Comments on: Challenge: Send a holiday card to a stranger

By: Alan

Alan — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:03:11 +0000

In response to the “asking for a hammer in McDonald’s” bit, a quote of Salvador Dalí:

“I do not understand why, when I ask for a grilled lobster in a restaurant, I am never served a cooked telephone.”

By: Maura

Maura — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 13:56:17 +0000

I’ve done this every single Christmas since I was 15. I usually get a thank you card. Once, by the strangest coincidence ever, I got a Happy Thanksgiving card on my birthday (which is in March.) Fantastic times with the mail.

By: rollercoater_toaster

rollercoater_toaster — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:04:58 +0000

I did this one Christmas but with a trashy romatic novel I found at our holiday rental apartment. I looked up someone in the phone book with the same name as a main character in the book and sent it to them. A random yet personalised Christmas gift!
Am off to send left over Christmas cards now (it’s cheaper than finding and sending everyone a Mills and Boon book, but still just mischevious enough to make me happy).

By: Brian in Ireland

Brian in Ireland — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 22:57:04 +0000

I’m definitely going to try this, thanks. I’ll send it off on Monday.

By: Coco

Coco — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 08:58:55 +0000

I like this idea!

Were you, perchance, a sociology major in school? You sound like you are referencing Garfinkel’s critique of Parsonian functionalism in your discussion of social norms and hammers at McDonalds.

By: donna

donna — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 03:04:27 +0000

It would be especially nice to call your local nursing home and see if someone there could use one…

By: F.

F. — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 22:31:11 +0000

My annual Christmas prank is actually turned towards people I know and good friends.

I write a letter to Santa, who will, of course, answer to it. Thing is, I sign by their name and write their own address. A great success ! And a range of reactions, too !

As Santa answers with a standard letter, but sometimes add a little comment, I leave little hints… “I want a toboggan to play with my friend F”, “I want stuffed animals because I can’t bring them home from the zoo” (the “victim” works at the zoo..).. With a bit of chance, the volunteer will answer that little hint..

Also, I scan the letter I send to Santa and show it to the victim later. It usually doesn’t take long before I’m identified as the culprit..

The funniest and hardest part is to write what a child would write, in a child handwriting.

Also, don’t use email to Santa. Nothing beats a real letter from Santa.

By: Dan Parry

Dan Parry — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 22:16:27 +0000

I’ve done this, only slightly less random. I lived at the Grand Canyon (for real) and my roommate went to some university. So we picked up the student directory, picked three names at random, and I made out postcards detailing how I went West with “You know who” and surprise, we have no money now that the van broke down.

I asked for money, and sprinkled the cards with details only people who went to school there would know.

I received one reply, from a girl who wrote all sorts of stuff back and only at the end of the letter apologized for not remembering me. I’m not sure if I should be afraid or not.

By: Ghede

Ghede — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 21:30:15 +0000

We still use phone books. Not only are they free packing material for our E-bay merchandise, but they have NUMBERS in them too!

By: Ignacio Nova

Ignacio Nova — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 20:46:46 +0000

When an impulse to break free from normalcy hits me, I have to act on it (usually, and it never involves anything criminal, or at least very criminal). Stuff like sitting down in the street at night with oncoming cars shining their lights on you. It’s imperative that you never let the onslaught of routine swallow up your life.

Anyhow, this is one of those dynamite ideas, and consider me a PARTICIPANT. Thanks for the spark.