Some days it's not worth chewing through the leather straps

With some random stuff that I have collected: Think anybody has updated the numbers for 2007? Or was that depressing enough? My brother-in-law, the happy elf! You rock Chuck! And of course, how Thanksgiving would look if Norman Rockwell had lived down south.

You Are Romanticism You are likely to see the world as it should be, not as it is. You prefer to celebrate the great things people do... not the horrors they're capable of. For you, there is nothing more inspiring than a great hero. You believe that great art reflects the artist's imagination and true ideals. What Art Movement Are You?

I'm just full of advice, among other things. If you are hosting a party, be prepared:

From Snopes comes this handy-dandy list of New Years Superstitions! I wasn't aware of most of these, how about all of you? Because January 1 is the first day of the new year, we have drawn a connection between what we do on that day and our fate throughout the rest of the year. Here are some of the ways we attempt to guarantee a good outcome through our acts on that portentous first day: • Kissing at midnight: We kiss those dearest to us at midnight not only to share a moment of celebration with our favorite people, but also to ensure those affections and ties will continue throughout the next twelve months. To fail to smooch our significant others at the stroke of twelve would be to set the stage for a year of coldness. • Stocking Up: The new year must not be seen in with bare cupboards, lest that be the way of things for the year. Larders must be topped up and plenty of money must be placed in every wallet in the home to guarantee prosperity. • Paying Off Bills: The new ye...

See, disabilities can sometimes disappear.

Christmas Eve 1921 Pa never had much compassion for the lazy or those who squandered their means and then never had enough for the necessities. But for those who were genuinely in need, his heart was as big as all outdoors. It was from him that I learned the greatest joy in life comes from giving, not from receiving. It was Christmas Eve 1921. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the world had caved in on me because there just hadn't been enough money to buy me the rifle that I'd wanted for Christmas. We did the chores early that night for some reason. I just figured Pa wanted a little extra time so we could read in the Bible. After supper was over I took my boots off and stretched out in front of the fireplace and waited for Pa to get down the old Bible. I was still feeling sorry for myself and, to be honest, I wasn't in much of a mood to read Scriptures. But Pa didn't get the Bible; instead he bundled up again and went outside. I couldn't figure it out becaus...

From episode 10 of Season 1 of the West Wing, this requires just a bit of background. Earlier in the episode, Mrs. Landingham tells of her twin sons being killed in Vietnam on Christmas Eve, and how she always thinks of them during Christmas. She thinks of how scared they must have been and how she couldn't have been there for them. The clip is a bit long, but gives the background on how Toby became aware of the homeless vet who passed away, and the strings he pulled to get him an honor guard burial. The final sequence of the honor guard burial intermixed with the boys choir in the White House makes me cry every time I watch it. To me, this was television at it's finest. Merry Christmas all: