Merry Christmas, Sneakers. Welcome to the podcast that was as good a friend, good a master, and as good a podcast as the good old internet knew!
This week: a closeted Christmas; drinking and fucking; numerically interesting; Christmas is now; oily boids; special delivery; eccentric restaurants; unusual orderer guy; grinchy thoughts; loose Suess; coo-coo kids classic; shut down volume two; tired of the bear; Xmas workout; surprise nuts; ding-dongs at the wheel; hoarding turn signals; too much pressure; forced family; big fan of adultery; hermit dads; controlled truth; debonding moments; director’s commentary; Kubrick glare; you need the suffering; it’s a gift; no abhorring wombs; no to Gnostics; Top 5 Christmas songs; jingle bell blechh!; The Little Drummer Boy trivia; Question of the Week – Sneakers respond; drinking snowballs; eggno; renumberation; putting off reading emails; Parmesan theme; pinball wizard; cumbersome, obscure and convoluted sentences; best at yakking; and, finally, unboxing day.
Top 5 Christmas Songs!
- Louis Armstrong & the Commanders – “Cool Yule” – Brunswick Records single b-side to “The Gypsy”, 1953 – 2:07:43
- The Flirtations – “Christmas Time is Here Again” – Deram Records single b-side to “Nothing But a Heartache”, 1968 – 2:14:59
- Big Dee Irwin & Little Eva – “I Wish You a Merry Christmas” – Dimension Records single b/w “The Christmas Song”, 1963 – 2:19:38
- Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass – “Jingle Bell Rock” – ¡Something Festive!, 1968 – 2:28:53
- The Tokens – “The Little Drummer Boy” – The Ultimate Christmas Album, Vol. 5, 2000 – 2:35:28
Question of the Week: What is something good that has a terrible name?
Sub-question of the Week: What’s your favourite Christmas [or winter] song?
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Hello, gentlemen. I hope that your Christmas was pleasant and free of family drama. I have brief responses to your questions and a thought about New Year’s Day as a holiday.
When I was young, my mother had a friend who was someone (as opposed to something) good with a terrible name. She was a lovely person whose last name was, unfortunately, “Griesedich,” a German name with somewhat unsavory connotations in English. Despite being a committed feminist, she gladly changed her name when she married.
Favorite Christmas song: the original Preatorius harmonization of “Lo, How a Rose e’er Blooming.” Also, I love the Nutcracker and never tire of it. It’s not Tchaikovsky’s fault that it’s overplayed.
I agree with Seinfeld that New Year’s is an overrated holiday. I think he called it “a one-second holiday.” As an academic, in any case, I don’t consider January 1st the beginning of the year, but, rather, a moveable date in late August, just as the year ends in mid-May. The time in between (May to early August) is known as the season of “feeling-guilty-for-not-getting-enough-research-and-writing-done.”
But anyway, Happy New Year!
John
P.S. One more excellent Christmas song, or, rather, post-Christmas song is Elvis Costello’s “St. Stephen’s Day Murders.” Just remembered that one, and it seems that it may be up your alley.
I like the surreal imagery of “Do You Hear What I Hear?” The night wind speaks to a little lamb; a star has a voice as big as the sea. The song has many covers, but I’m fond of the 1963 Bing Crosby version. In that arrangement, the orchestration and choral backup singing start off simply then they get more elaborate as the lamb speaks to the shepherd boy who speaks to the mighty king who speaks to the people. The song was written in response to the Cuban Missile Crisis which is why the king says, “Pray for peace, people everywhere.”
Another favourite is “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” A few years ago a music therapy charity had a fundraiser called “Covers for a Cause.” For a donation, an artist would record a song of your choice. A local singer my sister and I know was participating. We couldn’t think of a pop song we both liked, so we asked for a smooth jazz version of “Merry Little Christmas” so we could play it every year. When the pandemic hit, the recording took on a whole new meaning. For the past two Christmases, our extended family dinner went from nine to just the three of us. But we were fortunate that faithful friends who are dear to us DID gather near to us…as far as our front door to drop off cookies and treats, with everyone fully masked.
Another mispronunciation story: as a little kid, when I sang “Silent Night” I thought the words were “round young virgin.” Even after I learned it was “YON virgin,” I still mistook “round” for the adjective, not the preposition meaning “around.” I assumed yon virgin was round because she was going to have baby.
A terrible word for something good is that term for a pleasurable activity that one does on one’s own. I won’t use it in this comment. As a preschool children’s writer, the thought of it turning up in a search next to my name causes me great perturbation.
Hearing the word Advocaat always reminds me of the Dutch football (soccer) coach Dick Advocaat.
Incidentally, Dick Advocaat is also the worst drink I’ve ever tasted.
Time to wish everyone a Happy New Year now with Christmas over and done with, let’s hope 2022 will be a healthy and promising year for all.
Something good that has a terrible name.
Most German food which is delicious but sounds like an insult when ordering it.
Cheese Curds, which sounds like either “turds” or cheese that has been curdled…which I think really is the case here. They are yummy and I get them from a burger chain called Culver’s. The Culver’s chain was originated in Wisconsin where all the cheese heads live, so they’re serious about their cheese curds and cheeseburgers. I’ve eaten so many of these cheese curds you have to board my ass up to keep the rats out.
Corn Hole, and everyone laughs when you suggest playing this game. It’s the two boards set about 25 feet apart with a 6 inch hole in each board. Teams of two take turns tossing bean bags to the opposite board and hopefully into the hole for points. It’s fun and addictive but who in their right mind named this game “Corn Hole?”
Whenever our family made the trip from Dallas to Chicago in the summer, we passed a huge ball bearing factory called “FAG BEARINGS.” It wasn’t an acronym either, just the name that caught our attention. I’m wondering if this factory ever thought of changing their name using a less offensive word? I just Googled it to find a handful of terrible reviews, so maybe this place isn’t a good thing with a bad name. Anyway, it also looks like they changed their name to the Schaeffler Group anyway, so just edit this all out and put in a windshield wiper instead.
Dave, you’re rocking’ it again with the Christmas songs! Five “New to Me” songs of cheer and merriment! Well done sir. I’ll have to collect them and add them to last year’s Listening Party playlist for the holidays. I do have a few favorite Christmas songs in mind. “JOY” (which is a 1971 instrumental by Apollo 100. It is a contemporary rendition of a 1723 composition by Johann Sebastian Bach entitled “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”) My late friend Sean turned me on to this years ago during the holidays and included it on a tape he gave me. I think I mentioned this tape many episodes ago called “Christmas in Sean’s Ears” which I treasure dearly. Ever since then I hear it occasionally, mostly notable on the “Boogie Nights” soundtrack.
https://youtu.be/_ekQ1RTmzBc
The other Christmas song I never tire of is from Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker”, it’s “The Russian Dance Trepak”! This music is used so widely throughout the holiday season, in Christmas movie trailers and as a furious background to evoke holiday chaos! I still love it and it puts me in the holiday mood every year…especially when shopping. The faster it’s played, the better!
https://youtu.be/z2ISRMSIyX8
I also like “You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch” so much I had a playlist of every cover of it I could find but the original Thurl Ravenscroft version is still the best!
Time to put all the Christmas music away and focus on the upcoming New Year! Let’s all keep one another company and in good cheer as we enter 2022! Good health and joy to the entire Sneaky Dragonverse!
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (as featured in Meet me in St Louis) also gets my vote for favourite Christmas song. Beautiful melody and poignant lyrics that reflect on present hardships but look ahead with hope and anticipate happier times to come.
There’s a great recording of this song on the album Oh Crap, it’s Christmas, by Debbie Davis and Matt Perrine. For the more spiritually inclined, they also do a fantastic old timey, foot stomping rendition of The Holy Baby, sort of in the style of Mahalia Jackson. Hey, I’m an atheist, but this even gets me going! I’ll leave a link here.
https://youtu.be/C-SVX5-Moww
Happy new year to Sneakers and Dragons everywhere!
Briefly chipping in with two favourite Christmas songs:
On the obscure vintage side, ‘Cowboy Santa Claus’ by Bill Lacey and the Ebonaires. There are a few songs with the same name, but none have the charm of this jaunty little toe-tapper.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oC7kjmGjOTk
Of the classic Christmas pop songs, ‘Santa Baby’ stands out for its delicious rhyming couplets – and their lip smacking delivery by Ertha Kitt. Less known but equally delightful is the follow-up, ‘This Year’s Santa Baby’
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XdWTa1kbsh0
Almost forgot- the most Christmassy song ever is the Icelandic carol I found on CD in Longsight, Manchester (home of the Stone Roses). I have a feeling Danny Elfman might have heard this before writing the Edward Scissorhands score. The version I first heard made my hair stand on end. Magical.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qNBNC0WEJkA
Something great with a terrible name: Ding Dongs
Favorite Christmas song: Hawksley Workman’s, “Merry Christmas, I Love You.”