Why I Oughta...

The "Make Festivus Official" Movement has been making a good point:  there are so many holidays (Boss' Day).  Why not make Festivus an official holiday?  I suppose, that might fly DIRECTLY in the face of what Frank Constanza was trying to achieve (Celebrating an alternative to the pressures and crass commercialism (and fighting over dolls) that come with the holidays) when he created Festivus, so I can hear both sides of the argument here. What am I dreaming about when it comes to Festivus?  That, when my kids grow up, they'll pick up the phone (or whatever device they have) on December 23rd and call their old man to wish him a "Happy Festivus".  A guy can dream, right? This is the 9th year where I've marked Festivus on the 23rd of December on my blog.  The past posts: Here's the post from 2022 - honoring the petition and the Human Fund . Here's the post from December 23rd, 2021 . Here's how I celebrated Fesitvus in 2020 . With the inclusion

Welp, I did it.  I signed the petition.  What petition?  The silly one to make Festivus an Official Holiday .  There's even a #hashtag and badges.   RT if you find tinsel distracting. #MakeFestivusOfficial https://t.co/DBjRBZITl0 pic.twitter.com/drgNvbHlOB — Seinfeld (@SeinfeldTV) December 17, 2022 I've marked the passing of Festivus on the blog a number of times over the years.  Here's the post from 2021  that was the eighth year of celebrating with a pole.  This year is nine.  Next year...we'll get to ten.  Not to shabby for a not-official, fake holiday, right? One big miss, though...I forgot to sneak in "Happy Festivus" on our family Christmas card.   Here's the post from December 23rd, 2021 . Here's how I celebrated Fesitvus in 2020 . With the inclusion of the holiday on our family Christmas Card. Here's how I celebrated Festivus in 2019 . Here's how I celebrated Festivus in 2018 . Here's how I celebrated Festivus in 2017 . Here's

Last year (2020) appears to be the high-water mark of Festivus being recognized in our household as an official part of the holiday season.    That's when Nat included the holiday on our Family Christmas card alongside Christmas, Hanukah and the new year .   This year, in the rush of the holiday season, our card went out without the inclusion of Frank Costanza's holiday - and that's a miss on my part.  Note to self:  during proof'ing next year, get Festivus back in there. As for celebrating today, we'll be skipping the pole (it will have to stay in the crawlspace), but I'll try to see if the kids can pin me in the Feats of Strength.  I think I can still take them, though.   One of the things that I am struck by is how little is known about Festivus from many of my coworkers.  Most of which...are far younger than me.  This December 23rd feels like an opportunity.  An opportunity to educate the Yutes about Festivus.  And why the belief system is fascinating.   Tha

 Just like in year's past , I wanted to take the space on December 23rd this year on the blog to wish everyone a very Happy Festivus.   I've posted about Festivus many times over the years here on the blog  and this looks to be the seventh (7th) year that I marked the moment.  Out of 16 years on the blog. Here's how I celebrated Festivus in 2019 . Here's how I celebrated Festivus in 2018 . Here's how I celebrated Festivus in 2017 . Here's how I celebrated Festivus in 2016 . Here's how I celebrated Festivus in 2015 . And the first post in 2010 about Festivus appears to be this photo of a real-life Festivus pole outside of a house in Elmhurst .  But, this year marked a new moment in our Festivus journey.  After many years of asking/hinting that we should include it in our Christmas card, she finally caved.  Our 2020 family holiday card included a tip-of-the-hat to Festivus.  Here's the back of the card with the kids all blurred out: Right there amongst Chr

Just putting this out here - to say that the clip from Seinfeld episode of the Real Kramer bus tour - where he hands out mini pizza - and the guy says, "What's this?  Pizza poundcake?" is something I say to myself anytime someone mentions the word pizza.  Not available on YouTube, so have this yarn.io embed:

I've been publishing here on "Why I Oughta" for more than fifteen years.  And over that time, I've used the blog to reconnect with some childhood/grade school friends, had some of my photos licensed in various ways and have had dozens of journalists, agency folks and some website owners pitch me stories and content opportunities.   I have a 'contact' page that has a form on it that people can fill out and drop me a line.   Some of them are interesting (gardening stuff) while others are total SEO-honeypot plays.  Like...'can I publish an article about topic X' for your readers.   If you haven't figured out by now, this is *my* place online and I don't do guest authors/submissions.  And, I don't run any ads or affiliate links or monetize the blog in any way.   But, that hasn't stopped the pitches from coming.  And, somehow, I've ended up on a LIST that people who are shilling eldercare/senior living topics want to pi

I'm posting this Festivus-related post here on the blog one day *before* Festivus.  Why?  Because a bunch of people who read these things happen to read them in their email inboxes. And those emails get delivered in the morning and include links to the blog post that I posted the previous day.  Hence...this post going up on the blog with a date of 12/22/19, but being delivered on Festivus - 12/23/19 - and we all can rejoice around the aluminum pole together.  Via Seinfeld Scripts , we can all see how the gif above is slightly off.  No mention of Harry in the first screen! KRAMER: No. (To manager of H&H) Ah, listen, Harry, I need the 23rd off. MANAGER: Hey! I hired you to work during the holidays. This is the holidays. KRAMER: But it's Festivus. MANAGER: What? KRAMER: You know you're infringing on my right to celebrate new holidays.. MANAGER: That's not a right. KRAMER: Well, it's going to be! Because I'm going back on strike. Come on Elaine. (Takes o

I spent some time last month back in Japan, this time in Nagoya.  This was my second time in Nagoya - the first was a few years ago when I visited for the Cherry Blossoms . Sure, there are plenty of things to see around town, but let's start with the Marriott Associa Hotel.  I stayed on an upper floor and had a room with a twin bed.  But the carpet in the hallway right by the elevators?  Beautiful, isn't it? Reminds me of Spaceship Earth.   Am I nuts?  Or just Disney Drunk? Or maybe the pyramid that the holistic healer placed over George's head?

No.  Instead there's a pole. Happy Festivus to you and yours. 

"Alright everybody....I'm back!" I'm posting this on the actual day - December 23rd - unlike year's past when I posted it on the 22nd.  That was mostly because of the readers who come via email subscriptions.  Here's last year's Festivus post .  Here's the post from 2015 .  And all the way back in 2011, I posted a photo of a house in Elmhurst who had erected a Festivus pole and sign in their front yard .  Oh, a guy can dream, right? See you at Mitch and Ashley's for the 'Feats of Strength' tonight? 

Well...actually from my daughters.  But the sentiment sticks.  Maybe I'll wear it around the parks on our next trip, but hopefully I won't run into any of the guys from the Mandelbaum clan . "You think you're the #1 Dad??!?" "I'll show you who's #1." "It's go time!"

Yes, I posted this on the 22nd of December and that's one day early for Festivus, but a lot of you folks seem to read this blog via the email subscription, so I figured I'd author this piece with you in mind:  Happy Festivus! I've written about Festivus before here on the blog.  In fact, back in 2010, there was a house in Elmhurst who used to put up a Festivus pole out front of their house .  I think that place has been renovated and a new family moved in?  But...whatever has happened, there's no pole any more.  Too bad. There's also this post showing off the big "A" that the Atheists put up outside of City Hall where I lamented nobody having the dedication to petition the City or County for a Festivus Pole. And last year, I marked the holiday that Frank Costanza created with a simple post and video clip . This year, I intend to head to our friend Neil and Ashley's (somewhat) annual Festivus gathering where there will be no feats of strength

Back in 2011, I posted a (pretty terrible) photo of a house in Elmhurst that celebrated Festivus with a sign and an aluminum pole in their front yard .  With today being the big day to celebrate with the Airing of the Grievances and Feats of Strength, I figured it was a good time to thank all of you who have been keeping up with the blog over the course of the year.  "I have a lot of problems with you people!" Happy Festivus everyone!  See you at Mitch's? And...if you are reading this in your email...Happy Christmas Eve.  The most wonderful day of the year in my book!

What's is this?   Pizza Poundcake ? That's a line I mutter to myself a lot when I hear people say "What is this?" or "What's this?". Now...you will too.