Thanks to djeltoro and his annual holiday blog/zine Festive!, here's a preview of the Christmas movie book that is currently taking over my life.

i am so romantic

that i remembered these two Mozart motets from a Royal Wedding i saw on TV in 1986

and I only ever heard them again today for only the second time in my life

so therefore for 23 years i remembered perfectly how these 2 tunes had moved me

and to never ever forget them and to try to find them again

and perhaps have them also sung at my wedding someday

in the far far off mists of the very distant future



from the youtube description:

"Watch the whole ceremony from beginning to end in this series. During the signing of the register Felicity Lott sings Mozart's "Laudate Dominum" then Arleen Auger sings the opening movement of "Exsultate Jubilate"

trivia note:

Margaret Thatcher can be seen in a crappy seat having to peer around a pillar to see the ceremony, you may remember that the queen and the then prime minister didn't get along ;-)

-----------------------
Lyrics in Latin and English so you can follow:

Written by me, obviously.

Up in The Air
Brothers
The Last Station

I also saw Armored, Everybody's Fine and Serious Moonlight. Those reviews will post soon.

http://www.movies.com/movie-reviews/film-reviews/dave-white

I had forgotten about the upcoming legal challenge to Prop 8 that will be heard next year. Check out this article in the American Prospect:



http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=gay_on_trial

This is more than state-by-state incrimentalism, nor it is an arcane legal challenge like this year's debate on if Prop 8 was an amendment or a revision. Instead, this is the whole tamale - finally, a legal case that will reach the US Supreme Court to decide if homosexuality is part of the human condition, or merely a random sexual fetish. Read the article... this is the only action on gay rights we will see in 2010, since all of the oxygen in the room will be consumed by positioning for the upcoming midterm elections.

Holy Merde!

This time next week we will have landed in France and have been transported to our townhome!

It's really surreal to think I'll be in Europe next week and in a country I've never been to. Last night, I got our tickets to Disneyland Paris all set up, I have our reservation for the transport from the airport (CDG) to the resort, and I have all the paper copies of our reservations in London along with the tickets to seeing "Priscilla". I also confirmed with AT&T to have my data and voice roaming turned on. They were really friendly and gave me all the information I needed. They even said if I catch a wi-fi spot, my data transfers are free.

Next thing to do is pack! This should be easy as our townhome will have a washer & dryer to use so packing should be minimal. I have seen that the weather is rather chilly and wet so it looks like sweaters, sweatshirts, and jeans will be the clothing of choice. I have to get all my shit together by tomorrow as my suitcase will be going home with Nick on Sunday after we see "Mary Poppins".

Wow....

Excited....
Our stay will be at the resort from the 11th to the 18th, then we're off to a hotel in Paris for the weekend. We return on the 21st. Supposedly, our hotel will have a view of the Eiffel tower. Lot's of pictures will be taken, trust me! I'll try to post on LJ as much as I can as Nick will have his laptop with him...

Au revoir for now!
B

Good Morning LJer's,

Its pretty frickin cold outside. Now i realize that readers from northern states like MN or MA (dreamjeans and mathgeek)...have seen 40s and 30s for several months in spurts already.

We are setting a new cold freeze record in texas today (global warming?)....we will have 12-14 hours of under 30 degrees starting bout 5pm this afternoon.

I dont do cold. But.. i am dealing.

so the apartment will be my destination this evening. A Freshetta roasted mushrooms and spinach "self rising" pizza is waiting for me when i get home. To turn on the oven and fill the house with the smell of "ummmm. pizza"

WHAT WILL NOT BE IN MY HOUSE...is what i saw at Kroger last night.

Yes, you are reading that box correctly "FUDGE COVERED RITZ", i bought a box for some friends as a "gag gift" literally and figuratively.

Just kind of makes you shiver reading the box doesn't it?

Remember that huffy email I sent to St Mikes, complaining I couldn’t get an H1N1 shot from their Positive Care Clinic – they supposedly had no vaccine – yet they were giving it to their board, who weren't in fact eligible? I wrote about it here.

Well, I got a reply. The text is behind the cut.

I’m not sure whether to be pleased or not. Certainly I expected a form letter, rather than the personalized one I got. I was also impressed that it came from the chief executive officer, even though it's (very) careful crafting likely means it came from a minion. It is, in fact, a model of corporate double-speak – not admitting wrongdoing while saying they could have done better.

It’s also a masterful example of obfuscating prose. You have to read it over several times to understand exactly what their case is. Essentially they say they had a pandemic plan, pre HIN1, in place which called for all hospital staff (very broadly drawn to include ALL volunteers). When the H1N1 crisis came along they used that plan. BUT in doing so, and what they only hint at here, is that they made no allowance for the priority guidelines laid out by the Public Health Authorities. Those guidelines, given the shortage of vaccine, stipulated who could initially receive it. That list included health care workers, but one would have to make a very broad stretch to include hospital boards of directors as health care workers. St Mikes made that stretch. They were called out on it, by Public Health, by the press – and by me.

Anyway, the letter’s an interesting example of corporate-speak. I almost admire it. It’s behind the cut.

( Read more... )

Master Thor took me to the Musee Mechanique in San Francisco last weekend. This is my first attempt at posting video from my phone. Let's see how well it works out!

http://www.patrickkellogg.com/movies/Dance.3GP

This one is a country dance. It's supposed to be moving, but instead just ate my quarter. However, I thought I'd include it because the puppets look so cool

http://www.patrickkellogg.com/movies/Pixieland.3GP

This one's for naylandblake. I was a little upset at first that the cabinet was so dark that my phone couldn't record what was going on. But now I think that makes it more wonderful... you can see that *something* is moving, but it's hard to tell exactly *what*

http://www.patrickkellogg.com/movies/Sea.3GP

Finally, a moving amusement, in more ways than one. Whoever thought it would be interesting to craft a tragic scene with puppets: notice comes from a ship that someone has died (or maybe everyone on board), and the dancers continue to swirl around each other inside, unknowing

Out Magazine's Popnography blog is making me watch "Launch My Line," Bravo's latest attempt to have another "Project Runway."

This one is about people who aren't fashion designers who try anyway. Has more Supergays on it, naturally. But the contestant selection is so random that I might as well be one.

Even if you're not watching it too, you should be reading my short little recap. Every click counts. Remember that.

http://www.popnography.com/2009/12/launch-my-line-faking-fashion.html

i knew lowfatmuffin aka THE BOB, would appreciate this new campaign
by americans for the arts . org

ART FOR BREAKFAST NEVER TASTED SO GOOD
RAISIN BRAHMS
VANGOGHGURT
and MORE!



to see some of the very clever television and hear some of the radio ads

use the clicky ------> http://www.americansforthearts.org/public_awareness/the_ads/default.asp

Today I finished buying gifts for my son. Now I've got a few more things to pick up for my daughter and I'm almost finished. I want to get my husband a marine GPS to use on the boat. I found a few candidates but I'm still doing some research on them. I don't want to buy him a cheap one and I certainly don't plan on buying the ones that start around $2,000. Even $500 is a bit steep but it's a very good brand so I may have to go for that one.

Got a favorable review a little while ago so that certainly made me happy. It's hard to believe but I've worked here for 18 years. Where did the time go...

I'm the Guest Reviewer at IFC.com for the month of December: Please click over there and check out my reviews of Up in the Air, Brothers and Everybody's Fine.