A discussion of the better things in life, including music, the arts, wine, beer, cigars, scotch, gambling the Quatloosian way, travel, sports, and many other topics. [Political and religious discussions and the like should stay off-site.]
Thanks so much for that lottery spam. I never play, or almost never. Didn't you hear that gambling is for suckers?
'There are two kinds of injustice: the first is found in those who do an injury, the second in those who fail to protect another from injury when they can.' (Roman. Cicero, De Off. I. vii)
'Choose loss rather than shameful gains.' (Chilon Fr. 10. Diels)
Well, when it comes to Christmas time, I usually tell the wife to just let me get what I want. Sometimes, I give her a short list to choose from, so I typically get something useful for one of my hobbies. This year, I am getting a new mountain bike, the Scott Spark 29 RC! It is currently on order, but it should be here right after Christmas!
Light travels faster than sound, which is why some people appear bright, until you hear them speak.
What I need for Christmas. I dont really want for much anymore, theres few things that I attach much value to. My kids are among the few things I appreciate in my life, and probably the only thing that keeps me driving. In my life Ive had and lost more things then I would have ever imagined at one point even having to start with.
Disciple of the cross and champion in suffering
Immerse yourself into the kingdom of redemption
Pardon your mind through the chains of the divine
Make way, the shepherd of fire
I would like the mall to stop playing Christmas music 24/7. I do mean 24/7 because I'm there when the mall is not open (2 AM one night, but 4 AM most days) and it never fracking stops. Can't get the frickin' lights on so we can see in the stock room, but the music is always there.
Incidentally, I will actually get that for Christmas.
When chosen for jury duty, tell the judge "fortune cookie says guilty" - A fortune cookie
I agree that the repetitive "Chistmas" music is tiresome. Also I do not need materialistic gifts. In the original story, the Magi came to bestow frankincense, gold and myrrh on the Chistchild so that he and his parents would have the resources for survival, as they were soon to be threatened by Herod and his minions. So we give excessive gifts to others through a sense of compulsion for those who usually do not need those gifts. It is quite another action to give to those who really need and appreciate charitable support that gets them through adversity. So I will probably be sending out a few Christmas cards, but no real gifts to the well-off. I try to give in a timely fashion to those who are in real need, not to spoiled people, not to win favor or to bribe those who are so affected. I seek nothing for myself.
'There are two kinds of injustice: the first is found in those who do an injury, the second in those who fail to protect another from injury when they can.' (Roman. Cicero, De Off. I. vii)
'Choose loss rather than shameful gains.' (Chilon Fr. 10. Diels)
I'm neither an Elvis fan nor a Xmas music fan (apart from "An Oscar Peterson Christmas", he even makes Jingle Bells sound great) however Elvis' versions of "I'd Be Home on Christmas Day" and "It Won't Seem Like Christmas Without You" are fantastic. Webhick is unlikely to hear them in a mall since both reflect the sad side of Xmas. Perhaps that's fortunate, since she's a captive to mall music it would get old very fast.
"Yes Burnaby49, I do in fact believe all process servers are peace officers. I've good reason to believe so." Robert Menard in his May 28, 2015 video "Process Servers".
I used to get pissed when I was working at Home Depot sometime in the last century (ha! I can actually say that!) and they used to play Carol of the Bell by the TSO during the year, but not during Christmas. Talk about a WTF moment.
Disciple of the cross and champion in suffering
Immerse yourself into the kingdom of redemption
Pardon your mind through the chains of the divine
Make way, the shepherd of fire
And sorry, but Melissa McQueen looks better in a Santa suit than does John Lee Hooker.
I'll see your "Mariah Carey" and raise you Surabaya Santa (from Jason Robert Brown's "Songs For a New World").
"The risk in becoming very intimate with a moldie Parvati is that she may unexpectedly become a Kali and take your head."--Rudy Rucker, Freeware
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“Most men would kill the truth if truth would kill their religion.”--Lemuel K. Washburn.
Burnaby49 wrote:I'm neither an Elvis fan nor a Xmas music fan (apart from "An Oscar Peterson Christmas", he even makes Jingle Bells sound great) however Elvis' versions of "I'd Be Home on Christmas Day" and "It Won't Seem Like Christmas Without You" are fantastic. Webhick is unlikely to hear them in a mall since both reflect the sad side of Xmas. Perhaps that's fortunate, since she's a captive to mall music it would get old very fast.
There's a few there that aren't all chipper. "I Wanna Go Skating With Willy" is creepy as all hell, despite it being a classic. There's one that might be called "Christmas Won't Be the Same Without You," which is kind of upbeat but the lyrics are depressing. One about wanting an alien for Christmas, which I find cruel because he wants an alien who is three feet tall which he plans on keeping in the bathtub. The bathtub won't be big enough! There's another one where Rudolph tells the other reindeer that they're assholes. There's also a Jingle Bells where the bitch poorly sings the first part at lightning speed and then slows the song right the fuck down. You know the part where you go either "ho ho ho ho" or "ha ha ha ha", she goes "he he he he" like she was kicked in the head by a donkey when she was a kid. It smells like showtune. Bad showtune. There's "Green Christmas" where BNL is singing about hating Christmas. "Christmas Wrapping" generally is about the season being a pain in the ass. I'm sure I'm forgetting a few. They're all blending together.
But, of course, I hit the trifecta in Young Men's yesterday. There was one spot in the department where I heard the mall speaker playing one Christmas song, the store speaker playing another Christmas song, and the TV on the wall playing some trendy techno elevator crap.
When chosen for jury duty, tell the judge "fortune cookie says guilty" - A fortune cookie
The Waverly Consort has an excellent Christmas album. There is plenty of good Renaissance, Medieval, and classical music that fits in well with the holidays. And it is harder to find stations that feature it, or live ensembles and orchestras that perform it.
'There are two kinds of injustice: the first is found in those who do an injury, the second in those who fail to protect another from injury when they can.' (Roman. Cicero, De Off. I. vii)
'Choose loss rather than shameful gains.' (Chilon Fr. 10. Diels)
I just looked up the lyrics for "I want to Go Skating with Willie". Patti Page sang some real crap, ("Throw Momma from the Train" comes to mind) but these lyrics indicate I've found a new low for her. No inclination to listen to it to find out. Thank god I avoid malls this time of year.
"Yes Burnaby49, I do in fact believe all process servers are peace officers. I've good reason to believe so." Robert Menard in his May 28, 2015 video "Process Servers".
I completely agree about the mall Christmas muzak and department store Christmas muzak. Can't understand what the music service subscription folks were thinking when they selected the pieces. Isn't such music supposed to make customers relax and linger? The mangled jazzy hash I heard in too many stores made me flee at the first opportunity.
The twelfth thing of Christmas that's such a pain to me:
Singing Christmas carols
Stale TV specials
"Batteries Not Included"
No parking?!?
WAAAAAAAAAAH! WAAAAAAAAAAH!
Charities!
Gotta make 'em dinner!
Five months of bills!
I'm not sendin' them this year, that's it!
Shut up, you!
FINE! YOU'RE SO SMART, YOU RIG UP THE LIGHTS!!!
And finding a Christmas tree
"Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig." - Robert Heinlein
Kestrel wrote:I completely agree about the mall Christmas muzak and department store Christmas muzak. Can't understand what the music service subscription folks were thinking when they selected the pieces. Isn't such music supposed to make customers relax and linger? The mangled jazzy hash I heard in too many stores made me flee at the first opportunity.
The twelfth thing of Christmas that's such a pain to me:
Singing Christmas carols
Stale TV specials
"Batteries Not Included"
No parking?!?
WAAAAAAAAAAH! WAAAAAAAAAAH!
Charities!
Gotta make 'em dinner!
Five months of bills!
I'm not sendin' them this year, that's it!
Shut up, you!
FINE! YOU'RE SO SMART, YOU RIG UP THE LIGHTS!!!
And finding a Christmas tree
lol... Growing up in the Baltimore area I can remember when Bob Rivers was a DJ on 98Rock. A long time ago he had a whole Christmas album that included not only that song but "I am Santa Claus" (based on "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath), "The Restroom Door said Gentlemen" (based on "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen") and many other wonderful holiday greats. I used to have it on tape until I played it around my then 5 year old nephew who walked around the rest of the day going "I am Santa Claus" in the deepest voice he could manage and my tape mysteriously disappeared.
Disciple of the cross and champion in suffering
Immerse yourself into the kingdom of redemption
Pardon your mind through the chains of the divine
Make way, the shepherd of fire
