As I rained blows upon him, I realized there had to be another way.

I'd like to take this moment to wish you and yours a Happy Festivus. The one day out of the year where the family can come together around the aluminum pole (very high strength-to-weight ratio), lash out to each other, do physical harm, and celebrate the most minor of coincidences.

The spirit of the season was exemplified recently as Cody and I went to do the grocery shopping. The fellow outside from the Salvation Army was doing his thing with the bowl and the bell as we were walking into the store (we had nothing for him, because we are Scrooges). Another gentlemen on his way out stops and mentions to the guy that he remembers him once asking for a cigarette a long while ago. The gentlemen brandishes a newly-bought box of cigs and hands one over to the Salvation Army guy's delight. Cody and I agreed that it was pretty cool as far as random acts of kindness go.

It's a shame one or both of them will probably die of lung cancer.

I have a second story which is not quite so tingly-feel-good, but I feel it's worthy of note. A customer and his family were in search of this fancy Audio Bible that brings together a bunch of big performers and so I lead them to it. I offer him the Standard Edition and then bring down the Ritsy Special Edition which they seem curious enough about. But I indicate the $130 price tag, causing the man to exclaim "Jesus" under his breath. In my head I chuckled.