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I found a few more Christmas gifts under the tree

What would Christmas be without Puddles Pity Party singing holiday songs:





And today is actually referred to in this carol:

Good King Wenceslas



What would Christmas be without this classic (I nearly forgot to post it.)



Enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend!



And so it goes

Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn't come from a store.

For some of you - This is the Christmas miracle



If not, then it's just another holiday song

As today is the first night of Christmas, here are some more unusual gifts to type about giving -



Remember to plan your own special inappropriate thought for this holiday season.


If you run out of topics around the table this evening, feel free to choose any one of these holiday movie facts from the folks at Mental Floss -



Here's a good conversation starter - I don't really find Home Alone a particularly good Christmas movie - discuss.


I don't think we've posted this in the past few years, so we here at ACME once again want to wish everyone a happy and healthy holiday!

Keeping Christmas by Henry Van Dyke

There is a better thing than the observance of Christmas day,
and that is, keeping Christmas.

Are you willing…
to forget what you have done for other people,
and to remember what other people have done for you;

to ignore what the world owes you,
and to think what you owe the world;

to put your rights in the background,
and your duties in the middle distance,
and your chances to do a little more than your duty in the foreground;

to see that men and women are just as real as you are,
and try to look behind their faces to their hearts, hungry for joy;

to own up to the fact that probably the only good reason
for your existence is not what you are going to get out of life,
but what you are going to give to life;

to close your book of complaints against the management of the universe,
and look around you for a place where you can sow a few seeds
of happiness—

Are you willing to do these things even for a day?
Then you can keep Christmas.

Are you willing to stoop down and consider
the needs and desires of little children;

to remember the weakness and loneliness of people growing old;

to stop asking how much your friends love you,
and ask yourself whether you love them enough;

to bear in mind the things that other people have to bear in their hearts;

to try to understand what those who live in the same home with you
really want, without waiting for them to tell you;

to make a grave for your ugly thoughts, and a garden for your kindly feelings
with the gate open—

Are you willing to do these things, even for a day?
Then you can keep Christmas.

Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world—
stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death—
and that the blessed life which began in Bethlehem nineteen hundred years ago
is the image and brightness of the Eternal Love?

Then you can keep Christmas.

And so it goes.

It's still kind of hard to sleep this night

Here's 10 fun facts about Christmas



Well, maybe you knew some of these facts (especially if you've been playing the home version.)



We're all having our Christmas Eve dinner of the seven fishes, we keep losing track of how many fishes we've consumed, (it might have something to do with the number of bottles of white wine that we've consumed.)



Why not watch these cartoons for your family while we try to sober up -

Bedtime for Sniffles 1940 -




Mickey's Good Deed 1932 -




Broken Toys (1935) -




The Great Toy Robbery -




One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don’t clean it up too quickly.

The Monkees' Christmas Show




Now that you're in the proper mood for the holidays - I'll leave you with these thoughts from Ogden Nash and his poem: The Boy Who Laughed At Santa Claus.



I've told my kids and maybe you'll tell yours - Dammit kids, get to bed! The sooner you go to sleep, the quicker Christmas will be here.



Norad Santa



And so it goes.

It's almost here

Ooooh, snow! Snowflakes! Snow drifts! Ew, yellow snow!

In case you've grown tired of all of those kids holiday specials, here's one that's a tad more adult - Pee Wee's Christmas Special:



The lighting apparatus used in Miss Yvonne's hair actually shorted and smoked during production and the crew had to intervene to remove the power pack from under her wardrobe and remove the wig which housed the lighting.


Today’s Christmas video countdown – A Hip Hop Christmas (Old School)

Christmas Rappin  Kurtis Blow -




Christmas in Hollis Run  D.M.C. -




Beat Street Santa's Christmas Xmas Rap -




Cold Chillin' Christmas  the Juice Crew -




Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer  DMX -




Merry Muthaf-ckin' Christmas  Eazy-E -




Santa Claus Goes Straight To The Ghetto  Snoop Doggy Dogg -





And so it goes.

There are 2 days until Christmas

It's a man's world

It's only fair play: Today's Christmas video countdown - Male Rockers Perform:

Run Run Rudolph Chuck Berry -




Pretty Paper  Roy Orbison -




Merry Christmas Baby  Charles Brown -


Santa Claus Is Coming To Town  Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -


Let Me Sleep (It's Christmas Time)  Pearl Jam -


Must Be Santa  Bob Dylan -




Sock It To Me Santa  Bob Seger and The Last Heard -




Fairytale Of New York  The Pogues & Kirsty McColl -



And speaking of alcoholic holidays, here the wonderful tale by the poet Dylan Thomas, A Child's Christmas in Wales with the great actor, Denholm Elliot -





And so it goes.

Sisters are doing it for themselves

Another favorite Christmas video countdown - Do you hear what I hear?: Female Performers:


I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus  The Ronettes –




Oh Christmas Tree  Aretha Franklin -




God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen  Annie Lennox -




Maybe This Christmas  Tracey Thorn -




2000 Miles  Pretenders -




At The Christmas Ball  Bessie Smith -




The Little Drummer Boy  Joan Jett & the Blackhearts -




And of course the holiday favorite - Christmas Wrapping  The Waitresses -





And so it goes.

Ah, youth is wasted on the wrong people

December 20, 1946 -
The Frank Capra film It's A Wonderful Life had a preview showing for charity at New York City's Globe Theatre, (a day before its official premiere) on this date.



The film is regarded as a classic and is a staple of Christmas television around the world, although, due to its high production costs and stiff competition at the box office, financially, it was considered a flop.



(Another, more adult alternate ending of the film) -



This is truly a strange little film.




I know it's not Christmas in our home unless we hear Darlene Love sing Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), so please enjoy her 2014 (and final) appearance on the David Letterman Show:



And here's Darlene Love's very first Christmas appearance on the David Letterman Show




Our Second Christmas video countdown – Happy Holiday from Prisoner 1073015

The Phil Spector Christmas Album





And so it goes.

TV never fails us

Today's Christmas Countdown - It's a TV Christmas because TV will always love you

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians




Son of Stimpy  Ren and Stimpy -




A Full House for Christmas  Taxi -




Where There's A Will  Cheers -




Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas  Community -




Jack Goes Christmas Shopping  The Jack Benny Program -





And so it goes.

You're never too old to watch

Today's Christmas countdown - Holiday Cartoons:

Toy Tinkers (1949) -




Twas the Night Before Christmas Animaniacs -




A Space Ghost Christmas -




Blue Christmas with Porky Pig -




Olive the Other Reindeer (1999) -



I'm not sure how long you can keep being on the 'nice' list this year. Let's be naughty and save Santa the trip.


And so it goes

Are there no prisons? ... Are there no workhouses?

Today's holiday special – celebrating A Christmas Carol

Scrooge (1935) -



Scrooge (1951) -



(It isn't really Christmas in our home unless we are watching this at about 2 am Christmas morning 'assisting Santa' with the gifts.)

Scrooge (1970) -



Blackadder's Christmas Carol -




And there is no better way to get into the holiday spirit than drinking spirits -

Eggnog is usually thought of as a Christmas beverage and to tell the truth I am not a huge fan of Eggnog. So I find it amusing that the recipe that I'm posting is for Eggnog (Above is a copy of my family recipe - my father sent it to his sister in 1962.)

Coquito, a Puerto Rican twist on the classic, is a family favorite and I thought I’d share it with you and perhaps you can try it out on your family.

Please note: these drinks go down quite smoothly and are very potent – they could be administered as a calmative for frayed nerves during the holiday season.

Ingredients:

* 4 large egg yolks
* 1/4 cup of sugar
* 1/2 can of (14-ounces) condensed milk
* 1 14-ounce cans evaporated milk
* 1 1/2 cans of 15-ounce cans cream of coconut
* 1/2 of a Fifth of white rum (or more)
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon coconut (or vanilla) extract


Tools:

* Drink Blender
* Can opener
* Glass


Directions:
Add the egg yolks, sugar, spices and vanilla into the blender. Mix until well blended.

Add the evaporated & condensed milk to the blender and briefly mix. (Condensed milk is very thick - you may want to open the can up all the way and scrap out all of the milk with a spatula.)

Vigorously shack the can of cream of coconut (it tends to separate.) Pour the cream of coconut into the blender and mix well. Scrap out any remaining coconut stuff from the can.

Add the rum and mix. Taste. If you think you need more rum, add it.

Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Serve cold.


A Christmas Carol  Tom Lehrer -





And so it goes

Leo Tolstoy was absolutely right (part 2)

Happy families are all alike ... even kids abused by their domineering father- (the Motown edition)

Today's Christmas countdown - A Jackson Five Christmas


Santa Claus is Coming to Town -




Christmas Won't Be The Same This Year -




Someday At Christmas -




Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas -



We here at ACME are wishing you time to enjoy the simple pleasures of this holiday season.

And if don't enjoy yourself, Joe will be coming by to give you the beating of your life.



And so it goes.

Leo Tolstoy was right (part 1)

Happy families are all alike - Even kids abused by their domineering father



Today's Christmas countdown - A Beach Boys Christmas

Santa's Beard -




Winter Symphony -




Bells Of Christmas -




Child Of Winter -




Another Christmas song they got around to sing in between the verbal abuse from their father -



There is no place like home for the holiday.



And so it goes.

Hey, have a freakin' Merry Christmas

Today's Christmas countdown - Those gentlemen from Bensonhurst were so moved by our themes concerning Frank and Dino that after much grappa and threatened 'kisses of death', I have be persuaded (forced at gunpoint) to have yet another Mobbed Up Christmas this year. This is not to say that any of these singers are in anyway associated with organized crime.

It's just that Frankie Cervello, Molluschi Vincenzo, Joey Finocchio, etc, 'requested' these songs.


What Will Santa Claus Say  Louis Prima -




Merry Christmas Baby   Dion -




Do You Hear What I Hear?   Bobby Vinton -




O Come All Ye Faithful   Al Martino -




Buon Natale Jimmy Roselli -



After many shots (of scotch) and plates of scungilli, baccalà alla vicentina and fried calamari, the boys want to wish everyone Buon Natale.



And so it goes.

There's none of that Naughty-Nice Stuff: EVERYONE GETS LOOT !!!

It's the Eighth night of Hanukkah.



You've probably run out of gifts at this point, wrap your family's fresh laundry as the gift that shows you've done the laundry. At this point, look up a local oil recycler - it will do better for everyone as a biofuel.


And here, I promise, is the last set of songs celebrating Hanukkah -

Hanukkah With Veronica Monica




Hanukkah in Santa Monica  Tom Lehrer -




The Holiday Armadillo  Friends -




Christmastime for the Jews -




Santa Gey Gezunderheit  The Klezmonauts -



Hey, somebody has to clean up all of that wax on the break front. And somebody's got to call the guys who pick up used cooking oil for bio-fuel. 

I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day.


OK, Frank wasn't the only member of the Rat Pack to sing carols -

today's theme is A Dean Martin's Christmas (Dean died on Christmas day in 1995.)

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas  -




Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!  -




Blue Christmas -




Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer -




What the hell, let's have Dean and Frank sing a song for Christmas -




Ahhh, you can practically taste the Bourbon in the air.

And so it goes.

In a holiday character face-off, Judah Macabee could kick Frosty's butt

Open a window someone , it's the seventh night of Hanukkah.



That oil is a tad rancid

If you can stand it, more Hanukkah songs

Light One Candle  Peter, Paul, & Mary -




Applesauce Vs. Sour Cream  The LeeVees -




Hanukkah (Favorite Time Of The Year)  Too $hort -




Those Were The Nights (of Chanukah)  The Yeshiva Boys Choir -




Give the Jew Girl Toys  Sarah Silverman -



Maybe I've miscounted, it is the seventh night?


Our second holiday special is in remembrance of The Chairman of the Board.

Whatever else has been said about me personally is unimportant. When I sing, I believe. I'm honest.


Winter Wonderland -




Santa Claus Is Coming to Town -




O, Little Town Of Bethlehem -




Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas -




It Came Upon A Midnight Clear -



There are things about organized religion which I resent. Christ is revered as the Prince of Peace, but more blood has been shed in his name than any other figure in history. You show me one step forward in the name of religion, and I'll show you a hundred retrogressions…I'm for decency - period. I'm for anything and everything that bodes love and consideration for my fellow man. But when lip service to some mysterious deity permits bestiality on Wednesday and absolution on Sunday - count me out.


Christmas with The Martins and The Sinatras -





And so it goes.

Your neighbors are unlikely to complain about how your menorah is blinding them senseless

It's the Sixth Night of Hanukkah

At this point you may want to skip the unnecessary calories and just drink the oil - but not too much. Mussolini used to use this as a torture for his political enemies.


Watch Me (Spin / Drey-Drey) Six13 -




Chanukah Light Ari Goldwag -




A Hanukkah Mitzvah CBS Cares   Mayim Bialik -




Memories Of A Winter's Night A Song For Hanukkah   Dave Koz -




Hanukkah Blessings  Barenaked Ladies -



You should begin thinking about where you are going to store your Menorah? (I don't mean to insinuate that you aren't normally observant. Perhaps you proudly display your heirloom menorah in your living room. I can't be everywhere.)


Here's my second guest programmer - Olivia's favorite Christmas jingles (I had to chase her around the house to get her to give me this list.)

A Marshmallow World  Johnny Mathis -




Winter Wonderland  Darlene Love -




Feliz Navidad   Jose Feliciano -




Here Comes Santa Claus  Gene Autry -




Rockin' around the Christmas Tree   Brenda Lee -





And so it goes

No brutal let-down when you discover that Santa Claus isn't real

It's the Fifth Night of Hanukkah



Impress your friends: The fifth night of Hanukkah is called 'the darkest night', not because it falls on one of the last days of the Hebrew month of Kislev (meaning there is no moon), but because it is the only night of Hanukkah that can NEVER fall on Shabbat

A One Direction Hanukkah -




Sesame Street Sevivon -




Black People Celebrate Hanukkah 'For the First Time' -




Dreidel Bird   The Macaroons -



The oil fatigue may have already set in. Hold on, you will get through this.

Our Second holiday theme is one of favorite holiday games, "Guess the theme?"

The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) Nat King Cole -




Let It Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Ella Fitzgerald -




Happy Holidays   Peggy Lee -




Silver Bells -




I'll Be Home For Christmas  The Carpenters -

You get to learn cool new words like "Kislev" and "far-shtoonken-ah"

It's the fourth night of Hanukkah



now is the time to figure out how to send all the mishpokhe home.


Adam Sandler had nothing better to do than to update his song yet again - Chanukah Song Part 4 -




Light the f*cking Candles Eva Moon & the Lunatics -




Challahback Girl DJ BC -


Mi Yimalel




It's run by a big eastern syndicate, you know.

A Charlie Brown Christmas turns 50 -



A Christmas Miracle The Making of a Charlie Brown Christmas -



A Charlie Brown Christmas Vince Guaraldi Trio -




Merry $%#&-ing Christmas Charlie Brown!




In honor of our depressed little pal: Let's all get in the mood and have a depressing Christmas -

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas Sam Smith -




Xmas Time The Mighty Mighty Bosstones -




Pretty Paper Roy Orbison -




Christmas Eve Can Kill You The Everly Brothers -




The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot Nat King Cole -




You may daub your eyes now, you just have a little dust in them. I know you are not crying.

Compare: chocolate gelt vs. fruitcake - you decide!

Tonight is the third night of Hanukkah -



Let's see what's on the ole turntable for Hanukkah this evening -

The Chanukah Song Part 3 Adam Sandler -




Hanukkah Oh Hanukkah Erran Baron Cohen -




Pass The Candle Michelle Citrin -




Chanukah Bamba Shira Kline -




Happy Joyous Hanukkah Indigo Girls -




Remember to eat some steamed vegetables or a bran muffin.


Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.

This is a better way to remember John Lennon on this sad anniversary

Cleaning wax off your menorah is slightly easier than dismantling an 8-foot tall fir tree

It's the second night of Hanukkah. The fried food is still appetizing. And here's some more Hanukkah songs for you -

The Chanukah Song Part 2  Adam Sandler -




Little Drum Machine Boy  Beck -




The Ballad of Judah Maccabee  Margie Rosenthal and Ilene Safyan -




The Rocky Hora Chanukah Song   The Shlomones -




Swingin' Dreidel Kenny Ellis -




December 7, 1969 -
Another Rankin/Bass production, Frosty the Snowman, premiered on CBS-TV on this date.



Voice actress June Foray was cast for both Karen and the Teacher and had recorded vocals for both characters. However, only her recordings for the Teacher made it into the final special as another actress was called in to replace Foray's Karen, for reasons that even Foray herself to this day does not know.


The original recording of Frosty The Snowman by Gene Autry was his seasonal follow-up to his successful recording of Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer in 1949.



This time he peaked at #7 in December 1950.


The Snow Man (1940)




Frosty The Snowman (1953)




Snowman's Dilemma (1960)




The Snowman (1982)



When this program first aired on PBS stations in the United States, the introduction featured a newly filmed introduction by David Bowie instead of Raymond Briggs on the grounds that the animation needed a star.


Two songs from Frozen (if you are easily susceptible to earworms - do not listen to them.)





Really, don't open them if you can help yourself.



And so it goes.

No big, fat guy getting stuck in your chimney

Remember: Hanukkah means "dedication".



And you add the candles from right to left but light them left to right. So, let the serious eating commence


Original Hanukkah Song Adam Sandler -



Hanukkah Song Mashup Dance Spectacular!



Latke Recipe  The Maccabeats -



Ocho Kandelikas  Flory Jagoda -



The Dreidel Song  South Park -



Please pace yourself - Eight days is a long time. And kids, know when a simple game becomes an addiction - please no actual gambling while playing with your dreidels. Gamblers Anonymous (718) 352-1671


It's the Feast of Saint Nicholas (yes, that St. Nick.) Amongst other things, he is the patron saint of children and was known for his generosity. He's also known as the patron saint of sailors, fishermen, merchants, the falsely accused, prostitutes (Huh), repentant thieves, pharmacists and broadcasters.

Let's check out some other ways St. Nick has been portrayed:

Evolution of Santa Claus -



Santa School -



Santa Claus and His Helpers (1964)



Santa Claus  The Sonics-



Boogie Woogie Santa Claus  Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra -




Today is the 51st anniversary of the original broadcast of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, we have another Christmas video countdown today - Rudolph!

Rudolph was born 76 years ago this Christmas season, at the Montgomery Ward department store headquarters in Chicago. He was the star of a humble coloring book, written by a copywriter, Robert May, who almost named the protagonist “Reginald.” May, who’d been lonely as a child, based the character on himself. Store executives fretted that shoppers might think Rudolph’s nose was red because he was drunk, but something about Rudolph’s story spoke to people. He was an outcast, down on his luck. When Santa gave him a job (it was the Great Depression, after all)—well, something clicked. That Christmas, the company passed out two and a half million copies of the book

Original Rankin/Bass Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer GE Commercials



Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (1944) -



Mad TV: Raging Rudolph -



Mad TV: Reinfather



various commercials feature Rudolph and his friends -

Aren't there any non-union leaping lords?

OK kids, PNC bank has reported that there is a .6% increase in the price of the items needed for the 12 days of Christmas. In the 32nd year of their survey, PNC has found that the 12 items come out to a grand total of $34,130.99, a mere $197.77 increase from last year. (I did not know this but you do not get any bargains by purchases these item online; buying all 12 items from the comfort of your living room would cost you $43,626.73, an increase of 1.6% from last years total of $42,959.07.)

These prices are, of course, just for one verse of the song. If you add up the total cost of all the items from the entire song (what PNC Wealth Management calls “The True Cost of Christmas”) it would surmount $155,407.18 !

Bing Crosby & The Andrew Sisters -




The Twelve Daze of Christmas -




The Twelve Days of Yaksmas -




Allan Sherman -




Yet Another Partridge In A Pear Tree -




Fay's 12 days of Christmas (1995) -


(sorry about the promos in the beginning of this video - the actual video starts about 7 minutes into this clip)



And so it goes.

Until the other kiddies knock them down

ACME has been court ordered again, I mean that we've asked back one of our guest programmers to share with us some of their favorite Christmas songs. When I explained to Julietta that she had to pick different songs than the ones that she picked last year - her direct quote - "Well that just sucks. I already told you my favorites."  With that ringing endorsement, here are SOS' choices for this year;

Sleigh Ride -



Although this song is often sited as one of the top 10 Christmas songs, the song's lyrics specifically has no mention of the holiday or religious connection.


Christmas (Baby Please Come Home.) -



Darlene Love climbed onto Paul Shaffer's piano at the end of the song in an effort to avoid breaking down in tears - she knew she would cry if David Letterman hugged her, so she took to the piano because she knew he wouldn't follow her up there.


Do You Hear What I Hear? -



(Here's a great bar bet winner - not that SOS is in the habit of making bar bets - the songwriters,  Noël Regney and Gloria Shayne, who were married at the time, wrote the song as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis.)


Santa Claus Is Coming to Town -



The song become and instant hit after it was sung on the Eddie Cantor radio show in 1934 and sold over 30,000 within the first 24 hours.


Winter Wonderland -



Once again, here is another holiday classic that makes no direct mention of Christmas.

And so it goes.