It’s difficult to imagine Christmas without music, so as you celebrate this day with family and friends, check out some of our favorite songs or pull out your own favorites. Just be sure to add some musical magic!

“Let It Snow” by Doris Day

“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” by Bare Naked Ladies

Winter Wonderland by Eurythmics

“The Christmas Song” by Johnny Mathis

“Stille Nacht” by Mannheim Steamrollers

Liz and Kate wish all of you the merriest of Christmases. May God bless you and the ones you love.

And don’t forget to ENJOY the wonders of this Christmas season. Happy Christmas Eve!

“Hallelujah”, by Kathy Mattea

“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Andy Williams

“Sleigh Ride” by the Boston Pops Orchestra

“Chestnuts Roasting On an Open Fire” by Michael Buble

Enjoy! What are your favorite Christmas Songs? Leave a comment below and tell us.

Stop for a moment and try to imagine what the holidays would be like without Christmas music. So many of our traditions and memories are tied to the music of the season.

With that in mind, we’ll be featuring a few of our all-time favorites, in no particular order, today through Christmas. And we are probably gonna think of another 3,000 favorites as soon as we post these. Nevertheless, here are a few of our “never get tired of” tunes that seem to get us through the season.

Meanwhile on to the music:

“Baby It’s Cold Outside” by Zooey Deschanel and Leon RedBone

“Oh Holy Night” by Celine Dion

” Celebrate Me Home” by Kenny Loggins

“God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” by Mannheim Steamrollers

“Song for a Winter’s Night” by Sarah Mclachlan

So there are a few to get you started. Be sure to drop us a line and let us know some of your favorites, too! And tune in again tomorrow for more of our favorite Christmas music!

I know what you must be thinking. “How can this be?!?” Well, don’t look to me for answers. I’m just the messenger, here. And I’m just as shocked as you people.

All I know is I received an email from someone who shall remain nameless. Let’s just say I know her very well. In fact, I’ve known her all my life. Heck, you could even call her a family member. But that’s neither here nor there. Suffice to say, she is a very reliable source.

On seeing the photos, my 8-year-old about dropped his teeth. “That’s impossible. Those couldn’t have been taken on this Fourth of July,”  he said. “Michael Jackson is dead!”

Is he?

Let’s just say my son called the “source” for more details. The source described the scene thusly: The crowd initially went silent at the sight of His Highness, Michael Jackson, taking the stage. Then they listened, screamed in delight, and, yes, even shed King-of-Pop-appropriate tears as countless fans the world over are prone to do on seeing a star, right there before their very eyes. But it gets better… His former father-in-law, the King – that’s right – Elvis the Pelvis – was there, too.

So without further ado, I submit to you the following evidence, and advise you that what you are about to see will really Rock your Bobin:

With that evidence, and remembering a picture is worth a thousand words – even you skeptics must admit this a real Thriller! As for whether or not this is the real Michael Jackson? Well, I’ll leave that up to you to decide. And I’ll also leave you with a song, just because I can. And of course, because he’s bad (bad, bad… really, really bad).

-Liz

When Sweden burned bunnies for fuel this year, all the world was a tad taken aback. Let’s face it – it’s not every day when people gather up a few thousand bunnies for execution (as the Swedes do every year to counter the rapidly multiplying bunny population). But when the bunnies are burned as a fuel source, somehow that makes things worse.

While I am not casting a vote in favor or opposition of this practice, I find it odd that the same people that seem to scream “Save the planet” at typically deafening tones are the same ones having a problem with this ingenious idea which not only controls the furry hippity-hoppers but is also environmentally friendly. Think about it.

Moving right along, we have Rage Against the Musical Torture.

Seems that Rage Against the Machine and Nine Inch Nails got their panties in a wad when their music was allegedly used to interrogate prisoners at Club Gitmo. So much so, that they lead singers petitioned the government for information on exactly how the music had been used.

First, let me say that if your music is deemed a threat to terrorists, you should be thrilled that you are doing your part to keep America safe. See, I understand why they’d use some of your songs, quite frankly. Not a judgment – just truth.

Second, by making yourselves a victim, you are wasting a prime opportunity to market your music. But not my problem.

That said, I’ll lighten things up (at least a little) with the American Girl doll named after a fugitive. True story.

Apparently the fictional name given the doll (who was supposed to be a circa 1914 Jewish-Russian immigrant) wasn’t a fake name afterall. Rebecca Ruben, as it turns out, is an apparently armed-and-dangerous arsonist wanted by the FBI for a series of fires in Oregon. Ironically enough, the company named another doll with the same name as a homeless person from the Great Depression era months later. Clearly, the rhetorical question of “what’s in a name?” isn’t so rhetorical after all.

Go here to see the rest of the Top 10 Oddball Stories of 2009, and be sure to stay tuned for Kate’s Top 10 list pick tomorrow!

This week’s other top ten lists:

Top 10 quotes

Top 10 new species

-Liz

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“Auld Lang Syne” is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country in the world to bring in the new year. At least partially written by Robert Burns in the 1700′s, it was first published in 1796 after Burns’ death. Early variations of the song were sung prior to 1700 and inspired Burns to produce the modern rendition. An old Scotch tune, “Auld Lang Syne” literally means “old long ago,” or simply, “the good old days.” Here are the lyrics:

Auld Lang Syne
Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne?
For auld Lang syne, my dear, for auld Lang syne,
We’ll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld Lang syne.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot and days of auld Lang syne?
And here’s a hand, my trusty friend and gie’s a hand o’ thine
We’ll tak’ a cup o’ kindness yet for auld Lang syne

Stop for a moment and try to imagine what the holidays would be like without Christmas music. So many of our traditions and memories are tied to the music of the season.

We thought you might enjoy a few days of our favorite Christmas songs. So we’ve decided to list 20 of our all-time favorites, in no particular order. And we are probably gonna think of another 3,000 favorites as soon as we post these. Nevertheless, here are a few of our “never get tired of” tunes that seem to get us through the season.

We’ll be posting five a day, now through Christmas, providing you with some classics you’re sure to know, as well as some other songs that you may not be familiar with. We’d love to know what you think. What holiday music inspires you? Be sure to leave your comments below.

Meanwhile here is our third set of five songs.

“Winter Wonderland” by Jason Mraz

“Better Days (A Home for the Holidays) by The Goo Goo Dolls

“Do You Hear What I Hear” by Whitney Houston

“White Christmas” by Bing Crosby

“We Need a Little  Christmas” by the Muppets

(Liz says while there are other versions of this song, the Muppets version is her hands-down favorite. Sounds just like her, doesn’t it?)

Now, go turn on some Christmas music and get to bed early, ‘cuz Santa Claus is coming to town… tonight!!

Ever notice how the silliest things have the capacity to turn into discussions that just make your head spin? Case in point would be my little argument with Hannah over a Billie Holiday Christmas song, where the late great singer bellows out lines like, “The snow is snowing, the wind is blowing.”

“Why is the snow snowing?” I asked.

“That’s what snow does, Mom – it snows.”

“No the snow does not snow – it falls.”

“Mom, you are so misguided. When it snows, we don’t say ‘it’s falling’. We say it’s snowing.”

“Then why isn’t the wind winding,” I asked. “Note that even Billie admits the wind is blowing. Snow can do that, too. But I still maintain the snow doesn’t snow. Nor does rain rain.”

“Then what does rain do, Mom?”

“It falls, too. Sometimes it pours. But the rain doesn’t rain. It’s either raining or snowing. But it doesn’t rain rain or snow snow. That would require reproduction. Each flake of snow or drop of rain would have to reproduce in order for the rain to rain or the snow to snow.”

“Yes, Mom, but what about when the rain hits the windshield and splatters into several smaller droplets?”

“The snow doesn’t SNOW!” I said, knowing that any logic had long been lost thanks to Billie Holiday’s Christmas tune, where she declared that snow snows.

While I was waiting for her response, she was busy listening to the rest of the song, offering her best (and only) comeback.

“What do I care? I’ve got my love to keep me warm.”

Teenagers…

-Liz

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Enjoy your Coffee Break!

Anyone who knows me also knows this is when I point fingers at others, too – just for fun. When I tell you that my 8-year-old knew exactly what I was doing. But instead of cautioning me, he cheered me on, adding that the long-standing rule of waiting until the day after Thanksgiving to listen to Christmas music was a little extreme.

We haven’t gotten much help from local radio stations, either, with two of ‘em already decking the halls 24/7 until the day after Christmas.

That being said, and in full knowledge that Thanksgiving is still 11 days away, I think it’s clear what all this could lead to: Holly Jolly Burn-out.

Which is why my “rule” is in place to begin with. But as the sounds of Mannheim Steamroller filled the kitchen, I had to question just how much burn-out could occur by filling the house with holiday cheer before my official countdown to Christmas begins.

I guess only time will tell. Meanwhile, my son wants to watch Home Alone.  And if we’re gonna break the rules, we might as well go all out…

-Liz

Don’t forget to send in your favorite Christmas craft, recipe, decorations, and etc., for our Craftdown to Christmas. And get registered for this week’s give-away by leaving a comment!

parrots have great rhythm.  Two studies by Harvard University and the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego found that parrots, like humans, have the ability to move with the beat of music.  It was previously thought that only humans could dance in rhythm – but when parrots listened to music, they happily bobbed their heads according to the tempo.  When the rhythm was changed, the parrots didn’t miss a step – they switched up their dance moves to keep in sync. The Harvard scientists watched YouTube clips of dancing parrots to help with their research.

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