Snow for Christmas (White Christmas) is the most romanticized weather event there is, and the combination of weather factors in December might result in a White Christmas in 2009 for areas that normally don’t receive snow.

Cold Air and Storms in December?

As you know, I don’t focus on specific forecast details (even for Christmas Day) in this blog, but the possibility of widespread cold and an active storm track could result in widespread snow this December.

The coupled forecast system has consistently forecast colder-than-normal weather for much of the country, including the Deep South.

monthly temperature forecasts from the coupled forecast system

In addition, the presence of a strengthening El Nino means that the southern branch of the jet stream should be more active than normal.

An active southern storm track with an abundance of cold air farther to the south…perhaps more residents in this area will have a White Christmas?

–Paul Yeager

Today’s blog is brought to you by the word: thanks. It seems to be the word on everyone’s mind this week.

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My Thanksgiving was pretty normal: football game in the morning, big meal of turkey, stuffing, etc… with the family in the afternoon.

My Black Friday, however, is NEVER normal. A long time ago we came up with the tradition of watching Irving Berlin’s White Christmas the Friday after Thanksgiving with Ann, Don, Caroline, Evan, LaLa, and of course, all the doggies. Each year someone else hosts, and by now we each own a copy of the movie.

(Top from left to right) Ann, Amanda, Rachel, Beccy (Bottom) Caroline and Abby

From there, our tradition has morphed into a costume party. Actually, it’s more of a contest– a battle for who can come up with the wackiest, most accurate, prettiest, or in the other night’s case, the “tappiest” costume (kudos to Ann for pulling that one off.) And then, there are always those who prefer to keep it simple and wear the ever-favorite Santa hat. Awards range from the Golden Tap Shoes, to a plunger, to The Pajama Game on DVD, found at the Dollar Store.

After we reveal our true selves in 1950s fashion, we settle down to watch the movie, reciting our favorite lines, and  throwing around the ones we still don’t understand, like: “Well how do you like that? Not so much as a kiss my foot or haaaaaaave an apple!” We poke fun at Vera Ellen for her abnormally petite figure, and Rosemary Clooney for the abnormally large figure she fills out in her later years.

***

So among these semi-awkward yet  totally fun traditions is an underlying question: What on Earth am I thankful for? Every year in church, at the dinner table, in school, I’m asked the same question. The obvious answer would be: my family, my friends, my health, etc… They’re all very important things in life and by no means do I want to take them for granted, but I feel like a broken record; it should go deeper than that. “Friends” and  ”family” just can’t describe how grateful I am for the people in my life that seem to make the world turn. We all have those people, so here’s a shout out to some of them below:

• all of you who are taking time out of your day to read this now, and all of you who go the extra mile to comment
• my extended family, even if our visits happen to be as often as a solar eclipse
• you who entertain my craziest thoughts, sit first row in the movie theater and scream during New Moon, and sing Christmas carols at the top of your lungs with me– not to mock me, but because we can…you know who you are

To all of you, and I mean ALL of you– as the song goes: “You build me up Buttercup…I need you…You know that I have from the start…”<—(include wah wah wahs right here)  Thanks for being there.

Like most Aussies, I’m obsessed by snow.   If it’s freezing cold outside and snowing, and you notice some fool out there just staring in awe at the pretty snowflakes, chances are it’s an Australian.   I guess it’s because, for the most part, we don’t get snow in Australia.  Sure there are some snowfields in the mountains but most people never make it there.  I grew up near the sea and although we had some cold winters, there was never any snow.  Christmas is in the middle of summer in Australia but I still remember being bombarded with white Christmas related advertising: cards, wrapping paper etc., always featured snowy scenes.

My desire for a white Christmas goes back a long way.  I did spend Christmas in Ottawa about 10 years ago and there was lots of snow on the ground, it was freezing and I even saw a few flakes fall on the big day.  So technically I’ve had one white Christmas in my 40+ years.  But I’d like another and here I am back in Canada, obsessively watching the weather forecast.

November has been a total write off on the snow front.  We got a few flurries one afternoon early in the month, but really it’s been quite mild.  But check out the forecast for next week – there’s a few snowflakes on the forecast.  Needless to say I’m rather excited by it all.

Not sure how excited I’ll be when I have to drive to and from work in the snow – we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.  I would love a white Christmas although given the mild November I’m starting to worry that it won’t happen.   I arrived in Toronto woefully  underprepared for a Canadian winter.  I was completely jetlagged when I packed and didn’t think twice about the upcoming winter.  I didn’t even pack my hat, gloves and scarf – so I’ve had to buy new ones.   Just this weekend I purchased a feather/down coat that I hope will keep me warm in the upcoming months.  I need to work on my footwear as I have nothing waterproof, or with enough tread to walk outdoors.   At least the coat is a step in the right direction.

While it’s common to believe that there are four weather seasons, there are, in fact, five. At least, it seems that way–based on the way people seem to split winter into two seasons, before Christmas and after Christmas.

Winter Before Christmas

Before Christmas, snow is loved and cold is tolerated because the concept of a White Christmas is so ingrained in our culture that what is often considered intolerable weather becomes desirable. In fact, nothing in weather is romanticized as much as the magical White Christmas.

It seems as if every Christmas song sings wistfully of snow falling, sleigh rides, and delightfully frightful weather. Every movie is filled with that perfect Hollywood snow; large and fluffy flakes turn stark villages into magical white kingdoms but somehow never interrupt the joyous green- and red-clad travelers.

We marvel at Christmas lights and decorations as they sparkle in the fresh covering of snow, and even adults are often seen frolicking and building snowmen. We reminisce about how winters used to be much snowier when we were kids–those were the days.

Snow is beautiful, and everyone loves it–at least from Thanksgiving Day through Christmas (and perhaps New Year’s Day).

Winter After Christmas

After Christmas, many of us return to our typical snow-hating ways.

We rip down all of the lights and decorations and stuff them into boxes in the attic; we whine when we have to shovel a driveway or sidewalk. We avoid going outdoors because it’s too slushy, and when a north wind howls, we howl in annoyance at the cold.

We beg for a “January thaw,” make jokes about wishing there were more global warming, and think that the groundhog is an evil beast. If it dare snow in March, it’s best for a meteorologist to invest in Kevlar.

Snow is an awful inconvenience, and everyone hates it.

A White Christmas for Many?

I’ll talk about the weather factors that might lead to a White Christmas for many people across the country during the next couple of days.

Not Everyone Celebrates Christmas (Mini-Rant)

I said the word Christmas many times in this post since that’s what it’s about–a White Christmas. When talking about Christmas, it seems silly to me to randomly insert the word holidays in an attempt to be inclusive of others. A Christmas tree is not more inclusive if it’s called a holiday tree, and Christmas lights are not any less denominational when called holiday lights.

There’s a better way of being inclusive of non-Christians–treat those who don’t celebrate with the respect they deserve.

For example, don’t wish someone who you know celebrates Hanukkah a “Happy Holiday” on December 25 when Hanukkah was three weeks earlier. Wish them a Happy Hanukkah during Hanukkah. Also, don’t be upset if stores cater to people of all religions (or the non-religious) by talking about the entire holiday season rather than focusing on just Christmas.

There is a lot of discussion at this time of year about a war on Christmas by those who believe that Christmas is a national event, not a religious event. I want to remind everyone that Christmas is a religious holiday that is not celebrated by everyone.

–Paul Yeager

i’m watching this right now. it may be my first favorite christmas movie. how have i not seen this sooner?

’tis the season.

<3 VS

Walked up to the local supermarket this morning to pick up a few items and when I got there the store music was North American Christmas carols. So, while shopping for YPE liquid dishwashing soap among other items and between listening to “Let It Snow, Let It Snow” and “O Come All Ye Faithful”, my brain was asking “Where are we?”.  After all these years, Christmas here still seems like an imported cultural event, a Disney presentation or Hollywood set getting ready to film some scene for an old black and white Christmas movie.

Christmas was buying a real tree, decorating it and then smelling the pine scent when you returned home from school.   Of course you had to have cold weather, college football on Saturday and pro ball on Sunday.  All this had to be set in motion by Thanksgiving.

In November 68, I was in Rio processing out of Peace Corps. I had been at the US Embassy for some reason and on the way back to the Hotel Florida (the Peace Corps hotel) near the Palácio do Catete just off Flamengo Beach, I decided to take the long route, which went through the Flamengo Aterro (park) and passed by the Monumento aos Pracinhas (Monument to Brazil’s soldiers who died in WWII).  I saw a large group of kids, maybe over a hundred, milling around with several adults trying to keep them under control.  As I was watching, a helicopter (not a common sight back in 68) buzzed the area at low altitude.  The kids went crazy.  It was then that I could see that the chopper was carrying Santa Claus; red suit and long, shiny, gray beard. When the chopper landed, Santa bounced out and disappeared into the crowd of kids.  It was hot, it was humid, it was the tropics!    And there was Santa.

Brutto Natale in vista per gli immigrati

“Da noi non c’è criminalità, vogliamo solo fare pulizia…” Questa la motivazione di chi ha proposto la soluzione finale per gli immigrati nel piccolo paesino di Coccaglio. Briciole dell’umanità, polvere di cittadinanza, sporco da ripulire. M’imbelvisco.

Önskar alla en riktigt god Torsdag. Ska fortsätta med julpyntningen här hemma. Det finns mycket att göra. Damma klart, juldukar ska på plats överallt. Julpyntet ska vara klart idag. Sedan under helgen ska här bakas…

Ta hand om er och varandra.
Önskar få se snöflingor falla ner. En vit jul vore mysigt! Nu har det mest varit regn på sistone. Fast konstigt nog skiner solen just nu.

Jag har julkänslor. Har ni det?

Giova ricordare che fortunatamente nel mondo dei cristiani, e anche dei cattolici, non ci sono solo quelli del White Christmas:

«La chiesa valdese di Milano in collaborazione con il movimento cattolico Pax Christi invita la cittadinanza a partecipare alla “Bolla del Silenzio”, una manifestazione di protesta – silenziosa ma visibile (cartelli e striscioni con messaggi opportuni sono ammessi) – contro la cultura xenofoba e per la tutela dei diritti umani – che si terrà a Milano venerdì 27 novembre 2009, in Piazza San Babila (inizio cso Vittorio Emanuele, vicino alla fontana) – dalle 17.30 alle 18.30 circa.

Lo scorso 27 agosto il Sinodo delle chiese metodiste e valdesi ha approvato all’unanimità un documento contro il “pacchetto sicurezza” e ha promosso un “giorno del digiuno” in segno di protesta contro i provvedimenti di legge in materia di immigrazione (giorno di digiuno che fu anche ripreso e promosso da molti fuori della chiesa valdese, tra cui anche politici, prelati cattolici ecc).»

(Alessandro Gilioli)

Istigatori sempre più efficaci degli istinti primordiali degli italiani, gli esponenti del partito di Umberto Bossi non finiranno mai di stupirci. L’ultima ‘trovata’ è opera della vis comunicativa del sindaco di Coccaglio, un piccolo comune del bresciano, che ha deciso di mandare i vigili urbani a controllare i permessi di soggiorno degli immigrati per favorirne l’espulsione. Obiettivo dell’operazione: fare repulisti in tempi rapidi, entro il 25 dicembre. Non a caso l’iniziativa è stata battezzata ”White Christmas”, senza nascondere una certa vena d’ironia. Ma più che alla canzone di Bing Crosby fa pensare al colore dei cappucci del Ku Klux Klan.

Ecco il commento di Alessandro Portelli uscito ieri su “Il Manifesto”

E’ proprio vero che siamo un paese di poeti santi e navigatori. Solo in un paese di geni assoluti poteva essere concepita l’idea, scaturita dalla fervida immaginazione di un paese del bresciano, di lanciare di qui a Natale una campagna di pulizia etnica e chiamarla “White Christmas.” La trovo un’idea entusiasmante. In primo luogo, perché spazza via tutte le menzogne mielate di quando ci raccontavano che a Natale siamo tutti più buoni: prendere spunto dal Natale per diventare più cattivi, e farlo in nome delle nostre radici cristiane mi pare un’operazione liberatoria di verità assolutamente ammirevole. Altro che cultura laica.
Qualche anno fa, quando il mio quartiere scese in piazza per impedire il trasferimento in zona di qualche famiglia rom, una compagna disse: “Non è razzismo, è cattiveria.” Scrissi allora, e mi ripeto: non distinguerei fra le due cose (il razzismo è cattiveria), ma trovo giusta questa parola, “cattiveria”, così elementare da essere caduta in disuso, perché qui è proprio l’elementarmente umano che sta in gioco. D’altra parte, un esimio leghista ministro della repubblica aveva già proclamato che bisognava essere cattivi con gli esseri umani non autorizzati. Disciplinatamente, fior di istituzioni democratiche eseguono: sbattono fuori dalle baracche i rom a via Rubattino a Milano e al Casilino a Roma e i marocchini braccianti in Campania, incitano i probi cittadini dei villaggi lombardi a denunciare i vicini senza documenti, premiano con civica medaglia intitolata a Sant’Ambrogio gli sgherri addetti ai rastrellamenti dei senza diritti. Fini dice che sono stronzi: no, non sono solo stronzi, sono malvagi.
Su un piano più leggero, trovo altrettanto geniale è proclamare che l’operazione si fa in nome dell’ incontaminata cultura lombarda e bresciana – e chiamarla con un nome inglese, per di più orecchiato da una canzone e un film americano. Non si potrebbe trovare un modo migliore per prendere in giro tutta la mitologia lombarda delle radici e della purezza culturale. Non è solo una bella presa in giro di quelli che mettono nomi lumbard sui cartelli all’ingresso dei paesi. Ma è anche un modo per ricordarci che non esiste cultura più paesana, più subalterna e più provinciale di quella che finge un cosmopolitismo d’accatto.
E infine, la trovata dell’inglese è una spietata denuncia dell’ipocrisia razzista. Dire “bianco Natale” significava mettere troppo in evidenza il colore della pelle, perciò lo diciamo con una strizzata d’occhio –dire le cose in inglese, non solo in questo caso ma più in generale ormai, significa dirle ma non dirle, è la nuova forma della semantica dell’eufemismo. E poi, “Christmas” invece di Natale: e hanno ragione, il nostro tradizionale Natale è sempre più sovrastato dall’americano Christmas, lasciamo perdere il misticismo e corriamo a fare shopping.
Aveva proprio ragione la mia amica appalachiana che diceva, “noi poveri di montagna non sognavamo un bianco Natale. Se nevicava, era più che altro un incubo.” Io non so che Natale sognino i senza documenti del bresciano, dopo questo bell’esempio di cristianesimo. La cosa che immagino è che, cacciati dal villaggio, gli stranieri sbattuti fuori di casa andranno a dormire in una stalla e faranno nascere i loro clandestini bambini in qualche mangiatoia.

‘Tis the season again, and here are some samplings of our Christmas Repertoire!

White Christmas (Irving Berlin):

Winter Wonderland:

Stay tuned for our Christmas performance schedule at various venues in Kuala Lumpur/Selangor this December ‘09!

For bookings, do drop us an email at snlsingers@gmail.com.

We wish you a Merry Christmas

http://www.christmas-carol-music.org/Lyrics/../SATB/WeWishYou.html

White Christmas

http://www.zackdanziger.com/teaching/pdf/white_christmas.pdf

Let it Snow

http://www.slaac.com/Music/let%20it%20snow.pdf

The First Noel

http://www.8notes.com/scores/1561.asp

Joy to the World

http://www.8notes.com/scores/1525.asp

O Come All Ye Faithful

http://www.operationlettertosanta.com/Music/o_come_all_ye_faithful.htm

Sia il Papa e sia eminenti Cardinali ai vertici dell’istituzione ecclesiastica hanno preso di recente posizione a favore degli immigrati (regolari, irregolari e clandestini). Ma non ci sarebbe nemmeno bisogno di ricorrere ai vertici della Chiesa per sapere che la carità, il perdono, la fratellanza fanno parte della dottrina cattolica.

Sin da bambini lo impariamo al catechismo e anche la gente più lontana dalla Chiesa sa che questi sono principi e valori che fanno parte del cristianesimo. Per di più in questo periodo dell’anno in cui si inizia a respirare l’atmosfera natalizia.

Ma a Coccaglio, in provincia di Brescia, è proprio il Natale che spinge nella direzione opposta: l’amministrazione leghista ha dato il via all’operazione “White Christmas” (bianco Natale), dove di bianco non c’è la neve, ma il colore della pelle cittadini del paese che si distinguono dagli extracomunitari.

Questa iniziativa “natalizia” scade proprio il 25 dicembre. Entro questa data i vigili urbani dovranno aver finito il controllo a tappetto (fatto porta a porta) per individuare chi ha il permesso di soggiorno scaduto o non ne è in possesso. Ovviamente chi non è in regola deve andare via.

L’Assessore leghista alla Sicurezza, Claudio Abiendi, spiega il motivo per cui si è deciso di avviare questi controlli proprio a dicembre: “Per me il Natale non è la festa dell’accoglienza, ma della tradizione cristiana, della nostra identità“.

Naturalmente sono molti i cittadini che hanno protestato, a questi ha risposto ancora l’Assessore Abiendi che rimanda la mittente l’idea di tradire lo spirito stesso del Natale e – ricordando che secondo lui e il suo partito la situazione è diventata ormai insostenibile per via dei troppi immigrati presenti in paese – ha detto: “Io sono credente, ho frequentato il collegio dai Salesiani. Questa gente dov’era domenica scorsa? Io a Brescia, dal Papa“.

L’iniziativa del Comune di Coccaglio, nata dopo l’approvazione del decreto sicurezza che dà poteri più incisivi al sindaco in materia di immigrazione, ha ricevuto l’appoggio del Ministro Maroni ed è stata ripresa anche da due Comuni vicini, Castelcovati e Castrezzato.

E’ chiaro che gli immigrati irregolari e i delinquenti devono essere perseguiti a norma di legge. Ma iniziare un controllo “persecutorio” a tappeto proprio in nome del Santo Natale è quasi una contraddizione in termini, sopratutto se fatto da politici che si definiscono “difensori dei valori cristiani”. È proprio vero quello che diceva De Andrè: “Lo sanno a memoria il diritto divino e scordano sempre il perdono!”

Che ne dite?

Do you make an effort to show gratitude on a daily basis?  Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of Positive Psychology, Prof. Robert Emmons says this, “Gratitude is a positive emotion that has traditionally been the realm of humanists and philosophers, and only recently the subject of a more scientific approach.  We study gratitude not as a merely academic discipline, but as a practical framework to better functioning in life by taking control of happiness levels and practicing the skill of emotional self-regulation.”  If you haven’t started already, in this Thanksgiving holiday season begin to take stock in your life for all the reasons you have to be grateful.

However, sometimes it is difficult to stop and think of all the things we do have when we live in a culture that focuses on “more” rather than “enough.”  Dissatisfaction with our current circumstances or magnitude of possessions can lead to an unhealthy sense of ingratitude.  This emotion can breed bitterness and spawn complacency.  That is one slippery slope you will travel down all alone; your company won’t be on high demand if you are carrying yourself with such a negative countenance.

Count your blessings

“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed.  Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude,” Denis Waitley.  Denis spends his time motivating others through his books and public speaking.  This week, take his advice and show love to those around you.  Offer grace when the natural reaction is to correct and judge.  Most importantly, experience a greater sense of gratitude by counting your blessings.

Scene from White Christmas

Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep) first recorded by Bing Crosby in White Christmas was written by Irving Berlin (May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989).  According to Saul Bornstein, Berlin’s publishing company manager, “it was a ritual for Berlin to write a complete song, words and music, every day. Berlin has said that he “does not believe in inspiration,” and feels that although he may be gifted in certain areas, his most successful compositions were the “result of work.”  In an interview in 1916, when he was 28, he said, “I do most of my work under pressure.  When I have a song to write I go home at night, and after dinner about eight I begin to work.  Sometimes I keep at it till 4 or 5 in the morning.  I do most of my writing at night, and although I have lived in the same apartment four years there has never been a complaint from any of my neighbors… “

Irving Berlin, the early years

Not always certain about his own writing abilities, Irving once asked a songwriter friend, Mr. Herbert, whether he should study composition.  “You have a natural gift for words and music,” Mr. Herbert told him.  “Learning theory might help you a little, but it could cramp your style.”  Berlin took his advice.  Herbert later became a moving force behind the creation of ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.  In 1914, Berlin joined him as a charter member of the organization that has protected the royalties of composers and writers ever since.

Here are the lyrics to this great song as a reminder for us to be slow to discontentment and quick to count our blessings – experiencing a deeper sense of gratitude this Thanksgiving season.  As an extra bonus, here is a sample of Diana Krall singing this song off her 2005 Christmas project.

Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep)

When I’m worried and I can’t sleep
I count my blessing instead of sheep
And I fall asleep, counting my blessings

When my bankroll is gettin’ small
I think of when I had none at all
And I fall asleep, counting my blessings

I think about a nursery
And I picture curly heads
And one by one I count them
As they slumber in their beds

If you’re worried and you can’t sleep
Just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings.

So if you’re worried and you can’t sleep
Just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings.

For Thanksgiving, I would love to create a master list of everything the readers of the Nashville Music Buzz are thankful for.  Just leave a comment below with at least one thing you are grateful for!

Northern mythologies

Some people are saying it’s a bit early to start worrying about Christmas. In the US, ’tis the season to be merry as soon as the Thanksgiving turkey exits the small intestine (or is it the large one?). In Italy, people begin bustling on December 9, the day after they celebrate the Immaculate Conception (“immaculate”, that is, since Dec. 8, 1854 when that rogue Pius IX said so). What was it before, I wonder? Just another normal, sex-begotten conception methinks. You can only undo that with dogma.

But that’s not the point of this post. I’m not even baptized, so none of this theological hemming and hawing means much to me anyway. Besides, anyone who reads this blog is aware that virgin births, transsubstantiated wafers, celestial voyages of the dead and stigmata are not “my kink” (as they say in the world of sex-blogging). Though I admit I find them fascinating and relevant to understanding the passions and prejudices of my fellow citizens and – in some cases – family members.

“White Christmas”, in fact, is the name given to an anti-immigrant movement in Northern Italy. Yes, it’s those Ku Kluxers again, the Northern League, who are behind this. The “white” in White Christmas – as I hope you guessed – doesn’t refer to snow or the snowy purity of the baby Jesus on his (sic) birthday, but rather to the milky complexion of the militant Christians that inhabit certain regions of the chilly Lombard north. And they don’t like immigrants at their eggnog parties, either.

So they are taking to the streets this Christmas season in pure holiday spirit: by sending the cops around to immigrants’ homes to make sure their papers are in order. If not, they are to be thrown out (yes, on Christmas, if that wasn’t yet clear). One might imagine that such a violation of Christian “DNA” might get these rogues excommunicated, but one would be wrong. Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, reportedly gave them but a little slap on the wrist.

Yet another marriage between church and state, as this crusading has been approved – and is being copied in other townships – by the local government. No cross, no crown?

Is this really the way to deal with immigration in a country with no real assimilation program for immigrants? Not even the all-encompassing, all-accepting, all-loving representatives of God on earth are raising their powerful finger in protest? I mean, we’re not talking about Muslims or Jews, or even atheists (boy, I’d hate to have to rely on them to get me out of a jam), but fellow Christians. Is this really the best the Vatican can do to spread its message of universal love and the transcendent power of suffering?

Here’s another tempting thought: immigrants without papers don’t vote, now – do they?

 Benvenuti a Coccaglio (BS), la terra devota al crocifisso ed alle tradizioni, dove tutte le vacche sono grasse e gli stronzi bianchi. A Natale più che mai…

«Per me il Natale non è la festa dell’accoglienza, ma della tradizione cristiana, della nostra identità»

  Claudio Abiendi; assessore alla Sicurezza

In questo sfintere dimenticato del razzismo pedemontano, in questa inutile propaggine intestinale dell’etno-nazionalismo leghista, il degno sindaco Franco Claretti ha deciso di garantire agli ariano-padani di pura razza alpina  un natale cristiano e rigorosamente  “bianco”, ripulendo il ributtante paesello longobardo dalla presenza di negri e di altre razze inferiori. Che però vanno benissimo quando vengono sfruttate come manodopera schiava,  per l’arricchimento degli ‘autoctoni’. 
È solo una questione di estetica, assicura il leghista Claretti: “Vogliamo soltanto iniziare a fare pulizia”… etnica?!?
Accade a Coccaglio, che per secoli ha esportato i suoi figli morti di fame in Francia e Svizzera, come manovali e raccoglitori stagionali, ed attualmente ridotto a flatulenza del völkisch padano. Evidentemente è quanto di meglio l’imbarazzante villaggio riesce a produrre.

 Homepage

It is sunday, dear readers, and I am in a blogging mood. I should literally be doing ANYTHING else right now. I’m behind on NaNoWriMo, I have annotations, biblical heritage and a paper to catch up on, MFA applications to fill out, 3 letters to write, I have three unread books sitting on my bookshelf, there is a pile of laundry about a tall as a small child on my closet…but no. I feel like blogging.

In the recent days I have decided to take my dad’s advice. Things have not been the most fun in Room 108 and its made things here a little edgy. My dad knows this, since he knows everything about my life, and told me that I have to stop letting outside forces ruin my day. Yeah, that is very basic advice and I could have worked that out for myself, but really, no one really realizes things like that until they are told to us by someone else. So it was difficult, but I have really let this advice sink into my life. And things have been pretty good. I mean, there are times when that isn’t going to work, but as a whole, these last few days haven’t been too bad. And I’m thankful for that because its the time of year when things start to pile up and if I was to let everything that happens effect my day, I would be one unhappy person. I don’t know if this new life method has let me stop caring a little about homework (I’d hope not) but its probably the reason I feel like blogging right now, versus doing homework or various other things. Plus, its really dark out already and I only get the urge to blog when its dark out now for some reason. *shrug* oh well. I don’t really care that I’ll have to stay up a little later.

Shane might arrive in Minnesota Tuesday night. Not many people grasp how excited this makes me. I think only my family really understands that when someone talks about thanksgiving I have to constantly fight the urge to scream. I doubt I will be sleeping at all tomorrow night because I’ll just want to get home and wait for shane. I have to sleep on an air mattress in the computer room instead of my queen bed which shane will be using, but I think it shows how excited I am when I saw that if it meant shane would stay forever, I would give up my bedroom and live in the computer room on a leaky air mattress. thanksgiving is actually fairly bittersweet for me now that I think about it. It is all fantastic until Shane has to leave. that part breaks my heart. I know that a cheesy overused statement, but there really isn’t another way to describe it. Its that way for the whole family really. I think it hurts all of us to see Shane leave. I wouldn’t go as far as to say it hurts me most, but I think because I even though was still a kid when we moved, but I was old enough to understand how close we all were to Shane and old enough to know that he was really important. I’d kind of latched on to that family and moving away from them was incredibly life changing for me. So every time Shane comes to visit its like before we moved away. We’re all together, joking around and just relaxing together. When he leaves its like we’re moving away all over again. We all stand in the driveway, hugging each other, saying our goodbyes and as he drives down the drive way we all go into the house and we all do different things. My mom starts to clean, my dad usually lays on the couch with the dog, and the kids all go off to our rooms. I have a room in the front of the house where the windows look out to the street, so I watch Shane’s car until its gone and then sit around in my room. Its incredibly sad to know that Shane is going to be gone for another year, but we all don’t seem to remember that when he’s with us. Its painful, but I wouldn’t give up thanksgiving week for anything in the world. It is probably the best week of the year for me and even though it ends on a sad note, its well worth it. I look forward to it every year, make the most out of it when it comes and when its gone, I start looking forward to it again next year. Years when Shane doesn’t come are years where my thanksgivings really stink. Last year what we did for thanksgiving was really great and important to do, but because Shane wasn’t there, my family tended to be more upset about that than understanding that we did what we needed to do. We called Shane after dinner and we all talked to him before doing our usual tradition of watching A White Christmas and it was obvious that he wasn’t having the greatest thanksgiving either and it made us all pretty sad. BUT this year will be different! This year shane is coming EARLY and we’re going to have the best time ever.

I cannot wait to watch A White Christmas also. That’s another high point. White Christmas with my family is something that you have to experience to understand. This is the one movie that all six members of the bertram family can sit through the entire thing and enjoy all of it (though none of us particularly like the Choreography dance). My dad sings along until we are all shouting at him to cut it out, we fake cry at the sappy parts that we all really enjoy and there is even a little bit of dancing. The kids and I are going to perform “The Old Man” when my dad retires as a joke. he’s told us not to many times, but we’re going to do it anyway and he will love it secretly.

Ok, its homework time. I’ve written more than I meant to. so if I don’t write before then, HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

love Emily

A Coccaglio, comune del Bresciano è partita l’operazione White Christmas. Il nome, è stato scelto proprio perché l’ operazione scade il 25 dicembre.

Perché, spiega l’ ideatore dell’ operazione, l’ assessore leghista alla Sicurezza Claudio Abiendi «per me il Natale non è la festa dell’ accoglienza, ma della tradizione cristiana, della nostra identità».

Probabilmente l’assessore fa un po’ di confusione. Se l’identità è quella cristiana questa operazione come direbbe un suo compagno di partito è una “porcata”. Se invece l’identità a cui si richiama l’assessore è quella delle leggi razziali, beh allora forse…

La domenica pomeriggio, però, è anche altro. Chi non ama in particolar modo i ring creati da Raiuno o non trova compiacimento alcuno nell’apparato scenografico realizzato a contorno dei risultati in tempo reale delle partite di Serie A dato da Raiuno, allora può trovare piacere nel seguire qualche ottimo documentario di viaggi e natura di Raitre con Alle falde del Kilimangiaro di Licia Colò, oppure imbarcarsi nel lungo contenitore di Canale5 diretto da Barbara D’Urso quale DomenicaCinque. Scopriamo cosa offrono i due programmi quest’oggi:

DOMENICACINQUE
Domenica 22 novembre 2009, in diretta dallo studio 10 di Cologno Monzese alle ore 13.40, nuovo appuntamento con “Domenica cinque”, programma a cura della testa giornalistica Videonews diretta da Claudio Brachino, condotto da Barbara d’Urso. A Coccaglio la caccia ai clandestini si fa in nome del Natale. L’amministrazione ha inaugurato nel piccolo comune bresciano l’operazione “White Christmas”, usato per ripulire la cittadina dagli extracomunitari irregolari. Nel dibattito in studio testimonianze esclusive, esperti ed opinionisti e un collegamento sempre aperto con Coccaglio. Ancora un pomeriggio di grande musica con i successi dei Dik Dik cheregaleranno anche un medley esclusivo dei più grandi successi di Lucio Battisti. E ancora, Barbara D’Urso raccoglie confessioni e segreti del maestro dell’eros Tinto Brass. Nuovo spazio che mette “sotto processo” Donatella Papi, la giornalista promessa sposa del pluriomicida responsabile del massacro del Circeo, Angelo Izzo. Continuano le grandi “soap di Canale 5”con un grande colpo di scena; epoi, news ed esclusive, direttamente dalla casa del “Grande Fratello 10”e dibattito sulla presunta bisessualità dell’escluso Davide. L’accompagnamento musicale di “Domenica cinque” è affidato a Vittorio Gucci e la sua band. Al corpo di ballo, i Modulo Project, formato da professionisti di Hip Hop, si uniscono Remo Baldassari e Giuseppina Tommassina, la supercoppia di ballerini settantenni. Le coreografie sono di Laccio, con la supervisione artistica di Gabriella Labate.

ALLE FALDE DEL KILIMANGIARO
Nella puntata di “Alle Falde del Kilimangiaro” in onda domenica 22 novembre alle 15.05 su Raitre, Licia Colò porterà i telespettatori a sud della Florida per ammirare le atmosfere surreali delle isole Keys, un arcipelago che divide l’Oceano Atlantico dal Golfo del Messico e si estende dalla Florida verso Cuba. In queste isole Ernest Hemingway ha ambientato alcuni dei suoi più famosi romanzi. Nella gara “I vostri reportage” si sfideranno un viaggio in Nuova Zelanda ed un itinerario che porterà dal Vietnam alla Cambogia. Rosario Lembo tratterà il tema relativo alla privatizzazione di un bene al quale tutti i cittadini del mondo dovrebbero avere accesso: l’acqua. Con lo scrittore e giornalista Federico Rampini, Licia Colò affronterà il tema della crisi economica mondiale e delle possibili vie d’uscita.

Corrientes & Third Stream – White Christmas

I am very honored to have had the opportunity to sing “White Christmas/Blanca Navidad” with the instruments being played by the talented band Third Stream from Pennslyvania

You can check it out here at Last.FM:

http://www.last.fm/music/Corrientes/Corrientes+Collaborative+IV/White+Christmas+-+Abbeyville+Road+Recordings+featuring+EV+on+vocals

Merry Christmas!