The Weekly Poll
Results
The 'Holiday Season A/V Attractions and Distractions' Edition...
There's a bazillion (at least) movies, songs and commercials connected to the 'Holiday Season' that are streamed non-stop out over the ether this time of year celebrating all manner of things spiritual, secular and avaricious... Yes, I know that you are not shocked at that statement, so don't write and say that you are (haha)... Ahem... Moving right along... All righty then...
Share with us, if'n ya please, yer favorites as well as the ones that make ya want to get yer Scrooge on... I'll tell ya mine, if'n you tell me yours...
1.) Movies
2.) Music
3.) Commercials
Well, then, Poll-Fans... Here it is... Great responses from three of my most stalwart regulars...
and I hereby express my gratitude to them... (Consider yer selves 'thanked', you three, got that? OK!...)
1.) Movies
Adam in NoHo...
The Peanuts, The Grinch, and the Rankin Bass Xmas specials are rightfully classics, as is 'A Christmas Story' (despite TBS's 24-hr loop of that movie). Frosty, Mr. Magoo and the rest are kind of cheap and tawdry.
Joe B...
Jason Robards "A Christmas to Remember", Jimmy Stewart's "It's a Wonderful Life", (Potter is winning now, no thanks to More of the Same). "A Christmas Carol" that came out in 1951, with Alastair Sim playing
Scrooge and Patrick MacNee playing a young Marley, it is the best one in my opinion.
mj...
I like A Christmas Story because it's so true to the heart of what kids see as reality. I also like Miracle on 34th Street with Edmund Gwen. It's corny, but with an edge. The real miracles involve people doing things that make other people feel good, like the kid who plays Santa at the orphanage or the mail room guy who diverts the "dead letter" mail to Mr. Kringle. I also like The Nightmare Before Christmas, in no small part for the music, humor, and humanism.
I've only caught bits and pieces of It's a Wonderful Life and each time I've had to turn it off after a few minutes.
Movies 1.5) TV: I adore the animated How the Grinch Stole Christmas with the voices of Karloff and Tony the Tiger. Ted Geisel was a genius.
Nothing on the Hallmark channel fails to turn my stomach. I absolutely abhor the Frosty, history of Santa, and Rudolf animations. There was an episode of Touched by an Angel that had the dingbat angel visiting Sam Clemens on Christmas, assuring him that God loved him, and had a plan for him that nearly had me toss a bottle through the TV.
BttbB...
Without a doubt, Scrooged is my favorite HS movie. Bill Murray is my favorite comedic actor and Carol Kane as 'The Ghost of Christmas Present' is funny beyond measure. I've already watched it 3 times this season and will again... and again... Fabulous!... and, oh so funny! I, too, enjoy the Grinch animated movie... and for some odd reason (Joe Pesci, probably) I like Home Alone. The scene where 'Marv' (Daniel Stern) has the tarantula put on his face always cracks me up! Incidentily, according to
Home Alone (1990) - IMDb, Stern agreed to have that scene shot only once (can ya blame him?) and his scream was mimed and added later as to not scare the spider...
2.) Music
Adam in NoHo...
A Charlie Brown Christmas Toys soundtrack (1,2,3,5,7,12, & 13 only), Bright Day Star by the Baltimore Consort, Christmas Concerti on the Naxos Label, Tchaikovsky Sym #1 & The Nutcracker...
Those you CAN play on a regular loop.
Joe B...
Dan Fogelberg's "Same Old Lang Syne", Nat King Coles " The Christmas Song" and Burl Ives "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas".
mj...
I like traditional carols sung by good choirs or as instrumentals and adore any Christmas music by Nat Cole. Any version of The Christmas Song, especially those by Cole and Tormé are on my list for don't touch that dial. For no reason I can fathom, I love Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer. Most 50's era pop Christmas jingles leave me cold. I cannot abide Holly Jolly Christmas.
BttbB...
This is my favorite HS song... YouTube - I Believe In Father Christmas - single by Greg Lake
( Emerson, Lake And Palmer | I Believe In Father Christmas Lyrics )
Watch the video, read the lyrics... Powerful... The last stanza is exactly how I feel about the entire event...
Traditionally, I also like the 'Carol of the Bells'...
3.) Commercials
Adam in NoHo...
This Season's Radio shack commercials are dumb, as are the similar looking Target commercials.
Joe B...
Kohls advertisements are good, as are the Target homophobe ones. There are other ones also, but these always come to mind for me.
mj...
I like the Macy's commercials with the multiple celebrities. They all seem to enjoy spoofing themselves, and the chemistry between Martha Stewart and Jessica Simpson works. I like the CGI Coke commercials.
The singing and dancing commercials are annoying, especially Overstock and Big Lots. Sprawl-Fart is up there, too, but that isn't a function of the season.
BttbB...
This is where I truly can get my 'Scrooge' on. I hates them! Or, at least the vast majority of 'em. The absolute worst is "O-O-O, the great big O, Overstock.com"... They will never get a dime of my money... Never! Ack!Oh, and the Target 'Black Friday' ads were extremely annoying...
4.) Literature
Adam in NoHo..
David Sedaris' 'Holidays on Ice' is an acid-etched look at the Christmas. It's lots of fun to read, and may be more fun to listen to if you can find the 'This American Life' performances of the stories.
(NPR, I think...)
~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks again to Adam in NoHo, Joe B. and mj... You truly are The Best!
I'll return on December 28th with a 'Year in Review' sorta Poll. Until then, I wish you all a Merry Christmas
(Can I say that? Is it OK?... Sure, why not...)
BadToTheBoneBob
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Readability - An Arc90 Lab Experiment (Free)
Readability™ is a simple tool that makes reading on the Web more enjoyable by removing the clutter around what you're reading.
Paul Krugman: When Zombies Win (New York Times)
Free-market fundamentalists have been wrong about everything - yet they now dominate the political scene more thoroughly than ever.
Thomas L. Friedman: The U.S.S. Prius (New York Times)
Unlike the Congress, which can be bought off by Big Oil and Big Coal, it is not so easy to tell the Marines that they can't buy the solar power that could save lives.
Anna Fifield: Dinner With Rachel Maddow (Slate.com)
The outspoken MSNBC host is no lily-livered pinko-vegetarian.
Paul Krugman: Springtime for Hypocrites (New York Times)
It has been a great week on the hypocrisy front.
Connie Schultz: A Hungry Family Lives Near You, Too (Creators Syndicate)
Whenever we talk about helping those in need, there's a tendency to set up a false dichotomy of us versus them. Keeps the road between us long and the weeds tall so that we can tell ourselves they were never us and we could never become them.
Inside the mind of Scientology's Messiah (newhumanist.org.uk)
Twenty-five years after his death, Michael Bywater revisits the sacred texts of the pulp science writer turned prophet L Ron Hubbard.
David Lynch: 'I'm not a musician but I love making music. It's a blast.'
David Lynch tells Gareth Grundy about his new single, Mad Men, WikiLeaks and what he wants for Christmas.
Lucy Mangan: The truth about school nativity plays (Guardian)
Yes, the kids are cute and all that, but there's something not quite right about the way we do them these days.
Roger Ebert: "Blake Edwards: In Memory"
Blake Edwards, the man who gave us Inspector Clouseau, breakfast at Tiffany's and a Perfect 10, is dead at 88. A much-loved storyteller and the writer of many of his own films, he was a bit of a performer himself. He directed 37 features and much TV, and was married for the past 41years to Julie Andrews, who was at his side when he died.
David Bruce: Wise Up! Christmas (Athens News)
The Great Depression hit many families hard. One person who still had money in the Great Depression was Samuel J. Stone, owner of a chain of clothing stores. In December of 1933, he took out an advertisement in a Canton, Ohio, newspaper, using the name B. Virdot and promising to send Christmas cheer in the form of a $5 check to the neediest people who sent him a letter. Of course, $5 is not a fortune, but $5 then could buy what $100 would buy today: in 1933, a dozen eggs cost 30 cents, and a gallon of gas cost 18 cents. Many people wrote in behalf of others: relatives and friends. In all, Mr. Stone sent out 150 checks.
David Bruce: The Funniest People Who Do Good Deeds: Volumes 3, 4, 5, and 6 (Lulu.com)
Free Downloads.
David Bruce has 39 Kindle books on Amazon.com with 250 anecdotes in each book. Each book is $1, so for $39 you can buy 9,750 anecdotes. Search for "Funniest People," "Coolest People, "Most Interesting People," "Kindest People," "Religious Anecdotes," and "Maximum Cool."
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answered:
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Reader Suggestions
Michelle in AZ
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
More rain, more coming. Sigh.
NBC's Late-Night Fiasco Tops List
2010 Stories
What began as a grand, highly promoted experiment in late-night, ended in a fiasco that made NBC a laughing stock and captivated the country.
In January 2010, NBC sought to displace its newly crowned "Tonight Show" host, Conan O'Brien, by restoring Jay Leno to 11:35 p.m. O'Brien, however, didn't go for the 30 minute shift, and the fallout made for one of the most public debacles in network history.
Allegiances were drawn, with many supporting "Team CoCo." In the end, O'Brien left with an enormous settlement, rediscovered himself in a cross-country concert-hall road trip, and finally ended up with a new show at TBS. Leno retook the "Tonight Show."
The dramatic upheaval of late-night at NBC was chosen as 2010's entertainment story of the year, as voted on by Associated Press members.
For the complete list - 2010 Stories
AP Entertainer Of The Year
Betty White
What Betty White did in 2010 doesn't usually happen: an 88-year-old actress with more than six decades in Hollywood suddenly became the object of adulation of the Facebook-connected masses, which campaigned for her to host "Saturday Night Live," boosting the show's ratings and helping her set ratings records for her own show.
After a year remarkable for a star of any age, White has been voted the Entertainer of the Year by members of The Associated Press.
But more than acclaim, her unlikely, age-defying success resonated deeply with people who saw in her a spirited, hilarious aberration, a woman not dimmed by age but enhanced by it: The genuine article in a pop culture awash in imitators.
There were 102 ballots submitted from U.S. news organizations that make up the AP's membership. Voters were asked to cast their ballots for who had the most influence on the entertainment world and culture in 2010. Previous winners include Taylor Swift, Tina Fey and Stephen Colbert.
The final tally was close: White's 20 votes beat the cast of "Glee," Fox's hit musical, by only two votes. Tied for third with 13 votes were Conan O'Brien, James Cameron and Apple's iPad. Jon Stewart closely followed with a dozen votes.
Betty White
New TV Talk Show
Anderson Cooper
Local affiliate stations from around the country are giving the thumbs-up to a syndicated daily talk show with CNN news anchor Anderson Cooper.
In the past 10 days, some 40 stations have inked for "Anderson" for their schedules this fall, making the New York-based show a firm go for the upcoming season. They come on the heels of launch clearances with Tribune's WPIX in New York and Fox outlets in L.A., Chicago and Boston.
The show is being pitched as stylistically like the smart, provocative talk once provided by Phil Donahue but emotionally more like what Oprah Winfrey delivers. (Winfrey exits syndication after the current season to launch her cable channel, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network.)
Like gabbers Winfrey and Donahue, Cooper will target women looking to be informed and entertained, gain perspective and stay connected to the world around them.
Anderson Cooper
Hospital News
Tracy Morgan
Actor and comedian Tracy Morgan is recovering from a kidney transplant undergone earlier this month, his publicist said in a statement on Monday.
Morgan, 42, will miss at least two episodes of the television show, "30 Rock", in which he co-stars with Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin and plays a caricature of his own days on "Saturday Night Live." His successful transplant occurred around December 10.
"Tracy is doing well and taking some much needed time to recover after the surgery," said the statement. "He is looking forward to going back to work after the holidays."
Morgan was diagnosed with diabetes nearly 15 years ago, but said in his first "30 Rock" season he did not take the disease seriously. The episodes Morgan will miss are due to air in March.
Tracy Morgan
2 Filmmakers Jailed
Iran
Iran has sentenced two prominent opposition filmmakers to six years in jail each on vague charges of working against the ruling system, their lawyers said Monday.
One of the two, internationally renowned filmmaker and opposition supporter Jafar Panahi, has won awards at the Chicago, Cannes and Berlin film festivals. Several of his films have been banned in Iran.
He has also been banned from shooting films or scriptwriting for 20 years and was barred from leaving the country for the same period, his lawyer Farideh Qeirat said.
Mohammad Rasulov, another opposition filmmaker, received a six-year jail term, his lawyer Iman Mirzazadeh said. Mirzazadeh said he will also appeal the sentence.
Iran
Author Arrested
Phillip R. Greaves
A Colorado man who wrote a how-to guide for pedophiles was arrested Monday and will be extradited to Florida to face obscenity charges, after deputies there ordered a copy of the book that has generated online outrage.
Officers arrested Phillip R. Greaves at his home in Pueblo on Monday on a warrant that charges him with violating Florida's obscenity law. During a brief court appearance, Greaves waived his right to fight extradition to Polk County, Fla., where Sheriff Grady Judd claimed jurisdiction because the author sold and mailed his book directly to undercover deputies. Judd said Greaves even signed the book.
The book - "The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure: a Child-lover's Code of Conduct" - caused a flap when it showed up on Amazon in November. The book was later removed from the site.
Greaves, who has no criminal record, writes in the book that pedophiles are misunderstood, as the word literally means to love a child. He adds that it is only a crime to act on sexual impulses toward children, and offers advice that purportedly allows pedophiles to abide by the law.
Phillip R. Greaves
Starts Motorcycle Team
Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton will now be hanging with bikers.
The hotel chain heiress who draws photographers wherever she goes will have her own team on the world motorcycling championship circuit.
The SupermartXe VIP by Paris Hilton team was unveiled by her in Madrid. It will compete in the 125cc category from 2011-2013. Hilton has agreed to attend at least five races next season.
The team colors are pink, white and blue.
Paris Hilton
Trouble in Metropolis
Superman
With a Mayberry-meets-Disney charm, this southern Illinois town has enthusiastically claimed Superman as its favorite son.
A 15-foot bronze statue of the buff comic-book hero stands in Superman Square, just two blocks from a statue of an actress who played Lois Lane. Cartoon kitsch is festooned everywhere to create a Superman mecca that will bring in tourist dollars. Tens of thousands turn out each June for the city's four-day Superman Celebration.
Yet months of labor turmoil now threaten to undermine the cheery tourist atmosphere in this 171-year-old Ohio River town, due to Metropolis' dependence on uranium-related jobs as much as kryptonite.
At the sprawling Honeywell Specialty Materials plant on Metropolis' outskirts, some 230 union workers take turns picketing at the nation's only site for refining uranium for eventual use in nuclear power plants. The picketers have been there since the company locked out the workers last June and brought in replacements.
Superman
Anonymous Thief Pays For Stolen Hammer
Johnstown, Pa
An anonymous thief sent an envelope of cash to a family-owned supply store in western Pennsylvania to pay for a hammer stolen decades ago, one of the store owners said on Monday.
The cash arrived at Central Contractors Supply Co. in Johnstown, Pa., with a handwritten note saying the hammer was stolen 25 to 30 years ago, said Lynne Gramling, who owns the store with her father.
"I knew it was wrong, but I did it anyway. Enclosed is $45 to cover the hammer plus a little extra for interest," said the unsigned letter dated December 6. "I'm sorry I stole it, but have changed my ways."
While plenty of merchandise has disappeared since the family bought the store some 50 years ago, this is the first time anyone has paid for a stolen item, Gramling said.
Johnstown, Pa
In Memory
Steve Landesberg
Actor Steve Landesberg, a former stand-up comedian who starred for years on the hit television sitcom "Barney Miller," has died at age 65, his agent said on Monday.
No further details were given. Celebrity website TMZ.com said the actor died Monday morning after battling cancer.
Born November 23, 1945 in New York City, Landesberg began his career as a stand-up comedian and was a contemporary of top 1970s draws such as Freddie Prinze and Jimmy Walker.
He landed the role of Det. Arthur Dietrich on "Barney Miller" in 1975, and stayed with the show about New York cops until it ended in 1982.
Landesberg went on to work in a variety of TV and movie roles, including the series "Cosby" and "The Ghost Whisperer," and the hit 2008 movie "Forgetting Sarah Marshall."
Steve Landesberg
Steve Landesberg is credited with the quote "Honesty is the best policy, but insanity is a better defense."
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