Tag: christmas

Friday, December 19, 2025

by fasted86

Briefly.

And just like that, Christmas is upon us. This time next week, it will be over with. Merry, Merry to you and yours.

I am no longer allowed to go caroling at the psych hospital. I guess “Do You Hear What I Hear” was a bad song choice.

Trivia #1: What country started the Christmas tree tradition? – The United States, Germany, France, Italy, Jordan, Ireland, Denmark, Lowell
Trivia #2: What is the first rule in the Code of Elves in the movie ‘Elf?’ – There’s room for everyone on the nice list; Pour plenty of whiskey in your eggnog; The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear; Don’t eat yellow snow; Treat every day like Christmas
Trivia #3: What country is known for lighting advent candles each Sunday of December? – The United States, Germany, France, Italy, Jordan, Ireland, Denmark, Lowell
Trivia #4: What is the Grinch’s dog’s name? – Rex, Rufus, Rock, Fido, Fifi, Doug, Frank, Max
Trivia #5:  In the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” how many presents are given in total? – None, 78, 144, 256, 364, 962

On this date: December 19, 324, Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor.
December 19, 1686, Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe’s fictional character, leaves his island after 28 years of being marooned (according to the famous novel)
December 19, 1843, “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens is published, 6,000 copies sold
December 19, 1904, Dawson City hockey team begins 9 day walk to get a boat to Seattle to catch a train to Ottawa to play in Stanley Cup on Jan 13 1905
December 19, 1918, Robert Ripley begins his “Believe It or Not” column (NY Globe)
December 19, 1958, First radio broadcast from space, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower sends a Christmas message “to all mankind, America’s wish for peace on Earth and goodwill to men everywhere”
December 19, 1971, CBS airs “Homecoming A Christmas Story” as a TV movie that evolves into long running series “The Waltons”
December 19, 2001, A record high barometric pressure of 1085.6 hPa (32.06 inHg) is recorded at Tosontsengel, Khövsgöl Province, Mongolia.
December 19, 2016, At least 48 people die after drinking bath lotion in Irkutsk, Siberia, thinking it contained alcohol

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: December 19, 2001, a record high barometric pressure of 1085.6 hPa (32.06 inHg) is recorded at Tosontsengel, Khövsgöl Province, Mongolia.

The best part of writing this on Friday is that the Patriots loss to the Bills is behind us. We’re on to Baltimore.

Stop complaining… Unless you’re a Chiefs’ fan – hahaha!

Stop complaining, part deux: A massive coast-to-coast storm is charging across the country, packing hurricane-force wind gusts and will impact more than 30 states by the end of the week. This comes as more people hit the roads and head to airports, with the holidays quickly approaching. This powerful storm is approaching the Midwest after powerful wind gusts left hundreds of thousands of customers without power across the Pacific Northwest, Northern Plains and the Rockies.  

Go away: Brian Walshe

Don’t be that guy. Whether you like the gift or not, at least look as though you appreciate it.

He sees you when you’re drinking...

Article I’ll skip: Detransitioner Chloe Cole shares complications after gender procedures

Lesser-known Knights of the Round Table. The knight too big to sit at the table: Sir Round

If you didn’t get a Christmas card from us, don’t feel slighted. This is at least the second year in a row we haven’t sent them out. We still love you dearly tough.

Good news: It’s Christmas time!

My biggest fear is being trapped in a small room with Santa. I have Claustrophobia.

Trivia #1 answer: What country started the Christmas tree tradition? – The United States, Germany, France, Italy, Jordan, Ireland, Denmark, Lowell – The answer is Germany
Trivia #2 answer: What is the first rule in the Code of Elves in the movie ‘Elf?’ – There’s room for everyone on the nice list; Pour plenty of whiskey in your eggnog; The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear; Don’t eat yellow snow; Treat every day like Christmas – ‘Treat every day like Christmas’
Trivia #3 answer: What country is known for lighting advent candles each Sunday of December? – The United States, Germany, France, Italy, Jordan, Ireland, Denmark, Lowell – The answer is Germany
Trivia #4 answer: What is the Grinch’s dog’s name? – Rex, Rufus, Rock, Fido, Fifi, Doug, Frank, Max – It is ‘Max’
Trivia #5 answer: In the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” how many presents are given in total? – None, 78, 144, 256, 364, 962 – There are 364 presents, one for nearly every day of the year! This is because each verse adds all the previous presents together. 

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

Be careful out there. (It’s a jungle!)

Happy National Hard Candy Day!

Life’s too short to be miserable. Remember, it’s Christmas time.

Christmas bonus! (Sorry, no cash bonus here…)

If you know me, you know of my often sick, twisted, sometimes off-color sense of humor. If you don’t, then please excuse this.

Friday, December 20, 2024

by fasted86

Briefly. Hmmm, it didn’t turn out that way…

Merry Christmas (and Happy Holidays, I guess) to everyone reading and their families. I love Christmas time!

If anyone is alone with no family or nobody to spend Christmas with, please let me know… I need to borrow some chairs. (Oldie, but still gets a chuckle)

Trivia #1: What does CERN stand for?
Trivia #2: How much is a petabyte?
Trivia #3: What country’s tourism record was broken between Jan. 1 and Nov. 30? – Japan, United States, Iceland, Spain, France, Italy, Dracut
Trivia #4: In the movie “Home Alone,” where are the McCallisters going on vacation when they accidentally leave Kevin behind? – Greece, Paris, Disney, Hawaii, Aruba, Italy
Trivia #5: Which NBA player has played the most Christmas Day games – Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Kareem, Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James?
Trivia #6: From what country does the poinsettia plant originate from?
Trivia #7: What was the first company that used Santa Claus in their advertising?

On this date: December 20, 69 (that’s right, 69 AD) General Vespasian’s troops occupy Rome after defeating the Emperor Vitellius
December 20, 1820, Missouri imposed a $1 bachelor tax on unmarried men aged between 21 & 50 (Can you imagine how many men then moved out of Missouri!)
December 20, 1967, Ian Anderson and Glenn Cornick form rock group “Jethro Tull” in Blackpool, England
December 20, 1969, Peter, Paul & Mary’s cover of John Denver’s song “Leaving On A Jet Plane” reaches #1
December 20, 1974, “The Godfather Part II”, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is released (Academy Awards Best Picture 1975)

Tomorrow is the shortest day of the year. It’s all downhill after that.

Rare ending to the first half in last night’s Denver/LA Chargers game. With eight seconds left in the half, and the Broncos leading 21-10, they punted the ball away in hopes of the time expiring and sending both teams to the locker room. The good news is that the clock hit zeroes – the bad news, however, is that Denver was called for fair catch interference. Of course, a half cannot end on a defensive penalty or a flag by the kicking team, so the Chargers had the opportunity for a “fair catch kick” after the penalty moved them up 15 yards. Cameron Dicker was able to line up for a 57-yard kick without any sort of rush, in fact, the ball didn’t even need to be snapped. He nailed it. That hadn’t happened in the NFL since 1976.

The Army/Navy football game, last Saturday, is such an event. The tradition, rivalry and respect given from all directions.

Mercy to the guilty is cruelty to the innocent.

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: The Bruins are tied for their most wins when trailing by 2 or more goals when entering the 3rd period in team history 2024/25 – 3, 2020/21 – 3, 2017/18 – 3.

The U.S. national debt is $36,189,345,826,140.62. Oops, sorry. That was yesterday. Right now, it’s up to $36,248, 090, 851, 924.00.

I kid you not. The other day while channel surfing, I came across the 2024 Plumbing National Championship. The winner, from Peabody, MA, took home $10K and a new set of tires. You cannot make that shit up.

Go away: Luigi Mangione, the thug who shot the healthcare CEO in the back. Just invoke capital punishment law (not that simple, I know) and get this guy out of our lives.

“Understanding the question is half an answer.” – Socrates

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: NYPD officers were seen sitting in the entire front row of the court room where Luigi Mangione’s court proceedings took place in the Blair County Courthouse. Several people outside the courthouse held signs that read “Deny, Defend, Depose,” the same message that Mangione allegedly left on shell casings at the scene of Thompson’s murder and words that are commonly used among insurance providers when they reject claims. 

Fewer people are watching the NBA than in previous years. Ratings for NBA games on ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV are down 25% through Saturday and there are many ideas floating about why. Three-pointer propensity and lack of defense are the two main bugaboos observers point to. Oh, don’t me going about the state of professional basketball…

Smuggling drugs, you’re doing it wrong. A Florida fisherman hoping to catch a big one recently hauled in more than 50 pounds of cocaine wrapped in watertight plastic and branded with a scorpion. “If you happened to have lost or misplaced approximately 25 kilos of cocaine and would like to have your property returned, please contact our Narcotics Agents and we will be more than happy to reunite you with your lost property,” the Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey joked alongside a photo of the drugs.

OK folks, you can relax now. The world’s largest hornet, an invasive breed dubbed the “murder hornet” for its dangerous sting and ability to slaughter a honey bee hive in a matter of hours, has been declared eradicated in the US, five years after being spotted for the first time in Washington state near the Canadian border.

Good news: For us football fans, that is. After last night’s NFL game, tonight is open but that is followed by one or more games on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Wednesday (Christmas), Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday. Whoa!

Bad news: ESPN’s Randy Moss has been diagnosed with cancer. What can I say, I like the guy.

Winning an award, you’re doing it wrong: Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty’s, a finalist for the Heisman Trophy last Saturday night, came up short to two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter in the voting. Jeanty thought so highly of his chances to win the award, he wrote and practiced an acceptance speech and even told the world he did so. DOH!

Article I’ll skip: Santa Claus might be real after all as a stunning new discovery proves it

This just in, the Patriots’ QB Drake Maye has been ruled out of Sunday’s game versus the Bills, due to a back injury. Apparently, Maye suffered the injury sometime during the past several games where he was carrying the team on his back…

Trivia #1 answer: What does CERN stand for? – European Organization for Nuclear Research
Trivia #2 answer: How much is a petabyte? – 1,000 terabytes or 1,000,000,000,000,000,000
Trivia #3 answer: What country’s tourism record was broken between Jan. 1 and Nov. 30? – Japan, United States, Iceland, Spain, France, Italy, Dracut – Japan saw 33.4 million visitors (247,500 were Americans)
Trivia #4 answer: In the movie “Home Alone,” where are the McCallisters going on vacation when they accidentally leave Kevin behind? – Greece, Paris, Disney, Hawaii, Aruba, Italy – They were going to Paris
Trivia #5 answer: Which NBA player has played the most Christmas Day games? – Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Kareem, Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James? – Kobe Bryant (16)
Trivia #6 answer: From what country does the poinsettia plant originate from? – Mexico
Trivia #7 answer: What was the first company that used Santa Claus in their advertising? – Coca-Cola

Speaking of Japan, KFC is the preferred Christmas meal in Japan. Hey, I read it on the internet!

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

Be careful out there. (It’s a jungle!)

“Any man can make mistakes, but only an idiot persists in his error.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero

Happy National Underdog Day.

Ya’ll got 5 days to get in the spirit. Let’s go!

First, the Eagles

Then, the boss!

Friday, December 22, 2023

by fasted86

Briefly. (Not really but it’s a long, holiday weekend. Relax!)

I don’t always roll a joint, but when I do it’s my ankle.

Trivia #1: What team currently holds the longest active playoff drought (13 seasons) in all of the NHL, NBA, NFL & MLB?
Trivia #2: What two schools play in the Egg Bowl each season?
Trivia #3: The term “bowl” originated from the Rose Bowl stadium, site of the first postseason college football games. The Rose Bowl Stadium, in turn, takes its name and bowl-shaped design from what other stadium?

Go away: The Los Angeles Dodgers

And tonight thank God it’s them, instead of you.

I don’t know, I like listening to Christmas tunes during the season. Having said that, I’m glad the season is nearing its end as I’ve heard some songs 100 times, it seems. There most annoying? It has to be The Chipmunk Song. Those voices piercing through my head…

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: While consumers can fall victim to a variety of scams, experts say gift card draining was one of the most common scams that affected people’s lives in 2023. What’s worse, just about any gift card is vulnerable. Card draining occurs when a thief tampers with a gift card and “drains” the money before the funds are used by the consumer. AARP reported last year that 23% of U.S. consumers had given or received gift cards that did not have money on them.

On this day: December 22, 1882, the first string of Christmas lights was created by Thomas Edison

The Bruins aren’t as hot as they were at the beginning of the season but they are still second in the NHL in points.

Speaking of hockey, the Celtics are 14-0 at home to start the season, second only to their 1957/1958 season when they started 18-0.

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: A lawsuit accuses Amazon of enabling a West Virginia man to spy on an underage Brazilian girl with a hidden camera. The device, which resembles a clothes hook, was purchased from Amazon and used to record the girl. The suit alleges that Amazon failed to remove the camera from its platform despite inspecting it three times and knowing the potential harm it could cause.

I don’t know, if they’ll be snow, but have a cup of cheer (okay)

The NFL has yet to announce the starting times of games for week 18, the final Sunday of the season. Bastards, with just over two weeks to go. Regardless, according to ESPN, the lowest ticket prices for those games range from $223 for Buffalo at Miami all the way down to $9 for Tampa Bay at Carolina. That’s disgusting.

They said it: “I received my bachelor’s degree in Calcium Anthropology… the study of milkmen.” – Comedian Steven Wright
They said it, part deux: “Well you see, Buddy, your father is on the naughty list” – Santa, to Buddy the elf

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a 25-year-old who has been named the MVP of the Pacific League in the Nippon Professional Baseball league in Japan for three straight years, has agreed to a 12-year, $325 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yoshinobu’s contract is the largest ever given to a pitcher in the history of baseball, breaking Gerrit Cole’s $324 million pact he signed in 2019. It also shatters the record for the largest deal ever given to a Japanese import by more than double the previous amount – that had belonged to Masahiro Tanaka, who in 2014 signed a seven-year, $155 million deal with the New York Yankees. Again, he’s 25 years old.

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: American wrestler Hulk Hogan announced that he had been baptized in a special ceremony at the Indian Rocks Baptist Church in Florida.
Useless information supposed to fire my imagination, part deux: Vanna White has worn more than 7,000 outfits on “Wheel of Fortune”

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas… keep dreaming

Good news: Widely regarded as the breakout year for AI, 2023 ushered in a whole crop of new and improved tech tools, many of which have impacted the health and wellness space. Andre Esteva, CEO and co-founder of ArteraAI, a precision medicine company in California, described cancer research as “fertile ground for AI.” “We’re using it to find hidden patterns in data, personalize treatment decision-making and help predict treatment benefit,” he said. AI is helping to speed up clinical trials and opening doors to new possibilities in health. “Imagine AI designing cancer treatments tailored to your unique genome — the possibilities are limitless.”

Sort of good news: The national average price of gas has declined 13 straight weeks, falling to its lowest level since 2021. (It’s still too high)

Article I’ll skip: Bill Belichick among coaches on hot seat as NFL season nears end
Another article I’ll skip: Santa Claus falls on Madonna back-up dancer during lap dance attempt gone wrong

The days get longer starting today. See, it wasn’t that bad!

Trivia #1 answer: What team currently holds the longest active playoff drought (13 seasons) in all of the NHL, NBA, NFL & MLB? – The New York Jets
Trivia #2 answer: What two schools play in the Egg Bowl each season? – Mississippi State and Ole Miss
Trivia #3 answer: The term “bowl” originated from the Rose Bowl stadium, site of the first postseason college football games. The Rose Bowl Stadium, in turn, takes its name and bowl-shaped design from what stadium? – The Yale Bowl

You’ve heard of Elf on the Shelf, but have you ever heard of return your f*n shopping cart to the goddamn stall, you inconsiderate piece of shit?

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

Be careful out there. (It’s a jungle!)

Happy National Forefather’s Day!

And have a Merry Christmas, however you choose to celebrate. ‘Tis the season, spread some cheer.

“Said Santa to a boy child, ‘What have you been longin’ for?’
‘All I want for Christmas is a rock ‘n’ roll ‘lectric guitar’
And then away went Rudolph whizzin’ like a shootin’ star”

(Sorry, but there wasn’t a Chuck Berry video-version out there worthy of posting)

Christmas bonus!

“They’re singing Deck The Halls
But it’s not like Christmas at all
‘Cause I remember when you were here
And all the fun we had last year”

– Darlene Love (Baby Please Come Home)