(Teresa: the Handel's Messiah link is wonky.)

Dear Maxbass.com, couldn't you please put the Hallelujah Chorus back up again? Thank you, and Merry Christmas.

I think one of those houses was mine.

*G*

Merry Christmas, Nielsen Haydens, and ML.

Unfortunately, the person who had not just added wires but close to a full-time personal service truck (at a great house at a junction on the Jamaicaway) sold the place some months ago; the new owner has not carried forward the tradition. (Newspaper photographs don't begin to do the place justice; if my web-fu wakes up I'll find a link -- \somebody/ must have posted pictures.)

And at least those choristers \had/ an organ. My concert last week had only piano, because a collection of construction idiocies out in the street ran a crack all the way up/through the altar end of Old South Church (Boston) a couple of weeks ago; the vestrymen (?) were afraid that playing the organ would knock plaster loose around the crack.

For sly commentary on the Vegasization of Christmas decorations, here's "50 Kilowatt Tree" by the Bobs. This should be the official song of Jennings Osborne.

For anyone wondering about the real story behind that terrific rendition of "O Holy Night" (thank you for that one in particular, Teresa), here's a site that purports to have the answer. (Short version: a professional music producer, but not a professional vocalist, was goofing around in the studio and doesn't know who made the recording public.) If they're correct, I would identify the mysterious "Steve M." as this fellow.

Merry Christmas, MacAllister, Nielsen Haydens, and other Fluorospherians!

The two links at "not these guys" have been taken down by youtube.

(The first "not these guys," not the second "definitely not these guys," if that makes any sense at all.)

The clueless voiceover left me totally gobsmacked. And the tree doesn't look as impressive as they seem to think it is.

Mac, I'm sure I'd like yours. I might even like all of these better when I'm feeling less squashed.

Who is the bigger sad sack, the drunken office-party dancer, ineptly having fun, or the sneering cynic on the sidelines, capturing the moment and 'sharing' it on YouTube so s/he can feel superior?

There's a well-known set of trite lines that ends with "and dance like nobody's watching." A few months ago I stayed up in SF at the main office to go out with coworkers to see a band that featured one of our colleagues. The opening act was good, and their act was good. People were happy, smiling, nodding, jigging their shoulders a little, but only a couple dozen of the 100ish folks there were actually dancing. There was room, but maybe it just "wasn't cool"? I danced, and had fun, and didn't care.

Whether at an office party or out at a club, if the dancing is only For The Beautiful People or The Talented People, there'd better be signs. Otherwise this old fat chick is gonna be dancin'.

So there.