Best of 2013

 Most of these are things I discovered in 2013.  They may have been created before.  I found them in 2013.  These are in no particular order.

Misfits

This is a British TV show about a group of juvenile delinquents who get superpowers while serving out community service.  It is a very adult show.  There is a strong mature audience warning for this.  It is warped, twisted and wonderful all at the same time.  This was the last Series (what they call a Season in the U.K.).  They take the idea of superpowers and tweak it hard.  They try to be very realistic.  There is also a sense of mad joy with the show as well. 

Watson and Holmes

This is a Comic book Series with African-American version of Sherlock Holes and Doctor Watson.  It is set in Harlem, NYC. It is the best of Blaxploitation, True Crime and Mystery genre mashed together.  It is by writer Karl Bollers and artist Rick Leonardi.

Elysium

This is the latest film by Neill Blomkamp.  It is his follow up to District 9.  Matt Damon puts in a great performance as the protagonist.  It is interesting look as a dystopian world.  The haves live in an orbital habitat and the have not are stuck on the Earth’s surface.  It is not perfect, but I loved it.

Steam Powered Giraffe

http://www.steampoweredgiraffe.com/

Here is where description gets tricky.  They are a musical act, I use that term on purpose.  They are part Band, part performance troupe.  They mix Theater, Mime, Improv with folk and Pop music.  Their back story is they are a group of performing robots built in the 1800’s.  The have a wonderfully unique sound.  Musically they are wonderful, but to get a true clue as to their talents one needs to see their video or live performances.  They have become a big hit in the Steampunk Community for obvious reasons. 

METAtropolis

This is a series of short story anthologies.  The first collection was edited by John Scalzi, the others were edited by Jay Lake.  This takes the concept of the city and turns it on its head.  It is a shared world set first in the mid 21^st Century then progressing to the 22^nd Century.  It looks at what is both possible and probable.  This is not a Utopian or Dystopian future.  It just is with good and bad.  The first one is the only one available as a standard book.  The sequels, METAtropolis: Cascadia and METAtropolis: Green Space, are currently only available as Audio Books through Audible and Amazon.com.

Stainless Steel Cordless Electric Kettle

These are by no means new, but I received one at the end of this year.  I am not a Coffee drinker I prefer tea.  I am a philistine, in that I use mostly tea bags and Chai tea powdered mixes.  It works for me.  This little appliance makes things so much more convenient.   I have had a wonderful time learning how to use it and doing so. 

Geek Trivia at the Kennedy School in Portland, Oregon

I can say that 2013, was a great year for me and this institution.  My Team and I, this time only three of us, won a Grand Prize.  Actually my team won a time or two more in my absence. This is held at the McMenamins’ Kennedy School, which is a historic public school that has been converted into a Hotel with a series of restaurants, bars and a film theater.  The Masters of Ceremony are Cort Webber and Bobby Roberts.  The event’s main sponsor is Things from Another World, chain of comic book and pop culture stores.  It is a fun time every time.  It is held every other Tuesday.  If you are in town check it out.

Monster Kid Radio

http://www.monsterkidradio.net/

 

This is a wonderful Podcast that covers the 30’s through 60’s of Monster movies.  It is hosted by Derek M. Koch with various guests.  The show covers the full gamut of Sci-Fi, Horror, and Fantasy film.  It is a great time.  Derek and his various guests know what they are talking about. 

Injustice: Gods Among Us.

I am a fan of fighting video games/ and I am a DC Comics fan.  For me, this was a perfect melding of the two.  The game was developed by the same studio that is working on the current Mortal Kombat games.  I loved this game and need to work on it some more.  There was also the obvious plus for me that Shazam and Black Adam are among the playable characters.

House of Cards (U.S. Version)

I was a fan of the Original British Production of this.  Kevin Spacey and Company did it serious justice.  It is not an exact copy, due to the differences in political system and time periods.  It also is one of the first big Netflix produced shows.  They made 13 episodes and released them in one day.  It is one of the best political thrillers out there.

GOOOOAAAALLLLL!!!!!

In 2013 there were quite a few goals I set for myself.  A few did not happen, new job, the Epic WINTer Formal, the Swashbuckler’s Ball, Don’t Stop the Serenity, seeing Muse live and few films in the theater.  I did accomplish a lot more that was chronicled in A Bit of Reflection.  I had a few goals regarding this blog.  I decided to dedicate this blog to recovering who I am and some of what I lost.  It was not to be too obvious about it for the most part.  I did a few articles where I came out and said what was going on and had been.  I have created friendships and connections. 

In January I wanted 24 articles for 2013 I accomplished 25 at the beginning of November.  I had not posted them I had them completed.  In July when my blog hit 1,000 hits I hoped it could get to 2,000 by the end of the year.  This article is a celebration of the 2,000 hits goal.  Including this article I have over half of the year 2014 articles finished.  2014 will have only one new article a month.  The reason for this is I am going to get back into fiction writing again.  To do that, I am going to half my blog output.  Once I get work I am going to work into getting a place closer to Portland, Oregon.  Then upgrade computers and ten there is a project I am thinking about doing.  If that happens, things may change here radically.  Change in not bad, for me it has been extremely good.

I would like thank some folks for their support, encouragement, and inspiration.  Some of you I have only interacted with through the internet, I do my best to meet any local folks in person.  Most I know, a few I do not; but they inspired me all the same:  Kaebel Hashitani, Atomic Arts, Aaron Duran, Scott Dally, Andrew McIntire, Elisabeth Allie, Chooch and Viv Schubert, Tee Morris and Philippa Ballantine, Scott Sigler, Nathan Lowell, Chris Lester, Charles de Lint and MaryAnn Harris, Dan Clark, Kielen King, Vicki Dunn and Wilton Merritt, Riley Crowder, Andy Yerman and Laura Evankovich, Dawn Taylor and Patrick Hurley, Royal and Jessica Hebert, Jaime Kirk, PDXYar, Greg Nibler, Sarah X Dylan, Funemployment Radio Network, Chronicles of the Nerds, Mikey Neilson, Ibrahim Moustafa, Allen Bethel, Jeff “DJ Switch” Sorensen, Ken Texley, Bobby Roberts, Cort Webber, Byron Beck, Mike Russell, Melissa Booker, Sean Stutzman, Jenny and Adam Hieronymus, Cheryl Kanekoa, Derek M. Koch, Eric Busby, David Walker, Tha Mike Pilot, Eric and Hope Tomorrow, Steam Powered Giraffe, Bunny Bennett, Lana Wachowski, Riona Eire, Nance Cedar and her family, Charles Radley and Sirene Darrell, Kevin and Dina Bryson, Jesse Graff and Rebecca Rummel-Graff, Nathan Ayling, Michael Ring, Podiobooks, Things from Another World, Julian Moraga, Alton Brown, Quentin Riggs, Stanley Perez, William Wylde, April and Damon Gallaty, In One Day Radio, Kevin Palm, Guardian Games, Tim Richey, Steven Moon, Lorna Donegan, Paul E. Cooley, Gail Carriger, Mur Lafferty, P.G. Holyfiled, Bridge City Comics, Christiana Ellis, Neil Gaiman, Steve H. Wilson, Andrew Walker, Kristen Bowie, Robert Wagner formerly of PDX.fm, Todd Werkhoven, Jeff Futzer, Jim Willig, Abigail Hilton, Paul Guinan and Anina Bennett, Michael and Emily Myers, Aaron and Beverly Myers, Scott Backinger, Peter Albini, Dallas Christopher, Charles McFall, Matthew Wayne Selznick, Alica Orme, Dante Ross, Ted Naifeh, Kip Manley, Andrew Hill, Chris Todd, Bob Weyer, Courtnry and Katie Case, Kari Fredheim Goglin, Tristan Mayer, Matt Grigsby, Karen Edwards, James Sinclair, Geek in the City Radio and Comics, Scott Douglas, Ann Nystrom, Dan Bozyk, Lisa and Brian Wood, Rian Jeong, Seth Harwood, and many more.  Sorry if I did not mention you specifically.  Those I forgot to mention are still in my heart.

Disney & Me

I do not remember the first Disney film I saw or where. As a kid in the Seventies, Disney was everywhere.  They had a few TV shows Wonderful World of Disney, Mouse Factory, and The New Mickey Mouse Club.  The thing that kids today would not get is, in pre-Video Tape or DVD Disney would re-release their films every few years into the Theaters.  I saw films released in the 1930’s in the 1970’s and 1980’s.  That changed with the advent of the video store and the ability to buy personal copies of the films.  During the Seventies, the video store was not quite an entity.  Video tape machines were expensive and rare.  If you wanted to see a Disney Film you either watched it heavily edited on Television or went to the Theater.  The quality of film prints was variable depending on the source.  In the early Eighties the Disney Channel was a premium cable channel like HBO.  They were where you could see various Disney films unedited on Television.  Unlike now, there were no commercials on it.  Enough of the history lesson, let’s get to my relationship with Disney.

There are two films that are inexorably linked to my childhood.  They were the ones I wanted to watch over and over again.  They may not have been my first Disney films.  They were the most influential.  The first was Jungle Book.  The story of a boy raised by wolves and his attempt to reconnect with humanity was something that spoke to me.  At the time I had no clue as to why.  In retrospect it seems to be, because I felt isolated from humanity.  The reason for that was I felt that I was so different that I was all alone.  That was not necessarily the reality, I had family who cared and loved me.  The songs also stuck with me.  I Wan’na Be Like You and The Bare Necessities are songs that still speak to me.

The next film was 1973’s Robin Hood, the animated film.  It did not hurt that Roger Miller was Alan-A-Dale.  Roger Miller was one of my Dad’s favorite Country musicians and we loved Oo De Lally, the main song of the film.  The Anthropomorphic story of Robin Hood I found interesting.  The use of certain animals to represent these characters had lasting affect on me.  To this day I am fascinated with animal symbolism in various cultures.  This is where it all started.  I have always had a soft spot for the Robin Hood story.  The Theme of breaking the rules to do the right thing made sense to a 5 year old me.

I watched other Disney films over the next few years. Winnie the Pooh, Dumbo, Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, the Aristocats, the Lady and the Tramp, Peter Pan, Pinocchio, and The Rescuers.  Now I had a contentious relationship with Dumbo.  As a child my ears protruded and the kids in my neighborhood referred to me as Big Ears or Dumbo due to this.  It is a wonderful story, I just had some problems with the image as it was as to respect of my personal history.  Pinocchio freaked me out.  The whole scene where the bad boys became donkeys, messed with my young head.  I was a good kid, but the idea of things like that happening to me if I stepped out of line scared me straight.  I liked the shorts as a kid, but even then I preferred the Looney Toons shorts.

I watched the Wonderful World of Disney till I was in High School.  I had seen quite a few of the live action films as well.  My mom grew up on the original Mickey Mouse Club so we watched all the Disney and non-Disney Annette Funicello films.  I liked the Kurt Russell teen films growing up.  The Live Action films were fun and my parents saw them as safe. Some of the stuff I enjoyed from the Wonderful World of Disney were Swamp Fox, the Tall Tales shorts, Davy Crockett, Doctor Syn, Zorro, Kidnapped, Treasure Island and the other adventure films and shows from the 50's and 60's.  Those works led to my love of Zorro and all things from the golden age of Piracy.  Growing up in Southern California I saw all the real life settings for the Zorro show.

In my teen years I was not that much into Disney, they were for kids.  Although I thought Tron and Something Wicked This way Comes were cool.  I even went a saw Fantasia as a teen.  I loved it, but I always loved art.  I did not get back into the Disney Animated films until college.  It restarted with the Great Mouse Detective.  They had me at Vincent Price as the villain.  I never saw Oliver and Company, but I was there for the Disney Renaissance for the late 80’s and early 90’s.    I have followed most of the movies since.  I still have a handful I have not seen but I enjoy them.  Barbara, my ex, used to admonish me for watching something intended for children.  Honestly they are intended for the whole family.

In the 1980’s Disney got into Television animation with a splash.  They started with Duck Tales and Chip ‘n Dale’s Rescue Rangers then later with Tale Spin, Darkwing Duck, Goof Troop. Aladdin and Gargoyles.  They had more, but the ones I listed were the ones I watched.  Duck Tales was the animated adventures of Scrooge McDuck which before then were limited to Carl Bark’s comic books.  Theses shows did not have the same level of Animation the theatrical animation had however were still quality shows.  I enjoyed Gargoyles because of the writing and the wonderful cast that came from Star Trek: The Next Generation and other Sci-Fi Shows.  After Gargoyles ended I stopped watching their Television shows till Tron: Uprising.  Tron: Uprising’s animation was reminiscent of Aeon Flux. 

I fell in love with Pixar’s work back in the late 80’s I followed the progress of Computer animation with films like Tron and the Last Starfighter.  I watched various shorts including the classic Grinning Evil Death.  I saw the various short from Pixar, which I had know as part of ILM and Lucasfilm.  They proved that computer animation could have character.  As of now I have seen all but Monster University.  Incredibles blew my mind.  I agree with Bobby Roberts, of Cort & Fatboy and Welcome to that Whole Thing, that Superhero Films should be animated.  With animation the possibilities are endless; you think it, you can create it.  Even with CGI Superhero films seem limited by realism.   Up! And Wall-E were wonderfully poignant.  Ratatouille was lovingly uplifting.

I may no longer be what many consider the target demographic being over forty without kids.  Good is good and one’s situation does not keep you from appreciating it.  Some of the Disney films over the years have fallen flat for me.  That is OK.  You cannot like everything.  That Is My Not So Humble Opinion.

A Bit of Reflection

December 12^th, 2013, is the second anniversary of me ending the long term relationship with Barbara.  I may not have accomplished as much as I had hoped this year.  I have still done quite a bit.  I have changed the way I react to stress.  This last summer there was a lot of turmoil going on.  Most of it had to do with something that was beyond my control.  Instead of freaking out about it, I learned to be Zen about things.  I have been working with my family and counseling to get back on my feet.  As I am writing this I am unemployed.  I left, there were things at play that made me believe that I may not have been there long anyway.  I struggled with the fact that I was physically not cut out for that job. When I left my boss offered to be a reference.  I did things on my on terms. That has been the theme since I regained the reins of my life 

This last year has cemented the fact is I am making very solid connections in the Nerd/ Geek Community in Portland, Oregon.  There are things about the scene that frustrate me; regardless there are people who call me their friend.  That makes me feel real good. I have a little boy, my nephew Zeke, who lights up every time I enter the room.  I have done a lot of the things I wanted to this year: the final year of Trek in the Park, Wonder NW, Stumptown Comics Fest, Rose City ComicCon, FrightTown, Pirate Night at the Space Room, Monster Kid Radio Crash, Guardian Games Anniversary, Grand Re-Opening, Went to more signing at Things from another World and Bridge City Comics, First Rush Concert, First Podcast Guesting spot with In One Day Radio, sat in on a taping of Funemployment Radio, a few more shows at Sequential Art Gallery + Studio, Trek in the Dark, and Cort and Fatboy is Dead.  I am hoping within a year I will find work and a place in the Portland Metro area. I set a goal in February for Blog articles and completed it with a month to spare.   In a year my blog has almost 1700 hits from it inception, most 1600 of it was this year alone. 

In 2012, I wondered if anything I did created good in the world. I was still struggling with changes in my life. This year I was told repeatedly I mattered and was respected. Members of the Portland Geek/ Nerd community let me know I was one of them and always welcome. New friendships were made that I believe will last. A young man I mentored during the beginning of the darker days with Barbara returned in my life to inform me I had positive influence on him.  On the last day of Counseling, I was told by the person I was getting counseling from that they were proud of my achievements. They even gave me a list of what they were proud of. Recently a Facebook friend, whom I met at a geek event which was impetus for me to take back my life, told me she admired me. This is by no means all the positive feedback I have received this year. It has made me feel so ready to take on the world and my future. 3 years ago, if you told me that this would happen I would have thought you were pulling my leg.

I am by no means saying that I do not need any more work done growth wise.  I am still mending spiritually, mentally, and psychologically.  I am still a work in progress and I have learned so much about myself.  I know I am still not ready for a relationship beyond friendship.  Will I ever be ready?  I honestly do not know.  Does it matter? At this point, it does not.  I need to still find out who I am and who I want to be.  That may sound a bit clichéd, but it holds true for me at this moment.  I gave up a lot of myself over 14 years and it will be a time before I have completely healed.  I am healing and it is an on going process.  My friends and family have made this journey easier for me.  Many of these friends were made in the last year and a half.  The funny thing is I am glad things are not going where I thought they would.  The unpredictability of life is great.  I am still learning to let it happened and how to make it happen, but never force it to happen.  I am so glad of where I am, I cannot wait to see what is next. I give thanks to everyone and everything that has blessed me so.  That Is My Not So Humble Opinion.

Holidazed

In order to show some holiday cheer I am going to go through the songs/skits from my Holidazed Playlist. This is a mix of Comedy, Rock Holiday Songs and Classics.  This list includes a few not safe for work or the kids.  It follows my warped and twisted sense of humor.  There is quite a bit from Bob Rivers and Twisted Radio, as well as The Brian Setzer Orchestra.  Originally it was just the Humor and Rock Holiday songs, later I decided to include the Classics. 

1. Father Christmas by the Kinks English street thugs mugging Santa or as he is known in the U.K. Father Christmas. Proto Punk definitely.

2. No So Silent Night by Bob Rivers. This is from White Trash Christmas. A rockabilly-ish rendition.

3. All I want For Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth) by Spike Jones. Classic Comedy Christmas Carol.

4. Silver and Gold by Burl Ives  A Christmas Classic from a folk superstar of the 40’s and 50’s.

5. The Chanukah Song by Adam Sandler. Yes I know it is over already this year. Still good stuff.

6. Nutcracker Suite by The Brian Setzer Orchestra. A Swing/ Rockabilly version of Tchaikovsky's Classic.

7. You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch by Thurl Ravenscroft. The original from the Chuck Jones Animated show.

8. Walkin' 'Round in Women's Underwear by Bob Rivers. Another Bob Rivers song. This one is hilariously irreverent.

9. Christmas All Over Again by Tom Petty. From a Very Special Christmas 2.

10. Christmas At Ground Zero by Weird Al Yankovic. A Weird Al holiday Classic.

11. Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses. One of the great 80's New Wave Christmas songs.

12. Baby Its Cold Outside by the Brian Setzer Orchestra with Anne Margaret.

13. Wreck the Malls by Bob Rivers.

14. Chiron Beta Prime by Jonathan Coulton. Robot Overlord and Christmas what's not to love.

15. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by U2.

16. I'll Be Home for Christmas by Bing Crosby. 

17. The Night Santa Went Crazy by Weird Al Yankovic. Santa goes on a Homicidal rage.

18. Christmas Time is Here Vocal by Vince Guaraldi. This is the classic from A Charlie Brown Christmas.

19. A Letter To Santa by Bob Rivers. Imagine Don Vito Corleone giving Kris Kringle an Offer he could not refuse.

20. The Chanukah Song Part 2 by Adam Sandler.

21. Sleigh Ride by The Brian Setzer Orchestra. A Swinging verson of this Classic.

22. Santa Claus and His Old Lady by Cheech and Chong. Cheech tries to explain Santa to Tommy Chong's Stoner Musician Character.

23. What is Eminem did Jingle Bells? by Bob Rivers. The Twisted Radio crew always funny and irreverent.

24. Christmas in Hollis by Run-DMC. The Original Hip Hop Holiday song.

25. Winter Wonderland by Tony Bennett. Another Classic.

26. Twelve Day of Christmas by Bob and Doug McKenzie. Five Golden Touques.

27. Merry F'n Christmas by Dennis Leary.

28. Aquaclaus by Bob Rivers. A Holiday version of Aqualung.

29. Blue Christmas by The Brian Setzer Orchestra. Yes I am a big Fan of Brian Setzer Orchestra and Bob Rivers.

30. The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You) by Nat King Cole. Mel Torme's Classic by its original artist.

31. The Chanukah Song Part 3 by Adam Sandler. This is the final version found on the Eight Crazy Days Soundtrack.

32. Run Rudolph Run by Chuck Berry. One of the Best Rock and Roll holiday songs by one of the Pioneers of Rock.

33. Linus and Lucy by Vince Guaraldi. Not officially a Holiday song. It did debut on Charlie Brown Christmas.

34. Goin' Up to Bethlehem by Bob Rivers. A Creedence Clearwater Revival styled Holiday song.

35. Happy Xmas (The War is Over) by John Lennon. Another Rock Holiday Classic.

36. Let it Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow by Dean Martin. The most iconic version of this song.

37. Getting in the Mood [For Christmas] by The Brian Setzer Orchestra. A holiday version of In the Mood, the Glen Miller Classic.

38. Christmas/ Sarajevo 12/24 (instrumental) by The Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Their first big single.

39. The Twelve Pains of Christmas by Bob Rivers. Bob Rivers gives us why the Holidays for some are hell.

40. The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) by Alvin & the Chipmunks. For me it is not the Holidays till this song comes on.

41. Mr. Heatmiser by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. This is both the Heatmiser and Snowmiser songs in one. IT is by a band that was big in the Swing Revival of the late 1990's. The song is from the Rankin Bass classic The Year Without Santa Claus.

42. I Saw Three Ships by Sting.

43.  Blue Christmas by Elivs Presley.  This is another must have classic.  Not a huge Elvis fan, but my Dad is.

44.  Mele Kalikimaka by the Blue Hawaiians.  Bing Crosby's Classic by a Hawaiian style band.

45.  The "What's It To Ya" Chorus by Bob Rivers.  The Hallelujah Chorus with attitude.

46.  God Rest ye, Merry Gentleman by Loreena McKennitt.  A Classic done in a Celtic Folk Style.

47.  Wizards in Winter (instrumental) by Trans-Siberian Orchestra.  Great song but he video with the Christmas lights on someone's home even better.

48.  Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer by Elmo & Patsy.  This is a Redneck Holiday Classic.

49.  Kidnap the Sandy Claws by Korn.  This is a cover from The Nightmare Before Christmas.

50.  Jingle Hells Bells by Bob Rivers.  An AC/DC styled holiday song.

51.  Who put the D*&# on the Snowman by Rodney Carrington.  This is a rude classic.

52.  Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Frank Sinatra. What can I say?  It is Old Blue Eyes.  You need at least one Holiday song from Frank Sinatra. 

53.  Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt.  Madonna move over.  No one Else does this song Justice in my opinion.

54.  Manger 6 by Bob Rivers.  A Motel 6 commercial done for the Nativity.

55.  Christmas by Blues Traveler.

56.  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Gene Autry.  The original version of this Classic. 

57.  I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus by Spike Jones.  Spike was known for his warped and wacky humor.

58.  Oi! to the World by The Vandals.  The Punk holiday classic.

59.  You're a Mean One. Mr. Grinch by The Brian Setzer Orchestra.  A great cover of the classic.

60.  I am Santa Claus by Bob Rivers.  A holiday song based on Black Sabbath's Iron Man.

61.  2000 Miles by the Pretenders.

62.  Good King Wenceslas by Loreena McKennitt.

63.  White Christmas by Bing Crosby.  If you are going to have the Classic originals in your list this is a must have.

64.  A Christmas Raid Carol by The Guild.  The Guild gets into Holiday Mode with this piece.

65.  Little Saint Nick by The Beach Boys.  One cannot have lived in southern California after the 1960's and not heard this multiple time.  A Surf Rock Holiday Classic.

66.  A Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives.  Another song for a Rankin and Bass Animated Holiday Special.  This one was Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. 

67.  Oiche Chiun (Silent Night) by Enya.  Silent Night is Irish Gaelic.  Don't ask me how it is pronounced. 

68.  Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms.  Considered as one of the first Rock and Roll Holiday song by many.

69. Christmas Ain’t About Me by the Doubleclicks  A wonderful Holiday song about going from being an only child to the elder child.

70.  Back Door Santa by John Popper.  The lead singer of Blues Traveler tries to blues up the holidays.

71.  Christmas is the Time to say "I Love You" by Billy Squier.  An 80's Rock Holiday Classic.

72.  Christmas in Hell by Satan, Dark Prince.  This is from South Park.  If I am going to have some warped Holiday songs this one is a definite choice.

73.  Christmastime by Smashing Pumpkins.

74.  God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/ We Three Kings (with Sarah McLachlan) by Barenaked Ladies. 

75.  Do They Know It's Christmas? by Band Aid.  The first big Benefit Supergroup.

76.  Pretty Paper by Willie Nelson.

77.  Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee.

78.  Feliz Navidad by Jose Feliciano.  The Spanish/ English holiday classic.

79.  Little Drummer Boy/ Peace on Earth by Bing Crosby & David Bowie.  A wonderful Holiday song that bridged two generations.

80.  Hava Nagila by Dick Dale.  Surf Rock does a Classic Jewish Celebratory song.

81.  Thank God It's Christmas by Queen.  Queen plus Holidays what's not to love.

82.  Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town by Bruce Springsteen.

83.  Ave Maria + Intro by Eleven.

84.  Oi to the World by No Doubt.  No Doubt's cover of the Vandals Classic.

85.  I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus by John Mellencamp.

86.  Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney.

87.  Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by The Pretenders.

88. Lucky Too by Bob Neuwirth It is about Christmas in Las Vegas.

89.  Fairytale in New York by the Pogues.  A Classic Holiday song from the quintessential Celtic Punk band.

90. Don’t Shoot Me Santa by the Killers. A strange and haunting song about Killers and Santa.

91. Baby It’s Cold Outside (The Hoth Version) by Kirby Krackle and the Doubleclicks.  A Holiday Classic meets a Galaxy Far Away.

92. Snoopy’s Christmas by the Royal Guardsman.  Snoopy, the Red Baron and Christmas what is not to love?

Podcasty Goodness

So here I thought I was done with writing up various podcasts.  Then I remembered all the podcasts I loved that were either in long hiatus or finite, meaning there was a limited amount of episodes.  There are also some here that were really new when I wrote the last podcast article.   There also are some good podcasts I enjoyed but did not have the time to stay on.  This batch is heavy with Podcast Novels, Podiobooks or Podcast Dramas.  These are all terms for the same thing, these works can be single narrator, be it the author or a hired gun, or a partial to full cast audio/ Podcast/ podio drama.  As said previously many of the Podcast Authors have released their works as e-books on Amazon or Smashwords.  Whether or not, you listen to the audio format of their works; I would suggest get the e-books too.  Many of these podcasters have been doing it for years.  Remember podcasting is so diverse you will eventually find something you like.  Just about most of the Podcast novels are not kid safe either in Audio format or their e-books versions either.

Fantastic Disaster

Robert Wagner, Portland’s own Podcast Guru, is back.  He just cannot stay away from podcasting.  This new show is weekly and clocks in between a half hour to an hour.  It is Robert’s musing based on current event or things that he notices in his own life.  He includes a few musical interludes in this new format.  Robert does not suffer fools lightly, so some of his observations can be highly charged with his pinpoint acerbic wit.  The show is extremely thought provoking and entertaining. Yhis show had its last episode in July 2013.

The Metamor City Podcast

http://www.metamorcity.com/

Chris Lester is the author behind this feed.  It is a collection of short stories, novellas, and novels set in his world Metamor City.  Imagine a fantasy setting allowed to progress to the 21^st Century and that is what you have with Metamor City.  It is Urban Fantasy with elements of Cyberpunk and Steampunk.  The various works go from single reader narration to full cast audio dramas.  Of the podcast novelists out there Chris Lester is one of my favorites.  Here is a warning the feed does have gaps between works.  This is due to the Author writing, then working to get the show produced.  There is a large amount archived so it will take a while to get through.

Mur Lafferty

http://murverse.com/

Mur Lafferty like Scott Sigler is a Podcasting and Podcast Novel Juggernaut.  Her Podcasts include, I Should Be Writing, Angry robot Podcast, Escape Pod, Geek Fu Action Grip, Princess Scientist’s Book Club, and Pseudopod.  As a Podcast Novelist her works are The Shambling Guide to New York City, The Afterlife Series, Playing for Keeps, Marco and the Red Granny, and The Takeover.  Most of her work is available on Podiobooks.com.  She has a very wry sense of humor and that shows in her work.  In her Afterlife series she destroys the universe and rebuilds it multiple times.  As one of the Podcast pioneers with Tee Morris and Scott Sigler, she is one to watch and read.  Her archive is available through subscription.  Check her work out and if you like it buy it, I have.

Movie BS with Bayer & Snider

http://www.moviebs.com/

Movie BS with Bayer and Snider is a Movie reviewing podcast with two Portland area Movie Critics, Eric D. Snider and Jeff Bayer.  Even though the reviews themselves are fairly serious, the host do not take themselves too serious.  They give their audience a silly, fun and wonderful time.  They have various regular segments.  They do not care if they are silly they embrace it.  So I would suggest that you try their brand of Movie Tomfoolery.

Antithesis Progression/ Literary Abominations/ Down with Ten

http://antithesis.jdsawyer.net/

http://jdsawyer.net/

http://downfromten.jdsawyer.net/

J. Daniel Sawyer is another prolific podcast novelist.  He has podcasted many of his works and has non-fiction podcasts too.  His Feeds and shows are Antithesis Progression, Literary Abominations (which is his Uber Feed), Down with Ten, Sculpting God, The Polyschizmatic Reprobates Hour and many podcasted literary works.  I liken Mr. Sawyer like a 21^st Century Rod Serling, I mean the writer part not the host.  His work looks at our condition and uses genre to heighten what needs to change and what is so great about us.  Half of his work is solo narration, the other half like Down from Ten is a full cast audio drama.

James Durham/ FETIDUS

http://www.jamesdurham.com/

James Durham is known for FETIDUS (The Foundation for the Ethical Treatment of the Innocently Damned, Undead and Supernatural) a podcast Audi Drama set in a post-apocalyptic Supernatural Thriller.  This is very Noir in tone.  It has an almost Horror-Noir feeling to this.  It is set in Washington DC in 2034.  James is working on the second season.  It is a very gritty setting as well as the first storyline of the series.

Podiobooks.com

Podiobooks.com is a website whose founders include podcasters Evo Terra and Tee Morris.  There reason I support this site is that it hosts various Podcast novels.  These novels are either read by author or Narrator, or partial or full cast audio dramas.  All the books here are free, however donations to the authors are highly recommended by the site’s staff and me.  They also take public domain works and give them new narration as audio books too.  The site covers most genres and just about every audience.  Check this site out; it is definitely worth a listen. Podiobooks became Scribl in 2017. 

Murder at Avedon Hill/ Tales of the Children/ SpecFicMedia/ P.G. Holyfield

http://www.pgholyfield.com/maah/

http://www.pgholyfield.com/maah/maah/the-podcast

http://www.pgholyfield.com/maah/tales-of-the-children

http://specficmedia.com/

P.G. Holyfield started with his fantasy murder mystery Murder at Avedon Hill.  The he continued with Tales of the Children an Anthology that covers the deities of the Murder at Avedon Hill Universe.  Two or so years ago he founded SpecFicMedia, which started with the Beyond the Wall Game of Thrones podcast.  He also is a host on the new panel show Consumption also on SpecFicMedia.   Holyfield’s fiction is very moody and atmospheric.  He was very capable of fusing Mystery with fantasy without either genre suffering any issues.  He is a wonderful host and worth the listen.

Patrick E. McLean

http://www.patrickemclean.com/

Patrick started with his The Seanachai podcast.  It was short stories, observations and humor.  He then did his How to Succeed in Evil Podcast novel and Unkillable podcast novel.  His work has many elements of humor in them.  His wry wit is clear in all his work.  Like many of the other Podcast novelist his work is available in e-book formats.   He is not kid friendly, but he is a whole lot of fun.

Michele Roger/ Dark Matter/ Something Wicked This Way Strums/ The Conservatory

Michele Roger is a Horror Podcast Novelist so far she has put out two novels, Dark Matter and The Conservatory; and a collection of short stories, Something Wicked This Way Strums.  She is also a professionally trained Harpist.  This comes out more in The Conservatory.  Some of her choices in direction are unconventional.  Her work has a sense of wonder as well as dread. This site is no longer with us.

Jadzia Axelrod

http://www.jaredaxelrod.com/main/

Jadzia Axelrod is a prolific Podcast writer and Podcaster.  She has been involved or podcasted the following: 365 Tomorrows, Fables of the Flying City, The Voice of Free Planet X, and Aliens You Will Meet.  Jadzia and J.R. Blackwell, are collaborators and pinnacles of the podcast fiction community.  They have been known to frequent both Dragon-Con and Balti-Con.  He is a greater writer and performer; do not just take my word for it.

These are some of the more glaring omissions I left out.   I have listened to many more Podcast Authors.  With Podiobooks.com, you can find the ones you like.  That is what I did and It worked for me.  Is this the last write-up piece form me.  I cannot say; saying never seems to be a mistake I can avoid.  This Has Been My Not So Humble Opinion.

Alternate Realties & Me

I am a huge fan of Alternate Reality/ History fiction.  This is a type of Science Fiction that looks to the idea of what of History took a turn in a different direction than it did.  My first introduction to this was through various episodes of Star Trek, including Mirror Mirror, Omega Glory and. Bread and Circuses.  All of these episode deal with what might have been scenarios.  It was the Incarnations of Immortality series by Piers Anthony where we had a modern world with magic that I saw what this kind of stories could be. 

In my twenties I had a roommate who had a degree in History.  He was fascinated with Alternate Reality/ History fiction and introduced me to several Authors, including Philip K. Dick, Harry Turtledove, and Fred Saberhagen.  Some of these authors merged various known fictional worlds while other stuck to altering known history.  My first foray into Harry Turtledove work was his joint authored novel Two Georges with Richard Dreyfuss, the Hollywood Actor.  This book was about a world in which the thirteen North American colonies and the British Crown were able to come up with a workable compromise.  It was a murder mystery set in such a world and was fascinating to me.  I then followed two series that were short story collections, What Might Have Been edited by Gregory Benford and The Alternate Anthology series edited by Mike Resnick.  These two series gave me a multitude of Alternate worlds to see. 

Since then I have read How Few Remain and The Great War: The American Front both by Harry Turtledove about a world were the Confederate States of America were able to keep their independence.  I did not keep up with the various other books in The Great War series of its succeeding series.  I also read King of the Wood by John Maddox Roberts.  This book was about various groups of Vikings who were exiled to Vinland (North America).  It was Vikings versus Native Americans and Aztecs.  Some of these were not just alternate histories but had elements of magic in them. 

Next were a few series that combined alternate realities with magic.  The Alvin Maker series by Orson Scott Card, about a world with magical talents called knacks.  This world diverged in that Oliver Cromwell’s folks kept control of Britain.  The English crown moved to the Southern Colonies.  This led to a un-unified North America.  The series is set in the 1800’s.  Then I read Randall Garrett’s Lord Darcy omnibus.  This was a magical world where Britain and France are a unified nation.  They stories were in the form of whodunits.  Next were J. Gregory Keyes’ The Age of Unreason books.  I have only read the first two.  These are set in the 1700’s were magic and alchemy exist.  A young Ben Franklin teams up with a much older Sir Isaac Newton to foil diabolical plots. Gail Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate and Finishing School series are set in a Steampunk 1800’s with supernatural creatures.  Carriger’s work is kinda a cross between Jane Austen, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Jules Verne and Charles Dickens.  They are solidly writer books.  These are the alternate reality works that I can remember reading to Date.   That Is My Not So Humble Opinion.

Charles De Lint & Me

Through the years I have had two authors whose work I was totally enamored with.  One I outgrew in my twenties, Piers Anthony, the other I still follow today, Charles de Lint.  Usually in the Pop Culture and Me retrospectives I got through what years things happened.  I do not remember exact dates I will try to get it as close to the period.  Warning folks this may be spoiler heavy depending on your definition.  I personally do not get upset about spoilers, it is the journey that matters not the destination.  It all started in 1994 Moonheart.  I had found its sequel Spiritwalk, but would not read it till I got the first book.  I finally found a new edition in 94.  Its idea that magic is still here in the modern era if we just know where to look spoke volumes to me.  At the time I was discovering my spiritual path in paganism and shamanism. Many of the themes Mr. De Lint wrote about were what I truly believed on a spiritual level. 

During this time I had also discovered Terri Windling’s Fairy Tale Series.  It was a series of Fairy Tale re-imaginings.  Each book was a different author.  When I got to Charles de Lint’s Jack the Giant Killer I could not find it, however there was a new release that collected Jack the Giant Killer with its sequel novella Drink Down the Moon.  His ideas that to most the magical is seen as mundane and only the lucky few can see the true magic beneath all things clearly resonated with me.

Later I discovered a collection of his Newford Stories called Dreams Underfoot.  I have been known to buy spare copies of this to give to friends.  It was my introduction to de Lint’s invented city of Newford.  One where Americans thinks it is Canadian and Canadians think it is American.  That is because Mr. de Lint, a Canadian, took attributes from both cultures in his city and still to this day has never said where it is exists.  That only increases the otherworldly quality of the setting.  It exists neither here nor there and in both all at the same time.  This collection introduced me to Jilly Coppercorn, a recurring character and the concept of the children of the secret.  In de Lint’s work the children of the secret are those who have suffered abuse, physical, sexual psychological, emotional or a combination of all the above as children.  As someone who fits the bill this spoke to me and my experiences. 

I continued to read his works; the short story collections were wonderful.  I read Yarrow, Greenmantle, Svaha, and Memory and Dream.  Then I got to another favorite, Trader.  With my recent experiences, I need to re-read it. Trader is about a luthier, guitar maker, in his middle years.  He has become too stagnant in his life and other than his work he has not created connections to other people and the community at large.  In comes in a young man who is in serious trouble and finds a way to switch bodies.  The story is about creating connection with people and that without them we are rudderless and adrift.  With me losing so much of myself in my old relationship I can see what the Author meant even more now, than before.  That is the reason I probably should revisit this novel. 

I later read another favorite Someplace to be Flying.  It follows the First Nations/ Native American myths of the First Tribes or Animal People.  It follows a feud between the Corvids (Crows, Ravens, Jays, Rooks and Etc.) and the Canids (Wolf, Dog, Coyote and Fox).  It weaves Native American Myths with modern sensibilities.  It also handles how some people do not feel they fit in and how they find their “tribe.”  Many of Charles de Lint’s books cover the theme of how our relationships define us.  Sometimes they do for the better and sometimes they do for the worse.  I enjoy authors whose works deal with relationships and how they affect us, inspire us, and impact us.  I continued to read more of his books including two traditional fantasy novels Harper of the Grey Rose and Into the Green.  Later I read Little County, Mulengro and Forests of the Heart.

Then I started Spirit in the Wires.  This book took me almost 5 years to read.  Part of the reason it took so long was the deterioration of my relationship with my ex, Barbara.  This book I had to take breathers, because the subject matter was so heavy I needed time to digest it.  The story centers on the idea of what is reality and who is real.  Two main characters came into existence not in the typical way.  One was born from a Spirit that existed on the internet.  The other was a shadow, the parts of a person that are cast off who became real in the Dream Lands/ Otherworld/ Spiritworld.  These people came to our consentual reality and exist in it.  Does that make them less real?  These are the kinds of themes that play in this novel. 

The next two novels were related books they cover the character of Jilly Coppercorn.  They are Onion Girl and Widdershins.  I read one and listened to one on audio book.

I read Spirit in the Wires between them, but I am putting them together because of the common main character. Onion Girl covers how Jilly’s past comes back to bite her in the ass.  She deals with her family and her tragic history.  Mr. de Lint furthers his concept of the children of the secret and covers much of the implied history of Jilly.  Through many short stories we know she had been abused, homeless, a prostitute and a drug addict. She cleaned up her act and became an artist and a community leader. Onion Girl deals with her healing some of her connections.  Widdershins goes on with its theme of healing scars that keep us from being with our soul mate.  Jilly and her friends are very compelling characters, they remind me of my friends and acquaintances in the Portland Geek creative community.  I have been reading a series of short stories  de Lint has released for the Kindle I am by no means caught up to all his books.  His sense of wonder and melding the mythologies from Celtic lore and Native American Lore is fascinating.   He is able to ground magic in the real and make the mundane world seem magical.  This is My Not So Humble Opinion.

Heavy Metal & Me

Heavy Metal music and I have a long storied history.  It starts of course with my Uncle Bob and Cousin Steve.  They introduced me to Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Jimi Hendrix, Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, Ted Nugent and a lot of heavy hard rock.  This all happened to a 7 year old me.  Except of Black Sabbath many of those bands are not considered true Heavy Metal.  The foundation for what came later was made.  I enjoyed hard rock in all its permutations.  By the age twelve I had some favorite bands: Led Zeppelin, Queen, Heart, Ted Nugent, AC/DC, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Van Halen, and Rush.  Many are still not considered true Heavy Metal, but you can see the trend.  What resonated with me was the shear power of the music.  It permeated every bit of my being.  Much of the themes of alienation and disenfranchisement sung to me as a pre-teen.

Growing up in my neighborhood in Oxnard, California in the early eighties us hard rock/ Heavy Metal kids would trade our records (real old school vinyl) and tape what we did not have.  Hell, we even raided our parents 70’s and 60’s collections.  I introduced Janis Joplin to many a Metal kid in those days.  In early 1981, I was introduced to Judas Priest, AC/DC, Rainbow, Ronnie Rush, James Dio, Def Leppard, Ozzy Osbourne, Saxon, Motorhead, and Van Halen.  I got in trouble when I first saw a picture of Rob Halford; I mentioned he looked like a gay biker dude like the guy in Village People.  My arm was sore after that.  I was in a Pentecostal Junior High from 1981 to June of 1982.  That was my initial introduction to what would be considered to be true Heavy Metal.  There was still this weird vague idea what was Heavy Metal, some considered many hard rock acts Metal others did not.  This was a very amorphous time for the style.

In the Summer of 83 Heavy Metal as we knew it exploded. This was when Quiet Riot released their first U.S. Album, Def Leppard released Pyromania, and Iron Maiden released Piece of Mind.  Piece of Mind was not the huge album that the previous year’s Number of the Beast, but it was proof that this iteration of the band was not a flash in the pan with songs like Trooper, Flight of Icarus, and Where Eagles Dare. This was also the advent of Metal hitting the charts.  It was everywhere in Southern California.  That was the epicenter of the U.S. part of this musical movement.  Glam metal started to make its rounds. At 14 and 15 I was not impressed.  I was introduced to Motley Crue’s first album.  I thought musically they were OK, their whole made up and feather hair did not do anything for me.  At this time Metallica, Anthrax and other Thrash/ Speed Metal bands were making their early albums.

Through the next few years I started to drift away from the pop Metal bands towards the Classic Hard Rock acts, Hardcore Punk and Thrash/ Speed Metal.  Suicidal Tendencies, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, and the Cult were putting out albums that spoke to me during the mid to late eighties.  I was drifting away from Heavy Metal in my Twenties, so were the bands.  Living in the Portland, Oregon area at the time we were hearing rumbling of new bands with a hard heavy sound reminiscent of Deep Purple and early Black Sabbath with a punk ethic.  These bands were Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Screaming Trees, Mother Love Bone and Nirvana.  This new sound would be called the Seattle Sound or Grunge.  They we more concerned with the music and less with image.  The Metal scene had become style over substance.  The Thrash/ Speed Metal scene was becoming more mainstream and losing some of its edge at this time.

During the early to mid nineties Grunge and late Alternative became the creative wellspring for Heavy Music.  Alternative was not so much a style than a philosophy of being alternative to the corporate music machine.  As always many of the acts became part of that machine. Heavy music did make a comeback with acts like Ministry, White Zombie, Korn, Rage against the Machine, Offspring, Clutch, Disturbed, Godsmack Eagles of Death Metal, Queens of the Stone Age, and others.  By the early 2000’s I was not into Heavy Metal or its various offshoots anymore, or at least newer acts.  I still listen to older acts with newer material.  Once and a while I will find a new Metal or Hard Rock act I like, for example Portland, Oregon’s Red Fang or the Pirate Metal band Alestorm.  In general I am no longer in that scene, it really is a younger man’s game.  So I will let them have it. 

Here is a list of Heavy Metal/ Hard Rock Acts I think people should check out (this is based on my own personal tastes):  Accept, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Airbourne, Aldo Nova, Alestorm, Alice Cooper, Alice in Chains, Andrew W.K. Anthrax, Audioslave, Autograph, Billy Idol (more punk and new wave), Black Sabbath, Blitzkrieg, Blue Cheer, Cheap Trick, Clutch, The Cult, Danzig, The Darkness, David Lee Roth, Deep Purple, Def Leppard, Diamond Head, Dio, Dream Theater, Eagles of Death Metal, Extreme, Faith No More, Fastway, Godsmack, Great White, Green Jello/ Jelly, Guns N’ Roses, Hanoi Rocks, Heart, Helmet, The Hives, Iggy Pop/ Iggy Pop and the Stooges/ Stooges, Infectious Grooves, Iron Butterfly, Iron Maiden, Jet, Jimi Hendrix, Joe Satriani, Judas Priest, King Crimson, The Kinks, Kiss,  Korn, Krokus, L.A. Guns, Led Zeppelin, Living Color, MC5, Megadeth, Metallica, Metal Church, Michael Schenker Group/ McAuley Schenker Group, Ministry, M.O.D., Monster Magnet, Montrose, Mother Love Bone, Motorhead, Mudhoney Nirvana, Offspring, Ozzy Osbourne, Pantera, Pat Benatar, Powerman 5000, Primus, Probot, Queen, Queensryche, Queens of the Stone Age, Quiet Riot, Rage Against the Machine, Rainbow, Rammstein, Ratt, Red Fang, Rob Zombie/ White Zombie, Rush, Sammy Hagar, Savatage, Saxon, Scatterbrain, Sepultura, Slayer, Scorpions, Screaming Trees, Silverchair, Skindred, Slipknot, Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, Spinal Tap, Steppenwolf, Steve Vai, Stone Temple Pilots, Stormtroopers of Death, The Strokes, System of a Down, Suicidal Tendencies, Ted Nugent, Temple of the Dog, Tesla, Testament, Thin Lizzy, Triumph, Uriah Heep, Van Halen, Velvet Revolver, Wednesday 13, White Stripes, Whitesnake, Wolfmother, Y & T, Zebra.  This is by no means a comprehensive list just my personal favorites or ones I feel are historically important.  There are a few omissions.  Those are acts I personally do not care for to the extreme.  This Is My Not So Humble Opinion.