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[Charles Pogue]

Dunno, I have just never much cared for it.  I find it rather bland and at the same time irritating.  I believe Groucho Marx tells a story at a live concert (recorded on record) that George Kaufman had an antipathy for the song as well...so I'm not alone.  I have several seemingly popular tunes like this I can't bear...I've always disliked The Anniversary Waltz and the Beatles' Yesterday too.  Then there's Alley Cat...but that's entirely different story...it deserves my scorn and contempt.  An awful, cheesy tune!

[Michael]

Interesting poster I came across. Not sure if it is supposed to be funny or serious.

[Michael]

Are they naughty or nice?





and let's not forget our Jewish readers

[JoseSPiano]

Good Afternoon!

Back from shopping excursion #2 for the day.  Various missions accomplished!  Stocking stuffers, yet more groceries and some yummylicious bread from my favorite bakery down the street.

*In the "spirit" of the season, unfortunately, I almost witnessed a hit and run - a car was trying to pass another car and ended up scraping one of the cars parked on the street.  And the offending car drove off... then started to pull over... then started to drive off again... Thankfully, since traffic wasn't moving that fast, there was more than one person who saw the car and started writing down the license plate number.  The woman who's car was hit was safe and sound - she was actually about to get into her car!  She ended up seeing the incident herself.  She seemed rather calm, and I think all the good Samaritan's made her feel better too.  I didn't see the accident proper, but I did see and hear everyone reacting and helping.  -It was kind of neat - people just started saying the license plate out loud as a sort of pnemonic device (I guess).

So, now it's time for me to cut my hair - which shouldn't take too long, I seem to be getting the hang of it now - those guides sure do make it easy.  Then on the way out to Steve's I'll make a stop by Old Navy and Tower Records for some more last-minute shopping.  Then dinner...  I think Steve is making his famous ham!  

[JoseSPiano]

DR Panni - ...Now I know what to get the next time I go to Trader Joe's!

And now YOU know!

[bk]

I'm back, and thank goodness only have to leave once more to get mail.  Gelson's at ten o'clock was insanity personified - especially in the bakery department.  I ordered the cake in advance, but that did not make one or two whits of difference, we all had to wait our turn.  My turn took a half-hour to come up.  Then went to the bank which was unusually croweded (wonder why) - I say unusually because for some reason this branch of Bank of America never ever is crowded.  The longest I've ever had to wait was five minutes, and that includes today.

Now, might I just ask what on earth is Cialis?  I keep getting spammed by people thinking I should be taking Cialis, and all I can think of is the cialis from the pialas has the pellet with the poison but the fliagon with the driagon has the brew that is true.

[S. Woody White]

Christmas music on on the CD player in the house here in Delaware:

Currently playing: Narada's Christmas Collection, Volume 2.  Interesting collection of artists, mostly instrumental.

On deck: Gloria Estefan's Christmas Through Your Eyes, Michael Martin Murphey's Cowboy Christmas, and Mason Williams' A Gift of Song.

But we've still got things to do.  Der B has some last-minute shopping (including gift wrap, which we didn't pack with us when we moved and thus are still rebuilding our supply) and a gift card for his son-in-law, probably from Lowes).  I've a mushroom spread to make for appetizers, and I'll have to help der B with whatever he's planning.

And this must all be done with six dogs romping around.  What a joyful season!

[JMK]

Cialis has my favorite "warning" of all time, which may give a hint as to its purpose:

"Erections lasting longer than 4 hours are potentially dangerous and a doctor should be consulted immediately."

[Ginny]

TOD - Christmas CD's - Broadway Christmas, Canadian Brass Christmas Album (my favorite version of 12 Days), Melissa Manchester Joy.

And here's our Christmas tree...

[S. Woody White]

MUSHROOM SPREAD:

Start with fresh mushrooms.  Good ol' white button mushers are fine.  I'm using a tub that contains 24 oz.  Brush off the dirt with a damp cloth, and trim off the ends of the stems, then break into pieces with your hands and dump 'em all into the food processor.  Ready, set, pulse!  Get 'em ground up fairly fine.

While you're at it, pulsing up a little onion doesn't hurt, not too much, a small onion will do.

Put a large skillet over a medium flame and heat up a T or two of oil.  Add all that ground musher and onion, and let cook, stirring on occasion.  You're making what's called a duxelle.  The idea is to evaporate as much of the water out of the mushrooms as you can, which intensifies their flavor.  Adding some cayenne or Tobasco can be nice at this point, but isn't necessary.  When they've cooked down as far as you think you can, take them off the heat and let it all cool down.

In a bowl, scoop out the contents of a 12 oz. container of Philadelphia Whipped Cream Cheese (or two, depending on how much mushers you've cooked up, and how much spread you're making).  Add the cooled musher mix and stir to blend.  Put the spread in attractive serving bowls (glass is nice) and chill in the refrigerator.

Serve with crackers or toast points.  Some of your guests won't know it's mushrooms, believe it or not.  Be warned, however, that other guests have been known to grab the serving bowl and hide with it, savoring every bit of the spread for themselves!

[Michael]

I saw Daddy kissing Santa!

[JoseSPiano]

Umm...

DR Michael Shayne.... This is a family site.... not a "family" site...

[Michael]

Umm...

DR Michael Shayne.... This is a family site.... not a "family" site...

All depends whose "Daddy" he is.

[S. Woody White]

Last night I saw a perfectly splendid production of Richard Brinsley Sheridan's The School for Scandal at the Mark Taper Forum.

...the play offers biting comment on hypocrisy amongst that segment of the upper class consumed by gossip.

It was not difficult at all to draw connections from this play to our own society, enamored as it is with celebrity gossip and a little too gleeful in its delight in schadenfreude.

Oh, a little like some boards on the Internet, right?

[George]

I saw Daddy kissing Santa!

What a laugh it would have been
If Poppa had only seen
Daddy kissing Santa Claus last night!

[S. Woody White]

I saw Daddy kissing Santa!

Oh, those silly elves!

[Panni]

Hmmmm. I guess it wasn't good planning, but I was going to Gelson's later today to buy fixings for tomorrow's dinner. I had it in mind to make roast chicken and I prefer to get chicken as close to the time I make it as possible.
Maybe I'll try a kosher butcher shop. They shouldn't be too busy.

[S. Woody White]

A Scene from the never aired Star TreK: Christmas Episode

Oh, those silly elves!

[Joey]

Thanks for the temperature updates. I am dreading having to go out and run in this weather, but I must. I can't get behind in my marathon training.

Perhaps there will be a picture of the stereo later today once the dining room is clean. Right now it is buried under loose wrapping paper and other accoutrements of the holiday season.

[Charles Pogue]

Michael Shayne,  you gave The Lovely Wife and I a good laugh with your Santa poster.  We found it hilarious.  

[George]

Happy Christmas Eve Day everyone!

I am already on the BBC site, waiting to listen to the Michael Ball Christmas Concert that will begin in just a few minutes.  

Danise, I forgot about this!  Oops!  (spoo spelled backwards).  FORTUNATELY (for me, especially) it's archived for a whole week.  I'll record listen to it when I have the time to tape hear the whole thing.

[JMK]

I just had my nice Christmas Eve laugh, courtesy of son Gabe.  I had joked in that newspaper article about my research I posted here a while back that my kids were the only 8 and 6 year olds who knew who Frances Farmer was.  Well, I just got them the 5th season of The Simpsons, and I had forgotten there's an episode with a great joke Marge makes about her "crazy mother", who used to play as a schoolgirl with her childhood friends Zelda Fitzgerald and, you guessed it, Frances Farmer.  Gabe just ran back to the office shouting "Dad!  Dad!  Marge Simpson's mother used to play with Frances Farmer!"  

[Dan-in-Toronto]

From Howard Teichman's biography of George S. Kaufman (the section about The Cocoanuts):

"George hated music so much," Irving Berlin volunteered, "that if I'd written 'Rock of Ages' he'd have thrown it out."

And,

"Kaufman allowed Groucho to ad lib on stage, the only actor he ever permitted that luxury. Of course, when the ad libs failed, Kaufman was quick to criticize.

"'Remember, George, they laughed at Fulton and his steamboat,'" Groucho apologized one afternoon.

"'Not at matinees, they didn't,' Kaufman snapped."

[Dan-in-Toronto]

I just finished watching WHAT IF, the DVD (which arrived yesterday afternoon). It is thoroughly engaging from the opening to the closing number, and I defy anyone not to feel good after seeing it. I can't imagine the WHAT IFs without the other numbers, nor can I imagine the other numbers without the WHAT IFs.

I'm sure Mr. Kevin Spirtas's act is going to be a knockout.

[MBarnum]

I had a sudden urge to watch WHITE CHRISTMAS and so I trudged out into the shopping hordes...and wouldn't you know that every store I went to was sold out of the darn movie! The rental places were out as well...so I rented THE BISHOP'S WIFE instead.

So time for some lunch and the movie!

[François de Paris]

I had a sudden urge to watch WHITE CHRISTMAS and so I trudged out into the shopping hordes...and wouldn't you know that every store I went to was sold out of the darn movie! The rental places were out as well...

NO!

YOU DON'T SAY!
On a day like this one!!
EASTER PARADE, I would understand but.... White Christmas! Outrageous! LOL!

Hey, btw.... it's NOT a darn movie!

Ain't it broadcast on a lot of channels tonight???

JOYEUX NOEL to one and all!

One hour and 30 minutes here before midnight!!

Oh Happy We!

[bk]

I've chopped six cloves of garlic and cut the mushrooms and onions, and now they are all cooking merrily.

Now, this is our Christamas Eve "do" and I think some more postings are in order, don't you?  I need excellent reading matter in between visits to the pots and pans, and there is no more excellent reading matter than here at haineshisway.com.

[George]

Well, I must now brave the moderate temperatures of Washington State and head out to my parents' house.  We do our gift unwrapping Christmas Eve because my niece and her father's family do the Christmas thing Christmas morning.  So:

[move=left,scroll,6,transparent,100%]MERRY[/move]
[move=right,scroll,6,transparent,100%]EVERYTHING[/move]
[move=left,scroll,6,transparent,100%]AND[/move]
[move=right,scroll,6,transparent,100%]HAPPY[/move]
[move=left,scroll,6,transparent,100%]ALWAYS[/move]
[move=right,scroll,6,transparent,100%]!!![/move]

[Tomovoz]

Today's CD's:  Burl Ives - Christmas
                       Peter, Paul & Mary Christmas
                       Phil Spector's Christmas CD
Last Night's DVD: Harry Potter - The Prisoner of A...

Decisions: I only have 44 Christmas Cds from which to choose. most played already this season is the Larry Moore Christmas CD. New to the collection this year. Larry Moore's Christmas and the wonderful Ella. Where would I be without HHW? Probably playing the Boney M
Christmas record or Kenny G. .

[Matt H.]

Yes, we've had that Irving Berlin debate before. I think "I'm an Indian, Too" is lousy, and that's not said in the spirit of political correctness. I've never liked the song ever.

I think "Always" is lovely, and those two "general" songs from WHITE CHRISTMAS are also OK by me.