Xorton's Rant

As I think about it, Halloween really is the most enjoyable "holiday" out of all our stupid traditions. Carving pumpkins, dressing in whatever kind of costume you'd like, decorating your house to look all scary and randomly roaming the streets in the dark imposing on strangers for sweets... it's all rather fun. Even some mischief (namely egging, smashing pumpkins, and what not) is generally tolerated. The tradition is an old pagan one (and the only one thankfully that hasn't been corrupted by Christian influence... although some fringe elements try to have it cancelled every year). Pagans of course, always have the best holiday events. We should really introduce more.  In fact, I enjoyed Halloween so much when I was younger, the last time I went out, I was 18. Normally, trick or treating at that age, you'd get told to sod off... however, I went out as a woman (which wasn't all that convincing due to my beard) and everyone got such a laugh, my gro...

Today is the anniversary of a day that in the historical perspective, is no less important in the preservation of democracy than VE or VJ day. 208 years ago, Admiral Nelson and the Royal Navy defeated the fleet of Napoleon Bonaparte, who at the time, was making a very good go of making himself master of the world. The destruction of the combined French and Spanish fleets off the cape of Trafalgar ended Napoleons quest to invade the United Kingdom. It was an achievement on the same order of the RAF's victory over the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain over a century later, and achieved similar results, namely the preservation of the parliamentary system we maintain and enjoy today. While the Napoleonic wars were to rage of for many more years, Nelson's victory at Trafalgar proved critical to the outcome of the war: namely, strangling the French economy, empowering our allies, permitting a rapid deployment of British troops and Wellington for his victory at Waterloo and u...

Thanksgiving, like most holidays, is another that I'd much rather avoid. And for anyone reading this, are you really all that surprised? Thanksgiving is like Christmas in many ways. There's all the long drives to family social obligations or if you're unfortunate enough to have to host it yourself, there's the mountains of dishes to clean up. It's only mildly better in that the decorations are slightly less tacky, nor is there an obligation to buy gifts... yet. I'm sure the marketing people at Walmart are looking at ways to cure that. I've never found anything about Thanksgiving even mildly enjoyable, especially not the food, which is really the whole point of it. I'm not a huge fan of turkey; certainly not enough to stomach 2 weeks of leftovers. I also dislike turnip, squash and the various marrow, harvest type vegetables. And of course, Thanksgiving gives host to one of my two most hated foods: pumpkin pie. I despise it. If pumpkin pie were a...