Bundle

Despite the awesome theological implications (Christians believe that the infant lying in the manger is the son of God), the Christmas story is easily reduced to pablum. How pleasant it is in mid-December to open a Christmas card with a pretty picture of Mary and Joseph gazing beatifically at their son, with the shepherds and the angels beaming in delight. The Christmas story, with its friendly resonances of marriage, family, babies, animals, angels, and—thanks to the wise men—gifts, is eminently marketable to popular culture. It’s a Thomas Kinkade painting come to life.

On the other hand, a card bearing the image of a near-naked man being stripped, beaten, tortured, and nailed through his hands and feet onto a wooden crucifix is a markedly less pleasant piece of mail.

“

—	James Martin speculates in Slate as to how Easter has resisted gross commercialism. (But has it?)

smokedontsmoke:

My grandma gave me $20 for my birthday/x-mas. I thought it could be interesting to track the money and see what all it could accomplish for me. So here is a brief image to show you what all I bought with the money.

Full inventory:

$1.75::Medium coffee from McDonalds for the commute to work

$20 - $1.75 = $18.25

$1.25::Bus Fare from Santa Monica Blvd. and Westholme Ave. to Santa Monica Blvd. and Beverly Blvd. (2.5 miles)

$18.25 - $1.25 = $17.00

$7.75::Groceries for the week including:

-Three Navel Oranges

-Four string cheeses

-Two cans of Pringles

-Four Oriental flavored Ramen Noodle packages

Yes I did eat Ramen and cheese and Pringles for five straight days.

$17.00 - $7.75 = $9.25

$1.25::Bus fare from Santa Monica Blvd. and Beverly Blvd. to Santa Monica Blvd. and Westholme Ave. (2.5 miles)

$9.25 - $1.25 = $8.00

$1.10::A small coffee from McDonalds for the morning commute

$8.00 - $1.10 = $6.90

$1.25::Bus fare from Santa Monica Blvd. and Westholme Ave. to Santa Monica Blvd. and Beverly Blvd. (2.5 miles)

$6.90 - $1.25 = $5.65

$.25::A Coca-Cola for a nice mid-day treat

$5.65 - $.25 = $5.40

$.40::Bus fare from Santa Monica Blvd. and Beverly to Santa Monica and Westholme Ave. (2.5 miles) *I gave only $.40 because all I had was a $5 bill and the $.40, and the bus doesn’t take $5s unless you want to give them the whole thing. So in some cases you can get away with just giving them what you have, so I gave them my $.40 and took the ride. Thank you LA Metro

$5.40 - $.40 = $5.00

$1.75::Medium coffee from McDonalds for the morning commute

$5.00 - $1.75 = $3.25

$1.25::Bus fare from Santa Monica Blvd. and Westholme Ave. to Santa Monica Blvd. and Beverly Blvd. (2.5 miles)

$3.25 - $1.25 = $2.00

$.25::Snickers from the vending machine at work

$2.00 - $.25 = $1.75

$1.25::Bus fare from Santa Monica Blvd. and Beverly to Santa Monica Blvd. and Westholme Ave. (2.5 miles)

$1.75 - $1.25 = $.50

$.25::2-for-effing-1 candy from the vending machine. If you’ll notice the pictures, an M&M was stuck somehow on top/beside a Starburst. So, naturally, I went for it! Put my quarter in and lo and behold (L and B) my dreams were made a reality when both of them fell. Really making this $20 stretch.

$.50 - $.25 = $.25

$.25::It’s already gone this far, why not keep pushing it. I got a Squirt with my last $.25.

$.25 - $.25 = $0.00

So there it is. Not only a great picture of what $20 can get you, but a haunting peek into what is my life and more importantly my diet. It’s a wonder my brittle sugar induced legs get me to and from the bus stop each day. But, alas, I’m here to tell you that $20 can last you a week, sufficing for nearly all your needs.

(I hope to set a click through link or something to some sort of presentation/motion picture of the breakdown as well)

Thank you.

If only we all did this with every $20 we spent.