Yule Shoot Your Eye Out!

The top five for the moment:

5) My computer is broken, ARGH! I'm currently using my sister's laptop to type this blog entry. Hopefully I will be able to fix it, but it requires major fixes (repair, reformat, new hard drive?). I've been reading many ways to fix this through the Microsoft website. I wish they made this more user friendly. On the other hand I like the details.

I'm learning something new.

4) I've noticed a lot of blogs that pertain to some sort of list. Personalities, songs, movie quotes, etc. Crazy. Well not really considering my blogs are usually in list form. See, I told you lists makes things more understandable.

3) I've been searching for more Christmas songs. The new objective is to find new Christmas songs aside from the common songs that we have known for years and years. It's to my surprise that there are actually a lot of good songs or even good covers of traditional Christmas songs.

However, there are a few words that I have been wondering what those words mean in the first place:

King Wenceslas: Also known as St. Wenceslas. Was attributed with spreading Christianity within the Czech region. Was killed by his brother while the king was going to Mass due to a succession dispute. The actual carol "Good King Wenceslas" is based on the legend of his miraculous good deeds towards the people.

Yule Log: A log that is burned during Christmas. It has influenced the French dessert Bûche de Noël.

Wassail: Another word for caroling. There are two variations, either singing house to house or singing to fruit trees for a good harvest (Silly? Yes!). Also, it is an old school spiced alocholic drink.

That was interesting researching these words. However, I then realized that these songs suck!

End of discussion.

2) Speaking of Christmas songs, I always have to watch the following Christmas movies during the season: Home Alone, A Christmas Story, Elf, and some version of A Christmas Carol. It has to be done, or else it's not Christmas (but seriously, it's not THAT important). The most surprisingly good movie was A Christmas Story. I have never watched it until last year...and it was freakin' awesome. It's an old movie, but it's definitely worth a watch.

If you have never seen the movie, it was on TBS Christmas Eve/Christmas Day for 24 hours. Watch it next year or rent the DVD. It's a great movie because considering that the movie was produced in the 1970s and it was based in the 1940s AND it is a Christmas movie, there's a good amount of cursing. And they say that people our generation have dirty mouths.

Oh, Ffffffudge.


1) Charlene showed me this clip known as the "Advent Conspiracy":



It's a great video because it made myself think about what Christmas was about. Especially during such a time of uncertainty in terms of our futures, it is now more important than ever to reconsider what Christmas means in the United States. There is truth that mass consumerism has covered what Christmas should mean. Despite the fact that Christmas is no longer a religious holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ and the start of one of the greatest principles of faith in human history (even though that's why I and I'm sure a lot of other people still celebrate Christmas for that reason), the concept of love, compassion, and charity can still be the major emphasis for the holiday season since these ideas does not belong to a particular religion. It is at this time that we now understand what possessions and greed can do to a person and taint the holiday spirit. In fact, it was greed, along with the many other reasons, that has created the mess in the economy.

I give out terrible gifts. Hence why I rarely give gifts at all for any reason, especially during Christmas. However, I still offer something in the form of a decent Christmas dinner. This year, it was a roasted garlic and fennel seed prime rib, scalloped potato gratin, steamed asparagus, and a soup with kidney beans, red potatoes, kale, and kielbasa sausage. Thank God for the Food Network and this year's Costco Cookbook. However, I will admit that the "Advent Conspiracy" video has further encouraged my resistance to buy gifts during Christmas, unless I absolutely have to.

Next year, I think I will try to help out the community by donating my time and money.

I think it is definitely healthy to have a little revolution at times even though it is rather a personal revolution than something that can change whole communities...or maybe it can. Regardless, I think it's time to take back Christmas!

Enjoy the rest of the Christmas Season and have a blessed New Year.

That is all.