The irony of this Christmas.

[Mike Smith Cosmos]

Christmas was supposed to be a time of Joy .

Peace on Earth and Joy to men of ' Goodwill ' or something to that effect .

 

Quote " And the angel said unto them, Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people: "

 

A messenger said this :- as what was to be expected from the ensuing Birth.

 

Let's hope that's what happens soon !

 

However, I think the benefits were promised for the Second visit , comming , not the First visit . )

 

 

Mike

Edited December 11, 2016 by Mike Smith Cosmos

[geordief]

"You don't want no pie in the sky when you die, You want something here on the ground while you're still around."

http://www.azquotes.com/quote/823350

"

[Ophiolite]

For several decades I have felt that Christmas, as practiced by many in the West, is closer to Saturnalia in spirit: the old pagan festival usurped by the early Christians.

[geordief]

For several decades I have felt that Christmas, as practiced by many in the West, is closer to Saturnalia in spirit: the old pagan festival usurped by the early Christians.

As you sow....

 

It is well reported that Christianity (not just Christianity ,of course) usurped these old festivals to embed itself in new cultures. Now they are getting a taste of their own medicine.

 

I have a suspicion that more "religious" Christians may set greater store on festivals like Easter as they see what they may view as the commercialization of Christmas.

Edited December 11, 2016 by geordief

[DrKrettin]

I have always felt that the "season of goodwill to all men" is disgusting. Why should there be a season of goodwill, and not the whole year? I also assume the language is such that it refers to the whole species, not just to one sex thereof.

[dimreepr]

For several decades I have felt that Christmas, as practiced by many in the West, is closer to Saturnalia in spirit: the old pagan festival usurped by the early Christians.

 

Indeed.

I have always felt that the "season of goodwill to all men" is disgusting. Why should there be a season of goodwill, and not the whole year? I also assume the language is such that it refers to the whole species, not just to one sex thereof.

 

Not so much a season of goodwill just a reason to celebrate, but we still have to work on monday.

 

The goodwill should be a given, if we could just relax enough not to be suspicious of everyone.

[StringJunky]

 

.

 

Indeed.

 

Not so much a season of goodwill just a reason to celebrate, but we still have to work on monday.

 

The goodwill should be a given, if we could just relax enough not to be suspicious of everyone.

It's a common day for everyone to say "Hey people, let's all chill today".

Edited December 11, 2016 by StringJunky

[Phi for All]

I have always felt that the "season of goodwill to all men" is disgusting. Why should there be a season of goodwill, and not the whole year? I also assume the language is such that it refers to the whole species, not just to one sex thereof.

 

I consider Christmas and Valentine's Day to be for amateurs who don't practice goodwill and love daily.

[dimreepr]

.

It's a common day for everyone to say "Hey people, let's all chill today".

 

Sorry, didn't that come through? I should have added the smilie

[Mike Smith Cosmos]

Christmas was supposed to be a time of Joy .

Peace on Earth and Joy to men of ' Goodwill ' or something to that effect .

Quote " And the angel said unto them, Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people: "

A messenger said this :- as what was to be expected from the ensuing Birth.

Let's hope that's what happens soon !

However, I think the benefits were promised for the Second visit , comming , not the First visit . )

image.jpeg

Mike

.

 

I think the communication from a higher species , has some " bearing " as well as proof of validity and authentication . It appears to have been witnessed by quite a number of individuals . Shepherds as well as others . It had sufficient credulity for individuals to have written it up , and for it to have stood the test of time . ( perhaps not the present ' time ', as we have entered a very " if I can't see it , I will not believe it ! " time .

 

Clearly if an individual wishes to dismiss the event . That is their prerogative. However it was sufficiently well accepted as real by historians like Josephus, Roman officials like Pilot . And it's not just how individuals behave , but also how society behaves ? That is up for grabs! As it was with the Roman Empire went into decline as well as individuals with the Dark Ages.

 

So what if it were true ? And as the first comming happened as proof that the Second comming should be viewed more seriously , as the second comming was predicted and deemed to be a sort of Judgement time on humanities behaviour at the time , both as countries and individuals ?

 

Can our current international behaviour be seen to be spotless , kind , and worthy of our civilisations, preservation. Apparently we are living in some form of Judgement period . If not we may have limited time to put it straight . In fact it may be already too late ? Both for societies / countries and individuals alike ?

 

O.k. We can dismiss this as ' tripe ' . But what happens if it's not wrong , in fact very , very really true ?

 

Mike

Edited December 11, 2016 by Mike Smith Cosmos

[DrKrettin]

.

And the first comming happened as proof that the Second comming should be viewed more seriously , as it is deemed to be a sort of Judgement time on humanities behaviour at the time .

 

 

 

This is a total non sequitur, even if the previous assertions were true.

 

Why not a 3rd coming, or a 763rd coming? Why not take them even more seriously?

[Mike Smith Cosmos]

This is a total non sequitur, even if the previous assertions were true.

 

Why not a 3rd coming, or a 763rd coming? Why not take them even more seriously?

.

Probably because the World can only fill up Once . And we are nearly full and in a pretty poor state to recommend to any higher power , that we are in good shape to take on any other worlds !

 

' We have been weighed in the balance and found wanting '. ( " Mini mini tekle and parsin " ) . I would suggest our current score ( out of 100% is in the region of 17% ) . We are just too far adrift to be in the running . ( . Sorry chaps ! Times up . No ! who am I to say . But things look pretty dodgy to me . I would not invite current society , as it stands , to come as a civilisation and come aboard my new world . ). So basically ' we screwed up ' . We should have thought of this years ago and done something about it. We should have seen it comming , and done something . ( we have had 2000 years to get our act together, and we blew it )

 

We were given ' fair warning ' . Namely 2000 years ! This is not my decision , comes from the higher ups !

 

Mike

Edited December 11, 2016 by Mike Smith Cosmos

[Phi for All]

Christmas is simple. If you aren't religious, and you try for goodwill throughout the year, it's about watching someone open a gift you wrapped, and opening gifts others wrapped for you.

 

The gift doesn't matter. In addition to specific gifts, I also wrap things I buy regularly if I get them close to Christmas, like shampoo or toothpaste. I bought a set of 6 mugs for the household this year, and I'm going to take them out of the box and wrap each separately. They'll be gifts from the dog and the cats.

 

I've tried being smart ("Instead of getting 20 gifts worth $10 each, we should draw names and get one person a $200 gift!"), I've tried being frugal, I've tried donating gifts to charity, I've tried just about every variation of "This holiday has become too commercial!". When I stopped bitching about it and started watching people, I noticed that the most fun part about gift-giving is the unwrapping. Opening wrapped presents, anticipating "the reveal", destroying the secrecy, acknowledging a job well done by giver and recipient, this seems to be the part that you can't recreate at any other time of year, not even your birthday.

 

I like the songs, too. Some of them still make me leak with their power, even though I don't share any of the faith-based beliefs. So I get teary for the poor little drummer kid when he gets to play, but I tend to ignore the birthday boy.

[DrKrettin]

.

Probably because the World can only fill up Once . And we are nearly full and in a pretty poor state to recommend to any higher power , that we are in good shape to take on any other worlds !

 

' We have been weighed in the balance and found wanting '. ( " Mini mini tekle and parsin " )

 

We were given ' fair warning ' . Namely 2000 years ! This is not my decision , comes from the higher ups !

 

Mike

 

 

And you believe that simply because it is written in a weird book cobbled together 300 years after the events it describes. Why that book? Why not (say) the Koran?

[Mike Smith Cosmos]

And you believe that simply because it is written in a weird book cobbled together 300 years after the events it describes. Why that book? Why not (say) the Koran?

 

.

Well to some extent , it's because I was brought up in a western country . However , I did go to my second bought in university , in my 50's years of age and and the students 20's years of age where I learned along side many Moslem students , who seemed fairly devout.

 

Maybe the world and individuals are not judged by what we appear to the world as , but by what we are . Maybe that's what's going on as we speak , and the outcome remains to be seen shortly ?

 

Glug !

 

Mike

Edited December 11, 2016 by Mike Smith Cosmos

[StringJunky]

Christmas is simple. If you aren't religious, and you try for goodwill throughout the year, it's about watching someone open a gift you wrapped, and opening gifts others wrapped for you.

 

The gift doesn't matter. In addition to specific gifts, I also wrap things I buy regularly if I get them close to Christmas, like shampoo or toothpaste. I bought a set of 6 mugs for the household this year, and I'm going to take them out of the box and wrap each separately. They'll be gifts from the dog and the cats.

 

I've tried being smart ("Instead of getting 20 gifts worth $10 each, we should draw names and get one person a $200 gift!"), I've tried being frugal, I've tried donating gifts to charity, I've tried just about every variation of "This holiday has become too commercial!". When I stopped bitching about it and started watching people, I noticed that the most fun part about gift-giving is the unwrapping. Opening wrapped presents, anticipating "the reveal", destroying the secrecy, acknowledging a job well done by giver and recipient, this seems to be the part that you can't recreate at any other time of year, not even your birthday.

 

I like the songs, too. Some of them still make me leak with their power, even though I don't share any of the faith-based beliefs. So I get teary for the poor little drummer kid when he gets to play, but I tend to ignore the birthday boy.

Quite a few women I've known will pass a positive comment if you wrap well. It matters to them as much as the present itself, if not more, because that's the bit you actually put effort into, or not.

Edited December 11, 2016 by StringJunky

[Mordred]

lol my wife couldn't properly wrap a Christmas present if she tried. She always gets me to do it for her. As I always do a better job at it.

[StringJunky]

lol my wife couldn't properly wrap a Christmas present if she tried. She always gets me to do it for her. As I always do a better job at it.

I bet you get the tape measure out incremented in nanometres or have designed a jig to Planck accuracy.

Edited December 12, 2016 by StringJunky

[Mordred]

Roflmao tempting, temping.

[Phi for All]

Mordred could fund a lot of science if he'd invent a way to spot weld paper on paper without using tape. Something like a hot glue gun without the glue.

[StringJunky]

Mordred could fund a lot of science if he'd invent a way to spot weld paper on paper without using tape. Something like a hot glue gun without the glue.

Electrostatic welding pen.

[Mordred]

make the paper fashioned off ghecko feet. Lol they do it on robots. Best part yet the paper will be thicker and stronger.

Let electrostatic charge do your work as the glue P: Hrrm wonder how christmas lights will affect the electrostatic bond?

 

 

On second thought maybe Christmas wrapping would be extremely annoying if your paper had the self cling characteristics of Glad cling wrap P:

Edited December 12, 2016 by Mordred

[imatfaal]

Mordred could fund a lot of science if he'd invent a way to spot weld paper on paper without using tape. Something like a hot glue gun without the glue.

 

I never use tape - that's for amateurs. Just use a bit* more paper, buy fairly regular-shaped presents, and tuck the paper into itself. I have had requests for empty boxes to be re-wrapped once the goodies from inside have been removed - "just cos it is so cool that you cannot see the joins and there's no sticky-tape"

 

I blame William Gibson...

 

*OK - about twice to thrice the amount for normal wrapping

[Phi for All]

*OK - about twice to thrice the amount for normal wrapping

 

That disturbs my delicate economy/effort/satisfaction ratios. 2-3 times the cost and effort. Can you guarantee me 4-6 times the satisfaction? That seems like the sort of thing that has a rapidly declining astonishment level for the amount of presents I wrap. I could be wrong, of course, but my observation is that the gift is the fruit, and the wrapping makes it unknown/forbidden, which makes the fruit taste sweeter. Can you maintain enthusiasm for origami-wrap? Do your friends and family still tear the paper, or do they carefully take it apart since you haven't ruined it with sticky tape?

 

Oddly, I have a relative who uses an obnoxious amount of tape when wrapping gifts, yet also insists on carefully unwrapping her own gifts without tearing. I've always found the behaviors at odds with each other. It's impossible to unwrap her gifts without a pair of scissors or the Jaws of Life.

[TheBeardedDude]

Christmas was supposed to be a time of Joy .

Peace on Earth and Joy to men of ' Goodwill ' or something to that effect .

 

Quote " And the angel said unto them, Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people: "

 

A messenger said this :- as what was to be expected from the ensuing Birth.

 

Let's hope that's what happens soon !

 

However, I think the benefits were promised for the Second visit , comming , not the First visit . )

 

image.jpeg

 

Mike

 

 

I am not entirely sure what you mean by irony in your thread topic.

 

 

What I find ironic every year when Christmas rolls around is the christian outrage over the "war on Christmas" where christians complain about the secular world trying to steal the holidays away from Christmas when Christmas is a holiday the Christians stole from other religions and cultures.