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Did any of our members in the US get in any arguments over thanksgiving? Such family gatherings I've found are ripe for such crap. Here is what I ran into.

Cousin in law: continues extolling the virtues of acai berry concentrate that he sells

me: You know, I have to ask, do you have any evidence at all that this helps with anything?

Cousin in law: Well, it provides anti-oxidants, they're not saying it is a cure for any diseases

me: Of course they don't, otherwise they'd be breaking the law.

Cousin in law: Listen, I just tell people to try it. I have a bowling buddy, he almost couldn't walk, and now he doesn't have any pain at all.

me: Well, I could get a stick and dance around you and chant like some shaman in darkest Africa, and if you believed it enough, you'd feel better. Were there any double blind studies done of this? What journals did this research appear in? If this is so effective, why hasn't every pharmaceutical manufacturer in the world jumped on it at once.

Cousin in law: Well, its not a drug, it's natural. Drug companies make millions of dollars producing drugs, which all have side effects. They don't want you to know about natural cures that are availible.

me: Yah, it isn't anything like the top tier of your MLM scheme you're making rich by trying to recruit saps like me. How much are you paying for this anyhow

Cousin in law: 38 dollars per bottle.

me: How long does that last?

Cousin in law: A week. If I get ( x number, I dont remember or care how many) I get my supply free.

me: So you're paying 152 dollars per month for this crap, that is about a quarter of what I pay in rent. You're a dumbass.

Cousin in law: Why do you have to act like this all the time?

me: I don't know, you're still a dumbass


And so forth. Between that and trying to convert me to his crappy version of Christianity, I almost went insane, more so than I am now at least. How about you all.

The only argument leveled at us at family gatherings is how soon my wife and I should make babies.

My family has quite convincingly managed to let that sort of people in our immediate group of relative know that they had better stay away. It may sound ruthless, but It's better than having to pummel them with a baseball bat. (Again...)

malfred wrote:The only argument leveled at us at family gatherings is how soon my wife and I should make babies.

Yah, I don't even worry about that one. I guess they've pretty much given up on me for that one. I'm surprised they don't try to set me up with everyone they know.

That is a common one. The Today show said not to talk about that one. I guess they didn't take that advice.

We fought about politics, I trolled them IRL. Told them I only voted Obama because he it black and McCain is the Anti-Christ.

Other than that I had a rousing debate about the sexuality of some DC super heroes I hate.

You could have told them you voted for Obama because he is the Anti-Christ.

trust me, this pretty much sums up my worst christmas ever (soviet canuckistan, different holiday, same bird, same idea etc) Anyway, so:

Mom gets home at about 8:00 or so on christmas eve (I think, at time of writing, I'm A: drunk, and B: can't really remember it too well). Anyway, so my sister is having the time of her life and then says "Jesus was an *bleep.*" My mother wasn't having any of that, and not only that, was drunk at least somewhat. After that, she storms off and gets all depressed, and you can probably extrapolate what happens afterwards. Therefore, I have never brought up religion at christmas (ironically enough)... nor has anyone else since.
Are my christmas's atheist? I personally am pastafarian....

and as for voting for obama because he is the anti-christ, i'd say do it for the lulz... next time. time for me to sleep. bye.

Holiday spirit, eh? kinda depressing, eh? EHHHHHHHHHH?!

malfred wrote:The only argument leveled at us at family gatherings is how soon my wife and I should make babies.

I'd say that after the dessert but before the coffees would be the best time, be a bit more room on the table.

What peculiar celebrations you Americans have, I shudder to think what actually happens at a spitroast then....

Other than that I had a rousing debate about the sexuality of some DC super heroes I hate.

who that then ?

Im in the UK this year, and for once I had a nice quite thanksgiving. I only had to cross an ocean to get away from my family.

This Thanksgiving was pretty tame but I used to get in heated arguments with a cousin-in-law. She was an ultra-liberal but missed the intellectual part that usually comes with that. I remember her extolling the virtues of a worldwide minimum wage (something like $5 per hour) with me trying to explain price parity and inflation to her. Thank god they're divorced now!

Ozymandias, King of Kings

No arguments at Thanksgiving. There usually aren't any on the actual holidays. I guess we don't have many trolls or thin-skins in our clans.

We can vigorously discuss religion and politics when such things come up without anyone getting all pissy.

EVERY SINGLE TIME my aunt is over she talks about the evil homeless and illegal immigrants, and how Obama is going to turn us all socialist, remove our right to hold guns, and gay marry everyone. It's even more embarrassing because she just came back from Korea with a massive painkiller dependency and lives with my grandfather- a marine and veteran of three wars, who, funnily enough, voted for Obama. Then she talks about how I have to watch out for the older guys who play 40k because anybody that old that plays a table top game must be a pedophile who wants to rape me (even though I'm 20? ).

Before she comes, I make sure my shotgun and hunting rifles are disassembled, put in a locked box, and buried in the backyard. I then throw out all my ammo. Because Holy Christ Fox News and freerepublic 24/7 when she comes.

If Obama does take everyone's guns away, there is an end to shotgun weddings at least.

And riding shotgun, in the literal sense.

Anti-Mag wrote:And riding shotgun, in the literal sense.

It's dangerous to be going that fast and holding a gun anyway. I mean... if someone can't even walk across the night club floor without shooting themselves in the thigh...

And I think I was kind of just running the gambit talking about how every DC superhero excluding Batman is a closeted homosexual. I remember super man being very prevalent in my argument.

No real arguments this year. Of course, we did a drive-by turkey dinner. Drove 12 hours to my dad's, wife slept, I watched step-mom's assets since she is senior to me by about 15 minutes, and the kids ran amok. The potential for anarchy was theree, but nothing broke out, 30 hours later we drove home.

No arguments this year. The sister in law has a new snotling, and that pretty much occupied everyone's attention. Meant no one asked about my wife and I having kids, which was a nice change.

I do get a nice double-whammy though. Thanksgiving last weekend, OTHER sister in law getting married this weekend to a guy she hasn't even known for 8 months. I get to be a groomsman because the groom has no friends.

Wow. and I thought my recipie for enchiladas was a can't miss proposition. Mattlov's "Agony Casserole" has my certainty factor beaten, hands-down.

Mattlov wrote:No arguments this year. The sister in law has a new snotling, and that pretty much occupied everyone's attention. Meant no one asked about my wife and I having kids, which was a nice change.

I do get a nice double-whammy though. Thanksgiving last weekend, OTHER sister in law getting married this weekend to a guy she hasn't even known for 8 months. I get to be a groomsman because the groom has no friends.

The stag night will be a blast.

Typeline wrote:And I think I was kind of just running the gambit talking about how every DC superhero excluding Batman is a closeted homosexual. I remember super man being very prevalent in my argument.

So the guy who is married is gay, whilst the guy who lives in a mansion with an old man and a string of vulnerable young boys, whilst sleeping in his parents bed is not the one with "issues". Okey dokey !

the majority of our talk was about the attack in Bombay, since my grandma actually hand lunch with the chabad rabbi that was killed, when she visited India a few months ago. Also about the world financial crisis and the auto bailout, and what to get for Hanukkah.

reds8n: So would that make Lois Clark's "beard"? I wonder if she is a schiz?

grizgrin wrote:reds8n: So would that make Lois Clark's "beard"? I wonder if she is a schiz?

She has to be. Renowned investigative reporter fails to out Clark Kent as Superman...

Well my family is a big bunch of history buffs and we usually have sections that we know best. So usually at the dinner table we play a one-up manship trivia game. And when people disagree thats when we get into arguments. So out come the old school encyclopedias and look it up before my family will be quiet.

malfred wrote:

grizgrin wrote:reds8n: So would that make Lois Clark's "beard"? I wonder if she is a schiz?

She has to be. Renowned investigative reporter fails to out Clark Kent as Superman...

Lets just say there is a hint of lavender about the relationship, and we all know who chooses the curtains!

DakkaDakka: Destroying youths' heroes one at the time.

Of course, this DOES explain fifty years of spandex.