“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah 9:7

 

Merry Christmas!

 

 

Christmas | No Comments »

Since I posted someone’s opinion of the top ten most annoying Christmas songs, I thought I’d go in search of the ten most loved Christmas songs of all time. I didn’t find much in the way of songs, but I ran across a blog called Bloggerhythms, which features reviews and things of interest in popular music. He had listed the top ten Christmas albums of all time. He has a very good review of his top 10. Nat King Cole’s album, listed as number one, could not be a better choice. You just can’t go wrong with anything Cole has done. Here is the rest of his top ten:

1. Nat King Cole – The Christmas Song (1963)
This album, combining some of the best loved carols and songs with Mel Torme’s title track, is sung by one of the 20th century’s greatest voices and therefore it easily tops my list. It is one of the few Christmas albums I never tire of hearing. I’d even enjoy it if I listened to it in July. A new expanded version was released last Christmas season with eight additional tracks.

2. Various Artists – Acoustic Christmas (1990)
The CD’s twelve tracks includes songs by Roseanne Cash, Shawn Colvin, The Hooters, Harry Connick Jr., and T-Bone Burnette. The album travels all the roads of acoustic music as it alternates between soft and mellow settings with the emphasis on the song and vocals (Art Garfunkel singing “O Come All Ye Faithul” is a great example) to boisterous, fun-filled arrangemnents by Poi Dog Pondering who team with The Dirty Dozen Brass Band for “Mele Kalikimaka.” It’s all very eclectic and wonderful. It’s hard to find this CD in stores but you can easily find it on Amazon, and for a lot less money too.

3. Brian Setzer Orchestra – Boogie Woogie Christmas (2002)
This is one of the most fun Christmas CDs ever. Setzer and the world’s most famous rock n’ roll big band roar through some holiday standards with hot guitar and lots of brass and woodwinds. It’s mostly party time but when Setzer slows it down he shows he can really sing and proves this band is more than just a gimmick. His versions of “Jingle Bells” and “Sleigh Ride” will blow your walls down. See the full review here.

4. Chicago – XXV/What’s It Gonna Be Santa? (1998/2003)
This CD was originally released in 1998 as Chicago XXV and re-released in 2003 as What’s It Gonna Be Santa with six additional songs. Why is this CD so good? It’s the album where Chicago remembers they were a horn band and therefore it’s the best disc they’ve released since Terry Kath died in 1978. “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow” features the Chicago horns in all of their glory and shouldn’t be missed. If you like the “real” Chicago you’ll like this CD. Read the complete review.

5. John Boswell – Festival Of The Heart (1992)
New Age pianist John Boswell has wonderfully arranged these traditional Christmas carols and songs in a manner that emphasizes the beautiful melodies most of the songs possess. These instrumental and mostly acoustic offerings let the melodies shine through without any gimmicks. The full review is available here. This is another CD that is hard to find in stores but you can easily buy it from Amazon.

6. Michael Buble – Let It Snow (2003)
This five song EP given away free by Borders Books and Music, and now available on the Internet, was my introduction to Buble. When I first heard this CD I was stunned. Nobody sings like the old time big band vocalists anymore and therefore saying Buble is the best 1940s band singer since Sinatra may seem like faint praise. However, one listen and you know Frank would have been impressed. Harry Connick’s vocal chords can only be jealous of this guy. You can buy it from Amazon.

7. Vince Guaraldi Trio – A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
This is one of the most universally loved jazz albums of all time and one of the most famous albums in history, Christmas or otherwise. Guaraldi’s marvelous piano playing and composing are a perfect fit as the soundtrack to the famous TV show. It may also be the most important non-sacred Christmas album ever released because of its influence on our culture. It helped elevate the Peanuts gang to the exalted status they held for decades and that makes this record more than just a Christmas album. A new remastered version with four alternate takes added has been released for this holiday season.

8. Oscar Peterson – An Oscar Peterson Christmas (1995)
There are two truly great elements to this CD. First the musicianship is superb and secondly I’ve never heard such enjoyable improvisation around the melody without ever losing site of it. Peterson blends vibes, flugelhorn and his piano around a rhythm section with very tasteful arrangements that will make you want to listen to this album closely. As with Guaraldi’s work it’s far more than just Christmas music. Don’t just play this CD as background dinner music because it is top drawer jazz. Peterson never fails to shine and this CD is no exception. All twelve reviews posted on Amazon give this CD five stars.

9. Eugene Ormandy and The Philadelphia Orchestra – The Nutcracker (1990 on CD)
What can be said about this disc of excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet? It’s one of the most famous and loved works of music ever recorded performed by what many believe is the greatest orchestra in the world. There may be a hundred versions of “The Nutcracker” available to the public but as this lone review on Amazon indicates Ormandy’s version may be one of the best.

10. Chris Isaak – Christmas (2004)
The closest we come today to hearing Roy Orbison sing is Chris Isaak. Isaak is a fine composer, singer, and intepreter of other people’s songs and this sixteen track disc showcases all three talents. Eleven cover versions mix with five new Isaak originals. His songs make me wonder how good of a Christmas album Isaak could have produced if he had filled the entire disc with originals. His “Washington Square,” a song about being alone without love on Christmas Day, can also be interpreted (at least by me) as referring to our homesick troops fighting in Iraq. Don’t get depressed; this album is not without plenty of fun moments. It’s available here.

I would add to this (since he has Brian Setzer, whom I love…and his Christmas album rocks…literally!) Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s Christmas album. It, too, is loads of fun. I especially love their version of the Heat Miser/Snow Miser song from “The Year Without a Santa Clause.” I would also have to say that Dean Martin and Bing Crosby would definitely be in my top ten. I remember fondly listening to my mom and dad’s old Bing Crosby records (as in vinyl) at Christmas time. My favorite was, of course, Bing Crosby’s. No one sings “I’m Dreaming of a white Christmas” better than Crosby (Crosby probably never had to record another song in his life after immortalizing “White Christmas”). Someday I’ll get my hands on their old records and play it for my kids, too (yes, I own a record player).

Christmas | 4 Comments »

I’m extremely pleased to report two major legislative victories for the March of Dimes, babies, families, and all Americans.

Early in the morning on December 9th, Congress approved the PREEMIE Act (S. 707). The bill will now be sent to President Bush for his signature. This bill would not have passed without the hard work of volunteers and staff across the nation who reached out to their Senators and Congressional Representatives through personal visits, telephone calls, letters and emails urging swift approval of this initiative that sets the stage for increased federal support of prematurity related research and education.

Congress also approved a bill to extend temporarily federal support of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), thereby avoiding a funding shortfall projected to impact 17 states, putting over 600,000 infants and children at risk of losing their health insurance.

The volunteer efforts of the March of Dimes have again proven successful in meeting the health needs of America’s infants and children. Let’s savor these significant legislative victories and also get ready for next year’s agenda — funding for the PREEMIE Act and long term reauthorization of SCHIP.

Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes, made the following statement as the U.S. Congress sent the “PREEMIE” Act (S. 707) to President Bush for his signature:

Congress has responded to the growing crisis of premature birth by approving a bill that will increase federal support for research and education on prematurity.  On behalf of 3 million active volunteers and 1400 staff of the March of Dimes working in every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, I thank the United States Congress for approving the “PREEMIE” Act.

Premature birth is one of the most common, serious and costly problems facing America’s infants, affecting more than 500,000 babies in the U.S. each year, and causing disability and death in too many cases. Recent government data shows preterm birth to be the leading cause of infant mortality, accounting for more than two-thirds of infant deaths.  In addition to the emotional toll on families, the financial impact of the problem of premature births was brought into sharp focus by a recent report from the Institute of Medicine that found preterm birth cost the United States more than $26.2 billion in 2005 in medical care, lost household and labor market productivity and early intervention services. An earlier study by the March of Dimes estimated that the in-patient hospital charges alone were $18.1 billion in 2003, 44% of which was billed to employers and other private plans and 49% to the Medicaid program.  We look forward to President Bush signing this bill which will benefit America’s Children and their families.

We at the March of Dimes are deeply grateful to bill sponsors, Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Christopher Dodd (D-CT) and Representatives Fred Upton (R-MI) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA).  We also want to thank chairman of the Senate committee, Mike Enzi (R-WY) and House chairman Joe Barton (R-TX) for their efforts in guiding the bill to a vote in each chamber.  March of Dimes volunteers and staff across the nation have worked toward this day for more than 3 years.

In one of it’s most important provisions,  the bill authorizes a Surgeon General’s conference at which scientific and clinical experts from the public and private sectors will sit down together to formulate a national action agenda designed to speed development of prevention strategies for preterm labor and delivery.

We look forward to President Bush signing this bill which will benefit America’s Children and their families.  We also look forward to working with the administration and the 110th Congress on funding the provisions in the bill.

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March Of Dimes, Prematurity Awareness | 5 Comments »

Cure Autism Now and Autism Speaks Applaud Approval of the Combating Autism Act by United States House of Representatives
Landmark Legislation Authorizing Nearly $1 Billion in Autism Funding Now Moves Back to the Senate for Prompt Action

(NEW YORK, NY – December 6, 2006) –Leadership of Autism Speaks and Cure Autism Now, nonprofit organizations dedicated to increasing awareness of autism and raising money to fund autism research, today applauded the passage in the United States House of Representatives of the Combating Autism Act (S. 843). The bill authorizes nearly 1 billion dollars over the next five years to combat autism through research, screening, early detection and early intervention. The new legislation will increase federal spending on autism by at least 50 percent. It includes provisions relating to the diagnosis and treatment of persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders, and expands and intensifies biomedical research on autism, including an essential focus on possible environmental causes. Autism is now diagnosed in 1 in 166 children according to the Centers for Disease Control.

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Hat tip to dh.

Interesting story on www.abcnews.com. I actually thought it was great read. Kudos to that mom for doing something about her sons behavior.

COLUMBIA, S.C. Dec 5, 2006 (AP)— A fed-up mother had her 12-year-old son arrested for allegedly rummaging through his great-grandmother’s things and playing with his Christmas present early.

The mother called police Sunday after learning her son had disobeyed orders and repeatedly taken a Game Boy from its hiding place at his great-grandmother’s house next door and played it. He was arrested on petty larceny charges, taken to the police station in handcuffs and held until his mother picked him up after church.

“My grandmother went out of her way to lay away a toy and paid on this thing for months,” said the boy’s mother, Brandi Ervin. “It was only to teach my son a lesson. He’s been going through life doing things … and getting away with it.”

She ended by saying:

“It’s not even about the Christmas present,” she said. “I only want positive things out of it. … There’s no need for him to act this way. I’d rather call myself than someone else call for him doing something worse than this.”

News | 4 Comments »

This is also from Jeff John’s show this morning, though I had to go searching the net for the story. It’s from Newsnet5, a tv station out of Cleveland. It’s an interesting list. Several of them I like, specifically #9. Four of them I have never heard (either the version, as in the case of the Simpson sisters & Christina Aguilara, or the song itself, like the Wookie song). So, here’s their list:

1) “Grandma Got Ran Over By A Reindeer” by Elmo And Patsy
This song might have been funny when it was written 25 years ago, but in today’s world, this is about as humorous as the average episode of “The Wiggles.” Even worse, it spawned an animated special, a number of spin-off songs, a ringtone and one truly dumb music video.

 

2) “Jingle Bells” by The Singing Dogs
I’m not sure what is the worst thing about this song. The fact that it spawned a series of singing dog albums, or the fact that it prompted someone to release a couple of “Jingle Cat” CD’s. I like dogs, but listening to them bark for 40 minutes is not my idea of holiday cheer.

 

3) “Last Christmas” by Jimmy Eats World
A cover version of a bad Christmas tune by Wham is a bad enough idea. But the finished product (which is included on the compilation CD “Music From the O.C. Mix 3: Have a Very Merry Chrismukkah”) sounds more like a cry for help than a Christmas classic. It meanders, it whines and seems to last forever.

 

4) “The Little Drummer Boy” by Jessica and Ashlee Simpson
Jessica Simpson is an impressive singer, and her Christmas CD, “Re-Joyce: The Christmas Album” is an overall entertaining package. But this tune — a duet with sister Ashlee — sounds more like a German military march than a Christmas tune. And without being unduly mean, let’s just say that Ashlee’s voice does not quite come up to the standards of her sister.

 

5) “The Christmas Song (Holiday Remix)” by Christina Aguilera
If you like your Christmas CDs to have a bit of bare midriff on the cover, than have I got a CD for you. Aguilera’s “My Kind Of Christmas” is predictably upbeat, but any track that is described as a ‘holiday remix’ is in need of a lot of creative help.

 

6) “Wonderful Christmastime” by Paul McCartney
McCartney’s post-Beatles discography falls into two basic categories. There are the really great tunes, such as “Band On The Run” and “Jet.” And then there are the goofball, maudlin songs that often make me suspect those rumors about McCartney being replaced by a look-alike back in the 1970’s just might be true. While this song was a modest hit when it was released, it gets played a lot on the radio every year. And it’s managed to get more annoying as the years pass, primarily because the cheesy synthesizers and looping vocals make it more appropriate for playing at a roller skating rink than at a Christmas party.

 

7) “Redneck 12 Days of Christmas” by Jeff Foxworthy
Feel free to make up our own jokes about this tune. It’s just as bad as you would expect from any Christmas song that combines rednecks, Christmas and mobile homes.

 

“Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto” by James Brown
James Brown may be one of the best R&B singers ever, but his Christmas album is definitely an acquired taste. Sure, the tracks are funky and lively and easy to dance to. But I’m not sure that the thought of a funky Santa cleaning up the ghetto really gets me in the holiday spirit.

 

9) “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee
Yes, I know that this song is considered a classic by many music fans. But there is something about Lee’s piercing vocals and 1950’s delivery that has always managed to give me a headache.

 

10) “What Can You Get a Wookie for Christmas (When He Already Owns a Comb?)” from “Christmas In The Stars: The Star Wars Christmas Album”
There have been a number of horrific Christmas albums released over the years, but “Christmas In The Stars” might just take the prize for being the weirdest, most painful holiday album ever made. Take some of the characters from “Star Wars,” mix in the music of Meco and the result transcends campy and goes straight to painful. “What Can You Get A Wookie?” is just as peculiar as you might imagine, and it is truly impossible to adequately describe. But I can guarantee that playing it at your next Christmas party won’t just clear the room, it’ll empty your entire block.

Now, for my own survey. What are the Christmas songs that drive you crazy?

Christmas | 11 Comments »

I heard this on Jeff John’s show this morning on JET Radio 1400 and was intrigued by it. A new poll from Zogby surveyed 12,806 adults on whether they found the greeting ”Merry Christmas” offensive. What is interesting about the results is that the poll comes in the wake of stores doing away with the “Merry Christmas” greeting and replacing it with “Happy Holidays.” We know what happened to WalMart last year when they did that….Anyway, here are the results of the poll (The Zogby Interactive poll surveyed 12,806 adults between Nov. 21-29 and has a margin of error of +/- 0.9 percentage points):

*Wal-Mart’s change of heart this season could help bring more people into their stores – 35% of respondents said hearing “Merry Christmas” makes them more likely to shop there this season. For weekly Wal-Mart shoppers, that figure jumps to 54%.

*Zogby polling shows an overwhelming majority (95%) say they are not offended by being greeted with a “Merry Christmas” while shopping, including 98% for weekly Wal-Mart shoppers.

*46% say they take offense to a greeting of “Happy Holidays.”

*However, only 1% of respondents said they are very offended at being greeted with “Merry Christmas.”

*More than half of those polled (51%) said they are bothered by store clerks who greet customers with “Happy Holidays” in an effort to help stores be politically correct.

*For some shoppers, a clerk who says “Happy Holidays” might as well be saying “Don’t shop here” – 36% say they have avoided shopping at a store or have cut their visit short after being greeted with a “Happy Holidays” instead of a “Merry Christmas.” That figure jumps to 41% for weekly Wal-Mart shoppers and 42% for those older than 65.

But not everyone is excited about hearing “Merry Christmas” more often this year.

*One in three respondents who identified themselves as Jewish (32%) said they were upset by hearing “Merry Christmas.”

*So were 10% of those of non-Christian faiths or who did not identify themselves with a religion.

*Democrats are more likely to take offense at “Merry Christmas” (8%) compared with fewer than 1% of Republicans and 1% of Independents.

But, a clerks greeting may not be enough to put some in a good mood this season. Zogby also reports that 41 % of Democrats were more likely to be down in the dumps over the holidays than Republicans (26%) and Independents (36%), despite a big win in November’s elections. Women were also more likely to be less in the “holiday mood” – 37% say they feel that way this year compared to 30% of men. Most people , 46, say there’s no change in how they feel about the holidays this year compared with five years ago. One in five say they’re more in the holiday mood this year.

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Christmas | 13 Comments »

It’s hard to believe we’ve lived in Erie for 4 years. Outside of growinf up in Indiana, this is the place we’ve lived the longest. We lived in North Dakota for 18 months before this. Alex was 3 weeks old when we moved here and he’s turning 4 on Sunday. I can not believe the time has flown by so fast! It really doesn’t seem like we’ve been here that long.

And Alex…boy has he grown…just in the last couple of months! My dad saw him in August, and then again at Thanksgiving and he commented that he didn’t look like the same kid! He’s grown about 2 inches since August and is starting to thin out. Preschool has really matured him, too. I’m amazed at the things he can do now that he couldn’t do when he started in September, like write his name. I had no idea he could even do that until we were in CT last month visiting the inlaws. The twins were showing off the things they were learning in school, and Alex was feeling a bit left out so he decided to show everyone that he could write his name. I was totally amazed at that! Especially since I taught the twins how to write their name, but hadn’t taught Alex yet! He’s a quick study, that’s for sure.

Even though I know it’s 2 days early, I don’t anticipate having any time to blog this weekend. The boys have Christmas play dress rehearsal tomorrow, then the play on Saunday, with Alex’s birthday, and the twins have a birthday party to go to, as well. It’s a busy weekend for us. So,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALEX!

Family, the kids | No Comments »

I’ve been a slacker, lately. November was so busy I didn’t have time to scrap anything! So, not that I’m back in the swing of things, I did this layout for Brenda’s sketch challenge over at SBB.

You can find the credits here.

 

Digital LO's | No Comments »

Ok, honestly, it’s not my best decorating effort. If I was using candies and such it would have been better. But who am I kidding? A bunch of 3 and 4 year olds are not going to care that it isn’t my best effort.

So, without furthre ado, here is my final project:

straight from the mold:

And, the finished product:

So, there ya have it. Relatively quick and painless, and very easy. Though, I did discover that when their instructions say “To ensure good detail on the cakes, spread the batter so it reaches the top edges of each well and is slightly lower (emphasis mine) in the center of the well” they ACTUALLY mean a lot lower. I did the “slightly lower” thing and had to cut off a bunch of cake to get a flat bottom. It wasn’t a bad thing, I just felt like I had wasted batter/cake. I’m wiser for the wear next time

General | 2 Comments »