Flour Power

And just a few hours after my rant about Christmas, I'm gonna do the unthinkable: I'll post a video of a Xmas song!

Now, there are a few good reasons for that:

1. This song is not too bad;
2. It's a cover by a very talented Portuguese singer/songwriter;
3. The video is cool.

Here it is, "Last Christmas", performed by David Fonseca:

I thought I could take it for a few more days, but no. I have to say it: I'm sick of Christmas!

There's only so much one can take, and the amount of Xmas-related stuff we get bombarded with every single year is just too much.

The constant talk about Christmas subjects is excruciating. Christmas presents, Christmas tree, Christmas decorations, Christmas presents, Christmas dinner, Christmas lunch, Christmas tea, Christmas breakfast, Christmas presents... Isn't it supposed to be a religious holiday? A celebration of the birth of this guy Jesus Christ that lived some 2000 years ago?

Because gift-giving and many other aspects of the Christmas festival involve heightened economic activity among both Christians and non-Christians, the holiday has become a significant event and a key sales period for retailers and businesses. The economic impact of Christmas is a factor that has grown steadily over the past few centuries in many regions of the world.

Oh... I guess not... But at least it helps the economy...

And the songs! Oh, the songs! I believe there's no such thing as a good Christmas song. Some are more tolerable than others, but that's as good as they get. And here in Galway's pubs they think it's a good idea that the last 4 or 5 songs are Xmas songs... Argh!

Now, not everything is bad. Here's some of the things I actually enjoy about this season:

• I welcome the Christmas decorations at work. A Christmas tree here and there, socks hanging in every other cubicle, an inflatable reindeer (?!). They give a bit of "color" to the otherwise gray-ish cubicles;
• The lights on the streets look good, and sometimes quite impressive. Again, they're a welcome change to those streets that look the same every day;
• I love the fact that Christmas is an excuse to organise dinners and parties with every group of friends. It's a great opportunity to get back in touch with people you haven't seen in a while;
• One thing I would like to see becoming a tradition is girls dressing up in Xmas-themed clother. Nothing like a tiny green "Santa dress" with knee-high (also green) tights and high heels... Ho! Ho! Ho!

Rant over.

There's more to the 2010 Irish budget, but what most people notice is signs like these at pubs:

It's not a major reduction. Actually, it's just about 15-20 cents per pint, but it does feel good paying less than €4 for a Guinness.