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Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Miracle On 42nd Street

I first saw this video two years ago.  Since then, it was removed from YouTube due to copyright infringement.

Looks like Alex Karigan and Zac Hammer recently uploaded it onto Vimeo...Just in time for Christmas.

To Kids From One To Ninety-Two....

I originally wrote this post four years ago.  Thought I might share it again....


Growing up as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I didn't have much exposure to the holidays as a child. I never knew the joy of opening up a wrapped present. I never got to see a Christmas tree up close, in all of it's glory. I never heard any holiday song enough to learn the words to it. I didn't want to....except one.

I was very sheltered as a child. My parents tried to "protect" me from the dangers of this "worldly system of things" (yes, that was the language that was used in the house). What they failed to realize, was that you can't control what is being fed into your childrens' brains outside your home. You cannot control the music being played at the grocery store. You can't control what they play at Walmart or Sears.

As I said, for the most part it had no effect on me. I really had no idea what I was missing out on. But when I heard that raspy voice coming over the loud speaker, I knew that there was something important that I was missing out on. That one song - those three minutes - convinced me that Christmas didn't have to be a religious holiday.  It was a time to spend with family and friends. I've never forgotten that.

This was the first, and to my recollection, only Christmas song I learned by heart. It gives me a warm feeling inside every time I hear it, as I hope it does you.

"And so, I'm offering this simple phrase...
to kids from one to ninety two....
although it's been said many times many ways....
Merry Christmas to you....."

Have A Merry Christmas

Makes me smile every time I see it.....

Monday, December 23, 2013

Tweet Of The Day

This tweet, which was later deleted, was sent by Washington State Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, shortly after the Seattle Seahawks lost to the Arizona Cardinals, 17-10.

He forgot to mention that Arizona is a white trash/Juggalo Mecca....

Friday, December 20, 2013

Things I Need To Remember After Leaving A Cult

My friend Catrina posted this on Facebook a couple of months ago.  She was kind enough to let me borrow it.  There are a couple of items on this list - particularly number four - that I have to force myself to acknowledge from time to time.
Things I Need to Remember After Leaving a Cult
  1. It is a cult…regardless of the name it chooses; it is and will remain a cult.
  2. You are no longer in the cult.
  3. You can only control one outcome while being in and exiting a cult: your own.
  4. You did not leave family behind- you left behind cult members.
  5. You are free to choose a belief system or none at all.
  6. No one will fully grasps what it was like in a cult; do not feel the need to make others understand.
  7. Build a support system- create your idea of a family, and take control of who enters your inner circle.
  8. It is okay to be confused. It is okay to be angry. It is okay to question everything.
  9. Revisit the past, but do not live there.
  10. Many things will trigger memories of your past cult life. Learn to spot these triggers and deal with them accordingly.
  11. Needing mental help is optional. If you need it, then do so. It does not make you weak…it makes you battle ready for the next war over your mind in life.
  12. We attract what we are. If you want good, positive people, be positive to counter the loneliness.
  13. Forgive yourself. It is finished the past, and you paid your dues while in the cult.
  14. Vent. Find safe places where you can release your anger and pain when you need to. You do not have to suffer alone.
  15. Learn to let go. This is the hardest one. It takes time and lots of strength.  

Monday, December 16, 2013

2013 - The Web In Review

Humanity:  Two steps forward.  One step back.

It's still progress....

Mashup Monday - 2013 In Review

It's getting to be that time of the year, again.  Every year, in the last couple of weeks of December, YouTube is innundated with year-end mashups of the year's movies and music.  Most are mediocre.  Some really stand out.

I don't know what to call Gen Ip.  Is she an artist?  A master editor?  A filmmaker?  In any event, I desperately anticipate her filmography each year.  While, in my opinion, 'Filmography 2010' was far and away her best effort, her video for 2013 is quite remarkable.



When it comes to the end-of-the-year music mashups, DJ Earworm tends to have the best mix every year.  His mixes are always fluid, with the tunes that had the most radio airplay for the year.  I actually recognized most of the songs.



If you quote me on this, I'll deny it.  But....pop music this year was pretty darn good.  Between albums from Macklemore, Daft Punk, Justin Timberlake, Gaga, and Lorde, not to mention a couple of good singles from folks like Robin Thicke, radio was almost bearable in 2013.

I said almost.