So as school ends my brain seems to be opening up again and working more like its former relatively creative self. At least it feels more active than it has been the past few weeks. The problem with endless amounts of schoolwork, especially when it involves financial analysis..shudder..is that it forces you to spend so much of your time thinking about whatever the business school wants you too and hinders the ability of the brain to really stretch its legs. Perhaps what I enjoy most about my job is the fact that yes, there is some direction in thought required, but it is pretty damned open to the flow of ideas.

Now, in honor of my brain being freed of the shackles of school for a while (and if all goes as planned next semester, hopefully freed for some time longer) I introduce Krampus. Most holiday traditions, even a lot of christian dogma, was adopted from much older and more ingrained pagan traditions.

As christianity was spread by Roman emperors as a tool of political control, they would force its convergence with traditional holiday practices in order to speed the adoption by the public. (Dec. 25th was Sol Invictus, the day when the empire worshipped the unconquered son and a period of rebirth).

In the spirit of Christmas I was popping around the internet procrastinating finishing up my take-home final for e-business and stumbled upon what may be the greatest uncelebrated Christmas tradition (at least in America) and that is KRAMPUS.

Krampus is sort of a demon, and ranges anywhere from the archenemy of Santa Claus to St. Nick's trusted companion. He carries the bag of toys and a bag of rods or sticks, he gives the toys to the good ones, beats the bad ones, and for the ones that are really naughty throws them into a barrel to take to hell.



I fully intend on taking this picture and making it a shirt to wear for Christmas, ALSO for further information check out this comic...

www.somethingpositive.net...