Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it. ~~Mark Twain
This is a really cute and amazing organ arrangement played on the Mormon Tabernacle organ. I believe the arrangement is by the organist. It’s really fun to try to see how many other Christmas songs he managed to slip into it. In addition, it an amazing showcase of his skills and the capabilities of that organ. I hope you enjoy.
Read moreI confess, I love the Muppets. I have since I was a kid, and I’d still watch their show if it was on. Here’s a version of Hark How The Bells with a few of their more interesting characters. Yes, it’s cheesy, but that’s what makes it fun, and isn’t that a whole lot of what the season is supposed to be about? Take a minute, and put a smile on your face. You won’t be able to help yourself.
Read moreThe anti-gay rights group, One Million Moms (which only claims a membership of 50,000, but has never bested about 15,000 signatures on any of their frequent petitions), his ho-ho-hoping mad over this completely offensive JCPenney ad, you know, because Ellen Degeneres is in it.
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We’ve added a new survey. We’re asking you to name your three favorite Holiday movies for this time of year. If you especially like on that’s not on the list, let me know, and we’ll add it. My personal favorites are A Charlie Brown Christmas, Christmas Vacation, the old and sappy White Christmas, and the granddaddy of them all, A Christmas Story.
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Sunday afternoon we attended the annual holiday concert for Una Voce The Florida Men’s Chorale. This was their 10th annual holiday concert, and Lay and me have been to each of them. This might have been the best concert yet, and I had a great time. The theater was very near, if not, sold out, and I believe straight couples might have outweighed gay couples.
Read moreWell, Christmas 2010 has come and gone. Nothing left to do but pack up the decorations. I’d have to rate it as a pretty good Christmas. I think I managed to stick to a fairly tight budget, and despite a few arguments with Lay, we wound up with everyone getting something they really enjoyed. I got my shopping and gift wrapping done well ahead of time this year. The decorations were up right after Thanksgiving, and the Christmas Cards went out just after that, so I never felt rushed or hectic.
Read moreIt’s been called Miracle on 22nd Street. A gay couple started getting hundreds of letters addressed to Santa Claus at their address on 22nd Street in New York City. They’ve been unable to figure how it was their address that got circulated as Santa’s address, but the miracle of it grew. While many so-called Christian organizations spent millions of dollars to defeat gay marriage initiatives and support themselves…FRC, AFA, Christian Family Coalition of Florida, Catholic Diocese of Minnesota, Bill Donahue of Catholic League who pays himself $400k per year, just to name a few…these two guys enlisted the help of friends and co-workers and went to work answering letters and helping children.
Read moreEach day brings even more astonishment at how low some people can go to make a buck or get their 15 minutes of fame. Certain Christianists seem hell-bent on creating a contrived “war on Christmas” where none exists all for the sake of either raising money, or making a name for themselves. And in the end, I fear it may destroy a wonderful and important time of the year.
Read moreThis is selected especially for this Christmas Day and is something to make pause in reverence. Kathleen Battle and Frederica von Stade sing a medley of carols concluding with “Angels We Have Heard On High.” timpani, Brass, strings and two amazing singers. That’s Christmas.
Read moreKathleen Battle and Christopher Parkening Performing Bach / Gounod’s Ave Maria Live at the 1987 Grammy Awards. I have the CD of these two, and it is remarkable. What a beautiful performance of a wonderful piece of music. In case you never knew this Gounod wrote the melody superimposed? over the Prelude in C Major, so it’s the Prelude that Parkening is playing.
Read moreMany years ago, when I lived here in Tampa the first time, I attended the Gay Men’s Chorus Christmas Concert at the Tampa Theater. The ceiling there is painted blue and has tiny lights in it simulating a night sky. I hadn’t noticed that until the Chorus sang this song and my eyes were drawn upward as I enjoyed the music and saw this amazing sight overhead. I think this has been my favorite carol ever since.
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