I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and an upcoming Happy New Year.  Below is one of my favorite Christmas special songs from the 70′s featuring Bing Crosby and David Bowie.  I know most have already seen it, but did you know the backstory?

Bowie initially refused to do the duet, saying the song didn’t highlight his vocal skills enough.  To appease him, a group of composers, in less than 90 minutes, added a new vocal element and melody for him to sing.  Bowie agreed.  To add an even weirder twist to the story, Bowie and Crosby filmed this duet and a month later, Crosby died of a heart attack.  Both events happened before Christmas and the show featuring the duet actually aired after Crosby’s death.  It’s become wildly popular in the intervening years and a few years back I found it on the CD The Coolest Christmas.

I like this version of The Little Drummer Boy and think it’s a great improvement over the original.  Amazing considering it was redone so quickly.  So, now that you know the rest of the story, enjoy the song.

My movie selections have taken a step up, small as it may be.  I’ve gone from crappy movie selections to the mere mediocre.  The three recent movies I’ve seen have all rated about 3 stars.  None were that memorable or necessarily recommendable.  Nor would I want to watch any of them again.  However, each was satisfying in some small way that made the experience not a total loss.

Each of the three brought a different genre to the fore.  The first is a musical horror, the second is a foreign period piece and the third is an out there wacky comedy.

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Christmas is less than a week away, and if you still haven’t gotten that perfect gift for that special someone on your list, well, here’s an idea for you.

If you want to see the prototype and how this wonderful product came to be…

Over the last few weeks, there’s been a ruckus up in Washington State over some holiday displays at the capitol building there.  Next to the traditional holiday tree and a nativity scene, the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) put up a placard celebrating the Winter Solstice.  The sign is shown below.

Photo by Brent Nicastro

I think you can understand why this might cause some problems…

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I’m posting this under “politics” since I don’t have a category for “religious idiocy”.

It seems the National Association of Evangelicals doesn’t like any of it’s leaders even saying they might be changing their minds on the idea of gay marriage.  Richard Cizik was talking to Terry Gross of NPR’s Fresh Air and was asked this question.

“A couple of years ago when you were on our show, I asked you if you were changing your mind on that. And two years ago, you said you were still opposed to gay marriage. But now as you identify more with younger voters, would you say you have changed on gay marriage?”

And his response was.

“I’m shifting, I have to admit.  In other words, I would willingly say that I believe in civil unions.  I don’t officially support redefining marriage from its traditional definition”

Well, that was enough to get him fired from his position as Vice President for Governmental Affairs at the NAE.

I heard that show earlier this week, I’m a bit behind on my podcasts, and was amazed to hear his statement, but then I thought maybe things might be changing now that Jerry Falwell and others are gone and a new breed of leaders are coming into their own and it filled me with hope that maybe things will get better.

Apparently not.

It’s that time of year again…the chill is in the air, shoppers are on their computers, and the phone company santa’s are dropping their plastic bags full of phonebooks on our doorsteps.  Only this year they think I’m going to need more than one.  In fact, three to be exact.

That’s right, three exact duplicates of the wonderful 2000 or so page tribute to capitalism, plus the mini travel size companion.  I don’t understand why they continue to produce these things anyway.  Since the invention of the Interwebs and the commercialization of its contents, I don’t think I’ve cracked open a phonebook.  So why do they think I need three of them? Do they seriously think I’ll wear one out before next year?  Or is this just the lowly paid delivery people trying to get rid of them quickly so they can get home?  I’ll lean toward the latter.

Regardless, they continue to go on killing trees and selling ads and producing these bibles for capitalism.  By that I mean they are opened and read probably as much. It’s a good thing the city of Austin has given us those big recycle bins, because mine will soon be filled with these worthless tomes.

The Senate seat selling Governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich and the diminutive sidekick from Fantasy Island, Herve Villechaize.

This video has been out there for a while and many have probably already seen it, but I’m posting it because I was getting razzed at work earlier this week when some of my co-workers found out I was a Rush fan.  Yes, that’s right.  Back in my high school days, Rush was a big deal to me.  They were probably the first band that I really got into.  I kind of lost interest in them during the 90′s but I still have a spot for them in my CD collection and I continue to buy their albums when they come out.  In fact, I think I have 16 of their albums on my iPod right now.  Scary, huh.  They don’t get as much ear time as they used to, but it’s like a crutch…I know it’s there if I ever need it.

This video shows one of the reasons why I was a big fan.  This guy is just phenomenal.  And for those who don’t know who he is, it’s Neil Peart, although I can’t imagine anyone NOT knowing. 

My movie choices of late have been pretty pathetic.  My most recent viewings resulted in ratings of 1 or 2 stars.  Not stellar movie events, in fact, they pretty much sucked.  One of the movies got 95% on the tomatometer!!  How could that be?!  Even Roger Ebert, who I usually agree with, rated it well.  What am I missing?

I know my thumb is not on the pulse of America when it comes to movies, but I don’t think I’m that far out of whack.

So, which movies did I see and hate so much?

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