New Years Wisdom from Ben Franklin

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. 

Benjamin Franklin

Christmas History

Men dressed as Krampus, the companion of St. Nicholas and one of Austria's unique Advent traditions, are seen during a traditional Krampus procession in the city of Munich, southern Germany, on Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008.

Debate on Christmas was taking place hundreds of years before the so called "war on Christmas" in which modern secular society is supposedly stripping Christ from the holiday. Early Puritans in New England went the opposite direction completely banning the holiday for awhile and especially wanted to rid the celebration of all of the pagan traditions that have been assimilated as various peoples were conquered and sometime forcibly converted to Christianity.  

Our modern version of Santa Claus is an amalgamation of various traditional givers of gifts across Europe. In the Alps, some customs that would seem very shocking to modern Americans survive to this day. In those regions, Saint Nicholas is accompanied by an incubus demon called the Krampus who gives warnings and punishments to the bad children or even takes them to hell in a bag or basket. That will give your kids nightmares!

The word Krampus originates from the Old High German for claw (Krampen). Traditionally, young men dress up as the Krampus in the first two weeks of December, particularly in the evening of December 5, and roam the streets frightening children and women with rusty chains and bells. In some rural areas the tradition also includes birching (spanking with a birch rod typically on the bare buttocks) by the Krampus, especially of young females.

Here's a good article on the Krampus from Utica, NY's WKTV entitled Naughty or Nice - Santa's Helper, Krampus, deals with the naughty children.

Merry Christmas!

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,
stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? 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. Suess

Rockin' Christmas Songs

John Lennon's Happy Xmas/War is Over is the second song on our list from a former Beatle. Lennon, Yoko Ono, and the Plastic Ono Band recorded the now Christmas classic at Record Plant Studios in New York City in October 1971. The children singing are the Harlem Community Choir.

The song is based on a 1969 billboard campaign by Lennon and Ono who rented billboards and posters in eleven cities around the world that read "WAR IS OVER! (If You Want It) Happy Christmas from John and Yoko". Of course, we were fighting the very unpopular Vietnam war at the time and the government was following Lennon everywhere.

Enjoy your Christmas Eve! Our former employer gave us the day off so Knology made an exception for our small group. Marrazzo was kind enough to take call this morning at 8AM so I hope to rest and recuperate and wait for Santa.

Things only hoped for

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things only hoped for.”
--Epicurus

Happy Festivus!

Seinfeld was a true cultural phenomenon and Festivus has oddly become part of the American lexicon thanks to the series. Put up your aluminum pole, air your grievances, and participate in feats of strength! Surely, you can pin your old man by now. Watch the story of Festivus!

Cool Commerical!

Verizon has the better coverage. AT&T has the most popular phone. Go figure. Great commercial for the season!

Rockin' Christmas Songs

In 2006, the Goo Goo Dolls released Better Days making it the newest release on our countdown. The songs hopeful lyrics made it a Top 10 hit and an instant Christmas classic. John Rzeznik and crew have always been activists supporting efforts to relieve hunger both abroad and domestically and especially in their own hometown of Buffalo, NY. 

A Better World

Courtesy of Slate.

Rockin' Christmas Songs

In 1996, a Danish Beatles cover band called Rubber Band put out a Christmas CD entitled Xmas! The Beatmas. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree is based on the lyrics/instrumentation of I Saw Her Standing There. The band really sounds like the Beatles! Great stuff.

Christmas is not a time nor a season...

"Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas."

Calvin Coolidge
30th President of the United States

Rockin' Christmas Songs

Jingle Bell Rock has been covered numerous times but this version from 1983 by Hall & Oates is particularly endearing to a 40-year old guy.

Rockin' Christmas Songs

Everyone of my generation will really enjoy watching this video! In 1984, Bob Geldof and Midge Ure brought together leading Irish and British musicians to form a super band called Band Aid. They produced Do They Know It's Christmas? to raise money to fight starvation in Ethiopia and it went straight to the top of the charts. Check out Sting and Bono! Enjoy.

The Wisdom and Humor of Benny Hill

Roses are reddish
Violets are bluish
If it weren't for Christmas
We'd all be Jewish.
~Benny Hill

Rockin' Christmas Songs

Annie Lennox was born on Christmas day so it's quite fitting that the Eurythmics Winter Wonderland is such a great song. According to the the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Winter Wonderland (written by Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith in 1934) was the most-performed Christmas holiday song (based on radio airplay) and the Eurythmics version was “the most popular artist version played today” over the past 5 years. This year ASCAP have announced that the Eurythmics Winter Wonderland is the most performed holiday song of the decade!

Reality Has Arrived

Oddly enough, the reality of my employment situation hit me like a brick at 4AM this morning. As I lay awake in bed listening to the soothing tones of gentle rain, my chances of going back to sleep were heading toward nil as I realized that the proposed timetable for alleviating our work burden was completely unrealistic. Since the buyout, I've been assigned the new chore of being on-call every other week. No big deal huh? Without additional incentive and with only one other very overworked person to split the duty, it's a big deal.

Rockin' Christmas Songs

Paul McCartney's Simply Having a Wonderful Christmastime is the first song on our list from a former Beatle. The year was 1979 and it does look like Paul, Linda, and crew were having a great time.

Robert Downey Jr on Letterman

Robert Downey Jr. converses with Letterman about his recent detention in Japan while promoting Iron Man II. Downey is great per usual. I caught him on Bravo's Inside the Actors Studio last weekend and the man is just freaking entertaining. Sherlock Holmes hits theaters on Christmas day and, of course, Iron Man II is due out next May! Robert Downey Jr. IS Tony Stark! He's just absolutely perfect for the role. Rhodey will be making his first appearance as War Machine and Mickey Rourke will make an interesting Whiplash! Here's the trailer. Bitchin!

Rockin' Christmas Songs

Here's another Christmas classic from a very alternative band. The Barenaked Ladies' God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings is sure to get you in the spirit!

Rockin' Christmas Songs

John Cougar Mellencamp's I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus is the fifth Rockin' Christmas Song on our holiday season countdown. Mellencamp's son has created a Facebook page in an attempt to get his father to stop smoking. John has agreed to quit the lifelong vice if a million people join. If Jack & Diane and Hurts So Good were part of your adolescent experience then please join at 1,000,000 to join, my dad john mellencamp will quit smoking  I hope you're enjoying the Holiday Season as much as I am.