Christmas!
      Yeah!
      My
      favorite
      time
     
     
      of
      year.
      I'm
      so
      glad
      that
      the
     
     
      Christmas
      season
      is
      getting
      longer
     
     
      and
      longer
      every
      year.
      Typically
     
     
      the
      holiday
      shopping
      season
      starts
     
     
      right
      after
      Halloween,
      but
      I
      say
      we
     
     
      get
      rid
      of
      Halloween
      altogether
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      start
      the
      Christmas
      season
      right
     
     
      after
      Canada
      Day.
      Halloween's
      no
     
     
      fun
      anyway.
      The
      only
      money
      you
     
     
      get
      to
      spend
      is
      on
      liquer
      and
      a
      cog-
     
     
      tume.
      That's
      no
      fun.
      You.don't
      gi
     
     
      to
      go
      shopping
      and
      ¥
     
     
      your
      money
      on
      use
     
     
      comes
      from
      sweats
     
     
      from
      giant
      box
      stor
     
     
      malls
      that
      treat
      thei
     
     
      like
      garbage,
      rob
      o
     
     
      and
      local
      businesse
     
     
      ed
      revenue,
      and
      rip
     
     
      process.
      Seriously
     
     
      corporations
      really
     
     
      of
      our
      money
      and
     
     
      consume
      enough
      al
     
     
      all,
      they
      give
      us
      wi
     
     
      mum
      wage
      jobs
      wi
     
     
      hours,
      and
      refuse
      to
     
     
      but
      the
      managers
      full-time
     
    

    
     
      they
      might
      actually
      have
      to
      give
     
     
      them
      a
      living
      wage
      and
      ben
      fits.
     
     
      Yes,
      more
      consumption
      is
      j
     
    
   
   
    
     
      year
      round.
     
     
      Okay,
      you're
     
     
      is
      sarcasm
      you
      smel
     
     
      like
      Christmas.
      |
      lik
     
     
      its,
      the
      social
      gathet
     
     
      ties,
      etc.
      But
      I'm
      fac
     
     
      dilemma
      -
      between
      w
     
     
      posed
      to
      do
      and
      what
      I
      should
      do.
     
     
      Yes,
      there
      is
      a
      difference.
      See
      what
     
     
      I'm
      supposed
      to
      do
      is
      take
      all
      of
      the
     
     
      money
      |
      saved
      and
      put
      it
      to
      good
     
     
      use
      by
      purchasing
      gifts
      for
      my
     
     
      family
      and
      friends.
      But
      that's
      not
     
     
      what's
      going
      to
      happen,
      for
      a
      num-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      #
      process
      to
      "developing"
      t
     
    
   
   
    
     
      what
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Christmas
      Wish
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ber
      of
      reasons,
      not
      the
      least
      of
     
     
      which
      is
      the
      fact
      that
      I
      have
      no
     
     
      money
      to
      spend.
      So,
      what
      should
      I
     
     
      do?
      Well
      in
      order
      to
      determine
      that
     
     
      I
      have
      to
      start
      with
      what
      I
      know.
      I
     
     
      know
      that
      North
      Americans
      con-
     
     
      sume
      about
      600%
      of
      our
      share
      of
     
     
      the
      world's
      resources.
      I
      know
      that
     
     
      per
      capita
      Canada
      is
      the
      largest
     
     
      consumer
      in
      the
      world.
      ow
      that
     
     
      in
      order
      to
      maximizespre¢
     
     
      of
      the
      corporations
      th
     
    

    
     
      ly
      support
      move
      the
      prog
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
         
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
       
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      logic
      of
      capital
      which
      drives
      the
     
     
      consumerism
      and
      hyper-consump-
     
     
      tion
      that
      plagues
      the
      West,
      espe-
     
     
      cially
      at
      Christmas.
      Feliz
      Navidad,
     
     
      indeed.
     
    

    
     
      So
      I
      pose
      the
      question
     
    
   
   
    
     
      again,
      what
      should
      I
      do
      at
     
     
      Christmas?
      Well
      according
      to
      all
     
     
      this
      I
      should
      go
      find
      some
      fertile
     
     
      land,
      build
      a
      hut
      and
      become
      com-
     
     
      pletely
      self-sustainable.
      But
      that's
     
     
      rather
      unrealistic.
      We
      all
      consume,
     
     
      but
      we
      all
      too
      have
      the
      ability
      to
      be
     
     
      conscientious
      consumers.
      So
     
     
      instead
      of
      doing
      what
      I'm
      supposed
     
     
      to
      do,
      I'm
      going
      to
      celebrate
     
     
      Christmas
      by
      giving
      to
      those
      who
     
     
      need
      a
      gift
      more
      than
      anything,
     
     
      namely
      our
      planet,
      and
      all
      of
      those
     
     
      who
      suffer
      from
      our
      industrial
     
     
      exploitation
      of
      it.
      Well
      that's
      noble
     
     
      you
      say,
      but
      however
      will
      I
      do
      it?
     
     
      ‘I'll
      tell
      you.
      By
      oe
     
    
   
   
    
     
      hooked
      on
      the
      cool
      habit
      of
      smok-
     
     
      ing;
      M&M/Mars
      for
      ripping
      off
     
     
      Third
      world
      cocoa
      growers
      by
     
     
      refusing
      to
      adopt
      Fair
      Trade
      poli-
     
     
      cies;
      Proctor
      and
      Gamble
      (Folgers)
     
     
      for
      ripping
      off
      Third
      world
      coffee
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      Cadre
      December
      2
      2003
      page
      8
     
    
   
   
    
     
      growers
      the
      same
      way;
      Coke
      for
     
     
      it's
      alleged
      support
      of
      union-
      tar-
     
     
      geting
      death
      squads
      in
      Columbia
     
     
      and
      for
      targeting
      children
      through
     
     
      its
      sponsorship
      of
      Harry
      Potter;
     
     
      Coke,
      Pepsi
      and
      its
      fast-food
      sub-
     
     
      sidiaries
      (KFC,
      Taco
      Bell,
      Pizza
     
     
      Hut),
      and
      of
      course
      McDonald's
     
     
      and
      any
      other
      fast
      food
      chain
      you
     
     
      can
      think
      of
      for
      trying
      to
      invade
     
     
      public
      schools
      and
      for
      driving
      up
     
    
   
   
    
     
      our
      health
      care
      expenditures
      by
     
    
   
   
    
     
      feeding
      us
      crap.
      And
      of
      course
     
     
      Superstore
      and
      Sobey's
      for
      driving
     
     
      local
      grocers
      out
      of
      business
      and
     
     
      for
      he
      t
      box
      stores
      that
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      list
      could
     
    
   
   
    
     
      reat
      thing
     
     
      consuming
     
     
      in
      give
      a
      gift
     
     
      st
      by
      buy-
     
     
      Participate
     
     
      d
      if
      you
      do
     
     
      then
      give
     
     
      dependent
     
     
      s
      Market
      is
     
     
      produced,
     
     
      gift
      ideas,
     
     
      shortage
     
     
      year.
      In
     
     
      one
      com-
     
     
      ile
      you're
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (all
      Schwarzenegger
      supporters)
     
     
      could
      build
      a
      pipeline
      to
      that
      grea!
     
     
      state
      and
      rip-off
      consumers
      some
     
     
      more.
      Now
      that's
      the
      Christmas
     
     
      spirit!
      Happy
      Holidays!