Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Not all heroes wear capes.

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

Second rate reporter says what?

If senate republicans had any shame, they’d die of it.

Impressively dumb. Congratulations.

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

The republican caucus is already covering themselves with something, and it’s not glory.

Yeah, with this crowd one never knows.

You can’t love your country only when you win.

Roe isn’t about choice, it’s about freedom.

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

No offense, but this thread hasn’t been about you for quite a while.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.

A sufficient plurality of insane, greedy people can tank any democratic system ever devised, apparently.

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

Accountability, motherfuckers.

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

“What are Republicans afraid of?” Everything.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Merry Xmas!

Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Merry Xmas!

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(Her mom says the girl was innocently complaining about ‘a little hangnail’.)

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162Comments

  2. 2.

    Chyron HR

    Her mom says the girl was innocently complaining about ‘a little hangnail’.

    Alternative answer: “No, she was playing the line game.”

  4. 4.

    NotMax

    Let’s see… December 25th… Niggling thought that something of note happened… Ah yes, that’s the date the Centigrade scale was first introduced. (Trivia: originally it was in what we would consider the reverse, 100 being the freezing point of water, 0 being the boiling point at sea level.)

    Mele Kalikimaka, compadres.

    Fagots for the holidays, anyone? Or maybe you prefer a flashmob approach.

    Also too, heh. (In truth, have seen way, way uglier.)

  10. 10.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    I hope Santa beings every jackal everything they want today, and if that is not the jackal’s fate or tradition, I hope the jackal spends time with online or offline friends to cheer them.

  11. 11.

    HeartlandLiberal

    So yesterday I reported we were headed out to our favorite restaurant, which serves the best breakfasts in town, for wife’s birthday. I hoped for Eggs Benedict. They had the weekend menu going.  Yeah. Ordered them. With a side of bacon. Home fries. (no need for lunch later.) Ordered over easy, yolks runny. Arrived, yokes cooked almost hard, the bun pretty stale. I pointed this out to waitress, and manager came over and offered to replace and comp. I said no, they were edible, just very subpar, and I wanted to eat with my wife. This joint is actually famous nationwide in contests for their Eggs Benedict, by the way. Our waitress had been really nice all through this, and when she brought the check, she asked our names, because she was reading the check. Then she asked if we knew a guy with same last name. Sure, we said, our son. Turns out she had worked with him and been friends for several years in another local large restaurant years earlier. Then another guy came over from the bar, introduced himself. Her husband, he had also worked with our son. Then when I looked at the check, the manager had insisted on comping anyway, although I had said not necessary, just have a chat with the cook. The tab was only $31, would have hit 48 otherwise. So I gave the waitress a $15 tip. She had been so gracious and helpful, and hey, she and her husband had recently reconnected with our son on Facebook. All told, a nice start to wife’s birthday.

  14. 14.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @HeartlandLiberal: OUr favorite local eatery for breakfasts Changed hands recently after 50 years in the same family. (I’ve been eating there off and on for almost 40 of those years) The first thing to happen was our favorite waitress up and quit w/o notice. Slowly but surely the new owners changed this, then that, to the point where 2 weeks ago we just gave up. None of the stuff we had always loved was the same. We won’t be back.

    C’est la vie.

  17. 17.

    Tony Jay

    Merry Christmas, assorted Juicers of All Nations.

    Last night was the now traditional viewing of Arthur Christmas followed by the QI Christmas special. Currently watching the boy play WiI Resort (retro 6 year olds for the win) while slow roasting a lamb shoulder.

    Death to Tories. Gruesome maiming to their enablers. And a fantastic jolly bolly wobbly Holiday Season to the rest of Y’all.

  19. 19.

    OzarkHillbilly

    It turns out that many things I thought about autism were twaddle. It wasn’t that my son hated Christmas: it was that he cared deeply about certain aspects of it, while others aroused zero interest or induced abject horror. Which is not far off how many of us feel about this got-to-be-most-wonderful time of the year. One Damascene moment came at the Edinburgh Christmas market, possibly as I was exchanging many pounds for a tiny tankard of mulled wine (plus extra for tankard insurance in case I nicked it; there’s the spirit of the Christmas market right there). This was during the bizarre period in the era of parenting your first baby when you don’t know what the hell you are doing, end up doing what you think you should be doing and then spend the whole time thinking: “What am I doing here?” Well, my son responded to the sights, sounds, smells, lights, queues and endless wooden-arts-and-crafts stalls as if he were my daemon. He screamed. Tears poured from his eyes like fake snow from the tinsel-wrapped dome on George Street. He smashed his head off the back of his buggy over and over again. We left immediately. We have never been back.

    Children change everything, even more so when they have additional needs. So along with real life, Christmas was changed for good. And I was changed, too. The next year, I wasn’t disappointed that my son wasn’t harassing me for presents for weeks on end. I knew him, and us, better. There was less fear and more delight. I remember on the way home from nursery one December day, my son pointed at a small plastic fish in a charity-shop window. In the next window, I showed him a Christmas tree, and, in a phase when he was obsessed with defining things negatively, according to his own idiosyncratic system of what they were not, he replied: “It’s not a fish!” For at least two more years, every time we saw a Christmas tree one of us would say: “It’s not a fish!” and fall about laughing. I know, the levels of you-had-to-be-there are off the scale, but this is the way with autism. It’s hard to explain, and highly specific. The point is, even with all the challenges – and there are many – if you just open the door of your mind to autism, the world is reborn. And it’s incredible.

  20. 20.

    Amir Khalid

    @HeartlandLiberal:

    A lovely story, very much in the spirit of Christmas.

    My own day has turned out pretty okay, I guess. A couple of problems got resolved. The guy at the used-laptop store said to bring my laptop in and he’d fix it. Another store said a new shipment of multiFX pedals had arrived from the faraway land of Cathay, so after more than a month I could finally bring mine in for replacement. (It had arrived with a cracked screen, which gave me a sad, and wouldn’t unmute after I’d used its tuner.)

    Now all I need is for Liverpool to win at Leicester City, and I shall be happy.

  22. 22.

    Aleta

    @OzarkHillbilly: We have one that’s been in the same family since 1920.  The soda fountain seats are still there and for years you could still  play the jukebox from the tables for 25 cents.   The founder once showed us the room that’s hidden behind a large one-way mirror, which  hangs on the wall at the entrance, which is on the river. His grandson is pretty old now.  This fall there was a “shake-up,” all the career waitresses disappeared and the new cooks … never mind.

  23. 23.

    debbie

    That cat looks poised to spring and inflict damage on the photographer. Merry morning and Good Christmas, all!

  25. 25.

    debbie

    Charlie Pierce’s thread appreciating “It’s a Wonderful Life” is a nice way to start Christmas Day.

    Yeah, the ending got me again.
    — Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) December 25, 2019

  26. 26.

    Elizabelle

    Merry Christmas, jackals.  Carpe diem.

    Happy (belated) Hanukkah or Festivus or whatever pleases you, too.

  27. 27.

    OzarkHillbilly

    A week ago we got 6″ of snow. Gonna hit 70 today. Needless to say the snow is long gone. I am going to take advantage of the warm weather and lay 2 courses of block for the base of my new smoke chamber. I got my half pig last week and am now overflowing with sides, jowls, hocks, and hams in need of curing and smoking. When making room for the pig in the freezers I found a buried pancetta I made last year. Thawed it out and I now know the first thing I am making this year. The best part is I don’t need to wait for the smoker to be finished.

  28. 28.

    JMG

    Merry Christmas or Merry December 25th whichever you prefer to all my unmet friends and companions here! I am the only one up in my household due to Alice and my daughter Hope and I staying up until midnight watching “A Christmas Story,” which I admit I much prefer to “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

  29. 29.

    Patricia Kayden

    Just waking up to a baking turkey. Merry Christmas to you all! This is one of the blogs that keeps me sane under the Trump regime. Hopefully we are nearing the end.

  30. 30.

    mrmoshpotato

    @OzarkHillbilly: Haha

    I’m impressed that she didn’t get bored after a few minutes.  A full 20 minutes of flipping off the audience is dedication for anyone, especially a 5-year-old!

  31. 31.

    donnah

    Merry Christmas to everyone! My family enjoyed our traditional Christmas Eve and exchanged gifts at my mom’s house. She’s 84 and my husband’s mom is 90, so we’re cherishing the holidays with them.

    This morning all three of my sons will be home and I’ll prepare French toast and bacon and eggs, then we’ll open our gifts to each other. My oldest son is 33, middle son is 31, and the youngest is 27. They may all be grown-ass men, tall and bearded, but when they open their gifts, I still see my three wiggly, giggly little boys.

    That’s all I want for Christmas.

  32. 32.

    Phylllis

    @debbie:  We went to a showing of this at the local art house theater a couple of weeks ago. It was a great experience to see it on the big screen. And yeah, I was weepy for pretty much the whole movie.

  33. 33.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Tony Jay: Mmmm…..slow roasted lamb shoulder.

    Merry Christmas, Tony Jay.  Thanks for keeping us up to date on UK going ons throughout the year.

  35. 35.

    NotMax

    Dug out the recipe and if the fates are willing and the creek don’t rise am going to try my hand – for the first time – at making Mom’s mandel brot later today. Like biscotti but more cakey.

  36. 36.

    Immanentize

    Happy Merry everyone! The presents are wrapped beneath the tree, stocking stuffed with really fresh roasted bags of coffee…. Missing ingredient is the sleeping Immp. So the cat, Toast, and I are hanging out side by side. The cat is also sleeping while I drink anti-sleep bean juice myself.

    So far, a fabulous day. Although I do for some reason have an Eggs Benedict craving! I hope all of you and yours also have an excellent day regardless of your inherent Blech.

  37. 37.

    sab

    @OzarkHillbilly: Thanks. I needed to see that article. I baked all the Chistmas cookies yesterday. I had hoped one day to have a grandchild help me decorate the sugar cookies. The littlest one is autistic and six, so still not up to it. If we tried with any success, they would probably all have to be pink (her favorite color.) But she is gently excited about the holiday, and she can talk beyond ecolalia.

  38. 38.

    debbie

    @mrmoshpotato:

    I have been told of a ballet recital I was in when I was 7 or 8 where I got into a loud argument with a fellow dancer over who had just made the wrong move. I don’t remember the specifics, other than we didn’t know our whispers could be heard and we couldn’t figure out why the audience was laughing so loudly.

  39. 39.

    arrieve

    Merry Christmas to all the Jackals from Quebec City. Walking through the old town here is like a real-life Christmas card, and it has warmed my heart, which had been pretty Bah Humbug about the whole season. On the other hand, our group of thirty now possesses three broken wrists, so I’m going to pass on an optional outing this morning to toboggan down the ice slide by the St. Lawrence River.

  40. 40.

    Baud

    My favorite Christmas tradition is opening up all the Christmas emails I get from companies that have my email address.

  41. 41.

    scav

    Best seasonal and/or unseasonal greetings to all here!  I’m pondering the risk of sneaking out this early and making coffee, but what if I glimpse my as-yet unfilled stocking? Delusions of a lifetime or or a desparately needed cup?

  42. 42.

    chris

    Merry Christmas to all! Or whatever floats your boat.

    Gathering myself for the two hour drive to sibling’s house in the city for way too much food and good cheer. Then home tomorrow with my belt loosened a notch or two and a bag full of goodies to keep it that way for a while. Life is good.

    And sometime life is a wonder, see this video of an emotional and physical support Great Dane. Awww!

  44. 44.

    zhena gogolia

    @donnah:

    So sweet.

    On another topic, nothing encapsulates the idiocy, cruelty, and narcissism of 45 more than this whole load of c–p about “Merry Christmas.” As if he doesn’t know perfectly well that “Happy Holidays” is a simple way to acknowledge the fact that NOT EVERYONE IN THE COUNTRY IS A F–KING CHRISTIAN!!!!! Even “Happy Holidays” isn’t all that respectful, because not everyone has “holidays” right now. As I understand it from my Jewish ex-husband, Chanukah isn’t even such a big deal and only became so because it coincides.

    Rant over. I’ll try not to think about the stain on our country any more today.

  47. 47.

    MattF

    When I was in grad school, we had a contest for ‘Best pun on the title of a Christmas carol that involves a kind of fish’. And I won! With ‘Little Tuna Bethlehem’. The runner-up was ‘Shark! The herald angels sing!’. The prize was a can of tuna.

  49. 49.

    Immanentize

    @NotMax: mmmm. Mandel bread.  Do it and please report back.  The Immp has moved on from coffee project to sourdough making.  Two loaves produced so far.  Excellent. I have requested rye bread next. I am very lucky to have such an industrious son.

  52. 52.

    mrmoshpotato

    Forty-three degrees in Chicago.  A Merry Christmas,H belated Hanukkah, Rockin’ Solstice to all, and the weather, “Get it together!  What’s a matter with you?!”

    And Cloudfare, you behave yourself today.

    Forty-three degrees in Chicago.  A Merry Christmas, Happy belated Hanukkah, Rockin’ Solstice to all, and to the weather, “Get it together!  What’s a matter with you?!”

    And Cloudfare, you behave yourself today.

  54. 54.

    Nelle

    Greetings!  My husband and I came to Phoenix for Christmas with my daughter and son-in-law.  Three of us are ill with this crud, and for two of us, it’s turned into bronchitis.   Don’t feel like getting In the hot tub with all the rain.  In a few hours, we’ll open our presents ( tilted toward books) and curl into reading, accompanied by much coughing.   It’s a holiday chorus, it is.  Tge dogs flop on us.

    We’ll do the minimal.   I’ve gathered face masks for the flight home…I pity the others in the plane as we insure the continuing spread of whatever this is.  Except it seems to have gotten to all corners before us.

    All this makes me miss our Christmases at Ohope Beach in New Zealand during the years we lived there.  Lovely long summer’s day, looking at occasional steam from White Island, listening to the waves of the Pacific.  American Chrustmases seem more, hmm, thick with expectation of ritual and protocol.

  55. 55.

    Kristine

    Merry Christmas to All from the NE corner of Illinois. Sunny day expected, with a high of 53F. Given the chill and snow we had in October/November, I expected December to be more of the same or worse, but no. Not complaining.

    Walk with friends through one of the local forest preserves is planned, followed by a quiet dinner. Last night, I watched the Alastair Sim version of Scrooge, which is imo the best version.

  60. 60.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Nelle: Yes. What’s wrong with it is it takes the baby Jesus out of the very special high center of it.

     

    ETA and acknowledges that there are other faiths just as valid.

  61. 61.

    satby

    Good morning and season’s greetings to one and all! Woke up at 4 am but two cups of coffee didn’t stop me from falling back asleep for two more hours at 6 am. My Chicago son just texted to make sure I didn’t show up too early for brunch ( “see you at 12:30, right?” ?). waiting to hear from younger son, who is probably sleeping in on his only day off.

    We were celebrating with booze infused cherries and Bailey’s in our coffee at the market yesterday and I swear I was pretty buzzed by 9 am. Barely noticed the awful music yesterday, so wins all around.

    I hope everyone has an enjoyable day! Love to all of you.

  65. 65.

    OzarkHillbilly

    Where have I been?

    Christmas Card From A Hooker In Minneapolis

    Hey Charley, for chrissakes
    Do you want to know the truth of it?
    I don’t have a husband
    He don’t play the trombone
    I need to borrow money
    To pay this lawyer
    And Charley, hey
    I’ll be eligible for parole
    Come Valentine’s Day

    -Tom Waits

    ETA kinda reminds me of my ex.

  67. 67.

    Yarrow

    Happy Christmas, Juicers! Quiet Christmas here. Even outside seems quiet. Usually someone goes by walking their dog but I haven’t seen anyone. Even the birds seem to be taking the day off. Maybe someone spiked a birbath with eggnog and they’re all sleeping it off.

  70. 70.

    Emma

    Happy Christmas (yes, I combine them; it makes the usual suspects stop in their tracks). I am feeling very low energy today and I am cooking. Simple menu: roasted citrus chicken with garlic potatoes and a nice salad. Turrones for dessert. Done.

  77. 77.

    laura

    Merry Christmas one and all!

    I’m lazing away the final moments of warm in bed with a dog and spouse is shuffling around while one of the kittens project manages the tea making and delivery, then I’m up to make sausage rolls to bring along for the bloody mary gathering. Here’s hoping for a gentle day. And now here is a cuppa and a cat.

  79. 79.

    PST

    @Kristine:

    Merry Christmas to All from the NE corner of Illinois. Sunny day expected, with a high of 53F.

    Some of the weather reports are predicting 58 degrees here in Chicago. By the way, it seems like there is a large NE Illinois presence here.

  80. 80.

    arrieve

    @Immanentize: Yes, so many beautiful churches here! I went to Mass last night, the first time in decades I’ve gone to a Mass that wasn’t a wedding or a funeral. (They had one at 9pm, which was perfect for those of us who can’t stay awake until midnight.) It was just a lovely service with beautiful music, and the priest welcoming all the visitors in several languages. If only it were always like that! Now I’m resting up before tackling Christmas brunch.

  81. 81.

    PST

    I spent Christmas Eve at a Chinese buffet and comedy show held at a funeral home under a banner reading “Is Comedy Dead?” That’s a new one for me. At least it was for a good cause.

  82. 82.

    geg6

    If Steep is around, to answer your question in Cole’s post last night, Cleo is a kitty.  We found her abandoned in our garage last year around this time at about 4 weeks old.  She should be in this year’s calendar.  She’s a doll.

  84. 84.

    TheOtherHank

    It’s no middle finger, but when my older boy was in his preschool Christmas pageant, he spent the entire show with his back to the audience staring at the Christmas tree.

  85. 85.

    Kristine

    @PST: Maybe we should plan a meet-up? I drove to Madison WI for the last one I attended. I love Madison, so didn’t mind the drive, but a Chicago/Evanston-area get-together would be neat.

    I know some BJers are science fiction/fantasy readers. Maybe a get-together at a local convention?

  86. 86.

    ThresherK

    @arrieve: “so I’m going to pass on an optional outing this morning to toboggan down the ice slide by the St. Lawrence River”

    In the name of all that’s holy, and Ethan Frome, probably a good idea.

  88. 88.

    geg6

    @JMG:
    Totally agree.  I really am anti-It’s A Wonderful Life.  Whereas, A Christmas Story has so many moments that hark back to my own childhood that I am compelled to watch it every Christmas.  Brings back good memories.

  90. 90.

    PST

    @Kristine: A meet-up would be fun. I assume that if we plan something now, there will be six feet of snow and subzero weather for the rest of the winter, so it might be better to wait for spring.

  91. 91.

    Kelly

    We spent Christmas Eve at the hospital whilst my brother in law had emergency triple bypass surgery. It went well. My wife just got a text that the breathing tube is out and they got him out of bed. Docs say he’ll be healthier than before as long as he quits his 2 pack a day for 30 years smoking habit. Bless all the folks that keep the world running holidays and weekends.

  92. 92.

    Kristine

    @PST:

    I assume that if we plan something now, there will be six feet of snow and subzero weather for the rest of the winter, so it might be better to wait for spring.

    I think that would be wise. I can’t believe that it will remain this mild for the next three months.

  93. 93.

    Ken

    @debbie: @TheOtherHank: I went to my niece’s dance recital. She was about 4 so all her group did was line up and walk in rhythm. There was one little girl who burst into tears. Then when the group came back later, she just stood there with her hands over her face.

    Mind you, the uncomfortable number was the two girls, about fourteen, who danced to “It’s Raining Men”. In black leotards. And black rubber raincoats. I spent the entire act staring at my feet, because I’m fairly sure it’s illegal in most states for men to look at that.

  97. 97.

    O. Felix Culpa

    Merry Holiday from northern New Mexico. Last night we savored Swedish meatballs in gravy with cranberry chutney, mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus by hygge candlelight. The dog got his very own holiday meatball, which he savored too. We opened one present each and were appropriately delighted.

    This morning started with the essential coffee-making (and a Christmas cookie or two might have been eaten), followed by The Opening of the Presents. We called son #2 who is two hours ahead of us to thank him and girlfriend for the perfect Scandi design butter warming pot they sent us. Then breakfast! The ancient family tradition of bagels and lox for me, while Ms O opted for her usual oatmeal. Now lazing snuggled in my new wool throw, listening to Sufjan’s Christmas albums, eating a Frango mint or three and catching up on my favorite blog community. Perfection. Thank you all for your contributions over the years. Like it or not, you all are a gift.

  100. 100.

    BeautifulPlumage

    HAPPY HOLIDAYS DEAR JACKALS!

    May your celebrations be merry.

    (and to some of you…sympathy  in your time of grief, please go easy on yourselves, your friends will understand)

  102. 102.

    Yarrow

    So friends of mine got an unusual Christmas gift. Woke up to find a card smashed into the tree in front of their house. Half blocking the driveway. I guess it’s better than if the car had hit the house. Thank you, tree, for saving my friends from that. Guy left a note saying he would call a tow truck but so far no tow truck has arrived.

  103. 103.

    Citizen Alan

    @debbie:  I loathe It’s a Wonderful Life with the heat of a thousand suns. This is entirely personal on my part, and hardly fair to what is considered a classic movie. It’s just that for personal reasons, I can’t help but view it as the tale of a schlub who continually sacrifices all his dreams and personal ambitions because of guilt dumped on him by a family that can’t imagine why you’d ever want to live a dumpy little hick town. Even suicide is not an escape, because God Himself personally intervenes to show him a contrived AU that suggests the whole town would have become a dystopian nightmare without his self-sacrifice to redeem it. I have no love for Ayn Rand, but watching IAWL makes me understand why she meant by “Sanction of the VIctim.” YMMV, obviously.

  104. 104.

    Omnes Omnibus

    Today, I will say Merry Christmas; the rest of the season, I go with Happy Holidays.   So…  Merry Christmas.

  105. 105.

    Kristine

    @Dorothy A. Winsor:

    Capricon is February 13-16 in Wheeling. I’m on a couple of panels, but there are movies and gaming if people prefer that. Tobias Buckell is the guest of honor.

    I’m attending, too–I have a couple of Saturday panels and a reading.

  107. 107.

    Kelly

    @zhena gogolia: As we hung out in the waiting room I couldn’t help thinking “Damn if this disaster had held off a few more days all bills would go to the same year’s deductible”. USA health insurance is absurd.

  108. 108.

    zhena gogolia

    @Citizen Alan:

    I’m a Stewart fan, not a Capra fan. I’ve only watched it once and have never done so again. I don’t know why, I just find it totally depressing.

  110. 110.

    debbie

    @Citizen Alan:

    And it does vary from yours. Aside from the story and the redemption (even that jackass Sam Wainwright comes to realize George’s goodness), I love the faces of all the actors, and most of all, I love the  incredible attention to even the smallest details. Bert and Ernie’s duet outside the honeymoon suite is one of the best scenes ever!

  111. 111.

    opiejeanne

    @debbie: Oh, there’s far worse out there. My girls took dance lessons for years from studios, and one local one had costumes for little girls that were nearly risqué… One mom whose daughter left that studio showed me a picture of her daughter in one of their costumes and remarked, “That’s when she was a hooker.”  The child was maybe 9.

    OTOH, I don’t get what the problem with girls in leotards is, or is it the black raincoats?

  112. 112.

    hengiquai

    @Dorothy A. Winsor (71):

    I’ve never been to Quebec City. It sounds wonderful.

    It is.  Everything Montreal could be, an Olde European city in the new world, and the locals are pleasant; and will laugh right along with you while you busily mangle your 40 year old high school French.

    Typical occurrence for us – was in a neighborhood shop reading the menu of offerings; young woman came in and was standing in front of me also reading the menu.  She then turned to me and started speaking rapid-fire French.  Looked at me askance when I started laughing, then joined and switched to English when I said “Sorry, American!”.  I love Canada.

  113. 113.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    @Kristine: Oh excellent! I’m on a panel at 4 on Friday afternoon and then doing the author speed dating at 5:30. I’m reading at 1 on Saturday. If you’re interested, we could get together. My email address is dawinsor (at) dawinsor (dot) com.

  114. 114.

    TomatoQueen

    Shiny Xmas to all. Meals on Wheels has brought me fixin’s  and a full-sized candy cane to hang off the laptop lid. Merlin is on his morning prowl. I’ve found the tv Yule Log, the Animal Planet kittenspuppiesgoatsbunneez marathon, and now A Christmas Story huzzah. No disasters and lovely xmas vignettes on the blog, apart from bypasses and godknowswhat. Isn’t there a baby due for somebody?

  116. 116.

    Yarrow

    @Citizen Alan:  I’m kind of with you on that take. I don’t dislike it as much as you do but I think George is kind of a self-loathing asshole who keeps doing what everyone else wants but being angry about it. Also, Mary is pretty powerful. She throws the rock at the house and makes a wish and George’s dad immediately has a stroke and dies and George has to stay in town. That’s some scary power.

  117. 117.

    opiejeanne

    @debbie: My daughters decided they hated “It’s a Wonderful Life” because the year mr opiejeanne got laid off a week before Christmas was the same year that movie seemingly played on every station that week, every day until Christmas, and sometimes more than once.

    They were in 3rd & 7th grade, their brother was in college.

  119. 119.

    MomSense

    Merry Xmas to all the Jackals.  Last night we had a lovely Christmas Eve drinking hot toddy’s, playing music and cooking together.  Met oldest son’s GF who is wicked smaht and has the same weird sense of humor as the rest of us.  We watched What We Do in the Shadows – silly and fun.

    Today the party continues with more cooking and merriment.

    The only sour note was the dog scarfed something that reversed direction soon after, She is now happily napping in the middle of everything with her head in one boy’s feet and her body spread across the other boys’ feet while they play video games.

    Wishing you all peace in your corners of jackaldom.

  120. 120.

    opiejeanne

    @Ken: Poorly thought-out costuming. Things shouldn’t flap.

    I was a costumer in the SF area, and most of my customers were dance studios. The only raincoats I ever saw on our kids were yellow ones on two little girls tapping to a short version of “Singin’ In The Rain”.

    Everybody “knows” that the appropriate costume for “It’s Rainging Men” involves umbrellas and not raincoats.

  121. 121.

    JMG

    I have nothing against “It’s a Wonderful Life” but I’ve seen it enough, whereas I can watch “A Christmas Story,” “A Christmas Carol” and “Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown” an infinite number of times each December.

  123. 123.

    Yarrow

    @debbie:  I love all the details in the film too. Mary smashing that record is one of my favorite bits. I’m kind of the middle as like it and not liking it. I’m not a fan of George as a character (or Mary) but I love watching the film. I agree with you that the faces are fantastic. I also like where it fits historically with WWII and how people at the time were dealing with love and loss.

  127. 127.

    Immanentize

    @Raven: I hope those lures do what they are supposed to!  Come here, fish.

    And your art/present is really nice.  I like the black border setting off the sunset. Lucky guy.

  129. 129.

    Ben Cisco

    Happy Holidaze to the Jackalteriat.

    Family gathering pushed back to Saturday because work, so I’m resting, cooking and imbibing.

    Not necessarily in that order.

  131. 131.

    CaseyL

    Happy Hols, y’all!

    I live off a main drag (Northgate Way) and Xmas morning is the only one, other than snowpocalypse days, when there is practically no traffic at all.  Eerily quiet, IOW, but very nice.

    Nothing much planned for the day other than dinner at the nearby Indian place, with friends.   My family isn’t Xtian, so we don’t make special calls today – we’ll be Skyping Sunday in any case.

    Now, let’s see how many tries to get this comment up (h/t OzarkHillbilly).

  133. 133.

    trollhattan

    A Very Merry to all, from California’s soggy Big Valley. The pup is still enjoying his new chew toy, clearly the happiest gift recipient. Up to the foothills today for a paella feast, so a good time guaranteed, just ahead.

    Be safe, everyone.

    ETA, the Christmas music CD collection has been expanded with a copy of Shatner Claus. Yes, exactly what you think it is.

  135. 135.

    opiejeanne

    @debbie: A stage is large enough that two girls could manage to not do that quite easily. If not, they need to do something else as a hobby.

    14 yo girls are pretty scarce at dance studios. Most either burn out at12 or leave to be cheerleaders.

  136. 136.

    ?BillinGlendaleCA

    Merry Christmas to the jackals who celebrate and Happy Hump Day to those that do not.  I’ve shot photos of the the neighborhood houses that have nice holiday lights for the past 6 years.  There were fewer houses that elected to put up lights this year, but I’ve continued my tradition.  My Patrons have seen most of these as I shot them at my Patreon site.  Here’s a slideshow of A Christmas in Glendale 2019.

  138. 138.

    Martin

    Merry Christmas everyone, but especially to the non-Christians. I’m an atheist who enjoys going to Christmas services, which always gets a strange reaction from people. I always liken it to going to someones birthday party or wedding. I don’t need to believe to enjoy the festivities of those who do.

    Holidays like this get a lot of people down, and I think that’s more true for those of us that more appreciate a day off of work and an excuse to drink spiked eggnog at 9am with our family than all that business about Jesus. So, be good to each other in your own personal way. Make the world better in the manner that suits you. And give everyone who gets in your way a solid two middle fingers like a 5 year old that doesn’t care.

  139. 139.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Raven: Nice.

    @Raven: I bought me a little xmas gift I have been worrying over for several years. Finally bit the bullet and bought a 14′ jonboat with ’89 9.9 hp Evinrude and 2 trolling motors for the extravagant sum of…

    $1700.

    Boat, trailer, and outboard all with clear titles. I figure I’m way ahead of the game if only 2 sources of propulsion work. One trolling motor does, the Evinrude isn’t seized up, and I’m working on the other trolling motor.

    It won’t impress the girls going up and down the river but I’m more of a putt putt guy these days anyway.

    We’ll see.

  141. 141.

    Martin

    @opiejeanne: Boy, not in my area. But here it’s all hip hop dance teams. And there’s a LOT of them. Probably the most common extracurricular here at the HS and college level. Grab a bunch of your friends and a Bluetooth speaker and you’re in business. Set up a competition with the other teams at your school. No adults or permission needed, very inclusive. The dance studios figured that market out a few years ago.

  142. 142.

    Suzanne

    It’s a very rainy Christmas here in Phoenix. And we’re having a great time! It’s the first Christmas for Spawn the Youngest, who turns six months old today. All of the kids are enjoying their gifts. Spawn the Younger read the prayer yesterday in church. SuzMom and I are both feeling sick, but other than that, we’re having a good holiday.

  143. 143.

    BC in Illinois

    Back in the 1980s, my daughter’s first Sunday School Christmas program included her preschool-age class saying something in unison, something like:

    Jesus came from heaven above,

    Something something something love.

    Something something something see,

    Something something you and me.

    (There were motions to go with it. Pointing up, hands on heart, something, then pointing to “you” and to “me.”)

    About two weeks before the program, I asked the teacher how things were going. Okay, but the kids were having trouble saying the lines together.  I asked her again, just before the program. She said it was all fine.

    Each kid said the poem alone, by themself, one after the other.

    She wasn’t going to fight it.

  145. 145.

    p.a.

    @OzarkHillbilly: Nice rig, basically like what I sold abt 5 years ago.  (Tired of the winter storage issues).  No one actually makes a 9.9, there’s generally a restrictor/rpm regulator holding holding back a 12 or 15 (ish) hp motor.  You or a friendly mechanic can ‘fix’ that, and the cowl will still say 9.9 for any interested badge-wearing interlopers.

  147. 147.

    Sister Golden Bear

    A Christmas song for our legal jackals:

    (1) A person must watch out.
    (2) A person must not—
         (a) cry,
         (b) pout
    (3) Subsection (4) provides further information about the reasons for the duties contained in subsections (1) and (2).
    (4) The relevant person is arriving at a place that has a population—
         (a) larger than a village, but
         (b) smaller than a city.
    (5) The relevant person must—
         (a) make a list
         (b) check the information contained in the list two times.
    (6) The relevant person ascertain—
         (a) who has been naughty,
         (b) who have been nice.
    (7) In this section, “relevant person” means “Santa Claus.”

  149. 149.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @p.a.: I was kinda curious about that, same size as the 15. Also wondering how in the heck they settled on 9.9. No worries about the size. The only restriction I might run into is 20 hp on the Current river.

  150. 150.

    Aleta

    @Sister Golden Bear: There could be a sequel in which people, having heard enough about the angel and weary of George’s singing  (Song opportunity!  Chorus:  “Just so hap hap happy, all of the time!” ), decide he needs professional help.  “Do it for the children George.”

  151. 151.

    Formerly disgruntled in Oregon

    Good Yule to you, and Ho, Ho, Ho! Merry Christmas!

    We made it! The mornings have started to come earlier again. Spring is still a little ways out still, but our faith that it is coming has been validated. The natural order of never ending cycles rules on.

    Thank you to all of you for this community. In 2019 it has been all the more necessary. Here’s to 2020!

  153. 153.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Immanentize: Heh, closest I ever got was a 4 lb-4 oz bass, tho I have caught many larger Northerns, muskies, and catfish, and I once caught a walleye that was pushing 4+.

  154. 154.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @Citizen Alan:

    I can’t help but view it as the tale of a schlub who continually sacrifices all his dreams and personal ambitions because of guilt dumped on him by a family that can’t imagine why you’d ever want to live a dumpy little hick town. Even suicide is not an escape, because God Himself personally intervenes to show him a contrived AU that suggests the whole town would have become a dystopian nightmare without his self-sacrifice to redeem it.

    My knee jerk reaction to this was “Lighten Up, Francis”.  That being said, this is one of the best alternative takes on the film I’ve ever read.

    There’s a fascinating analysis of the movie in terms of what it meant to Jimmy Stewart after his war service:

    https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/movies/ct-jimmy-stewart-book-mov-1202-20161201-column.html

  158. 158.

    John Revolta

    @Yarrow: Mary is pretty powerful. She throws the rock at the house and makes a wish and George’s dad immediately has a stroke and dies and George has to stay in town

    Shit, I don’t know how I missed that, all these years. It’s pretty weird.

    Mind you , I’m a little weird myself. I always thought that “Potterville” looked like a fun kinda town. Better than Bedford Falls for sure. Growing up in Chicago may have influenced my opinions somewhat I guess.

    Merrrryyy Christmaassss jackals!!

  159. 159.

    Anotherlurker

    @Sister Golden Bear: My dear Sister, I agree with you about IAWL.  Even growing up, it hit home to me.  I’m the person who always put others first and sometimes suffered the consequences of it.

    Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a compassionate, giving person but I am well aware that some folks will take advantage of an empath.  I am more cautious now. (Finially, at age 67.)

  160. 160.

    debbie

    @Sister Golden Bear:

    It’s more about a person who doesn’t realize until the end of the movie that it was a good thing after all he was born. I don’t see that other people in the movie were deliberately taking advantage of him.

  161. 161.

    Sister Golden Bear

    @debbie: That’s the thing about people pleasing, it’s not other people intending to take advantage of you, it’s you doing things for others to the point where it’s at the expense of yourself.

    If you like the movies, that’s fine, I’m not saying you shouldn’t. I’m just saying for myself (as others have said), due to my own personal history it reads very differently.

  162. 162.

    Quiltingfool

    Merry Christmas to all!  I don’t really have anything else to contribute; I got a keyboard for my ipad and I am trying it out.  I like it!  I could actually use it properly – not hunt and peck as I am doing right now – if I didn’t have the cat sitting on my lap!  We were gone most of today and she really needs lap time, I guess.  I hope all you fine folks have had a good day; I know it makes my day better to read the stories and comments here – a wonderful visit.

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