tree with generic Christmas balls and garland and such - totally secular. But then they made a point of putting a star at the top - which I've always assumed to be a pretty clear Christian symbol right out of the Gospels. And yet when one of the characters asked "Why are we decorating a tree?" the answer is "Because it's Christmas time!"
Not sure whether I should delight in the watering down of the religious meaning to the point of meaninglessness, or lament peoples' ignorance. Or is it avoidance instead of ignorance? Will the generation coming up even realize what the star at the top of the tree is referring to? Do most people of my generation know? I watched the play "The Last Night at Ballyhoo" about a week ago, about a well-to-do Jewish family living in the American South just before WWII, and it opened with one of the daughters bringing home a star for their tree, and her mother scolding her with, "Jewish Christmas trees don't have stars!"
Merry X-mas, everybody - and I ain't just being lazy about the spelling! |
"Too much certainty and clarity could lead to cruel intolerance" -Karen Armstrong
Check out my art store: http://www.marfknox.etsy.com
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| Edited by - marfknox on 12/20/2010 20:10:51 |
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Cuneiformist
The Imperfectionist
USA
4955 Posts |
Posted - 12/20/2010 : 21:02:19 [Permalink]
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I, for one, and thrilled to (still) be employed, and am happy that Los Angeles is having something other than sunny-and-70 for weather.
As for Marf's comments re Christmas and Jesus et al., this doesn't surprise me. However, I do get a bit sad when I drive through a decidedly pluralistic and rather secular LA and see little by way of Christmas decorations of they type I saw frequently growing up in Oklahoma.
Somehow, I have to balance my general happiness that Christianity is dominating the world a little less than it used to with the fact that I hold some nostalgia for the representations of Christianity from my youth... |
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marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
Posted - 12/21/2010 : 08:16:15 [Permalink]
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| Nostalgia does have to be ignored at some point. I recently watched "A Miracle on 34th Street", a film that I loved as a child partially because my mom and I watched it together. And while I still find the film entertaining, as an adult I realize that the values promoted are the total opposite of what I believe and live by, and many values I hold dear are disparaged. So what am I to do with my own daughter? I think I've decided to go ahead and watch films like that with her, but then talk to her afterward about it. Facing things and talking them through seems much better than trying to protect her from supposed bad influences and ideas. This does diminish my nice fuzzy feelings of nostalgia, but not completely because I'm still connected to things that inspired those feelings. |
"Too much certainty and clarity could lead to cruel intolerance" -Karen Armstrong
Check out my art store: http://www.marfknox.etsy.com
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the_ignored
SFN Addict
2562 Posts |
Posted - 12/21/2010 : 08:40:16 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Ebone4rock
I keep hearing the radio telling me that right now is the most wonderful time of the year. They are full of shit.
How can working 10-12 hours a day 5-6 days a week be wonderful?
How can 12-15 inches of snow which must be removed before working 10-12 hours a day be wonderful?
How can waking up to -11 to -15f temperatures be wonderful?
How can trying to find time to shop and spend all kinds of money on a bunch of crap for other people that they probably don't really want anyway be wonderful?
I am very skeptical about this whole " Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" theory. The way I see it is that the most wonderful time of the year comes in February when I get to go on vacation.
Thanks for reading my whine.
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Well, guess what news we just got this morning: Our company has to cut costs by 10% this coming year. One can only guess what's going to come of that. I've no experience in shit like this. Just how bad is that?
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>From: enuffenuff@fastmail.fm
(excerpt follows):
> I'm looking to teach these two bastards a lesson they'll never forget.
> Personal visit by mates of mine. No violence, just a wee little chat.
>
> **** has also committed more crimes than you can count with his
> incitement of hatred against a religion. That law came in about 2007
> much to ****'s ignorance. That is fact and his writing will become well
> know as well as him becoming a publicly known icon of hatred.
>
> Good luck with that fuckwit. And Reynold, fucking run, and don't stop.
> Disappear would be best as it was you who dared to attack me on my
> illness knowing nothing of the cause. You disgust me and you are top of
> the list boy. Again, no violence. Just regular reminders of who's there
> and visits to see you are behaving. Nothing scary in reality. But I'd
> still disappear if I was you.
What brought that on? this. Original posting here.
Another example of this guy's lunacy here. |
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Ebone4rock
SFN Regular
USA
894 Posts |
Posted - 12/21/2010 : 08:45:48 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by marfknox
Nostalgia does have to be ignored at some point. I recently watched "A Miracle on 34th Street", a film that I loved as a child partially because my mom and I watched it together. And while I still find the film entertaining, as an adult I realize that the values promoted are the total opposite of what I believe and live by, and many values I hold dear are disparaged. So what am I to do with my own daughter? I think I've decided to go ahead and watch films like that with her, but then talk to her afterward about it. Facing things and talking them through seems much better than trying to protect her from supposed bad influences and ideas. This does diminish my nice fuzzy feelings of nostalgia, but not completely because I'm still connected to things that inspired those feelings.
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I recently watched Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer hoping to feel some nostalga. All I could think was what a bunch of assholes people and animals are at the North pole.
Oh how I long for the days when my mind was innocent and lacked cynicism. |
Haole with heart, thats all I'll ever be. I'm not a part of the North Shore society. Stuck on the shoulder, that's where you'll find me. Digging for scraps with the kooks in line. -Offspring |
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The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year? Bah Humbug!
