My favorite line(s) from "A Christmas Carol"...

"Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world...and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!"

- from Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL

(pic from A CHRISTMAS CAROL - 1951, starring Alastair Sim)

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Dickens' "Fred" & "Bess" have nothin' on these two!

Barry MacKay and Lynne Carver portrayed Fred (Scrooge's nephew) and Bess (Fred's betrothed) in the 1938 A Christmas Carol. Definitely the hottest "Fred" and "Bess" of all the Christmas Carol movies.

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TGIF! presents...."A Christmas Carol" @ Theatre Cedar Rapids!

Heading to Cedar Rapids for opening night of one my favorite stories - maybe my most favorite story of all time. Check out this preview.

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Chestnuts, anyone?

“There is probably a smell of roasted chestnuts and

other good comfortable things all the time, for we are

telling Winter Stories - Ghost Stories, or more

shame for us - round the Christmas fire; and we

have never stirred, except to draw a little nearer to it.”

- Charles Dickens

I tried roasted chestnuts once. Didn't like them. But I'd be willing to give it another go-around. Any chestnut lovers out there? Here's a video on how to make your own roasted chestnuts. Or if you wanna listen to Nat King Cole sing about chestnuts roasting on an open fire, click here. Or if you wanna see a true flash mob experience centered around the Hallelujah Chorus, click here.

(The word "chestnut" is mentioned twice in the "HC". Listen.)

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TGIF! presents...Richard Williams' "A Christmas Carol" (1971)! Part 1!

I posted this last year but it's worth a repost. This is the best animated version of Dickens' classic Christmas story - and one of the best versions of all-time. You'll notice Parts 2-4 are also posted on YouTube. The program in its entirety is short...and well worth the effort to watch.

"The visual style, which is unusually powerful, is inspired by 19th century engraved illustrations of the original story by John Leech and the pen and ink renderings by illustrator Milo Winter that graced 1930s editions of the book. The intended audience does not include young children and some regard the film's bleak mood, including the scene from the book when the Ghost of Christmas Present reveals the horrid embodiments of Want and Ignorance, and emphasis on darkness and shadows as making it the most frightening of the many dramatizations of the Dickens classic." (from Wikipedia)

The film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for 1972.

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A plethora of Scrooges.

Clockwise, from left to right: Albert Finney, Reginald Owen, Henry Winkler, Alistair Sim, Scrooge in Richard Williams' 1971 Oscar-winning animated classic and Bill Murray.

These are my favorite "A Christmas Carol's" and their respective Scrooge's. The Ircink's are "A Christmas Carol" aficionados. We, as many do, feel the Alistair Sim "Carol" is the best. And if you haven't seen the animated version above, see it.

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Playing now at Tanner's Coffee...2 sweets back-to-back!

Misirlou - Dick Dale

I saw Dick Dale perform this song at a benefit in October. The Roxy on the Strip in Hollywood. The man is 72 and runs around and performs the guitar like he's 18. More on him later. And...

Bristol Stomp - The Dovells

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It's Christmas Day!

What's to-day?" cried Scrooge, calling downward to a boy in Sunday clothes, who perhaps had loitered in to look about him.

"Eh?" returned the boy, with all his might of wonder.

"What's to-day, my fine fellow?" said Scrooge.

"To-day?" replied the boy. "Why, Christmas Day."

"It's Christmas Day!" said Scrooge to himself. "I haven't missed it. The Spirits have done it all in one night. They can do anything they like. Of course they can. Of course they can. Hallo, my fine fellow!"

Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world. Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the outset; and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have the malady in less attractive forms. His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him.

And it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every One!

(Here' the ending of the 1951 Alistair Sim "A Christmas Carol" that coincides with the dialogue.)

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Got a little bit of Jacob Marley in ya?

'Tis the season, right? Christmas is my favorite. The stories, movies, sights & sounds, the smells, the tradition, family & friends...and most importantly - the birth of Christ.

This year, however, it doesn't look as though I'll make it back to Wisconsin to spend the holidays with my family and friends (in Iowa and Illinois as well). I haven't missed too many Christmases at home since coming to California in April 1998 - maybe 3? Needless to say, I'm a bit peeved (and sad)...I won't get into the reasons why I'm staying here. Though my Aunt Ev and Uncle Bob will be here between the holidays (Dad's youngest sister, Uncle Bob has family in Santa Barbara who I'm close to), so I'll probably venture north to spend a few days in SB. And my brother may fly in after Christmas through New Year's, so that's something.

Anyway, back to Jacob Marley's ghost. There are certainly moments, days and weeks where my life has mimicked ole Jacob Marley - the weight of so many chains and locks dragging my mind, body and soul to depths I didn't think I could sink to. Especially since April 2004 (there's a story there). We all feel it at one time or another. Holidays = Hell on Earth...an unfortunate formula many experience. My uncle is ill. A girl friend's father just passed away. Another friend's father is sick. It's difficult to celebrate the holidays when there's so much suffering out and about.

Peace on Earth, Goodwill toward Men. Think it. Repeat it. Chant it. Sing it. Sign it. It may help with that weight on your shoulders. Believe me...I understand.

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"An intelligent boy", said Scrooge (who, despite being a curmudgeon, would most certainly side with Brett Favre in the continuing Favre/Packer saga)

(because Scrooge respects intelligent folk, unlike the Packer organization who, under GM wonderkind Ted Thompson, are not acting like intelligent folk.)

`An intelligent boy.' said Scrooge. `A remarkable boy. Do you know whether they've sold the prize Turkey that was hanging up there - not the little prize Turkey: the big one.'
`What, the one as big as me,' returned the boy.
`What a delightful boy.' said Scrooge. `It's a pleasure to talk to him. Yes, my buck.'

Ahh, yes. And here's another delightful boy. Read Sooner Corey DeMoss' take on the current Brett Favre/Green Bay Packer situation in his Oklahoma University blog.

DeMoss' most telling observation - which I, my brother and other Favre supporters have stated, is this: "Besides, if Thompson was so hell-bent on starting the Aaron Rogers era and doesn't think Brett can still play, why would he NOT release him? Clearly, Thompson fears that Favre will sign with the Vikings or Bears and beat him twice a year until he retires for real. If you (Thompson) fear his (Favre's) skill so much, why isn't that skill good enough to start for your team?"

And here I had misgivings about our youth of today. Shame on me. "And God bless Us, Every One!".

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Christmas Day

"What's to-day?" cried Scrooge, calling downward to a boy in Sunday clothes, who perhaps had loitered in to look about him.

"Eh?" returned the boy, with all his might of wonder.

"What's to-day, my fine fellow?" said Scrooge.

"To-day?" replied the boy. "Why, Christmas Day."

"It's Christmas Day!" said Scrooge to himself. "I haven't missed it. The Spirits have done it all in one night. They can do anything they like. Of course they can. Of course they can. Hallo, my fine fellow!"

Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world. Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill of laughter in the outset; and knowing that such as these would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have the malady in less attractive forms. His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him.

And it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every One!

Read more!