Aussie here, to me xmas = summer time. Xmas movies always felt irrelevant, and the idea of Santa wearing all his gear is mental when it’s often 40C+ and humid af.

Being cold would feel alien that time of year, even more so if it snowed because that doesn’t happen in 99% of the country regardless of the time of year.

I suspect we’re not taking about actual storytelling here as much as anecdotes that signal whether you will or will not agree with the rest of what’s about to be said, but to answer the question as asked, imho good storytelling depends as much on the listener as the teller.

Some find joy to be infectious, they’ll enjoy a story because the teller’s eyes light up, and watching someone loving the shit out of something is itself a joyful experience.

Some will only enjoy a story if it’s of direct positive relevance to them, regardless of who’s telling it.

As I understand it these are basically an insurance policy. The promoter takes out a policy detailing the odds of a payout being required, and pay a premium based on the insurer’s risk assessment.

And of course the insurer wants to minimise the odds of paying out, and the promoter wants to minimise their premium - so the top prize is usually, as above, near-unwinnable.

Was about 3pm here /cries in Australian

We regularly get screwed over during business hours by things being pushed out overnight in the US/UK

That’s what would be called “a swing and a miss”

It’s almost like speculating has risks

Needs a massive safety net with “family money/influence” under the successful gambler

90s Steven Segal went a bit crazy with the spray tan

Yeah… this isn’t a meme, it’s literally children being sold.

As I recall it, the family were facing eviction, and the kids were indeed sold, including the one she was pregnant with. A couple of them ended up basically being slaves on a farm somewhere.

I’ll laugh at plenty of things I probably shouldn’t but this isn’t one of them.