Ho Ho Hum.
 

I vote for reality brag letters instead of this smarmy lying crap. Dad got fired and spends his days in an alcoholic stupor on the couch watching daytime TV or on the computer checking out porn. Mom is overwhelmed working full time and vacuuming the rug under Dad's fat ass, and Junior was recently kicked out of his latest 'special' school program for behavioral problems. Merry Christmas!

Holiday Traditions Poll
 

Playstation has more games. Xbox has better graphics. EA Sports makes games for both of them. I went with xbox for the hdtv compatability. Overall I have not been disappointed.

Holiday Traditions Poll
 

This may be entirely invalid unrepresentative anecdotal non-evidence of anything, but we went through three defective Playstations before the fourth one finally worked right.

And the store manager didn't seem surprised at this.

Holiday Traditions Poll
 

I'm pretty clueless too, but fortunately I have the services of an incredibly geeky associate at my disposal.

According to said geek, Xbox has way better graphics, but Playstation has more games available. Xbox does very well on sports games, not as well on fighting games. I think Xbox may be a bit ahead on network playing (i.e., linking in to play against other geeks across the world).

Couldn't tell you about the EA games, but I've asked the geek. I'll let you know his answer. Since today is opening day of Return of the King, it's possible I won't have an answer for awhile.

I've played on both, but it was on a crappy TV and the graphics differences were not noticeable to me. I think if you have a really good TV, the Xbox is worth it.

Ho Ho Hum.
 

I have a stack of obnoxious pictures of people posing in Sears catalog-type poses with their kids, and they're all signed by the infants as well... "Merry Xmas from little Katelyn, who's presently drooling and shitting her drawers." To people who send these - don't. I don't need anymore of these canned photos cluttering my refrigerator and I don't give a shit what your kid looks like.

I've received birthday reminders and date reminders from people regarding their own borthdays, anniversaries, etc... I'm tempted to reply, "Yes, I've been aware of the date. What's your point?"
Throw a party for yourself. I'll bring a bottle of good wine. Otherwise, you're not getting shit unless you're blood, so go fuck yourself, you greedy cheap-ass son of a bitch. If you want the new Coldplay CD or some scented candles, get off your fat ass, pry open your wallet with an oyster shucking knife and buy it yourself.

Holiday Traditions Poll
 

Try gamespot.com for comparison of systems, though Shifter's comments are right on. I have the PS2, and both it and the Xbox have their avid fans. Both have online play, and a large number of games, though PS2 does have more. Unlike some games which are exclusive to one system, EA Sports makes the same games for all of the systems. (Hockey is sweet, BTW).

Avoid Gamecube unless recipient is under about 10... Games are too cutesy and revolve too much around stock Nintendo characters like Mario, etc. Even then avoid it, because there are plenty of young kids' games on the other two, but no Grand Theft Auto and its ilk on the Gamecube.

My main reason for the PS2 was that I had the PS1 and the games still work on the PS2. I might break down and get an X-Box as well.

Fruitcake - that tasty holiday treat
 

I love fruitcake. My favorite is Harry and David, but I also like Entemann's and those monks in West Virginia who used to make concrete blocks before they got into the fruitcake game.

sibling forgiveness poll
 

My brother constantly reminds me that I tried to kill him when he was six weeks old. Apparently, I wasn't too thrilled with the whole baby brother idea (I was 20 months) and I tried to take him out with a toothpick. I only got his eye. My mom said she heard a blood curdling scream from the baby and there was blood everywhere. Fortunately, my dad has four first cousins who are ophthalmologists, so the baby was immediately taken care of and his vision is better than mine. I don't think I was left alone with the baby very much after that.

Holiday Traditions Poll
 

this is all very helpful - thank you all.
I think this will be a very nice surprise. Does anyone have any recommendations on games (preferably football or hockey related)?

Holiday Traditions Poll
 

Maybe he just thought that you were having problems with the instructions, and gave you the same Playstation a couple of times before he decided that it really was defective.

Viagra & Sexual Acrobatics
 

I'm just going to let that go because that's the kind of guy I am.

TM

Ho Ho Hum.
 

Holiday board motto?

Ho Ho Hum.
 

Better yet, invite everyone to dinner at a nice restaurant and then offer to let them pick up the tab for you.

Holiday Traditions Poll
 

P.S. I would avoid going online for objective advice on this subject. Each system has its adherents that border on fanatacism. It's like Bush v. Gore all over again.

Holiday Traditions Poll
 

I like the EA football/hockey games... Have Madden 2004, NCAA Football 2004 and NHL 2004 for PS2. The ESPN games are getting good reviews as well...

Fruitcake - that tasty holiday treat
 

Nice to see they didn't have to retrain to start this new endeavor.

Holiday Traditions Poll
 

that's because you're not supposed to put frogs and turtles and shit into it.

TM

Holiday Traditions Poll
 

If you ever have any interest in playing a game with him, I suggest the ATV game (race around a bunch of tracks and kick each other off of the bikes). But I've never enjoyed the football/basketball games that I've tried on those sorts of systems.

Also I like XBox better than Playstation (graphics are much better), but I don't own either one.

Holiday Traditions Poll
 

I'm also looking for recommendations. Game Cube games for a 7 yr old. He likes football. It's for my son who was accidentally raised by elves in the North Pole.*

*it was just a little too cute for me. I was expecting it to be more perverse. Not "Bad Santa" perverse, but rather an "I drive a Dodge Stratus" or "Get off the shed" perverse...

Holiday Traditions Poll
 

If he's truly a geek, he saw it last night at midnight.

Holiday Traditions Poll
 

EA Sports NCAA Football is incredible. You can play any of the 117 Div A schools and several of the AA schools. It includes all home stadiums, mascots, fight songs, etc. After the season, players leave, you go through recruiting, and redshirt players. The games are announced by Brad Nessler, Kirk Herbstreit, and Lee Corso. Very addictice. I have heard the Madden NFL series is good also, but I have not played it.

I got it
 

How about if you're someone's husband? I have a plentiful supply of both substances and uplifting chants.

Holiday Traditions Poll
 

I have a young friend who played Div I football and said that they did a spectacularly good job of getting his stats and speed right.

He stopped playing when he graduated from school and the game.

Holiday Traditions Poll
 

Madden is announced by Madden and Al Michaels, and has a franchise mode where you can draft players, sign free agents, move your team, build/expand a stadium, and even affect the team's bottom line by setting the prices for hot dogs, beer and parking, among other things. It's also more fluid and graphically tops NCAA 2004 since NCAA was done off of the Madden 2003 graphics engine.

Ho Ho Hum.
 

Yes, please! I always feel vaguely guilty throwing these photos of velvet-clad moppets away but frankly am far more entranced with my refrigerator magnets.

Do parents really expect you to keep these? If I like your kid, I know what it looks like, and may even give it a nice present. Otherwise, save the picture of junior shrieking in terror on Santa's lap for the relatives who are obliged by blood to be charmed.

Holiday Traditions Poll
 

So you got home at like 3:30?

Holiday Traditions Poll
 

There was NOTHING in the instructions about this.

Holiday Traditions Poll
 

The ATV game rocks, as do the Lord of the Ring games (if you're really into learning tricks and playing long, involved, plot-driven swordfight games, as are some of my kids.)

The sports-minded among them also love the basketball and football games - at least, the "good" ones (which, of course, I can't name right now.)

The James Bond games are fun if you're all drunked up and just want to shoot stuff. Oh, and the kids like them a lot, too.

Holiday Traditions Poll
 

Which brings up another feature: you can export players from NCAA to Madden. Was he not curious about how his NFL career would have been?

Ho Ho Hum.
 

I don't understand the hostility toward these pictures of other people's kids or the persistent need to ascribe some odious motive to the parents for sending them. I generally like receiving these pictures because I'm really into pictures, but if I don't want to keep them, I toss them without guilt. I do think it's more tasteful to enclose a snapshot or a wallet sized studio print inside a holiday card rather than have Mystic Color Labs or PhotoShop on your PC print up a photo greeting card, but as long as it's got a handwritten greeting, there's nothing wrong with it.

But it is very important that the senders address their cards to me, my dogs, and my cat. It really pisses me off when people forget the names of my pets, especially when I sign their names on all my holiday picture cards.

Holiday Traditions Poll
 

I'm an uber-geek. I got home at 1:30.

Holiday Traditions Poll
 

Would have been?

Lizard, please.

What's the name of the board?
 

Not a big fan of LA Weekly, which should just rename itself "Going Down on Dean Weekly."

However, as a tip to Jack and the other hipsters, I'm very very glad I picked up the Flaming Lips "Fight Test" Japanese EP. It's got this amazing cover of Radiohead's "Knives Out." Hearing Wayne Coyne singing "Knives Out/Catch the Mouse/Throw it down/Shove it in your mouth . . . " well, you just haven't lived until then. There's also a 9 minute "Do you Realize" remix.

Viagra & Sexual Acrobatics
 

You know you still want me.

Ho Ho Hum.
 

Do I get points for always bringing a great treat for the pet along with the standard holiday-party hostess gift?

Viagra & Sexual Acrobatics
 

You bitch, please. I hate you too!

Ho Ho Hum.
 

exactamundo. while I may not remotely give a crap what your kid looks like and will gladly use the pics to stoke not quite seasoned logs in the fireplace, I am annoyed by the impersonal nature of the card I described eariler. the mailing label, and the "thinking of you" with no actual handwritten thought or human signature (which shows she was not actually thiking of me). Then I noted that bc it was so impersonal, it seemed that the only purpose it served for her was to massmail pics to everyone on her mailing list. I cannot think of other reasons. And I also noted how reccockulous it was to attribute this "thinking of you" horsefeathers to a five week old who is thinking of nothing but the next meal or how wet his diapers are. It is one step above putting little kids on the answering machine, or even just sayikng that "Susan, Tom and Junior (who is six weeks old) are not here to take your call". Like the six week old gets calls. My sisster does neither of these things.

Namaste

Ho Ho Hum.
 

My hostility is not limited to the people sending these pictures - they just happened to be the topic de jour at the moment. The credit card company solicitations, 1800 Victoria's Secret catalogs, student loan refinancing soliciatations and "10000 FREE WEB HOURS" AOL discs are just as maddening. I have a table covered in clutter. Its invasive. I miss paying bills because I'm overwhelmed by the piles of shit I get every day.

When I was 14 and jacking off to Voctoria's Secret was great I appreciated the constant catalogs. However, I don't need 100 a month now, particularly since the magazine is utterly useless as some religious nut has brow beaten the company into airbrushing out any hint of nipples or pubes.

Oh, and to whoever put me on a mailing list for "Yankee" magazine... Do I look like a 66 year old New England spinster to you? Who exactly reads this painfully dull piece of trash every month? If you stand at the mailbox hyperventilating every month waiting for your copy of Yankee to arrive, do yourself a favor - jump in front of the mail truck while its moving.

Viagra & Sexual Acrobatics
 

Penske, don't worry. You have not been placed on the Ignore List, but Cooter has, something I have been dying to do since March. No more twelve year old vaginal references, no more putting my braids in the inkwell and no more tedious red sox shit.

Rings Geeks
 

No, these people are uber-geeks.

http://www.startribune.com/stories/411/4272159.html
(Spree: story about Rings marathon attendees)

The final chapter in "The Rings" film trilogy, "The Return of the King," started screening at many metro theaters at 12:01 this morning. However, Megastar was one of 120 theaters in the country -- and the only one in Minnesota -- selected to run a daylong marathon Tuesday. Starting at noon the theater also showed the extended versions of parts 1 and 2, "The Fellowship of the Ring" (3 1/2 hours) and "The Two Towers" (4 hours), followed at 10 p.m. by "The Return of the King" (3 1/2 hours).

As the truest of the true fans lined up for the Megastar's doors to open at 11 a.m., they seemed destined to become members of another organization by the time the last reel unspooled at 1:30 a.m. today: the Numb Butts Club.

BTW, how did you get home at 1:30? I thought it opened everywhere at 12:01 and was 3 1/2 hours long?

The reviews are good -- I may have to break down and go yet this week.