I heard about a talk show on the radio today. They were asking listeners about which Christmas song was the most played on the radio. Some people called in and said things like Away in a Manger and O Holy Night. The radio host was amazed that people would guess such absurd songs. He made it sound like they were idiotic for even thinking those songs were in the Top 10. The songs in the top ten were ones that didn’t have anything to do with Christ, like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Let it Snow. I was wondering, Why would these songs be in the Top 10 and ones centered around Christ aren’t even close? Do they just like the more upbeat songs? Are the ones about Christ too slow? I think the real reason is because a large majority of people today are losing sight of what Christmas is truly all about. I heard a statistic that said that Americans would be spending like 400 billion dollars this year on Christmas gifts alone. I would say that’s a pretty good signal that Christmas is being commercialized. If we only took 10 percent of what we would be planing to spend on Christmas presents, 40 billion in this case, and used it to buy things or give micro-credits to people in Africa or the Middle East, just think of how fast we could build those countries up. We would be providing 40 billlion not just one time, but every single year. After just 10 years, we would have given 400 billion dollars. After a century, 4 trillion dollars. That’s a lot of money. It could do a lot of good. Doing things like that would be celebrating the true meaning of Christmas. The true meaning of Christmas is about service, charity, and love; certainly not about the stockings above the fireplace or the gifts under the Christmas tree(around the Christmas tree now, with how big they are and how many people are buying) I think something needs to change in this society. Think of how much peace would be wrought on the Earth by only giving a little bit each year. I think that would be a true Christmas gift.

Christmas Shopping
I was wondering one day, “Why do people wait until a week or two before Christmas to do their Christmas shopping?” I work in the mall, and right now it’s driving me insane, because I can’t get days off that I want off and I have to work more hours. I have to do more work and work a lot harder in order to keep customers even partially pleased. There could be a number of reasons why. I think, especially this year, people seem to think that Christmas is later than it really is. It actually does seem that way to me also. After Thanksgiving, I was thinking I still had a month to go shopping and not to worry. Today, I only have a gift for my mom and my sister. I still have like 5 people to buy gifts for. I think it also might be the sales that go on closer to Christmas. I think that the corporate offices of many stores cause these rushes and jams that make average employees go insane as they’re trying to help 4x the number of customers that they are used to. It might also be just plain laziness. Maybe they don’t have a car to get to the stores. That’s part of the reason why I haven’t done my shopping. Believe me, it’s a pain to ride a bike to go shopping. I did it last year for my Christmas shopping. You buy all these gifts, and then it takes forever to get back home because you have to carry the gifts while pushing your bike around. You can’t ride it back home, because you have 3 bags of gifts that could break if dropped. It’s not very fun. I personally think that corporate offices should start their sales earlier, for the sake of their employees. If their store is in a mall, they also affect a lot of other employees as well. I think the best way to go is probably shopping online. They do have good deals online and usually free shipping. The only problem is you have to order your stuff like 2 weeks before Christmas in order for it to get to you in time. Which comes back to all the issues listed above. Isn’t Christmas just a great holiday?

I work at one of the only stores in the mall that sells Mountain Dew. Lately I’ve been wondering, Is it ok to drink caffine? I’ve talked to a lot of people about it. Some have said that it’s the only thing that keeps them going at work. Others say that you get a buzz, but it doesn’t go away when you want to go to sleep. I’ve also heard that caffine can be addictive. Both of my grandmothers drink a lot of soda. They always have to have soda right there. I’ve known a lot of people that have tried to stop drinking caffine, and it gives them headaches. I know that some people say caffine gets rid of headaches, so why does it cause them also? I guess it’s a personal decision that you have to make. For me, I’ve decided a long time ago that I wouldn’t drink caffine. I’ve been tempted many times lately, because I’ve been working really long shifts at work. But the temptation always goes away. I’ve been able to survive at work without drinking it, so why should I start now?

Our society is going downhill. Almost everything points in that direction. Mos movies coming out today have a PG-13 or R rating. Sleaze and filth has also snuck its way into the very hearts of children through the movies they watch. You can walk into a theater and find sex in almost every movie. Commercials always flash immoral images across the screen. Ads haved scandelously dressed women as the main focal point instead of what they're supposedely trying to sell. Advertisers use sex to sell products. We truly are a sex-driven society.

What makes a true sports fan? I have recently wondered this question as the BYU Cougars have fought their way back to being the best team in the MWC. I have seen many people who stopped rooting for them when BYU was losing more games than they were winning. I, myself, have always supported the Cougars ever since I became interested in sports when I was twelve. I’ve rooted for them through thick and thin, through hard times and good times. I know a lot of people that only cheer for the teams that are doing the best. I’ve been noticing more Ohio State Buckeye hats being worn. I don’t think the reason is because I didn’t notice them before. I think the reason is because they’re No. 1 in the BCS standings right now. I know a lot of people that started cheering for the Dallas Mavs or the Miami Heat last year, just because they were the two best NBA teams at the time. I’ve known people that used to be diehard Jazz fans during their glory days, when they went to the playoffs many years in a row. Then, when the Jazz didn’t make it to the playoffs one year, they went to a different team, or stopped cheering for anyone altogether. I think what makes a true fan is that they cheer for their team no matter how good or how bad the team is doing. A true sports fan is one who is sad when they missed a game, but still tries to find out the score and the major plays. A true fan is not one who just cheers for the best, but who cheers for their team, not matter what their rank or status. That’s what I did, and now because of fans like me(and a change in the coaching staff), the Cougars are in the Top 25.

I have often wondered why siblings fight and quarrel so much. Most people don’t fight with their friends like they do with their siblings. Maybe it’s that they’re stuck with their siblings for life. Maybe it’s that their sister is their parent’s favorite and is spoiled. I do notice that when I’m with people 24/7 for more than a week, there tends to be blood boiling and more shouting and quarreling by the end of the week. I’ve experienced this many times on summer Scout campouts. On the first day, everyone is exicted to go. People are joking around with each other, having fun with each other, all that stuff. By the end of the week, everyone hates each other’s guts and just wants to go home. I think that the main reason that siblings fight is because they have to live with each other 24/7. They start to get sick of each other and just want to go away. I guess there is no real cure to sibling arguments. It’s just a way of life.