This is to be my last entry before Christmas. This is a strange time of year. It's supposed to be a time of togetherness and reflection, but it seems mostly to be a time of consumption. The mall I pass on the way to work was absolutely packed, if the parking garages and lines of cars exiting were anything to go by. The blind rush to buy last minute, obligatory gifts for the people seems to me to be a far cry from the true meaning of the season, and I'm not a christian. (Of course, it's really a pagan holiday, but that's another story...) It's sad that every big holiday in this country has to come with a marketing strategy attached to it.

I'm not saying anything new here. Appreciate your loved ones. Let the yuletide sweep you away.

cds I listened to while throwing papers that most people won't read because they'll be at the malls all day: Lo Jo "Boheme de Cristal", Elend "Winds Devouring Men", Tellu "Suden Aika", and Silver Mountain "Breakin' Chains"