Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84 SMI; site sun.uucp Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!mcnc!decvax!decwrl!sun!gnu From: gnu@sun.uucp (John Gilmore) Newsgroups: net.social Subject: Re: XMAS PRESENTS AND .... Message-ID: <1872@sun.uucp> Date: Thu, 13-Dec-84 04:11:28 EST Article-I.D.: sun.1872 Posted: Thu Dec 13 04:11:28 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 15-Dec-84 02:45:29 EST References: <1747@wateng.UUCP> <1576@drutx.UUCP> Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc. Lines: 10 > Just for discussion - does anyone have any ideas how one can gracefully > escape from the vicious circle of buying family members (becoming more > and more extended!) gifts for x-mas - especially when the "act of > giving" has degraded to commercial routine? I escaped years ago, by giving gifts when I stumbled across neat things that my friends/family would like, and not giving gifts when the clock says "December". People soon came to expect nothing from me but occasionally would get pleasant surprises. I don't know whether they thought I was a schmuck for not following the commercial schedule or not.