“No, Mr. Bond, I Expect You to Wear an Ugly Christmas Sweater”

We’re getting closer to Christmas — Thanksgiving is this Thursday — and the Facebook ads have taken a turn toward the festive and unlicensed. Case in point? James Bond-themed uply Christmas sweaters. For the record, I do not own an ugly Christmas sweater, and these will not change that. I do not care if they’veContinue reading ““No, Mr. Bond, I Expect You to Wear an Ugly Christmas Sweater””

The Adam West Christmas Album

I keep thinking about an album that doesn’t exist — Adam West’s 1968 record, Christmas at Stately Wayne Manor. Other than the title and the jacket art — West looking very much like Bruce Wayne, in a velvet jacket against a solid color background — there’s nothing related to the Batman television series about thisContinue reading “The Adam West Christmas Album”

A Late Christmas Arrival

The weekend of Christmas I learned that Norah Jones released a Christmas album this year. A Christmas album! From Norah Jones! And none of my so-called friends thought to inform me! I heard cuts from it on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the day after Christmas on various programs on WRTI, Philadelphia’s jazz radio station,Continue reading “A Late Christmas Arrival”

Early January

I’m working out of Diamond’s offices this week — publishing deadlines. I happened to walk through the lobby area yesterday, and what did I find? A Christmas tree. Even though there’s only a small staff — less than twenty most days — on site, even though almost no one would see it, they still putContinue reading “Early January”

Hope Christmas Gets You To Me

I slept poorly last night. For some reason, I couldn’t get comfortable. I tossed. I turned. I had a headache; migraine or dehydration, I couldn’t tell. I yanked the sheets off the bed and, at one point, tossed off blankets, later having to recover them because I was cold. I know it’s a bad ideaContinue reading “Hope Christmas Gets You To Me”

A Beatle-esque “Happy Xmas”

No, the Beatles did not perform “Happy Xmas (War Is Over).” But this video by a French Beatles tribute band, the Rabeats, gives one an idea of what the song would have been like as a Beatles song. I like the idea of “Happy Xmas (War Is Over),” but two things about the song bug me. First,Continue reading “A Beatle-esque “Happy Xmas””

Cards in the Mail

In today’s mail, I received a package of Christmas cards from the National Cathedral. They’re asking for money. I get packages like this every year from charities like the Alzheimer’s Association and Colonial Williamsburg. This is the first year I’ve been on the National Cathedral’s list. It’s a little strange, yet also cool, that thisContinue reading “Cards in the Mail”