Who Gives a Shit: What's Your Holiday Movie Tradition?

The first time I discovered the 24-hour marathon of A Christmas Story on TNT, I was really into the experience. Over the span of its entirety, I probably watched the movie in full 6 or 7 times, which is as many as my parents could take before shutting off the TV and making me go to church. For me, Christmas began on the evening of December 24 when the first Christmas Story started, and it ended when the end credits rolled for the last time on the night of December 25.

And now, years later, though I often find it hard to sit through the entire movie more than once, I like to keep the marathon on for as long as possible in those 24 hours as sort of background ambiance while I'm wrapping presents, baking cookies, or moving my dog into another room because she keeps farting near my face. Surely like many others who long ago discovered the marathon, it's become my own little tradition.

Do you guys have any holiday movie traditions? 

This Christmas, Grand Army Plaza Went Tree-Less

Since the Federal Government tells us that today, December 26th, is the day we "observe" Christmas, I'm going to assume that a holiday post is still apropos.

SO --

Merry Christmas to you Slopers who accept Jesus Christ as your savior (or just love all the crazy shit about Christmas). Happy Hannukah to all you who do not (in both instances). We here at FiPS are an equal opportunity blog, and I hope you have enjoyed or are still enjoying your holiday. 

In case you cared/were livid/didn't notice/did notice: Grand Army Plaza was Christmas Tree-less during this year's festive holiday. According to the city -- the same city who couldn't plow us out last year for weeks, or pick up our garbage for months or pick up the trash on 7th Avenue forever -- they didn't have the 3,000 smackers for the tree. Why? All of the Christmas Tree money was put toward Hurricane Irene clean-up. Apparently the cost to clean up over 300 downed trees equal the cost of putting up just one tree for a month.

Click to read more ...

Who Gives a Shit: What's The Worst Christmas/Hanukkah Gift You've Ever Gotten?

A holiday thong clad in jingle bells and lace that was plucked from the dollar bin and smells like an old pharmacy.

An oversized t-shirt printed with a sepia-toned, faux "Wanted" poster of your Uncle Norm (the crime? "Eating all the deviled eggs at last year's Christmas dinner.").

A flowbee.

These are all AWFUL GIFTS that I'm happy to report my family has never dared give me for Christmas. Others have not been so lucky in this department. Poor Ralphie.

A bad holiday gift sucks for a few reasons:

Click to read more ...

Marty Markowitz Has Sent Out His Christmas Card

via The Brooklyn Paper

It's that time of year when the man child who runs this borough sends out his whimsical Christmas card. After trashing bike lanes in last year's card, Marty has turned to reinforcing the more positive accomplishments of Brooklyn in 2011, including:

• A front and center celebration of gay marriage.
• Occupy Wall Street (which includes a reindeer holding an Occupy the North Pole sign).
• Hurricane Irene quickly leaving the scene of the crime. 
• He and his wife being tossed about in the new Coney ride, the slingshot.
• A myriad of Coney Island-themed goodness like the hot dog eating contest and the Polar Bears.
• Prince William and Kate Middleton getting married on the Coney Island boardwalk? (What the eff does that have to do with Brooklyn???????)

Oh Marty you kooky Borough Prez you. Sometimes I think you're just a little too much fun. Let's look at his Christmas greeting to all Brooklynites. It's supposed to be sung to the tune of "It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas." Try and sing it and see if it works for you:

Click to read more ...