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View From The Cheap Seats - A diversity of desire for cheap seaters

View from the Cheap Seats is kind of an extension of the newsroom. Whenever our three regular reporters, Calvin Daniels, Thom Barker and Randy Brenzen are in the building together, it is frequently a site of heated debate.

View from the Cheap Seats is kind of an extension of the newsroom. Whenever our three regular reporters, Calvin Daniels, Thom Barker and Randy Brenzen are in the building together, it is frequently a site of heated debate. This week: What do you want for Christmas?

Time for reflection

Dear Santa:

You know, I have gotten to a point in my life where I really don’t want anything for Christmas. I have pretty much everything I want and need, both emotionally and physically.

I suppose I could say something trite like “world peace,” but I will leave that to the naivety of Miss America contestants.

I could say family and good friends and good food, but that’s kind of sappy and, in any event, it is a given, so I will just be thankful for it.

I will, of course, be grateful for my annual subscription to National Geographic, which my parents have been giving me for 36 years now.

If I were to ask for presents, they would be practical things such as that food processor I have my eye on and a deep fryer so I can make samosas and Vietnamese spring rolls.

It would also be nice to have a snow blower, but that, like the food processor and deep fryer is something I will buy when I have the money.

The holidays are a time for reflection and this Cheap Seats topic has been a good exercise in that. It made me realize that I already have what I want for Christmas, the life I lead.

-Thom Barker

Toys, bring me toys


Dear (insert the fictious holiday character of your choice) this young boy has been good all year, with the possible exception of the fib that I am young.

So I want some swag for the holidays.

But what exactly?

That is usually simple enough in my world.

To start with I play miniature war games, and there are really cool aliens called the Quar running around a fantasy World War I/II-feel world created by Zombiesmith that I have long had my eye on. I would love to spend the Yuletide gluing the little critters together.

There is a Batman Miniatures Game out too, and I have always loved all things Dark Knight, so you wouldn’t go wrong with a set of those either.

I’m always a sucker for a book too.

As a hint big guy in red I have always loved Sherlock Holmes and there are literally dozens of ‘Holmesian’ tales written by authors since Conan Doyle himself.

As an example the Mary Russell books, (Holmes’ wife) by Laurie R. King come to mind.

Then there is my passion for disc golf.

Daredevil Discs, a Canadian disc manufacturer has a quartet of recently released offerings, including the Ogopogo driver.

“Canada’s most famous water monster is Ogopogo of Lake Okanagan in the south central interior of British Columbia. Although Indian legends support a monster living in Okanagan Lake long before white men arrived in this country, Ogopogo is very much a present day phenomenon. Each year, sightings are reported of a creature some 20 to 50 feet long, with a horse shaped head and an undulating serpent like body! Okanagan Lake is about 80 miles long extending from Vernon at the north end to Penticton in the south with the fast growing city of Kelowna in the centre,” details the company website.

Come on Santa, with a legend like that as the disc namesake I gotta want one.

Oh, and while you are at it, maybe arrange for a couple of new disc golf courses in the area, sort of a gift for all my chain clanging friends.

And lastly, no coal. It is not all that environmentally friendly to burn anymore.

- Calvin Daniels

What do you want for Christmas?


That’s a question that I get asked every year by my parents, brother, sister and grandparents.

Every year the answer is the same: I don’t know.

I just do not know.

Honestly I never know what I want for Christmas. I just don’t put any thought into it. It’s the same when I’m asked what I want for my birthday. No clue.

But for the sake of the column, I must come up with an answer. So after hours of thought and consideration… I still haven’t a clue.

Some things come to mind, of course. A plane ticket to London to go and visit friends would be nice. However that’s far too expensive for a Christmas gift so it’s completely out of the question.

A date with the beautiful Eugenie Bouchard would be amazing… amazing and imaginary (not to mention Santa and his elves cannot make something like that happen).

Years ago anything Edmonton Oilers would have been a welcome gift. Nowadays however, that would be the equivalent of getting coal (I still love the Oilers, but they are going nowhere fast).

So what do I want for Christmas?

I’ll just go with the easy answer. Socks.

Lots and lots of socks. You can never have too many pairs of socks! (Seriously, if you’re reading this please bring a pair of socks to the office. My feet are cold!)

- Randy Brenzen