It's Advent! And you know what that means...

Time for Cheesy Christmas Movies! I'll probably recycle a few of the same ones from years past, simply because I like them and it's my blog, dagnabbit! But I'd love some suggestions for some new ones to add.

They should be public domain if possible (although I probably won't be as picky about that as in years past), embeddable from the Internet Archive or YouTube or some other source. Preference goes to older or more obscure films. Leave your suggestions/links in the comments.

"I pray for my grandchildren to die"

Or words to that effect.



A/T to Creative Minority Report.

As I was saying...

... below:

Akubra tip to SondraK.

Whoo!

Bill Whittle is in fine form:

The KKK was formed by Democrats, after the Civil War in which the Republican Party freed the slaves. It eventually morphed into the Jim Crow south whose laws were written by Democrats, and all of those guys turning the hoses on the Civil Rights marchers – guys like Lester Maddox, Bull Connor and George Wallace, were all Democrats turning the same hatred on Republican Martin Luther King as they had a century earlier when the Democrats in white hoods turned it on Republican Frederick Douglass, who said: “I recognize the Republican party as the sheet anchor of the colored man's political hopes and the ark of his safety.”
Now of course, modern Progressives say that’s all true, completely true, 100% true, absolutely and undeniably true -- but in the 60’s the two parties switched sides, you see? In other words, if Florida is beating Florida State 60-0 at half time, and then the Gators score 72 points in the second half… the Florida State fan says the Seminoles really won because at half time both teams went into the locker rooms and switched uniforms. They actually believe this.

Preach it!

Unintended consequences

At least we know the kids are paying attention.

Here comes the bride

Okay, so I'm a  few days overdue. My Virtuous and Excellent Daughter, who took the photos on Saturday, had to have some time to get them posted on Facebook. I stole a few good ones.

The lovely Drama Queen:

The unlovely old goat giving away the bride:

And the happy couple:

The ceremony went fairly well. Ostrogoth had a meltdown at the rehearsal but did beautifully at the ceremony, strewing her flower petals with great care. Visigoth and Octopus Boy were ringbearers and (mirabile visu!) stood still voluntarily through most of the wedding. My wife's family wasn't able to come up from California, alas, but my parents and all the siblings except Long Drink were there. (He's in a phase of not wanting anything to do with his family. It's either typical teenage stuff or his mother messing with his head. I'll never know for sure.)

It wasn't the grand affair she was hoping for, but the end result was the same: she got a good husband. And I think he will be. They're both young, but he's made of excellent material.

Three to get ready...

Heading out shortly for Drama Queen's wedding rehearsal. For the second time this year I get to walk a beautiful young lady down the aisle and hand her over. (I'm not supposed to heave an audible sigh of relief, but I can think one.) My Virtuous and Excellent Daughter will be photographing; I'll post pictures as they become available.

In honor of the date

Try and watch this without grinning. Go ahead, I dare you.

Shutdown horror

Okay, shutting down veterans' memorials and evicting people from their homes was bad enough. But this is going too far.

Where will the madness end?

The Apocalypse of St. Cassandra the Awesome

The end is nigh.

And I saw when The Lightworker opened one of the seals and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the 232 beasts saying, "Come and see".
And I saw, and beheld a white horse: and he that sat on him had a face of orange; and Lo! a bomb was strapped to his chest. And he rode forth to wreak havoc upon the economy in the midst of the worst Recession since, well... ever, really.
And when The Lightworker had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say with the false consciousness of a token Hispanic, "Come and see".
And there went out another horse that was sickly red and reeking of coded racism and ill concealed misogyny: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth and free contraceptives from struggling Georgetown coeds and bread from the mouths of innocent babes, the elderly, and the near-poor. 

Tolle, legge!

The Elwha tragedy

It was thirty years ago today, and every Washingtonian can tell you where he was when he heard about it. Read about that harrowing night here, and listen to the song written in tribute.

Never forget.

The last of his kind

One of the original science fiction writers, editors and fans has passed.

Frederik Pohl was a founding member of the Futurians, along with Isaac Asimov, Donald Wollheim, Damon Knight, Cyril Kornbluth and others of blessed memory. He edited Galaxy and If magazines, in whose pages I had my first introduction to the joys of sci-fi pulpdom. His 1978 memoir The Way the Future Was is a fascinating insight into the history of my favorite writers and literature.

Even at the age of 93, the man simply could not stop writing. His blog covered on sci-fi, politics (from a very left-wing perspective) and other topics, often several times a day. He blogged Monday morning, and died Monday afternoon, a departure befitting his life.

Travel in elephants, sir.

Come-a-come-a down-doo-bee-doo-down down...

Breakin' up is hard to do.

I love it when atheists get history

I can get along really well with this guy.

I love to totally stump them by asking them to present me with the name of one - just one - scientist burned, persecuted or oppressed for their science in the Middle Ages. They always fail to come up with any. They usually try to crowbar Galileo back into the Middle Ages, which is amusing considering he was a contemporary of Descartes. When asked why they have failed to produce any such scientists given the Church was apparently so busily oppressing them, they often resort to claiming that the Evil Old Church did such a good job of oppression that everyone was too scared to practice science. By the time I produce a laundry list of Medieval scientists - like Albertus Magnus, Robert Grosseteste, Roger Bacon, John Peckham, Duns Scotus, Thomas Bradwardine, Walter Burley, William Heytesbury, Richard Swineshead, John Dumbleton, Richard of Wallingford, Nicholas Oresme, Jean Buridan and Nicholas of Cusa - and ask why these men were happily pursuing science in the Middle Ages without molestation from the Church, my opponents have usually run away to hide and scratch their heads in puzzlement at what just went wrong.

Bonus: A graphic that he declares (and ( concur) The Stupidest Thing On The Internet Ever. Go read it all.

Once again. life imitates classic movies

Where have we seen this before? Oh yeah... here.

A fantastic film, and one that lets Olivia DeHavilland move beyond her Maid Marian persona into some serious drama. Watch it if you can find it.

I really wonder how this real-life example will end up. Despite the changes in technology, the problem is the same: how can they possibly prosecute?

Just so we're clear...

Laws that hurt gay people's feelings: International outrage.

Churches burned and Christians murdered: Ho hum.

It's all about who matters and who doesn't.

An apology letter to Mr. Obama

I am not worthy to link to this. (But I will anyway.) I can't possibly excerpt it; you'll just have to go read it all. Akubra tip to Heroditus Huxley.

Quote of the Day

Totalitarianism does not consist of iron law; it consists of capricious law, because those in power get to decide when it will not apply.

Found at Ace via SondraK.

Cluck away!

My Virtuous and Excellent Daughter (see here for gorgeous photo) has resumed blogging at Clucking Catholic. Check it out!

Thinking of amputating...

... Visigoth's dialing fingers. I just answered the door to find a mobile computer tech on the porch. She had apparently gotten a call from my Lovely and Brilliant Wife, to come fix a faulty laptop port. I called her and lo and behold, she hadn't.

It didn't take much to put two and two and nine together and figure out that it was Visigoth. To his credit, he didn't try to deny it. Which (combined with the fact that we weren't charged for the visit) is the only reason I haven't stuffed him in a box and mailed him to Tristan da Cunha or some equally inaccessible place.