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Friday, December 05, 2014

Here We Come A-wassailing

I am really excited about today's topic!  While I admit that it was inspired by a holiday special that I already reviewed a couple of Christmases ago, I can expand on this topic to include some personal memories.



This is Day #5 of A POP CULTURE ADDICT'S ADVENT CALENDAR, and I certainly hope that you've been enjoying this year's edition so far.



Anyway, first things first.  I may as well talk about the inspiration behind today's topic.  A couple of years ago in this blog, I was remembering a Christmas special that I absolutely loved watching, but hadn't seen in years.  It was called "A Claymation Christmas", and it featured the wonderful format of animation style brought to us by Will Vinton known as Claymation.  It featured a series of Christmas songs performed by an orchestra of giant bells, singing camels, ice skating walruses, and a bunch of raisins from California, and it was one of the many Christmas specials that I really loved.  Unfortunately, it has not aired on television in something like twenty years, and I really wanted to see it again.

Happily, with the wonders of eBay, I managed to track down a DVD copy of the special (and might I add, I got a bargain on it as well), and it is now in my collection.  Since I received it in the mail, I reckon that I have watched it at least four times.  It's really that wonderful.

One of the more memorable segments of the show involved the two hosts of the show - the two Claymation dinosaurs hosting the show from a Christmas like village.  Periodically, the hosts would be interrupted by a group of animals singing songs and giving gifts of food to those nearby.  If I remember them in order, they were dogs, geese, pigs, and finally leprechauns.  Or, were they elves?  I can't remember now. 



The point is that all of these animals were trying to sing the same carol, but they kept messing up one word.  The dogs kept singing "Here We Come A-waffling".  The geese were singing "Here We Come A-waddling".  And the pigs were singing "Here We Come A-wallowing"!



The leprechaun elves eventually got the song right.  The correct lyric was "Here We Come A-wassailing".  But what exactly does "wassailing" mean?

Well, it's an old English term that essentially means (drum roll please)...



...going around door-to-door pitching Christmas cheer, singing Christmas carols, and exchanging Christmas pleasantries.

Of course, in the United States, the song is more commonly known as "Here We Come A-caroling".  But regardless of how you say it, I would think that most of us have gone around the neighbourhood singing Christmas carols to people, or performing Christmas songs at a concert.

I know I've taken part in plenty of "wassailing" myself.  Not that I was any GOOD at it, mind you.  I am notoriously tone deaf and would make some American Idol rejects sound like Luciano Pavarotti in comparison.  But wassailing is an activity that anyone can take part in.  You don't have to be a perfect singer.  You just go out and do it.

When I was in elementary school, it was a common practice for all of the kids to be summoned to the gymnasium the week before Christmas and sing Christmas carols as a school.  I don't know if schools do this now, but I remember singing my fair share of Christmas carols from first to eighth grades.  Some kids took it seriously, while other kids just used the assembly as a way of goofing off.  Still, it was nice for all of us to come together as a school and sing carols. 

It was also pretty hilarious trying to see all the female teachers trying to pull off the "nine ladies dancing" part in "The Twelve Days of Christmas" carol. 

(Personally speaking, I liked fifth grade the best when it came to Christmas singalongs.  The five golden rings part was always everyone's favourite.  We would have to make rings with our arms over our heads.  Heck, at the age of 10, everything entertained me.)

I also remember the one and only time that I had to sing Christmas carols at a school concert in front of all of the parents and teachers.  I think our school was having an open house at the time for the holidays, and all the primary grades were forced to perform a medley of Christmas songs.  Unfortunately, as I already mentioned up above, I was tone deaf, and easily drowned out the singing of the kids around me.

Of course, my first grade music teacher (who admittedly was a real dirtbag who I was happy to see leave school after first grade) had the solution to hide me in the back behind the curtain, so that nobody in the crowd would see me.  Of course it backfired.  I sang even louder so that my family could hear me.

Needless to say, that was the very LAST Christmas concert I was ever allowed to sing at for the remainder of my time in elementary school. 

Now, playing Christmas music was a different story.  My vocal cords were terrible, but my baritone playing skills were passable.  And I absolutely loved playing my baritone whenever we had a Christmas concert.  Mind you, I didn't like every single piece we played.  I swear, if I had to practice "Jingle Bells" one more time, I would have strangled someone with an entire string of sleigh bells.  But all in all, they were fond memories.

And, wassailing wasn't just limited to singing at my school.  For some reason, I remember that we had lots of opportunities where we had special Christmas activities scattered all over the school.  We were all divided up into groups, and in each classroom were different activities.  We would play "reindeer games", we would make gingerbread houses out of graham crackers, and we would learn about the various traditions that went into Christmas celebrations.  If I remember correctly, there was one year in which we learned about Hanukkah and Kwanzaa as well, which I thought was an awesome touch.  I firmly believe that we shouldn't exclude any holidays.  We should celebrate them all.



And really, the whole spirit of wassailing is exactly that.  Going around the neighbourhood, spreading words of kindness, singing songs of joy, and infecting everyone around you with the spirit of the holidays. 

Now here's my question?  Who wants to come a-wassailing with me?  I'll even throw in a couple of waffles from those nice claymation puppy dogs!

Or, you could just stay tuned for Day #6.  The movie posts return tomorrow!

Thursday, December 04, 2014

Care Bears Nutcracker Suite

Hello, everyone!  Are you ready for another edition of A POP CULTURE ADDICT'S ADVENT CALENDAR?  I certainly hope you are because I have a really fun topic idea to talk about for the fourth day of the calendar.



Yes, we're on Day #4, and as you may have noticed, I have temporarily gone back to the old theme days.  It just makes it easier to keep track of all of the topics that I have already done.  And for TUBE TALK THURSDAY, we're going to be taking a look at a Christmas special that I absolutely remember from my childhood.  It's a television special that combines a classic Christmas tale with one of the most popular toys of the 1980s, and it is a special that I have probably seen about a couple dozen times.  I suppose it makes sense, considering that I was seven and a half when this special first aired on television.



How many of you out there have a nutcracker doll on display at your home for the holidays?  I know that I have a couple of nutcracker ornaments hanging up on our family Christmas tree.  And my sister has a collection of nutcracker dolls that probably exceeds over two hundred.  Seriously, if you visit her at home, the nutcracker dolls take over a whole portion of her living room.

Of course, nutcracker dolls do more than decorate homes and crack walnuts open with their gigantic mouths.  The nutcracker happens to be the star of a famous holiday ballet show!

As many of you know, "The Nutcracker" is a two-act ballet with music composed by Tchaikovsky.  The ballet itself was inspired by the story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" by E.T.A. Hoffmann.  All I have to do is post the main theme of The Nutcracker and it will instantly jog your memory, like so.



Would you believe that the very first performance of The Nutcracker took place almost 122 years ago, on December 18, 1892?  And would you believe that initially, The Nutcracker failed to catch on?  Of course, this was nothing to do with Tchaikovsky's compositions...if anything, the music was more popular than the actual ballet!  But by the time the 1960s rolled around, "The Nutcracker" was finally starting to get recognized for its greatness and has been performed by various ballet companies all over the world each Christmas season.

So, what do you think you would get if you took "The Nutcracker" and combined it with a cartoon that featured a bunch of loving, caring teddy bears and their kind-hearted animal cousins?



Well, you might get something called "Care Bears Nutcracker Suite", that's what!

Originally airing in the United States on December 10, 1988 (in Canada, the cartoon aired on Christmas Day, 1988), the Care Bears Nutcracker Suite also doubled as the three-part series finale of "The Care Bears Family" cartoon series, which ran from 1986-1988.  And honestly, I think that if the cartoon series had to end, this was definitely a great series of episodes to do it with.

First things first, I like the fact that this episode starred some Care Bears who really never got much of a chance to shine during the whole series.  As I recall, early episodes were very Tenderheart and Braveheart centered, while later episodes seemed to focus mostly on the Cheer Bear/Champ Bear/Bright Heart Raccoon/Treat Heart Pig quadrilateral.



The two main stars of this special?  Grumpy Bear and Funshine Bear.  Complete polar opposites, but they certainly made a great team.

Of course, Baby Hugs and Tugs, Brave Heart Lion, Tenderheart Bear, and Lotsa Heart Elephant also made appearances in this special Christmas feature.

The Care Bears Nutcracker Suite begins at a public school where a group of children are busy practicing for a Christmas play.  Their teacher, named Miss Walker, decides to gather the children together to tell them a story.  The story, of course, is "The Nutcracker".  But there's a twist to the story.  This story begins in Care-a-Lot - the home of the Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins.

Yes, believe it or not, Care Bears celebrate Christmas too.  And naturally, all of the Care Bears are busy decorating trees, wrapping presents, and forcing their little star friends to pose as Christmas lights all season long.

(Okay, I made that last part up.)



Well, that is, everyone except Hugs and Tugs.  The Care Bear Cubs are only interested in trying to find the absolute perfect ornament for the Care Bear Family Christmas Tree.  Remember that point for later.

But before you know it, the Christmas festivities are put on hold when Funshine Bear reports that a little girl named Anna is feeling sad and depressed, and Funshine requests the aid of another Care Bear to help her try and cheer Anna up.  Of course, this sets the stage for Grumpy Bear to join Funshine Bear on the mission.

Once both bears arrive on Earth, they quickly discover what is wrong.  Anna's best friend recently moved away, and with Anna's little brother Peter being too distracted by pirate games and seeking adventure, she is feeling alone for the holidays.  Grumpy and Funshine try to cheer Anna up, but in the midst of everything, a flash of light appears in Anna's bedroom, and a portal opens up.

(The portal might I add is exactly the same one that Beastur used to go through on "My Pet Monster".  I suppose since both "My Pet Monster" and "Care Bears" were produced by Nelvana, it was inevitable that they would share similar animation techniques.)

In the case of Anna, it isn't a scary purple monster that comes out.  Instead, it happens to be a life-sized, talking nutcracker doll!  But unfortunately, he is followed by an army of gigantic rats who do their best to try and drag Mr. Nutcracker back inside! 



Of course, Funshine, Grumpy, Anna, and Peter are not willing to let their new friend go without a fight, and they easily defeat the rats who scurry back inside the portal.  Of course, this leads the Care Bears and the children to wonder what the heck is going on, and Mr. Nutcracker explains that the group of rats - lead by the Rat King - were cohorts of a man known as the Evil Vizier, a ruthless dictator who makes it his mission to take over the land known as Toyland.  Mr. Nutcracker also explains that the Prince of Toyland has gone missing, and that the Prince's ring has also gone missing, which could spell doom for Toyland if the ring falls in the wrong hands.



At the same time, the Vizier has captured the Sugar Plum Fairy - one of the closest allies of the former Prince of Toyland.  You see, the Sugar Plum Fairy has actually hidden the Prince's ring inside of a walnut, and she is the only one who knows where the ring is.  And naturally, the Vizier believes that by capturing Sugar Plum, she will eventually crack and reveal where the ring is.  But Sugar Plum is not willing to give up the secret at all. 

At the same time, the Care Bears and Anna team up with Mr. Nutcracker to try and stop the evil Vizier from taking over Toyland.  Of course, Peter wants to help too, but is initially relegated to babysitting Hugs and Tugs.  But somehow, the three find another portal to Toyland, and they embark on their own adventure, with Peter wanting to find adventure, and Hugs and Tugs trying to find an ornament that they can call their very own.

I'm sure you see where this is going, right?  Yep, somehow, the walnut ends up in the possession of Hugs and Tugs, and the rest of the Care Bears soon discover that keeping Anna and Mr. Nutcracker safe is not the easiest job in the world.

So, how does this tale end?  Well, I really shouldn't spoil it for you.  After all, some of you may not have seen it.  All that I will reveal is that Mr. Nutcracker might have a deeper connection to Toyland than initially thought, and that there is a rather ingenious surprise twist at the end of the story.

All in all, it's a great adaptation of "The Nutcracker".  Definitely check it out.

And, that wraps up Day #4.  In Day #5, I'll be sharing a personal Christmas memory.  In the meantime, happy nutcracking! 

Wednesday, December 03, 2014

Would You Treat Your Wife The Same Way You Treat Retail Workers?

Hello, everyone.

I just wanted to warn you ahead of time before I post this blog entry for today.  I understand that the holidays are one of the most magical and beautiful times of the whole year, and I know that everyone has the same thoughts during the holidays.  They want to spend the holidays with special people and enjoy themselves.  I know I certainly want a holiday like that, and I hope that everybody taking the time to read this blog today has the best holiday season ever.

And of course, this blog will be observing the holidays by hosting A POP CULTURE ADDICT'S ADVENT CALENDAR until December 25.  And for the most part, it will be a fun-filled smorgasbord of holiday favourites and holiday stories.



However, on this - day #3 of the calendar - I have a topic that while related to the holidays, is a rather serious topic.  I've been observing a rather disturbing trend the closer we get to the holidays, and it is this observation that I have to comment on because I do have a lot of strong opinions about it.

Certainly, the holidays can be a happy time.  But it can also be a frustrating time.  It's WHO AM I WEDNESDAY today.  And this time, it's personal.

December 3, 2014



Sometimes, working retail can be a really frustrating experience.  It can also have its share of rewards as well, and certainly over the nearly ten years that I've been working in that field of work, I've had some highs and lows.

Of course, I definitely find the month of December to be one of the most frustrating months to work in retail.  I am sure that every single person who has ever operated a cash register once in their lives would agree with that statement.

There certainly are a lot of variables that go into making the month of December extremely difficult to work retail.  Limited stock for customers.  Long lines at the front end.  Trying to get the best deals possible by price matching.  And, of course, there's the challenge of trying to balance the time spent between a half dozen customers within a ten minute window.  That is a real art in itself - one that I still have trouble with.

Though I will say that in quite a lot of cases, the customers do show their appreciation to you for helping them out.  They greet you with a smile, say thank you, and in the case of one recent customer encounter, they hugged me right in the middle of the store when I helped them find the latest release by Beyonce in the CD section!  See, encounters like that are what make the job worth it, and I wish that every single transaction I perform at work went as smooth.

But, over the course of the last few days, I've noticed a really alarming trend.  And, it's one that I do NOT condone at all.

I understand that dealing with difficult customers is a part of any job.  You'll always have those customers who are impatient and want to be served right there, right then.  You'll always have the customer who wants to open every single box in the store to make sure that the items aren't defective.  You may even have the odd customer who tells you that you've destroyed their Christmas because you ran out of Elsa and Anna dolls.  Been there, done that.



But one thing that I will not tolerate is when customers are so rude that they bully, intimidate, or threaten sales staff.  It is something that I deem completely UNACCEPTABLE under any circumstance, and I will be the first to say that anyone who works in retail does not get paid nearly enough to take any sort of abuse from any customer.

I once served a delightful (and believe me, I use that term loosely) customer who was with her young daughter.  They were looking for an item known as a Rainbow Loom, and I was the unlucky employee who was on the floor at the time to help them out.  Keep in mind that while I now know that a Rainbow Loom is a kit designed to make jelly bracelets and other pieces of jewelry, but do you think that a man in their early thirties who has no children would have a clue what that was?  Nevertheless, I tried to find out if we had the item in stock despite the lady obviously getting madder and madder.  

(Interestingly enough, the little girl showed more maturity than her own mother.)

Long story short, it turned out that we were sold out of the kits, and when I told the mother this fact, she tore a strip off of me and launched so many F-bombs in my direction that if they were real bombs, my remains would have been vaporized on the spot. 

Need I remind you that this incident happened right on the sales floor, right in front of her own daughter?  Yeah, great lesson you're teaching you child, Mom.  Let's show her that retail workers are not worth respecting and that they don't have feelings.  Let's teach her that it's okay to treat people badly for no reason whatsoever.  Great plan, Mom.

By the end of it all, I felt bad for the little girl for having such a nasty parent.  But I felt even more angry over the fact that it wasn't just this mother that was guilty of such behaviour.  In fact, I have seen an increase of nastiness from customers towards myself and my fellow co-workers, and I am not liking it.  



It seems as though customers are almost encouraged to treat retail workers like garbage in hopes of getting discounts, or freebies, or whatever they want because they have had some of their friends do the same, or they see it in action.  It is just so disgusting and shameful.

I think in some cases, people don't seem to understand just how badly they come across.  I'll say it like this.  If you talk in a flippant and sarcastic manner towards a retail worker and try to make them look stupid, you're approaching a line that shouldn't be crossed.  If you call a retail worker a nasty name, you just crossed that line.  And if you verbally or physically attack a retail worker to the point where that worker is in tears, you have taken that line, crossed over it, and blew it up with a grenade.  Enough is enough.  Don't be a jerk.

I ask you this question.  Would you verbally attack your wife or husband because they didn't know the answer to a question?  Would you make your own daughter cry because she wasn't fast enough in answering your question?  Would you throw a fit and cuss out your grandmother because she couldn't find an item for you?

Then why the hell would you go out and abuse someone who is trying to help you and is doing their job to the best of their own abilities?  After all, us retail workers are someone's son.  Someone's daughter.  Someone's mother.  Someone's grandmother.  How dare you go out of your way to intimidate them or ruin their day because you were in a bad mood prior to going to the store?  How dare you put yourself on a pedestal when your actions don't warrant it?  How dare you play mind games with retail workers because you want to get something for nothing?  And how dare you make people cry because you just enjoy being a jerk?

If you're really going to be that nasty towards service people, then do us all a favour and do your shopping online.  Nastiness like that is contagious, and I certainly don't want to be put in a bad mood because you are angry at the world.



However, there is one good thing about this.  Just as nastiness can be contagious, so can kindness.  And here's a little tip for all of you.  The more patient you are, and the more understanding you are, the better service that you will get from me.  That is an absolute promise from me.

You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar.  

Tuesday, December 02, 2014

December 2, 1867

Hi, everybody!  It looks like December has gotten off to a fantastic start, and so has THE POP CULTURE ADDICT'S ADVENT CALENDAR!



This is only Day #2 of the near month-long event, and as it so happens, day #2 falls on a Tuesday Timeline entry.

Now, Tuesday Timelines are extremely difficult to work on during the month of December because I like to try and insert at least one Christmas reference to the main subject that I choose.  Ultimately, this is not always easy.  However, I did find one date that fit brilliantly.  And even though this might seem like a minor event at first glance, it really gives me a chance to expand on this event with an entry bursting with Christmas cheer!

In the meantime, have a look at some of the other events that took place on December 2 throughout history.

1763 - The first synagogue in the nation that will become the United States of America thirteen years later opens up in Rhode Island

1775 - The USS Alfred becomes the first vessel to fly the Grand Union Flag

1804 - Napoleon Bonaparte crowns himself Emperor of the French at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

1845 - President James K. Polk issues a State of the Union address which includes a proposal that the United States should expand aggressively to the West

1908 - At the age of two years old, Aisin-Giori Puyi becomes Emperor of China

1925 - Actress/singer Julie Harris (d. 2013) is born in Grosse Pointe, Michigan

1927 - The Ford Motor Company releases the Ford Model A automobile

1930 - In the early stages of the Great Depression, President Herbert Hoover proposes a $150 million public works program designed to generate jobs in the battered economy

1939 - New York City's LaGuardia Airport opens for business

1942 - World War II's Manhattan Project - A team led by Enrico Fermi initiates the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction

1946 - Fashion designer Gianni Versace (d. 1997) is born in Italy

1947 - The Jerusalem Riots of 1947 begin in response to the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine

1970 - The United States Environmental Protection Agency is formed

1976 - Fidel Castro becomes the President of Cuba

1982 - Barney Clark becomes the first person to receive a permanent artificial heart

1986 - Actor/singer Desi Arnaz dies of lung cancer, aged 69

1995 - Actress Roxie Roker passes away at the age of 66

2001 - Enron files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

2009 - Eric Woolfson - co-creator of The Alan Parsons Project - dies at the age of 64

And, a very happy birthday to the following people; David Piper, Cathy Lee Crosby, Tommy Jenkins, Ron Raines, Dan Butler, Stone Phillips, Rick Savage, Brendan Coyle, Dan Gauthier, Rich Sutter, Ron Sutter, Lucy Liu, Rena Sofer, Monica Seles, Jarron Collins, Jason Collins, Nelly Furtado, Melissa Archer, Britney Spears, Jana Kramer, Daniela Ruah, Cassie Steele, and Amber Montana.

So, what is the date that we will be looking at?  Well, I'm glad you asked.  It gave me the opportunity to make a special snowflake date avatar in the process!



Wow...so, apparently we are going back over a century in time.  December 2, 1867!  That is probably one of the oldest dates that we have ever gone back in time to in the blog!

And, yeah, I have to say that the significance behind the date isn't all that spectacular.  It appears as though this is the date in which acclaimed author Charles Dickens made his very first appearance in the United States.  He gave a public reading to American citizens who were living in or near the Boston, Massachusetts area at Tremont Temple. 



And, that's it.  Nothing more.  Nothing less.

Now, keep in mind that a British author making a trip to the United States to present their work to a crowd of people is nothing unusual in 2014, but back in 1867, it was a really big deal.  After all, 1867 was a year in which flying was still a foreign concept.  I imagine that it must have taken Dickens several days to get to the United States back in the 19th century!  But still, why would I make such a big deal over this event?

Well, maybe it is because Charles Dickens just happens to be the author of the most famous Christmas tale ever told.



I'm sure most of you have heard of the classic tale known as "A Christmas Carol".  I have to say that in the world of pop culture, I could probably come up with at least two dozen examples of the classic Dickens tale being told.  The earliest film version of "A Christmas Carol" was released in 1910, and the latest was released in 2009.  Disney released a version of the tale starring Scrooge McDuck.  And, even "Saved By The Bell" did a version of the tale in a Christmas episode, though admittedly their version would have made Charles Dickens turn over in his grave.

But in all seriousness, I can see why Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" remains one of the most popular holiday tales ever told.  It is a classic tale of how sometimes even the most greediest, stingiest, and nastiest people can find a way to fill their hearts with the spirit of Christmas, and in turn spread their joy to everybody in the world.  And certainly in the world of literature, there is no man more stingy and more greedy than Ebeneezer Scrooge.  He forces his staff to work their fingers to the bone on holidays like Christmas, and hoarding his massive fortune all for himself.  Scrooge was a lonely old chap.  His only friend in the world was his business partner Jacob Marley, ad his death on Christmas Eve made Scrooge even more miserly. 

Of course, you know that Jacob Marley was one of the three ghosts who came to visit Scrooge on Christmas Eve night.  Three ghosts representing the spirits of Christmas past, Christmas present, and Christmas future pay Scrooge a visit and show him exactly the moment in which he began to shut people out and stockpiled enough money to feed a small country.  He made Scrooge visit the holiday celebrations of the Cratchit family where the sickly Tiny Tim causes Scrooge to take great pause in how he has treated people.  And he comes to the sad realization that if he doesn't change his ways, he will be left all alone in the world with nobody caring about him.

Really, the whole novel is a classic.  I would consider it to be one of his best works.



Oh, and let's not forget "David Copperfield" either.  Interestingly enough, the book is not really Christmas themed, but several adaptations of this Dickens novel are set in a Christmas setting, such as this 1993 adaptation of the classic tale starring the voices of Julian Lennon, Sheena Easton, Howie Mandel, and Michael York.  Click HERE to watch the whole film.  According to this animated film, David Copperfield was born on Christmas Day, but in the book, his birthday is closer to Easter.  Either way, I guess you could consider him to be a very special child.  I could explain what the story is about, but I provided the link to the special above so you could watch it.  I hope you have a spare hour and a half though.  That's how long it is.  I liked it though.

Anyway, as I said before, the main event might not seem like such a big deal...but considering the fact that he authored a famous Christmas tale...well, I can give it a pass.


And so wraps up another Tuesday Timeline entry, as well as Day #2 of the advent calendar.  But do stay tuned for Day #3...I have a WHO AM I WEDNESDAY entry that my fellow workers in retail can likely appreciate.

Monday, December 01, 2014

Tacky Christmas Ornaments

Hello, everyone!  And welcome to December!

Oh yeah...you might have noticed that I have winterized the blog for this month as well.  This is intentional.  I decided that I would keep this look for three months.  Then when Spring comes, I'll have a Spring theme, and so on and so forth.

I even made a new logo - which I previewed a few months back in the small square.  The font is called "Variex" (or Baskin-Robbins font, if you will), and I like it so much, I'm going to keep it for a while. 

I hope you like the new look!  I just hope it doesn't leave you cold.  Get it?  Leave you cold?  Yeah, I never claimed to be a comedian here.

Anyway, I am really happy to see you here!  And do you know why?



Because this happens to be DAY #1 of A POP CULTURE ADDICT'S ADVENT CALENDAR!!!

Yep, in 2012, I used green and red scalene triangles.  In 2013, I used Christmas decorations.  And, this year, the theme is all about snowflakes!



Yes, even Suzy Snowflake, if you like.

So, with this being the first day of the advent calendar, I thought that I would choose a light hearted topic to kick things off.  And wouldn't you know it, the snowflakes gave me a bit of an idea.

How many of you have snowflake ornaments on your Christmas tree?  I know that on our family Christmas tree, we have several in all different colours.  There are white, red, green, gold, and I just bought a giant royal blue coloured one for this year's contribution.

Certainly Christmas trees can tell a story.  I reckon that on our family Christmas tree, there is at least a half-century of stories that if trees could talk, it would be able to keep you entertained for hours.

And for the most part, every single ornament on our tree was picked out with love, wonderment, and excitement.  There's not a single ugly ornament that exists on our tree.

Of course, I imagine that over the thousands of Christmas celebrations that have been observed every December 25, there have been some ornaments that could be described as ugly, tacky, and in some cases, just plain scary. 

I scourged the web to come up with some ornaments that are...unique.  And before I go ahead with this blog, I need to give credit to inventorspot.com, cafepress.ca, jezebel.com, and huffingtonpost.com for the inspiration behind this post.

Let's get started!



1.  Ah, this must be the time in which they decided that a New Kids on the Block/Little Mermaid hybrid would sell out. 



2.  Yeah, I'm sure that the creator of this ornament didn't intend for it to look so creepy, but if you ripped off Barbie's face and glued it onto a sea of green sparkles, what would you call it?



3.  Somehow this seems more appropriate for a Halloween tree instead of a Christmas tree.  Though I will also be the first to admit that I think it's kind of cool.



4.  I guess this ornament is designed for people to always remember Baby's First XBOX.  Or, is that an XBOX 360?  I don't think it's an XBOX One...



5.  Nothing says Merry Christmas quite like Santa Claus undergoing an exorcism, doesn't it?  What else could be better?



6.  Oh, great.  Where are Temperance Brennan and Seeley Booth when you need them?



7.  Ohhhhh!  Look at the cute little bomb ornament!  Totally inappropriate for a Christmas tree, but I think it still looks cute.  Then again, I have the A&W Root Bear on my tree, so what do I know?



8.  I don't even know what the heck this even has to do with the Christmas season?  A summer vacation tree, sure...and that's a stretch.



9.  You know how that town in Poland was complaining that Winnie the Pooh was not appropriate for children because he refused to wear clothes?  Would they consider THIS a better solution?!?



10.  Oh, yeah...nothing says Merry Christmas like hanging Snooki on your tree branches...



11.  When in doubt, just open up a can of Chef Boyardee for ornament inspiration.



12.  I...cannot...unsee...this...



13.  You know, I have to admit that I would probably like a Yoda ornament on my tree.  But Yoda as a tree topper?  Overkill that sounds like.



14.  Angels we have heard scream high, as their heads begin to fry...



15.   Yes...these ornaments are exactly what you think they are...



16.  I see the Grinch has opened up his own holiday shop.

Wasn't that fun, everyone?  And, we still have another twenty-four days to go!

Keep it right here.  Day #2 is coming up tomorrow with a Tuesday Timeline entry!

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Calendars

You know, I have to say that I had a lot of fun with YOU NEVER NOVEMBER WHAT YOU'RE GONNA GET month!  It certainly was a great period of experimentation, and it allowed me to try and get a little more creative without the rigid structure of theme days.  I really appreciated it.

But today happens to be the last day of November, and with that comes the real big kick-off towards Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and any other special holiday that you and your families may celebrate. 

Of course, you know what this means.  This will be the time of the year in which I kick off another exciting edition of THE POP CULTURE ADDICT'S ADVENT CALENDAR!

Yes, for exactly twenty-five days in a row from December 1 until December 25, we'll be taking a look at all kinds of holiday surprises from Christmas carols to Christmas movies, to Christmas treats, and even a couple of Christmas tales or two to share.  After all, part of the fun of the holidays is the family gatherings and reminiscing about fond holiday memories.  Believe me, I have a few tales to tell.

But for now, in preparation for the advent calendar, I thought that I would use this space to talk about...well...calendars!

I have to say, one of the things that I used to love about the holidays is that I would almost always receive a gift of a calendar for Christmas.  After all, it is a rather practical gift of sorts given that the new year begins exactly one week after Christmas Day.

Funny thing is, I don't remember when I received my very first calendar as a Christmas gift...however, I do remember getting an advent calendar every Christmas for the first fourteen Christmases of my life.  At least, I think it was fourteen.



Anyway, you know the advent calendars I mean, right?  The ones that had some sort of Christmas scene with doors stamped on them numbered from 1-24?  I used to love those things.  Mainly because you were guaranteed to have a piece of chocolate every day for twenty-four days!  You see, when December 1 rolled around, you opened the door marked #1, and ate the chocolate inside.  Then on December 2, you open #2 and so on and so forth until you reach Christmas Eve when door #24 held the biggest piece of chocolate.  Yeah, good times.

I can tell you that all but one of the advent calendars that I had for Christmas were of the chocolate variety.  The other one used stickers.  Ironically enough, I liked the sticker advent calendar the best!



And now I hear that they have such a thing as a Lego Advent Calendar?  I must have it!  It looks so awesome!!!



But then again, I did get a Lego calendar for Christmas last year.  I guess I don't need to have the advent calendar too.

Of course, now that I have the Lego calendar, I really don't need to get another calendar for Christmas ever again, but who knows?  I may end up getting a paper calendar yet.

After all, I do remember getting quite a few calendars from some family members and friends.

For instance, my brother-in-law once went down to the United States and brought me back a calendar from...ahem...Hooters (keeping in mind that I was probably in my late teens, early twenties at the time).  I will say that it was definitely a calendar that I hung up in my room with pride.  I think he even had a couple of the waitresses autograph some of the pages!  It was a great calendar.  Still wish I had it...

...ahem, where was I?  Oh, yes!  Calendars!

Actually, the holidays are a great time to purchase calendars for charity purposes.  I know the Heart & Stroke foundation creates a limited amount of calendars that they charge a rather steep price for that I received for at least two or three years.  But every penny reportedly goes towards research, and there is also the chance that you could win huge money if they draw the serial number of the calendar that you own. 

Mind you, I never won a thing...but it was still a nice idea.

And, I still have a calendar from 2007 that doubled as a fridge magnet that I received in a Christmas card from a dear friend named Rosemary who passed away just three months later.  It's a nice little token to remember her years of friendship, and even though she has been gone for almost eight years now, I still think about her once in a while.

I think calendars are awesome gifts to receive for the holidays...and I think that calendars are a great gift to give as well.  In fact, I am giving out calendars to at least three people on my own Christmas list.  But, I've said too much.


In the meantime, say goodbye to November.  Day #1 of THE POP CULTURE ADDICT'S ADVENT CALENDAR begins tomorrow with a holiday twist on a funny Monday.