This is Christmas

 

This is one of my favorite Christmas videos. Some of you may have heard of Mike Masse    or even attended his show.

I am wishing everyone a wonderful and joyous Christmas, but except for this video my blog post is not going to be festive. Well, it is not technically my post as I am reblogging an article that was written in December 2012. The Gift of Death.

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There’s nothing they need, nothing they don’t own already, nothing they even want. So you buy them a solar-powered waving queen; a belly button brush; a silver-plated ice cream tub holder; a “hilarious” inflatable zimmer frame; a confection of plastic and electronics called Terry the Swearing Turtle; or – and somehow I find this significant – a Scratch Off World wall map.

They seem amusing on the first day of Christmas, daft on the second, embarrassing on the third. By the twelfth they’re in landfill. For thirty seconds of dubious entertainment, or a hedonic stimulus that lasts no longer than a nicotine hit, we commission the use of materials whose impacts will ramify for generations.

More on  http://www.monbiot.com/2012/12/10/the-gift-of-death/

Source: The Gift of Death

113 comments

  2. Hope you had a Merry Christmas and saw those beautiful granddaughters, enjoyed baking cookies and singing Carol’s with them, dear Inese. Hugs, Robin

    1. Thank you Robin 🙂 No I didn’t see my granddaughters. I had to stay in Ireland. I will see them next fall, hopefully. Fingers crossed 🙂 ❤

  3. Inese, I think a creche or the nativity scene is always lovely. It is sad not yo have it told to other cultures as a miracle story which doesn’t mean they have to believe it. . . I am always wishing for the world to “Love one another. . .” 💞 🌐
    I love John Lennon and his “So this is Christmas. . .” and “Imagine” for New Year’s and changes in thinking towards our neighbors and those who we may not know their stories. . .

    1. You are so very right, Robin. People have to be kind to each other and everyone will benefit from it. I prefer to be happy rather than not, so I embrace any holidays and ignore haters of all sorts 🙂

      1. I love all holidays as I respect our differences, Inese. I hope and pray for our sweet grandchildren yo have a better world at Peace someday. Remember how so many Christmas cards had Peace on Earth, with the beautiful Peaceable Kingdom painting on them? Wishing you a wonderful and joyous New Year! 💞

  6. Thanks very much, Inese. A sobering thought. I am not too keen on all the commercialized side of Christmas and this post is another reminder. I hope 2018 is a good year for your, Inese and take lots of care. All the best.

  7. The disposal of so many unwanted gifts made of non bio-degradable materials is a huge problem nowadays, especially after Christmas, as you say, Inese. We all need to stop and think about our thoughtless spending, but I suspect that will be a long time in coming. Our Earth continues to suffer from so many of our practices and habits. Thank you for sharing this thought-provoking message.
    I hope you and your family had a joyful Christmas, Inese, and I’m sending love and best wishes across the Irish Sea for a wonderful 2018. Let’s hope the new year will bring a more peaceful world. ❤ 😀

      1. Inese, I’m sorry my blitz on your posts has given you so much extra work to do! I had no idea you had been so ill. Roll on The Year of the Dog! Good changes are needed all round. ❤

            1. It is very difficult to rid off the Christmas calories. They are of the most stubborn kind. Every molecule of the desserts I ate is clinging to me for dear life.

    1. It is frightening that more than a half of all manufactured goods end up in a landfill. You are right, people seldom listen. This article is like a voice crying in the wilderness 😦

  14. Merry Christmas 🤶dear Inese… I also hope you have an excellent 2018 ahead. Thank you for the support and for all the beautiful posts you share. Sending love ❤

  15. Thanks so much for reblogging this article! My family luckily never bought any stuff like that when I was little and I make a point never to do the same. As you already know, I love to make presents myself. Take today for instance (in Germany it’s traditional to give each other the presents on Christmas Eve): I gave my mum a pair of handknitted socks which are always appreciated because she often has cold feet. 😄 Apart from that it’s simply wonderful to spend time with each other, that’s all the gifts we need. Wish you a very Merry Christmas and a fabulous 2018, Inese! Much love! xxxxxxxxxxx ❤

    1. Thank you so much, Sarah! I am so glad your Christmas gift was warm in all the senses of the word.
      I read this article last year. It was written in 2012 but the issue is still important and it hurts. When I see the mountains of absolutely useless and unnecessary items littering the retail stores, it makes me sick. What a criminal waste of resources 😦
      Hope you are having a great Christmas, and lets hope for a great New 2018! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    1. Many happy returns! ❤
      This video is old, but it still touches my heart. In these 15 years Mike went from a modest performer at The Pie Pizzeria in down town Salt Lake to an internationally known artist. Seriously, sometimes I think that he does a better job than an original singer 😉

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