Hello there. This will be my last entry as Selfish Bastard. I am on to new and better things. Starting January 6, 2003, I will be teaching high school in the UK, just south of London. I am, of course, extremely excited.

I am currently in Calgary with my family visiting my brother and his fiance and their cute little girl, Emalee. Having a good time, doing the whole Christmas thing, which in my family means playing various board and card games, bullshitting ( or 'shooting the shit' as it is called in some circles), and eating large amounts of unhealthy food and, oh yeah, having a few beers (or glasses of wine in my Mom's case).

I have less than five more minutes of internet time so, if you would like to keep up on my adventures in England, check out my new weblog, www.lodger2003.blogspot.com.

Like every year, the Xmas carol satellite station has been playing non-stop at work since the last week of November. What is it about Xmas carols that makes contemporary pop/r&b/country artists think, "Hmmm. This song needs a little something extra. Let's f*ck with the arrangement in a way that will make people want to stab nail files into their ears." I swear the R&B/Motown ones are the worst. I like motown. I like Xmas carols. But the two together? The combination does not inspire feelings of joy and goodwill, at least for this listener. Mariah, we know you can sing. It's time to learn the value of subtlety and restraint.

I'll stick with Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole, thankyou very much. They had respect for the songs, and given that Xmas is a religious holiday after-all, a respectful approach would seem appropriate.