Ah Christmas will be here soon. The mistletoe, the roasting of chestnuts, the laughter of children, the egg nog....
and the warm and tender words of Sam Healey arguing about International Shipping for Tom Vasel's Secret Santa program
Wake up and smell the concrete, moron. My target last year was in the UK. Did I go and buy a game from a US online store, and pay a butt-load of cash for shipping? No. I got in touch with a friend of mine who lives in the UK, got him to find me a store online that was based in my target's area, and ended up paying just a tad over what he would've paid, if he went to the store and bought it for himself. Just a tad bit of thought solved my quandry, but if you want to "exclude" yourself for a non-existent reason, go right ahead. But don't try crunching numbers until you've done your homework.
You've got a space marine as your avatar, boastin' all your F:AT badges, and your acting like a once-bit, twice-shy panty-waist! You flash your colorful metaphors probably because you think it makes you sound tough, when in reality, it makes you sound like an ignorant buffoon who's had his head stuck up his hind quarters for quite some time. Many people in here are trying to be civil and respectful to you, and you're just throwing it right back in their faces. I say you gotta earn my civility and respect, and so far...you gotta lotta work to do, pal.
I don't participate in any kind of Secret Santa type thing, anywhere. Secret Santa facilitates the assimiliation of non-christians into western christian secular culture. It excludes people who choose to resist assimilation. They are programs that claim to create community, good will and cultural exchange, however, they are divisive in non-homogeneous communities. The fact that the Secret Santa on BGG is run by a Christian missionary who guilts people into participating is deeply disturbing to me.
[quote don't participate in any kind of Secret Santa type thing, anywhere. Secret Santa facilitates the assimiliation of non-christians into western christian secular culture. It excludes people who choose to resist assimilation. They are programs that claim to create community, good will and cultural exchange, however, they are divisive in non-homogeneous communities. The fact that the Secret Santa on BGG is run by a Christian missionary who guilts people into participating is deeply disturbing to me.
[/quote]
I love Christmas! I decided long ago that despite the current war on Christmas in the United States that I would not let that ruin Christmas for me and my family.
In fact, I sent an e-mail to Tom today asking if I could participate in this year's Secret Santa. I cannot log in on BGG due to being banned but I would like to participate because I cannot stand the Season being tainted by a bunch of Grinch Geeks concerned more about shipping than giving.
I don't disagree with a lot of your post Uba...but Christmas as a purely secular holiday is fairly commonplace already. While there are plenty of folks who do the full monty Christmas-wise, plenty of others manage to celebrate it in a purely secular manner.
But yeah, Tom's guilt-trip was pretty ridiculous. I mean, it's an easy thing to say, "Golly, you folks should ship international" when you live in South Korea. I'm just not in the habit of lining the pockets of shipping companies.
I've done the Secret Santa thing in the past, but the "ship random gift to someone who is allegedly part of the same community you really don't feel all that tethered to in the first place" has kinda got me thinking I'm not going to bother with it anymore.
However, if our loving readers want to shower the editorial staff with random gifts this holiday season, then MERRY FREAKING CHRISTMAS~!
As for you folks living in the UK, don't be selfish! You should *want* to pay to ship the US-contributors to F:AT a hefty present. Where's your sense of community? Of fairplay? OF GREAT JUSTICE~?~??~!?!?!
EDIT: Though the whole thing was worth it to see Sam "go off" on someone. If only he'd used "OH MY HEAVE" then we would've really known he was pissed.
However, if our loving readers want to shower the editorial staff with random gifts this holiday season, then MERRY FREAKING CHRISTMAS~!
Finally! A place to send my ear wax collection. I've been working on this bad boy since '88. It smells a bit, but I like to pretend it's the smell of love.
I don't participate in any kind of Secret Santa type thing, anywhere. Secret Santa facilitates the assimiliation of non-christians into western christian secular culture. It excludes people who choose to resist assimilation. They are programs that claim to create community, good will and cultural exchange, however, they are divisive in non-homogeneous communities. The fact that the Secret Santa on BGG is run by a Christian missionary who guilts people into participating is deeply disturbing to me.
I got wary of the Secret Santa idea in elementary school, when kids were exchanging all those pointless little presents. And it did not lead to creating a community, since many of the kids who gave away carefully selected gifts got crap, even if it was only receiving a self-made duck for a bar of tasty chocolate.
I would gladly participate in BGG's Secret Santa if it was guaranteed that the person I'm sending a game to really appreciates what he's getting. I mean sending a game to a guy in Eastern Europe who owns five games is much more rewarding than sending a game to someone owning 300 games, half of which are unplayed and who sees BGG's Secret Santa as yet another opportunity to tidy up the collection by sending away stupid euros and receiving others. I suppose the majority of users on BGG is of the latter type, because BGG is mainly not community site, but a collectors' site. The community comes as an added bonus if you think bacon is funny.
I'm also sure sending me a gift is pretty tough, too, as just because I like for example "Close Action" doesn't mean a punched copy of Wooden Ships & Iron Men is going to make me dance in circles. The only two new games I'm interested are rather hard to get in Germany (otherwise I'd already own them), so chances are people will send me crap instead.
So I'm not suited for such community projects, because I'm an egoist.
Sorry Southern, but you come across as a whiney bitch wearing a G-string 3 sizes too tight in that thread.
Didn't you use to live in New Zeland? Stop being such a shipping tightass.
OK - now you're guilty of not reading my initial post properly too. I was having a go at Tom V for hyping how great it was for people in remote parts of the world (i.e him) to get presents and how happy it made him feel so we shouldn't feel to bad about spending extra on the shipping.
It may have not come across exactly as I was thinking but that is what my original post was about - every other post of mine was in direct retort to all the cocksuckers trying to be all smartarse with me.
And you will notice that when Tom V replied back saying that wasn't what he meant I left it alone since he had clarified it - but still kept jousting with the pratts on topics totally unrelated.
And I stated quite directly somewhere that I don't do Secret Santas anyway.
But yeah, Tom's guilt-trip was pretty ridiculous. I mean, it's an easy thing to say, "Golly, you folks should ship international" when you live in South Korea. I'm just not in the habit of lining the pockets of shipping companies.
However, if our loving readers want to shower the editorial staff with random gifts this holiday season, then MERRY FREAKING CHRISTMAS~!
As for you folks living in the UK, don't be selfish! You should *want* to pay to ship the US-contributors to F:AT a hefty present. Where's your sense of community? Of fairplay? OF GREAT JUSTICE~?~??~!?!?!
EDIT: Though the whole thing was worth it to see Sam "go off" on someone. If only he'd used "OH MY HEAVE" then we would've really known he was pissed.
Yep, it's the Tom V "Let's Donate!": Christmas Edition. Now, with Christmas themed guilt!
As for the random gifts! I'd rather start a F:AT Secret Christmas Ninja Monkey Tradeoff. Like a SS, but without the tenuous connections of community and egotistical assholes (Skel and Southern excepted, of course! ). I feel FAR more comfortable with doing a SS style with you guys than a guilt-trippin' missionary in South Korea's SS.
And what's more important, it's nice to see that they loved us enough to pay the high price of shipping.
If you all really loved me then you would send me $20. I know it seems like a lot as we're entering the Second Depression in the U.S., but this is a matter of love and caring about others not about money. So send me your cash so it can warm my heart during this cold winter. God Bless!
And what's more important, it's nice to see that they loved us enough to pay the high price of shipping.
If you all really loved me then you would send me $20. I know it seems like a lot as we're entering the Second Depression in the U.S., but this is a matter of love and caring about others not about money. So send me your cash so it can warm my heart during this cold winter. God Bless!
Mad Dog
PO Box 666
Springfield, USA
Nah, you're just going to use that money to go on a hunting trip or to get a manicure. You're getting a board game and liking it!
Games
How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
.... I stopped reading the thread after Melissa banned me and I wasn't able to reply 
. 
