So what do you want for Christmas?

[classicgamer5]

So far I have...
-Wii system
-New Super Mario Bros. Wii
-Assassin's Creed 2 PS3
-Dragon Age Origins PS3
-Metroid Prime Trilogy

It sucks that I have over a month to wait

[izdead]

I know my brother already ordered me this book, Bruised Fruit by david choe. Hes one of my favorite artists so i'll be psyched for this on christmas. http://www.rowanmorrison.com/blog/2007/ ... fruit.html

i never get retro games from anyone and dont really ever expect to, but thats fine.

[Betamax001]

I would totally ask for retro games from my parents, but I dont have control on the condition and what not. If I get any cash for amazon I might get some SNES games or whatever. But in reality I will probably ask for some CDs, PS2 and PSP games.

[Veno]

Well, my family's not too rich, so I'd feel bad to ask for a present, but I will ask for money when my grades get home. I'll then use my report card money however I like. I hate being broke.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

Replacement screen, and palmrest piece for my Macbook. Also a couple games here and there.

[vash23n]

Yeah my family is poor too, but I'm getting a little old to ask for games and things anyway. We (my wife and I) usually get joint household gifts, although I still manage to get socks or underwear most of the time.

My wife and I try to get each other one thing each year. I am stretching the limit to the max this year because I want a Dingoo so bad. That drives her nuts, I have always picked out my own presents even with my parents. I usually knew everything I was getting Christmas morning. My wife likes to be completely surprised. I also usually went for one or two "bigger" gifts each year rather than a bunch of small things.

[dsheinem]

Last year my wife and I decided to start asking for friends and family to make donations to some local charities in lieu of buying us gifts. As much as I'd love to have this, that, or the other thing, I'm basically disgusted by how I've seen Christmas devolve in my lifetime:

-Holiday decorations and sales starting in mid-October

-Deaths, fights, trampling, etc. on Black Friday

-Yearly insanity over some stupid "must have" toy.

-lame-ass Jim Carey and Tim Allen movies

-the yearly bullshit rancor over the supposed "war on Christmas" and all the other right-wing attempts to make anyone who is not Christian feel like they don't deserve a holiday.

-Yearly figures that show national deceases in donations to charities, increases in credit debt and gift budgets, and a general shifting of priorities.

I could go on..... but the bottom line is that Christmas really has been in the shitter for a few decades now, and last year I decided that I couldn't be a part of the problem any longer. It got to the point where I was dreading a time of the year that I used to anticipate and enjoy.

So for anyone who has similar feelings about this time of year - I encourage you all to do the same - give up your own selfishness for a cause you feel is worth attention. To me, the more local and needy the charity, the better. Donate your gifts, your time, your money, and your wishlist.

You might still need to fight through the BS at the malls in order to appease the holiday desires of your extended network of friends and family, but you'll probably feel better about yourself and about the value of the season when you rise above the fray.

[fastbilly1]

dsheinem as much as I respect and agree with what you are saying, my parents insist on giving a gift. I dont celebrate any other holiday, and only celebrate Christmas since my entire family is in town, otherwise I would be at work. However my main hobby, Momocon, is deeply involved with Susan G. Komen and we have raised alot of money for them this year.

Since my family thinks I am so hard to buy for, they usually all go in on something. Last year I ended up with a GPS device and some books, the year before a boxed Nintendo Power Set with a functioning ROB. This year I have a feeling it is going to be a Donkey Kong Jr cabinet that one of my older brothers friends is trying to sell. I offered him $150 for it and he said he would think about it and call me back, he never did (which is not like him), so I really think that is what they are getting me.

[Luke]

So for anyone who has similar feelings about this time of year - I encourage you all to do the same - give up your own selfishness for a cause you feel is worth attention. To me, the more local and needy the charity, the better. Donate your gifts, your time, your money, and your wishlist.

I look at both sides of the coin. Christmas presents an opportunity to give your loved ones gifts that show how much you care. It also presents an opportunity to show the less fortunate that you care for them as well.

Now, I don't need a holiday to get me to do either, but to me Christmas to me equals time with family. That is something I rarely get, and something I cherish.


Michael Scott: "Presents are the best way to show someone how much you care. It is like this tangible thing that you can point to and say 'Hey man, I love you this many dollars worth."

[Mod_Man_Extreme]

Michael Scott: "Presents are the best way to show someone how much you care. It is like this tangible thing that you can point to and say 'Hey man, I love you this many dollars worth."

You beat me to it!


YAAANNNKKKKEEEEE SWAP!

Anyhow, I'm not really asking for anything. Christmas has been pretty crappy at my house in recent years, but I'm hoping for the Spice and Wolf DVD (Awesome Anime, watch it!) box set and maybe some Haruhi or other DVD's unless I buy them all before then myself.

Games will come if I'm extremely lucky, but my mom can't seem to wrap her head around the concept of retro. Every time she sees me buy any retro or used titles all she asks me is why I'd want to buy some used games instead of a new copy followed by me trying to explain that games and systems don't get reprints like CD's and movies do.