Mr. Brightside vs. Mr. Cynicalside

Showing our thankfulness.
"More like showing our thankfulness through gluttony! We get together once a year to eat a ton of food and be thankful. Don't all Americans already eat a ton of food everyday? Are we only thankful once a year? Or do we just have to set aside a time of year to remind ourselves to be thankful?" - Sincerely, Mr. Cynicalside

"Now hold on a second Mr. Cynicalside. Don't be so hard on everyone. It isn't that easy for everyone to get together all the time and Thanksgiving allows us that opportunity. Getting together with good family and enjoying good food is what life is all about. Don't be too quick to judge; true, there are those who aren't thankful for what they have but most people are mindful of what they have and are thankful all year long." Sincerely, Mr. Brightside

The True Spirit of Christmas.
"Every year it's the same thing: we talk about celebrating the true spirit of Christmas in remembering the Saviors birth - and then we over-extend ourselves financially under the ever-increasing pressures of merchants all around us that bank on our addiction to spend. Families that can only spend $50 on their families Christmas presents are pitied by charities who hand out donated cash like it's candy. Every news story is about how much more or less consumers are spending as compared to last year. Companies vie for our children's attention in hopes that they'll badger their parents into buying the latest overpriced toy. We have more talks and songs about the true meaning of Christmas - and then the only question everyone asks on Christmas day is "what did you get for Christmas?" Everything we hear, see, or eat is brought to us by people just in it to make a quick buck around the holidays. Take people like Neil Diamond for instance. Here we have a total Jew who, for a quick buck is willing to sing about Christ being the Savior of the world. Wow! Would any of us be so low as to sing about Christ NOT being the Savior if it meant that we sell a few records? Hypocracy knows no bounds. And don't even get me started on this whole 'Santa' thing! Who does he think he is?" Sincerely, Mr. Cynicalside

"Mr. Cynicalside, I think you're taking this whole commercialization thing way out of proportion. True, there are those who overspend year after year and who focus on getting the latest and greatest, but they are the exception more than the rule. From my perspective, most people are very giving and generous around the holidays because they feel an extra sense of kinship not found at other times during the year. Music, movies, food... they all bring us together and help us celebrate what matters most in life. Don't worry too much about the commercial side of Christmas and just enjoy those things that matter most in life." Sincerely Mr. Brightside

Happy New Year!
"Every year people think that some magical button will be pressed on January 1st that will somehow supplement their willpower and transform them into the most efficient, time saving, consistently helpful, always kind, and ever-knowledgeable person. Maybe it's the whole staying up till midnight thing that does it to people. Then these people walk around the first 2 weeks of every year in denial - wondering why they just can't seem to stay on their grapefruit diet or run the 3 miles a day like they had planned. People need to get a life and realize that a new day starts every 24 hours - not every 365 days. I can't wait till late January when everything gets back to normal. Everything that is, except all those pesky credit card bills that help us all remember the true spirit of Christmas." Sincerely, Mr. Cynicalside

"Mr. Cynicalside, altough I agree that there are many people who love putting off till tomorrow that which should be done today - there are those who consistenly try to make today better than yesterday. Changing habits isn't easy. We need all the encouragement we can get. Every year we get a fresh start and encouragement from everyone around us. So I couldn't think of a better time to rekindle those desires to change our lives for the better." Sincerely, Mr. Brightside