Hi, Happy December.

I think “Happy Holidays” is something people usually write on Christmas cards but rarely say. I heard one of my coworkers say it the other day. I guess it’s the safe, religion-neutral blessing.

I finished my Jane’s Songs for the Season mix. I’m pretty proud of it. I crammed sixteen hours of Christmas music into one. Let’s see you do that.
So if I haven’t recently asked for your mailing address and you want a mix, send me your address and I’ll get one out ASAP. Even if we’ve never spoken before. Right now I have something like twenty padded envelopes piled in my car’s floorboard.

TNT is airing a marathon of The Closer today which, loosely translated, means “a dangerously high possibility I will accomplish absolutely nothing today.” As of T-26 hours last night, I started a countdown to the all new Closer tonight at seven CST. I haven’t been this excited since I got to see a good thirty seconds of Bosco in Fincher’s Zodiac.

Yesterday, after an emotional experience at church, I suddenly felt compelled to watch It’s a Wonderful Life. Alas, it wasn’t airing anywhere this week–can you believe it?! I couldn’t, either. Luckily Best Buy has it on sale this week. It’s only $8.99 for the special collector’s edition. After another emotional experience while watching James Stewart and Donna Reed, I suddenly felt compelled to learn the Charleston. Maybe I’ll look into some dance lessons.

Saturday was World AIDS Day, which is significantly less happy than the holidays or the Charleston. All the same, I encourage you to at least say a prayer or two this week for those suffering from AIDS. As a conversation with my mom made abundantly clear, it seems oftentimes we don’t think of AIDS as a pandemic including women and children in third-world countries. We think “AIDS” and we think “gay males who have made bad decisions.” I’m not saying any of us are budding Fred Phelps-es, but there is a definite stigma on AIDS reinforced by movies and TV shows and the people who haven’t made any bad decisions and are therefore casting the first stones. But I digress.

I’ve mentioned before (probably several times) about the (RED) campaign. I’ll mention it again: buy cool things for yourself or someone else (Christmas is coming, you know) and simultaneously provide medications to those in need. Check it out.

Remember that link I posted a short time ago regarding The Golden Compass? We all knew it was coming, but that controversy has finally erupted in full swing. Oy, with the Christmas spirit already.

Okay. My intent is to post fun and funny stuff a little later, if Brenda Leigh Johnson and her troupe can allow me some spare time.

Peace, love, and the Charleston.