Top Diaries

I have been assigned responsibility for the cheese today. I found some interesting ones yesterday evening at our local cheese emporium - with no queueing.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 03:58:24 AM EST

Re: Yuletide thread (4.00 / 5)

blessed are the cheese makers.

by stevesim on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 07:39:38 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Are you sure you don't want to include all makers of dairy products?

by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 11:14:17 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Yuletide thread (4.00 / 6)

The tradition in Finland, compared to England, is that the family celebration is on the eve of the 24th - including gift giving.

Our father Xmas is 'Joulupukki' (Yule buck). He comes after dark on the 24th and taps on the windows outside, driving the kids into a frenzy, if not scaring the shit out of them. Then inside with the standard sack, the offer of a stiff drink and then gift distribution. The banquet can be eaten before or after Joulupukki's visit - depending on the age of the kids.

Sauna is enjoyed in the afternoon today.

Lunch on the 25th tends to be a bit boozier and extends into the rest of the tomorrow.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 04:06:34 AM EST

Interesting that Finland has kept the name of the buck but giving it to Santa.

Here is what the term today refers to in Sweden:

Probably goes back to the old gods, what with Tor having goats pulling his wagon.

Celebrating everything on the evening before the main event goes back to the days when you spent the main day in church, so you could just as well be hung-over, thus the evening before was party night. So 24th is the day in Sweden too.

Sweden's finest (and perhaps only) collaborative, leftist e-newspaper Synapze.se

by A swedish kind of death on Sat Dec 25th, 2010 at 04:13:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Yuletide thread (4.00 / 12)

Cheers to all, and God Jul. I am spending it with my parents and boyfriend in a ski resort in Austria. The day should have been half snowboarding, half eating, but the fog lies heavy on the mountains and valleys so we will stay in. The snow has begun to fall, and tomorrow we will hopefully have a nice last day on the pistes. The 26th we'll make a brief stop back in Geneva before (hopefully) getting on a plane to Berlin and the 27th Chaos Communication Congress, a very nice little hacker conference.

by someone (s0me1smail(a)gmail(d)com) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 04:57:02 AM EST

So you're taking the piste.... ;-)

Have fun, hack good.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 05:08:40 AM EST
[ Parent ]

someone:

The day should have been half snowboarding,

Well, blogging is a perfectly acceptable alternative to shredding, isn't it?

No, I guess not. Still, think of how much more time you have for eating. ;)

The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman

by dvx (dvx.clt ät gmail dotcom) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 06:49:47 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Shows how out of touch I am, I thought shredding was a way to play electric guitar

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 08:51:30 AM EST
[ Parent ]

someone:

The day should have been half snowboarding

If the snow melts, you can do some waterboarding instead...

"People only accept change when they are faced with necessity, and only recognize necessity when a crisis is upon them." - Jean Monnet

by Melanchthon on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 10:33:21 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Yuletide thread (4.00 / 4)

I suppose waterboarding the relatives is one way of finding out what they want for Christmas.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 11:03:30 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Our military extended family member just put up the Finnish flag.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 05:42:17 AM EST

Hallelujah in Helsinki (4.00 / 4)

"People only accept change when they are faced with necessity, and only recognize necessity when a crisis is upon them." - Jean Monnet

by Melanchthon on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 10:24:03 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Flag rules (none / 0)

When a Finnish flag is flown it's height must be 1/6th of the height of the flagpole.

Today we are flying the gold, blue and white pennant (Husbondsvimpel) of the Swedish speakers of Uusimaa in Southern Finland. More here.

Contrary to popular knowledge, the Finnish flag can be flown on any day, but not at night - not just on official flag days.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Sun Dec 26th, 2010 at 03:49:12 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Sweden's bizarre tradition of watching Donald Duck cartoons on Christmas Eve.
Three years ago, I went to Sweden with my then-girlfriend (now-wife), to meet her family and celebrate my first Christmas. As an only partially lapsed Jew, I was not well-versed in Christmas traditions, and I was completely ignorant of Swedish customs and culture. So I was prepared for surprises. I was not prepared for this: Every year on Dec. 24 at 3 p.m., half of Sweden sits down in front of the television for a family viewing of the 1958 Walt Disney Presents Christmas special, "From All of Us to All of You." Or as it is known in Sverige, Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar God Jul: "Donald Duck and his friends wish you a Merry Christmas."
Kalle Anka and the Aracuan BirdKalle Anka and the Aracuan BirdKalle Anka, for short, has been airing without commercial interruption at the same time on Sweden's main public-television channel, TV1, on Christmas Eve (when Swedes traditionally celebrate the holiday) since 1959.
[...]
The show's cultural significance cannot be understated. You do not tape or DVR Kalle Anka for later viewing. You do not eat or prepare dinner while watching Kalle Anka. Age does not matter--every member of the family is expected to sit quietly together and watch a program that generations of Swedes have been watching for 50 years. Most families plan their entire Christmas around Kalle Anka, from the Smörgåsbord at lunch to the post-Kalle visit from Jultomten. "At 3 o'clock in the afternoon, you can't to do anything else, because Sweden is closed," Lena Kättström Höök, a curator at the Nordic Museum who manages the "Traditions" exhibit, told me. "So even if you don't want to watch it yourself, you can't call anyone else or do anything else, because no one will do it with you."

Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.

by Starvid on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 05:46:57 AM EST

Dinner for One (4.00 / 9)

There's a similar strange tradition in Germany before Silvester (NYE), where the entire country watches James the butler serve Miss Sophie and her non-existant guests, as James must consume copious amounts of sherry. "Same procedure as every year, Miss Sophie."

the same english show is watched on the 23rd in Norway. Now you can watch it yourself, and i dare you not to split your sides.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

by Crazy Horse on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 06:09:54 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Dinner for One (none / 1)

Freddie Frinton: the link between homo vaudevillius and homo milliganii

(I regularly got 2/10 for Latin, so don't hit me)

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 06:13:21 AM EST
[ Parent ]

It's broadcasted every New Years Eve in Sweden as well. :)

Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.

by Starvid on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 06:17:14 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Although for Scandinavians, some germans produced a Lego version which you can find on your tube.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

by Crazy Horse on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 06:40:38 AM EST
[ Parent ]

My first NY in Germany I was looked at with utter consternation when I said I'd never seen this before. Everyone seemed to think this is what the whole world watched on NYE.

The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman

by dvx (dvx.clt ät gmail dotcom) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 06:50:50 AM EST
[ Parent ]

same here.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

by Crazy Horse on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 07:04:14 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Yea, yet it's almost unheard of here in the UK. We only know of it now cos the germans mention it so reverently. I'm sure I watched it once and was completely mystified all the way through.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 08:54:26 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Dinner for One (none / 1)

This must be very old, I have been watching it since we had first a television and that must have been in the 60's and still very funny.

by Fran (fran at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 09:00:13 AM EST
[ Parent ]

I never knew that. But the comic Kalle Anka is very popular in Finland, I know grown men in the advertising/movie business who still get it every week.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 06:10:23 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Kalle Anka comics (none / 0)

Yeah, I got a subscription for my birthday, thinking it would help my Finnish language learning. Now we've got tons of issues of Kalle Anka piled up in a closet.

But the weirdest thing is if you ever try to cancel your subscription to the Duck. It's practically impossible!

by sgr2 on Tue Jan 4th, 2011 at 04:49:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Cancellation (none / 1)

Hmm, that would explain why the Mad Men are still reading it.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Tue Jan 4th, 2011 at 05:12:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]

We ended up watching the legendary South Park épisode featuring Mr Hankey the Christmas Pooh. All expertly dubbed into French including the songs
Noel en enfer and Joyeux putain de Noel.
I'm not suggesting this is a French tradition. But perhaps it's becoming one.

_{It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue
- Queen Elizabeth II}

by eurogreen on Sat Dec 25th, 2010 at 06:06:08 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Very little turkey eating in Finland over Yule. Mostly Kinkku (roast ham on the bone). There are as many ham recipes as there are extended Finnish families.

At a guess, we're probably having our ham with carrot box (casserole), turnip box, rosolli (salad from boiled beetroots, carrots, potatoes, apples and pickled cucumber), roast potatoes - but starting with all types of pickled herring. And perhaps Marskinryyppy (schnapps named after Mannerheim and always filled to just over the brim. A simple military test of nerves).

After that it's every man for himself...

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 06:23:22 AM EST

Very similar meal was had in Sweden: kinkku, porkkanalaatikko, lanttulaatikko, perunalaatikko ja paljon silli.

But this year we started the meal with a delicious appetizer that was similar to caviar, and served the same, and was made from muikku roe. Funny, the Swedes don't eat muikku, but they consider the roe a delicacy. The Finns eat lots of muikku, but throw away the roe. Go figure. I like both. And the muikku roe definitely goes with schnapps.

The only food I ate over the holidays that I'm pretty sure I still haven't developed a taste for was lipeäkala. It just doesn't taste at all.

by sgr2 on Wed Jan 5th, 2011 at 05:26:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Yuletide thread (4.00 / 4)

We got 15cm overnight and it's still snowing and drifting. The in-laws were here last night for an early Christmas before going on to other patchwork-family celebrations today, but at this point it's an open question as to whether they'll be able to get away.

From in-laws to snowed-in-laws...

The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman

by dvx (dvx.clt ät gmail dotcom) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 06:45:53 AM EST

Well, the snowed-in-laws have been dug out and set on their way (if not to follow a star).

Now, it's just me, my wife and my mother-in-law, and we have unanimously declared it time for a celebratory dose of cabin-fever medicine.

Sliante!

The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman

by dvx (dvx.clt ät gmail dotcom) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 10:30:44 AM EST
[ Parent ]

At last - a silly sentimental Santa song that meets the exclusive standards of this site's discriminating readership:

The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman

by dvx (dvx.clt ät gmail dotcom) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 06:57:26 AM EST

Snowing lightly in Lyon (4.00 / 9)

which is as it should be.... snow melts on the ground, but is starting to accumulate on cars.

We French do the thing on Christmas Eve. Here in this multicultural household (five members, four nationalities) we will not be doing a big sit-down dinner (no avians roasted), but what we call an "apéritif dinatoire" with lots of little bits & pieces. (In New Zealand we would have naively called it a smorgasbord. Don't hit me.) Smoked salmon will be prominent (smoked by a friend, retired restaurateur). We haven't bought any oysters yet but it's not too late.

Then we will amuse ourselves until midnight, when we will attack the alarmingly big heap of packets under the tree (three adolescents in the household).

Then it will be time to ring the family in NZ, if we can get a line. They will presumably be dealing with pre-dinner drinks before the Christmas day lunch, which is the main event in my tribe. Probably an indoor/outdoor buffet affair, though the weather forecast is only middling (cloudy, 22°).

_{It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue
- Queen Elizabeth II}

by eurogreen on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 06:57:57 AM EST

Here is sunny Linlithgow we are experiencing what is forecast to be the last of our Halcyon Days: a series of spectacularly clear, perfectly calm, and extremely cold (not above minus six) days with trees covered in snow and hoar frost. I can not remember anything like it - the views and colours have been stupendous.

The bad news is that our heating oil is down pretty much to danger level, and the tanker was forced to turn back yesterday by the icy track (a private road) which leads to us. There is a thaw forecast beginning Sunday, and hopefully by Tuesday the tanker will be able to make the trip.

To add insult to injury, the water outlet to the bathroom is frozen solid as well, so any bath, wash or use of washing machine has to be disposed of by decanting buckets of water down the loo.

The joys of rural life! ......and Scottish standards of insulation and energy efficiency.

"The future is already here -- it's just not very evenly distributed" William Gibson

by ChrisCook (cojockathotmaildotcom) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 07:28:10 AM EST

You are allowed to exceed the standards, you know ;-)

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 08:06:58 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Given that "classes" are over at the University, and that everyone (including the majority of the police force) have been absorbed by the Mad Rush that is Christmas, perhaps I can venture down there and actually get some work done, for a change!

That is my Christmas Wish.

"Beware of the man who does not talk, and the dog that does not bark." Cheyenne

by maracatu on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 07:31:14 AM EST

A lethal Christmas star

There was an ugly rumour that the giant red star, Betelgeuse, that is the right shoulder (on the left as you look at it) of the constellation Orion is "about to" go supernova. The rumours seemed to have started earlier in the year when observations suggested that Betelgeuse had changed shape, a sure sign of imminent explosion. Phil Plait apparently debunked the claims on his BadAstronomy blog.
But what difference would it make to us if the star whose name is derived from the Arabic phrase "armpit of the white-belted sheep" were to explode?

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 08:04:28 AM EST

I don't suppose any magi would be following that kind of a star for long.

The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman

by dvx (dvx.clt ät gmail dotcom) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 10:24:20 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Yuletide thread (4.00 / 10)

Quiet day for me. Slipped yesterday and my knee is swollen so moving is a little akward. Luckel I bought two weeks ago a fauteuil with a build in footstool, which I can now extensively enjoy, while putting wet packs on my knee.

And after the raising of temperatures it now started snowing again.

Hope you all have a happy and peaceful Yuletide. :-)

by Fran (fran at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 08:58:43 AM EST

sorry about your knee Fran. (4.00 / 6)

did you put arnica on it?

nature's way of slowing things down, along with the snow!

here it's passably clement, 12C or so outside, humidity 80%, cloudy drab grey skies, mushy mud/rotten leaves underfoot.

this evening i am going to my partner's house 5 minutes away, and we are going to have a big dinner for 6 friends and family, so i am cooking up a storm, home made seitan, and apple/date/sunflower seed/hazelnut/sesame/almond/raisin crumble.

the internet is slow as pitch today, good thing as i want to run off some mp3s of studio projects for collaborators and get them emailed for baby geesuss bee-day tomorrow,

may you all have playfully intelligent festivities, and a good rest to peacefully acknowledge all the good things that happened this year...

which as we all know, were merely the aperitivi for 2011!

auguri di natale e felice anno nuovo

♥

melo

'The history of public debt is full of irony. It rarely follows our ideas of order and justice.' Thomas Piketty

by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 09:28:55 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: sorry about your knee Fran. (none / 0)

I have some Arnica pills but was not particularly impressed. Could I grind them up, mix with MSM and a little water and apply topically with some benefit, from your experience?

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."

by ARGeezer (ARGeezer a in a circle eurotrib daught com) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 03:24:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: sorry about your knee Fran. (none / 1)

what did you take it for?

i only took it internally once, a monodose after a pretty gruelling dentist visit, and was quite impressed how it calmed me and made the pain seem less. i would take it this way after anything shocking to the whole system, like an accident.

externally, i use a 2% or 5% strength cream, and find it extremely helpful for bruises and sprains, i've used it for decades with reliable results. the sooner you get it onto the affected area, the better and quicker it seems to work.

a tiny little alpine flower, with such an awesome ability to make pain evaporate... it's nice and cool too.

i wouldn't bother with the crushing and mixing routine, iirc the cream's quite easy to find in the pharmacy in the USA.

yay thai food! (tho a little rich in the satfat from coconut.)

'The history of public debt is full of irony. It rarely follows our ideas of order and justice.' Thomas Piketty

by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 06:26:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]

You be careful of your knee, you certainly don't want ot end up in my state. Happy xmas and quiet relaxation

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 09:32:57 AM EST
[ Parent ]

I'm sorry to hear that.

But we're here to keep you company. :)

The fact is that what we're experiencing right now is a top-down disaster. -Paul Krugman

by dvx (dvx.clt ät gmail dotcom) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 10:25:18 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Yuletide thread (4.00 / 6)

This thread needs more music.

(I propose that from this year onwards, this becomes the official ET Christmas Show soundtrack.)

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 09:12:40 AM EST

Unwinds eyelids from the top of his head.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 09:36:20 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Sometimes you are very, very naughty...though brilliant with it.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 09:45:50 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Cacophony in D Minus?

Here's a Real© one, with lyrics so everybody can sing along ...

She believed in nothing; only her skepticism kept her from being an atheist. -- Jean-Paul Sartre

by ATinNM on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 11:42:30 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Just de

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 11:56:59 AM EST
[ Parent ]

TBG is apparently spending Christmas getting hammered with a bunch of New Orleanians.

Be nice to America. Or we'll bring democracy to your country.

by Drew J Jones (pedobear@pennstatefootball.com) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 02:36:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]

er, whoever put the egg nog near the drummer...

bad. idea.

;)

'The history of public debt is full of irony. It rarely follows our ideas of order and justice.' Thomas Piketty

by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 06:30:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Guardian - Ed Miliband's offer to the young: join Labour for a penny

cheap & shameless attempt at bandwagon hijacking

Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, today sought to woo the youth vote by offering membership for a penny to anyone under the age of 27.
Miliband said the "Christmas invitation" would secure young people a political voice as he launched the party's "Speak out for your generation" campaign.

I think the young have found a political voice of their own; on the streets. Quite what NuLab, the unashamed voice of plutocratic interests, could criticize about the results of the neoliberal solutions it advocated when in power is beyond me. When Milband has an economic policy that actually challenges this status quo he might find his party having more relevance, but at the moment they just look desperate in their attempt to insert themselves into the situation

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 09:39:56 AM EST

Ive seen quite a few Lib Dems and Tories saying that they should all join and see how much they can cost the party

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 10:45:50 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Anyone who follows me on facebook/twitter will know that I have acquired an Uncle Derek, who thinks I am on holiday somewhere hot and sends me rude jokes.

went to a disco last night, they played the twist so I twisted. They played jump, so I jumped. Then they played come on Eileen and that's when they kicked me out.

I told him I don't have an Uncle Derek and that he has the wrong number and he replied to say "piss off. hope you get sunburn."

So should I attempt once more to tell him he has the wrong person, ignore him until his real niece gets in touch or pretend I am on holiday and make stuff up to tell him?

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 11:11:57 AM EST

Re: Yuletide thread (4.00 / 4)

In general, stalkers are stalkers. Don't encourage them.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 11:19:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]

My error, I haven't picked him up via twitter/fb, he has the wrong mobile number and thinks he is texting someone else and doesn't believe me when I say I am not her.

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 11:30:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Stalkers are very good at games - usually. Face value does not apply.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 11:33:11 AM EST
[ Parent ]

I pick up on stalkers very quickly, this does seem to be a genuine error but I don't intend to play games. It's just amusing to think of how mortified the man will be when he realises his mistake.

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 12:00:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]

My advice is keep out of so-called social networks. WTF?

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 06:26:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]

It doesn't seem that she was contacted through facebook...

Of all the ways of organizing banking, the worst is the one we have today — Mervyn King, 25 October 2010

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Dec 25th, 2010 at 05:04:13 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Too much pineapple juice in my pineapple juice...

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Sat Dec 25th, 2010 at 05:41:20 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Had the salad, rossoli, salmon from many nations, and roe with smetana, and white and red onion. And Aaalborg akvavit and a few toasting songs.

Lining up now for the main event - 'El Gordo'.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 11:23:54 AM EST

This is deep.

I mean, for real.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 06:28:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Awesome. These guys could render fiddles obsolete!

by ElaineinNM on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 11:34:20 AM EST

Finns to the rescue (none / 1)

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 11:41:14 AM EST
[ Parent ]

The ham's up next (none / 0)

They're not going to let me escape again. This may be my last message.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 12:00:59 PM EST

Re: The ham's up next (4.00 / 3)

We will remember you well

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 12:05:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The ham's up next (none / 0)

with some folks the ham is never far away.

next year maybe stream video, that way you won't have to keep sloping off to update...

;)

'The history of public debt is full of irony. It rarely follows our ideas of order and justice.' Thomas Piketty

by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Sat Dec 25th, 2010 at 08:54:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Yuletide thread (4.00 / 7)

Calvin and Hobbes at Christmas

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 12:04:06 PM EST

There's so many fine ones in that compendium, wow. Danke.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

by Crazy Horse on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 01:00:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I still remember buying a compendium years ago and starting to read it on a crowded train. I got 3 cartoons in, exploded in hysterics and had to put the book away in embarrassment until i got home.

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 01:05:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]

http://www.wimp.com/animalvoiceovers/

Never mind the laughs, this is serious. Happy Chrissmus.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 06:20:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Humbug Repost (none / 1)

Think this belongs better in this thread than in Salon, for those who missed another view of the holiday.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

by Crazy Horse on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 12:48:45 PM EST

Puns and the Nail of Reality (4.00 / 3)

A pun is a moment when the beautifully knitted cardigan of language catches on the nail of reality and ever-so-slightly unravels - Gareth Edwards

"The future is already here -- it's just not very evenly distributed" William Gibson

by ChrisCook (cojockathotmaildotcom) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 01:12:28 PM EST

Gift for Sven (none / 1)

and lolcat people, you know who you are.

(you've likely all seen this already, but me not.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

by Crazy Horse on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 03:54:38 PM EST

Re: Gift for Sven (none / 1)

Fanfuckintastic. I was brought up on TV by someone called Johnny Morris.

Morris's ability to create a world which children could relate to through his mimicry led to his best-known role, that of the presenter, narrator and 'zoo keeper' for Animal Magic. For more than 400 editions, from 1962 until 1983, and with inserts shot at Bristol Zoo Gardens, Morris would carry out a comic dialogue with the animals, whom he also voiced. His regular companion on the show was Dotty the Ring-tailed Lemur. When the idea of putting human qualities and voices to animals fell out of favour the series was discontinued.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Sat Dec 25th, 2010 at 06:16:33 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Gift for Sven (4.00 / 3)

Here's Johnny Morris narrating 'Tales of the Riverbank', which always had me spellbound as a child.

"The future is already here -- it's just not very evenly distributed" William Gibson

by ChrisCook (cojockathotmaildotcom) on Sat Dec 25th, 2010 at 06:24:03 AM EST
[ Parent ]

The Joy of Giving (none / 0)

Explanation: Top pitchers in the Bundesliga need that extra feeling only given through toe socks in your cleats.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

by Crazy Horse on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 04:02:23 PM EST

Re: The Joy of Giving (none / 0)

any chance of a translation for that explanation ;-))

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 04:16:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The Joy of Giving (none / 1)

baseball has a Bundesliga as well, and cleats are spikes. toe feeling brings more control on the baseball, as long as your garter belt (worn under the uni) has the rose in the front.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

by Crazy Horse on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 04:20:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The Joy of Giving (none / 1)

Gotta understand:

Crazy Horse has gone into a period of cognitive dysfunction until Feb 1st, when Spring Training begins. We needs must be kind to him during the interim, treat his posts here with patience while understanding he will not be able to fully communicate over the next 6 weeks, or so.

She believed in nothing; only her skepticism kept her from being an atheist. -- Jean-Paul Sartre

by ATinNM on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 04:26:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The Joy of Giving (none / 1)

Pitchers and catchers report Feb 18 or so, position players a bit later. We're awaiting as the Hot Stove League warms up. (look it up.)

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

by Crazy Horse on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 04:47:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 07:54:34 PM EST

Scrooge Unfettered (none / 1)

As the last in the Bah Humbug series, how could we not present an offering of Lord Buckley.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

by Crazy Horse on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 08:27:11 PM EST

Re: Scrooge Unfettered (none / 0)

Even Scrooge made the turnabout. You can get hip if you wanta. There's only one way, straight to the rule of love. Danke, Lord Buckley.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

by Crazy Horse on Fri Dec 24th, 2010 at 08:37:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Scrooge Unfettered (none / 1)

The Feast of the Nazz....

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Sat Dec 25th, 2010 at 01:51:59 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Sven, someone wil be needing a producer soon:

Of all the ways of organizing banking, the worst is the one we have today — Mervyn King, 25 October 2010

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Dec 25th, 2010 at 05:33:02 AM EST

Choreographer, surely?

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Sat Dec 25th, 2010 at 06:07:07 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Voice trainer for fronting a Finnish Symphonic Metal band?

Of all the ways of organizing banking, the worst is the one we have today — Mervyn King, 25 October 2010

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Dec 25th, 2010 at 06:18:24 AM EST
[ Parent ]