Favorite new holiday finds thanks to the internets!

A lot of beautiful and wonderful things happen on the internet. So, when the magic of the holidays can be accentuated by the sorcery of the world wide web, we can truly begin to experience the reason for the season. What? I have no idea. Anyway. Here are my favorite festive clips experienced thus far this year, ranging from the ridiculous to the sublime.

Calvin, Hobbs, Frosty and the Cocteau Twins.


Improv Everywhere helps out a Salvation Army bellringer.


The cast of Dr. Who sing zanily, look adorable and generally spread christmas cheer.


The Opera Company of Philadelphia performs Handel's Messiah in a Random Act of Culture.


Extreme Late Night Caroling.


The great (and very probably toasted) Martha Stewart concocting her terrifying eggnog with Jimmy Fallon. Wait til she starts throwing ornaments on the ground and then chastises the Roots for not playing a festive-enough tune during Xmas tree star placement. That woman. I wish I could install her in my home during the holidays.


And finally, Uncle Jeff Bridges and Cookie Monster sing a favorite christmas song. (Adorable.)


Those are all my special treats for you so far. Please enjoy and please throw around a lot of love and kindness in this wonderful time of the year.

Xmas Rock-type Tunes.

Hi all; a good christmas rock song is hard to find. Here's my rock collection so far. Please let me know if you have some more hidden gems!

Father Christmas, The Kinks



Advice to Young Mothers To Be, The Veils. Technically, not specifically christmasy but there is both mention of snow and being cold and vague, Jesus allusions; it's all very Mary.



The Entire Low Christmas EP is amazing; here's Just Like Christmas:



My very favorite version of Silent Night (by Elvis!). Yeeah. It's not very Rock n Roll. But it's Elvis.



Martha Wainwright does Christmas Wrapping! I like this version better than the original.



And her brother Rufus (Wainwright) sings Spotlight on Christmas starting at about 40 seconds. I have always wanted to go the the chrismas concert he does with his family, A Not So Silent Night. One day.



Hurray! It's Florence of Florence and the Machine with Billy Bragg doing Fairytale of New York:



And because once can't get enough Florence: Last Christmas. Excuse the really terrible sound, but isn't this a great cover? Yes. It is.



My favorite off of the wonderful Sufjan Stevens holiday album: Sister Winter



The Flaming Lips, Christmas at the Zoo (my favorite Flaming Lips xmas song is "A Change at Christmas (Say it isn't So)is unavailable in video form! Boo!)



Ok. So this is more xmas Dance time:

It Doesn't Always Snow on Christmas, Pet Show Boys



There will be more, don't fret!

The first Brand New (classic) Christmas album recommendation of 2010!

I have not been uncovering much of exciting value and delight in my very scientific vetting of my Pandora Xmas stations but I have JUST NOW found an incredible album: The 25th Day of December by The Staple Singers. This is a rich, soulful album from 1962 with some incredible covers like "The Virgin Mary Had One Son" and "Sweet Little Jesus Boy." Now, as I constantly emphasize, I am not a religious thinker and comfortably identify as atheist but I almost wholeheartedly embrace non-secular music during the holidays because I think singing is more fun than concerning myself with gods.

The song below is amazing and sadly, not on the album I recommended so it seems to me that one should probably track down ALL the Staple Singers music for good measure.



And this 1971 performance in Ghana is fantastic (though not holidayish!).

Let's watch movies of the Thanksgiving Persuasion!

Holiday Hero ENGAGE! Here we are, in my favorite time of the year! Now I will share with you the whys and hows!

Halloween came and went, I celebrated my anniversary sans costume but saw many folks in great regalia. My favorites were Kick Ass, Wonder Woman, Ringo, my own brother and his girlfriend looking incredibly post-apocalyptic in their home-made Road Warrior costumes, sexy Abraham Lincoln, sexy Jesus, and Starbuck.

From bits and things

And now Thanksgiving is on the horizon; although it may seem that xmas is my favorite (and maybe it is? I am not ready to make that final call), I continue to give Thanksgiving, in all its family and food splendor, the top spot. I think. Besides the facts that I love eating all manner of vegetable, baked, and sauced good, and love seeing my loved ones, I also really, really love autumnally inspired films. Looking at the fall is one of my eyes’ favorite activities and fall movies additionally affirm my penchant. So, below I have put together a near-exhaustive Thanksgiving movie list for you to peruse.

My favorites (just happen to all be dysfunctional family films):

-Home for the Holidays

From bits and things

My love for this film is unconditional. Every actor (Holly Hunter, Robert Downey Jr, Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning Steve Guttenberg, Cynthia Stevenson, OH, and David Strathairn as the glum Russell Terziak) delivers superb, heartfelt performances, the direction has that same love and kindness exuding from it that all Jodie Foster-directed pics have, and I never stop loving the look of it. It’s like when you watch an old Nora Ephron film and remember that the reason you love her movies so much is all the kitchy, interior, detail. I mean, Meg Ryan’s kitchen in Sleepless in Seattle is one of my favorite set pieces ever. So, it’s a great film about the dysfunctions and love that bring families together and keep them apart. Get in there if for some reason you haven’t watched this movie every year since it came out in 1995.

-Pieces of April
This film is a surprise. I did spend a lot of time watching Dawson’s Creek back in it’s hey day and I never loved Katie Holmes but I absolutely love her in Pieces of April. Again, a conflicted family comes together despite their differences, and finds some acceptance for each other.

From bits and things

Patricia Clarkson is heartbreaking as the angry, sad mom fighting breast cancer, Oliver Platt is great as the put-upon father trying to balance everyone’s neuroses, and Katie Holmes really does pull out a decent performance as the quirky, angry bohemian trying to make it all work for herself in the big city.

-The Ice Storm
I think this may have been the first Ang Lee film I ever saw, and I also think I saw this at the tail-end of my Elijah Wood crush era; so, special times. It’s great (as you probably already know) – sad, introspective, excellent looking.

From bits and things

We’re moving from the more tender, bond-inducing thanksgiving films to the darker, more tragic end of the fall spectrum so, watch this when you’re feeling contemplative and are looking for some vintage sweater inspiration. Or are thinking about the possible consequences of hosting a key party.

-House of Yes

From bits and things

How can you get through Thanksgiving without the interpretation of the most important of American dynasties as seen through the eyes of an insane, incestuous family? Classic Parker Posey, classic Tori Spelling. Also, this is a mood-altering film so if you haven’t seen it, don’t throw it on and expect a heart-warming experience. This movie is black and strange but definitely worth repeat viewing!

The Honorable Mentions:

-Wonder Boys
This is one of my favorite films – I think part of it is that I fetishize the college professor/author lifestyle but also, I think the Robert Downey Jr/Katie Holmes/Tobey Maguire casting makes me think of fall now. Also, Wonder Boys features a lot of great sweaters, boots, and interiors.

From bits and things

Wonder Boys, the Ice Storm, Pieces of April and Home for the Holidays all also feature complex older women struggling with various levels of crisis and/or tragedy, which I appreciate. And apparently this is a filmic quality I enjoy associating with the holidays! Speaking of:

-Hannah and her Sisters

From bits and things

I have a conflicted, usually distaste-filled relationship with Woody Allen’s films (and his existence) but I like the women of this movie and their portrayal of women’s relationships. Mia Farrow is Hannah, Barbara Hershey and Dianne Wiest are her sisters, and Carrie Fisher is great in a supporting role (similar to her role in When Harry met Sally). I love New York movies set in the fall and this one is particularly satisfying since it’s also got all those great mid 80’s fashions; oversize coats, scarves, etc.

-Dutch
I recently rewatched this movie; I remember seeing it as a pre-adolescent and enjoying it and it totally stands the test of time. What do we call those two-opposites-forced-to-road-trip-with-each-other movies? Well, it’s one of those, which seems to also be a holiday film tradition. Ed O’Neill is great, little Ethan Embry (then known as Ethan Randall, I believe, who is another holiday film veteran: All I Want for Christmas? Anyone?) is also fantastic as a spoiled, angry, too-smart-for-his-own-good brat. Try it if you go in for male bonding/alternative father-son relationship-building/road trip/class clashes/blue collar-bootstrap pride films. Make sense? Sure it does!

-In America
I love this movie and I distinctly recall a Halloween scene and not so distinctly think there may also be a thanksgiving scene. Either way, it hits a lot of those necessary-for-me-to-love elements: it’sa uniquely American, immigrant, bohemian family story, it’s ALSO set in New York with hints of bootstrap success, and showcases some excellent acting. I’m pretty sure there’s some good sweaters and boots in there too.

-Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
Another film I recently rewatched that was not as fun as I remember it, mostly because I tend to want more silliness from Steve Martin and don’t love it when he plays straight but it is possibly the originator or the holiday two-opposites-forced-to-road-trip-with-each-other movie trend so it’s got to get some props; and it’s John Hughes-directed so this could be the film we either blame or celebrate for his Home Alone trend. Oh wait – pretty sure we have European Vacation to blame/celebrate for the beginning of the trend. Also, like any good John Candy film, it makes you sad he’s dead.

-Funny People
Remember how there’s a thanksgiving scene in this movie? Well there is!

-Curly Sue
Curly Sue is fun for a number of reasons – it’s a John Hughes family film, great, throwback pseudo-orphan/makeover film, you have to give props to a successful precocious performance by a child actor, there’s plenty of scene-setting and city-features, and look out for a very early Steve Carell cameo!

From bits and things

Movies I have to rewatch but, according to the internet and my own vague recollections, have thanksgiving elements:

-Scent of a Woman, 1992
-Alice’s Restaurant, 1969
-Addams Family Values, 1993

From bits and things

-Sleepy Hollow, 1999
-Son In Law, 1993
-Avalon, 1990


Movies that I have not seen but that the internet promises contain the appropriate thanksgiving themes:
-What’s Cooking? 2000
-The Big Chill, 1983
-By the Light of the Silvery Moon, 1953
-The Doors, 1991
-Broadway Danny Rose, 1984

Let us conclude with this disgusting, Grindhouse, faux movie trailer for Thanksgiving from Eli Roth. Or, if you don’t want to spoil the food/sweaters/family dysfunction/cuddle vibe established by the films I have described, DON’T watch this!

Mardi Gras and Carnival

"Be the magic power at the crossroads of your senses, be the purport of their strange meeting." - Rilke

I know the element of this season that you were missing most was a ridiculous image analysis I wrote in 2005. It's applicable because it's the season of Carnival! Thank you for indulging me!

Paul Cézanne's Mardi Gras

From bits and things

Cézanne’s "Mardi Gras," painted in 1888, portrays two figures, dressed for Mardi Gras festivities in clownish costumes denoting the tradition of the Comedia Del Arte. The two are set against a contrived background of thick, ornate drawn drapes, tapestried with a pattern of foliage in rich oranges, dusty reds and dark grayish blues. The drape framing the pair to the left is hanging, the drape to the right in pulled up and it's end dangles unseen past the edge of the painting. A blank, gray-blue wall, mottled with shadow is revealed behind the drapes. The line where the floor meets the wall runs with a slight downward slant to the right, giving the setting a sense of space.

The two figures occupying the painting are men, the one farthest to the left is dressed entirely in white; his clothes are oversized, his shirt hangs full to his knees, a wide, white ruffle bedecks his neck and a conal, wide-brimmed hat is perched with a rakish tilt on his head. His right arm is reaching up as he bends forward- he seems to be reaching up under the arm of the man in front of him.

The man farthest to the right is only a few steps in front of the man in white. This man's costume is a tight checked red-and-black suit. The suit completely covers his arms and legs and is held snugly at his waist with a thin belt. His shoes are black, decorated with a black flap or bloom at the top: they look like dancing shoes. In his right arm he cradles a thin white cane, its tip almost touching the head of the white-clad man following him. On the red-black man's head he wears a black, three-cornered hat and in his left hand he carries a small amount of black cloth, possibly gloves.

These two characters are on the move: the curtain before them has been drawn and the line of the baseboard shoots off to the right, leading the way. Behind them, the baseboard line disappears into a dark shadow behind the man in white and the heavy curtain seems to be blocking any retreat. Only the man in white has a substantial visible shadow- the man in red and black has only a tiny swipe of a shadow beneath his leading right foot. This mere hint of shadow makes it appear as if he is floating, not walking under the pressure of gravity, but skimming lightly over the floor.

The relationship between these two is ambiguous, mysterious. Cézanne has portrayed a relationship that does not exist in the space of everyday time but only in a time inside of time- in the rhythm of a ritual festival. While the one in front is walking upright, almost proudly, and the one behind is crouching, lurking after him, the white-clad man's arm that touches the man in front shows a gesture of control, as if the man behind is a puppet master and the man in front, the puppet. Both men are gazing warily, shiftily at the viewer of the painting. They know their actions are on display; they are dressed to participate in a festival, to perform yet the viewers’ gaze is unwanted. There seems to be an attempt between the two, under the scrutiny of objectification, to pass their relationship off as casual, nothing more than a hand brushing an arm, but the dependency that runs between the two is undeniable.

The interaction between the two men represents the relationship between dark and light, night and day, each figure holds within themselves and in their participation with each other the tendencies of the struggle between Apollo and Dionysus. The man in white is heavy and his throws a shadow. He is constructed like a pyramid, his dense and grounded foundation is cemented, his feet are rooted to the floor, and his knees are bent under his weight. He is a representation of the real, a being of the realm of the body and of the senses. The man in front is dark, slight, elongated and shadowless. He stands fully upright, his head drawn back, the black checks of his costume hold more substance than his body does. This man is a phantom, ethereal and momentarily immortal, a piece of fading night sky drifting before the coming of the light.

The two men are constructed with a faint lean toward the other, forming a rough triangle; together they make up two halves of a whole and their inward leans show that they provide each other with necessary support. These two men, properly dressed in the trappings of festival and abandon have taken on the characteristics of their costumes and their roles in the festivities. Whether outside of Mardi Gras these men depend on each other and exist for each other or not, all that matters at this moment is that they have accepted their roles and are compelled toward the festivities, toward the ritual.

Nearly the end

I am contemplating babbling on about other holidays (as I was nonspecific in my blog title) but that may or may not happen. I will definitely have some T-giving sharing to do but no guarantees on presidents' day, etc.

New Years and Bubbles:
I am a staunch champagne/sparkling wine fan (though by no means a connoisseur)and was lucky enough to experience a champagne tasting at Tacoma Wine Merchants this season. My very, very favorite was the Vilmart Grand Cellier 2003. It was incredible. I am not even going to attempt a taste description other than to say it was a delight.

I mention the Vilmart first because although I also tried Dom Pérignon courtesy of the special $25 glass price at Pacific Grill, dom did not impress nearly as much as Vilmart.

From freends

From freends

Moving from bubbles to actual New Years activity: I attended some very hit-and-miss performances at Tacoma's First Night and although I did get to explore on of my all time favorite gems of Tacoma, the eccentric and charming Pythian Temple, I really only enjoyed the traditional Cambodian dancers, interacting with a very smart and silly 3 year old and his endlessly patient mother, and of course, my favorite Tacoma band Goldfinch.

From First Night, we moved up the hill to toast the new year at 1022 South. Although bustling, it was not bursting at the seams and we were able to secure a table, many rounds of champagne cocktails, and generally had a lovely time.

The evening concluded with much gaiety, singing and silliness at our neighbors' home where we spent many hours unsuccessfully attempting to master Beyonce's Single Ladies dance.

And, inspired by my beautiful and healthful siblings, I have resolved to give up treats. I'm sad about it but I have to work on counteracting those negative biorhythms somehow! Hee hee.

I was feeling like I hadn't discovered any new songs this year but...

I was wrong- I found a lot of stuff! Pardon the super stupid links. Some are decent but most are either abbreviated or are incorporated into very strange, inexplicably unrelated videos.

Jingle Bells/Sleigh Ride – Roy Rogers & Dale Evans

La Virgin Lava Panales – Placido Domingo

Or Nous Dites, Marie – Chris Norman

Burgundian Carol – Joan Baez

Do you hear what I hear – Mahalia Jackson

White Christmas – Otis Redding

The Christmas Song – Mel Torme

The Gifts they Gave – Johnny Cash

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day – Pedro the Lion

Christmas – Leona Naess

Merry Christmas – Judy Garland

Mary, What You Going To Name That Pretty Baby? – Mike, Peggy and Penny Seeger

The Merriest – June Christy

Wintersong – Sarah McLachlan

The Rebel Jesus – The Chieftains

Christmas Bells – Perry Como

Silent Night – The Everly Brothers

Its Christmastime Again – Peggy Lee

Someday at Christmas – Stevie Wonder

Winter Weather – Fats Waller

Mary Had a Baby – Paul Robeson

Little Jack Frost Get Lost – Bing Crosby and Peggy Lee

Christmas Dreaming – Frank Sinatra

All I want for Christmas is You – Carla Thomas

Happy New Year – Nat King Cole

A Change at Christmas– The Flaming Lips

O Christmas Candle – Doyle Lawson

Maybe this Christmas – Ron Sexsmith

The Friendly Beasts – Johnson Mountain Boys

Santa Will Find You – Mindy Smith