tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post1187186914956300388..comments2023-10-15T04:23:50.187-04:00Comments on College Misery: CM: Christmas MiseryUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-61773656054027280622012-12-29T23:45:07.197-05:002012-12-29T23:45:07.197-05:00I understand some of Academic Monkey's frustra...I understand some of Academic Monkey's frustration. Also, as usual, I agree with most of the commenters about choosing to make Christmas work for you. It particularly helps to turn off TV and commercial radio and stay out of as many stores as possible.<br /><br />But even though I came late to the party, here's my contribution to this Holiday Potluck: let's put the whole Christmas Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02906546940408742913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-14891408166043116712012-12-26T21:00:03.939-05:002012-12-26T21:00:03.939-05:00AM, it may very well be the case that whatever fam...AM, it may very well be the case that whatever family you find yourself hanging with is behaving better than usual to each other because you're there. It's certainly the case with mine whenever we welcome those outside the close fold, so you could be doing a mitzvah there without realizing it. I appreciate your screed. As someone who's comfortable with the religious aspects of Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16403289509523215570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-82040155157856610992012-12-25T21:26:48.430-05:002012-12-25T21:26:48.430-05:00That's not what I meant at all. I was trying t...That's not what I meant at all. I was trying to explain why it is difficult for me, and trying to understand why obligation and guilt is central to this holiday, and your comment seemed to blame me for this guilt and obligation that perfect strangers push on me. I still don't get that. <br /><br />But it's over for another year now, so I don't have to worry about it for now.Academic Monkeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07086078244493768565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-19773130828597448172012-12-25T21:24:56.231-05:002012-12-25T21:24:56.231-05:00I want to tell you, sincerely, how happy I was to ...I want to tell you, sincerely, how happy I was to read this comment first. Thank you, Cynic. Made me feel less alone.Academic Monkeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07086078244493768565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-13736616745103800322012-12-25T21:22:45.170-05:002012-12-25T21:22:45.170-05:00This year I'm at my partner's family's...This year I'm at my partner's family's house. I was just trying to express the malaise of having to choose between being alone for 3-4 days, or crashing another person's celebration. It always makes me feel fraudulent, no matter what I choose. But now it is over and I mustn't think of it for another 364 days. (relieeeef)Academic Monkeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07086078244493768565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-80222788054576119562012-12-24T21:11:04.980-05:002012-12-24T21:11:04.980-05:00Baudelaire and I say, "De rien."Baudelaire and I say, <i>"De rien."</i><br />Southern Bubba, Ph.D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12050992903794385204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-14474438825986803772012-12-24T20:57:11.777-05:002012-12-24T20:57:11.777-05:00It's funny, but the Vernal Equinox was the one...It's funny, but the Vernal Equinox was the one specifically mentioned by Bill: I should have noticed it instantly. One problem with speaking out about equinoxes and solstices is that it's quite impossible to explain them to a TV audience: there are too many unfamiliar concepts that need to be kept in their minds simultaneously (namely, the Sun's apparent annual motion around the sky Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-52356038830645562712012-12-24T20:53:27.769-05:002012-12-24T20:53:27.769-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-84151652512521979132012-12-24T20:46:08.844-05:002012-12-24T20:46:08.844-05:00If it's any consolation, trying looking at the...If it's any consolation, trying looking at the season the way I do, as a celebration of the renewal of the annual cycle of the year. Anytime I hear anyone influenced by Bill O'Reilly sarcastically wish me a Happy Winter Solstice, I say thanks, and mean it. <br /><br />If that doesn't work for you, remember how, as he did so many other times, Dickens left us words that fit the Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-27665887736063251972012-12-24T20:40:35.163-05:002012-12-24T20:40:35.163-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-39902616511289101462012-12-24T16:59:36.514-05:002012-12-24T16:59:36.514-05:00Wunderbar, Bubba, enchanté, fantastyczny, niin run...Wunderbar, Bubba, enchanté, fantastyczny, niin runollinen!<br /><br />@CM, How about treating yourself to something good? Chocolate, sauna, a good book? Don't turn on the radio or the TV, but pop the Boss into the CD player, and enjoy the days without students! Suzy from Square Statehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03085856052108645578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-12681824377736305842012-12-24T14:20:11.213-05:002012-12-24T14:20:11.213-05:00Sorry; I'm against the Vernal Equinox, as well...Sorry; I'm against the Vernal Equinox, as well as the Summer Solstice. I am an inveterate defender of the Autumna Equinox, Winter Solstice and Lincoln Birthday, however, so I face no end of grief.<br /><br />I am of reform observance of those holidays, though, so for me they all fall on July 4, which unfortunately coincides with another holiday that I do not recognize; it is HELL for me DrDoctorDrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01160070320563319938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-18140832150251024472012-12-24T13:54:49.842-05:002012-12-24T13:54:49.842-05:00AM, I'm with the folks who recommend that you ...AM, I'm with the folks who recommend that you consider hooking up with a volunteer organization for next Christmas--it's probably too late to sign up for one this year. My family is Jewish and anti-consumerist, and there's a limit to how long we can spend in each others' company without bloodshed, so we did the volunteer thing on Christmas Day for several years. It was nice to Jesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11519875774922900379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-70125740611971886332012-12-24T13:54:36.653-05:002012-12-24T13:54:36.653-05:00Um, isn't the Vernal Equinox in March?Um, isn't the Vernal Equinox in March?introvert.profhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09042783611716432247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-54475469852908599982012-12-24T12:12:59.977-05:002012-12-24T12:12:59.977-05:00That's how they spell it in Poland.That's how they spell it in Poland.Strelnikovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12660962615198939441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-36733570291984630452012-12-24T10:01:52.626-05:002012-12-24T10:01:52.626-05:00AM, Sorry that you're alone on Christmas; not ...AM, Sorry that you're alone on Christmas; not fun being alone, especially when those you want to be with are are enjoying the company of others.<br /><br />But as noted, Christmas doesn't have to be the orgy-of-consumerism that commerce would make it out to be. Those of us for whom this *is* a sacred holiday have to constantly re-make it and clarify it for ourselves, so you can too.<br />DrDoctorDrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01160070320563319938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-63857625244540443052012-12-24T08:45:47.887-05:002012-12-24T08:45:47.887-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-17237524279448795702012-12-24T07:14:08.809-05:002012-12-24T07:14:08.809-05:00I love Christmas. I just love it. But my goofy hus...I love Christmas. I just love it. But my goofy husband made me sit down to watch this movie "Christmas With the Cranks" last week. He was sure I would think it was hilarious. I did not. I do t have that kind of sense of humorous and He Should Know This. So there I was taking it very seriously and a sense of rage was building at all those jerks who would not leave that poor couple aloneBellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15686242633678466958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-51779660909664907962012-12-24T06:03:42.357-05:002012-12-24T06:03:42.357-05:00Now I do not consider myself anti-Christmas in any...Now I do not consider myself anti-Christmas in any way, but I LOVE working and living in a country where I can tailor my Christmas to exactly what I want to make of it. It's my family's holiday, but not my spouse's, so I have adopted the traditions I want to maintain, ditched those I don't, and have made up some new ones to share with others in the expat community. I control Edna Expathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11438002061912782295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-79099808795776130532012-12-24T00:58:06.400-05:002012-12-24T00:58:06.400-05:00Look, if you post a long screed basically saying y...Look, if you post a long screed basically saying you hate Christmas and you actually wonder why anyone would "pretend" that it's lovely, you're gonna get someone out there trying to attempt to explain it to you. Take the answer, or leave it. <br /><br /> StellafromSparksburghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17584701718285662953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-50031330909814092562012-12-24T00:33:55.034-05:002012-12-24T00:33:55.034-05:00La saison prochaine, j'espere visiter a Paris ...La saison prochaine, j'espere visiter a Paris avec mes amies pour le noel. Mais merci pour ces mots, Bubba...Academic Monkeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07086078244493768565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-45847843377525195732012-12-24T00:27:42.349-05:002012-12-24T00:27:42.349-05:00I think this post is indicative of the larger prob...I think this post is indicative of the larger problem. I have been trying to avoid Christmas for 17 years. Let me tell you: it's very difficult. You have to choose between the obnoxiousness of comments like this or completely and utterly isolating yourself while alienating your friends.<br /><br />I live in a coop with 17 people (3 children). Every Christmas, I can choose to stay alone in theAcademic Monkeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07086078244493768565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-21438890378312743152012-12-23T23:41:05.098-05:002012-12-23T23:41:05.098-05:00Cognac?Cognac?Krabby Kathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10516240444782667439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-47469401712083056122012-12-23T21:56:02.293-05:002012-12-23T21:56:02.293-05:00The "War on Christmas" is a load; the fi...The "War on Christmas" is a load; the first people to yelp about it were the John Birch Society in the late 1950s, things went quiet for thirty-plus years, then anybody at some box store who was told "happy holidays" instead of "merry Christmas" complained about it. The sniveling reached boiling point under the spastic Bush II regime, finding it's champion in Strelnikovhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12660962615198939441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-22572930616922708312012-12-23T20:26:51.667-05:002012-12-23T20:26:51.667-05:00I hear you. I don't mind the break, I enjoy t...I hear you. I don't mind the break, I enjoy the time to read and research a little, and I enjoy some one-on-one time with my daughter and an occasional "get away" trip with my wife (just the two of us; I am male despite my "Harriet" screen name :-) ). <br /><br />But as far as the "family"; let's say that not all of us have "Leave it to Beaver" Harriethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17953435368705942387noreply@blogger.com