What did you get for Christmas?

(Transcription of Audio Podcast)

Well now, I am totally confused, the other day, Christmas Eve. In the middle of finishing up my Christmas shopping, when I say finish it, it really means, starting and finishing of my Christmas shopping. Cause I am guy, nuff said. By the way, there is a segment of the male population that thinks that after Christmas is the best time to shop for folks. That is when the best deals are to be had. On the other hand, there are shoppers that will take advantage of the same after Christmas deals for next years gift giving, who is crazier?

Anyhow, it dawned on me as I was struggling to get the words happy holidays out to the clerk behind the counter. Happy Holidays, Holiday, the word holiday. So I did a Webster search, Holiday or. . HOLY DAY. A Day set aside for the celebration of a RELIGIOUS Festival. All this time folks have been trying to be politically correct they have been religiously correct. Oh well, I will spend the next 300 and 60 something days trying to figure out how to greet folks during this time of the year.

However, I did get most of what I wanted this year: A rope that I hope catches things better than the one I have now and few other things that folks thought I needed, doubles and triples of. I did a little research on gift giving and found out that it is relatively new to the Christmas “Package” it started only 175 years ago. Most of the time it was just meant for the servants and the kids. It was about the spirit of the season, whatever spirit you believe in. Jimmy Stewart has his spirit, and scourge has his and so on and so on. Now the reason for the season among other wonderful things is the giving and getting of presents. So I put together a list of some of the things I see folks got this year.

IRAQ WAR: Looks like the WAR got a nice little present; President Bush slipped a small amount in the stocking of the Iraq war 70B dollars that will fill it nicely, let’s just hope that stocking doesn’t have too many holes in it that has to last them until Christmas 2009. A long with this 70 billon in war spending, Bush was forced to wrangle over 9000 head of PORK to some of the oddest justifications for spending of the taxpayer’s bacon. It a time of war OR possible recession I only have one thing to say, “What’s the BEEF!

TRAVELERS got a nice gift from the airlines – delays, Delays, Delays, to the extent that good deals of folks were stranded with very little choices. However, one good thing that may have come from this, It seems that New York is looking to pass a bill that makes Airlines, in New York responsible to care for the flyers if they are stranded, Food, drinks, . . . comfort. Things you think would be a given when you pay as much as you do for flights. Let’s hope this catches in all states.

I took a flight this season to the Island of Maui; a seven-day vacation that only took me 4 days to realize I was not supposed to work. On the way back it was a direct red eye flight, 6-7 hour flight back to Phoenix, AZ. Now as much traveling as I do I have become and expert on airlines. As long as this cowboy has legroom and a little water, I am good to go. However, I had a first with this airline, No pillow or Blanket! On the plane, well unless you buy the travel package for $9.99 (Pillow and blanket made for a Barbie doll). If you want cranky, keep people cold and give um a creek in their necks, now that is torture. I always like give folks the benefit of doubt so I will keep the name of the airline name out of my comments. Just add your own disgruntled airline into this story.

STOCK MARKET: They bounced back from a SMALL gain of sales during this holiday season. Which gives those big boys the best present of all, CONFIDENCE, confidence that us buyers will continue to go into and stay in debt. We trust them to invest our money and they trust us to spend it.

Hopefully everyone got what they wanted this year and as we are coming to the end of 2007 and starting a year that is already printed in the history books – 2008, remember each day we have a choice to help folks who will never get what they want, purely because they don’t have the opportunity to get things they want or only struggle for things they need. Lend a helping hand and give to folks who need. Weather it is directly or through your favorite charity. I won’t get into the philosophy of giving, I will only say: it is the thought that a count, what they do with the money when it leaves their hands is on their conscience. Not yours.

Speaking of not getting what you want for Christmas, I consider myself luckier than the Democrat’s all they have wound up with is a 3-way tie for Christmas.

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Will Roberts is a Guinness World Record holder for Cowboy six gun, a weapons expert and professional actor. He is a trick roper and cowboy humorist, who pays tribute to Will Rogers, America’s cowboy, with a wit as quick as his rope. Will is a syndicated political cartoonist and was the trick-roping cowboy at Cirque du Soleil.

Will has covered the Republican National Convention, Democrat events and Presidential debates. At home in front of or behind the camera, in front of or behind a radio microphone, Will reports what he sees, usually with a twist of humor.