Hey, if you’re a relative of mine and you want to buy me things, and you’ve already been over the previous guide for if you want to buy me things, and if you don’t think I’m a jerk for thinking more about how people can buy me things than about things I will buy for other people, and you want to buy me some things, I could use:

- shirts (usually large t-shirts, medium real shirts, or 15-1/2 / 34-35. I like loud shirts.)
- socks that are cool (one size fits me, my shoes are size 11. I like loud socks.)
- sweaters/sweatshirts (see: shirts. I like good quality sweaters.)
- maybe even pants (32/32, more or less… ooh, I was looking for some corduroys. pants that are dark colors are neat because I usually ride my bike and mud splatters on them anyway. And I could use some new jeans, even.)
- speaking of which, bike fenders. or rather, a $20 gift certificate to Velo bike shop so I can buy them myself, because they’re big to take on a plane.

Clothes are a good gift, I think: I’ll need them anyway, and they wear out eventually (or I give them to goodwill) so there’s little waste, and there’s some personality involved in picking them out.

Does this make me a hypocrite, for hating on consumerist Christmas and then just playing into it? Err… maybe? I think the issue is, people are going to buy me gifts whether I like it or not, so if I’m just like “don’t buy me anything”, that just makes it harder for them. Plus, me being less hardline on anything is probably a good call, because on the one hand I’m saving the world, but on the other hand I’m being obnoxious to family and friends.

Comments:

Gordon M McLaughlin - Dec 4, 2008

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