Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon.
***
The year is fast approaching its end but this post hasn't even begun.
And that's because it can't.
For it has no subject matter.
And that's where you The Reader come in.
For, verily, 'tis the return of the feature that's set the internet alight. It's the one where the first person to comment gets to decide what we get to talk about.
It could cover virtually any subject: sport, art, films, books, music, mucous, fairy tales, fairy lights, fairy cakes, myth, moths, magic, murder, mystery, mayhem, sofas, sausages, eggs, whisky, broth, Garth Marenghi, Garth Brooks, Bruno Brookes, Bruno Mars, Mars Bars, wine bars, flip-flops, flim-flam, flapjacks, see-saws, flowers, flours, bread bins, bin bags, body bags, bean bags, cola, pancakes, pizzas, sci-fi, Wi-Fi, Hi-Fi, horror, sewage, saunas, suet, Silurians, Sontarans, sins, suns or sandcastles.
Only you can decide.
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28 comments:
Over here, xmas songs generally halt on Dec 25 at midnight it seems. Not one minute longer! . It seems so jarring to go 100% back to whatever in the 26th. How do you feel about this abrupt transition?
I for one would enjoy hearing Keith Richards sing Run Run Rudolph a few more times whilst shopping! Would you?
Second question… anyone get any pop culture gifts they want to share aboout? Though at SDC the sky’s the limit! So if you got a nice sweater from your fav auntie tell us!
Thanks for the topic, Charlie.
I've not listened to the radio since Christmas Day and can't confirm or deny whether Christmas songs are still being played. Because of Christmas Day and Boxing Day having happened at the weekend, this year, the national holiday's been happening today and yesterday. Whether that means the Christmas song playing was also extended, I cannot say.
Tragically, I didn't get any pop culture gifts.
Well, if the xmas question does not work...
Has anyone seen the new Spidey movie? Already grossed over $1 BB.
That said, Charlie is still stuck at home due to his surgery. But he has a son willing to run to the library and get DVDs. Recommend Charlie you fav superhero film since Charlie has seen only a few over the past 30 years. DC or Marvel!
Aw Steve, did you not get any presents? Were you a bad boy this year?
Charlie, I'm not into seasonal hits anyway so the sooner they stop being played everywhere the better imo.
Having said that, I'll make an exception for 'Boris Johnson is Still a ******* ****', which is proving quite durable...
-sean
Well Charlie, to address your multiple questions:
Personally, I'm ready to leave the Christmas music behind until next year! I enjoy it, but have heard plenty to last awhile. The one exception: Vince Guaraldi's "Charlie Brown Christmas "- fantastic jazz album, which I'll periodically listen to all year long.
Gifts: Got the new ABBA album, the tpb of DC's "Future Quest", a dvd collection of "Batman:The Animated Series ", numerous other cds, and a Schleich Mosasaur. Pretty pleased with it all...
Have not seen the new Spider-Man film, do plan to see it at some point. Actually haven't been to a cinema since before the pandemic...
I’m the odd man out then, I guess — I was out for a long drive today, and listened to Xmas music the whole way. Our local ‘Easy Listening’ station is still playing em. Until New Years, I guess.
As for Pop culture Xmas presents — The Missus got me the KILLRAVEN EPIC COLLECTION, which I’m enjoying immensely.
Charlie— I really dig the first two Captain America movies (FIRST AVENGER and WINTER SOLDIER). I enjoyed the first Thor movie and the last (RAGNAROK). I would also recommend the final two Avengers movies, but I’m not sure how well they’d resonate if you hadn’t seen ALL of the previous MCU films. Of the DC movies, the newest SUICIDE SQUAD movie is tons of raunchy fun. If I had to pick just one, it’d be that first Cap movie.
b.t.
Charlie, the only radio station I listen to regularly is BBC Radio 4 which is a speech-only station that doesn't play music but I think UK music radio stations probably stop playing Xmas songs on the 25th. I'll be going to my local supermarket (Tesco) tomorrow morning and I can guarantee they won't play any Christmas songs and all evidence that Christmas ever existed will have vanished. Nowadays Christmas means Christmas Day it seems - in our consumerist society Christmas ends once the presents have been opened. But it is STILL CHRISTMAS until Epiphany on January 6th and when I go to the supermarket tomorrow I intend to buy a bottle of whiskey and whatever festive food I can still find, such as another wheel of brie :D
And I've got a whole box of chocolates that I haven't even opened yet.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
I haven’t been out since around 22 December to the shops so I can’t say if they are still playing Christmas songs in shopping centres or not, however they were still playing them on boxing day on our local Scottish radio stations and there are specific Christmas radio stations throughout the UK (i.e. Clyde and Smooth Christmas radio stations on DAB etc) until the end of the month . Personally I’ve had my fill of listening to so many of them although I don’t mind the odd one.
Pop culture present: Yes I got a “BPRD Hell on Earth” book 4 (hard back) from the Hellboy series as It’s really the only modern comic that I (kinda) read nowadays. I also got a David Bowie T-shirt (from the Aladdin Sane period) . In addition I got a couple of Gift tokens so they may go towards some other pop culture items lie Bowies “new” Toy CD collection.
I haven’t seen the new Spiderman film (the clips looked interesting though) and I don’t think I will be going to the cinema anytime soon as COVID is on the rise again here ( we are currently in isolation for another 5 days as someone in our Christmas party tested positive - even although Our PCR was negative) - I liked the Captain America movies as well and would also recommend Venom it is funny (and scary).
Oops, I went to Tesco this morning and it seems I spoke too soon in my previous comment because I did hear a couple of Christmas songs - 'A Marshmallow World' which counts as a Christmas song I think, and Paul McCartney's 'Wonderful Christmastime'. But otherwise the Tesco store was as cheery and festive as a tomb with all the evidence of Christmas gone. However I did manage to pick up some festive food:
A wheel of brie (I got the last one!)
A turkey, cranberry sauce and stuffing sandwich
Two packs of orange & cranberry Jaffa Cakes
A potato Dauphinoise galette (like a posh quiche)
A 1 litre bottle of Three Barrels French brandy
My Christmas pressies were a diary & a thin navy blue sweater.
Nevertheless, I bought myself some Quality Street to scoff!
My top superhero movies would be Batman Begins & its sequel. These two DC movies seem the best on characterization. As regards Marvel, Winter Soldier was best - whilst the Wolverine Japan one started out well, before going off the boil. The rest are okay, but have various niggles, IMO.
How did everyone make out with b.t.'s pre-Christmas tip, as regards Marvel Masterworks at bargain prices? I got Howard the Duck, to test the water, it being the cheapest, at 76p - or something. Finding Howard worked successfully, I ordered the MTIO collection with Project Pegasus, whereupon my Kindle Fire announced it was full, and couldn't play it, until I'd deleted some books, etc. I can't be bothered sorting through all my Kindle books, etc - yet - but will sometime soon.
Charlie - Knowing your interest in WW2, this week's UFO podcast - about Foo Fighters - might be of interest, whilst you're convalescing:
https://tunein.com/podcasts/Paranormal-Podcasts/Podcast-UFO-p1029105/?topicId=168712107
Colin - That sounds like quite a haul! I forgot to look for a variety cheeseboard, this year, but did get a cheapo 1 lb block.
My Christmas viewing's been Jonathan Creek, every night (it's being repeated on Freeview Drama). I don't know if it's available on the internet, but it's Freeview 68 or 70.
Phillip
Phil, I've got the double-sized Christmas Radio Times so I search BBC1, BBC2, BBC4 and Radio 4 every day for something to watch or listen, often via iplayer or BBC Sounds.
COLIN - My (former) French wife and I introduced my extended family to Brie around 1989. (Seemed to be new to USA in general, actually.) The family made two major "gaffes" in french eyes!
1) They kept cutting off the nose of the wedge!
2) Once advised, they almost got the hang of things but they carved the yellow cheese out of the rind! It looked like an old person missing their false teeth.
Just could not get them (to this day!) to understand white rind is edible.
Guess I’m not as tired of Xmas tunes as you all, because I started listening to em later in the month, just a few days before XmasEve, actually. But I AM nearing my threshold — I’m pretty dang tired of ‘’Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time’, ‘Felix Navidad’ and ‘Last Christmas’.
Heard yet ANOTHER cover of ‘Happy Xmas / War is Over’ yesterday, this one by Sarah McLachlan. Still not digging it. Been waiting in vain for ‘I Want a Hippopotamus For Xmas’, but I did finally hear ‘Marshmallow World’ by Darlene Love and ‘Donde Esta Santa Claus?’ By Augie Rios.
Philip: thanks for reminding me of the Marvel Masterworks sale! Went back and picked up a bunch more this morning. Some Lee/ Kirby Thor, some Lee/Kirby FF, some Englehart / Sal B. Captain America. Plus, the entire Conway / Andru ASM run — three volumes for a total of six bucks. Can’t beat that!
b.t.
PHILLIP - thanks for the link! I did listen.
UFOs... who knows. The whole "foo fighter" think was followed up with:
- "flying saucers"
- the "bermuda triangle"
- sightings of aliens
- alien abductions
And then once folks had cell phones the whole alien phenomena (plus Big Foot, Loch Ness, Yeti) disappeared?
Why aliens would suddenly reappear now... who knows. Maybe someone stuck a bunch of Lee-Kirby Amazing Fantasy comics on a satellite and the aliens found it and thought they were factual?
Charlie - I was more impressed by the Halifax (or was it a Wellington?) training both its nose & tail guns on the same target, simultaneously. Looking at both aircraft, with either one, this looks totally impossible! Nevertheless, UFO podcasts are good, as - on waking up in the middle of the night - they gradually send you drifting back to sleep.
Phillip
B.T.
I used to dig Killraven back in the day. Though the thigh-high boots seemed a little impractical for fighting aliens in 2018?
There was scene of one earthling being obliged to lick the mud off alien shoes. That was a shocker too!
Charlie still is digging Lennon's "Xmas" and McCartney's "Wonderful Christmas time." But I've only been out for therapy the last 6 weeks and they switched to contemporary from xmas, first thing. The employees said 12 hours a day of xmas songs for several weeks was enough, lol.
Charlie, another delicious French cheese is called 'Port Salut' which is sold in wedges in my local Tesco supermarket (the brie is normally sold in wedges too but the full wheel of brie is only available at Christmas). Port Salut cheese has an orange rind which is edible like the brie rind. I think I'll buy a wedge of Port Salut for New Year's Eve :)
COLIN - The missus and I have been going through a lot of cheese this holiday season as well! It has not been kind to my waist line given I just had ACL surgery and I’m not moving at all.
We’ve been enjoying a rich Irish cheddar, Spanish Manchego (sheep milk), Roquefort (unpasteurized sheep milk our FDA bans evry few months!)
My fav is the french St. Nectaire from the Auvergne. But it is very rarely found here.
Enjoy the feast!!!
Congrats on getting the last bit of Brie before the new customs regulations come in on Saturday, Colin.
And I've just been reading that Brits are now banned from France unless they already have residency! Brexit really is the gift that keeps on giving...
The second best gift I got was a fantastic - and heavily illustrated - book 'Dangerous Visions and New Worlds: Radical Science Fiction 1950 to 1985'.
For anyone interested in the subject (Phillip?) its well worth checking out. Theres a review at -
https://locusmag.com/2021/10/alvaro-zinos-amaro-reviews-dangerous-visions-and-new-worlds-radical-science-fiction-1950-to-1985-by-andrew-nette-iain-mcintyre-eds/
-sean
Thanks, Sean. The doctor's just phoned, telling me I'm being put on blood pressure tablets. The news is still sinking in, so I'm a bit over-excited. When I calm down (probably this evening, hee, hee!), I'll have an in depth read of that link!
Phillip
Does that mean French cheese, wine etc will be more expensive, Sean? The Port Salut is already £2 for a little wedge.
Phil, congratulations (I think) on being put on blood pressure tablets!
This morning I had a letter from British Gas urging me to switch to a new tariff which will fix my gas bills until January 2023 but this new tariff is nearly £200 a year more than I'm paying now. The letter from British Gas claims that prices will soon shoot up by hundreds of pounds a year because Ofgem will raise the energy price cap in February but is that true? Will this government dare to let Ofgem raise the price cap? I don't know what to do for the best - I might switch to the new tariff and end up paying a lot more.
It seems likely bills will go up Colin, but like yourself I find it hard to believe the govt will make the public meet full "free" market energy costs. Who knows though?
If it helps -
www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2012/12/martin-lewis--even-the-cheapest-deals-are-more-than-double-than-/
-sean
*Oops.
Sorry Colin, heres the correct link -
www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2021/12/martin-lewis--even-the-cheapest-deals-are-more-than-double than-/
-sean
2022 is going to be a tough for time for the average UK resident with gas and electricity due to sky rocket, National insurance income from 1 April, tax on food partly due to BREXIT and goodness knows what else. Still it could be worse I think.
I expect Boris Johnson is working on that Paul...
-sean
"I really dig the first two Captain America movies (FIRST AVENGER and WINTER SOLDIER). I enjoyed the first Thor movie and the last (RAGNAROK)." I agree with Anonymous here.
-WINTER SOLDIER, if you're more into a thriller/mystery movie with great chemistry between Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans. Also it has the best fighting scene of all MCU movies in closed space.
- RAGNAROK, for a more fun action movie and if you love Jack Kirby art. Also if you like the Led Zeppelin song "Immigrant song". Wonderful cinematics. Good comedy between Hulk, Thor and Valkyrie.
Chim, I agree. Winter Soldier is probably my favourite MCU movie.
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