Gift ideas!

It's the week before Thanksgiving. Have you done your Christmas shopping yet?

Deep Sea News recommends a lovely poster. It's one of those black light posters, so you can have the gaping jaws and needle-like teeth of abyssal predatory fish glowing at you.

Street Anatomy has a list of ten anatomy related gifts…and it's not the traditional bucket of offal under the tree. Anatomically correct chocolates, brains for cuff links, and the body bags and plush body parts are nice…but the $100 million diamond encrusted skull is a bit over the top. Leave off the superfluous diamonds and just give the gift of bones.

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My favorite thing about Christmas is the stories. To me, the holiday comes wrapped in pictures, histories, tales, and yarns just like the gifts setting under the tree. The feast begins after Thanksgiving Day as networks broadcast animated snowmen, elves, and reindeer. Classic stories like Miracle…

Um, what's "christmas" and, why should I have to spend money right now, and for whom?

Sorry, my family long ago. learned that we give of our time, our humanity, and thus of ourselves year round.

Taught my family that there is no "special season" regardless what traditional religion or commercialism or media sends.

So why would YOU (or anyone else for that matter) be promoting purchases at this traditionally 'christian' time of year?

Ultimately?

Deep down inside?

Convenience, commercialism, former christianity, TRADITION (sorry - ever watch Fiddler on the Roof?)

hummmmmmm?

By LeeLeeOne (not verified) on 16 Nov 2007 #permalink

Let's all put down our wallets and bask in the warm glow of Lee's smug instead. Mmmm.

Rey, Lee's smugness was just a device to portray the irony of him not needing a holiday season so be nice to people.

Unfortunatly, they don't have a Situs Inversus correct x-ray t-shirt, which makes it useless as a gift for me.

I could really use a skull to study osteology tomorrow...

Unfortunately the exams are before christmas :(

The best gifts for my money are the stuffed Salmonella and Giardia (complete with cute little stuffed flagellae) available at the Medical Museum at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) on the Walter Reed army base in DC.

SG

By Science Goddess (not verified) on 17 Nov 2007 #permalink

hey, the US Mint struck some Washington Dollar Coins without "In God We Trust" that would make a fine gift

By BillCinSD (not verified) on 17 Nov 2007 #permalink

So why would YOU (or anyone else for that matter) be promoting purchases at this traditionally 'christian' time of year?

Ultimately?

Deep down inside?

You have things backwards, as I mentioned yesterday. Kurisumasu is the Japanese holiday of, shall we say, eudaimonia -- rampant consumerism, love, that kind of stuff.

(Which reminds me, Rey Fox still isn't in the Order of the Molly. Something will have to be done.)

By David Marjanović, OM (not verified) on 17 Nov 2007 #permalink

Thinkgeek.com has the plush microbes as well, for those not in DC.
I'm getting a bit toasty being this close to Lee's glowingness - anyone have a marshmallow?

Rey, thanks for making me laugh so hard the people here at the library think I'm nuts. Going over to vote for you for the Molly now.

So why would YOU (or anyone else for that matter) be promoting purchases at this traditionally 'christian' time of year?

Ultimately?

Deep down inside?

You have things backwards, as I mentioned yesterday. Kurisumasu is the Japanese holiday of, shall we say, eudaimonia -- rampant consumerism, love, that kind of stuff.

(Which reminds me, Rey Fox still isn't in the Order of the Molly. Something will have to be done.)

By David Marjanović, OM (not verified) on 17 Nov 2007 #permalink