Christmas is here again
Moderators: AArdvark, Ice Cream Jonsey
- AArdvark
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Christmas is here again
I'd feel better about it if it wasn't for the naked greed of every retailer and advertisement I see. I feel the need to rant but this is such a well worn argument I can't see the point. I totally understand Charlie Brown's complaint.
THE
MAYBE I HAVE
AHOGRAPHOBIA
AAARDVARK
THE
MAYBE I HAVE
AHOGRAPHOBIA
AAARDVARK
- Jizaboz
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- Tdarcos
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In case you were unaware or forgotten, the event of December 25 was originally established by the pagans as Saturnalia, where people gave gifts to each other. This was hundreds of years before the Christians decided to co-opt the event in order to encourage people to join.
Yeah, the Christians back then had some really good people in their PR Department. Was probably the best marketing campaign ever.
So this practice goes back more than 2,000 years, so quit thinking that merchants capi9talizing on the December 25 holiday is something new like it happened in the last couple of hundred years, it's been around before even Jesus Christ was born, if he ever existed, that is.
Yeah, the Christians back then had some really good people in their PR Department. Was probably the best marketing campaign ever.
So this practice goes back more than 2,000 years, so quit thinking that merchants capi9talizing on the December 25 holiday is something new like it happened in the last couple of hundred years, it's been around before even Jesus Christ was born, if he ever existed, that is.
"Baby, I was afraid before
I'm not afraid, any more."
- Belinda Carlisle, Heaven Is A Place On Earth
I'm not afraid, any more."
- Belinda Carlisle, Heaven Is A Place On Earth
- Jizaboz
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- Tdarcos
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We have lots more leisure time now than they did then. 2,000 years ago 98% of the populace worked on farms for long periods, often 16+ hour days since there was little to no automation available. Today, it's the inverse; 2% of the populace works to feed the other 98%. And even at that they have much better working conditions than ever before. A History Channel documentary on wheat interviewed a combine harvester operator, who barely even touches the steering wheel of his air conditioned thresher because it uses GPS to steer itself down the row, and the only time he has to do anything is turn it around 180 degrees at the end of the row to start the next one, where again, the machine steers itself and does its own corrections.Jizaboz wrote:Ok, Ok, but there was no Walmart 2,000 years ago!
"Baby, I was afraid before
I'm not afraid, any more."
- Belinda Carlisle, Heaven Is A Place On Earth
I'm not afraid, any more."
- Belinda Carlisle, Heaven Is A Place On Earth
- AArdvark
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Whew, giving Game of Thrones a run for it's money.A History Channel documentary on wheat
Never thought that. Never thought that at all. Complaining about it happening, maybe, but never thought it was anything new. I was really hoping the merchants would, you know, tone it down some because it's been getting really annoying these last couple hundred years. Actually with the rise of advertising it's been much much worse.so quit thinking that merchants capitalizing on the December 25 holiday is something new
THE
HURRY IN TODAY
AARDVARK
- Tdarcos
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They even did one about plumbing and toilets. I shit you not!AArdvark wrote:Whew, giving Game of Thrones a run for it's money.A History Channel documentary on wheat
"This offer is so good it won't last long. This won't be repeated. I repeat, this won't be repeated!"THE
HURRY IN TODAY
AARDVARK
"Baby, I was afraid before
I'm not afraid, any more."
- Belinda Carlisle, Heaven Is A Place On Earth
I'm not afraid, any more."
- Belinda Carlisle, Heaven Is A Place On Earth
- Flack
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Re: Christmas is here again
I feel you. Each year, my wife and I get a little closer to not exchanging gifts at all. Last year we took a cruise over the holidays, which was our big gift to each other.AArdvark wrote:I'd feel better about it if it wasn't for the naked greed of every retailer and advertisement I see. I feel the need to rant but this is such a well worn argument I can't see the point. I totally understand Charlie Brown's complaint.
"I failed a savings throw and now I am back."
- Tdarcos
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Re: Christmas is here again
Well, at least it wasn't Portnoy's Complaint.AArdvark wrote:I totally understand Charlie Brown's complaint.
"Baby, I was afraid before
I'm not afraid, any more."
- Belinda Carlisle, Heaven Is A Place On Earth
I'm not afraid, any more."
- Belinda Carlisle, Heaven Is A Place On Earth
- Ice Cream Jonsey
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Re: Christmas is here again
Whether or not I laugh and whether or not I consider this one of the 10 best posts in site history is 100% dependent on whether or not Tdarcos can answer this question without looking it up.Tdarcos wrote:Well, at least it wasn't Portnoy's Complaint.AArdvark wrote:I totally understand Charlie Brown's complaint.
Paul, what is the name of the groundhog from Bloom County?
the dark and gritty...Ice Cream Jonsey!
- Tdarcos
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Re: Christmas is here again
As I have never read any of Bloom County there is no way I could know for certain without looking it up, I'll take a wild guess and say the groundhog was named Bill the Cat. Or was it Bill Murray?Ice Cream Jonsey wrote:Whether or not I laugh and whether or not I consider this one of the 10 best posts in site history is 100% dependent on whether or not Tdarcos can answer this question without looking it up.Tdarcos wrote:Well, at least it wasn't Portnoy's Complaint.AArdvark wrote:I totally understand Charlie Brown's complaint.
Paul, what is the name of the groundhog from Bloom County?
"Baby, I was afraid before
I'm not afraid, any more."
- Belinda Carlisle, Heaven Is A Place On Earth
I'm not afraid, any more."
- Belinda Carlisle, Heaven Is A Place On Earth
- AArdvark
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- Joined: Tue May 14, 2002 6:12 pm
- Location: Rochester, NY
I was just re-reading this thread and I thought it would make a great text adven....interactive fiction game. The player simply goes through all of the Commander's references and tries to figure out the common theme.
>look
You are in the middle of a Pagan ritual. 98% of the pagans are not working to produce food at any given time. Exits are west and east.
>east
You are standing in the middle of a wheat field. There is a large harvester bearing down on you, The farmer in the harvester is not holding the steering wheel. You should run!
>run away from harvester
You begin running away from the harvester, but you trip over the comics section of a newspaper. In between Beetle Baily and Cathy is a comic strip you have never read before. In your interest to see what the punchline is you read the strip. Unfortunately the wheat harvester runs you over before you finish.
you have died
your score is 6 out of a possible 350
THE
ABORT, RETRY, FAIL
AARDVARK
>look
You are in the middle of a Pagan ritual. 98% of the pagans are not working to produce food at any given time. Exits are west and east.
>east
You are standing in the middle of a wheat field. There is a large harvester bearing down on you, The farmer in the harvester is not holding the steering wheel. You should run!
>run away from harvester
You begin running away from the harvester, but you trip over the comics section of a newspaper. In between Beetle Baily and Cathy is a comic strip you have never read before. In your interest to see what the punchline is you read the strip. Unfortunately the wheat harvester runs you over before you finish.
you have died
your score is 6 out of a possible 350
THE
ABORT, RETRY, FAIL
AARDVARK
- Flack
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- pinback
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Re: Christmas is here again
Damn. So close. Now it's just another random Paul "joke".Ice Cream Jonsey wrote:Whether or not I laugh and whether or not I consider this one of the 10 best posts in site history is 100% dependent on whether or not Tdarcos can answer this question without looking it up.Tdarcos wrote:Well, at least it wasn't Portnoy's Complaint.AArdvark wrote:I totally understand Charlie Brown's complaint.
Paul, what is the name of the groundhog from Bloom County?
Am I a hero? I really can't say. But, yes.
- Ice Cream Jonsey
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- AArdvark
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Saw this one today and thought it was funny...
A gingerbread man sits in a gingerbread house. Is the house made of flesh or is the gingerbread man made of house. The gingerbread man screams because he does not know.
THE
YOU CAN'T
HANDLE THE TRUTH
AARDVARK
A gingerbread man sits in a gingerbread house. Is the house made of flesh or is the gingerbread man made of house. The gingerbread man screams because he does not know.
THE
YOU CAN'T
HANDLE THE TRUTH
AARDVARK
Last edited by AArdvark on Thu Dec 08, 2016 6:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
- pinback
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Two weeks in the troll room for you, because of this.AArdvark wrote:Saw this one today and thought it was funny...
A gingerbread man sits in a gingerbread house. Is the house made of flesh or is the gingerbread man made of house. The gingerbread man screams because he does not know.
THE
LAUGHS AT ANYTHING
AARDVARK
Get in there.
Am I a hero? I really can't say. But, yes.
It's becoming obvious that I won't even have this terrible, makeshift family that tried to evict me over soaking dishes in the sink and taking out the trash, for Christmas. Let's not mention the girlfriend who routinely rattles my cage with the threat of breakup over being vaguely unhappy, knowing full well it'll leave me homeless.
I hate the holidays.
Retro "still here only because there isn't a gun in the house" Romper
I hate the holidays.
Retro "still here only because there isn't a gun in the house" Romper