23 December 2006

A Pyromaniacs Christmas Party

rank and Dan handed out Christmas gifts earlier in the week. I have held mine for the official PyroManiacs Christmas party—1:00pm till midnight (PST) on the Saturday before Christmas.

Let the party begin.

I confess that I am a bit of a Scrooge when it comes to Christmas decorations, parties, and the other apparatus of the holiday. Being sick this year hasn't helped.

We were planning to drive to Oklahoma between Christmas and New Year's Day. But friends don't let friends take Nyquil and drive, so we're staying home, and I'll seriously try to "rest." I'm actually planning to do some minor DIY-type things around the house, clean the garage, and catch up on some reading. Trust me: that'll be restful.

I also intend to update my famous bookmarks. If I succeed, it'll be the first major overhaul for that site in three years or so. I prolly will blog, but don't expect anything too weighty.

But first, we're hosting an all-day party here at PyroManiacs. Turn up the Christmas music. (I see some Pectators have already showed up for the caroling.

So let's get this party started. Here's my Christmas list. I'll probably add to it as the day goes along, so be sure to check it again after the party ends at midnight tonight. Add your own suggestions in the comments.

My Christmas List

  • Pecadillo: The Gillette 8-Track and some cartoons.
  • Daniel: A DVD set and some reading material to help with your blog re-design.
  • Frank: square-footage guidelines as you plan how to accommodate the family fortune and a snowball fight.
  • Wrigley: Personal greetings from the First Dog.
  • The homeschool moms: Winterbells.
  • Sharon: Some real classical music.
  • iMonk and the Tavernistas: Some gentle words of caution—and a bucket of Chicken to dilute all that "Holiday Cheer":


    And some music to boot:


  • Blue Raja: warm holiday greetings and a good fight.
  • Qohelet: Substantive blogposts? Here's one you might be able to use someday, and here's one you can have every day.
  • Brian McLaren: Bruno Latour (one of the architects of postmodernism's house of cards) on why it might be time to abandon the pomos' socially-constructed critique of just-about-everything.
  • Retailers who avoid the word "Christmas" in order to be "politically correct": A Christmas in Iran.
  • My cell-phone provider: A customer-service tutorial.
  • All: A white Christmas.

    Phil's signature

  • 25 comments:

    Matthew said...

    What's this?! Not a single post taking on the "Christians shouldn't celebrate Christmas because it's a pagan/Catholic/overly-commercialized ritual/festival/holiday" crowd? Ya'll getting soft or something? ;)

    ...but seriously, may you all have a happy gift-giving time.

    Michael Spencer said...

    The BHT is not a real bar.

    Janet said...

    Winterbells is cute but it stresses me out. 1200 is my high. I'm sure the other hs moms will whoop me.

    Merry Christmas.

    Dave said...

    I'm actually planning to do some minor DYI-type things around the house, clean the garage, and catch up on some reading.

    DYI = Do Yourself In?

    Merry Christmas

    Connie said...

    "The homeschool moms: Winterbells"

    Ahhh thanks Phil, but why "Winterbells" to the hs moms? :-)

    I scored 1690 on my third attempt--had no earthly idea it was a "game" till I played around a bit with it!! The music was nice.

    Hmmm, think I might just have to go back and try to beat my score. Is this addictive???? :-)

    P.S. can we have a Pyro party next time you visit OK?? :-)

    Sharon said...

    Some "real classical music?" How did you guess . . . that's tomorrow's offertory!

    I do like the outfits, though. Perhaps we could consider a change in the gentlemen's choir outfits. Hmmmm. . . .

    FX Turk said...

    The Latour essay is devastating -- if propositions about nonmodern critique can mean anything.

    FX Turk said...

    As to iMonk's rescension, he's right: people only pretend to be intoxicated over there, whihc is why it is so ... [adjective].

    pilgrim said...

    I don't need a white Christmas--I prefer it if it isn't.

    But thanks...

    rom1136 said...

    What? The BHT is not a real bar?

    Rrrriiiight. I get it.

    The next thing that we'll be hearing from this thread is that there is no Santa Claus.

    Frank?

    candy said...

    I found the 50 greatest cartoons today too! It is my Christmas gift to myself...checking them out.

    I notice that Laura Bush is politically correct, wishing us Happy Holidays.

    I don't know the html to link, so google Whitney's Music Box. A Christmas gift to one chord commenters. Check it out, you won't be disappointed.

    Thanks Phil for Spike Jones and the other guy (in the sidebar) who played the xylophones (sp). He reminded me of an older much better version of Robert Palmer's Simply Irresistible with the girls. I love those old videos.

    Sharad Yadav said...

    I've never been more proud to be Indian. Well, almost never. God bless and merry Christmas.

    Have a virtual pint of Rogue Dead Guy ale on me.

    striving... said...

    Top score for this "SAHM"(Stay at home mom) 2760. I hope that is good and not disgraceful. If it helps I have 3 kids, all of whom are still awake, lol. Merry Christmas.

    striving... said...

    And being in CO. myself, it will be one of the first White Christmas' in about 8 years, and every year I wish for it. This year I get it. The yucky part is there are still parts of town digging out.

    Kay said...

    I scored 60. I was a bit stressed out by taking the rabbit too high and splatting it. Anyone called Tim want to caution me against getting too close to it?

    Is the BHT really not a real bar? You mean I can hand round these chocolate cookies and there will be no calories? Isn't the t'interweb fun?

    Anonymous said...

    I had to check out a Christmas in Iran.
    Who knew that our Lord's full name is "Jesus Christ, the Messiah (peace be upon Him and His beloved Mother)"?
    Merry Christmas!

    Kim said...

    I never got to do the Winterbells thing; it wouldn't load.

    Maybe because I have two kids in ps and only one at home, I'm not considered a "real" homeschool mom.

    *sigh*

    Andrew said...

    Thanks for the wishes for a white Christmas...not exactly likely here in Brazil, but it's the thought that counts. The slide show took away the edge of the 86 degree weather I am sitting in right now.

    Merry Christmas!

    Phil Johnson said...

    Qohelet:

    Psst! It's the holiday season. That means:

    1) We're taking a break from the rigors of trying to interest the numerous dull and lethargic minds that contantly hover around the periphery of the blog just looking for things to complain about.

    2) A whole lot of our regular readers are engaged with better things this week than keeping up with the blogosphere. Last year I didn't blog at all between Christmas and New Years, and no one even noticed.

    3) But tomorrow, I'll post the weekly dose of Spurgeon.

    4) Meanwhile, if you're sitting around with nothing else to do, this would be a good time to read back through the archives. You'll prolly find something substantial there that you haven't even read yet.

    4) But my advice is to enjoy the holiday. Get some fresh air.

    J. Wendell said...

    Merry Christmas!

    candy said...

    Phil: Dude, that was an impressive smackdown...err...comeback. Not bad for a southern Californian philosopher.

    You must be feeling better.

    MSC said...

    Raja,
    I am suprised that you would show such disdain for the finer points of highbrow Indian culture. You have disgraced yourself.

    farmboy said...

    "Pssssst!! Farmboy! You notice? Tomorrow will make five whole days here with no substantive commentary on anything. Not one thing. Zip. Nada.

    That's five days, farmboy. In a row. Count 'em. You can do it now. One, two, three, four, five.

    What you got to say about that?"

    It's not what I have to say; instead, it's what the evidence has to say that matters:

    December 26: No post
    December 25: Mr. Phillips
    December 24: No post
    December 23: Mr. Johnson
    December 22: Mr. Turk
    December 21: No post
    December 20: Mr. Turk
    December 20: Mr. Johnson

    Unless several of the above posts are lacking in substance - a fact yet to be demonstrated by anyone - the evidence simply doesn't support the assertion that "Tomorrow [December 24] will make five whole days here with no substantive commentary on anything."

    I know it's incredibly old fashioned but things like evidence, facts and truth still matter to me. I believe in the Bible because of the evidence not in spite of the evidence. My chosen vocation is that of teacher. I have the privilege of molding and developing students so that they properly cherish and value evidence, facts and truth.

    Paul - another old fashioned, stick in the mud kind of guy - also subscribed to the importance of evidence, facts and truth (1 Corinthians 15:12-22). (A review of the archives will reveal a thoughtful post by Mr. Phillips on this particular passage.)

    J. Gresham Machen - also an old fashioned, stick in the mud kind of guy - wrote the book I have focused on this Christmas season: "The Virgin Birth of Christ." This work is a tribute to Mr. Machen valuing evidence, facts and truth.

    Profitable contributions follow from careful, thoughtful attention to evidence, facts and truth.

    Now, I'm off to watch reruns of Dragnet. I never tire of hearing "Just the facts ma'am."

    farmboy said...

    "Pssst! Phil, I'm just messing with farmboy, okay?"

    I cannot return the favor. Life is too short and lives are too important to spend time simply "messing" with people. Even in more light hearted moments and comments I endeavor to effectively communicate important points.

    At the risk of - to use a farming metaphor - casting pearls before swine I give people the benefit of the doubt - assuming that they want to grow, learn and develop - and take advantage of teaching opportunites that come my way.

    Unfortunately, every semester I have students who waste and squander opportunities to learn, grow and develop. Thus, though I always wish that those students had chose another course of action, behavior of this sort doesn't surprise me.

    Ali said...

    !! I GOT 18THOUSAND!!!!!
    And I'm in highschool! Muhhaha.
    ~~AL