Video- President Obama celebrates Greek Independence Day

You

By GottaLaff

You are our gift, and for that we are grateful.

Love,

Laffy and Paddy

Brisket anyone?

By GottaLaff

It's Goofy Post time!

Paddy's dying for a good brisket recipe.

I'm dying to know what your holiday wishes are. Anything goes. Want world peace? A public option? A car? A more literate America?

This is Open Threaditude! Have at it.

Afternoon Distraction

Holy crap, this had me laughing from the first note. Wisconsin's Finest (that I hope usually only sing at church).

White House Hanukkah Party Spawns Anger

By GottaLaff

Regarding the reaction to the ObamAdministration's first Hanukkah party: Oy, gimme a break:

One bone of contention has been the guest list: Administration officials say they are inviting 550 people, just 50 less than President Bush invited to his White House Hanukkah parties. But reports in the Israeli press spawned fast-spreading rumors that the Obama White House was only inviting 400 – and that the Bush White House had actually invited twice that number. [...]

(Clarification: Troy writes in to say that he wrote his piece in response to an article in the Jerusalem Post that said the guest list would be cut in half. "My piece was about what the implications of that decision would be," he said. "The White House has now increased the guest list, which is all to the good, but I did not start the story that they cut it in half.") [...]

Mr. Bush's White House last year sent an invitation to its Hannukah party that included a Christmas tree. Yet his administration's handling of the party is being compared favorably to the performance of Mr. Obama's administration. [...]

As for the party itself: The Times reports that it will feature a Jewish student choir, children of a soldier deployed in Iraq lighting a menorah, and the presence of the president and first lady.

And, hopefully, enough potato latkes to win over the skeptics.

Much ado, seriously. I'm Jewish and I'm not offended. Besides, there are so many more important issues to worry about. The number of guests at a party is not one of them.

Oy vey izmeir. Zol zein shah!

Video- Happy Hanukkah from Orrin Hatch

Eight Days of Hanukkah from Tablet Magazine on Vimeo.

Oh my, I couldn't resist. Via Ben.

Happy Holiday White House Photos

Via Getty Images.

Video- First lady urges holiday giving

Thanksgiving TV Marathon Guide: Friday

If you're looking for something to watch after you've cleaned that kitchen, EW has some suggestions. (The only one I'd follow would be the Gold Girls.)

Here’s our guide to the best marathon programming for Friday, Nov. 27.

*Bravo is running The Real Housewives of New Jersey all day long. I don’t know why exactly this qualifies as “special” holiday programming since they pretty much air the various Housewives incarnations all the time anyway. But hey, that doesn’t mean it ain’t still tasty. Watch these well-mannered ladies and their tastefully decorated homes…Ah, who are we kidding? Let the catfighting and kitsch begin!

*For a classier (but just as bawdy) bunch of dames, head over to WE for its Golden Girls marathon.

*Nothing will make you feel lazier than spending a whole day watching brawny men risk their lives to catch Alaskan King Crab. That’s right, Discovery is trotting out a mess of Deadliest Catch episodes. So bust out the Slanket and heat up some crab dip. Yummo!

*We would never actually advocate watching E!’s “Kardashiathon“, but we do like the cute name they came up with. Instead, why not check out a much better show from another L.A. hip zip, SOAPnet’s “Chillin’ with Dylan” Beverly Hills, 90210 marathon?

*Thursday’s James Bond marathon over on Syfy continues on Day 2 with Thunderball, From Russia With Love, You Only Live Twice, Diamonds Are Forever, Casino Royale, Goldeneye, Goldfinger, and Never Say never Again.

*Finally, TV Land gets a gold star for its nostalgic block of Sanford & Son episodes.

Alabama county celebrates official Obama holiday

By GottaLaff

We hear a lot of criticism of President Obama, and how the honeymoon is long over, how people are disenchanted. Oh yeah? Well, we'll show them! Here are some who are still very enchanted:

The rural, mostly black county has proclaimed Monday as an official holiday celebrating the election of the nation's first black president, Barack Obama. It's one of Alabama's poorest counties, but it's sparing little during five days of festivities.

County employees, as well as city workers in Marion and Uniontown, will get a paid holiday Monday as government offices close, culminating a series of events including an old-fashioned civil rights rally and march, a golf tournament, a weekend carnival and a parade Monday through Marion.

"I feel great about the holiday," said county maintenance worker Leon Brown. "It's history. It's the first time ever we've had a black president. I hope it's not the last time ever." [...]

The Obama holiday was proposed by Commissioner Albert Turner Jr., whose father was one of the marchers beaten on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in the 1965 "Bloody Sunday" voting rights march in Selma. [...]

He said another reason for the holiday was to let the nation know the role Perry County played in protests that led to passage of the Voting Rights Act. Some of the events recall the demonstrations.

"It's not that we're celebrating Obama. We're celebrating America living up to it's creed that all men are created equal," Turner said.

Then a Rushpublic did his Rushpublic thing and found a way to spin a very positive moment into a negative:

But Michael Brooks, a Judson College professor who is a Republican Party official in Perry County, wondered if the five days of events celebrating Obama's election wasn't a little too much for the small, poor county.

"I question whether we needed another paid county holiday in the middle of a recession," Brooks said. "For the first year, it seems it could have been a bit more modest."

Yeah, celebrating is way too much for people bursting with pride to handle when they're trying to find a silver lining during tough times. What could they be thinking?

G.O.P.: Grumpy Old Poopyheads.

High school student Matt Morgan displays his Obama Day holiday tee shirt as he attends a rally at the Marion Military Institute in Marion, Ala., Friday, Nov. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

President Obama's Weekly Address 4/11/09

Evening Open Thread

Jeebus people, tell me something interesting that doesn't involve bombing. I'm about to pull my hair out. You get anything interesting for teh holiday?

To all our wonderful TPC readers:

By GottaLaff

To all our TPC readers:

I wish all of you the happiest, healthiest, warmest, toastiest, cheeriest, fun-filled, love-filled, income-filled, best holiday season.

Paddy and I appreciate you more than you know. Speaking for myself, you're like family. You've gotten me through some very tough times, including this past week.

Posting will be a little lighter over the next few days. I'll be in San Francisco with my family until Sunday. If one of my twinners remembers to bring his laptop, I may sneak in a few posts.

Paddy continues to freeze her toes off with nothing but a couple of space heaters to keep her going, so let's all warm her up with a huge group hug.

Thank you for being the best holiday gift ever.

Love,
Laffy

Bits and Bobs

We're going to be slowing down for the holidays (until Monday or so)- Gotta's got a pain today and tomorrow she's headed off for some well deserved vaca time. I'm not going anywhere, but I just might try and enjoy the season a bit. I'll still be posting (with Gotta chiming in 'cause you know she won't be able to stay away) but it's going to be light. We all need to rest up for the inauguration frenzy.

There are some lovely pics here of Obama and his sister scattering their grandmothers' ashes after her memorial service.

Taegan brought my attention to the book linked above and it looks really neat. I've also added it to the sidebar linkage.

Just published: President Obama: A Collection of Newspaper Front Pages is a required addition to any political junkie's library. I just received my copy and spent over an hour looking at how various newspapers around the country portrayed Barack Obama's historic victory.

And don't forget, if you need any last minute gifts fast and wrapping free, there's always Amazon gift cards!

Speedy Christmas!

Heh indeedy.

A team of advertising executives in the United Kingdom have come up with a novel approach to educating the country about the real meaning of Christmas.

With the UK leading the developed world into a recession and stores looking unusually vacant, the Churches Advertising Network decided it was time to put the focus on something else.

The group ran an international competition to see who could accurately tell the story of the birth of Christ - the catch was it had to be done in less than 30 seconds.

Mid Day Distraction- 'A Charlie Brown-Scrubs Christmas'

Slightly NSFW.

"Holiday Parking Hell"

Some holiday cheer erm, music for you. If you're going shopping today you have my sympathy. From our friends at Parody and Son.

New Christmas Poem, written by a Marine

By GottaLaff

NOTE: Paddy thought this post might have been a bit misleading, but I assumed that my saying Nick is a Navy guy would differentiate him from a Marine.

I'll clarify just to make sure. The poem was written by a Marine. My former student is in the Navy. He didn't write this, but his mother sent it to me as a tribute to everyone serving in the military, and their families.

ORIGINAL POST:

This poem was sent to me by a friend. Her son was one of my favorite theatre kids of all time, and he is now serving in the Navy. She asked that I share this with a friend, so I chose all of you:

New Christmas Poem

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
'SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY! COUNTRY, MY CORPS.'

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.

I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, 'CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE.'

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
'MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,!
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT..'

This poem was written by a Marine.

Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S. service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us. Please, do your small part to plant this small seed.

Thank you, Yvonne. Much love to you and sweet, amazing Nick.

Yep

h/t Greg.

Small Alabama county to celebrate 'Barack Obama Day' as paid holiday in November each year

First a school, then a street, and now a whole day with pay?

MARION, Ala. - A small central Alabama county where Barack Obama received more than 70 percent of the vote on Election Day has created an annual holiday in honor of the president-elect.

The Perry County commission voted 4 to 1 to observe the second Monday in November as "The Barack Obama Day." County offices will close and its roughly 40 workers will get a paid holiday.

The sponsoring commissioner said the holiday is meant to give people faith that difficult goals can be achieved by reflecting on Obama's victory.