#myhr-dur

[theda-rison]

Thursday Night Link Roundup - Yule Edition!

(Not on Thursday for obvious reasons.)

Hello denizens of the frigid times! (At least, if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere. If you’re in the global south, how about that heat, huh?)

It’s already snowed here once and you can color me pleased as a 6 year old with a snow day.

So, since it’s “that time of the year” I wanted to be a little thematically appropriate. Christmas isn’t my favorite holiday on account of my being an atheist and really hating the whole “Buy! Buy! Buy!” nature of the season. I would much rather do the Victorian thing of reading ghosts stories, which like, I would love to know how that got started. I’ve never been able to find anything to explain it.

But, there are a few things about the Xmas season I like, I like this vine:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2AyO2c2Xtc

A classic.

In more serious fare, YouTube search “The Nutcracker New York City Ballet, 1993” and find the full version to watch. It gives me such nostalgia. I don’t want to link the version I like because it’s one of the few full uploads on YT and I don’t want the poster to be found out. But trust me, you’ll find it. (It’s the 1:24:38 long version).

And here’s probably my favorite Christmas song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCabI3MdV9g

You know it. I actually saw Trans-Siberian Orchestra in concert for one of their holiday concerts, and holy shit, we were so far away from the stage but I thought the pyrotechnics were going to burn my face off.

Speaking of nostalgia, maybe you’re nostalgic for the fireplace log that… whichever channel that is, plays all day on Christmas morning. Well, there’s a YouTube video for that:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_LUpnjgPso

Nice crackles. Feels good on the eardrums.

But maybe you’re like me, and you really want your Christmas to be scary! How about a giant cat to stalk you during the night on Christmas eve?

An interesting way to shore up the production of wool and the commitment to survival in the family home. Don’t wear old clothes, kids.

And here’s the myth, the man himself: Krampus:

I mean, how can you not love him. I love him so much I bought a reproduction of the metal bell from the 2015 Krampus movie.

Made by DarkMatterProps on etsy, but I just checked and it seems like they don’t make it anymore.

While it was a very silly movie, I adore it. The story was everything I want in a Christmas movie; being with the people you love is more important than material goods, but with a dysfunctional family and a horror twist. I loves the Krampus design they went with, and all his breathing and laughing and everything was voiced by one of my favorite voice actors, lol.

Love it. I would love to go to the parade in Austria one year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mojrfw7SJ14

Or maybe… make a Krampus costume or a sculpture or something. Not like I need any more projects, lol.

If you’d like to know some of the background of Yule, here’s one of my favorite online educators, Jackson Crawford, with the history of Jól.

Balm for my nerd soul.

So like… I like decorations, but I absolutely abhor glitter. It’s like the fucking chickenpox, if it’s on one surface in your house it’s going to end up on every single other surface. Or it’s like… you know. Please wear a mask and stay six feet apart.

Anyway; hate glitter, like plants and things, so I like this video by Jutta Maria, of her making natural decorations for yule.

I made popcorn/cranberry/dried orange garland once when I was a kid and have been obsessed with them ever since. I want to make more but it’s a bit late for that now. Maybe next year. It’ll give me another reason to use my food dryer, lol.

This one gave me an interesting idea: I sort of want to make a bunch of these (not as spells, just greenery in glass Xmas balls) and then hang them from the ceiling or something in a conical shape to look like a tree. It’d be a very postmodern tree, lol, a critique of the notion of a Christmas tree itself; the greenery is not the tree but captured in small instances of green. And instead of decorations hung on a tree, the tree IS the decorations. I’m sure it would infuriate someone somewhere. And also: probably get destroyed by the cat.

But no glitter. I imagine myself to be a kind person but if you bring glitter into my house I will leave you out in the cold. Do not test me.

So yeah, happy whatever-wintery-holiday-you-celebrate, everybody! I hope you don’t fight with your family too much and you make at least a few happy memories despite these bleak times. I suppose that this year, more than any others in recent times, is a good time to remember that mid-winter celebrations are there to dull the sting of the winter cold (both literally and metaphorically) and remind us that spring will come again (though I can do without summer).

And please stay safe, stay six feet away, and wear your mask.

Or Krampus will drag you to hell and the Yule Cat will eat you.

[ruby-white-rabbit]

lynx, hydra, hercules!! ✨

I have three favorite vines. One is the woman cracking up to "fre sha vacado", one is the blue beach umbrella attack with "run" ba DA DA DA. Then this last one I told my little brother's and they though get it was the funniest joke ever so the 7 year old quotes it all the time. "I've brought you myhr. myhr-dur." "Judas no"

For a super power I always fall back to flight being involved so that.

What book/show/movie/band are you embarrassed to admit you like? Bold of you to assume I'm not all in flaunting what I enjoy. Im unapologetic. Uh... If you asked like ten years ago I'd say the twilight series comes to mind asap. Now it's just funny to use my knowledge to mock and critique it so that obsession came in handy later. Now? Hmm... I guess I don't like chick flicks but you'd have to fight French Kiss from me. Maybe?