Elf's Lament

This post brought to you by Soccer Mom in Denial - posting every Monday on a different musical memory.

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Despite my best intentions, I did not watch all the claymation I could - in fact, I saw none! Somehow I missed out this year. So frustrating. It's not that I love Christmas specials (believe me, I don't) - but there's just something about those felt puppets and the jerky way they walk. I used to watch Davy & Goliath every Sunday just for that reason - who knew what the lesson was - I loved that dog and the fake grass in their backyard.

The other night I came home, yet again disappointed to miss my favorites - but lucky enough to catch a movie with a real live elf - Elf in fact. Despite being a hokey Christmas movie it's got some pretty hilarious scenes.

Poor Buddy.

In the spirit of poor big Buddy and also the anti-labor union sentiment in the White House and among Republican members of Congress (grrrr...) I bring you Elf's Lament.

Happy Holidays!

Home Alone...

This post brought to you by Soccer Mom in Denial - posting every Monday on a different musical memory.

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My husband will be taking off this week for a bit of early vacation - I'll be joining him next week. Yesterday someone asked me what I'd do with all this time alone. When I'm gone he plays all the Mahler and Wagner he can. I tend in another direction. Leave my shoes lying around, purses and handbags throughout the apartment... and watching bad television. And since it's that time of year, I see a lot of claymation in my future!

I'm over

baked

For more Singular Saturdays go visit Jenn in Holland.

Rockin' Holiday Tunes

This post brought to you by Soccer Mom in Denial - posting every Monday on a different musical memory.

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On Saturday I wrote that I was working on a holiday music mix. We're having a party next weekend and I wanted some good tunes. Nothing too slow or we'd all fall asleep. Stuff that would get people moving - and some funny lyrics are always nice. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my Charlie Brown Christmas CD, but it just isn't peppy enough for this occasion.

Here's a portion of the list - ones you don't hear too often (or often enough):

The Chanukah Song (1&2) - Adam Sandler
Back Door Santa - B.B. King and John Popper
Elf's Lament - Barenaked Ladies (with Michael Buble)
Swingin' Dreidel - Kenny Ellis
Christmas in America - Melissa Etheridge
It's Christmas Time - Melissa Etheridge
Christmas All Over Again - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Christmas Is - Run DMC
Santa Baby - Joseph Simmons, Keith Murray, Mase, Onyx, P. Diddy, Salt-N-Pepa, Snoop Dogg & The Christmas All Stars
This Christmas (Hang all the mistletoe) - Macy Gray
Little Drummer/Hot Hot Hot - Wyclef Jean
Merry Christmas Baby - Stevie Wonder and Wyclef Jean
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Barenaked Ladies (with Sarah McLachlan)

and Christmas in Hollis - Run DMC

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Putting together a holiday music...

mix

For more Singular Saturdays go visit Jenn in Holland.

Oh, the shoes

My sister wrote a really great post about breaking free from consumerism - the kind that leads to the needless death of a Wal-Mart worker.

You should read the whole posting - it's all very good info and thought.

Let me just highlight her ideas for detoxing:

• Read this excellent, non-preachy guide (with cartoons!) to reducing your consumerism: Affluenza
• Join (or at least explore) the simplicity movement. Read more here: Voluntary simplicity movement re-emerges and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_living
• Get a fresh perspective: spend a night volunteering at a homeless shelter instead of lining up for deals. This will give you a whole new appreciation for the word need.
• Make a list of the things you really want and then put off buying them for 3, 6 or 12 months (or ever), and I'm talking about a flat screen TV or that third pair of black heels, not health insurance. It may seem painful at first, but you may see over time that you don't miss the items.
• Don't fill your leisure time with consumerism. Pick something you love to do - cycling, writing, photography - and do that instead. Yes, you may have to make some initial investments (don't use it as an excuse to gear up), but in the long run you'll have a much healthier and less expensive hobby than going to the mall.

Oooh, putting off the shoe shopping is going to be tough...

I *heart* Connie Schultz

On a recent trip I managed to polish off Connie Schultz's book "Life Happens and Other Unavoidable Truths" and was so sad to put it down.

A couple of years ago I read "And His Lovely Wife..." which I guess was out of order. No matter. Absolutely worth reading.

As the lovely wife - and truly lovely, no matter what writers say about her hair - of the esteemed Sherrod Brown, Senator for Ohio - she is all that and more.

Her take on everyday life and the struggles and triumphs of the working class make you want to move to Ohio and do whatever you can to improve people's lives.

Did I mention that through a Pulitzer-prize winning series she wrote on a wrongly - VERY wrongly - convicted man that he was set free! The column on how he forgave the real criminal just made me cry.

At the same time she had me bawling about the released man I was bawling about her cat.

and Sherrod is just my hero. Cute to boot. Loves girl scout cookies.

I'm hoping to meet them some day. Hoping that when I do I don't make a total fool of myself blubbering about how much I would love to be their best friend. Probably think I was a psycho.


I heart Connie. and Sherrod.

Living with HIV

This post brought to you by Soccer Mom in Denial - posting every Monday on a different musical memory.

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I am embarrassed to say that I had totally forgotten it was World AIDS Day. Truth be told, I didn't TOTALLY forget - it just took me a few hours. Considering what I do for a living you'd think I would have had it foremost in my brain. Cut me some slack, every day is world AIDS day for me!

The US Government's theme this year (because for whatever reason we can't seem to agree with UNAIDS...) is "Celebrate Life". I'm not a big fan of the motto (too close to pro-life for me) - but the underlying theme is living positively. I can get behind that.

It was not too long ago that we didn't talk about people living with HIV. And now we can.

Congratulations, Andy Bell - you are LIVING.

Back to baking in my own...

kitchen

For more Singular Saturdays go visit Jenn in Holland.

All I Want for Christmas

I got an email from my ne'er do well sister today - in lieu of gifts for herself for Christmas (and her birthday which falls mid-December) she wants cash.

For a family in Uganda. For the school fees for their children. 12 adopted orphans.

"How crass!", I say with a big dose of sarcasm.

On the front page of the metro section of the paper there's an article about how food banks are struggling. Next to that is an article about how a popular mall Santa was fired and has since been re-hired. Everyone is thrilled because their beloved Santa is back - and all I can think is, "glad to hear the guy still has a job".

In the spirit of all this misery - or tightening of belts, going without - I offer you my Christmas list:

- an update from last year - we have the bookshelves! Thank you Jesus (aka Ken!)

1) get those annoying people in my office off my back. let me focus on trying to stop HIV instead of agreeing to disagree on what petty issue has you in a tizzy... I have no idea... you get my drift

2) some qualified cabinet members in the new Obama administration. No former directors of the Arabian Horse Association, please.

3) an organized closet. yes, a bit selfish, I know. but the daily ritual of trying to find shoes (and re-discovering ones I'd long forgotten) really slows down my day. not to mention I'm sure my downstairs neighbor just loves the sound of a dump truck dropping a load of rocks every morning.

4) the ability to cook fish. okay, starting to get into the mundane here - but I really would like to feel a bit more at ease with this cuisine as it's healthier, I think. provided I don't buy the wrong kind and contribute to destroying the environment.

5) patience. don't kill the remote control when the channel won't change and I'm forced to watch the Real Housewives of Atlanta until something finally works in this damn little piece of plastic. don't curse the metro when it takes 8 minutes instead of 4 for a train to come during rush hour even though that means twice as many smelly, disgruntled people will be crowding on when it finally does arrive. don't yell at the TSA agent because I have to take off my belt so that stupid machine doesn't beep when I knew all along that I shouldn't have worn pants that required a belt in the first place. or shoes. or a coat. or lip gloss instead of lipstick.

Come to think of it Santa, just please leave me a big fat barrel of patience under the tree. That ought to take care of items 1 through 4 above.

I Love Turkey

This post brought to you by Soccer Mom in Denial - posting every Monday on a different musical memory.

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Finally, a Thanksgiving song!

There's a Hole in My ...

heart

For more Singular Saturdays go visit Jenn in Holland.

That Little Pink Nose

Lucy Rose Ginsberg
1988-2008

Ghana loves Obama

On my recent travels I've noticed a lot of support for candidate Obama - billboards proclaiming "Africa loves Obama", t-shirts saying "Haitians for Obama".


Well now that he's the President-elect there's a whole new wardrobe out there. Shirts, buttons, and hats... and a few campaign buttons I left behind.


It's kind of amazing to see a U.S. President embraced overseas. Rather refreshing.

I'm off to see Ghanaian...

castles

For more Singular Saturdays go visit Jenn in Holland.

Obama soundtrack

This post brought to you by Soccer Mom in Denial - posting every Monday on a different musical memory.

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I just can't get enough... best music ever associated with a political campaign!

Expired? Annoying. To see this video - definitely worth viewing - go to http://dipdive.com/ and look for will.i.am's It's a New Day. Also available on iTunes - just not sure if you get the video.

In Yet Another Time...

zone

For more Singular Saturdays go visit Jenn in Holland.

My Ears Are Still Ringing...

From Monday night's rally in Manassas - 100,000 strong. Standing for 5 hours to hear a 30 minute speech. Worth every minute.

My eyes are red from crying for joy last night. There's something very exciting about crying tears of JOY. You have to be so happy that laughter isn't enough of a physical release.

My head is spinning from running around the country - Denver in August, Virginia in November. When you live in a place that gives the victor a 93% return, it's nice to know you can have an impact somewhere!

My heart is singing. The schadenfreude is in check - instead of wanting to stomp all over the loser, I feel an urgent need to get working on getting my country back.

Why Wilma and Lucy Would Vote Obama

Wilma, my beloved dog who has since passed away, would love Barack Obama. As would Lucy, our beloved 20-year old cat. And here's why:

1. He's black and white. As was Wilma, and is Lucy. Bi-color.

2. He believes in easing the tax burden on everyone (except for the very rich) - more biscuits!

3. He is open to hearing different ideas and coming to consensus (yes, you can sleep on the bed...)

4. He is well-traveled. As was Wilma, as is Lucy.

5. He is non-discriminating. Wilma loved everyone - even potential ax-murderers. Lucy could care less about anyone - equally.

Unfortunately this month...

NoGoSloMo

For more Singular Saturdays go visit Jenn in Holland.