Transition Newsletters

Have a great time in this season of returning light and not too distant prospect of another wonderful Spring. But be careful ...

It can be a stressful time when people rush around searching for presents on which to spend some of their savings or, more likely, run up more credit card debt, in order to maintain a commercially imposed fiction of normal family life. Presents, which often just turn out to be ideal charity shop material, merely satisfy the peer pressure imposed requirement to reciprocate at just the right level of generosity. Cards with second hand greetings and mass reproduced third rate designs nicely sidestepping any awkward actual encounters. This causes some people to be overcome by feelings of alienation, depression and despair. People compensate for their misery with a bout of ill-advised, self-destructive gorging and over indulgence, and sadly also resulting in a spike in the suicide rates.

I am definitely not against celebrating, whatever it is you want to celebrate. I am not even opposed to celebrating the miracle immaculate conception, although the Egyptian god Honus apparently stole a march on Christianity. But I am not keen on celebrating what amounts to the holiday and madness of Christmasshopping. Better by far to give hand-made or token presents, rather than feeding the frenzy of the dying world of conspicuous consumption, driven by marketing hype using magnified peer pressure and social competition, and all that with negative implications for those who chose not to participate. Why not offer your loved ones presents, if that's what you want to do, for New Year or January, after all those artificial price bubbles burst and real values re-impose themselves. Use the savings to rent a hall, hire a band, have the occasion catered and spread some cheer in your locality. Include not just the family but friends and neighbours.

As for 25th December, throw a Gangnam party, if you must. Here are some great parodies to get you started:

Climate Denial Style music video: that's how it should be done! Gangnam parody with a message - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SybBoM93s0A&feature=youtu.be

Solar Gangnam Style, probably the best of the bunch - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WybhbXfUyrY

Gangnam Greenpeace style video - on board the Rainbow Warrior -http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=UJ9kdHam3FM&feature=endscreen

This is VEGAN STYLE! The official Henya Mania parody to Psy - Gangnam Style. -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0

Climate Action Style--an environmental parody of 'Gangnam Style' -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwuTfrwvhd4

US Farmer Style (Gangnam Style Parody) -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LX153eYcVrY

all from Gangnam Transition Style at http://www.transitionnc.org/node/105/2785#comment-2785

Alternatively, just ignore the senseless mumblings of an atheist realist and a practicing Transitioner.
See you when you recover! Good luck and take care

Paul
www.TransitionNC.org
email: admin@TransitionNC.org

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