10 Christmas Songs I'm Already Sick Of

First of all, that title isn’t mine, it from another guy who wrote the list to which I’m responding. I’m disavowing the title ‘cause of the preposition hanging out in space at the end. I take a lot of grammatical liberties in writing here in order to try to create a tempo or mood, but I gag up on ones like that up there, just sitting, staring at me, being all preposition-like in its wrongness.

Now about the list…Geek Dad on Wired Blog Network is fed up with these 10:

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer by Gene Autry
Awww, man, why’d ya have to start by picking on Gene Autry? This is so old and contrived, you just have to love this song. Geek Dad complained about not understanding what “reindeer games” are. Dude, they’re REINDEER GAMES—let ‘em be.

Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt
Hot and sexy and who cares if she sang this over 50 years ago? The subsequent cover versions are mere pretenders, Eartha Kitt, eventually the original TV Catwoman, rendered this a timeless classic.

Christmas Don’t be Late by Alvin & the Chipmunks
I admit it. I smile at this every year.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Springsteen
I’m not a big Springsteen fan, but to hear him blasting all that energy into this song as if he really believed, I love it.

We Three Kings by Mannheim Steamroller
Mannheim Steamroller is bogus, bogus, bogus. They were a nice change 20 years ago. Now it’s like listening to the band Chicago on the radio. Just can’t wait for it to be over.

Sleigh Ride by the Carpenters
The Carpenters were creepy then, and they’re creepy now.

Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms
This is happy. Whatcha bitchin’ about Geek Dad?

Do They Know It’s Christmas by Band Aid
Felice Navidad by Jose Feliciano
Wonderful Christmas by Paul McCartney
I would pour out venom and anxiety by the crapload commenting on these three. Suffice it to say these songs should never be heard again, anywhere, anytime.

There are a few songs that could be played a lot more.
Is That Really Santa by the Beach Boys
Gotta have a little beach music at Christmas!

Blue Christmas by Elvis
Schmaltzy Elvis in a perfect setting.

Twinkletoes by Eddie Blazonczyk
Santa’s proud of Rudolph’s nose but he’ll get more light from Twinkletoes

Finally, the all time best. Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, played by me on the piano in the dining room, from an ancient publication of sheet music that the missus gave me many years ago. The prelude lyrics that set up the part of the song with which everyone is familiar were a big surprise to me when I saw them first. As I play, I hear Bing on the vocal. Verrrrry happy sounds.

Here's an addition in honor of the governor of the great state of ILL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM38kN4AOys

Which Christmas songs do you love//hate?

George, Dick and Rod

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was led from his house wearing handcuffs yesterday. That would be his house in Chicago. You may recall that Rod refused to occupy the governor's mansion in Springfield. That is just one of Rod's charming behaviors in the Illinois political spotlight, the mansion thing.

Rod may have had much greater foresight as a salesman than he displayed as a governor or as a future felon, staying out of Springfield in favor of Chicago. After all, the action is up in Chicago. If a guy is looking to get the best price for a soon to be vacated position as a United States Senator, you probably don't want to be stuck in downstate Illinois. You need to be in a better traffic area. You gotta be around your pals. You gotta have foresight.

To hear the words of U.S. Attorney Pat Fitzgerald that Rod's actions "would make Lincoln roll over in his grave" is to hear the public damnation of a man accused of a heinous crime, those words coming from a public servant who sees the most repulsive criminal acts.

Enter Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, quick to let the good citizens of Illinois know just where he stands on the issue. Following is from CNN.com :

At a press conference Tuesday, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, a Democrat, said he wants the Illinois legislature to act quickly to pass a law setting a special election to fill Obama's seat, in order to prevent Blagojevich from making a tainted appointment or there being a lengthy vacancy in the Senate.
"No appointment by this governor under these circumstances could produce a credible replacement," Durbin said.

Johnny on the spot, that's our Dick Durbin!

I would like to replay three more statements about the Illinois governor.

1.) A statement made by Patrick Fitzgerald, the fellow who just arrested Rod. In this case he was talking about another Illinois governor, Rod's predecessor, George Ryan (from the Chicago Tribune online dated April 17, 2006):
U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald called Ryan's quashing of investigations into the sale of driver's licenses for bribes as secretary of state "a low-water mark for public service."

2.) A statement from Dick Durbin (December 2, 2008 Chicago Tribune online), explaining why he was asking for George Ryan's sentence to be commuted:
"For those who would argue that a commutation makes light of his crimes, it is clear that he has already paid a significant price and will continue to do so as long as he lives," Durbin wrote of Ryan in a letter to Bush. "Justice is a sword that should be tempered with compassion. Further imprisonment will not, in my opinion, serve the ends of justice."

3.) Next (Chicago Tribune online of November 28, 2008):
Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who rode into state office pledging to clean up the corruption of his predecessor, said Thursday that President George W. Bush should commute the federal prison sentence of former Gov. George Ryan to time served as an act of compassion. Blagojevich...contended Ryan had paid "a significant price" for what he termed "mistakes." ...Blagojevich said a commutation by Bush would be a "fine decision."

You gotta have pals. Next move, Senator Durbin?

Google'd

I found some material on iGoogle that is priceless, or perhaps just a reminder of how diverse is the world around us. What I found is called the “How-To of the Day”. I reviewed one or two and then realized that there was no apparent pattern --or sense-- to what I was being invited to learn. Here’s a sample. By the way, the image at the right is Snuffy Smith, formerly paired with Google. Barney Google. True.

How to Define a Problem Like Einstein.
He passed in 1955, so why is Einstein still a problem?

How to Beat Procrastination
We can look at this one later.

How to Cook Food in a Hotel Room using Just a Coffee Maker and an Iron
Followed by the equally popular "How to Avoid Being Blamed for Burning Down an Entire Hotel"

How to Look Good Naked
Last suggestion was “turn out the lights”

How to Make Hot Mulled Beer on a Chilly Day
I cannot think of one person who would want to try this.

10 Easy Ways to Get Onion Odor Off Your Hands
Finally, the reason for Hot Mulled Beer!

How to Make Alcohol From common Table Sugar
For all our friends in prison, a holiday treat

How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci
From the popular “Leonardo” series: ”How to Act Like Leonardo di Caprio” and “What Happened to Leonardo the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle”

How to Open a Bottle With a Ring
Includes “what lies to tell while they’re stitching your hand in the E.R.”

How to Dig Post Holes
What could I possibly add to this?

9 Ways to Use an Old Plastic Shower Curtain
Recycle it and skip the rest?

How to Start Learning Morse Code
This has gone far enough.

- …. .- -
.. …
.- .-.. .-..

Compare Cardinals

Final Weekend Results:

Louisville @ Rutgers -10 1/2
Rutgers won Thursday night, 63-14
Louisville has such a cool mascot on their helmets. It’s the best thing they’ve shown this year.
Dear old Rutgers never really gave the lads from KY a chance.

"W"

Buffalo @ Ball State -15
Buffalo, 42-24
Ball St is undefeated. Fifteen might be a stretch, but I’m on it.
Buffalo and Ball State met Friday night for the MAC Championship at an almost empty Ford Field in Detroit. Ball St's highly touted QB almost singlehandedly scuttled his team's bid for an undefeated season. His screw-ups ( leaping attempt at ata TD when 2 receivers were open turned into a Buffalo TD, not ready for first sound snap led to another fumble and another Buffalo TD, fumble at midfield set up yet another TD ) translated to at least three 14 point swings before the game got totally out of hand at the end. With the spread, I lost by a mere 33 points... By the way, FYI, Ball St. is in Muncie.
"L"

Pitt @ Connecticut -3
Wannstedtburgh, 34-10
Wannie alert!

What else is there say. I've been Wannied, again.

"L"

Boston College @ Virginia Tech PK

VaTech, 30-12.
I’m taking the home team

It was played a t a neutral site (Tampa, where I belong, that is the photo) but VaTech was the designated home team, and I get a

"W"

Missouri @ Oklahoma -17

Oklahoma 62, Mizzou 21
Booma Soonas gawn run all ovuh Mizoora.

Sooners stomped Mizzou and stood on the carcass to reach the national championship game.

"W"

Regular Season Totals: 53 Wins, 52 Losses and 2 Ties. Yes, Victory is Mine...

Twelve days from now, Saturday, December 20, the first of this year's 33 Bowl Games kicks off.

Quick Picks

Happy Birthday to my best girl. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeypOvsY91Q

Wagering on football games is a pretty good bet. I have reached this conclusion based on the following (thanks to Durango Bill):
Statistically, there are 1.7 fatalities for every 100,000,000 auto miles driven.
If you drive a mile to the store and a mile back to buy your lottery ticket, the likelihood that you will be killed on your lottery ticket buying trip is aprroximately 1 in 29,500,000.

You are six times more likely to be killed during the trip than you are likely to buy a winning Mega Millions ticket.

Here are the weekend picks. I stopped on the way home for lottery tickets, so I hope I am exempt from becoming a negative statistic.

Louisville @ Rutgers -10.5
Rutgers won Thursday night, 63-14
Louisville has such a cool mascot on their helmets. It’s the best thing they’ve shown this year.
"W"

Buffalo @ Ball State -15
Ball St is undefeated. Fifteen might be a stretch, but I’m on it.

Pitt @ Connecticut -3
Wannie alert!

Boston College @ Virginia Tech PK
I’m taking the home team.

Missouri @ Oklahoma -17
Booma Soonas gawn run all ovuh Mizoora.

Go out and buy someone an apartment building for Christmas, the economy needs your support.