What I've learned at Xmas parties...

It's that jolly time of year when all the good little boys and girls gather to share in glad tidings and good will to all. OK, it's that time when you see the worst of people, for rarely (in urban centers) do holiday gatherings succeed in celebrating anything other than network building, ostentatiousness, greed, and egomania. Gluttony and lust too (is that seven?). An example: I know a successful woman who will not recognize my existence when I see her in a group setting. Of course she jumps up and chats gregariously when someone who is related to her work or has a predetermined high social value appears. Basically, in public, she ignores people she deems unimportant. It's nauseating to see. There's lots of this in LA of course. Famous and "successful" people are always let off the hook for bad behavior in person. It's part of our culture of reverence and wishful thinking. If we suck up and smile to our ill-behaved "superiors," maybe some magic dust will fall on us. Meanwhile, our malice, jealousy, and yearning for public hangings and humiliations is reserved for a special place: The media. Including blogs I guess...

Wolves, the animals, I can deal with. They are honest in their violence. It's the human wolf pack in sheep's clothing and fake fur (and Prada shoes) you gotta watch out for... Oh, and Wolf Blitzer too. What is he - a tough reindeer with five-o-clock shadow? I don't get it. Bah Humbug.