Ho Ho Hum.
 

But the part about the brothers knocking/leaving the gifts, is that just your family? I'd never heard that before, just seen the gifts handed out. Are the brothers some sort of Santa surrogate?

Ho Ho Hum.
 

politics board

Ho Ho Hum.
 

I believe that was a joke. (Sort of like Hannukah Harry -- but it wasn't my family, so Bn'B (or PJ?) will have to confirm.)

Hey, wait a sec -- you mean that business about the tallit was just a JOKE?

(I'm humor impaired, you see...)

Ho Ho Hum.
 

Thanks dtb and BnB. Sorry if it sounded like a stupid question, but its safe to say my upbringing was not exactly based in some of the most religiously diverse parts of the world.

Ho Ho Hum.
 

I'm pretty sure it was just my wacky family, and I'm pretty sure it was meant as a Santa substitute.

Of course, to be certain, I'd have to ask my mom. And I have no desire to do so.

Holiday Traditions Poll
 

What is this game?

On my older sister's fourth birthday I was twirling in my favorite dress and accidentally pulled the table cloth off the table, along with her chocolate birthday cake. I am STILL not forgiven. She thought I did it on purpose. I was not yet three.

Edited to add I DID do it on purpose, but that's not the point.

Ho Ho Hum.
 

B'n'B is mostly correct. However, I would note that Judah and his brothers did not have the last name "Maccabee." When the Jews decided to rise up against the Syrian King Antiochus, Mattathias, a well-respected priest put his five sons in charge of the resistance. Judah and his brothers wanted to pick a name for their group that would signify strength and force, and alas, as the names 'Menudo' and 'the Jets' [when you're a Jet. . .] would be taken by other future groups of strength and force and hispanic origin, they decided to use the word maccabee, which translates as hammer. Oil and eight crazy nights and stuff, she nailed it.

Hah! I slay me.

aV

edited to add: waaaay to slow

Ho Ho Hum.
 

I ususally find these kind of polls sickly sweet in an overly emoticoned email kinda way :) ;) but I did think of something that recently annoyed the crap out of me.

My sister, who has made it her personal mission to become our families own pre-bust Martha Stewart, really outdid herself with the christmas cards this year. I received one that had a printed out mailing label, a copied picture of her two kids (and no adults) on the cover, and a stanrda "thinking of you during this time" type bullshit sentiment, and it was (not) signed by "sister, husband, baby one and baby two". all in computer print, no handwriting, nothing personal.

Is this not the tackiest thing ever? If you can't personalize a "thinking of you" type sentiment, then arent you really just sending out a mass mail advertising what your two lovely children now look like?

And dont get me started on the concept of a five week old wishing me a happy holiday. I would love to tell her how tacky this is but she is always right, so I wouldnt bother. I might ask to be taken off the mailing list.

Which reminds me that I recently received an email from someoen who mass emailed em's friends to tell em when their birthday is so em could enter them into em's "birthday alarm". I know the exact date of em's birthday but whateve. Isn't it wrong to ask someone to tell you their birthday so you can wish them happy birhtday timely next year?

Holiday Traditions Poll
 

Everything sounds dirty on the FB, doesn't it?

It's when you bounce the ball and lift your leg over it and with every bounce/lift you say a line of "A my name is Alice and my husband's name is Al, we come from Alabama and we sell Apples. B my name is Barbara ..."

Etc. etc.
I don't know if it's supposed to teach coordination or what, but it may explain my distaste for alliterative naming traditions.

E/O Sucks
 

Oooh! Shoes!

I'll come over. You can help me with some depositions.

Can the shoes be leather?

And of course I don't hang potato pancakes from the fireplace. That would be nasty. Sheesh E/O you don't know anything do you.

Holiday Traditions Poll
 

When my brother was little (like maybe five), he broke into the locked room where our mother kept all the christmas presents. For weeks, he would sneak a gift or two into his room and play with them and then sneak them back in before she noticed. Finally, the jig was up and my mother confronted us(!) and told us that the star trek enterprise and the slot cars were gifts for our father.

I believed her, of course

Viagra & Sexual Acrobatics
 

I hadn't made a public announcement about this, but for oh well over a month now, you have been able to ignore mods.

Ho Ho Hum.
 

I'm thinking we need a religion board.

Viagra & Sexual Acrobatics
 

YES!!!!!!

Ho Ho Hum.
 

This reminds me of the radio show here yesterday where people were calling in with stories of some of the revolting things people put in those long typewritten Christmas letters...

One guy got a totally depressing letter from a friend that basically was a litany of everyone in the friend's family who died (about a half-dozen people) in the last year. Another received one which described in excruciating detail how the sender's intestinal surgery had to be delayed because they developed some kind of rectal problem, and what they were doing daily to treat it...

I truly hate those letters.