Friday, January 3, 2014

On The Tenth day of Christmas . . .

Who doesn't love a good laugh?  As we continue to percolate down the tangled corridor of twelve day madness, ineffably featured for your folly is this frenetically favorite, "Ukrainian Bell Carol."  Oh my. The best part of the song is the button.

http://youtu.be/nCKvIUAMg5A

So, uhm, like, you know, I mean, true story;  Three men die in a car accident Christmas Eve. They all find themselves at the pearly gates waiting to enter Heaven.  On entering they must present something relating or associated with Christmas.

The first man searches his pocket, and finds some Mistletoe, so he is allowed in.  The second man presents a candy cane, so he is also allowed in.  The third man pulls out a pair of stockings. Confused at this last gesture, St. Peter asks, "How do these represent Christmas?"

The third man replied, "They're Carol's."

Staying with the squirrel motif, DO NOT LET YOUR TEENAGE SON SEE THIS.  What is intriguing about this video is that it received half a million hits on this site and another half on YT.  It has been linked to over 2,800 times on FB.  WHERE ARE THEIR PARENTS?  If nothing else, you have to love the unashamed honesty of the film makers and their choice of Jane's Addiction.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f5d_1172741350

I don't have a squirrel problem.  The cats next door catch and kill them as does my baby red tailed hawk.  I wish he'd eat some of the cats:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzX2CftOUPI

-Malcolm.
Iyay avehay ayay igbay atapultcay.

"In a world gone mad with mistrust and alienation, the church (like never before) must present faith as a dynamic and relevant force for change."
-Wendell Berry.

Thursday, January 2, 2014

On The Ninth day of Christmas . . .

Blithe Thor's day, everyone.

You're probably asking yourself, I wonder what treasure will come crawling out of the primordial ooze today?   Do you 'memba Tiny Tim?  Keep the insulin handy for this one.  The Sulu recording was supposed to be part of yesterday's hit parade, for the Asian theme.  Who proof reads these things?!?  George Takei's family suffered horribly during WWII when our government shuffled them around internment camps.  The family lost everything.  Wait, the United States had internment camps?!?

http://youtu.be/P_vCzhpBTog

http://youtu.be/1ijO91N8jYY

Would you like to see a drunk squirrel?
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1670028/drunk_squirrel/

-Malcolm.
clava thessara infinitas

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

On The Eighth day of Christmas . . .

. . . we get saddled with "O Come All Ye Faithful."  Someone got a hernia on this one.  Better put the cat out before you press play. 

http://youtu.be/gn2BEInqbu4

Bonus grandmotherly track: "Joy To the World."  It was either this song or the Feliz Navidad (but I think this one) that was created by a grandmother in Thailand.  It was her Xmas gift to her grandchildren who are living here in the US.  She mailed it a week prior and then as you know, a Tsunami hit her country either Christmas day or the day after (2007?).  The family never heard from her again.  I like to beleive that she took advantage of the chaos and left the country to assume a new identity.  How beautiful is this recording?

http://youtu.be/bgIVNSuSqbs

BTW, Eight maids a milking is a reference to smallpox vaccine.  However, Stephen Fry said "Nobody knows."

Happy New Year as we celebrate January named after Janus, the god of beginnings and transitions.  As the earth wobbles to its new precession, we are also approaching the age of Aquarius - in about 500 years.  Sadly, none of us will live to see this age of enlightenment known as the age of the water bearer.  The first recorded age was Taurus the bull which was ushered out by Moses who then introduced us to the age of the ram, Aries; Then Jesus, the age of Pieces the fish.  (Milutin Milankovitch, is it getting warm in here?)  Capricorn is in another 3,000 years, that's my symbol.  Then in roughly 5,000, Sagittarius.  That age won't be good.  Stock up on food now, people.  BTW, Noah ushered in the last Aquarian Age and we all know how that ended.

May your new year be blessed with peace, love and joy.  Remember, "If you are not busy being born again, then you are busy dying." - Siddhārtha Gautama (during the age of Aries).

-Malcolm.
Ki`banja`swei!

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

On The Seventh day of Christmas . . .

Knee-how shumdee (你好兄弟). I don't know how to spell that in English.

Yes kids, who doesn't love that perennial and ubiquitous recording of those wondrous dogs who bark out the tune of "Jingle Bells?"  Today's quite fab offering gives equal time to our four footed flea infested feline friends.   The phone ringing in the background is a nice surprise.  BTW, this recording was made in China.  Despite the cats singing in Chinese, I think you'll understand them.  Be not afraid, none of these cats fell victim to the Ford Sportka.  However, they are in China . . . Mmmm, cat, gurgle, drool (my Homer Simpson impersonation).

http://youtu.be/bNhjElUwJa8

Since this is technically the last day of the bird gifts, I thought this photo was apropos:
http://www.poddys.com/jokes/xmas_011.htm

-Malcolm.
Waíse heill!

Monday, December 30, 2013

On The Sixth day of Christmas . . .

. . . we meet Harold Rippy: Baby, What Kind of Christmas Tree You Want?

In my search for a smattering of well-known Christmas wackiness, I have unearthed a few obscure tunes.  The next time someone brags to you that their song is available on iTunes, tell them about Harold Rippy.  Ol' Harold has FIFTEEN albums online, and every one of them sounds pretty much like this toe-tapper from his smash album, "Christmas Specials." 

http://youtu.be/X69vR5_NTuE

***BONUS TRACK***

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIEiIO-NreQ

From The Messiah; Honest, this has never happened to me before.  Every organist knows that this was a technical error due to forgetting the transpose button was on.  Here is another Christmas mishap thus answering the age old question:  Boxers or Briefs?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAPKepDA50k

-Malcolm.
Unu bieron, mi petas

Have you ever wondered about the origins our our 12 Day song?  In the words of Stephen Fry, "Nobody knows."  It is most likely an offshoot of a song called "A New Dial."  I've heard in many homilies stating that it was written as a secret code written when one group of Jesus' followers had to hide their beliefs in order to avoid being tortured and killed by another group of Jesus' followers.  Of all the riches of Christianity to celebrate at the time of Jesus' birth, give or take six months, that doesn't sound like an outstandingly good one to spotlight.
A partridge in a pear tree - Jesus
Two turtle doves - The Old and New Testaments
Three French hens - The three kings bearing gifts
Four calling [sic] birds - The four Gospels
Five gold rings - Torah or Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament
Six geese a-laying - The six days of Creation
Seven swans a-swimming - Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit
Eight maids a-milking - The eight Beatitudes
Nine ladies dancing - Nine fruits of the Holy Spirit
Ten lords a-leaping - The Ten Commandments
Eleven pipers piping - The eleven faithful Apostles
Twelve drummers drumming - The twelve points of the Apostles' Creed

Do you want to see 100 priests fighting over a building ravaged by rust and moth?  Too funny.  I bet my priest can take your priest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daO5MjwIW_E

Sunday, December 29, 2013

On the Fifth day of Christmas . . .

Today's artist is Bob Gerard performing Liddle Snow Man (have a kerchief ready, this is really sad).  Try to listen to this gem with quality head phones or on a system with a decent sub woofer.

http://youtu.be/6GMSOGdD4tQ

Five amazing things about really awful records:
1. the writers thought they'd really come up with something great;
2. the people who played and sang on them were happy with their performances;
3.they listened to the studio playback and approved what they heard;
4. they agreed the recordings were of quality to press and distribute; and,
5. they honestly believed their records had hit potential.

Bob Gerard's "Snow Man" Leaves me pondering these five and about thirty other head-scratchers, not the least of which is "who gave that guy a bass?"

We struck gold on this fifth day.  There is a bonus track, obviously a home recording, of a tempo - and pitch - challenged "ain't my kid cute" masterpiece.  O Little Town of Beth-lee-ham.

http://youtu.be/ZPzGLrvOazM

BTW, the "five gold rings" refers not to five pieces of jewelry, but to five ring-necked birds such as pheasants.  Stay with the bird motif, folks.

There are seven days of this madness left.

-Malcolm.
Mabaj nar armauk

Saturday, December 28, 2013

On The Fourth day of Christmas . . .


http://youtu.be/hnrUlG1zRRk

No kids, that is not a theremin, nor is it from the soundtrack of "The Day The Earth Stood Still."  The hand we've been dealt today involves the unfortunate head on collision of "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" with the musical saw.  Just when you thought it was over - verse two.  Oh, then verse three, false alarm.  Best to clear the dogs out of the room before you hit play.

BTW, in the original song of the twelve days, the fourth day's gift is actually four "Colly Birds" not "calling birds."  The word "colly" means "black as coal."  Four black birds is today's gift.

-Malcolm Kogut.
Aa' lasser en lle coia orn n' omenta gurtha