The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
Penny Arcade - Comic - On The Worst Day of Christmas, Part One
Dog
Registered User, Administrator, Vanilla Staff admin
Registered User, Administrator, Vanilla Staff admin
Penny Arcade - Comic - On The Worst Day of Christmas, Part One
Videogaming-related online strip by Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins. Includes news and commentary.
Unknown User on
+12
Posts
Of course, I never did it because, even at that age, I already knew the maxim "don't look a gift horse in the mouth." Who cares if Santa is real or not? The point is I get an extra present!
Before that, I tried hiding under our dinning room table in order to catch him. Don't remember what my plan was after that, but thought I was pretty clever.
That poor child.
Sadly they interviewed the kids and after they had gone to college they were ridiculed and have trouble ever trusting anyone because their parents lied to them for their entire lives.
Crazy story.
I found the story, on This American Life episode 482: Lights, Camera, Christmas! Act 1: Christmas in 3D, originally aired December 21, 2012:
https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/482/lights-camera-christmas
The details are a little different than you described. One of the sons believed up until he was 13, in middle school, even getting into an argument in class in 5th Grade. Then his grandma unintentionally gave it up during Christmas, assuming all the kids had stopped believing, and asking about which uncle played which "Santa" which year. He said it caused him not to trust his parents, and one Christmas he came back from college and said it was their fault he couldn't trust anyone.
Also, the dad still won't admit to it, but the mom does own up to it, and says she told the son the truth when he demanded it (from context this seems to be when he was 13 and doubting due to his grandmother's statements).
But yeah, one of the Santas had a reindeer bone, specifically Rudolph's, that he could summon other reindeer with by blowing on it to make an unhearable sound (like a dog whistle).
NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.
With Tooth Fairies? Hogfathers?
YES. THAT'S PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.
So we can believe the big ones?
YES. JUSTICE, MERCY, DUTY, THAT SORT OF THING.
They're not the same at all.
YOU THINK SO?
THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER, AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE, AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET... YOU TRY TO ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD. AS IF THERE IS SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE, BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
But people have got to believe that. What's the point?
YOU NEED TO BELIEVE IN THINGS THAT AREN'T TRUE.HOW ELSE CAN THEY BECOME?
Read more: https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=hogfather
But I always knew it wasn't true, and I'm glad. My parents lied to me about enough things.
I sometimes wonder why we all keep the Santa thing going from generation to generation. Yeah, I suppose it can be "fun." Maybe it's something I don't get because I don't have kids. On the other hand, if I did have kids, I can't see myself suddenly going all gung-ho on the Santa thing since I don't really associate much Christmas "magic" with the myth of Santa and thus I wouldn't be driven to recreate said magic with my children.
But maybe I'm the exception on this one. I'll openly admit that I don't get into the spirit all that much nowadays. I buy gifts for family, but most years I don't even put up a tree or any lights.
-Tycho Brahe
Hogfather is so good.
This post modernism.
I took a class in ethics viewed through pop culture and probably a third of my writing sourced Pratchett’s novels. I knew his books were called stealth philosophy but appreciate that view a lot more now. You could probably teach an entire course through his work alone.
That seems pretty unlikely. A bag that size would be kind of conspicuous.
I'm still getting some new Pratchett every year. They're releasing his short stories in compilations, and the UK got a reprint of the illustrated version of Faust Eric this year.
That's a pretty good synopsis of my wife and I as well. I got her into his books, and she just loved them. I too would only get the UK versions since the US distributor insisted on changing the cover art. Which I never understood, given how awesome the real covers were.
Met him once at a small bookstore during one of his last tours through the US. It wasn't public yet, but he had just been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Looking back that explains a few things. He seemed to lose his place in the conversation now and then, at the time I just chalked it up to being sick of talking to fans. It was great though, a small venue with not many people. He was quite popular by this time of course, but it wasn't one of the major stops on his tour and wasn't very well advertised either. The people who did show up got to basically sit around and chat with him for a while in a fairly informal setting. One of my best memories from any author, artist, etc... that I've met.
My brother was devastated though.
Steam - NotoriusBEN | Uplay - notoriusben | Xbox,Windows Live - ThatBEN