All I want for Christmas

With the holiday shopping season now in full swing I figure it's now or never: It's time to compile my Christmas wish list. The Christmas wish list was always a highlight of the season for me as a youth and it always seemed to center around the Sears Wishbook. Does anyone remember that thing? It was basically just a holiday themed Sears catalog but twice as big as the already gigantic regular Sears catalog. Anyway, that thing was awesome and I would very meticulously go through the sucker writing down each item from each section that I wanted, the page number and then the corresponding letter attached to the item. It was all very precise, exact and borderline anal-retentive. It wasn't so much that I was in love with the Sears-Roebuck corporation or that they necessarily had every present I lusted for, it's just that the Wishbook had so many things in one easy to locate place that for an 8 year-old it made complete sense. In the days before Amazon.com and Ebay it was all we had.

So I guess the 21st century equivalent of a "wishlist" might be the blog. That would make sense as the blog is the 21st century equivalent of so many other things—annoying innocent people with your dumb thoughts and smarting off about things you don't understand being chief among them. That said and at the risk of being way too self-indulgent I thought I'd go ahead and put up my Christmas wish list with conveinent links to where you can purchase said gifts— *wink-wink*.

Let's dive in shall we?

Media (DVD's, Video Games, Music, etc):

King Kong (Two-Disc Special Edition): Peter Jacksons movie will be 3 1/2 hour long pretentiousness. This on the other hand is a classic.

The Wizard of Oz (Two-Disc Special Edition): Another classic. Sue me I like old movies.

Wallace & Gromit in Three Amazing Adventures: If you don't like "Wallace & Gromit" you are an angry person with no joy in your soul.

The Twilight Zone-Season One (The Definitive Edition): One of the greatest TV shows ever. Kind of pricey but hey, I'm worth it.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic: I've heard nothing but good things about this game. I think it's time I gave it a whirl.

Star Fox: Assault: You gotta love furry animal based space combat. In the grand tradition of Bucky O'Hare.

Prince of Persia 3: The Two Thrones: I still haven't finished POP2 but this is one of the better and lesser-known video game series out there.

Johnny Cash: The Legend (Box Set): It's 104 Johnny Cash classics. What more can I say?

The Long Road Home: The Ultimate John Fogerty/Creedence Collection: CCR when they were a good band, not whatever the monstrosity that plays at Mystic Lake Casino is.

Books:

The Complete Calvin & Hobbes (Hardcover): Quite simply the greatest comic ever.

How to Time Travel: It works, you don't even know!

D-Day: June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II: I've wanted to read this for a while. Buy it for me so I can!

The Making of Lost in Space: Just kidding.

Toys:

Halex Competition Soccer/Foosball Game: I don't even like soccer but this just looks neat.

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith Anakin's Jedi Starfighter: The coolest movie vehicle since the X-Wing.

The Butthead Game: Nothing says fun like "The Butthead Game."

"Back to the Future" Delorean Die Cast Car:
Holycrapholycrapholycrapholycrapholycrapholycrapholycrapholycrap! This is awesome!

Radio Control Mini Helicopter: Very cool.

Clothing:
Chuck Norris T-Shirt: A life full of accomplishment. Size medium.

Pie T-Shirt: For obvious reasons I think. Again, size medium please.

Hanes Premium Crew Socks-Regular (6-pack): Hey, not everything needs to be fancy schmancy.

Weird Stuff:

Angels, Demons and Masons DVD: I think it might be fun to throw a "Illuminati Mixer". We could watch this DVD, eat Chex Mix and, you know, uh...talk about secret societies and stuff.

Ceramic Smoking Monkey: I don't think my life can ever be complete until I have one of these.

Rubber Chicken: Likewise, one of these.

How to Irritate People DVD: I really could use a refresher course.

Triumph the Dog: It's not a rubber puppet but it's close enough.

Kerry Bop Bag: I haven't had a "bop bag" since I was a young lad. Man this "Things You Never Knew Existed" site is a goldmine isn't it?

And finally, like any single man in his mid-20's I could really use a wife.

The Commies continue to suck

Korean Reds Targeting Christians
(got the link from the Daily Jeezit blog)

Two things stand out to me right now:

a) It's almost 2006. The Berlin Wall fell. The USSR is no more. You'd think communist regimes would get the hint. I guess 70 years of economic disaster, 40 million+ dead and scores of other empirical evidence pointing to the utter failure of radical socialism is not enough for some people. I mean even Red China doesn't really believe in all that Marxist crap anymore. They certainly don't act like it.

b) How some people can actually reconcile Communism with Christianity (especially after reading what's going on in North Korea these days). I guess we haven't had "true" Communism yet or something. Of course the real reason is that Communism and radical socialism always lead to a worship of State and an elimination of any concept of God. Anyone who thinks otherwise is fooling themselves. Free markets are far from perfect, but like a lot of other political issues in our broken and sinful world it's often the lesser of many evils we have to choose. As my dad has pointed out to me the very Biblical concept of "Though Shalt Not Steal" implies personal ownership of property—if everyone owns everything that commandment becomes utterly moot. I'm not saying "God is a Capitalist" but I am saying that clearly the natural order of things in this world includes the inherent right to ownership and the freedom to do with ones effects that which they please.

Proud of my poofy coat

Yeah that's right, I have a poofy coat. Some might even call it "ghetto". Other adjectives to describe my winter jacket that could be used would be as follows: puffy, thick, languid, dark, marshmallowy, spatula-like and clunky. Of course some of those adjectives would be more applicable than others.
"Puffy" might well be fitting but even a seasoned debater would have a hard time defending "spatula-like".

Like my title says I'm proud of this coat. It was cheap and it's loaded with 100% real goose down—unlike my last winter coat which was insulated with nothing but 100% tangy Ricotta cheese. Warm and comfy? Yes. But the smell was beginning to attract both local wildlife and any number of metrosexuals looking for something to complement the Kalamata olives on their Mediterranean salads.

Enter the poofy jacket. I picked it up at Old Navy for the low price of $35. For an inexpensive coat it gets the job done for me even in the most bitter -175 degree Minnesota winter. I considered purchasing a Columbia or North Face jacket but I would have needed to take out a 2nd mortage to do so. Considering I don't have a 1st mortage this proved difficult.

So in conclusion, yes my poofy coat may look a little silly but it keeps me warm and that makes me feel pretty on the inside.*

*This may be the wussiest thing I've ever said.

Mark your calendars...

Coming Thursday December 22...
Chris Dugan's 1st annual 2005 Tinsel-Town Yuletide Ball:
It's a Wrap!
6:30 in the PM @ the Slater Estates, Eagan MN
Amazingly thorough hors d'oeuvres spread (okay probably just those lil' weenies and maybe those Sam's Club® truffle deals)
AND
A *special* festive holiday taste-test!

Come for the food and stay for—uh, the food probably.

Stupid intolerant liberals

Okay go to my sisters Xanga and read her November 10 post.

That makes me angry.

In the words of Will Ferrell "I am spitting angry! I am like a tornado of anger, swirling about!"

I first attended Normandale some 8 years ago and encountered similar Gooback teachers. My "political environment" class while guised as a non-political examination of the American polictical process was in all actuality a chance for one Josef Stalin-Schwartz to rant and rail against the United States and push his Pro-Marxist fascist agenda. This guy actually thought that the major news media was too conservative so that gives you some idea how moonbat crazy this guy was. Like all liberals everywhere he was a huge hypocrite and wouldn't allow any sort of dissenting opinions to be practically expressed in his class. As I've stated many many times left-wing peace-creeps are undoubtedly and unabashedly the most angry, intolerant, close-minded and bigoted people on the face of the planet. Hands down. Bar none. End of story. Pat Robertson and the crazy lady on "Trading Spouses" pale in comparison.

The class I took was at least a political class though. My sister was in a Shakespeare class and had to deal with a completely off-topic, unncessary and foul-mouthed diatribe on why Bush sucks. It doesn't shock me that a college professor would hate Bush and be a frickin' moron. What does shock me is that this was allowed to go on and the foul-mouthed stupid kid sitting behind my sister wasn't reprimanded for mouthing off like she did. I'm all in favor of debate and dialogue in school and I love the concept of the free-marketplace of ideas but what happened to civility and context and tact? I guess that's why you teach at Normandale Community College idiot Shakespeare Professor...

I kind of want to go back to Normandale and write for the paper again so I can spar with all of these Twinkies® for another round.

P.S. I was so happy blogging about nice and fun things like Thanksgiving and Muppets. Then people have to be idiots and I have to rant about it. Thanks a lot. I feel like William Wallace. I don't want to argue or fight. At my core I really don't like confrontation. I'm happy to raise my crops. Then I'm forced by dirty English lords (Normandale Professors) to fight for what's right.

At long last, the holidays

As far as I'm concerned the holiday season is officially here. In the mind of Chris Dugan anyway the holiday season begins post-Halloween/November 1st with a build up to Thanksgiving; from Thanksgiving to Christmas; from Christmas to New Years.

As much as I love Christmas I'd have to say Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. The 4 day weekend always seems to come at the perfect time and as a lad especially nothing beat that 3 day schoolweek before the big day. The anticipation for Christmas only ramps up so maybe that explains my affection for the day—Thanksgiving winks at me saying "Christmas is coming but here's a preview of the merriment for you."

So when it comes to holidays it's Turkey Day for me with Christmas as a very close second.

Gyllenhaal go home!

I know Aaron is the defacto authority on all things regarding the inexplicable popularity of Jake Gyllenhaal but I can't resist.

Now he's in a movie with Heath Ledger where they play a couple of gay cowboys. I'm sure someone somewhere is anticipating this but all I can think is that the absolute worst year in history for movies continues (other than this and this of course and probably this and hopefully this but I haven't seen them yet).

Anyway, back to Gyllenhaal. He stinks. I disdain his smarmy, pretentious "art-house" attitude and the fact that just by reading his face you can tell he wants us to care oh-so-much about what he does. Jake's sister Maggie is also right up there with her own cloying sense of self-importance. She also looks disturbingly like a Cabbage Patch doll I had when I was 5.

This post is dedicated to Corey Copps.

What the crap?!

The Cure Shares Your Taste in Music

See their whole playlist here (iTunes required)

Which Musician (or Group) Shares Your Taste in Music?