Sarah McLachlan-"Ice"

Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan-"Revolver"

As this is my first post-Christmas post, I thought I would take this time to point out 8 things that I learned over the holidays this year.

1. When together, my brother and father cannot go more than 5 minutes without talking about the Dallas Cowboys.

2. If I give it too much thought, a gift as innocuous and cheap as 2 boxes of chocolate covered cherries can make me cry.

3. The average adult female can only watch the Suite Life of Zack and Cody Christmas episode 4 times before lashing out at her loved ones.

4. I will constantly bitch about the fact that they show a Christmas Story non-stop on tv, but eventually, I will end up watching it at least once.

5. Every single time I watch the aforementioned film, when the Bumpass hounds swipe the turkey and Darren McGavin yells "Sons of bitches!" out the back door, I produce a sound that I am pretty sure has never been made by any other human being.

6. My mom is the most awesome person that ever lived. (I already knew that, but it bears repeating.)

7. When it is placed on your foot, the Fureal Friends Butterscotch Pony weighs about as much as a real, adult horse.

8. I don't care what anyone says, if a person wants something badly enough, an innanimate object CAN make them happy.

Almost Forgot...

I just now managed to get Harper to sleep, and I want to wait until she's out good so that I can...Uh, purchase illegal weapons over the internet. Yeah, that'll work. Anyway, I thought while I had a few minutes I could post this lil' doohickey, because I've been wanting to for MONTHS now, and if I don't post it now, I'll have to wait another year, and that will just not do. For those of you that read this here blog on the regular, you should have expected something like this, because when it comes to certain things, I am absurdly predictable. With other things, not so much.



APPLESAUCE!!



See, you weren't expecting that, were you? Yeah, I didn't think so.(Pardon me, I'm tired and a bit loopy.)

And now for your viewing and listening pleasure, "Let's Have a Patrick Swayze Christmas", from MST3k.

Merry Christmas

I finally finished my shopping today (yeah, I'm an unapologetic procrastinator-whatchu gon' do about it?), and I'm feeling a mite better than I have been for the past few weeks. Since I'm all happy now (not "happy" exactly, just not "oh, woah is me". I can accept that), I figured I'd post a little holiday music. I've even included a Hannukah song;not so much out of any kind of interfaith solidarity, it's just that I love that damn dreidel song.

BTW: that pic? I found that on the interweb, but I remember my mom giving me a card with that exact same cartoon on it, several years ago. That's my mom for ya...

Subtle Plans Are Here Again

Due to various holiday plans and preparations, I'm posting the saturday movie a couple of days early. I've got a ridiculous amount of things I have to do in the next few days, and if I get five minutes to myself (highly unlikely), I want to spend it doing absolutely nothing, not fighting with Blogger.

On top of all that, I really just don't FEEL like posting. Every year, I look forward to Christmas, and then when it gets close to it, I get depressed. I don't know why, exactly; it's a fairly recent development, just in the last few years. I suppose it has something to do with becoming a mother, and having that feeling of not being able to make Christmas as happy an experience for Harper as it was for me when I was a kid. But then again, maybe I've glossed over my childhood memories to make them seem happier than they really were, I guess everyone does to a degree. There's something more than that at play, but I've never been able to put my finger on it, plus I've already been down quite a bit lately, even before the idea of another Christmas sunk in-put it all together, and I feel like pure crap.

But enough of me and my whining, on to the movie...

This is not what I was planning to post. I had a film all picked out, and for whatever reason, I changed my mind. I happened upon this one purely by accident, and when I found it, I was surprised I hadn't already thought of it. Without realizing it, watching this has become a tradition for me: for the past, say, 5 years, late Christmas Eve/Early Christmas morning, I watch it while doing some Xmas-related mom activities (you know the ones I mean...Yes, you do) and I think that this year in particular, it fits my mood more than anything else I could post in it's place: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, Rudolph, Silent Night, Deadly Night-none of those really fit my mentality of "Depressed, yet able to laugh" (well, not so sure about SN,DN-that might produce a chuckle.)

So, what's this movie (not exactly a movie) I keep droning on about? It's Blackadder's Christmas Carol (see? Not a movie.) It's got Rowan Atkinson, Miranda Richardson, Robbie Coltrane, Stephen Fry and, oh yes, Hugh Laurie (who, despite popular belief, had a career before House); It's got your clever bastardization of Dickens; and it's got your dry and semi-tacky British humor that all the young kids seem to like these days-if that's not perfect holiday entertainment...I can't think of a clever metaphor to insert there, so I should probably end the post now.

Happy Holidays, kids.

Björk-"It's Oh So Quiet"

RIP Joseph Barbera

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Legendary Hollywood animator Joseph Barbera, whose characters Fred and Wilma Flintstone and Scooby-Doo made generations of people laugh, died on Monday at age 95, the Warner Bros. film studio said in a statement.

Barbera founded Hanna-Barbera Studios with his partner William Hanna nearly 50 years ago, and it grew to become one of Hollywood's best known animation companies producing hundreds of cartoons and winning numerous awards.

He died at his home in the Los Angeles-area community of Studio City with his wife Sheila by his side, Warner Bros. said. No further details were disclosed...

Yahoo News

Also, RIP Chris Hayward.

Motown Sampler

In the interest of full disclosure, I have to say that Supremes song always makes me cry. Why? Well, you know how you sometimes get a song stuck in your head, and you can't get rid of it? I had that song stuck in my head when I was in LABOR. At the time, it was VERY annoying, but now I've attached kind of a nostalgic signifigance to it, morphing it into a touching memory. Although at the time, I was thisclose to asking a nurse to bash my head in with a fetal moniter just to get it out of my head. But now it makes me all mushy. Memories are funny things, eh?

The Richest Man in Town

While searching for a film today, I came across 2 that would be perfect for my whole "December Saturdays Christmas Extravaganza" (yes, I gave it a name...Not a very good name, but it gets the point across). My final decision on which one to post came down to practicality: next weekend, I'm probably going to be too busy to post anything, and if I'm not too busy to post, I will definitely be too busy to say much about the film, so I'd rather wait and post something that I don't have much to say in regards to. I'm not too happy about doing it this way, because the film I'm posting today is more closely associated with Christmas, and I'd rather wait and post it ON Xmas day, or at least only a few days before. But I can't.

This movie...

I have a distinct memory of the first time I actually saw this movie, even remember the exact date: December 24, 1991. At age 15, I had already become the strange hybrid of film snob and celluloid trash connisseur that I am today. In the wee hours of that Christmas eve morning, my trashy side had just finished watching Popcorn, a silly, late-80s horror flick. After it was over, at around 2am, I was still wide awake and looking for something else to watch. I was flipping through the channels, and upon seeing an ad for It's A Wonderful Life, which was about to start, I paused and a bizarre inner debate commenced.

Until that time, I had managed to avoid seeing IaWL, which was rather difficult, because at that time, you had to ACTIVELY evade it since they showed it like 10 times a day around Christmas. Everything I had heard about this movie suggested it was nothing more than treacly smaltz, and I wanted nothing to do with it. Still, I had a need to cleanse my mental pallete of the grungy aftertaste of Popcorn, and I figured this would do the trick. Besides, even at 15 I knew that no sane person can fairly judge anything without familiarizing themselves with it first, so until I actually watched it, I was exempt from criticizing it. So, I threw up my hands and said "Fuck it" (even at 15, I had a potty mouth) and prepared myself for unapologetic sappiness.

Cut to me a little over 2 hours later, laying on my bed and sobbing into a pillow. I already knew what was going to happen even before I started watching it, I had already seen the ending long before then, and I thought I had prepared myself for the uber-happiness I was witnessing. What I HADN'T done was take everything that happened prior to the ending, into account: that damn Jimmy Stewart made me give a rat's ass about George Bailey and his effect on the people around him, the events of his life, and his eventual reward, led to me become an emotional, incoherrent, blood-shot wreck. In other words, I liked it.

If you haven't ever seen it, and have avoided it because you think it's uncool and corny, you need to be more open minded. It is corny, very much so, but as for uncool, there's a few thing you should take into consideration before you judge too harshly.

Dalton Trumbo, Dorothy Parker, and Clifford Odets all did uncredited work on the script. That's cool.

The film was labeled "subversive" by the FBI, due to it's political statements about post-WWII society and was also deemed communist propaganda because of the film's stance in reference to the common man up against big business, and Frank Capra's association with left-wing organizations. That's also cool.

The scene at the dance, when George and Mary are doing the Charleston: that guy that opens up the pool? That's the guy who played Alfalfa on the Little Rascals, and by definition, any movie that features someone who was brutally murdered is very cool...You know, if you're twisted like I am.

I realize that no one actually watches the full length films that I post: it's takes up too much time, not to mention it's a bit of a strain to watch something that's about 5x5 inches in size. I post them because it's fun, not because I expect anyone to watch them. That being said, I still don't expect anyone to watch this on the computer, but I DO recommend that if you've never seen this, that you catch it when it's on tv, or go out and rent it: Occasionally, even the most jaded among us need something to warm our hearts, and what better time is there to do that, than during the holidays?

I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness-"When You Go Out"

RIP Peter

The Breeders

I will try and get a new post up this evening (one of those with words and a topic and such). I'd do it now, but I'm so tired that I'm having trouble stringing coherent sentences together.

Cakes. Why these snow globes?

See what I mean?

Tokyo Police Club-"Shoulders and Arms"

Calexico

Weird/Cute/Great

Very short, 10 minute Saturday movie today. I think that until Christmas, I will post nothing but holiday-related clips on saturdays, because although I have a nasty habit of bitching about Christmas and everything that it entails, in reality I love it. I guess I'm just a big kid, because the lights, the decorations, the movies, the presents, the good cheer, Santy Claus-I dig all that shit. Don't tell nobody.

I know that you're looking at the still thinking "I know what it is, so I'm not going to watch it." Well, you couldn't be more....Half wrong. It is that, but only visually. The voices are those of the cast of Scrubs, and they do not adhere to the original script. I think I've only ever seen maybe one episode of Scrubs, but after this, I may have to add it to my tv viewing schedule. I probably won't, but this clip is still very cute. Give it a chance, won't you? Thank you and good day.

Stereophonics-"Maybe Tomorrow"

Harper's Bizarre

I haven't posted a Harper-centric music post in a few weeks, but it's not because she's gotten lax in her listening habits-oh no, no, no. See, about two weeks ago, she found a CD in her room that she forgot she had, and she listened to it CONSTANTLY for awhile. What's the song on this CD that she loves oh-so-very much? Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer.

I have posted some terrible things on this blog-that photo of those 3 whores probably being the worst of it-but I draw the line at the most evil of songs. I am many things, but overly cruel I am not. Besides, posting it would mean that I would have to check and make sure that the song worked, which means I would have to hear at least part of it, and there is no way in hell I would voluntarily do that. As a matter of fact, I've been making her listen to it with the headphones on to protect my ears. So, you can rest easy.

Anyway, she finally decided to move on, and is currently under the thrall of the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack. Before you ask, Yes, I do own the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack: I have a healthy appreciation for almost all genres of music (not ALL, though. There are some things I flat-out refuse to listen to. But that's a whole other post), and I've tried to pass that on to my offspring. Unfortunately, that's probably what led her to listen to that damn Grandma song for 11 days straight, but you have to take the good with the bad, I guess. Variety: it's the spice-and poison-of life.

And just because I feel like it, here's MY favorite song off the same CD. I have no idea why I like this song, but I do-accept it, and move on.

Knew Your Father, I Did

Prepare yourselves-this is one of those posts where I go on about how I won't be posting for awhile. Like most of the other times I do this, I'll throw up some form of media to tide you over until I return-I'm good like that.

So, um, yes, I'm not going to be posting very often. I have this thing I started yesterday, and my time to do shit I want to do is all kinds of limited. I haven't gotten a new job-JOB yet, not exactly, although I AM getting paid for it, albeit very little (and the first one of you who says the word "Prostitution" is going to get stabbed through the internet). It's complicated and weird and actually very, very boring. So boring-I swear to God, my brain is going to be a worthless puddle of soup before the end of the year. More so.

I will attempt to throw up at least one post a day, although for a couple of weeks, it may not be anything more than a song or a video. I'll probably get in a couple of long-winded something-or-others up on the weekends, though, so you've got that to look forward to. Actually, it won't be much different than it is now, I guess. Huh. Forget I said anything.

PS-the thing-a-ma-bob I'm posting is an MST3k short, Mr. B Natural. It's the story of a freakish androgynous woman who stalks and harasses a little boy until he has to become institutionalized. Or takes up a musical instrument; I think the mental hospital came later, they just left it out. Watch it: It's horrifying and hilarious (and short). Plus it has Joel, who, as we all know, is 10,000,000,000,000 times better than Mike. At least all the SANE people know that.


Oh, yes I DID say that. Heh heh.

Elbow?

I finally regained control of my blog, so I thought I'd toss up a new post. No real reason for this post, except Sissy is just one of the sweetest people in the history of ever, and it always freaks me out to see a reference to my hometown in a national article-it doesn't happen very often, trust me.

WEST WINDSOR, N.J. - Academy Award-winning actress Sissy Spacek celebrated strong and independent women during a speech at a conference here on women's health issues.

"I love women — they're strong, they're independent," Spacek said Saturday at the conference, sponsored by Princeton HealthCare System."I think I've always been drawn to ordinary women with ordinary strengths and frailties, just stumbling into enlightenment," said Spacek, in comments reported by The Times of Trenton for Sunday's newspapers.

Over the years, Spacek has been nominated six times for an Academy Award, and won the award for best actress for her 1980 role as country music icon Loretta Lynn in "Coal Miner's Daughter."

Some of her other notable movies include "Carrie" (1976) and "In the Bedroom" (2001).

Recent films from 2005 include "North Country" and "The Ring Two."

Spacek said Saturday that she had to overcome considerable odds as a girl from Quitman, Texas, when she came to New York with dreams of becoming a musician, eventually finding acting work. She said a school yard friend years ago in Texas told her she would magically turn into a boy if she was able to magically plant a peck on her funny bone — an impossible task.

"All my life I spent trying to prove that girls can do anything boys can do — and then I had a baby," Spacek said. "I stopped trying to kiss my elbows after that."

Spacek said she shies away from celebrity culture, and has a happy life living with her husband and two daughters on a Virginia horse farm. "I always felt that if you want to play real people in movies and be convincing, you've got to live real life and have real experiences," Spacek said.

"No matter how far we come, we're all still just looking for 'normal,'" she said.


Yahoo News

90s Nostalgia (Since I Can't Post Anything That Has Text)