Excess accessed

Another Christmas, another bellyful of food and a cupboard creaking with new possessions. I'm not sure Jesus Christ's birth is properly honoured by the exchange of FCUK deoderant and Ferrero Rocher chocolates but once again Christmas has been marked thus. My gradual accumulation of trinkets, stuff and guff moves on apace then, just at a time when I've decided to de-clutter my life. I'll keep the Amazon voucher and the Jonny Wilkinson biography, but the rest is getting chucked and 2009 is going to see the new minimalist me. Ho, ho, ho.

Opinion Central

Is it neccassary to have an opinion on everything? Reading the Sunday paper today, Rod Liddle appears in virtually every section pontificating zestfully on a myriad of issues, a right know-it-all. I haven't the energy to hold an opinion on so many subjects, nor the brass neck to assume I'm right on so many fronts. Is it not acceptable to abstain, surrender or concede ignorance on certain issues? Must we hold an opinion on all things great and small? If I'm to have a New Year's resolution it's to pick and choose subjects I want to hold an opinion on and be able to count them on the fingers of one hand.