Happy Christmas Season!

Burnsiders,

First, I’m not sure why I’ve never called you ‘Burnsiders’ before…it just came to me. I’m slow like that. Anyway, thanks for being ‘Burnsiders’…

Secondly, please ignore the strange image on this page. It’s disturbing on about every level possible, and makes me feel funny…that’s why I thought it was perfect.

Much of what would usually go into my letter from the editor is now located on the Burnside Blog, which chronicles the thoughts of our editors and frequent contributors on a day-to-day basis. If you’ve never been, you’ve got to go to…uh…here.

I’m very proud of our issue this week. I’m always fairly proud of our weekly output, but this time I’m especially proud. Thanks to Bob, Ariele, Penny and Jon for making things happen. Without those guys, I would probably say, “This is too much work…screw it.” I mean, I’m trying to plan a wedding, work full-time, and still play some Halo 3 on Xbox live, for pete’s sake!

Here is a list of things you should be aware of.

1. Glassbooth.org. You tell the internet what political issues you care about and how much you care about them. They tell you which Presidential candidate most closely fits your ideals. It’s like being an informed voter without all the work.

2. Advent Conspiracy. My church, Imago Dei, started this deal to wage war on Christmas. Well, not exactly Christmas, but what Christmas has become: a sold-out holiday where we’re told the more we spend on gifts, the better we are. It’s a load of crap. Here’s my blog entry on the subject, though the film ‘What Would Jesus Buy’ has been widely panned by critics for not actually getting the the point.

On a similar note, I know advent candles are purple for a reason, but does anyone else think that color lacks pizazz?

3. Burnside has a group at Shelfari, where we can talk about books. Go there, join the group, and talk about books with us!

4. Remember that thing I said about Christmas being too commercial? I was lying. Christmas is a great time to buy everything you want. The Burnside store is a great place to get clothes for the Winter…

Okay, now I feel bad. The Burnside store might be a good place to get things for the Winter (and James Carter has come up with some great new items), but that would be pretty hypocritical of us, right? So, until Christmas, 100% of Burnside store profits will go to International Justice Mission.

Always and every time, thank you for reading our words. We are proud to bring them to you.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Jordan Green
BWC