What I read, write, watch, listen to or do between hot cups of the good stuff.
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
My Etsy Shop
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Monday, January 4, 2010
Movie Monday - Holiday Aftermath
Watched a few more holiday flicks.
A Christmas Story (1983)
[Melinda Dillon; Darren McGavin; Peter Billingsley; Ian Petrella; Scott Schwartz]
Plot: Humorist Jean Shepard's nostalgic view of Christmastime in Indiana during the 1940s. Nine-year-old Ralphie desperately wants a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas and wages an all-out campaign to convince his reluctant parents that the toy is safe. Meanwhile, as Ralphie prepares for the big day, his brother has a strange relationship with food, and his dad fights the never-ending furnace battle.
Definitely a classic. We watched it off and on on Christmas Eve/Day via TBS 24-hour marathon. But we put it in again after Christmas to watch from start to finish. Great movie, nostalgic holiday fun.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Smoky Mountain Christmas (1986)
[Dolly Parton; Lee Majors; Bo Hopkins; John Ritter; Dan Hedaya; Anita Morris]
Plot: A country/western singer on a trip through the Tennessee mountains to get away from it all runs into a reclusive backwoodsman, a family of orphans -- and a witch. Will it be a Merry Christmas for any of them?
Okay, I will be the first to admit that this is one cheesy, corny, Christmas flick. I mean, look at that cast! The Six-Million Dollar Man AND Dolly Parton! 80s TV magic right there.
If you just leave your cynicism and criticism aside and watch it for the simple pleasure of the movie, then you can have a good time. Christmastime is made for flicks that are a little on the corny side, right? Pull up a comfy chair, grab a glass of (spiked) egg nog and enjoy!
The movie is available to watch in 10 parts on YouTube. Here is part 1.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Home Alone (1990)
[Macaulay Culkin; Joe Pesci; Daniel Stern; John Heard; Roberts Blossom; Catherine O'Hara]
Plot: Families suck. That's the opinion of 8-year-old Kevin McCallister, whose family unwittingly leaves him behind when they go on vacation. In no time, Kevin makes the most of the situation, watching forbidden flicks and pigging out on junk food. But when a pair of bungling burglars set their sights on Kevin's house, the plucky kid stands ready to defend his territory -- by planting booby traps galore!
Another Christmas classic in our house, we watch it every December. A fun movie, even if you have to suspend disbelief a little bit, it has a heart to it as well. I don't think Culkin was ever better than here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
[Macaulay Culkin; Joe Pesci; Daniel Stern; Catherine O'Hara; John Heard; Brenda Fricker]
Plot: Instead of flying to Florida with his folks, Kevin ends up alone in New York, where he gets a hotel room with his dad's credit card -- despite problems from a clerk and meddling bellboy. But when Kevin runs into his old nemeses, he's determined to foil their plans to rob a toy store.
While not as great as the original, and also in need of the suspension of belief, this is a pretty decent sequel. The leads all shine and make the story work. Fun way to spend some time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New Year's Evil (1980)
[Roz Kelly; Kip Niven; Chris Wallace; Grant Cramer]
Plot: It's New Year's Eve. You’re working alone at a punk rock station when the phone rings. A voice on the other end tells you that at the stroke of midnight in each time zone, someone will be murdered. So what do you do? Pray that you’re not next.
I have known about this movie for years, but never got around to watching it. The combination of the New Year and the flick streaming for free on FEARNet gave me enough reasons to finally watch.
Bleh. While not the worst movie I have ever seen, it is nothing great either. The acting is definitely direct-to-video fare, and the plot itself is pretty blah. Not really worthy of a second viewing, and for me, that says a lot.
Watch it for free on FEARNet!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Christmas Story (1983)
[Melinda Dillon; Darren McGavin; Peter Billingsley; Ian Petrella; Scott Schwartz]
Plot: Humorist Jean Shepard's nostalgic view of Christmastime in Indiana during the 1940s. Nine-year-old Ralphie desperately wants a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas and wages an all-out campaign to convince his reluctant parents that the toy is safe. Meanwhile, as Ralphie prepares for the big day, his brother has a strange relationship with food, and his dad fights the never-ending furnace battle.
Definitely a classic. We watched it off and on on Christmas Eve/Day via TBS 24-hour marathon. But we put it in again after Christmas to watch from start to finish. Great movie, nostalgic holiday fun.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Smoky Mountain Christmas (1986)
[Dolly Parton; Lee Majors; Bo Hopkins; John Ritter; Dan Hedaya; Anita Morris]
Plot: A country/western singer on a trip through the Tennessee mountains to get away from it all runs into a reclusive backwoodsman, a family of orphans -- and a witch. Will it be a Merry Christmas for any of them?
Okay, I will be the first to admit that this is one cheesy, corny, Christmas flick. I mean, look at that cast! The Six-Million Dollar Man AND Dolly Parton! 80s TV magic right there.
If you just leave your cynicism and criticism aside and watch it for the simple pleasure of the movie, then you can have a good time. Christmastime is made for flicks that are a little on the corny side, right? Pull up a comfy chair, grab a glass of (spiked) egg nog and enjoy!
The movie is available to watch in 10 parts on YouTube. Here is part 1.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Home Alone (1990)
[Macaulay Culkin; Joe Pesci; Daniel Stern; John Heard; Roberts Blossom; Catherine O'Hara]
Plot: Families suck. That's the opinion of 8-year-old Kevin McCallister, whose family unwittingly leaves him behind when they go on vacation. In no time, Kevin makes the most of the situation, watching forbidden flicks and pigging out on junk food. But when a pair of bungling burglars set their sights on Kevin's house, the plucky kid stands ready to defend his territory -- by planting booby traps galore!
Another Christmas classic in our house, we watch it every December. A fun movie, even if you have to suspend disbelief a little bit, it has a heart to it as well. I don't think Culkin was ever better than here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
[Macaulay Culkin; Joe Pesci; Daniel Stern; Catherine O'Hara; John Heard; Brenda Fricker]
Plot: Instead of flying to Florida with his folks, Kevin ends up alone in New York, where he gets a hotel room with his dad's credit card -- despite problems from a clerk and meddling bellboy. But when Kevin runs into his old nemeses, he's determined to foil their plans to rob a toy store.
While not as great as the original, and also in need of the suspension of belief, this is a pretty decent sequel. The leads all shine and make the story work. Fun way to spend some time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New Year's Evil (1980)
[Roz Kelly; Kip Niven; Chris Wallace; Grant Cramer]
Plot: It's New Year's Eve. You’re working alone at a punk rock station when the phone rings. A voice on the other end tells you that at the stroke of midnight in each time zone, someone will be murdered. So what do you do? Pray that you’re not next.
I have known about this movie for years, but never got around to watching it. The combination of the New Year and the flick streaming for free on FEARNet gave me enough reasons to finally watch.
Bleh. While not the worst movie I have ever seen, it is nothing great either. The acting is definitely direct-to-video fare, and the plot itself is pretty blah. Not really worthy of a second viewing, and for me, that says a lot.
Watch it for free on FEARNet!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Why I, as an Atheist, celebrate the Christmas season
I wrote this awhile ago, but I figured it beared repeating, especially on this new blog.
Why I, as an Atheist, celebrate the Christmas season.
Being an atheist at this time of the year, I am sometimes asked why I celebrate Christmas. This is my attempt to explain it.
To be honest, my family celebrated Christmas in a non-religious way. In fact, the only thing I remember that had religious meaning was a Nativity scene my parents had. I knew what it represented, but that was it. We never went to church for Christmas. Santa Claus was the reason for our season.
Now that I am married with children of my own, our Christmas is religion-free. My wife does have a Nativity scene, but she sets it up only in honor of her family. My children know who Jesus is, but they also know that I do not believe he is the “son of God”, or that there even is a God. But they do respect that others do believe.
Christmas, as I have tried to teach my children, is a time of good will and friendship, of spending time with family and friends. We enjoy the "Christmas Season", instead of just one day. From the Friday after Thanksgiving to New Year's, we enjoy it as a month long celebration. We enjoy the television specials, the music and the lit-up, decorated houses. And, of course, the food!
I guess I still celebrate the same way I did as a kid, although I consciously avoid religious allusions, whereas my parents were just lax. I suppose I could thank them for that, although I doubt they would find it amusing. While they, perhaps reluctantly, know I am an Atheist, they are more religious now than when I was a child. My father more so than my mother.
For some reason, when many people hear the word “Atheist”, they automatically assume “immoral”. This always amazes me. I lead a very moral, very traditional life. I teach my children to be good human beings. I just do not believe in a “superior being”.
I also do not force my views on my children. They are exposed to my beliefs, as well as the beliefs of the varied family members and friends around them. They are related to, or are friends with, not only Christians, but also people who are Jewish and Muslim. And other Atheists. When they are old enough, they can decide for themselves what they believe in.
Most of all, my family and I wish everyone a good, happy month, full of friends, family and fun. Oh yeah, and food!
This is a link to the original piece.
Why I, as an Atheist, celebrate the Christmas season.
Being an atheist at this time of the year, I am sometimes asked why I celebrate Christmas. This is my attempt to explain it.
To be honest, my family celebrated Christmas in a non-religious way. In fact, the only thing I remember that had religious meaning was a Nativity scene my parents had. I knew what it represented, but that was it. We never went to church for Christmas. Santa Claus was the reason for our season.
Now that I am married with children of my own, our Christmas is religion-free. My wife does have a Nativity scene, but she sets it up only in honor of her family. My children know who Jesus is, but they also know that I do not believe he is the “son of God”, or that there even is a God. But they do respect that others do believe.
Christmas, as I have tried to teach my children, is a time of good will and friendship, of spending time with family and friends. We enjoy the "Christmas Season", instead of just one day. From the Friday after Thanksgiving to New Year's, we enjoy it as a month long celebration. We enjoy the television specials, the music and the lit-up, decorated houses. And, of course, the food!
I guess I still celebrate the same way I did as a kid, although I consciously avoid religious allusions, whereas my parents were just lax. I suppose I could thank them for that, although I doubt they would find it amusing. While they, perhaps reluctantly, know I am an Atheist, they are more religious now than when I was a child. My father more so than my mother.
For some reason, when many people hear the word “Atheist”, they automatically assume “immoral”. This always amazes me. I lead a very moral, very traditional life. I teach my children to be good human beings. I just do not believe in a “superior being”.
I also do not force my views on my children. They are exposed to my beliefs, as well as the beliefs of the varied family members and friends around them. They are related to, or are friends with, not only Christians, but also people who are Jewish and Muslim. And other Atheists. When they are old enough, they can decide for themselves what they believe in.
Most of all, my family and I wish everyone a good, happy month, full of friends, family and fun. Oh yeah, and food!
This is a link to the original piece.
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