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"Bad" Holiday Gifts vs. "Good" Holiday Gifts

"Bad" Holiday Gifts vs. "Good" Holiday Gifts






Found this article and well, it didn't disappoint in terms of blog fodder.
Here are some of my thoughts about a few of the items:

# 1.) Exercise Gear 
     - Apparently this is risking the unintentional insult of saying: "you need to get in shape." Screw you, rule #1. I see tons of people all over social media saying what they really want is: sneakers, yoga pants, weights, etc. Hell, I even have this on my wish list.

# 4.) Anything Regifted
     - Ok, I get the faux pas of this. But . . .I don't know. I've been given regifted gifts where the person told me "this is a regift/I don't like this lotion but I know you love this scent" (my friends and I tend to be fairly up front) and it was awesome. I have regifted before (with disclosure) and it was all good. Obviously some things should never be regifted, it should still be in new condition, it should be something the person would actually like, and give it to someone outside the circle of people you received it from, i.e., co-worker, different group of friends, whatever.

# 6.) Calendar For a Year That Already Happened




# 7.) DVD's
    - Fuck you. Obvious Apple Product Placement is Obvious. I love DVD's. At this point in life, I still actually prefer them, kind of. Sure, I love the incredible (it really is incredible!) clarity of Blu-Ray, but I can watch DVD's on my laptop and that is super important in my house. This one is about knowing your audience and what THEY would like most.

# 9.) Cash
     -  Evidently this is ok for teens and tweens to receive, but not adults - then it's just tacky. Well, guess what? I have NEVER ONCE been disappointed to receive cash in a card or tiny box. You know what I spend that cash on? Stuff I really want but probably wouldn't otherwise buy. Maybe not for your best friend - but then again - maybe? Maybe what your bestie really wants for Christmas is a trip to the bar because she never gets to go out.


# 11.) A Single Knife



# 23.) Toilet Paper





# 27.) Socks
   - You reach a point somewhere in your twenties when suddenly every Christmas you're like "also: socks." Maybe wool socks, maybe hunting socks, maybe cutesy fun socks, maybe knee socks, maybe slipper socks, but at some point, you get to the point where you want socks. (Or is that just me and everyone I know above age 25?)

The entire list can be viewed by clicking the link at the top of this post. Many of the items are pretty obvious. Shape wear, fertility charms, hair dye, live animals, etc. But I guess somebody out there is gifting these things.

A lot of things are also "Well, is that what they asked for?" Like, "scale." Okay, apropos of nothing, you gift someone a scale = bad. They asked for a scale that could measure weight and body fat? Find a lovely one for them.

Have you ever regifted? What things do you think are "bad" gifts or shouldn't be given? What "bad" gifts have you received? Have you ever asked for or received a traditionally "bad" gift that you loved?


Film Friday: Santa Claws


source



By and large, this was a pretty enjoyable movie. Is it a smart movie with great production value and brilliant script? Um, NO.
Is it ridiculously awesome/light/fun holiday made for TV movie with a target audience of first graders? YES, everyone who on the internet who bitched about production value.

Are there things it could have done better? Yeah, sure.
The kid could have been less of a dipshit. The mom was laughably anti-Christmas. And her reasoning wasn't like a tragic back story, it was ridiculousness which just made it funnier. (So maybe that was good...?)
Weird guy with his keen Santa fetish interest was kind of...bizarre. But in a watchable "this is craptacular fun" way.
But that's what you do for this kind of movie. It knows what it is and it doesn't try to be something it's not. I could very easily shred this movie with plot holes and silliness and "that doesn't make sense even in this movie's universe" - but you just turn off your brain and watch kittens delivering Christmas presents. I mean, come on.

And to be honest, the delivering presents scenes are really quite cute, because it's mostly just scenes of kittens playing with tiny wrapped presents - which, ADORABLE. The sets for these are beautifully done, and for a low-budget TV movie with barely a plot, there is actually a reasonable enough amount of character development and growth. I mean, it's super silly, but it's there. If you like cats, if you like Christmas movies, turn off your brain, grab some popcorn and give this one 80 minutes or so of your time.






 
B+


Heads Up: Zero religious themes in this movie if someone is looking for something Christian. Also, be warned of excessive ridiculousness and cuteness.

Available HERE

Michigan Brand Music


A little while back in a post I shared a couple pictures I took "on a day trip to the U.P."
And I was met with a lot of confused: 
"What is the U.P.?"
And I quickly explained that it is Michigander shorthand for Upper Peninsula and people who live there are generally called "Yoopers." (Pronounced like shoop or hula "hoop".) 
There is even a band/comedy act that is rather iconic in these parts called - you guessed it -Da Yoopers.  The height of their popularity seemed to be when I was a young, when we would all run around singing their songs. Yes, there was a time when my friends and I knew the lyrics to all three of these songs by heart and would sing them in the back seat of our parents' cars for fun. Simpler times.


By far and away, this is probably their most famous song:




Tied for first as their most famous and successful song would easily be "The Second Week of Deer Camp".
There is also "Grandpa Got Run Over By A Beer Truck" for Christmas parody fun.



Sunday Confessions December 4, 2016





I confess: I completely forgot it was Sunday until tonight. Whoops.

I confess: Today was one of those days I can only describe as "bitch I will cut you." (Which is funny since I have a very large knife in my hand for 99% of my day.) 




I confess: I really enjoy having cable. And DVR is just the best. 

I confess: I have the next 3 days off. HELL YES!!!!





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