Festivus is a "holiday" I can get into. Aluminium pole this year is an umbrella. Airing of Grievances was surprisingly satisfying and not difficult, given that the only co-celebrants are the cats (whose chief complaints to me were that they wanted more cat food). To the world in general though, oy, this has been a terrible year and I'm disappointed and very bitter. To what degree this *should* be self-directed is uncertain, but I *am* disappointed in large groups of others. I guess that counts as my duty to the holiday. I'm off to the Festivus Dinner soon (namely, whatever restaurant I can find that's open, ideally sushi, alternatively EnP). As for the Feats of Strength, I've done the ceremony of challenging Tortfeasor (cat) to a wrestling match, temporarily letting him be head of the household, and have pinned him, thus meeting the obligation (allowable as per Improv's Rules of Clan Gunn Order). No Festivus miracles yet for me.

A few specific disappointments/lashings-out:

• My ISP for occasionally having 20-second intervals where my connectivity drops
• Pittsburgh for dropping below the minimum-temperature-to-be-hospitable of 60°F
• Salvation Army folk for both being evangelicals and for ringing their bloody bells all over the place
• Stores/restaurants for playing Christmas music since the middle of November
• Tortfeasor for scratching things he shouldn't and using the restroom where he shouldn't
• Beefalo for continued failure to retract her claws when kneading/nursing
• Jayne Leathers for smelling terrible and affectionately sharing said smell
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• Musicians who put spoken sections, obnoxious laughs, or other undesirable bits at the start or end of their tracks so I need to perform surgery to get a track I'd like to listen to.

I suspect it would be extraordinarily difficult to actually manage the airing of grievances in person in a real gathering. Maybe it would be good practice for confrontation in life though...

The main rapper in Cypress Hill has a voice that takes some getting used to, but once the adjustment is made, it's pretty amazing.... Also cool is that they have versions en Español for several of their tracks. Well, off to seek a Festivus dinner.