Holiday/Christmas Traditions

Sweet Ginger​(sub female){⚓ } • Dec 10, 2023

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@Miki ahhh, I get you now..the actor doing the voice is saying "nose" but how that may be transposed via CC it may read "nose" 🤭 which sounds funny now that I'm thinking about it.. this will now be forever stuck in my head whenever I watch the movie again..


My ex was particularly deaf in one ear..he often made note about many shows/movies either didn't have an option for CC or the CC would be off.

Miki • Dec 10, 2023

@ginger Either that or they're using A I to transcribe what is said, and therein lies the inherent issue of A I not being set up for or capable of detecting "context" In that scene "nose" would totally not fit, given the scene and what those two are heading in to do..

CC is totally required for me. As I have said here and there, I'm deaf as a board.


@ Iron (what's his nuts:)--

[sorry forgot your name and can't scroll up without having this post vanish-]

For me excess commercialism, which has been around decades longer than I have, and then some.... is the soullessness and hollowness of Christmas.. or any holiday of note for that matter.

Of late I start seeing "Black Friday" sales ads... in September. And some are still going on, usually car dealers of all places trying to get rid of the leftover '23s they're stuck with.

And of course come about Dec 28th, 27th , in some places, leftover "50% Off" Christmas merch will be set more towards the back of the store and you can be sure to see Valentines Day shit front and center.

(Side note.. for everyone M/F, BDSM or not... Never, ever, ever start a relationship until after Valentines Day. No no no. They (usually guys) get stuck with expectations of jewelry, candy and all kinds of other shit and are either out the door or banished to the sofa if they don't. Save a Buck, Never Mind the Fuck. Wait til Feb 15 to trade in the old nag or limp-dick ex-stallion.)

And of course right after Valentine's Day you start seeing colorful fake eggs and chocolate rabbits creeping onto shelves. Sometimes they'll skip right over to Mother's Day cards.


It's a racket and has been since the advent of plastic money and the notion of "savings " became obsolete.


But for me, Christmas will only "get to me"-- if I let it. Expectations and unwritten "obligations"-- "Social Norms"--anyone tries that crap on me can go piss up a rope.

IronWorld​(sadist male) • Dec 10, 2023

You're amazing, Miki. You almost always make me smile, and often without trying. Thank you

I understand the economic ideas behind moving immediately from one holiday to the next as quickly as possible. Problem is, in the long term, without any legitimate amount of rest in between to allow people to process it all, everything blurs, loses definition and ultimately it all loses its meaning. That is incredibly sad when you take even the briefest moment to think about what any holiday is supposed to mean.

I however did laugh my ass off when I saw that the local dollar tree was having a black friday sale.

Miki • Dec 10, 2023

Well, thanks.. Without trying. Hm, well it may be a stereotype in some circles but being witty, or a downright smart ass often seems to come with the squinty eyes.


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I understand some of the commercial necessity... people gotta make a living... but I guess it's just the desensitization. "If every day is like Christmas, then Christmas would be just another day."

I think the worst of them isn't really centered on commercialism, well except sales on gas grills and all that crap... Memorial Day. I wouldn't be comfortable grilling up a storm and having yard parties on a solemn day of remembrance. That can be saved for July 4 or any weekend in June. But that's just me.

I actually ditched the obligatory nature of Christmas when I was in my early 20s. Sure some bitched about me being cheap, not reciprocating cards behind my back and it got around to me and one time I took a half sheet of paper, folded it so it resembled a card and simply wrote inside "Eat me."

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On another note, I used to ride the bus more often years back before I had two distant work stations I would rotate between, here and in Wellesley-- anyway the same woman would be seated in the same seat just about every time and one December she decided to get chatty (I made it look like I was interested) but I recall her indicating to me, in quite an animated fashion, "I can't wait 'til Christmas so I can take my tree down."

I blinked and wrote down, "Then why put one up?" I believe the response was along the lines of "I have to put one up. Otherwise people would think I'm a grinch."

I shrugged, shook my head, turned and looked out the window.

After that time she sat elsewhere on the fucking bus.

Goes to show, Boss.

Muscle memory and autopilot. Sheesh.

IronWorld​(sadist male) • Dec 11, 2023

Always appreciated. Will most likely be appreciated any time in the future. Again, thank you.


Memorial Day and Veteran's Day both. The modern veterans of this day and age that I have talked to would rather not be remembered for their service. The ones I've spoken with truly feel as though they were pimped as unwilling mercenaries by an uncaring government to make a mess out of perfectly fine societies for the sake of being rebuilt by multinational corporations. Some like being thanked for their service. Some appreciate it in the spirit of the idea that they are being thanked as if their actual duty was to be sent to protect the country and the people. Some will actually yell and make a scene at those that try to thank them. The mileage will vary. If it was a day to do anything, it should be a day to listen to others.



Never stop being you.

Miki • Dec 11, 2023

They get confused though as to Memorial Day and Veterans Day. The former is to pay mind to those who were KIA. Those guys don't "mind" being remembered... they're not alive any more.


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I wrote this Christmas bit on another thread a couple three or so weeks ago, some have seen it so I'll go over the higher points... Whoever saw Miki v Mall Saint Nick can

safely skip the rest of this post.

So, I had one bit of fun with the commercial side of Christmas.. I and some friends, years ago, went out, had a couple drinks and, feeling less than average pain, let's say I saw the Mall Santa and decided I wanted to sit in his lap and yank the snowy facial hair to see if it was an imitation beard.

But the jolly old asswipe elf held up his gloved hands and shook his head vigorously.

Being a bit, uhh, silly, I kept coming at him and his fucking throne. Then his "elves"-- his "enforcers" intervened and pulled me away, semi gently and when they figured out I was impervious to verbal instructions, they told my friends to have me know I was not welcome anywhere near Mall Santa's cardboard workshop. Even if I had kids (I don't of course)

Problem was, the damned Easter Bunny was off limits, too as, the following spring I tried to get a closer look at the big 2 legged holiday "rabbit". Must be the same guy, he pointed a fake paw at me and his "helpers" made it clear I was persona non grata around the damned easter bunny too.

But that was quite some time ago and probably new people running that racket. But in my less-young, wiser years I am less inclined to sit in Santa's lap and yank the beard and shit.

I swear, I've always been only 5 feet tall and 100# soaking wet. It's not like I'd break his legs or piss in his lap. I'm not a grinch.

IronWorld​(sadist male) • Dec 11, 2023

Already a better movie than A Christmas Story.

Miki • Dec 11, 2023

Not to pick on old Kris Kringle, he's a lot of fun and wistful magic for little kids, but some of the half-baked excuses some places hire to portray the jolly old elf... Must not pay much. And of course going by the "station" they use for santa/bunny displays there's often a sign posted in view of the empty throne. "I'll be back in 10 minutes, I'm feeding the reindeer"

Sure.. Right. He's in a mall shithouse either hanging a leak or pinching a loaf.

But it really is Big Business. This from a NYT article from Nov 20, 2019. :

"...a visit to Santa at the Mall of America starts at $18.95 and, what with the photo packages, can run as high as $130.95."

But there's a "deal" to be had!!

"...Fortunately for the overscheduled parent, there exists a service called Santa’s Fast Pass, a kind of T.S.A. Pre-Check for visits with St. Nick at malls around the country. (In Australia, the same service is called Santa’s VIPs.) Santa’s Fast Pass is operated by a company called Cherry Hill Programs, which is owned by Keystone Capital, a Chicago-based investment firm. Cherry Hill has contracted about 1,100 Santas this holiday season and will deploy them at close to 900 locations around the United States, the company said. For safety reasons, none of its Santas are allowed on malls’ Christmas sets without a full background check."

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That was in late 2019. I imagine the jingle-balls biz took a hit from COVID, but they're back, some look the part real well while other Clauses look decidedly bargain-basement. Skinny, stringy beards, probably got bad breath.

Well, as I wrote earlier, I tried to sit with one Kringle to determine the authenticity of the beard and of course I would have noted if his breath was lousy or even if it smelled like he rips farts between kids. But of course, I was removed from the imitation North Pole by rather muscular "elves".

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Well, hope that suitably bored everyone.

M

Varangian​(dom male) • Dec 11, 2023

Since this thread has already run off the rails I will continue with the derailment.

Miki and Iron first off thank you for all the laughs.
Memorial Day and Veterans Day fire up the grill slap half a cow on it invite some veterans over don’t worry they will bring plenty of booze. I have never met a veteran that didn’t like a good bbq and if they are buzzed enough they have some incredible gruesome stories, some down right nasty stories, that will make you blush or vomit.

Iron I don’t know what kind of veterans you’re talking to but I can guess. That straight up sounded like some officer and upper nco party line bs. What you described was way too lofty most of the veterans I know will tell you that they went there to do their job and to watch their brother and sisters back. My goal was to do my job come back home with the same number of holes, fingers and toes I got there with and to watch my brothers and sisters back. Sanity intact was a goal but I failed on that one.

Thanking me personally it doesn’t matter who the person is it’s the way they say it. If you sound sincere I will tell you “no problem” and keep going, if it sounds like you’re saying it out of obligation like I passed you the ketchup bottle then I have a smart ass line and keep going. I do know veterans who don’t want to be thanked, they are still dealing with demons and I know others that get in your face and demand to be thanked they are also the ones at Outback on Veterans Day getting their free Blooming onion. Douches.

I did two 18 month tours in Iraq, was Iraq a beautiful country before we bombed the shit out of it, I think so, will I be going back anytime soon, I think not spent enough time in planes flying back and forth to that place. Did I have fun there, HELL YES. Did I see things there I will never forget, both the good and the bad I will remember until my dirt nap, when things get to heavy all I have to remember is the night i saw through NVG’s a guy get romantically involved with a goat.

Hope everyone had a great weekend. It’s Monday part 1

Miki • Dec 11, 2023

Not that far off the rails. Not as far as Memorial Day, grills, cow meat and distilled spirits

My posts still were related to Christmas, and one tradition I adopted after I left home was to be critical of dime store Santas, burly "elves" and the red-suited fat man off taking a piss while claiming to be "feeding the freakin' reindeer".

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One added note.. The Yankee Candle flagship store in South Deerfield, MA .... Enchanting place. But back in the 2000s it made the local paper that they shit-canned their dumb-ass Kris Kringle because he hung that "feeding the reindeer" bullshit sign---- but was caught ... buying candles.

They diplomatically told the reporter,thus: (meaning in not so many words)

"We paid that guy to sit on his optionally fat ass and listen to all the rotten little boys' and girls' wish list and furtively tell Mom and Dad what they better be ready to fork over the cash to get,----- or else there will be hell to pay Christmas morning, We are not paying him to make our valued customers stand and wait while he's off buying candles on our dime."