holiday road

welcome to the holidays. I managed to live through Thanksgiving; it was a trial but I survived it. My mother in law is from a family of alcoholics and so every family event that would ordinarily involve a **responsible** amount of imbibing usually requires something close to an injunction to permit such without a fight, or at least a cross word. This is not the only issue that I differ with her about when it comes to feasts. She is also against the very concept of pre-meal savory snacking, and I am of the opinion that if the meal is going to be a couple of hours away when one arrives, then it is nigh on to a moral imperative to provide something to graze on.

But back to the subject of the demon liquor; I am a responsible chap when it comes to such things, and just because I might enjoy a pre-meal aperitif, or a glass of beer while watching football (worthy of a further post in its own right) or a spot of wine with the meal, or a digestif afterwards, or perhaps a drop of port (or, preferably, a bit of each), does not make me out of control. Indeed, I know what an alcoholic looks like, as I know at least one person who quite literally cannot handle his liquor. In for a penny, in for a pound, as they say, and if you give this unnamed person a drink he will not stop until he is doing incredibly self-destructive things and then not remembering them the next day.

That being said, I am looking forward to going to North Carolina to visit my mother for Xmas; my brother will be there and based on our normal consumption patterns and remembering history, my mother will be in for a fun trip to the recycling center the week after we leave.*

*Mom lives in a small town in Western NC, and she inevitably sees someone she knows when visiting the dump; last time she got some funny looks when she deposited a couple of cases worth of beer bottles right after Xmas

Anyhoo, if the holidays get you down (or Despair Time, as we are now entering into, with the no sun and the no fun and the soul-crushing cold darkness of winter) remember this trick, gentlemen: when no one is looking, go visit Google Image and do a search for Monica Bellucci. You won't be disappointed, although you may get fired if your work keeps track of your smut trolling. I often have said there were two good things about the last two Matrix movies, and both of them belonged to her...

In other 'news'

Argument framing for liberals!
Harvard falls for Yale prank.
Good for headaches, good for depression! (possibly not-so-work-friendly)
Your regular coffee has far more caffeine than your mocha. FYI.