Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Historically it was a little unusual for the president to be an incoherent babbling moron.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

I like political parties that aren’t owned by foreign adversaries.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

Not all heroes wear capes.

People identifying as christian while ignoring christ and his teachings is a strange thing indeed.

I have other things to bitch about but those will have to wait.

Quote tweet friends, screenshot enemies.

The most dangerous place for a black man in America is in a white man’s imagination.

Dear media: perhaps we ought to let Donald Trump speak for himself!

Conservatism: there are people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

People really shouldn’t expect the government to help after they watched the GOP drown it in a bathtub.

He really is that stupid.

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

There is no compromise when it comes to body autonomy. You either have it or you don’t.

Disagreements are healthy; personal attacks are not.

Their freedom requires your slavery.

Republicans don’t trust women.

Celebrate the fucking wins.

Insiders who complain to politico: please report to the white house office of shut the fuck up.

Bark louder, little dog.

Welcome to day five of every-bit-as-bad-as-you-thought-it-would-be.

Today in our ongoing national embarrassment…

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Reader Interactions

26Comments

  1. 1.

    Ash Can

    I have a nearly-11-year-old boy. How hysterical do you think he’d be over this? (Hmmm…you know, this might be a great way to lure him and his net-head buddies away from the computer…)

  9. 9.

    Michael D.

    Speaking of gifts…

    So, my friends and family all know I am not a Christian. I don’t hold any religious belief, in fact. As such, I don’t celebrate Christmas or any of your holidays. (I mean, I go to holiday parties to see friends and hang out with co-workers, but that’s just a social thing.)

    I’m in a bit of a bind though about Christmas. The rest of my family, with the exception of my brother, is Christian. And most of my friends consider themselves to be as well. At least they say they are. I haven’t seen much religious activity on their parts. But I take them at their word.

    So I have a question for you all. Am I obligated to send my family Christmas gifts? Unequivocally, I’ll state that they are not obligated to send me anything, although my mother always manages to send me a box of “crap” every year. I wish she wouldn’t. I love that she wants to do it. But, it’s a profound waste of money and her time. And I love being able to give my nieces and nephew things. I just don’t need Christmas to do it. My opinion is that I should not feel obligated to send anyone anything. But here I am right now, writing checks (or cheques, depending on who is reading this.) I’m much too unmotivated to go do any actual shopping. I hate shopping and I only do it for myself when I really need to. I’m doing this because I have 4 nieces and a nephew. And a mom and dad, two sisters, and a brother. I’m doing it out of obligation, not because I want to.

    I’m not being selfish. I can give people gifts for mother’s day, father’s day, birthdays, etc. I’m just asking if I should pretend to care about giving people Christmas gifts? I don’t believe in the reason for doing it, so why should I? Other than to avoid a guilt trip from people who think I should do it regardless. There is also the cost of it. I live in Atlanta. They live in eastern Canada. If I sent a bunch of “stuff” it would cost a fortune just to ship it. So I just send money which, to me, is a meaningless gift on a meaningless holiday. It’s a few hundred dollars when you add it all up.

    I love all these people. I just don’t celebrate Christmas. So I wanted to get the opinion of some of the smartest people on the Internets. You guys were the next best thing. :-)

    I bet I’m not the only one here in that situation.

  10. 10.

    cathyx

    @Michael D.: You should think of Christmas as a time to give people gifts just because you love them and that the timing of them is just a coincidence. No need to make a moral stand and ruin everyone’s mood and holiday cheer.

  11. 11.

    JGabriel

    Michael D.:

    I love being able to give my nieces and nephew things. I just don’t need Christmas to do it. My opinion is that I should not feel obligated to send anyone anything. But here I am right now, writing checks (or cheques, depending on who is reading this.) … I’m doing it out of obligation, not because I want to.

    This is one of those you get to choose your own reaction situations. You yourself say that you love giving things to your nieces and nephews, so don’t get hung up on the fact that it’s Christmas.

    Alternately — and this is my approach — treat is as a when in Rome, do as the Romans do situation. Christmas is not just a religious celebration; if it were, one would simply mark its arrival with a visit to church. Instead, it’s celebrated with gift-giving and and other social niceties, making it cultural celebration as well as a religious one. By sending out gifts, etc., you show your respect for the culture that celebrates Christmas without commenting on its religious beliefs.

    It’s really not that difficult of an ethical dilemma. Participation in the socio-cultural aspects of a tradition does not, by itself, affirm the religious aspects you don’t participate in.

    .

  12. 12.

    Michael D.

    @cathyx: So, you’re saying that as a non-Christian who doesn’t celebrate Christmas, I should be the one to suck it up and give gifts on a holiday I don’t celebrate, correct?

    I doubt I would ruin the holiday. If my family had good Muslim friends, would your advice to them be to give gifts to the Christians and not “ruin it” for them?

    I’m guessing you’re a Christian.

  15. 15.

    Ash Can

    @Michael D.: It all depends on what kind of relationship you have with these people, whether or not they expect you to get things for them for Christmas, and how much they expect it. If you can speak frankly with them and tell them that you think it’s dumb for you to do Christmas gifts — and they see that it’s not a matter of not caring for them, because you give gifts on other occasions — then go ahead and talk turkey with them. Maybe if the kids would be disappointed, you could just get them gifts. If getting something for the grownups seems to be in line, food and goody baskets come in handy this time of year; they can use the treats for entertaining. And if all else fails, keep in mind that in many parts of the world people ignore Christmas and exchange New Year’s gifts. (And keep in mind that online shopping is your friend.) Good luck!

  17. 17.

    chopper

    @JGabriel:

    besides, treating xmas as a time to give gifts to people and completely ignore the religious side of things only helps to further dilute the religious message behind it and make it more and more secular. which you know just pisses off the religious christians in this country. why not help it along by telling everyone ‘happy holidays’ on the street?

  18. 18.

    JGabriel

    Michael D.:

    If my family had good Muslim friends, would your advice to them be to give gifts to the Christians and not “ruin it” for them?

    I would expect good friends would have already, directly or indirectly, resolved that situation.

    If, however, Muslim friends asked whether they should give a gift to a Christian friend for Christmas, then I’d counsel no, unless it was someone they were dating, or the family of someone they were engaged/married to; i.e., in the situation where family bonds, or potential family bonds exist. Or unless they really want to.

    Also they should bring a gift if they were attending a Christmas dinner/party. If you’re going to engage in the cultural celebrations, then you observe the cultural obligations — unless poverty prevents.

    .

  20. 20.

    cathyx

    @Michael D.: What I’m saying is, is this the hill you want to die on? Do you want to continue friendly relationships with your relatives? You have to be the one to suck in up because you are the one who asked the question. If your relative asked should I ignore Michael who doesn’t believe in the Christianity and doesn’t want to exchange gifts because it offends me that he acts that way, I would tell them to suck it up and just say to themselves “that’s just how Michael is and we love him anyway”. Yes, you suck it up because you are the one asking the question. They aren’t.

  21. 21.

    JGabriel

    @chopper:

    … treating xmas as a time to give gifts to people and completely ignore the religious side of things only helps to further dilute the religious message behind it …

    Bwahaha!

    Sorry, perhaps you don’t live in the US, in which case I shouldn’t laugh. But in the US, almost everyone ignores the religious side of things on Christmas — except, if they’re religious, for the hour they go to church.

    which you know just pisses off the religious christians in this country.

    Anyone who’s pissed off at one for observing the cultural, but not the religious, rituals of Christmas, is someone who will be pissed off at any accommodation less than full conversion to their own beliefs, and is not someone you need to worry about*.

    (*Unless they’re wealthy and you stand to inherit. Then you’ll have to make your own decisions on how much accommodation that’s worth.)

    .

  22. 22.

    chopper

    @JGabriel:

    dogg, haven’t you heard, there’s a war on christmas(tm)? i know these guys’ll be pissed either way, but i go out of my way to tell them ‘happy holidays’ or ‘enjoy whatever day you happen to celebrate’ or ‘have a nice kwanzaa’.

    and yes, people in this country have thinned out xmas a lot, but it never hurts to do your part to give it that lil extra push.

  23. 23.

    chopper

    @Michael D.:

    So, you’re saying that as a non-Christian who doesn’t celebrate Christmas, I should be the one to suck it up and give gifts on a holiday I don’t celebrate, correct?

    do you want to remain even somewhat close with these people?

  25. 25.

    Malraux

    I have multiple friends who have played Kackel Dackel, and they all report that it is as awesome as you’d expect.

  26. 26.

    Jackie

    Listen the Christians stole the holiday from the Pagans, in a spirit of if you can’t beat em join em. Everyone needs a little mid winter cheering. Put Happy Solstice on the card. It shakes the world of the literalists to learn a little history.

Comments are closed.