<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Ben&#039;s Bitter Blog]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[http://bensbitterblog.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[bensbitterblog]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://bensbitterblog.com/author/bensbitterblog/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[Spreading the Cheer Bitter Friday&nbsp;Giftures]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Don&#8217;t you just love Christmas in July? Yeah, me neither. Hallmark does this thing every year where they try and recapture the magic of Christmas by showing their really bad Christmas specials during the hottest part of the year, July. It&#8217;s kind of a going against the grain strategy, if you will. In the TV and movie industry they call it &#8220;counter-programming&#8221;. It&#8217;s kind of like when The Avengers Endgame came out last year, and no one will face the might of the Avengers except an intimate love story, hoping to capture some ladies that had no intention of seeing the Avengers.</p>
<p>Hallmark tries it&#8217;s best to spread cheer during the really hot, gross disgusting part of the year, when most people are either outside getting sun, going to activities, or inside trying desperately to find SOMETHING to watch. Sometimes it works, and others times, like Christmas in July, it doesn&#8217;t.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, some things are just better at spreading things than others.  You know, things like viral videos and well, viruses. The flu and colds have been okay at spreading , but not near as good at spreading than this other &#8220;viral&#8221; thing.</p>
<p>Enough of my thinly veiled reference to plagues, let&#8217;s move onto the real plague&#8230;Bitter Friday Giftures..</p>
<p><strong>So anyways&#8230;</strong></p>
<div style="width: 259px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img src="https://media1.giphy.com/media/TGHMbONT5eGgU/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e4729c8f61d4f06ea2a5db1310ed0cee5e72a9e1704&amp;rid=giphy.gif" alt="face air GIF" width="249" height="273" /><p class="wp-caption-text"><strong>&#8230;how is your summer going?</strong></p></div>
<p><strong>Combing&#8230;</strong></p>
<div style="width: 206px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img src="https://media3.giphy.com/media/aRrBKNE8vjCY8/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e4779839ae36d873e2ece6b5d4226c6c67ab2c6bff8&amp;rid=giphy.gif" alt="weird comb GIF" width="196" height="220" /><p class="wp-caption-text"><strong>&#8230;through your drawers?</strong></p></div>
<p><strong>Getting&#8230;</strong></p>
<div style="width: 402px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img src="https://media1.giphy.com/media/5xtDarlzV5lwRLdGDao/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e47ad1ece6f4e6cae2ab984e5526b0b2d95966c6920&amp;rid=giphy.gif" alt="infomercial haircut GIF" width="392" height="300" /><p class="wp-caption-text"><strong>&#8230;a haircut?</strong></p></div>
<p><strong>Kids getting&#8230;</strong></p>
<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img src="https://media2.giphy.com/media/ailnj2AMt9e9i/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e47a85e4395729d186108af08b148a78e398f92d9ca&amp;rid=giphy.gif" alt="the simpsons fighting GIF" width="500" height="375" /><p class="wp-caption-text"><strong>&#8230;into too many fights?</strong></p></div>
<p><strong>Kids complaining about&#8230;</strong></p>
<div style="width: 549px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img src="https://media0.giphy.com/media/1UBsXIuRw0KCQ/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e478c130b3e1098fba1ca771690ef5f4a30df5ff801&amp;rid=giphy.gif" alt="wizard chores GIF" width="539" height="536" /><p class="wp-caption-text"><strong>&#8230;having to do too many chores? </strong></p></div>
<p><strong>Pets&#8230;</strong></p>
<div style="width: 490px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img src="https://media3.giphy.com/media/3oKIPCSX4UHmuS41TG/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e475bcaa3dca0de925a835848f3ebdea5de329919c9&amp;rid=giphy.gif" alt="clean up cleaning GIF by Bubble Witch" width="480" height="464" /><p class="wp-caption-text"><strong>&#8230;not pulling their weight?</strong></p></div>
<p><strong>Enjoying&#8230;</strong></p>
<div style="width: 490px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img src="https://media3.giphy.com/media/RfShfrtRLrPZzRfMd1/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e47b2c777d96253989ab9c4e5b4c66190d4b1e04bae&amp;rid=giphy.gif" alt="Camping Kristin Cavallari GIF by E!" width="480" height="270" /><p class="wp-caption-text"><strong>&#8230;the great outdoors?</strong></p></div>
<p><strong>Enjoying a nice&#8230;</strong></p>
<div style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img src="https://media3.giphy.com/media/l2QZSGV16rOh71Sk8/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e47ae5ed618234a5504bf5955971d9ffc9c1fb66c0f&amp;rid=giphy.gif" alt="night waiting GIF by ELMØ" width="500" height="500" /><p class="wp-caption-text"><strong>&#8230;movie night out? </strong></p></div>
<p><strong>Trying to get any&#8230;</strong></p>
<div style="width: 490px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img src="https://media3.giphy.com/media/iihI3j7mG3Kb2GvUBN/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e47204c58f96c0c6c7cd3ed426b9822f0bdceda4b53&amp;rid=giphy.gif" alt="Hollands Hoop No Signal GIF by BNNVARA" width="480" height="352" /><p class="wp-caption-text"><strong>&#8230;sort of connection? </strong></p></div>
<p><strong>Trying not&#8230;</strong></p>
<div style="width: 490px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img src="https://media2.giphy.com/media/RMhcAWxELNmbSegEpl/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e47c039bd295c56ea17a3b24b5cdd07d3d441e5e6f7&amp;rid=giphy.gif" alt="video hello GIF by Polyvinyl Records" width="480" height="270" /><p class="wp-caption-text"><strong>&#8230;to get lost on your vacation? </strong></p></div>
<p><strong>Or get vengeful&#8230;</strong></p>
<div style="width: 260px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img src="https://media3.giphy.com/media/22CEvbj04nLLq/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e47214daa4fce9647e0ce1678bdcad6d22939ed133d&amp;rid=giphy.gif" alt="the office rage GIF" width="250" height="214" /><p class="wp-caption-text"><strong>&#8230;rage whenever you go outside?</strong></p></div>
<p><strong>Here&#8217;s the perfect solution&#8230;</strong></p>
<div style="width: 490px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img src="https://media0.giphy.com/media/h4wTmgwxwAAYjTLArD/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e477b937f64cd3e230d066b10ad6da409b6728fe81d&amp;rid=giphy.gif" alt="Erin Krakow Love GIF by Hallmark Movies &amp; Mysteries" width="480" height="270" /><p class="wp-caption-text"><strong>&#8230;let&#8217;s talk about Christmas right now! </strong></p></div>
<p>All I know is that humans are social creatures (at least some of us), so they are always spreading something. Whether it is Christmas cheer, peanut butter on bread, or some virus, we just can&#8217;t help it. So why not learn how to spread Christmas bitterness in July? There is no reason why bitterness can&#8217;t be the latest thing we can spread. Who&#8217;s with me?</p>
<p>ARRRRGGGGHHHHHH</p>
<p>Bitter  Spread Bitterness Ben</p>
]]></html><thumbnail_url><![CDATA[https://i0.wp.com/media1.giphy.com/media/TGHMbONT5eGgU/giphy.gif?fit=440%2C330&ssl=1]]></thumbnail_url><thumbnail_width><![CDATA[249]]></thumbnail_width><thumbnail_height><![CDATA[273]]></thumbnail_height></oembed>