Holiday Potpourri
I have some things floating in my head, but no real unifying theme of what to write. I'm also too lazy to get my links to open in a different window. Here goes:
- There is a lot of 80s nostalgia around, with a lot of now-silly shows, cartoons, and video games getting lots of love. The new big thing appears to be Thundercats. But there are a few things I loved that aren't getting a lot of press yet. Like MASK, and Voltron, and The Mighty Orbots. Lesser players, to be sure, but good stuff for a kid in the mid 80s. Of course, since there are web resources for these shows, someone is feeling the love; but it hasn't risen to the mainstream yet.
- Speaking of cartoons, my older son, quite out of the blue, decided to watch the Disney movie Hercules this weekend. I've decided that Megara from that movie is my "most attractive Disney heroine". I know they slutted up Esmeralda in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Ariel from The Little Mermaid is innocent beauty incarnate, but for some reason Meg "does" it for me more than the others. Feel free to vote for your favorite male/female characters from the Disney animated movies. And no, this is not at all creepy, so feel free to participate.
- Speaking of attractive women, I've been looking for a way to poll people on their favorite current TV women. The two women I find most attractive on TV right now are on shows I don't watch. Kristen Bell from Veronica Mars and Lauren Graham from Gilmore Girls. Who are your fave women/men?
- Speaking of TV shows, I have a theory that most family-centric sitcoms have an episode where the existence of Santa Claus is either affirmed or hinted at. It's a common theme, with one glaring exception: The Brady Bunch! I can't name another show starring children, and likely watched by children, that openly admits that Santa doesn't exist. As much as I owe to The Bradys for raising me, I can't believe, nor can I forgive, they did this. It's the episode when Carol loses her voice, even though she's supposed to sing a solo in church on Christmas Day. (BTW, this may be the only time the Bradys were ever in church in the whole series.) Cindy asks Santa for her voice back. Santa says yes. Mike goes to the Santa locker room and chastises the fake Santa for promising the impossible to a little girl. Before Christmas everyone tries to temper Cindy's optimism, knowing that there's no Santa to grant her wish. Then, miraculously, Carol can sing on Christmas morn. Sure, something unexplained happened, but they had already destroyed the Santa myth before that, so there's no wiggle room to imply it really was Santa who did it.
- Speaking of Christmas, I just don't get this whole "War on Christmas" thing. Why are people picketing WalMart to get it to restore the word "Christmas" in its ads? Tell you what, you open a chain of superstores, adamantly promote the trappings of your religion, and see how well you do. Make sure you take the offensive half of the music, movies and books out while you're at it. If you don't like what they've done, stop shopping there. But where in the hell do you get off EXPECTING a multinational corporation to endorse your religious views? No company has an obligation to do that, and you can't seem to understand that concept. Because you're stupid. Really, really stupid. I think these religious nuts just feel betrayed. I mean, they used to be able to count on WalMart to tear down small businesses, have discriminatory hiring practices, foster near slave-labor conditions for immigrants, and contribute heartily to the Republican coffers. But now the company has turned its back on them by removing the word "Christmas" from its ads. Thanks a lot, Judas!
- Speaking of Christians (the good kind), I've finally added Lisa the Knitter to my links. The trio of hipster Torontonians is now complete, with Rachel and the Sarcastrix. Lisa knits, but she's so much more! She's a PhD candidate in some heavy science-y stuff, likes cheesy movies, speaks fluent German, and has the foulest mouth of any devout Christian blogger I've ever read. And that's a good thing. I confess I've been reading her for a while, but never linked her because I wasn't sure if she liked me. It appears she likes my kids, though, so that's enough. I shouldn't deny you all the joys of her site just because I can be annoying on other people's sites. Check her out.
- And not speaking of anything related at all, Omega, by narrow popular demand, has posted one of his many short stories. It wasn't the one I voted for, but I really enjoyed it. And not because a stripper is the main character. Go read it here.
iPod: "First Day Back" by Braid, "So Excited to Sleep" by This Is Me Smiling, "Killing a Camera (live)" by Braid, "It's Been a Blast" by Hey Mercedes, "Hold Me Down" by Motion City Soundtrack, "Chachi" by Jimmy Eat World, "Every Turn" by Hey Mercedes, "Model H" by Jimmy Eat World, "For Holly" by The City on Film, "Knowing When to Stop" by Hey Mercedes, "Own Up" by Hey Mercedes, "Eeyore and Easel" by Braid, "Never Will Come for Us (live)" by Braid, "Bleed American" by Jimmy Eat World, "Everybody's Working for the Weak" by Hey Mercedes, "Give Me Good News" by The City on Film, "Game of Pricks" by Jimmy Eat World, "Do You Love Coffee?" by Braid, "We Lie Half the Time" by Hey Mercedes, "Screaming Infidelities" by Dashboard Confessional, and "I'd Rather Be Wine Drunk" by The City on Film.
Can you tell I made an "Emo" playlist on my iPod?
- There is a lot of 80s nostalgia around, with a lot of now-silly shows, cartoons, and video games getting lots of love. The new big thing appears to be Thundercats. But there are a few things I loved that aren't getting a lot of press yet. Like MASK, and Voltron, and The Mighty Orbots. Lesser players, to be sure, but good stuff for a kid in the mid 80s. Of course, since there are web resources for these shows, someone is feeling the love; but it hasn't risen to the mainstream yet.
- Speaking of cartoons, my older son, quite out of the blue, decided to watch the Disney movie Hercules this weekend. I've decided that Megara from that movie is my "most attractive Disney heroine". I know they slutted up Esmeralda in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Ariel from The Little Mermaid is innocent beauty incarnate, but for some reason Meg "does" it for me more than the others. Feel free to vote for your favorite male/female characters from the Disney animated movies. And no, this is not at all creepy, so feel free to participate.
- Speaking of attractive women, I've been looking for a way to poll people on their favorite current TV women. The two women I find most attractive on TV right now are on shows I don't watch. Kristen Bell from Veronica Mars and Lauren Graham from Gilmore Girls. Who are your fave women/men?
- Speaking of TV shows, I have a theory that most family-centric sitcoms have an episode where the existence of Santa Claus is either affirmed or hinted at. It's a common theme, with one glaring exception: The Brady Bunch! I can't name another show starring children, and likely watched by children, that openly admits that Santa doesn't exist. As much as I owe to The Bradys for raising me, I can't believe, nor can I forgive, they did this. It's the episode when Carol loses her voice, even though she's supposed to sing a solo in church on Christmas Day. (BTW, this may be the only time the Bradys were ever in church in the whole series.) Cindy asks Santa for her voice back. Santa says yes. Mike goes to the Santa locker room and chastises the fake Santa for promising the impossible to a little girl. Before Christmas everyone tries to temper Cindy's optimism, knowing that there's no Santa to grant her wish. Then, miraculously, Carol can sing on Christmas morn. Sure, something unexplained happened, but they had already destroyed the Santa myth before that, so there's no wiggle room to imply it really was Santa who did it.
- Speaking of Christmas, I just don't get this whole "War on Christmas" thing. Why are people picketing WalMart to get it to restore the word "Christmas" in its ads? Tell you what, you open a chain of superstores, adamantly promote the trappings of your religion, and see how well you do. Make sure you take the offensive half of the music, movies and books out while you're at it. If you don't like what they've done, stop shopping there. But where in the hell do you get off EXPECTING a multinational corporation to endorse your religious views? No company has an obligation to do that, and you can't seem to understand that concept. Because you're stupid. Really, really stupid. I think these religious nuts just feel betrayed. I mean, they used to be able to count on WalMart to tear down small businesses, have discriminatory hiring practices, foster near slave-labor conditions for immigrants, and contribute heartily to the Republican coffers. But now the company has turned its back on them by removing the word "Christmas" from its ads. Thanks a lot, Judas!
- Speaking of Christians (the good kind), I've finally added Lisa the Knitter to my links. The trio of hipster Torontonians is now complete, with Rachel and the Sarcastrix. Lisa knits, but she's so much more! She's a PhD candidate in some heavy science-y stuff, likes cheesy movies, speaks fluent German, and has the foulest mouth of any devout Christian blogger I've ever read. And that's a good thing. I confess I've been reading her for a while, but never linked her because I wasn't sure if she liked me. It appears she likes my kids, though, so that's enough. I shouldn't deny you all the joys of her site just because I can be annoying on other people's sites. Check her out.
- And not speaking of anything related at all, Omega, by narrow popular demand, has posted one of his many short stories. It wasn't the one I voted for, but I really enjoyed it. And not because a stripper is the main character. Go read it here.
iPod: "First Day Back" by Braid, "So Excited to Sleep" by This Is Me Smiling, "Killing a Camera (live)" by Braid, "It's Been a Blast" by Hey Mercedes, "Hold Me Down" by Motion City Soundtrack, "Chachi" by Jimmy Eat World, "Every Turn" by Hey Mercedes, "Model H" by Jimmy Eat World, "For Holly" by The City on Film, "Knowing When to Stop" by Hey Mercedes, "Own Up" by Hey Mercedes, "Eeyore and Easel" by Braid, "Never Will Come for Us (live)" by Braid, "Bleed American" by Jimmy Eat World, "Everybody's Working for the Weak" by Hey Mercedes, "Give Me Good News" by The City on Film, "Game of Pricks" by Jimmy Eat World, "Do You Love Coffee?" by Braid, "We Lie Half the Time" by Hey Mercedes, "Screaming Infidelities" by Dashboard Confessional, and "I'd Rather Be Wine Drunk" by The City on Film.
Can you tell I made an "Emo" playlist on my iPod?
posted by CBK at
12:01 PM
