December 06, 2006
Xmas List
Parenthetically, and writing as a militant atheist, the whole "holiday" tendency we seem inexorably to be inheriting from the US is un-fucking-believably depressing. Yes, the Christian Nativity mythology is absolute hogwash from start to finish, but that just isn't the point. Christmas -- a festival whose historical relationship to its particular messiah is at best tenuous -- stands in our culture as a weak but adequate placeholder for the far more significant phenomenon of midwinter angst; a fact commonly respected, in my experience, by adherents of other, similarly brain-damaged, religions. Much as I detest Christianity -- the evils of which should be obvious to the most casual unindoctrinated observer -- I can't help but find the craven obsequiousness of this ecuminecism-gone-mad even more contemptible: it betrays everything about its own belief system in a mad rush to embrace the profoundly disgusting idea that any systematic faith in supernatural twaddle deserves respect. It is a position based entirely and wholeheartedly on avarice: the commercial imperative is to make money off everyone regardless of creed or colour, which can only lead to a Hallmark culture. Tell me, my Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, whatever readers: does the commercial impulse to mask Christmas in multiculturalism make you feel any better? Any more included? Or is it just another band-aid on the gaping wound of the apparently inescapable urge to parochial hatred and destruction that our species exhibits? Uh, where was I? Oh yes: gifts. Not that I'd expect any of you to do so, but if a madness drives you to think you should act on what follows, don't. Take a deep breath and wait for the urge to pass. These are things I'd like for Xmas*:- Books:
- Against the Day Thomas Pynchon
- Hannibal Rising Thomas Harris
- My Lucky Star Joe Keenan
- Ten-Second Staircase Christopher Fowler
- Lost Girls Alan Moore & Melinda Gebbie
- Back in the USSA Kim Newman & Eugene Byrne
- Molecular Biology of the Cell Bruce Alberts et al
- DVDs:
- Alias Season 5
- 24 Season 5
- Doctor Who Season 2
- Lost Season 2
- Desperate Housewives Season 2
* People often suggest that this spelling is in some way exemplary of the loss of religious message in the occasion, which is probably why I like it. Alas, their argument is false: the use of the letter X to stand for Christ dates back to the earliest days of the church. Much as I wish it were otherwise, Xmas is as tragically orthodox as eating fish on Friday.
Posted by matt at December 6, 2006 12:13 AM
Comments
Sopranos s6
The Wire s3 and any others available
24 s5
Battlestar Galactica s1 Posted by: Max at December 6, 2006 02:39 PM
The Wire s3 and any others available
24 s5
Battlestar Galactica s1 Posted by: Max at December 6, 2006 02:39 PM
Dear Santa, please bring me:
A helicopter
Flying lessons
A helipad (or several)
A fully paid up maintenance contract
40 years supply of suitable fuel
Storage for above
Helicopter hangar Shyboy (aged 4 and a bit) PS these might not all fit down the chimney so you can just bring the keys and paperwork to leave in my stocking. Posted by: Shyboy at December 7, 2006 01:00 AM
Flying lessons
A helipad (or several)
A fully paid up maintenance contract
40 years supply of suitable fuel
Storage for above
Helicopter hangar Shyboy (aged 4 and a bit) PS these might not all fit down the chimney so you can just bring the keys and paperwork to leave in my stocking. Posted by: Shyboy at December 7, 2006 01:00 AM
Writing as one of your Jewish readers, I will say that the impulse to mask Christmas in multiculturalism does not make me feel any more included. Hannukah is actually a very, very minor holiday, liturgically speaking, and it is simply not strong enough for the weight it is asked to bear.
Posted by: Faustus, M.D. at December 7, 2006 10:18 AM
Your list and mine overlap substantially. I'd like an EU passport, and five million pounds in unmarked small bills, if you please.
Posted by: Sin at December 8, 2006 01:53 PM
Nintendo Wii
Big Flat screen telly to play aformentioned with.
I'm with Max on the Battlestar Galactica Posted by: Keith at December 8, 2006 03:30 PM
Big Flat screen telly to play aformentioned with.
I'm with Max on the Battlestar Galactica Posted by: Keith at December 8, 2006 03:30 PM
The Wii looks nice, but I seem to have completely given up playing games. I would be with Max on BSG if I didn't have seasons 1 and 2 already.
[Adam, Sin] No point setting your sights too low.
Posted by: matt at December 8, 2006 05:55 PM
Oh, I don't know. I'm kind of hooked back onto my PS2 with the release of Final Fantasy XII. As far as TV goes, I'm rapidly churning through Heroes, which you should see if you've not already so done.
Posted by: Sin at December 14, 2006 08:37 PM
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