Festivus

Festivus is an annual holiday created by writer Dan O'Keefe and introduced into popular culture by his son Daniel, a scriptwriter for the TV show Seinfeld. Although the original Festivus took place in February 1966 as a celebration of the elder O'Keefe's first date with his future wife, Deborah. Many people now celebrate the holiday on December 23, as depicted on the December 18th, 1997 Seinfeld episode. According to O'Keefe, the name Festivus just popped into his head.

The holiday includes novel practices such as the Airing of Grievances, in which each person tells everyone else all the ways they have disappointed him or her over the past year.










Then after the Festivus meal, the Feats of
Strength are performed, involving wrestling the head of the household to the floor, with the holiday ending only if the head of the household is actually pinned. Of course there are Festivus Miracles which are said to occur from time to time.

I ran across this children's drawing of a Festivus celebration. It's so cute that the kid's Mom is holding the Festivus pole.

Deck Us All With Boston Charlie

There are a few of us boomer that recall the joy of getting the newspaper, after Dad finished reading it. My first stop was the funnies. Although I never caught on to the humor in Mary Worth. But I digress. Every year until 1973 I could always find my favorite Christmas song in those pages. So I now present it for you. You all know the tune, but you may not remember the correct lyrics. So sing-a-long with me: 1-2-3 and...

Understanding Joe Cocker

One never knew exactly what to think about Joe Cocker.

Back in the day when we were all trying to be free,thinking and pushing for equality, some of us took pity on the guy.

"That guy can really sing great! It's just too bad he's a spaz."

You never could understand Joe. It was like he had his own language goin' on.

Click the link below to understand what Joe was singing about.

http://www.elwp.com/Joe%20Cocker.html

Merry Christmas

Love and Joy Come to You and to All Your Wassail too,
And God Bless You and Send You a Happy New Year,
And God Send You a Happy New Year.

2008

2008 has been a difficult year.



Everything was great until the merry month of May. My allergies started acting up and I took too many decongestant tablets.

This combined with the medicine I take to control my blood pressure and the fact that my heart, which already had mild arrhythmia's, set me into atrial fibrillation. I wound up in the hospital for 2 days until my heart converted to "normal sinus rhythm". My cardiologist, Kevin Miller, changed my meds. I've been doing well ever since.

July found me doing yard work. I developed a rash on the side of my chest. which I attributed to being in the weeds. I ignored it. However it started to spread so I went to the doctor. It turned out to be shingles from stress from my heart attack. The doctor was suspicious about the spreading rash since shingles doesn't spread from side to side. Medicine seemed to help for a while. But...........

August & September found me once again in a new rash that started out on my chest and back. The itching was unbearable. My doctor is great, but at times it is difficult to arrange a visit. I did my own research and determined the cause may be one of my diabetes medications.


I emailed Dr. Gigi Tcheng, and she agreed with me. The medicine was sulfa based and she stated that I was most likely allergic to all sulfa medicines. My Dad had a similar allergy. The rash took well over a month to clear up.


October the stock market is in havoc due to some of the large financial institutions making seriously stupid investment choices, that eventually bankrupt and close Lehman Brothers. Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch are acquired by other firms. My company announced layoffs.

I took my vacation, but I was unable to go anywhere. It was a staycation. 'very popular this year. Gas is expensive and my pocketbook is threadbare.

November finds me missing the first round of layoffs. I am having a difficult time dealing with the scripted conversations that have become a part of my job. It seems no matter how hard I try I seem to overlook some minute point.

Knowledge of the job is not an issue after 7 years and obtaining 2 licenses through the SEC. It is just these scripts that seem to be an issue. But I'm the little middle-aged guy that could.

Thanksgiving came and I had a great time with family and friends and shared flora with them which brought about a major sinus infection for myself and my wife.

December is here and so is Christmas. I cannot get in the spirit. Work weighs on me. The same script issues and another round of layoffs will occur next year. The sinus infection forced me to take a day off work (unpaid) to go to the doctor, who insisted I not go into work that day. I have made a major contribution to the Kleenex company and should be rewarded with stock options for my effort instead of piles of nasty used tissues that I donate to the local dump.

Santa brings the usual round of bills. My plan B is to go back to school and resume my career as a surgical technologist. My life and my career is in God's Hands. I have trusted in Him in all things large and small. He has never let me down.

Although it has indeed been a rough year, I am greatful in all things and I am strenghted in the trials that I have been through. My family's foundation is built upon our love of God through His Son Jesus Christ, Y'shua a' Messiach.

I am small, but I trust.

You have somethin' in a size 10 wide?

Our President goes over to Iraq to visit the troops with some Holiday cheer and say his good-byes to the Iraqi president and assorted politicos. Then during a press conference an Iraqi reporter decides this would be a nice gesture to lob his size 10 Wee-juns at Mr. Bush's noggin. The reporter doffs his loafers and chunks a smelly ol' left shoe (the left foot is the one you wipe with) at our Pres'. Then, for good measure, he throws the right shoe too.


Mr. Bush, bless his ever-lovin' heart makes light of it and says, "Looks like a size 9 to me." Then with Texas-born graciousness he begs the Iraqi authorities not to be too harsh on the fellow.


We also learn that according to Iraqi customs, shoe tossing is a number one insult. That is just plain friggin' weird.


Today's newspaper announces that Malaki A'Shoochucker is now a national hero. He's out there kissing babies and leading parades. He has become the biggest thing to hit Iraq since Chemical Ali.

We later find out via the news this is not the first time he has been in trouble. He was detained by the U.S. military on suspicion of terrorism. He was also was kidnapped by Iraqi terrorists and allegedly was set free with some Dr. Sholl's foot powder as his feets were far too ripe according to unsubstantiated sources.

But ain't that just like people everywhere. Ingrates! You fight a war and attempt to instill democracy, you topple their murderin' dictator and sons and what do you get? A dirty shoe in the puss! One has to wonder how many loafers this brave conquering hero attempted to hurl at ol' Saddam's face back in the day. Oh...none you say! That's right, because instead of a leader of a country sayin' forgive him for he know not what he's done, Saddam would have had his neck in a size 24 hangin' noose with a shoe up his backside.

I say invite the joker to Texas. Some of them good ol' boys may take off their Tony Lamas and let the guy feel what it's like on the reciprocatin' end of a some size 12 American cowhide upside the head.

The Economic Crisis

I've lived my entire life in a money crisis, so I guess I'm used to what others are starting to experience. It's scary ain't it?!

Today I read that the T-Bill is trading in negative rates. I guess this may say something about the full faith and credit of the United States Guvmint.

Treasury bills, notes and bonds have always been the safe-havens of trust. As in the Savings Bond your Uncle Willy gave you when you were a tad of five years. "Just think young Marco, in a mere 20 years from now you can cash this sucker in for $25. And to think it only cost me $19."


Since the Bread and Circuses portion of the program ended in early November, we have America's finest minds working on a solution. Last year we all got a stimulus check. I used mine to pay bills.

The U.S. Gummint supplied the nation's banks with their $700,000,000,000 stimulus check to stimulate the economy. So far, my economy ain't been too stimulated. I haven't lost sleep waiting for any bankers to offer my a fist full of cold cash. However I have heard complaints in the news about banks not utilizing the $700 billion. I've even heard that one bank used it to buy a Chinese bank. I guess they had a yen for Chinese that day.


And now the Congress is workin' overtime to give $15,000,000,000,000 to 3 American automobile manufacturers. They also want to appoint a car czar. What they really needed was a bank czar. The current fellow seems nice enough but I don't believe he's holdin' the reigns tightly or crackin' the whip enough.

Who can afford to buy a new car anyhow? Oh yeah all those newly scared folks that aren't used to the economic crisis.

We are told the trouble with American automobile manufacturers is the Legacy Cost. Legacy cost is an academic term that refers to the fact that retired employees of automobile companies are receiving pension benefits, health insurance benefits, discounts for purchasing cars, company paid life insurance and death benefits. What the academics don't factor into this phrase is that the management of the automobile companies has dipped into the pension trust too many times and like much of the rest of us has run out of options on coming up with new sources of income. Like it or not, union benefits have members believing that Santa Claus comes every month.


What I think should happen is the car czar should meet with the bank czar (I guess that would be the fed head) and see about a nice low interest loan of say around $700,000,000,000 to stimulate the economy.