christmaseve

zhu zhu pet hamsters

2009-10-14T08:46:00.001-07:00

Zhu Zhu Pet Hamsters is the hottest Christmas 2009 toy, available at Walmart and Toys R Us. The furry little smart pets are already creating a stir.

they are available for roughly $25-$30 now at Amazon.

Description of the toy mentioned on the box: Zhu Zhu Pets are the world’s first innovative, realistic, interactive, plush, and artificially intelligent hamsters that talk and move around in their own playsets. Zhu Zhu Pets include two play modes: nurturing mode where the hamsters coo and purr, and adventure mode where the hamsters explore their habitat with intelligent audio and mechanical responses to various habitat stimuli. Over a dozen add-ons can be purchased to build an ever-evolving hamsterworld for your hamsters to play in and explore. Zhu Zhu Pets are the newest craze among kids and expected to be the most popular toy of the year!

rastafarian

2009-01-24T00:32:00.000-08:00

Rastafari movement
The Rastafari movement (also known as Rastafari, Rastafarianism or simply Rasta) is a monotheistic, Abrahamic, new religious movement that accepts Haile Selassie I, the former Emperor of Ethiopia, as the incarnation of God, called Jah or Jah Rastafari. Haile Selassie is also seen as part of the Holy Trinity and as the returned messiah promised in the Bible.
Other characteristics of Rastafari include the spiritual use of cannabis rejection of western society (called "Babylon"), and various Afrocentric social and political aspirations, such as the teachings of Jamaican publicist, organizer, and black separatist Marcus Garvey (also often regarded as a prophet), whose political and cultural vision helped inspire Leonard Howell to develop the foundations of this new world view. The Rastafari movement predomiantly emerged in Jamaica in the 20th century, and it proclaims Africa as the original place where the body of the first man was found, which established independency among blacks.
The name Rastafari comes from Ras (literally "Head," an Ethiopian title equivalent to Duke), and Tafari Makonnen, the pre-coronation name of Haile Selassie I. Rastafari is commonly called "Rastafarianism", but this term is considered derogatory and offensive by Rastas themselves.rastafari, jah, rasta, rastafarianism, dreadlocks

road to perdition

2009-01-23T23:52:00.000-08:00

Nuri Bilge Ceylan : the road to perdition

After director Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s third successful return from the Cannes Film Festival — this year having received the best director award — everyone has been anxiously expecting his "Üç Maymun" (Three Monkeys) to hit the national cinema screens.catch me if you can, carl hanratty, frank abagnale jr., frank abagnale jr, michael sullivan
This week the wait is over and, even better, Ceylan and his producers have launched an alternative distribution strategy, the first of its kind in Turkey. Fifteen movie theaters in Turkey, all owned by the Cinebonus chain, will release the film in digital, showing the film in its original digital format as opposed to the normal 35 mm prints. This might not mean much for filmmakers and audiences used to making and watching films shot on reels, yet this is a revolutionary step in light of the cost reduction of digital filmmaking: No more hefty transfer costs associated with traditional 35 mm prints.
But let’s get to the heart of the matter. Particular viewers nauseated by Ceylan’s languorous story-telling style despite his virtuoso photographic eye in his previous "İklimler" (Climates) will be relieved to know that "Three Monkeys" is a work which takes the director’s narrative maturity to a higher level without having to depart from his trademark visual style of capturing "emotionally desperate characters standing alone in beautiful and haunting landscapes." This time we have a full-fledged story co-written by wife Ebru Ceylan and actor Ercan Kesal which is as powerful as the director’s notorious cinematography.
It is summer 2007, İstanbul. A man is driving down a narrow forest road. With dark bags around his eyes, he is on the brink of falling asleep at the wheel. Off-screen we hear a loud crash. He has run over a pedestrian. He calls someone, asking them to assume responsibility. It turns out that the real perpetrator is a politician called Servet (Ercan Kesal) and the guy to assume responsibility for the accident is Eyüp (singer turned actor Yavuz Bingöl), his driver. Servet proposes to provide Eyüp’s salary to his wife and their 18-year-old son while Eyüp does time. The deal is made, all is sworn to secrecy. While Eyüp is in jail, his wife, Hacer (Hatice Aslan), and their son, İsmail (Rıfat Sungur), seem to merrily continue their lives with Eyüp’s fixed salary. But there is something utterly wrong in the air. Hacer and İsmail have a major communication problem. They stop regularly visiting Eyüp in jail and Hacer begins an affair with Servet. Even worse, there’s the image of a half-dead child floating about in İsmail’s memories. When Eyüp finally gets out of jail, all seems to go out of control as the family begins to drown in a vortex of guilt, grief and anger.
Like always, Ceylan’s style is subtle; an ethos and state of being that he has fully succeeded in passing on to his actors. Each character is aware of its major flaw but has mastered the art of disguise and repression. Emotions are never voiced but they are fully readable from the destitute expression and trivial interactions of these characters. And like most cases of repression, an explosion is on the way.
Aslan is especially magnificent as she portrays Hacer, possibly the most desperate yet powerful person in the story. She is a woman tired of being trapped in her poverty-stricken life surrounded by domineering males, whether it be her husband, son or lover. But her only outlet is the seductive power she tries in vain to exercise on them, which results in her own destruction. She is beautiful for her age, but her eyes show the psyche of a woman who suffers from obsessive compulsion and failure. It is almost the same case with the young İsmail, whom Sungur performs with a forceful frailty that can unpredictably transform into wrath in a split second. Even before the father goes to jail, this is a family whose members are already lost souls and their attempts to find any sort of meaning in their broken lives is what allows us to engage.
In this film Ceylan’s visuals do not dominate the story, but complement it. For sure, the viewer will become astounded by the depth of field of the director’s master shots, the rich color scheme of his digital palette, his talent in framing (Ceylan continues his works of still photography), his use of derelict geographies — this time İstanbul’s district of Yedikule. But all these devices find new meaning with the story arc which could have been adapted from a novel. In one sequence in particular we see Hacer and Servet in the middle of a tense confrontation set on the top of Yedikule’s famous hilltops with the hovering sky and endless sea in the background. The boundless scenery is just an illusion, as is the case with the "sincere" relationships the four main protagonists believe they are experiencing. The infinity of the background makes it even sadder to watch the entrapment of the foursome within their own lies and shortcomings.
"Three Monkeys" is truly the most ambitious piece of work that Ceylan has brought forth. It is gut wrenching, wonderfully disturbing and awe inspiring. He has become a pioneer in Turkish cinema, not just technically but also as a storyteller.catch me if you can, carl hanratty, frank abagnale jr., frank abagnale jr, michael sullivan

the hand that rocks cradle

2009-01-02T03:37:00.000-08:00

The hand that rocks the cradle
January 1st, 2009 / No Comments
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What keeps us going when diapers, laundry and Candyland gets old?
To keep the big picture amidst the mundane, this poem published in 1865 reminds us of our calling. The oft-quoted line “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world” is still true today.
Mark this post and come back to it often. Whenever you feel tired, remember that you have the most important job in the world.The Hand That Rocks the Cradle by William Ross Wallace
Blessings on the hand of women!Angels guard its strength and grace,In the palace, cottage, hovel,Oh, no matter where the place;Would that never storms assailed it,Rainbows ever gently curled;For the hand that rocks the cradleIs the hand that rules the world.
Infancy’s the tender fountain,Power may with beauty flow,Mother’s first to guide the streamlets,From them souls unresting grow–Grow on for the good or evil,Sunshine streamed or evil hurled;For the hand that rocks the cradleIs the hand that rules the world.
Woman, how divine your missionHere upon our natal sod!Keep, oh, keep the young heart openAlways to the breath of God!All true trophies of the agesAre from mother-love impearled;For the hand that rocks the cradleIs the hand that rules the world.
Blessings on the hand of women!Fathers, sons, and daughters cry,And the sacred song is mingledWith the worship in the sky–Mingles where no tempest darkens,Rainbows evermore are hurled;For the hand that rocks the cradleIs the hand that rules the world.rebecca de mornay, bobby cannavale, fhm mythbusters, kari byron fhm, fhm kari byron

new years eve 2009

2008-12-31T04:00:00.000-08:00

FNMTV Presents: A Miley-Sized Surprise … New Year's Eve 2009Pop duo the Veronicas and electro rockers Metro Station perform, but the star of MTV’s New Year’s Eve special is clearly Miley Cyrus. The teen superstar shows up at the door of one of her fans and puts on a concert in the bedroom. Oh, and her brother Trace is in Metro Station. Coincidence? MTV, 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. new years eve, new years eve 2008, new years eve 2009 nyc, new years eve 2009 dc, san diego new years eve 2009

boxing day

2008-12-26T08:41:00.000-08:00

Boxing Day Is for Giving

ASK most British people what Boxing Day is for, and they will answer, “It’s the day the sales start.” Or, possibly, the day for “visiting the rellies” — Brit-speak for relatives. Ask an Irish person and you will get a history lesson on Christian saints and martyrs, reminding you that it is St. Stephen’s Day in Ireland. Ask an American, of course, and the answer is: “Boxing what?”
Boxing Day, usually thought of as Dec. 26, but technically the first weekday after Christmas, has a distinguished pedigree in Britain, and during this time of economic crisis, it is good to be reminded of it. It is on Boxing Day, after all, on the “feast of Stephen,” that “Good King Wenceslas” looked out and saw the snow, “deep and crisp and even.” The cold was notable not for its beauty, but for the hunger that it brought with it. The king calls for food, wine and “pine logs” not for his own feast, but that he and his page may “bear them thither” to give to the poor.
In Britain, post-Reformation amnesia over saints’ days saw St. Stephen’s Day renamed, but even “Boxing Day” is a reminder that the day is one for charitable giving. Maundy Thursday, at Easter, is for charity from the great (the queen still hands out what are today Maundy coins of a small but symbolic value, but were once very real money — alms for the poor people); Boxing Day, in contrast, is for giving from everyone.
In the 19th century, the “boxes” of Boxing Day were either literally boxes of gifts or money, given by employers to staff and servants. On Boxing Day 1872, Hannah Cullwick, a maid-of-all-work, the lowest kind of household drudge, wrote in her diary, “I go round every year to the master’s or missis’ tradesmen and ask for Christmas boxes, and they mostly give me a shilling or half a crown.” (Half a crown was two shillings and sixpence, or perhaps two days’ pay for a lowly live-in servant.) She and her fellow servants were given this money by the shopkeepers as a thank-you for bringing the household’s business — and as an inducement to keep shopping there in the new year.
Servants also expected a tip from the guests who visited their employers at Christmas — and from today’s perspective no tip could be too much for the drudgery involved. Cullwick recorded working from 6 a.m. to 4 a.m. to create the “family” Christmas her employers expected: she cooked for nearly 50 people on Christmas Eve and 20 the following day — with one person part-time to help her. As a treat, she was allowed to “run up” from the basement to stand in the hallway and watch some of the amateur play that the guests put on. She added wistfully, “I often think what a most delightful pleasure that must be, going home for Christmas, but I’ve never once had it.”
By definition, before the last third of the 19th century, seasonal presents were Boxing Day gifts, and a “box” was a present from a superior to an inferior, whether in social status (employer to servant) or age (parent to child). Presents were a favor conferred, an act of benevolence — even to a child; they were not something exchanged between equals. When in 1841 it was noted that Queen Victoria’s new husband liked “the agreeable accompaniment of Christmas presents,” his childlike (servant-like?) taste was odd enough to comment on. At mid-century, the great Lewis’s of Liverpool department store sold ready-made Boxing Day parcels for employers to give to servants like Hannah Cullwick: “Seven yards of double-width black merino, two yards of lining, one striped skirt and half a dozen linen handkerchiefs” — in other words, the materials for the servants to sew their own uniforms.
Presents were equated with charity. New Year’s treats had long been organized for the poor; in the 19th century many workhouse or laborers’ New Year’s dinners were held on Boxing Day, after the family had had its own celebrations. The main thrust of these events was that the day was not one to satisfy your own needs, but those of others.umoja, boxing day, boxing day events, boxing day sale, boxing day sales

raelian

2008-12-26T04:25:00.000-08:00

Silverado in brief

Airport officials deny Raelian claims
McCarran International Airport officials are denying claims that the religious group the Raelians were the victims of religious discrimination during an incident Dec. 6.
Raelian officials said in a news release issued Dec. 8 that they were escorted out of the airport under the threat of arrest by Metro Police officers without having done anything to provoke their removal.
McCarran spokesman Chris Jones disputed that claim.
“The Raelian group was not escorted out of the airport,” he said.
Jones said group members refused repeated requests to move so as not to impede foot traffic, but that after the arrival of the person for whom they were waiting the group proceeded unescorted to baggage claim.
“After their bags were collected, the Raelian group left the airport under no duress from McCarran personnel or police,” Jones said.

day after christmas

2008-12-26T04:23:00.000-08:00

What to watch Christmas Day

10 a.m. (ABC): "Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade." What Christmas Day would be complete without seeing Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa host this annual parade through the Florida theme park? Ryan Seacrest is also on board for the ride.
1 p.m. (WPIX/Ch. 11): "March of the Wooden Soldiers." Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy star in this 1934 holiday classic.
5 (ABC) "NBA:" The Boston Celtics visit the Los Angeles Lakers in a rematch of the 2008 NBA Finals.
8 (NBC) "Deal or No Deal:" Howie Mandel and the gang behind the popular game show know how to celebrate the holiday. NBC is giving the show two hours tonight, each with a Christmas theme, which, any fan knows, includes the 26 models decked out for the big day.
8 (COM) "Bad Santa:" This really isn't kid fare, but it is a Christmas classic with a twist. Billy Bob Thornton plays a booze-fueled con artist who lands a job playing Santa in a department store, and then robs the place. Also stars Lauren Graham of "Gilmore Girls" fame.
8 (WNET/Ch. 13) "Ballet Shoes." Yasmin Paige, Lucy Boynton and Emma Watson play orphans raised as sisters. Set in the 1930s, the film is about family, fame and chasing dreams.
8 (DIS) "Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas." Now, this is kid fare, with the key Disney classic characters appearing in a series of animated holiday segments.
8:30 (ESPN) "SportsCenter Year in Review." Ready to start looking back on the year that was? ESPN clipmeisters pack 90 minutes of prime time with a look back at the top sports news stories and highlights of 2008.
9 (FOX) "Kitchen Nightmares." The network is using two episodes tonight. This, the second, revolves around chef Gordon Ramsay trying to help the folks at the Handlebar Restaurant & Lounge in Mount Sinai, N.Y., get the business on track. If you watch, you may never eat in another restaurant - ever. day after christmas sales, after christmas sale, after christmas sales, day after christmas, day after christmas ads
Just saying.

where is santa

2008-12-24T04:13:00.000-08:00

Santa must be real, he's on Google Earth
CNET News
, USA
- Dec 24, 2008
- Dec 24, 2008
As it has for the past four years, Google will be mapping Santa Claus' trek from the icy North Pole to rooftops around the globe on Christmas Eve. ...

Santa Claus is the original action figure for many kids
San Diego Union Tribune
, USA
- Dec 24, 2008
- Dec 24, 2008
For many parents, the bigger concern is whether encouraging a belief in Santa Claus is a mistake at any age. John D. Rich Jr., a professor of psychology at ...
Visit from fake Santa doesn't amuse Steelers coach
The Associated Press
- Dec 24, 2008
- Dec 24, 2008
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Santa Claus' visit to Mike Tomlin's weekly news conference Tuesday didn't elicit a "ho, ho, ho" from the less-than-amused Steelers coach. ...

Gang signs in Santa photo land two in jail
MSNBC
- Dec 24, 2008
- Dec 24, 2008
... gang members have landed on the naughty list – and in jail – after police say they posed for a picture with Santa Claus while flashing their gang signs. ...

Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus - Right Wing News ...
9 hours ago
Right Wing News is the best source on the net for conservative news, views, & interviews.
http:///
Shakesville: Movies You Can't Netflix: Santa Claus
20 hours ago
Forget everything you thought you knew about Santa Claus. This movie* pisses all over those notions like it's had one too many cervezas. Santa does not live at the North Pole. Nope, he lives in a castle on a cloud in ...
http://.com/
Alison Armstrong: Santa Claus is the Quintessential Man

Santa Claus is the Quintessential Man - The Huffington Post.
http://www.huffingtonpost
theblog/
Index Page
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www.noradsanta

NORAD TRACKS SANTA 2008
Welcome to NORAD Tracks Santa. A glimpse from last year….NORAD tracking Santa around the world! ... Track Santa on Mobile Track Santa on your phone ...
www.noradsanta/en/.html

Write & Email Santa Claus for a North Pole Christmas!
Write Santa Claus for a safe, free reply fast as reindeer fly! See Santa Claus' Christmas Blog, Nice List, North Pole pictures, jokes, games & more!

www.emailsanta

SANTA CLAUS AT CLAUS.COM
Award-winning Santa Claus site for parents and kids. Check your naughty or nice rating. Play games in Elf School. Print your Honorary Elf Diploma.
www.claus.
www.claus.com/
santa tracker, santa claus, santa claus tracker, santa clause tracker, where is santa

christmas messages

2008-12-24T04:11:00.000-08:00

December 22 2008

Let these 12 Christmas quotes inspire you this Christmas and into the coming New Year!Christmas... with all of its promise of warmth, welcome and love is upon us for another year. Let these 12 Christmas quotes warm your hearts in preparation for this special festive occasion.
1. Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen. ~Author unknown, attributed to a 7-year-old named Bobby
2. It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. ~Dr. Seuss
3. Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. ~Norman Vincent Peale
4. He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree. ~Roy L. Smith
5. The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. ~Burton Hillis
6. Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time. ~Laura Ingalls Wilder
7. One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly. ~Andy Rooney
8. Christmas is not in tinsel and lights and outward show. The secret lies in an inner glow. It's lighting a fire inside the heart. Good will and joy a vital part. It's higher thought and a greater plan. It's glorious dream in the soul of man. ~Wilfred A. Peterson
9. Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most. ~Ruth Carter Stapleton
10. A little smile, a word of cheer, A bit of love from someone near, A little gift from one held dear, Best wishes for the coming year… These make a Merry Christmas! ~John Greenleaf Whittier
11. Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. ~Norman Vincent Peale
12. Whatever else be lost among the years, Let us keep Christmas still a shining thing; Whatever doubts assail us, or what fears, Let us hold close one day, remembering. It's poignant meaning for the hearts of men. Let us get back our childlike faith again. ~Grace Noll CrowellThere you go, 12 Christmas quotes to share with your families or hold quietly in your heart. Have a wonderful Merry Christmas and remember these sentiments all year long with those you gather close for the coming holiday!christmas wishes, christmas greetings, christmas cards, christmas messages, christmas message

norad santa

2008-12-24T04:04:00.000-08:00

Military center tracking Santa's sleigh ride

COLORADO SPRINGS— Who says Santa Claus doesn't exist?
The military personnel charged with being the eyes in the sky are certainly acting like he does — and they've been joined on the Internet by millions of believers.
Even doubters have reason to pause when they hear the North American Aerospace Defense Command — or NORAD, which monitors air and space threats against the U.S. and Canada — is in charge of the annual Christmas mission to keep children informed of Santa's worldwide journey to their homes.
"They challenge it, but only to a point," said Senior Master Sgt. Sharon Ryder-Platts, 49, who for five years has been a Santa tracker, taking calls from those wanting to know the location of jolly old St. Nick.
According to NORAD, Santa began his latest flight early Wednesday at the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean. Historically, Santa visits the South Pacific first, then New Zealand and Australia. NORAD points out that only Santa knows his route.
Last year, NORAD's Santa tracking center answered 94,000 calls and responded to 10,000 e-mails. About 10.6 million visitors went to the Web site, which can be viewed in English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Japanese and Chinese.
NORAD's holiday tradition can by traced to 1955, when a Colorado Springs newspaper printed a Sears, Roebuck & Co. ad telling children of a phone number to talk to Santa. The number was one digit off, and the first child to get through reached the Continental Air Defense Command, NORAD's predecessor.
Col. Harry W. Shoup answered.
Shoup's daughter, Terri Van Keuren, said her dad, now 91, was surprised to hear that the little voice on the other end thought he was Santa.
"Dad thought, `What the heck? This must be some kind of code,'" said Van Keuren, 59.
Shoup, described by his daughter as "just a nut about Christmas," didn't want to break the boy's heart, so he sounded a booming "Ho, ho, ho!" and pretended to be Santa Claus.
Enough calls followed that Shoup assigned an officer to answer them while the problem was fixed. But Shoup and the staff he was directing to "locate" Santa on radar ended up embracing the idea. NORAD picked up the tradition when it was formed 50 years ago.
"If we didn't do it, truly I don't know who else would track Santa," Maj. Stacia Reddish said.
The task that began with no computers and only a 60-by-80-foot glass map of North America now includes two big screens on a wall showing the world and information on each country Santa Claus visits. It took off with the Web site's 1997 launch, Reddish said.
Now, curious youngsters can follow Santa's path online with a Google two-dimensional map or in 3D using Google Earth, where he can be seen flying through different landscapes in his sleigh.
NORAD officials are hesitant to list all the potential sites Santa will visit with certainty.
"Historically, Santa has loved the Great Wall of China. He loves the (Space) Needle in Seattle. He of course loves the Eiffel Tower," Reddish said. "But his path is completely unpredictable, so we won't know."
Ryder-Platts, 49, who has a 17-year-old son, said taking calls from children helps her keep her Christmas spirit.
"For someone like myself, my son is older, you know it just keeps you in touch with the spirit of Santa Claus," she said. "I miss out on that at home so this keeps me close to Santa. I believe! It keeps track santa, norad, santa tracker, santa, tracking santa

santa tracker

2008-12-24T03:56:00.000-08:00

Google teams with Norad to track Santa on Christmas Eve
Computerworld
, USA
- Dec 24, 2008
- Dec 24, 2008
"I always thought Norad's Santa Tracker was a great holiday tradition, but I felt like it could have been even better if people could visualize exactly ...

Santa Tracker Headquarters to get visit from Father Christmas
Product Reviews
, UK
- Dec 22, 2008

Father Christmas is to visit Santa Tracker Headquarters, the big guy will making his Pre-Christmas Eve Inspection. Just before Santa makes his epic journey ...
Track Santa on his journey to your house!
Examiner.
- Dec 24, 2008
- Dec 24, 2008
Starting on Christmas Eve (6 am EST) kids of all ages can track Santa’s journey around the globe! Just log onto the SANTA TRACKER and you can watch where ...

Sky Scenes: The holiday spirit!
NECN
, USA
- Dec 24, 2008

For more Sky Scenes, including the steps necessary to submit photos of your own, visit WeatherNewEngland.com. You will also find our Santa Tracker on the ...

Santa Tracker for iPhone by Earthscape tracks Santa on Christmas ...

Santa Tracker for iPhone by Earthscape tracks Santa on Christmas Eve: Video on Phones Review.
http://www.phonesreview.uk/
VerySpatial » Earthscape Santa Tracker
Dec 22, 2008
Last night I downloaded and started playing with the new Earthscape Santa Tracker. This free iPhone app builds on some of the basic features of the full Earthscape app by adding Santa’s planned route for Christmas Eve. ...
http://veryspatial/
Slashgeo Earthscape Releases 3D Santa Tracker
Dec 22, 2008
Earthscape Releases 3D Santa Tracker -- article related to Media and 3D.
http://slashgeo/

Index Page
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www.noradsanta/

NORAD TRACKS SANTA 2008
NORAD tracking Santa around the world! All the preparations for this year are in place! Return on Christmas Eve to track St. Nick on his magical flight ...

www.noradsanta/en/home.html

NORAD Santa Tracker at Northpole.com
Enjoy the NORAD Santa Tracker from the North pole!

www.northpole./NoradSanta.asp

SantaClaus
Write to Santa · Christmas Songs, Games and Stories · Tracking Santa · North Pole Weather ... 12 North Kringle Place · Santa Claus, IN 47579 ...

www.santaclaus/SantaTracker.asp
track santa, norad, santa, tracking santa, where is santa

gooey duck

2008-12-20T09:20:00.000-08:00

Bernie Madoff: Legendary Marksman
Hedge Fund Net
, USA
- Dec 20, 2008
- Dec 20, 2008
Instead we are further burdened with a Ponzi scheme of immense proportions which is the veritable cherry on top of a gooey mass of unprecedented wealth ...

Bowman: The duck stops here
ESPN
- Dec 17, 2008
- Dec 17, 2008
Ducks find shelter and food in it, along with redfish and a variety of other fishes. And all that gooey mud has been a natural buffer against the impacts of ...

"Holiday Battle Cora Vs. Symon" is sweet
The Post-Standard - Syracuse
, USA

- Dec 09, 2008
... ice cream made with liquid nitrogen, a savory sauce and this geoduck (pronounced gooey duck) clam that looked like something that should be on Cinemax, ...

Grabbing a Bite Between Flights
Rocky Mount Telegram
, USA
- Dec 20, 2008

Finding an excellent specimen of the Cuban sandwich — roast pork, ham and Swiss cheese with pickles on a roll, panini-pressed into gooey, ...

Foods I'm not proud of eating Memories Documented
Dec 17, 2008
First, Geoduck (AKA Gooey-Duck) This little bastard is chewy, gooey and puke inducing form of sushi. It SUCKS, you chew it and it springs back right into your mouth, it kicks back! You try to swallow it and it gets stuck half way. YUCK!
http://blog.sweetestmemories./
Dark Roasted Blend: Geoducks Are Strange
Jun 6, 2008
Even their name is wrong, because it's pronounced "GOOEY duck". You'd think an epithet "gooey" would seem more appropriate for this bizarre creature, but it's not gooey in any sense. The name comes from a misspelling of "gweduc" (a ...
http://www.darkroastedblend./
Clam Varieties - Common types of clams

The word geoduck (pronounced "gooey-duck") first appeared in print in 1883 and comes from the Nisqualli Indian word for "dig deep." (You may also see it spelled gweduck.) Digging deep is indeed how they are harvested commercially, ...
http://homecooking.about./

Geoduck - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The geoduck (pronounced /ˈguːiːdʌk/ gooey duck [1]), Panopea abrupta, is a species of very large edible saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusk in the ...
en.wikipedia/wiki/Geoduck

YouTube - Geoduck
1238021 views. tracetheheadcase · Is It Geoduck or Gooey Duck ? Added. 04:25. Is It Geoduck or Gooey Duck ? 638 views ...
www.youtube/watch?v=raCUc5A6FHU

WDFW - Shellfish: Geoduck clam
The clam's name, pronounced "gooey-duck" is of Native American origin and means "dig deep." It is variously spelled goeduck, goiduck, or gweduck. ...

www.wdfw.wa./fish/shelfish/beachreg/2clam.htm

Dark Roasted Blend: Geoducks Are Strange
Even their name is wrong, because it's pronounced "GOOEY duck". You'd think an epithet "gooey" would seem more appropriate for this bizarre creature, ...

www.darkroastedblend/2008/06/geoducks-are-strange.html
geoduck

a very brady christmas

2008-12-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

Hanukkah: A pop culture guide to the festival of lights
Reading Eagle
, USA

That’s because there are so many options to choose from — "A Christmas Story" or "Home Alone"? "A Very Brady Christmas" or "The Simpsons Christmas Special"? ...

Holiday TV
Newsday
, USA
- Dec 20, 2008
- Dec 20, 2008
ABC Family runs made-for-TV holiday movies all day Saturday, including "A Very Brady Christmas" (today at 9 am). the Crypt" and "Millennium" (today, ...

Ball State football coach just one of the guys
Muncie Star Press
, USA

- Dec 20, 2008
Former head coach Brady Hoke was in San Diego, but Parrish was still walking the hall and chatting with his buddies. The couple days of uncertainty created ...
Owl Season Opens Saturday
Phog

- Dec 19, 2008
Christmas has made 29 of the Owl’s 58 three-pointers. “He can do a lot of things,” said KU sophomore guard Brady Morningstar. “He can obviously shoot the ...

Snowflakes in Hell » Blog Archive » A Very Brady Christmas?

4 Responses to “A Very Brady Christmas?” Mike Gallo Said, December 4th, 2008 at 12:09 pm. We’ve fought it here in WI, and we can fight it on the national level, too. The way I like to put it to politicians is this: “I will not be told ...
http://www.snowflakesinhell./
Stirrup Queens and Sperm Palace Jesters: Friday Blog Roundup

Chanukkah kicks off this weekend and we're having our Very Middle Eastern Almost-Oil-Free Chanukkah celebration (do you remember all of those Brady specials? "A Very Brady Christmas" or "A Very Brady Motorcycle Accident" ...
http://stirrup-queens.com/
Diana’s Little Corner in the Nutmeg State: Saturday Six - Episode 245

Your Christmas is Most Like: A Very Brady Christmas. For you, it's all about sharing times with family. Even if you all get a bit cheesy at times. What Movie Is Your Christmas Most Like? 5. What Christmas movie is your ...
http://dianacorner.com/

A Very Brady Christmas (1988) (TV)
Directed by Peter Baldwin. With Florence Henderson, Robert Reed, Ann B. Davis. The entire Brady family manages to overcome personal obstacles to spend a ...
www.imdb.www.imdb./title/tt0096376/

A Very Brady Christmas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Oct 18, 2008 ... A Very Brady Christmas is a 1988 television movie based on the television series The Brady Bunch, featuring all of the original actors who ...
en.wikipedia.
en.wikipedia./wiki/A_Very_Brady_Christmas

Amazon.com: Very Brady Christmas: Florence Henderson, Robert Reed ...
Amazon.com: Very Brady Christmas: Florence Henderson, Robert Reed, Ann B. Davis, Maureen McCormick, Eve Plumb, Jennifer Runyon, Barry Williams, ...
www.amazon.
www.amazon./Very-Brady-Christmas-Florence-Henderson/dp/6302593093

X-Entertainment - A Very Brady Christmas Television Special, 1988
To be honest, any complaints you'd think up about A Very Brady Christmas ... In A Very Brady Christmas, we find Mike and Carol still living in the same ...
www.x-entertainment.
www.x-entertainment./articles/0703/
the brady bunch, brady bunch, susan olsen, robert reed, nasza klasa

msandmrs.com

2008-12-19T10:49:00.000-08:00

Ms. & Mrs. - Special Occasion Survival Kits
share this · view all · wedding day · bridessentials · the Groom's · the Bridesmaid's · labor & delivery · cheerleader's ...
www.msandmrscom
www.msandmrs.

Ms. & Mrs. - Shemergency Survival Kit
survival kit. What are shemergencies? They're the beauty blunders, fashion faux pas, and personal care predicaments that keep women from looking and feeling ...
www.msandmrs.www.msandmrs./shemergency.php

msandmrs.com products, lists, fans and comments on Kaboodle Stores ...
Kaboodle Stores and Brands feature msandmrs.com products. Read comments about msandmrs.com and read what fans have to say.

www.kaboodle./store/msandmrsMsAndMrs.com Survival Kits, Featured Shop - DivaVillage
How many times have you been sitting at your desk at work and noticed an annoying hangnail – but you don’t have any nail clippers?gifts.com, bookstobed.com, ms and mrs, mr and mrs, the view

christmas cards edible

2008-12-18T06:28:00.000-08:00

Edible Christmas card is created
BBC News
- Dec 18, 2008

A Devon company has designed an edible Christmas card in an effort to be as seasonally "green" as possible. The card, with a picture of brussel sprouts on ...

Economy affecting the letter business
Altoona Mirror
, USA

- Dec 18, 2008
Hand said his staff is seeing fewer Christmas cards coming through their mailroom this holiday season compared with previous years. ...

The joy of a Christmas greeting
Daily Freeman Journal
, USA
- Dec 17, 2008

I thought of my Dad trudging to the mailbox every morning to retrieve the paper and, at this time, of year, a few Christmas cards. ...
Liz Smith: Mr. Ritchie Rich, Celeb Christmas Cards and More
Women on the Web
, USA

- Dec 17, 2008
This is one of my favorite Christmas cards from the agent-manager Michael Black in Hollywood. It was Michael who used to answer his difficult clients with ...

Faith Central - Times Online - WBLG: Darwin Claus Christmas cards

The card, devised in 2007, fast outsold the other cards Shaffer designed. As he says “maybe there are atheists out there who want to send Christmas cards”. (Presumably he felt the non faithbased cards already on offer didn't fill the ...
http://timesonline.typepad/faith/
Tongue in Cheek: Christmas Cards without the word Merry
Slowly with her morning voice she says, "I am not sending Christmas cards this year... though I have received more than my fair share.... I just don't feel like I can write the word, "Merry." The Christmas cards make me sad.
http://willows95988.typepad./tongue_cheek/
May December: Christmas Cards
stamping, stuffing, and shipping out Christmas cards these past few days. It's always fun to send them to our friends and family, and I just *love* our card this year. Here's the most recent bunch on their way to the post ...
http://melissacmorris..com/

Christmas Cards Christmas Greeting Cards
Christmas Cards and Christmas Greeting Cards by CardsDirect.com Personalized ... It's Christmas time! This holiday season order your greeting cards from the ...
www.cardsdirect./holiday/christmas/cards.aspx

Christmas Cards & Christmas Photo Cards - Biggest Sale by Tiny Prints
Don't forget, the more Christmas cards you send the merrier your recipients' holidays ... Each of our personalized Christmas cards is printed on premium, ...
www.tinyprints./shop/christmas_cards.htm

Christmas Cards & Holiday Cards 50% Off
Custom Christmas Cards from VistaPrint. Shop Now & Save - 50% Off! Choose from one of our many designs or upload your own. Perfect for custom holiday cards.
www.vistaprint./holiday-christmas-cards.aspx

Christmas Cards - Business Christmas Cards - Photo Christmas Cards
Premium Christmas Cards that make a lasting impression. Save 15-45% off retail. Customize your Christmas cards with logos, photos, custom verse, signatures.
www.designcrafters.

greetings, christmas wishes, printable christmas cards, free christmas cards, christmas
More web results »

parthenogenesis

2008-12-10T03:57:00.000-08:00

Parthenogenesis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The asexual, all-female whiptail species Cnemidophorus neomexicanus (center), which reproduces via parthenogenesis, is shown flanked by two sexual species ...
en.wikipedia.org
en./wiki/Parthenogenesis

parthenogenesis definition Dictionary
Definition of parthenogenesis at Dictionary.com with free audio pronunciation. parthenogenesis synonyms and translations. Crossword and puzzle games.
dictionary.referencedictionary.reference/browse/parthenogenesis

Asexual Reproduction
Parthenogenesis occurs in some fishes, several kinds of insects, and a few species of frogs and lizards. It does not normally occur in mammals because of ...
users.rcnusers.rcn..ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/A/AsexualReproduction.html

Parthenogenesis - Can Two Women make a Baby with No Sperm
Scientists have created mice offspring without the use of sperm. Could this be the next medical breakthrough for lesbians? Will Parthenogenesis be available ...
lesbianlife.about.comeclampsia, virgin birth, human parthenogenesis, parthenogenesis human, parthenogenesis in humans
lesbianlife.about/cs/families/a/Parthenogenesis.htm
, virgin birth, human parthenogenesis, parthenogenesis human, parthenogenesis in humans

parthenogenesis in humans

2008-12-10T03:56:00.000-08:00

'House' Lori Petty gets bullied
Zap2it
- Dec 10, 2008
Several hours later, he shockingly reveals that she is the first case of human parthenogenesis - a virgin birth. Hence, because he helped her lie to her ...

International Stem Cell Corporation Partners with Absorption ...
MarketWatch
- Nov 24, 2008
- Nov 24, 2008
ISCO's technology, Parthenogenesis, results in the creation of pluripotent human stem cell lines from unfertilized human eggs. ISCO scientists have created ...

And there will be no need in sperm
Pravda
, Russia
-
- Dec 05, 2008
Dr. Demian Champan said that parthenogenesis – the development of an embryo without fertilization by a male – was not the prerogative of hammerheads alone. ...

Advanced Cell Technology Comments on Technology Platformeclampsia, virgin birth, human parthenogenesis, parthenogenesis human, parthenogenesis in humans
MarketWatch
- Nov 17, 2008
In addition, one of the Company's licensees, International Stem Cell Corporation (ISCO.ob), is using Advanced Cell's parthenogenesis technology, ...

Human Parthenogenesis

Parthenogenesis is derived from Greek and it is an nonsexual form of breeding found in females where growth and development of embryos or seeds occurs without any impregnation by a male. The progeny created by parthenogenesis are always ...
http://www.techbanyan/
Top 10 Oddball News Stories of 2008
, known as parthenogenesis, occurred at an aquarium in Virginia Beach, VA and the October announcement was only the second documented case in shark history. (An earlier case in Nebraska was found in a female ...
http://www.curiousread./
Parthenogenesis Parthenogenesis In Humans Human Parthenogenesis

Parthenogenesis Parthenogenesis And there will be no need in sperm Dr. Demian Champan said that parthenogenesis – the development of an embryo without fertilization by a male – was not the prerogative of hammerheads alone. ...
http://ratevin.blogspot/

. eclampsia

2008-12-10T03:54:00.000-08:00

Exercise and pre-eclampsia: Are pregnant women at risk?
Los Angeles Times
, USA
- Dec 06, 2008
But a new study suggests that high levels of activity may increase the risk of pre-eclampsia, a condition affecting pregnant women that’s marked by high ...

HealthWatch: Pregnancy And Exercise
WCBS-TV New York
, USA
- Dec 09, 2008
More than an hour a day increased the chance of developing life-threatening "pre-eclampsia." It's a condition which dangerously raises mom's blood pressure, ...

On pre-eclampsia
AsiaOneparthenogenesis, virgin birth, human parthenogenesis, preeclampsia, parthenogenesis human
Dec 05, 2008
Pre-eclampsia is characterised by high-blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine. Although swelling or edema (usually the face and hands), ...
Palin beats Obama in Google search popularity contest
iTWire

- Dec 10, 2008
... is hot on Google by visiting Google Trends which today, for example, reveals that in the USA people are mostly searching for eclampsia and blagojevich. ...

Eclampsia Parthenogenesis in humans Virigin Birth and Virgin ...

Eclampsia,a life-threatening complication of pregnancy, is characterized by the appearance of tonic-clonic seizures in a patient who had developed preeclampsia. Eclampsia is a leading cause of maternal and perinatal mortality. ...
http://www.tipsity/
Eclampsia of Pregnancy!
Watch stunning video from CBS tonight about pre eclampsia of pregnancy. Pre eclampsia of your pregnancy can be caused by too much exercise, says a new report. The pre eclampsia is likely to occur if you exercise more than 1 hour a day ...
http://news.lalate/
Eclampsia Eclampsia Of Pregnancy Exercise And Pre Eclampsia
6 hours ago
Eclampsia Eclampsia Of Pregnancy Exercise More than an hour a day increased the chance of developing life-threatening "pre-eclampsia." It's a condition which dangerously raises mom's blood pressure

eclampsia, virgin birth parthenogenesis

2008-12-10T03:52:00.000-08:00

Virgin birth of Jesus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The virgin birth of Jesus is a religious tenet of Christianity and Islam which holds that Mary miraculously conceived Jesus while remaining a virgin. ...
en.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia./wiki/Virgin_birth_of_Jesus

Virgin birth - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Oct 6, 2008 ... The virgin birth of Jesus, believed by Christians and Muslims; The miraculous birth of a person from folklore or mythology; see also List of ...
en.wikipedia.
en.wikipedia/wiki/Virgin_birthparthenogenesis, virgin birth myths, eclampsia, virgin birth possible, human parthenogenesis

The virgin birth of Jesus: Fact or fable?
"The virgin birth of Jesus Christ is the root from which everything the New ... In fact, 47% of non-Christian adults also believe in the virgin birth. 8 ...
www.religioustolerancewww.religioustolerance/virgin_b.htm

Shark "Virgin Birth" Confirmed
Oct 10, 2008 ... The discovery at a Virginia aquarium marks the second time scientists have used DNA testing to verify what would have been a "virgin ...
news.nationalgeographic

parthenogenesis, virgin birth

2008-12-10T03:50:00.000-08:00

1 in 3 Britons believe in virgin birth
Religious Intelligence Ltd
, UK
- Dec 09, 2008
- Dec 09, 2008
Women are more likely to believe in the virgin birth (39%) than men (29%). 56% of Britons believe that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. ...

Corrections and clarifications
guardian.

- Dec 10, 2008
The doctrines of immaculate conception and virgin birth were confused in the text of an article headed Virgin birth a historical fact, 34% of adults believe ...

More Americans Believe in the Devil, Hell and Angels than in ...
MarketWatch
-
- Dec 10, 2008
... miracles, the survival of the soul after death, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the Virgin birth will come as no great surprise. ...

One in three believe in virgin birth
ChristianToday
, UK

- Dec 08, 2008
by Jennifer Gold A poll out today from public theology think tank Theos has found that more than a third of Britons believe that the virgin birth really ...
»

Virgin Birth One In Three Believe In Virgin Birth Virgin Birth Myths
5 hours ago
by Jennifer Gold A poll out today from public theology think tank Theos has found that more than a third of Britons believe that the virgin birth really ... Virgin Birth Related : Virgin Birth, Parthenogenesis, Virgin Birth Myths, ...
http://ratevin.blogspot/
Eclampsia Parthenogenesis in humans Virigin Birth and Virgin ...
7 hours ago
People around the world are wondering if virgin birth possible or virgin bith is just another myth? Parthenogenesis is an asexual form of reproduction found in females where growth and development of embryos or seeds occurs without ...
http://www.tipsity/
UK One in Three Believe in Virgin Birth
Dec 8, 2008
A poll out today from public theology think tank Theos has found that more than a third of Britons believe that the virgin birth really happened.
http://au.christiantoday/
More blog results » parthenogenesis, virgin birth myths, eclampsia, virgin birth possible, human parthenogenesis

burlwood

2008-12-08T20:20:00.000-08:00

Exotic Burl's
Exotic Burl - In business twenty years. Our goal is to provide the best possible service and satisfaction by offering high quality burl and hardwoods at a ...
www.exoticburl.
www.exoticburl./
clipped from Google - 12/2008
Redwoodburl.com - Fireplace Mantels And More, Rustic furniture
Nov 28, 2008 ... Redwood burl and Fireplace Mantels in all sizes and shapes. Our wood has been used by wood workers and craftsman to create unusual and ...
www.redwoodburlwww.redwoodburlclipped from Google - 12/2008
Welcome... It's a Burl
Burlwood furniture and carving including chairs, love seats, benches, tables, shelves and interior design items.
itsaburlwhat is burl, burl wood, meth mountain, meth mountain alabama, marshall county alabama

burl

2008-12-08T20:18:00.000-08:00

'Sanders Family Christmas' an uplifting holiday gift from ABET
Florida Times-Union
, USA
- Dec 09, 2008
- Dec 09, 2008what is burl, burl wood, meth mountain, meth mountain alabama, marshall county alabama
Randy Judy returns to ABET in the lead role of Burl, the same role he played in both ABET productions of Smoke on the Mountain. Judy is a natural as Burl ...
clipped from Google - 12/2008
Blue Christmas: Five depressing holiday songs
MLive.com
, USA
- Dec 09, 2008
- Dec 09, 2008
At any rate, if you are sick of Burl Ives yelling at you to "have a holly, jolly Christmas," after the jump are five songs, inspired by my playlist, ...
clipped from Google - 12/2008
Homegrown holly is jolly for Christmas
Deseret News
, USA
- Dec 08, 2008
- Dec 08, 2008
By Larry A. Sagers For me, one fond childhood Christmas memory was Burl Ives' throaty rendition of "Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas. ...
clipped from Google - 12/2008
Listeners want Christmas music that's tried-and-true
Washington Observer Reporter
, USA
- Dec 08, 2008
- Dec 08, 2008
The late Burl Ives, Bobby Helms, Nat King Cole and John Lennon share the top spots with still-performing Brenda Lee, who we hope is rockin' around the ...
clipped from Google - 12/2008
More news results »
Blog posts
Amboyna Burl Cue,with Alittle Ivory
5 hours ago
Forum: Cue Gallery Posted By: gsirca Post Time: 12-08-2008 at 01:39 PM.
http://forums.azbilliards/
FS: Earthquake SuperNova 15" in American Burl wood
Dec 6, 2008
Selling a mint condition Earthquake SiperNova Mk 5 15 inch active subwoofer in deluxe Burl wood veneer piano finish. Very powerful and extended. Probably one of the best sub around. MSRP US$4350. Selling sgd $2500 only. Hp 82011203 ...
http://www.xtremeplace/yabbse/index.php
My first attempts at DIY scales
23 hours ago
After a couple near-disasters with the Burl, I decided to go cheap. Dirt cheap. Basswood cheap. Went down to Hobby Lobby, grabbed some 1/8" basswood for two bucks, drew a funky scale design, and cut and sanded away until I had some ...
straightrazorplace

burl

2008-12-08T20:09:00.001-08:00

A burl (British bur or burr) is a tree growth in which the grain has grown in a deformed manner. It is commonly found in the form of a rounded outgrowth on a tree trunk or branch that is filled with small knots from dormant buds. Burls are the product of a cambium. A burl results from a tree undergoing some form of stress. It may be environmental or introduced by humans. Most burls grow beneath the ground, attached to the roots as a type of malignancy that is generally not discovered until the tree dies or falls over. Such burls sometimes appear as groups of bulbous protrusions connected by a system of rope-like roots. Almost all burl wood is covered by bark, even if it is underground. Insect infestation and certain types of mold infestation are the most common causes of this condition.
In some tree species, burls can grow to great size. Some of the largest occur in redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens); when moisture is present, these burls can grow new redwood trees. The world's largest and second-largest burls can be found in Port McNeill, British Columbia. One of the largest burls known to man was found around 1984 in the small town of Tamworth, Australia. It stands 6.4 ft tall, with an odd shape resembling a trombone.
Burls yield a very peculiar and highly figured wood, one prized for its beauty by many; its rarity also adds to its expense. It is sought after by people such as furniture makers, artists, and wood sculptors. There are a number of well-known types of burls (each from a particular species); these are highly valued and used as veneers in furniture, picture frames, household objects, automobile interior paneling and trim, and woodturning. The famous birdseye maple superficially resembles the wood of a burl but is something else entirely. Burl wood is very hard to work in a lathe or with hand tools because its grain is misshapen and not straight.
Some burls are more highly prized than others, including ones originating in rural areas in central Massachusetts, northeast Connecticut, and as far south as Philadelphia. Some types display an explosion of sorts which causes the grain to grow erratically, and it is these burls that the artist prizes over all other types. These spectacular patterns enhance the beauty of wood sculptures, furniture, and other artistic productions. Burls are harvested by a variety of methods. Many redwood trees have them, but there are two things that hinder the harvest of redwood burls, the first being that removing a burl can cause the death of the tree. The second is the sometimes tremendous size of redwood burls; removing them can require the use of heavy equipment, which can be expensive and difficult to get to the tree's location.

[edit]

christmas music

2008-12-08T20:07:00.000-08:00

Listeners want Christmas music that's tried-and-true This article has been read 1258 times.Want to record a hit Christmas song?
1. Pick a familiar holiday tune, but not a Christmas carol
2. Steer away from novelty ditties
3. Convince a producer to use the song as part of a television or movie soundtrack
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Oh, and one more item - don't expect to hear it on the radio in your lifetime.
As always, deceased performers rule Mediabase's annual list of radio's most-played Christmas songs. The late Burl Ives, Bobby Helms, Nat King Cole and John Lennon share the top spots with still-performing Brenda Lee, who we hope is rockin' around the doctor's office on a more regular basis these days.
There are few surprises on this year's survey (based on 2007 airplay), but the list is nonetheless fascinating, if only because it flies in the face of conventional radio programming. The vast majority of artists are radio relics - when was the last time you heard anything by Bing Crosby, Andy Williams, Gene Autry or Ives on the air other than during the holidays? Even more contemporary artists such as Jose Feliciano, the Carpenters and Air Supply have all but vanished from radio except during November and December.
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Theories abound about why old music rules at Christmas, and almost all of those theories are connected in some way to childhood memories. You'd think, of course, that those memories would vary by age group, but evidently not. Your grandmother listened to Der Bingle's "White Christmas" and so did your parents. If you're playing Crosby's "Merry Christmas" CD for your kids right now, you get the point.
Almost 200 radio stations across the country flip to all-Christmas-all-the-time formats in November, and almost all of them do music research. And those hundreds of surveys inevitably reap the same results - people only want Christmas classics. The deeper the research, the more ingrained the results. If you're going to play the occasional novelty song, make it "The Chipmunk Song" and "Snoopy's Christmas," not some new-fangled tune. If you're going to play "Holly Jolly Christmas," it better be the Burl Ives version because:
1. It's from the original TV show ("Rudolph") and ...
2. It "sounds" like a Christmas song. And if you simply must play a new version of a holiday tune, it must be one by a music icon - not a newcomer.
That research certainly translates well to national play lists. The few novelty songs on the list are indeed dated: "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" by Gene Autry (No. 17) or Burl Ives (No. 94), "Frosty the Snowman" by the Ronettes (No. 46), Jimmy Durante (No. 57) or the Beach Boys (No. 87), "Snoopy's Christmas" by the Royal Guardsmen (No. 80) and "The Chipmunk Song" (No. 105). The release years for those songs are, respectively, 1949, 1950, 1963, 1952, 1964, 1967 and 1958. With last year's hit, "Alvin and the Chipmunks" movie, "The Chipmunk Song" is expected to bump up several notches this year, no doubt at the expense of some "hipper" '70s or '80s song.
The comment that the older songs "sound like Christmas" is a valid one, too. They're the songs you heard as a child. As the population ages, the traditional Crosby, Cole and Como are slowly - very slowly - being joined by '50s and '60s songs. Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" sold just 5,000 copies its first year out, but eventually became a standard. Likewise, Phil Spector's Christmas album was barely played when released, but several cuts are now entrenched in the holiday top 100.
With all-Christmas formats proliferating, new Christmas albums are being issued at a record pace. But radio stations generally ignore them. Last year's exception was James Taylor. Radio programmers correctly guessed that many people would think Taylor's Christmas album was as old as his pop hits. Thus, Taylor scored last year with "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (No. 36) and "Deck the Halls" (No. 99). It remains to be seen how Taylor fares this year. If he's like most newcomers to the Christmas game, he'll lose out to the Crosby clan.
In this decade, there have been just a few new songs that have persevered, most notably Newsong's 2000 hit, "The Christmas Shoes" and Trans-Siberian Orchestra's 2001 song, "Christmas Canon." The latter appears to be a genuine classic-in-the-making, even though it's dangerously close to being labeled a "carol."

Listeners want Christmas music that's tried-and-true
And that's one sore point with radio listeners. Though survey after survey indicates radio fans enjoy carols every bit as much as other Christmas songs, radio opts not to play them much until the week before the big day. Last year, Josh Groban's "O Holy Night" (No. 30) and Karla Bonoff's "First Noel" (No. 60) were the only exceptions.
It's unlikely, though, that either artist will live long enough to see their recordings vault into the Top 10. It's tradition.

first christmas

2008-12-08T20:05:00.003-08:00

"First Christmas," Stan Rogers
This is not only the saddest Christmas song of all time, it is quite possibly the saddest song of all time period. The legendary Canadian folksinger presents three different scenarios of people spending their first Christmas away from their family: a young man working through the holidays, a teenage runaway and an old man in a nursing home.
Most heart-wrenching moment: Just thinking about the third verse is making me a little verklempt, but the dam really busts when Rogers gets to this line: "When the old girl passed away he fell apart more every day, each had always kept the other pretty well." That's quickly followed by a description of the "huge and cold and lifeless" tree in the common room with a "lit-up, flashing Santa Claus on top." Oh, man, that's some sad stuff.

first christmas

2008-12-08T20:05:00.001-08:00

during christmas

2008-12-08T20:03:00.000-08:00

"Listening to Otis Redding at Home During Christmas," Okkervil River
Okkervil River leader Will Sheff frequently "quotes" other, famous songs in his music, using snippets of lyrics and melody to comment on the subject at hand. In this case, the subject is coming back home for the holidays and thinking about "the one that got away," how they both traded domestic life in a quiet hometown to move to big cities, and how he's "got dreams to remember."
Most heart-wrenching moment: "Oh Sara, come back to New Hampshire. We'll stay here forever."

silent night

2008-12-08T20:02:00.000-08:00

"7 O'Clock News/Silent Night," Simon & Garfunkel
It's a gimmick, but it works. Simon and Garfunkel sing a simple arrangement of "Silent Night" while a fictional newscaster reads a bunch of really depressing stories (which all apparently happened in August, not December), including reporting on the death of Lenny Bruce.
Most heart-wrenching moment: The newscast starts barely perceptible and slowly slowly louder, but when the newscaster reaches the item about "Richard Speck, accused murderer of nine student nurses," there's a sudden boost in the volume and emotional intensity christmas

circle of steele

2008-12-08T20:00:00.000-08:00

"Circle of Steele," Gordon Lightfoot
Boy, I loved me some Gordon Lightfoot when I was in kindergarten. I listened to "Gord's Gold" until I wore the tape out. At the time, this song was known as "the 'Deck the Halls' one." It was only when I was older that I really figured out what it was about: a child born at Christmastime to an alcoholic mother in a rat-trap apartment while the father is in prison.
Most heart-wrenching moment: "'Deck the Halls' was the song they played in the flat next door where they shout all day; she tips her gin bottle back 'til it's gone — the child is strong."

fairy tale

2008-12-08T19:59:00.000-08:00

"Fairytale of New York," The Pogues
I once brought up the idea of doing a show of nothing but sad Christmas songs with my band. We never did it, but this was the song suggested by our drummer. It starts out, "It was Christmas Eve, babe, in the drunk tank; an old man said to me, 'Won't see another one,'" ... and it goes downhill from there. Wikipedia says it has become "a festive classic" in Great Britain and "is frequently voted the Number One Best Christmas song of all time in various television, radio and magazine related polls in the U.K." Huh. Those Brits love their sad drinking songs, I guess.
Most heart-wrenching moment: I don't know if heart-wrenching is the right word, but Shane McGowan and Kirsty MacColl certainly make their point when they sing, "You're a bum; you're a punk; you're an old slut on junk; lying there, almost dead, on a drip in that

blue christmas

2008-12-08T19:58:00.000-08:00

Blue Christmas: Five depressing holiday songs
Posted by Bill Chapin December 08, 2008 11:24AM
Categories: What I'm Digging
Chicago TribuneYesterday I re-discovered a playlist I made for my iPod last year titled "Lonely Christmas." I imagine not everyone sees the attraction in collecting a bunch of morose songs that reference Christmas into one crushingly glum listening experience. Lots of folks look to the holidays and its relentlessly cheery music to help them bury any sense of misery for a month or two. I'm not one of those people.
It's not that I hate Christmas. On the contrary, this is one of my favorite times of year. It's also not that I am particularly melancholy. I just like music that makes me feel something genuine, and a sad Christmas song, when done right, is as genuinely sad as it gets.
At any rate, if you are sick of Burl Ives yelling at you to "have a holly, jolly Christmas," after the jump are five songs, inspired by my playlist, to provide a countermeasure to contrived holiday cheer.
As always, feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments section.