a turkey isn't just for Christmas
Susan Stepney
Christmas 2025 is finally over. We had the last portion of turkey in the freezer for dinner tonight.
christmas
vALVe Software
Kristian
Here’s a much delayed Christmas comic which didn’t make Christmas 2025 for various reasons! But of course, it will probably still be relevant all through 2026 until next Christmas anyway. Important fact: the word “alv” in Norwegian means “elf”. I’m positive the consequences of this revelation are…...
Christmas Past and Christmas Present: Mega Drive and Switch 2
toomanywires
When I was my daughter's age, I got a Mega Drive for Christmas. This Christmas, she'll be getting a Switch 2.The GEO app said they had it in stock. At least one Switch 2 behind the counter at a local store, available last weekend without the need to reserve or enter a lottery that I'd be bound to...
Week 328 – While Shepherds Were Watching
Andy Turner
Here’s a fine carol from George Dunn, Quarry Bank, Staffordshire. It was recorded in 1971 by Roy Palmer, and included by him in an article entitled ‘George Dunn. Twenty-one Songs and Fragments’, in the 1973 Folk Music Journal. Some of George Dunn’s songs – recorded by Bill Leader with Roy Palmer...
Holiday Jazz 2025: A Vince Guaraldi celebration!
Derrick Bang
[Web master's note: Northern California film critic Derrick Bang — the eldest, youngest and only son of this site's primary jazz guru, the late Ric Bang — has surveyed the holiday jazz scene for more than a quarter century (!). Check out previous columns by clicking on the CHRISTMAS label...
Dialysis Blues, Lone Christmas, and Farewell to a President
Unknown
James had dialysis two days in a row this week. Since Christmas fell on a Wednesday this year, and they obviously didn't want to take the dialysis patients away from their own celebrations, they scheduled James for Monday and Tuesday dialysis. Monday went fine. I bought last minute foods at Kroger...
Week 322 – As I sat under a Sycamore tree
Andy Turner
I’ve been spending a lot of time recently looking at songs collected in my native county of Kent. This song was mentioned by Anne Gilchrist in the Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, Vol. 5, No. 1 (December 1946). Her source was a letter in Notes and Queries, Series 3 Volume 3, No...
Pancakes, Mysterious Happenings, and More Doctoring
Unknown
Sigh. James' restless legs have done it again. Now he's torn a hole through the dark blue sheets. So I had to go to Walmart on Monday to buy new sheets because I needed a bottom sheet, and had to change the bed again, although I just changed it yesterday. Plus Walmart's "hotel quality" sheets...
I Give Christmas My Best, But It Isn't Much
Unknown
We had fun with friends this week; yes, these days it's such a rarity that I have to headline it. On Saturday we went to Hair Day, although we were the only ones there except for John Campbell. So we had some quality time with Ron and John while Sherii clipped hair. The house seems so large and...
Christmas and Treatments Trickle In
Unknown
Well, it was a bad week for medical solutions for James.Dr. Connally was very firm that she wanted James to undergo some kind of aquatherapy, so on Tuesday we went to the place where he would have the therapy. This turned out to be a swanky retirement home that included a fancy dining hall with...
Holiday Jazz 2024: An international affair
Derrick Bang
[Web master's note: Northern California film critic Derrick Bang — the eldest, youngest and only son of this site's primary jazz guru, Ric Bang — has surveyed the holiday jazz scene for more than a quarter century (!). Check out previous columns by clicking on the CHRISTMAS label below.] Holiday...
Reasons for Thanks and Reasons for Sorrow
Unknown
Tucker did have the ultrasound to make sure he had nothing nasty going on inside him on Monday. He passed with flying colors.Next day and on Wednesday James had doctors' appointments, podiatry on Tuesday and cardiologist on Wednesday.We had a dinner invitation for Thanksgiving Day, but it was...
The Turn of Events
Unknown
We saw our first Christmas lights Monday night, November 4! I love Christmas decorations, guys! But, too early!Tried to avoid election coverage on Tuesday by watching a movie, but after the film curiosity got the better of us and we stayed up until midnight watching the returns. I will admit I am...
Back to This
Unknown
James finally had an appointment with the pain clinic, even if it was just a video visit. After looking at James' spinal scans, Dr. Connally thinks he needs outpatient treatment on his back immediately, something called "an injection of 'cement'"? He has a fracture in one of his lower lumbar...
The Roller Coaster is Exhausting
Unknown
Well, what to do about the faucet problem. Despite the fact that I was washing dishes in the bathroom and filling pitchers of water there, James used the kitchen faucet a couple of times and it didn't explode. However, it did need to be fixed. So while scrolling the internet, I found a company...
McCann: 9,765,625 Xmas Cards
Adam Horne
By creating a web app that randomly builds sentences based on the projects and personal anecdotes you’ve shared over the last year. Because it’s much more interesting to find 9 million + random ways of saying thanks than sending another Christmas card. This was created as a proactive pitch...
Holiday Jazz 2022: Where did everybody go?
Derrick Bang
[Web master's note: Northern California film critic Derrick Bang — the eldest, youngest and only son of this site's primary jazz guru, Ric Bang — has surveyed the holiday jazz scene for a quarter century (!), with lengthy columns that just keep growing. Check out previous columns by clicking on...
Holiday Jazz 2021: The lockdown edition
Derrick Bang
[Web master's note: Northern California film critic Derrick Bang — the eldest, youngest and only son of this site's primary jazz guru, Ric Bang — has surveyed the holiday jazz scene for a quarter century (!), with lengthy columns that just keep growing. Check out previous columns by clicking on...
Holiday Jazz 2020: A world affair!
Derrick Bang
[Web master’s note: Northern California film critic Derrick Bang — the eldest, youngest and only son of this site’s primary jazz guru, Ric Bang — has surveyed the holiday jazz scene for 24 years, with lengthy columns that just keep growing. Check out previous columns by clicking on the CHRISTMAS...
Holiday Jazz 2019: Plenty of tasty stocking-stuffers
Derrick Bang
[Web master’s note: Northern California film critic Derrick Bang — still the eldest, youngest and only son of this site’s primary jazz guru, Ric Bang — has surveyed the holiday jazz scene for 23 years, with lengthy columns that just keep growing. Check out previous columns by clicking on the...
Swingle Bells: Holiday jazz 2018
Derrick Bang
[Web master’s note: Northern California film critic Derrick Bang — still the eldest, youngest and only son of this site’s primary jazz guru, Ric Bang — has surveyed the holiday jazz scene for 22 years, with lengthy columns that just keep growing. Check out previous columns by clicking on the...
mscroggs Advent Calender Number 2
Alaric Stephen
As with last year, mscroggs is hosting an advent calender of maths puzzles with a new puzzle each day. Putting together your answers to the 25 days you have all of the information you will need to solve a meta logic problem. He ran it last year and it is very high quality (and quite hard: I spent...