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unny how many of this week's articles are about Christmas without
being about Christmas. This piece on credit card debt, for instance,
fits in perfectly with the shopping season -- but never mentions
it. Instead, the story gets inside the psychology of somebody
who started off as a conscientious, discriminant credit card user,
but then, after years of being spoiled by convenience and making
numerous concessions to reality, established quite a debt. Luckily,
by the time the debt reached the "I can only afford to pay
for the interest" stage, a deus ex machina allowed
the writer to finish off the debt once and for all. Others are not so
lucky....
If that story doesn't scare you away from extravagant holiday
spending, here's one that will -- even if you don't live in Memphis.
"We Do Bankruptcy Right" dissects the reasons the city
leads the nation in personal bankruptcies (four percent of the
population, to be exact). Just a hunch, but I'll bet there are
a lot of credit cards in Memphis.
Continuing the trend of covert Christmas themes is this article
about the rise of the "megachurch." A megachurch, not
to be confused with a superchurch or an ultrachurch, brings sports-arena
spectacle to spiritual worship. Thanks to "mega" holiday
performances, even the unreligious may find themselves overwhelmed
by a megachurch during this holiday season. (Confucius say: If
you fart in one of these churches, you really can sit in
your own pew.)
In the non-covert-theme department, we've got a whole lotta holiday
essays this week. Quite a surprise, I know. This one's about setting
a Christmas example all year 'round; this one's a general rumination
on the holiday; these two are odes to romantic gifts and
cheap gifts, respectively; and this one (my favorite) is about the weird
kinds of form letters people send out during the holidays.
Enjoy,
and remember: leave your credit cards at home.

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A Modest Cop Bonus Plan 
Angry young man or cranky old fart? You decide! [12]
Cap'n O
Odds & Ends 
Timed-release news capsules from the flipside. [13]
Devin D. O'Leary
Mr. Smarty Pants 
Our resident know-it-all unearths the latest trivia. [14]
R.U. Steinberg
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Volume I, Issue 29
December 22 - December 29, 1997
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Click here to find out, or just ignore them.
A Fool & Her Plastic 
Beware the credit waters -- sharks are lurking. [2]
Kim Mellen
What's Your Fate In '98? 
There are so many new and interesting ways to die out there. We thought we'd outline a few of the terrifying health threats looming in our future. Oh, and have a Merry Christmas! [3]
Karen Brandel
Megachurch Miracle 
For some Austin churches, bigger -- much bigger -- is better. [4]
Kayte VanScoy
We Do Bankruptcy Right 
How it's done in Memphis, the bankruptcy capital of the nation. [5]
Jacqueline Marino
Harbinger of Hate 
The militia movement and Holocaust deniers have a Chicago-born godfather. [6]
Sam Jemielity

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Click here to find out, or just ignore them.
The Other 11 Months 
How about charity after Christmas? [7]
David Owen
Information Glut 
John Bridges gets a Christmas newsletter from a castrated dog. [8]
John Bridges
Boughs of Garbage 
Christmas shopping doesn't have to mean massive debt -- just give loads of crap. [9]
Jay Hardwig
The Receiving End 
Margaret Renkl divulges the Christmas gifts a woman really wants. [10]
Margaret Renkl
Merry Christmas! 
Even redneck curmudgeons like Christmas. [11]
Jeff Smith
Now What? 
Can't get enough news? You're in luck -- more news is created every day. Our Now What? page offers a plethora of recommended links to help keep you living in the present. [15]
Build your own custom paper. To find out more
about this feature, click here.
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