War on Christmas (Songs)

ST. PETERSBURG BEACH – Some years back I declared a War on Christmas (Songs). That is, I proposed that no one be allowed to record Christmas songs or carols any more, for all time. It isn’t that I believe that no one is capable of performing this music well any more. I just hear way, way too much bad Christmas music, and I am tired of it. Every singer seems compelled to release a Christmas album, even if there is no chance that these efforts will produce anything approaching the quality of the great Christmas albums of the past. So, the best thing to do is stop.

This year, for the first time in a long time, we have been listening to a lot of Christmas music. And on Pandora, and in television commercials, I am noticing an unnerving trend: the same popular Christmas songs are getting played in heavier rotation, namely, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, “Winter Wonderland”, “Sleigh Ride”, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”, and, of course, “Jingle Bells”. There are hundreds of Christmas songs, but I keep hearing these same ones over, and over, and over again in different versions.

This must stop.

Happy Christmas

ORLANDO – I am extraordinarily grateful for my heath, and the good health and company of family and friends. As was said long ago, God bless Us, every One.

Veteran’s Day

Today is Veteran’s Day, and I am pleased to see it so widely observed. My grandfather was a veteran, my father-in-law is a veteran, my brother-in-law is a veteran, and a couple close friends are veterans, too. Happy Veteran’s Day to them.

“We ain’t that young any more”

First Birthday Thirty-five years is not old. But it isn’t young, either. Somehow, I don’t really feel any different than I did when I was half my present age.

On this birthday I will make my usual wish: hard times come again no more.

UPDATE: A pretty good birthday. When it began, at midnight Wednesday morning, I was still awake writing a paper. In the morning I had to give a presentation on said paper. In the afternoon I had to give another brief presentation for a different class. But while the morning began with high winds and dark, cloudy skies, by five o’clock in the afternoon it was beautiful outside, and had gotten much cooler. I enjoyed lunch at Leo’s with my friends Anthony and Jessica, then dinner with Miriam, plus the Martinos, the Fagans, Kat and Harris, Leslie and Andy, and other GRRs. Everyone I saw was exceedingly kind, and the well-wishes on Facebook were touching. Then, when we got home, Miriam made me a big chocolate chip cookie shaped like a heart. And tomorrow we are going to Disney World. All is well.

Happy Independence Day

DSC_9567 The Union and the Constitution forever!