Struggles of a Teacher Person

Struggles of a Teacher Person
GEORGIA ROCKS! A road I drive on to work, lucky me!

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Thoughts. . .


Okay, if you don't know, I'm conservative. Actually, ultra-so. So all these thoughts are colored by that.
First, would you people downing Oprah (Can you hear me Mr. Edwards?) STOP? Just because she's gonna get more people to listen to him, why must you hate on her? I'm really outraged at whomever the pinhead was who said that Oprah shouldn't be building schools in South Africa, but in South Carolina? What, are you kidding me? Obviously, I don't agree with Obama, but there have been any number of people of notoriety who have done the political thing for the Clintons. Are they afraid of Oprah's impact on the campaign? They should be. I don't totally agree with Oprah, but she wouldn't be out stomping for someone if she weren't convinced of his abilities and qualifications. I don't agree with a lot of Obama's views, but there are other Oprah-ites out there who will check him out because of her. There will be many who move from Hilary's camp to Obama's. It will be interesting to see this play out.

I don't know who I'm going to support amongst the Republican candidates, if anyone. I may go independent. Or I may go Democratic for my primary vote. I've done this before, but mostly in state elections. In Georgia, you have to declare which party you want to vote for. Then you can only vote for folks of that party. In the general election, you can vote for whomever you decide.

Do you see the two gals in the picture? After seeing Not for Ourselves Alone by Ken Burns, I cannot in good conscience NOT go vote. I was thinking about not going to a not-very-important primary in which I could only vote for one or two people. It was spitting rain outside and I was tired. I then got this picture in my head of Susan B. Anthony (the one on the left) looking at me. Although she was a Quaker, I think she might have kicked my ass for not going to vote. I'm not talking about just a roughing-up. I believe she would've gone medieval on me. She worked so hard and never got a chance to vote. Every time I go vote, I think of her and actually appreciate that I am allowed at the polling place and get to voice my opinion. Because of her, I have made myself a promise to be aware of what and whom I will be voting for and to make informed decisions. (The other lady in the picture is Elizabeth Cady Stanton. She was the motherly one. You can see what they brought to the project just by looking at them.) I explained this recently to a friend and she remarked that it was very noble, etc. She also laughed and said that my vote only counted as much as some nimrod who knew nothing and just went in there and voted for the first person in each category! Funny.

Also, check this out (from Edison Media Research).
MOST LOVED CHRISTMAS SONGS
1. Nat King Cole/The Christmas Song
2. Bing Crosby/White Christmas
3. Johnny Mathis/Do You Hear What I Hear
4. Burl Ives/A Holly Jolly Christmas
5. Harry Simeone Chorale/Little Drummer Boy
MOST HATED CHRISTMAS SONGS
1. Singing Dogs/Jingle Bells
2. Cartman/O Holy Night
3. Elmo & Patsy/Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer (the only one that can be called polarized, not just hated)
4. Jackson 5/Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
5. Barbra Streisand/Jingle Bells


Well, I have to say that Nat King Cole's "Christmas Song" IS the harbinger of Christmas to me. I can't wait until I actually hear it played on the radio. And I've always loved Bing Crosby. When I watched Holiday Inn and saw this in context, I have to say that it was even better. Even later, when I learned how Irving Berlin came to write the song, I was even more in love with the song. Check this out for a brief account of how he allegedly did it:


What's really funny is that my parents had a five or six record collection from Reader's Digest that included all, and I mean all, of the best Christmas songs. I think that all of the loved songs were on there. Anyway, I used to start playing those albums on my record player on the day after Thanksgiving from the time I was about seven or eight. I learned what now seem to be pretty obscure songs. One of my favorites is "The Holly and the Ivy" which sounds really English to me. On the album it was sung by a boys' choir. Also, not as obscure, but not as played as I believe it should be is "Good King Wenceslas" which I believe was the Bing Crosby version. "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" is another good one which doesn't get as good PR as it should. I downloaded an Elvis version that I put on my Christmas 2007 CD. What else made my cut? Well. . .

1. I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day -- Elvis Presley
2. Mary's Prayer -- Bebo Norman (This is an INCREDIBLE CD.)
3. White Christmas -- Bing Crosby
4. Hard Candy Christmas -- Dolly Parton
5. I'll Be Home for Christmas -- Josh Groban (This is a cool CD too. Hey, I bought it before I knew Oprah recommended it!)
6. Merry Christmas Darling -- Carpenters
7. Celebrate Me Home -- Kenny Loggins (Yes, I am a total GOOBER for liking this, but I do. Mock me at your whim.)
8. Christmastime Is Here -- The Peanuts Kids (Vince Guaraldi)
9. Christmas Canon -- Trans-Siberian Orchestra
10. All I Want for Christmas Is You -- Vince Vance and the Valiants
11. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree -- Brenda Lee (How do I love this? Let me count the ways. . . )
12. Please Come Home for Christmas -- Eagles
13. Jingle Bell Rock -- Bobby Helms
14. Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) -- Darlene Love (Thanks, David Letterman, for introducing me to this magnificent song and singer!)
15. Grown-Up Christmas List -- Michael Buble (This one is new, not the Amy Grant one, obviously, but I really like it.)
16. Thankful -- Josh Groban (I would kinda love to see a Celebrity Death Match between Josh & Michael Buble, but I do like both.)
17. The Christmas Waltz -- Carpenters
18. Christmas in Dixie -- Alabama (I also wanted Tender Tennessee Christmas, but it wasn't available on i-tunes.)
19. Do You Hear What I Hear? -- Perry Como & the Ray Charles Singers
20. Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer -- Gene Autry


Well, I'm tired of writing, so I'll go away for awhile.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Yeah, Republican offerings in this election are pretty dismal. I gotta check out this Huckabee guy.I have to admit, the enormity of it all does make me not want to vote. Hello? that would be cutting off my nose to spite my face.

hepsmom said...

Did you look at Susan B.? Come on you wouldn't be spiting your face, she'd be smiting it!

justacoolcat said...

That is a great list of Christmas songs!

Jason said...

Nat is the man. Was. He completely owned Sinatra. I consider that rivalry (even if it only exists in my mind) as the precursor of hip-hop beefs.