Lessons For Today From M.L.K.

“I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

We so often think of Martin Luther King as a leader and speaker that we often forget he was a preacher and writer. His wife Coretta said that Strength To Love (1963) was the book “…that people consistently tell me has changed their lives.” The messages in that work are just as relevant today as they were a half century ago.

His breadth of knowledge is remarkable. One chapter he’s quoting Shakespeare and Keats, the next he’s demonstrating a historical understanding of the great civilizations. One sermon breaks down psychological responses to disappointment, the next features lessons of science and the universe. Logic and philosophy are also woven throughout. King was a Renaissance Man.

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As with any work saturated in truth, Strength To Love contains vulnerability as well. He recalls the early days of the movement when he was new to leadership, when the threats could no longer be sloughed off, when fear and doubt crept in. After another threatening call late at night he reached his midnight garden.

“I tried to think of a way to move out of the picture without appearing to be a coward.” He then began to pray aloud over his kitchen table.

“I am here taking a stand for what I believe is right. But now I am afraid. The people are looking to me for leadership, and if I stand before them without strength and courage, they too will falter. I am at the end of my powers. I have nothing left. I’ve come to the point where I can’t face it alone.”

He emerged from that night with a renewed inner calm “ready to face anything.” Three nights later the home he provided for his family was bombed. His faith got him through.

King challenged those around him to become nonconformists with words just as meaningful today.

“In these days of worldwide confusion, there is a dire need for men and women who will courageously do battle for truth…We must make a choice.” 

Traveling that road was never supposed to be easy. Imagine your six-year-old daughter asking, “Daddy, why do you have to go to jail so much?” King reminds us that the cross we bear always precedes the crown we wear. He understood the costs of his cause. Following the strategy of Gandhi and living for Jesus made a tragic fate something to be reckoned with.

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Our world is still divided although race is no longer the major line of demarcation. Hatred spews in conversations as beliefs and ideas collide. The civility King spoke of is missing. Everyone believes they are right and uses that feeling as a weapon to pummel anyone who disagrees.

FFF: Crazy Like Black Swan

The Friday Flick Faceoff features films that somehow share a common thread.  Cast your vote anyway you like and don’t worry if you’ve seen the movies or not.  Love to hear why you picked what you picked though.

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I didn’t expect to see Black Swan.  As a writer I probably should have seen the value in understanding all the buzz, but I just don’t leap at those types of films.  What type you ask?  Good question.  I’m not sure.

Umm...What?

I’m not a big fan of the damaged, psychopathic woman as lead character genre.  Not sure if that’s really a genre but go with it.  I like when the main character is a damaged, psychopathic male though.  I’m pretty sure that’s the opposite of sexism, but I’m sure someone will find a reason to call me names.  I don’t know, maybe feminists feel they should have equal opportunities to play crazy murderers too.  I’ve never exactly been embraced by the feminism movement but maybe I can be honorary member for a day to figure some of this out.  Hopefully I’ll get a decoder ring.

Anyway, I saw the latest from Darren Aronofsky.  Yes, it’s twisted.  Yes, it’s good in the sense that a story is well told and you won’t be dozing off lest Natalie Portman comes at you hard enough to make the Sandman look like H.R. PufnStuf.  But I tend to appreciate the darkness even though I love the light, so my mind continues to pirouette around Black Swan.  I’d also be shocked if Portman doesn’t win the Oscar for Best Actress based on what I see from the Academy.

A Platter of Madness

If you’d rather not see the film you can always check out a fabulous Stick Figure Review of Black Swan.  There’s also the hilarious Jim Carrey SNL skit from the other night. 

So in the spirit of a whole lotta crazy, this week’s FFF brings you a pentathlon of psychological thrillers.  None of these movies need much introduction.  I bet you know what I’m talking about if I say Hannibal Lecter or shower scene or “Here’s Johnny!”  You probably also know that Kathy Bates owns a sledgehammer and the Glenn Close won’t be ignored. 

Here’s the field: Silence of the Lambs, Psycho, Misery, Fatal Attraction, and The Shining. 

I considered making a special allowance this week for schizophrenic voting wherein you could pick more than one winner, but I’ll settle for writing that joke and not actually implementing the concept.  Oh, I know schizophrenia is a serious matter, so if I’ve offended you just remember I wasn’t talking about you, just one of the other people in your head.  Okay, okay one more:

Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

I’m schizophrenic

And so am I.

It’s okay to laugh.  I’ve been hearing voices for years.  Now let me hear yours in this week’s poll.

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So what did you pick and why huh?  Have you found me on Twitter yet @eduClaytion?

Why Am I Writing About Katy Perry & Kelly Clarkson?

As you know, I’ve spent many Hump Days dropping some Wikipedia Wednesday on you, but I’m not going to bring that every week.  Don’t worry, I’ll still keep Wiki Wednesday in my aresenal, holstered at my left side and ready to draw the second I feel like making you dance.  Take heart because I’ve whipped up a fresh batch of Wikiliciousness just for you.

Katy Perry & Katy Hudson

You never quite know where I’m gonna go around here during my “quirky musings” as a wonderful commenter recently put it, so apologies if I sometimes stray farther than you care to follow.  I still love connecting what seem to be random dots, but music’s my game today.  Must be all the American Idol and Grammy Awards talk I’ve been ignoring so much lately.

So why am I talking about Perry & Clarkson?  For starters I love a good story with twists, turns, and longshot connections.  I also dig the work of a guy named Matt Thiessen who’s at the heart of this short tale.

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With all the talk of kissing girls and liking it while dancing around in whipped cream, most folks don’t connect Katy Perry to gospel music, but that’s exactly where young Katy Hudson–preacher’s daughter–began.  She snagged a GED (high school equivalency) after her freshman year and started chasing the music dream.  Her self-titled debut album was a gospel/Christian effort that went under when the recording company folded in 2001.

Matt Thiessen of Relient K

So Perry was pressing on past her 18th birthday when she met Matt Thiessen, frontman of a band called Relient K.  I’m a big fan of piano-driven rock whether it’s super poppy or not.

A few years ago, Katy and Matt wrote a bunch of music together to be part of her new project, the album expected to make her a star from Columbia Records.  The label couldn’t figure out how to promote Katy (now called Perry), and the project dissolved.  So what does all this have to do with Kelly Clarkson?

Apparently (because I just don’t know these things like a hip person would), Clarkson’s album last year includes a song called Longshot.  Check the fine print and you’ll see the writing credits go to Perry, Thiessen, and Glen Ballard (more on him in a second).  Not only did the former couple write that song, they even recorded a video for it a few years ago.  Here’s a YouTube clip that includes the original video of Longshot, the Katy Perry version that was shelved around 2005, followed by the Kelly Clarkson rendition.

After watching a second self-titled album fail, Perry continued finding work including backup vocals on an unlikely album.  The aforementioned Glen Ballard is the glue.  He’s all over some of the biggest albums of our time including a couple little projects that did okay called Thriller and Bad by that Michael Jackson guy.  Ballard’s done a whole lot more than that but his most recent megahit was Testify by SoCal rockers P.O.D.  And guess who sang backup vocals on the album’s first single Goodbye For Now.  Yup.  Here’s the P.O.D. video of Goodbye For Now featuring Katy Perry near the end.

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Katy Perry’s carved an erratic path from teenage gospel singer to lascivious pop icon too controversial even for Sesame Street.  Who knew Relient K and P.O.D. were in the middle of that road?  She’s gorgeous, gifted, and got life by the throat.

I wonder how she’ll end up once the opportunities stop rushing at her and the lights fall dim.  Finding our true identity is challenging enough in this nutso world.  I wonder what goes through her mind when the music stops long enough for her to think.  Does someone like that find herself questioning who she really is?  Imagine having everything you always wanted no matter where you went on the planet.  There has to be a “now what?” moment at some point doesn’t there?  Maybe gaining everything is overrated.  Most of us will never have the glamour, but we can at least be who we are rather than who we’re told to be, a person rather than a product.

***

Here’s an interview where Thiessen talks about his ex-girlfriend and how she continues to rocket some of his musical creations into the stratosphere.  If you’re really interested, one Relient K song that’s directly about Katy Perry is The One I’m Waiting For.  Props to Art10 at NewReleaseTuesday.Com.  His 2009 article on the initial connection between the two singers set me off on the rest of this stuff.

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Got any crazy music connections?  Find me on Twitter @ClayMorganPA.

Morgan Multimedia Worldwide

I don’t write many life updates here unless the story is funny or a better, less real version can be constructed. In fact, even regular visitors to this here part of the interwebs don’t know much about me. So why change now? I’m not.

After a weekend getaway to the exotic wilds of Erie, Pennsylvania I am back and ready to suplex 2011. Last year was life-changing but I don’t talk about those things, especially with so many Black Swan jokes to make ever since I was assaulted by Natalie Portman in a movie theater the other night. More on that at a later date perhaps.

Hey adversity: Have some of this!

For now I’m preparing to take on a new semester of teaching–a chance to break down government, politics, and history with frequent interludes of rapid-fire Wikiliciousness. If that’s not a real word I move to make it so. So no regular post today, only a quasi-update. Consider this an announcement that there will be upcoming announcements–big ones.

As none of you know, I plan to one day be kingpin over a vast media conglomerate to be known as Morgan Multimedia Worldwide (MMW). I’ve been taking steps toward this goal for the past couple years. This blog represents an early piece of the MMW puzzle as do the logo renderings created for me by students who wanted extra credit. I’m keeping a careful record for the Pittsburgh-based museum of the future.

As I mentioned earlier, I plan to make like “Macho Man” Randy Savage circa 1987 and send hardships, obstacles, and naysayers over the top ropes of 2011. Throughout the coming months, I’ll be launching a handful of new projects, all web-based. These projects will all stand on their own yet share common linkage towards the larger vision. We’re talking about a lot of work, but the journey will be fun. Morevoer, I’ll need contributors. The internet provides a vast search ground, but I hope to work with my wonderful eduClaytion peeps first. If you’re here now you get priority.

This modest blog didn’t really get going until recent months (more on the mistakes I’ve made to this point next week) but just managed to top 40K views. I’d like to thank Aunt Bethany for pushing me over that line with her guest post the other day. By the way, Jurassic Park took the FFF. There will be plenty more guest bloggers to come as well as those other big announcements you can expect to start trickling in this spring.

You may not know a ton about me from what you read here. Weep not beloved. I’m sure the grief must keep you awake some nights. But one thing is certainly true. I appreciate you and every little click of that mouse you make to follow me a little further down the rabbit hole towards Wonderland.

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As always, thanks for reading.

FFF: Pirates, Dinosaurs, & Wizards [Guest Post]

One of the ways I plan to mix it up in 2011 is by bringing in guest writers.  The first one coming at you is Aunt Bethany from Miracle On 32nd Street.  She’s a doo-hoozy, a bubbly beamer who only joined the blogosphere a few months ago but already knows her way around the posts.  She’s a gifted musician, good writer, and sweet person.  Better yet she knows her way around the pop culture water cooler and gets downright latitudinal on Twitter where you can follow her and let her know how sweet this Friday Flick Faceoff is.

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Pop quiz! Quick!  Take 2 seconds and hum the theme to Jaws.

Duh dun…duh dun….duh dun duh dun duh dun duh dun…..

Great!  Now, how about the theme to Star Wars?

Star Wars…nothing but Star Wars…give me those Star Wars…don’t let them end…

 

Close enough.  You’re lucky I’m giving out points for effort.  At any rate, I could go on and on with this quiz, asking you to croon other movie themes like Superman, Indiana Jones, E.T., and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.  Sure enough, those familiar refrains instantly pop into your head and bring you back to the moment you saw cinematic excellence on the big screen. 

Darth Vader evokes a memory of strong brass and snare drums.  Indiana Jones gets his own trumpet and woodwind fanfare.  And every Great White known to man cannot escape from that infamous half-step motif, introduced to us in 1975 by the composer who is responsible for all music in the films mentioned so far.  That man is John Williams.

Nearly four years ago, I had the amazing opportunity to meet Mr. Williams at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City.  An avid fan of his movie scores, I attended an open rehearsal for an upcoming concert and watched him conduct the New York Philharmonic as they played his own music. 

It’s one thing to idolize the man who gave the Ewoks a theme song but something completely different to watch him perform his own compositions.  I was in heaven.  I could have sat and listened to him conduct for hours.  Strains of his famous works filled the auditorium while video clips from his films were displayed on a screen overhead.  Here stood a man who has, time and time again, given life to our favorite characters, a man who was singularly responsible for providing the heart and soul for some of my favorite movies. 

In today’s Friday Flick Faceoff I share with you three of those movies, all mega-hits scored by John Williams.  The three contenders are Hook, Jurassic Park, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.  In the words of Dustin Hoffman’s Captain Hook, they are all “great and worthy opponents.”

Hook (1991) was a huge vehicle for Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, and Bob Hoskins.  The movie’s plot is a direct answer to the question “What would happen if Peter Pan grew up?”  Through Peter’s adventures back to Neverland, we are introduced to some wonderful music from Mr. Williams, including themes for flying, Tinkerbell, and The Lost Boys.  The score has moments of poignancy, excitement, and introspection reminding us to never lose that child-like wonder in our own lives.

4 Ways To Improve Your Life In 2011

I don’t do January resolutions.  I simply do not believe a person can change because of a date on a calendar.  Research shows that as many as 80% of us fail in our New Year’s resolutions!  Gym memberships are used for about 3 weeks and diets last less.  Cigarette manufacturers see dips in sales every January only to be back on track by February.  The bottom line is that change must come from within.  January 1st is just another external pressure that makes people think they should do something differently when really they don’t want to change. 

Here’s the good news.  Change doesn’t have to be overwhelming.  The key is setting manageable goals and following through.  You can make your life better a little bit at a time until one day you look back and see that a transformation has taken place.

So here’s a simple 4 step process to make your world better.  The ideas go from simplest to most complex but nothing on this list is complicated.  Like the plan of any good coach, a strategy can be effective but success comes from proper execution.  What areas are you working on?  I’d love to hear your ideas at the end.  Happy New Year!

1. Mix it up.

If consistency is king then variety is his queen.  Routines are important, but they can also turn into ruts.  When’s the last time you added a wrinkle to your plan?  Even if you love a strict regimen don’t forget about the people around you (spouse, kids, friends) who may not share your enthusiasm for color-coded cleaning charts.

You’ll find surprising satisfaction in simple alterations to your life.  How about changing your voicemail message.  It’s time.  We’re all sick of hearing that dull recording from last century.  Try making new dishes or visiting unfamiliar restaurants.  You know what areas of life are getting stale.  How can you freshen/liven things up a bit?

2.

“The Funniest Entertainer In The World”

“Humor is something that thrives between man’s aspirations and his limitations. There is more logic in humor than in anything else. Because, you see, humor is truth.” ~ Victor Borge

Legendary performer Victor Borge would have been 101 today.  I don’t know if you are familiar with him, but he was truly brilliant.  I wanted to do a piece on the 10th anniversary of his death a couple weeks back but was too busy with all the holiday postings, so I’m remembering him on his birthday and hope to introduce him to still more generations.

He was a child prodigy born in Denmark before World War I.  In 1999 he received the Kennedy Center Honors from President Clinton.  He impacted millions of lives throughout decades of entertainment.

Victor Borge, January 3, 1909 – December 23, 2000

The pressure of Nazi Germany during World War II led Borge and wife Elsie to move to the United States.  His big break came with a shot on the Bing Crosby radio show which boasted an audience of about 30 million.  Despite speaking little English, he read from a transcript prepared by his wife.  That’s all he needed to become a star.

By 1953 he attempted what most people considered impossible: a one man show on Broadway.  The effort would likely make or break him.  He thought he bombed after the first night and didn’t want to see friends or family.  Then the reviews came out the next day.  He was called “the funniest entertainer in the world.”  Not bad.  His record of 849 straight shows over 3 years on Broadway went into the Guiness Book of World Records.

I’m guessing though that many folks just never saw Borge and don’t understand how amazing he was.  He was a prodigious musician whose hands moved across the keys as effortlessly as anyone I’ve ever seen.  His mind was a library of musical poetry.  He crossed cultural barriers and owned audiences all over the world.  He was hilarious with an inimitable delivery.  Some of his comedy was a half century ahead of its time.  I think so much of the man that dedicating a full Monday post to his legacy is extremely worth it. 

Rather than try to describe more about the man, I’d like to get out of the way and leave a small glimpse of Borge in action.  I didn’t even know where to start with clips.  The Phonetic Pronounciation routine first introduced in 1937 is one of the all-time classics.  Everyone laughs but it’s an absolute must see for writers and teachers.  Inflated language and The Page Turner also come to mind.  Some of the best stuff was all improv as he played off fellow performers or especially the audience. 

If you don’t know who Borge was, you should check him out.  If you’ve seen these clips before then enjoy again.

FFF: New Year Edition

We haven’t had a normal Friday Flick Faceoff for a bit, so I decided to go after the theme of New Year’s Day movies.  That led me to Facebook and Twitter for ideas, and boy do we have options.

I’d love to go all Sunset Boulevard (1950) on yous, but something tells me that Billy Wilder and William Holden aren’t exactly household names these days.  But oh was Gloria Swanson brilliant in an all too close to home role that holds more truth today than ever before.  If you’ve ever thought about vanity and aging or see nothing but glamour in the celebrity lifestyle you need to see that film.

We end up with an interesting hodgepodge of films, the common thread being a celebration around New Year’s Eve.  I’ve at least seen all of these, but one of them I consider far above the rest although I’m not gonna say which.

Strange Days played on the Y2K excitement/fear.  Facebooker Mark pointed out that Entrapment did the same thing, and that is also a good film, but Strange Days looked at the new millenium 5 years early.  “Cyberpunk” as FB Phil says.

200 Cigarettes received a few nominations as well and is pretty popular since the cast includes 436 celebrities or something.  I’m not sure how many of you know About A Boy with Hugh Grant but it’s a really good one.  Rounding out the top 5 are Trading Places (Akroyd, Murphy, Curtis) for that 1980s flavor, and When Harry Met Sally which should need no introduction.

Also receiving nominations were Money Train, Entrapment, The Expendables, and Four Rooms, and The Poseidon Adventure.  I also considered The Hudsucker Proxy, one of the Coen brothers earlier gems.  Thanks to everyone who got my noggin in gear.

I hope you all have a fantastic and safe New Year celebration.  I know I will.  And tomorrow I’ll be starting off 2011 proper by watching my Pittsburgh Penguins do their thang in some sweet outdoor hockey action.  Have a great weekend everyone.

So here’s one of the most diverse polls you’ll ever see.  Have at it my friends.

The Friday Flick Faceoff features films that somehow share a common thread.  Cast your vote anyway you like and don’t worry if you’ve seen the movies or not cause in a true democracy you only need a pulse to participate.  Love to hear why you picked what you picked though.

Considering The Heavens

I know I’m not the only one who was bummed when Pluto was demoted to a dwarf planet in 2007.  That’s just insulting.  Pluto was always there for me.  No matter how much I botched the order of those other planets I knew Pluto was 9th.

Pictures taken by the Hubble Space Telescope: Clockwise from the upper left, the "Tadpole" galaxy, the "Cone Nebula," two colliding spiral galaxies dubbed "The Mice," and stellar birth in the Omega Nebula. (Images from NASA)

You know who was happy about Pluto getting the galactic smackdown?  Neptune which became the new planetary caboose.  Now everyone will remember the swirly blue body named for the Roman god of water and sea.  But Neptune comes with controversy all its own, and that brings us to December 28, 1612 and this week’s Wikipedia Wednesday.  On that day, Galileo discovered the 8th planet whether he knew it or not.  That’s the disputed part.

Fast forward a few centuries to December 30, 1924.  That’s when Edwin Hubble announced the existence of other galaxies and forever changed our understanding of the universe.  Named in his honor, the Hubble Telescope has been capturing the greatest images in history for the past couple of decades.

Speaking of space traveling objects, Maurice “The Rocket” Richard made history on December 28, 1944 when he became the first player in National Hockey League history to score 8 points in one game.  The Montreal Canadian legend was also the first player to score 50 goals in 50 games, unheard of and mostly unreachable unless you’re one of the all-time greats.  By the way, Sidney Crosby is flirting with that very milestone right now.

While we’re mentioning athletes, now’s a great time to say happy birthday (tomorrow) to one of my favorite baseball players of forever.  Sandy Koufax–greatest left-handed pitcher of all-time–was born with a cannon on his arm in 1935.

Bill Shatner's passionate about Wiki Wednesday

I suppose we could also recognize the birth of Woodrow Wilson, who managed to overcome the name Woodrow to become president of the U.S., in 1856.  I’d rather talk about a man who died at this time in 1999.  I know very little about Clayton Moore other than the fact that he was The Lone Ranger and I was named after him.  Guess mom was a big fan.

Mostly though, today is about frontiers which makes this a great time to mention how Iowa was admitted as the 29th state in 1846.  Over time our expanding frontier revealed fruited plains and purple mountain majesty that would galvanize environmentalists into the 20th century.  The Endangered Species Act was eventually passed by the U.S. Congress in 1973 under President Nixon.  That statute helped out many beautiful creatures and even protected some slithering reptiles.  Oh, that reminds me, Saddam Hussein was executed on December 30, 2006.

Part of that fruited plain is in Illinois, a great state to bring us home.  I mentioned earlier that others were unhappy with Pluto’s demotion.  Some of those folks were from Illinois, birthplace of Clyde Tombaugh, discoverer of Pluto who got robbed.  The state government passed a law pooh-poohing the scientific community.  New Mexico reps (where Tombaugh lived much of his life) did the same and even declared a Pluto Planet Day once a year!  They said Pluto will always be considered a planet when it appears over the New Mexico sky.

Stan Lee w/ Kevin Smith and more

Also coming out of Illinois is Nichelle Nichols, born on December 28 in 1932.  She played Uhura in the original Star Trek cast which I know way more about than you would ever believe.  Yes, I like the new movie too.

For a brief time after the late 1970s, Marvel Comics held the license for Star Trek.  All of you should now that the godfather of Marvel is Mr. Stan Lee who turned 88 yesterday.  What a legend.  All he did was create (along with Jack Kirby) such characters as Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Daredevil (my fave as a kid), the Incredible Hulk, Ironman, and so many others.

Another creation of Stan “The Man” Lee is the Silver Surfer, an intergalactic traveler who certainly breezed past Pluto and Neptune more than once, and whose conceptual journeys wouldn’t have been possible had the infinity of the universe not been discovered by folks like Tombaugh, Hubble, and Galileo.

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On Wikipedia Wednesday I take the Wiki’s word for it about what happened on this date in history (give or take a day) and vamp up the rest to connect the events.  It’s okay.  I’m a trained historian. You won’t get history like this anywhere else.

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Did you learn somethin’? Connect with me on Twitter @eduClaytion.

Repost Yourself 2010!

What post from this past year would you like more people to see?  Here’s your chance.  I got this idea from Bryan Allain who rocks.  A few weeks back he asked for second chance posts.  What a great way to meet other folks and see some good writing.

Here are the simple rules:

1. In the comments section put the link to a post that you especially liked and want more people to see.
2. The post must be from 2010.
3. You can only pick one!
4. If you don’t have a site of your own please leave a link to a post that you especially liked from the past year.
5. Share the love.  Read other posts in the comments section and let others know they can promote their work here.

My second chance post comes from this past spring when I wrote Sorry Florida, No Sex With Porcupines.  I won’t be getting any Pulitzer’s but Dave Barry would be proud.

So let’s put 2010 to bed with fond memories of good writing.  These articles can be funny, meaningful, neither or both.  Just pick something we can enjoy. I’m looking forward to seeing what you’ve got.  Go!

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Leave your link in the comments section.  Find me on Twitter @eduClaytion.

The Griswolds Have It!

In the end no one could stop Clark Griswold.  That’s a wrap on the 12 Days of Christmas Movies as National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation takes the title as best Christmas movie ever according to eduClaytion readers.

A Christmas Story came closest to knocking off the champ but not even Ralphie had enough juice to get it done.  The title taker took out a strange combo of Elf and Gremlins to get there.  Here’s how the rest of the tourney shook out.

That just happened.

As you probably know by now I’m more of an It’s A Wonderful Life man myself with Scrooged holding a special place in my gentle giant heart.  So thanks for taking out both of those picks in the first round people!

I really appreciate everyone voting and making this a fun bracket to whip through.  I think it would be fun to do another tournament in the future with a rotating bracket where each round is held on a different site, a cool twist on the blog carnival idea.  Are there enough Easter movies for that?  Certainly the Fourth of July will do.  I’d love to hear your ideas.

So I’m out my friends but will leave you with this clever clip from goodasgold99 over on YouTube, yet another creative Canadian.  This video shows how one of the greatest all-time movies might have appeared if modern trailers existed in 1946.  Enjoy!

Greatest Christmas Movie Ever? The Finals!

What is the greatest Christmas ever?  According to the majority of voters around these parts the answer to that question comes down to a choice between The Christmas Story and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.  We’ve made it to the end of the 12 Days of Christmas Movies bracket.  Here’s where we stand.

The Final Showdown is here! Click to enlarge

The choice is clear.  Your job is simple.  Cast your vote in the poll below.  Share this with anyone who might be interested, and let’s get a solid sample of selectors.  You can read more about the films we’ve covered in recent posts, so I’m not going to take any more of your time with film info like that. 

I will, however, take a minute of your time with this, my thanks to you for being such fabulous peeps & tweeps.  I love you all and want to give something back from the bottom of my heart or at least the baseline of my dignity.  Maybe we can at least spread a little Christmas cheer.  Don’t forget to vote below!

Ho, ho, ho and ya know, know, know this post has got more bells and whistles than The Polar Express!  I hope you have a terrific weekend with friends and family.  Be blessed my friends.

Voting will remain open until Noon tomorrow, exactly 24 hours before the first ghost is scheduled to visit…

The Myth of Christmas

Did you know that the nativity scene is a lie? The wise men weren’t there. When they did show up there were probably more than 3 of them, Jesus wasn’t a newborn, and the king ordered one of the most horrific massacres in all of recorded history, a Christmas bloodbath that would make Stephen King cringe.

The actual manger scene found in nativities is taken from Luke 2, the chapter so famously read by Linus when Charlie Brown was all confused about Christmas. That’s where you hear about Joseph, Mary, and Jesus being visited by shepherds who had been visited by angels. No mention there of wise guys with gifts.

Who said there were 3 kings?

The story of the Magi is only recorded in the book of Matthew. The second chapter says they showed up looking for the king of the Jews. This search didn’t go over well with Herod who considered himself the king of the Jews, a title he had brown-nosed plenty of Romans to get. Herod valued his power and didn’t like the idea of some other king arriving on the scene. Who were these strange visitors and why did they think a king had been born?

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All we really know about the Biblical Magi is that they were distinguished foreigners from the East. They were astrologers. The mystic nature of their work later led to the English term magic. They’ve been traditionally called Melchior, Caspar, and Balthasar. Those names come from a Greek manuscript probably written in Alexandria in the early 6th century. At some point during the centuries they were even called kings and we ended up with a slow song to sing during grade school plays with children who can’t keep those hats from falling over their eyes.

So what in the world brought these guys to Judea when Jesus was born? If you know your nativity scenes you may have answered a star. Ding ding winner.

The arrival had been awaited for centuries. The magi knew the fourth oracle of Balaam from Numbers 24 in the Torah (Old Testament). Written about 1,500 years earlier, the passage says in part:

“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.”

If you know your ancient stuff like these scholars, that passage comes with a handy address but they also used these words from the prophet Micah:

“But you Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

That’s the modern equivalent of saying that in a few hundred years a savior will be born in Twin Peaks. Not exactly the biggest town, so when you see a rare light in the sky there you should probably check it out. 

Home Alone vs. A Christmas Story

So far, the only movie to completely stomp the competition has been National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation which put those Gremlins in a blender yesterday.  No word yet whether “Do You Here What I Hear” was playing on the stereo.  Clark Griswold and fam are going to face their toughest matchup in Thursday’s final because today’s faceoff features a couple of heavy hitters.

You can call this semifinal matchup the battle of little blonde kids with blue eyes.

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Both of these stories are well known, so there’s not much left to say.  I have a pretty good idea of where Aunt Bethany’s going, but what about the rest of yous?

Time to start clicking because this one should be close the whole way.  Go ahead and pick one.  I dare ya like a gradeschooler next to a frozen flagpole.  I dare ya like a bandit at the bottom of the steps.  I triple dog dare ya!

Griswolds vs. Gremlins: The Semis Begin

We’re down to the final four after Home Alone edged out George Bailey and It’s A Wonderful Life by the narrowest of margins.  The race was neck and neck through a 24 hour voting cycle until little Kevin McCallister grabbed one extra vote to upset what I would definitely consider a strong contender for the greatest Christmas movie of all time.

The semifinals are set.  Anything can happen judging by the results of last week.  By the end of this week we’ll know what readers of this site consider to be the greatest movie in the 12 Days of Christmas Movies contest.

Today’s faceoff features National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation vs. Gremlins.

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This whole thing began last Monday when Christmas Vacation knocked off Elf in the only real runaway of the first round.  I’m sure the Chevy Chase classic is gonna be tougher than Cousin Eddie’s turkey the rest of the way.

Gremlins took out Jim Carrey’s Grinch to get to this point.  I laid out the strengths of Gizmo’s movie last week where you can also find out who Frank Welker is.

So today’s matchup is about zany comedy vs. dark comedy, two Christmas nightmares for entirely different reasons.  One forever altered the way I looked at holiday lights and the other completely changed the way I view microwaves and blenders. 

Make your pick now for which of these two classics slides into Thursday’s final.