BS: xmas without the tavern

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: keberoxu
Date: 27 Nov 20 - 03:11 PM

to answer my question: one such story is in
the Washington Post.

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: keberoxu
Date: 27 Nov 20 - 01:09 PM

It may be safe for the Tavern, Rapparee,
but this is one 'Black Friday'
when one really does take one's life into one's hands --
more than that,
one risks killing I don't know how many other people --
by participating in the super-spreader event
of mass in-person shopping.

We will hear more than enough press about people showing up.
Will any mass media report have the unheard-of decency
to report on
how FEW showed up in person
and how many had the self-preservation instinct NOT to show up?

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: Rapparee
Date: 22 Nov 20 - 11:13 AM

However, corona or any other harmful virus, bacteria, fungi, multi-cellular parasites, or protozoa is rendered harmless by the plasmaphasic ethic filters built into the Tavern and its surrounding grounds (regardless of Dimension). It's safe to have a hooley again this year.

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: Mrrzy
Date: 22 Nov 20 - 10:18 AM

The little bat is looking forward to the Tavern without $mas.

"Soap, for his bath or to slip on."

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Nov 20 - 10:10 PM

I'll have to go back and read through this thread. The title is eerily prescient for this year of 2020 and the hazards of entering buildings with any other people in them.

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: keberoxu
Date: 21 Nov 20 - 10:03 PM

Reviving one of my own from three holiday seasons ago.

Where I am staying, there will be rather limited experience
of Radio Roulette.
I will only drive my car for brief periods at brief distances
nor will it be every day,
as was the case three years ago --
that was where and when I had the car radio going
and hearing all the holiday-spirit popular songs.

Drove today to pay my dry-cleaning bill and leave more laundry to be cleaned.
It's Thanksgiving next week.
And of course there's a pandemic going on ...
family and social holiday gatherings are now dreaded,
by those who are paying attention and serious about staying alive,
as "super-spreader events" for the coronavirus.

A holiday season, I fear, unlike any other.

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: keberoxu
Date: 30 Dec 17 - 12:36 PM

In Rhode Island's state capitol,
the Providence Journal acknowledged
the installation, a few days before Christmas,
of a new and better Christmas tree.
There are no reports, as with the tree it replaced,
of an untimely and needle-shedding demise
inside the State House building.

In the environs of Lake Erie, farther west,
a man got his utilities cut off at his city-street house.
While he found places to sleep for himself,
he left his two dogs in the unwarmed house.
One of them, the female, froze to death on the porch outside.
The authorities reported that
"she appeared to have been in good health
but it's hard to tell when
the dog is curled up and frozen."
After confirming the presence of the frozen dog,
the authorities went and retrieved
the male dog from inside the house;
he is recovering nicely
while an animal-cruelty case is being presented.


OF all the Christmas Radio Roulette bullets taken over the past weeks,
which one do you suppose has become my present earworm?

The InkSpots, of all people, interpreting "White Christmas."
"I - yi - yi - y i'm dreamin' of ... "

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: keberoxu
Date: 28 Dec 17 - 07:43 PM

And we have Sir Terry Pratchett to thank, don't we,
for the Hogfather myth, tusks and all.
I'm partial to the Night Watch episodes, myself.
Especially Sergeant Detritus the Troll.

"It a good life if you don't weaken."

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: Severn
Date: 28 Dec 17 - 04:38 PM

A Hogmanny carol?

Does she know the "Boar's Head"?

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: keberoxu
Date: 28 Dec 17 - 03:48 PM

It is Christmastide,
and at least one FM station still has
Christmas music Radio Roulette going on.

Today I was surprised by something I managed to escape
before and up until Christmas,
in terms of song broadcasts:

John Denver and the Muppets giving a working over
to The Twelve Days of Christmas,
with Miss Piggy fixated on Five Gold Riiiiiingzz.

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 26 Dec 17 - 06:48 PM

here in the summery, sunny land of Oz, the Boxing Day sales are the highlight of many people's Christmas season - they compile their list, sharpen their elbows & put on their heaviest shoes & start queueing from 3am to get the best bargains!

Shops employ extra security & probably put on extra staff, & then the doors open at the appointed time & THEY'RE OFF!!

I made the mistake after a peaceful couple of days with a friend outside Sydney of getting off the train in the CBD & heading for the craft shop to get some more supplies (ps. I found a 40% off sale! but all I needed was 4 balls of yarn, but still I saved 40%!!) The usual way of getting there is the tunnel from the railway station - big mistake, the street would have been better as it is the basement level of a very popular shopping centre. The centre has it's own Security officers who were everywhere, supervising the queues outside almost every store ... They had even put a fence down the middle of the arcade in on bottleneck!

I took the street back to the station with my one small (unlabelled) shopping bag & wheeled overnight bag past crowds with their armsfull of fancy labelled store bags & went home where I unpacked my bag & admired my yarn.

One year I needed a small kitchen gadget at sale time & it only cost $1.50 so I saved 50cents! Woo Hoo!! Wot a shame it didn't come in a fancy bag or I could have displayed MY shopping as I went home ...

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: keberoxu
Date: 26 Dec 17 - 01:57 PM

The sun is shining again.

It will be a while before traffic calms down again
(there are shopping malls nearby)
but it will be better when it does.

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: keberoxu
Date: 25 Dec 17 - 01:10 PM

Had Xmas dinner,
the sun came out and so did a blue sky finally,
AND
a rousing broadcast of The Waitresses and Christmas Wrapping.
It's a merry one after all.

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: keberoxu
Date: 25 Dec 17 - 09:49 AM

Almost time for Xmas dinner reservation.

I do hope that Tattie Bogle is feeling a little better this week.

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: keberoxu
Date: 23 Dec 17 - 01:57 PM

Welcome Home, JennieG.
And Bianca the cat. And better half.

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: JennieG
Date: 20 Dec 17 - 08:36 PM

Indeed, but not wrapped in swaddling clothes nor in a manger laid.

She may have been laid elsewhere for all I know, but the manger would have been a very tight fit for a laying.

Geez, it's good to be home.

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: Severn
Date: 20 Dec 17 - 03:46 PM

Was she all wrapped up in white linen with a BOW?

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: JennieG
Date: 19 Dec 17 - 09:59 PM

St James Infirmary Blues isn't generally a Chrissie song......

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: Severn
Date: 19 Dec 17 - 08:47 PM

If the Jazz gets TOO far out, how do you know they're NOT playing a Christmas song?0

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: JennieG
Date: 19 Dec 17 - 04:26 PM

Well now, that is fun - thank you, keberoxu!

State House should get a plastic tree......

We moved home yesterday to a house with almost no furniture, no carpet and a kitchen which will be getting major repair work after Christmas, but we have a Christmas tree. A little tabletop tree, all of about ten inches high, but a tree just the same. Current music of choice (because nothing else is plugged in) is a digital jazz station on TV, and not one note of Christmas has yet been heard.

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: keberoxu
Date: 18 Dec 17 - 05:17 PM

Just heard on the car radio,
the latest from the State House in the state of Rhode Island.
It has happened before in the last fifteen years, the news said.
The State House has its own decorated Xmas Tree (indoors) ...
and the tree dried up and started shedding its evergreenery
so drastically as to make people talk.

So they have to get rid of the dying/dead Xmas Tree
and replace it with a tree
that is, erm, less dead.

Patrick Anderson for the Providence Journal

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: keberoxu
Date: 18 Dec 17 - 03:28 PM

"Christmas Wrapping," dear JennieG,
is a North American single, which would explain
an Australian not hearing it.

It's been around for a couple of decades only,
but it is wry and witty
and literate enough for progressed adolescents like me.

It's also kind of hard to understand the words sometimes!
The lead vocal is intended to sound like a disaffected single woman,
in fact the first words are Bah! Humbug! However:

the story has a happy upbeat ending
it's nondenominational, nothing religious
the music is a pop / beat blast,
especially those instrumental breaks with the trumpets.

I smile every time I hear it.

Now, let's see if I can link to the recording
WITH the lyrics printed out.

Christmas Wrapping

As for the album cover photograph,
the lead vocalist is in the lower right-hand corner.
Her name was Patty Donahue (deceased).

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: JennieG
Date: 18 Dec 17 - 02:53 PM

Never heard that one......probably won't look for it either.

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: keberoxu
Date: 18 Dec 17 - 02:02 PM

Today's Radio Roulette:

Christmas Wrapping by the Waitresses.
Supposedly written and recorded, like Mel Tormé's Christmas Song,
during a beastly hot summertime.

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: keberoxu
Date: 17 Dec 17 - 02:24 PM

Finally heard Adam Sandler with one of his Hanukkah songs:
the one that he sings in a high voice,
not the one that he sings in a lower voice.

gin and tonic- ah
marijuana- ic- ah

It's been a while since I heard that one.

previous post, "Michael Bublecute" - one of my better typos.

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: keberoxu
Date: 15 Dec 17 - 11:45 AM

Radio Roulette update:

Burl Ives with Rudolph of the Red Nose.
Andy Williams, sounding the way God meant him to sound, thank goodness
(Most Wonderful Time etc etc)
Perry Como going Home for the Holidays

still cringing away from
the carol of the blankety blank bells
anything with Michael Bubl&ecute;

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: keberoxu
Date: 14 Dec 17 - 06:34 PM

Vince Vance and the Valiants ?

don't remember hearing of them before.

regarding Nat King Cole's B-side:
wasn't Ralph Carmichael the producer/high-and-mighty behind that album?
Carmichael has much to answer for ...

... but that hit single from Cab Calloway's pre-teen daughter, which was supposed to be amusing, is also dire. Mind you, I have yet to hear that recording, but the stupid song turned up as sheet music making the rounds of high school choruses and stuff.

Subject: RE: BS: exams about the tavern
From: Severn
Date: 14 Dec 17 - 02:41 PM

The S-Side ti the Barking Dogs single was "Oh Susannah". Not nearly as good.

The B-side to Nat King Cole's 45 Recording of The Christmas Song was some dreadful sort of half spoken weeper about some child that Christmas forgot. Whatever, It never made it onto the album, therefore assuring that it would be considered by many a classic. That 45 flip side would have killed its chances by itself......

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: keberoxu
Date: 13 Dec 17 - 04:02 PM

The Sow Song thread, up in the Music section,
now has posts reminiscing about Christmases past and party pieces.

An unforgettable memory from one Mudcatter about
grandpa's false teeth
shooting across the top of the baby grand piano,
whilst in full song,
or full whatever-you-call-those-nonverbal-communications
in the Sow Song.

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: keberoxu
Date: 13 Dec 17 - 03:48 PM

Amy Grant also turns up on Radio Roulette.
I actually don't mind her interpretations.
What she does is in good taste,
and her "country" style
is as ingratiating, in its own way,
as the Rat Pack singers were.

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: keberoxu
Date: 12 Dec 17 - 12:02 PM

When was the last time I heard Nat King Cole sing O Holy Night?
I don't remember. The radio broadcast it this morning.
He actually makes it sound, I don't know, comfortable.
Not normally the word I use for that overworked songpiece.

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Dec 17 - 08:06 PM

JennieG, you're more than welcome to drop in on that thread. Read through or drop to the end and tell us what you're up to.

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: JennieG
Date: 10 Dec 17 - 07:46 PM

How could I have forgotten the barking dogs?

The decluttering thread sounds interesting - thanks, keberoxu!

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: keberoxu
Date: 10 Dec 17 - 12:49 PM

JennieG,
do you ever visit the Declutter thread?
Your trials and tribulations remind me
of the Mudcatter who posts there,
whose new house needed to have all the electrical wiring and circuitry redone.
Talk about taking walls apart, and plaster everywhere....

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: keberoxu
Date: 10 Dec 17 - 12:45 PM

"Jingle Bells" by the Barking Dogs!
Once heard, never forgotten!   
I haven't heard it in YEARS -- not even this year --
but I still remember hearing it and laughing at it.

Who was it who told that story
about programming that very recording
into a speaker system
that could broadcast it to the next-door neighbors ...

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: Severn
Date: 10 Dec 17 - 12:39 PM

How about The Barking Dogs? I used to work in a post office, and when the dogs started singing "Jingle Bells", all the mail carriers putting up the mail for their routes would all ne barking along....

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: JennieG
Date: 10 Dec 17 - 01:01 AM

Spike's contribution to the Christmas playlist was "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth". If it hasn't yet turned up already, it will probably do so soon.

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: keberoxu
Date: 09 Dec 17 - 10:57 PM

And a whistling Der Bingle.

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: JHW
Date: 09 Dec 17 - 12:00 PM

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves were busily decking the hall for Christmas. The help of the Christmas Fairy was disdained; however when the Christmas Tree was delivered the Fairy dragged it in and asked Grumpy where she should put it.
That is why ever after the Fairy is always on the top of the tree.

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: keberoxu
Date: 09 Dec 17 - 12:00 PM

No Spike Jones that I'm aware of --
what Christmas stuff did he do?

All I remember is
"Chloe"      (you don't say? you don't say!)
and "Cocktails for Two"

Heard Mel Tormé's Christmas song sung by
Ella Fitzgerald, though,
with her usual charm and class.

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: JennieG
Date: 09 Dec 17 - 06:29 AM

Mygawd, that's a name from the past. Any Spike Jones yet?

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: keberoxu
Date: 08 Dec 17 - 09:15 PM

Meanwhile, the latest Radio Roulette bullet
is one Gayla Peevey.
She wants a you know what for Christmas.
When I hear her voice, though,
I think of kazoos.

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: Severn
Date: 08 Dec 17 - 06:48 PM

The Wombat thread managed to open up the tavern. I heard the noise and retraced my steps. Already, the terrier, the giant wombat, DeFrosty The Snowman (Ret.), and the Hairy Simian Chorale have all made it back this year so far. Come on, if you're comin' and bring a story line if you've got one.....

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: keberoxu
Date: 08 Dec 17 - 02:58 PM

Radio Roulette, pre-nor'easter:

Dean Martin making an echo chamber out of his voice
for Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: Severn
Date: 08 Dec 17 - 12:37 AM

Well, the terrier knows the drill by now, so it can leave the other nineteen working on the rock long enough to drop by, if someone opens it up. You all might have scared everybody away. I know that I started back for home.....

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: keberoxu
Date: 06 Dec 17 - 07:45 PM

Sounds like somebody better open a thread
and get the Christmas tavern ready to go.

Wonder if the terrier will return this year?
He gave the squid what-for last time.

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: Donuel
Date: 06 Dec 17 - 06:17 AM

Whatever happened to the endangered giant wombat?

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: JennieG
Date: 05 Dec 17 - 09:44 PM

Yay!

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the tavern
From: keberoxu
Date: 05 Dec 17 - 07:57 PM

He's Back!   He's Back!

Subject: RE: BS: xmas without the Severn in the tevern
From: Severn
Date: 05 Dec 17 - 06:57 PM

....Or was that the Savern in the tavern?....

I heard the all time Bad Taste Seasonal Champion "Christmas In The Congo (With The Pygmy Tribe)" on a seasonal CD that a friend gave me.

Severn walks into the tavern and sees neither man nor Squid or even Alligator. The tunnel remains boarded up, so I can't even go back down to check on folks in the recovery Ward. My Secret Santa's left me clueless so far. IHe enjoyed some poetry he found and sang, Re-joice, re-joice, O Dah-ah ahn -u-el."

Outside, he'd found a rock in the shape of a jingle bell, which he's sending off to Ripley to see if he can make it into the funny papers.

" I wasn't sure whether I wanted to invent new visitors to match the ones others brought in again, anyway", he muttered. "Shall we bury the remains of the Tavern next to the grave of the chat room? I still need the recovery Ward from time to time whether anybody visits me there or not."

"Hell, I'll see you all in Facebook or something. Or maybe the Getaway, if I'm lucky."

...And nobody heard him exclaim as he rode out of sight, "A Wondersome Winter To All! Love the whole bunch of you!"....

"Damn, I hardly recognize this place any more...."

He goes back down the road singing an old Canadian Carol:

"Go tell it to the Mounties
That Jesus Christ, I'm bored...."