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Reasons to get jacked about January

Why the winter blues lose their cool around this time of year

By Eric Wilkins, Staff Writer

anuary is often seen as a bleak month, with Christmas and New Year’s already behind us nd the reality of the winter months beginning to settle in. But what people don’t realize is that there’s more to January than meets the eye! To kick things off, January is the beginning of the new year. It’s a fresh start. A blank canvas. A clean slate. Or any other kind of metaphorical comparison you might choose to whip out. People seem to enter the month with a renewed sense of hope and a true desire to change. Cue the

lengthening of the days actually begins in December after winter solstice, but let’s try to not get overly technical here.

January is also a great time for sales and shopping. For those who still have any sort of dough left in their pockets, it’s a great time to take advantage of some real bargains. Stores are under pressure to dispose of all of their old stock so that the new products can fill the shelves, and this translates into rock-bottom prices for the savvy consumer seeking last year’s items.

While I’m sure plenty will disagree, I think the weather around this time is the best.

“Nothing says January like a 6 p.m. bus ride home in the freezing cold pouring rain.”

New Year’s resolutions. Is there really anything quite as magical

(or amusing) as watching a good chunk of the world’s population come up with a list of often unrealistic self-improvements and then failing to even remember what they were a week later? While the sentiment behind resolutions is noble, in actual practice, they are little more than just that: noble sentiments. But I digress...for the record, I am going to resolve to stay on topic this year.

Next great thing about January? From here on out, the days are getting longer. As lovely as it is to be in complete darkness before the true evening hours have even set in, there’s something equally satisfying about getting out from your afternoon classes and not seeing the moon. Of course, the

Nothing says January like a 6 p.m. bus ride home in the freezing cold pouring rain. And, with a little luck, this month might finally bring some of that beloved white fluff down upon us. It may make commuting a hassle at times, but it just doesn’t feel like winter without a good snowball fight. Or several. As for my favourite part of January, it has to be the football games. College bowl games and the start of the NFL playoffs take place in this glorious month, and, football fan or not, these games are blessings. Ever wanted a really easy excuse for a party? Look no further. So grab a choice beverage, your favourite sodium-infused snack, and have the gang over. You don’t even have to know who’s playing.

Re-gifting and the rules that regulate it

By Eric Wilkins, Staff Writer

o Aunt Suzie got you an Ges pooper-scooper for

Christmas. But the thing is: you never pick up after your dog, much less take him on walks— though this likely stems from the fact that you don’t actually own a dog. The solution to your problems? Ke-gifting.

The idea behind this time- tested practice is that everyone ends up with what he/she wants, and no present is put to waste. In practice, however, re-gifting is often used as a tool to dump unwanted items on to another party that is equally as likely to try and do away with the offending object. The logic behind this whole process is often just a ruse, meant to hide the fact that re-gifting is really nothing more than a form of trash disposal. It has always danced upon that thin line known as ethics.

Ethics? Sure. An example for the ladies: Uncle Tom had to think long and hard about what to get you for Christmas; it’s not Jus fault that you didn’t need a left-handed curling iron. The poor guy not only had to come up with the thought of what to get you, but he then needed to go get it. That meant a trip to the mall, the kryptonite of any self- respecting male. Once there, your good uncle had to locate the object in question (and I can guarantee that such a present cannot be found in a Sport Chek). No, Uncle Tom would’ve had to have ventured into the inner depths of a store a good deal less masculine. After having located the present, Uncle Tom had to pay for it. That’s right. Cold, hard cash. This guy has gone out and worked long hours to put some dough together, and now he’s spending it on a thoughtful gift. After all the time and money invested, can you really just throw away /re-gift his present?

Of course you can! While it’s a

wonderful thing to be considerate of others’ feelings, let’s face it: some gifts are just useless. With this in mind, I’ve always gone about the process with three simple guidelines in my head:

First off is the time rule. The embarrassing situation during which your gifter asks to see what he/she got you after you have given it away, should never arise. One must hold on to the gift for a decent period of time. A month or two is appropriate for a frequent visitor, and a few weeks are generally sufficient otherwise. Apart from avoiding the above- mentioned scenario, this rule is in place to help maintain the facade of having been thankful for the gift; if you wish to genuinely think about it, then that’s even better!

Next is the in-house rule. Re-gifting a present that has been given to you by someone you live with is always a dangerous practice. The close proximity to him/her means that the question of where the gift is can be asked at any moment. If spinning unbelievable tales of woe is not your thing, then avoid re-gifting in-house gifts like the plague.

My final rule for re-gifting is in regards to gift cards. If you’re going to re-gift a gift card that you have no use for, then please do so with a small additional present. Re-gifting a gift card by itself is as good as wandering over to someone, taking some money out of their pocket, and then handing it to someone else—while still taking the credit and calling it your gift. Just don’t do it, mmkay?

While it’s unlikely that every gift that came into your possession over the holidays is a fan favourite, that doesn’t mean it has to go to waste. Pay it, and the gift, forward and hand off that offensively ugly sweater to a friend or co-worker. Who knows. They might actually end up enjoying it.

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