#the real question is father christmas vs santa claus

[hedgehogsaretheultimatelifeform]

But fully can we get a story about all the cod characters trying to fight off eldritch god Santa Claus as he tracks them down to fulfil all of our christmas wishlists

[charliejrogers]

Miracle on 34th Street (1947) - Review & Analysis

What a weird, wonderful movie. Miracle on 34th Street is quite possibly the oddest Christmas movie I’ve ever seen. In part this is due to the fact that some stuff just doesn’t age well. How many old, strange men are you willing to let your seven-year-old daughter hang out alone with, Ms. Doris Walker?! But also it’s weird because because despite its typical Christmas-movie themes of faith/belief, true love, family, etc… it’s a wholly unique film that doubles as a legal drama!

This was my first viewing of the perennial classic, a film which started as a story by Valentine Davies and was adapted for the screen and then subsequently directed by George Seaton. Though baptized a Roman Catholic, Seaton himself grew up in a Jewish neighborhood of Detroit. He even had a bar mitzvah. I wonder how much of Seaton’s upbringing affected the final product we see. The central theme of holding faith in something that doesn’t make sense to those around you probably resonated strongly for the director who as a kid who became interested in a religion that was foreign to both of his Swedish immigrant parents.

From a direction standpoint, it’s fairly by the books and of its time, with a few notable exceptions, one being the opening credits sequence which shows a lone man walking slowly about the NYC streets from behind. He’s dressed in all black and we have no idea who he could be. He could literally be anyone in the world. Then all of a sudden, like magic, his face is revealed: the man we’re following is Santa Claus! Or, at least it looks a whole lot like him. What is Santa Claus doing in New York? Is this even Santa Claus?

These are questions that end up being central to the movie and just straight up never get answered. I loved that writing choice. The writing is the first of the film’s three big stars. This film won the Oscar for both best story and best adapted screenplay and it deserves every ounce of those awards. The story is so sublimely clever. Put shortly, the movie is about a man who claims to be Santa Claus and due to his uncanny resemblance to the jolly holiday figure, his natural aptitude for talking to children, and his almost savant-like knowledge of toy stores in Manhattan, he gets hired to be the mall Santa for Macy’s flagship Manhattan store. However, not everyone is as convinced that he is the real Kris Kringle. Certainly the Macy’s company psychologist does not. An uptight and unpleasant man, he (like others) thinks Kringle is utterly delusional but (unlike others) he also thinks these delusions presage future violence whenever inevitably others may challenge Kringle on this delusion. The psychologist thus schemes to get Mr. Kringle committed to *cue thunderclaps* Bellevue!

What ensues is a legal battle. I can’t imagine any other Christmas movie whose climax ends in a courtroom but it’s an incredibly satisfying thing to watch. We have the idealistic lawyer, Mr. Fred Gailey, who believes that Kringle, while clearly delusional, poses no actual threat to the community and actually does the community a great service in spreading kindness. Nevertheless, has to prove that Mr. Kringle is legally THE Mr. Kringle lest Kringle spend the rest of his life in the looney bin. Note… I have a very healthy and “modern” view of mental health, and would never use the term “looney bin” to describe today’s mental health hospital… but I use the term here because the images we get in the film of Bellevue’s inpatient psych ward are of sedated men in all-white clothing… in other words the movie certainly thinks of being in a psych ward as a looney bin, which adds a bit of dramatic tension to the story.

There’s certainly some not-so-subtle condemnation of psychology going on this movie (at least of the kind practiced by the Macy’s psychologist, Mr. Sawyer (a snivelling Porter Hall)). This was coming at a time when increasingly science was taking the place of religion, so it makes sense that psychology would be an enemy in a movie about faith and clinging to things that don’t make sense. The trial over the existence of Santa Claus almost serves as an inverse Scopes Monkey trial; Kringle even ironically compares his lawyer to Clarence Darrow, the lawyer on behalf of science.

What this movie nails so absolutely perfectly is that honestly… I don’t know if Kringle really isn’t Santa Claus. I’m not claiming that Santa exists in the real world, but in the world of this film, it’s really not obvious whether the film leans one way or another. That’s an ambiguity that tends to make art shine when it’s present. We see through Gailey’ legal maneuvering that the legal defense for Santa Claus’ existence is tenuous at best. At one point he calls the prosecutor’s child to the witness stand to argue that Santa Claus must be real since that is what his Dad (the prosecutor) has always told him. Therefore it seems like the film’s psychological explanations are probably the most likely. Yet at the same time… when a little Dutch girl comes to see Santa at Macy’s because she can “just tell” he’s the real Santa… why else would Kringle know Dutch songs about Santa off the top of his head? Why does an old man who lives in an old folk’s home on Long Island know so much about Manhattan’s toy stores?

And then there’s the more practical questions about Santa lore. Why is Santa in New York? He says he was born in the North Pole… so why did he leave? If he’s real, then why does he need to direct parents on where to buy the best toys? Is it merely that the world has outgrown him?

There’s also a whole economic piece of the script that I won’t even fully touch on. But basically Kringle in attempt to do right by parents, doesn’t merely recommend toys from the Macy’s toy department, but lets them know about better deals on toys that are located in stores elsewhere in Manhattan, including those that are rivals of Macy’s! This policy is such a hit with customers, it ushers in a revolution in department store policy, with department stores across the nation vying to extend more goodwill to customers. As I said, there’s something in there about the power of the free market and how capitalism doesn’t have to be evil... but I’ll leave it there and return to the central questions of the film. Like... does Santa Claus exist?

I don’t know! But the film raises really interesting questions and just leaves them there for us to sit with. Everything that the film tells us points us to the common sense conclusion that this man is NOT the genuine Jolly fellow… yet we want to believe there’s something more and that’s what makes this film so special. We literally as the audience go through the same mental charades as the characters in the film.

Thus far, I’ve attributed this brilliance to the plot, but there’s another absolutely vital element: the performance by Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle. This guy deserves every ounce of his Oscar for his performance. There’s not a second that he’s on screen that he doesn’t ooze charisma and charm. This whole movie would fall apart were it not for him, good plotting be damned, since we need to believe, even for mere fits and flitters, that this man is Santa Claus.

Never is he more convincing than when he interacts with children. There’s the absolutely magical scene with the little Dutch girl I mentioned above, but it’s when Kringle chats with little Susan Walker (played to heart-melting perfection by nine-year-old actor Natalie Wood whose got a stink face that never ceased to make me chuckle) that this movie achieves greatness. Though the trial scenes put the theme of faith vs. psychology at the forefront, the real heart of this movie is the conflict of faith vs. practicality. Little Susan is raised by her mother (and her Black nanny/house-caretaker who gets depressingly little credit… or screentime), and her mother Doris Walker (Maureen O’Hara) is a thoroughly practical women. She’s a high-up exec at Macy’s, and seemingly one of the only women to be in such a position. As such, she’s a unique character for her time. Rigidly pragmatic, she eschews any and all attempts at fun and imagination for her daughter (as well as for herself). We get the sense that a different film, a different story, might dive deep into Walker’s struggles as a single mother in the 1940’s trying to be taken seriously in the business world. In a sense, she’s a forerunner to Faye Dunaway’s character in Network. She was clearly hurt by romance in the past (she and her husband divorced, which I imagine was rather scandalous at the time), and this fear of getting hurt by romance is what compels her to teach her daughter to avoid the stuff completely.

Clearly, there’s some cool gendered stuff going on here. Imagination, romance, faith: these are all things that are stereotypically more female-coded, while business, pragmatism are more male-coded. You inherit your father’s name but your mother’s religion as the old tradition went. And in our society at least, the latter (pragmatism/business) is supposed to make you successful and get you places… the former (faith/romance) does not. Yet in this movie, we have idealism and romance of our male lawyer Fred Gailey (John Payne) and the pragmatism of our female businesswoman Doris Walker. It’s a fun play on typical gender norms, but more interesting is to see how this duality plays out in the development of little Susan under the dual influences of her mother and the combination of Misters Gailey & Kringle.

Natalie Wood goes down in the pantheon of all-time great child actors, up there with the kid from Kramer vs. Kramer. She’s precocious but not in a way that’s off-putting. The way she evaluates the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in such a matter-of-fact way is hilarious, and as I mentioned the stink eye she gives Kringle when he tries to tell her that he’s Santa is nothing short of perfect. Over the course of the film, we see her more harsh nature melt away and she becomes a kid. It’s a beautiful reminder of that childhood only comes once in a lifetime. If this movie shows us nothing, it’s how hard it is to maintain a sense of levity once one becomes an adult. We have to start worrying about what our bosses might think, what the press/public might think, what voters(!) might think. Never again will it be fully OK to have your heads in the clouds and believe in nonsense, so why take that away from children.

As much as this is a perfect film, I could have done without the romance plot. Mostly because it seems unnecessary. Doris seems to change in her attitudes towards Kringle and towards raising her daughter that constitute enough character growth thata having her all of a sudden fall head over heels for Gailey just seems forced. For that matter… Gailey’s a weird dude. This movie romanticizes a weird, creepy type of romance where Gailey spends time with a small girl just to get time with that girl’s mother. Walker and Gailey are such opposites and share no on-screen chemistry, that I just didn’t buy the plot.

But that’s OK. It’s a small blemish on an otherwise wonderful film. It hits different emotions than, say, It’s A Wonderful Life, but it’s magical all that same, and one that I can actually imagine children wanting to watch. It’s unceasingly clever plot, matched by a once-in-a-lifetime performance by Edmund Gween as Kris Kringle and a great child actor performance from Wood make this a must-see movie for any holiday movie fan.

***/ (Three and a half out of four stars)

[adamwatchesmovies]

Arthur Christmas (2011)

Every year we get some obligatory Christmas film for the whole family. More often than not, an unimaginative, dull affair with no re-watch value whatsoever, certainly not compared to the library of holiday films you already have. Arthur Christmas is destined to be a new favorite. I missed out on it when it was first released. I bet you did too. Now I’m here to make amends.

Arthur Christmas (voiced by James McAvoy) is the screw-up of the family. With his carefully coordinated elf operations, encyclopedic knowledge of the S-1 (the flying vessel that replaced Santa’s sleigh years ago) and his high approval among everyone at the North Pole, his older brother Steven (Hugh Laurie) basically runs the holiday. When Santa Claus the 20th (Jim Broadbent) misses a child, Arthur and Grandsanta (voiced by Bill Nighy) venture out on their own, determined to get the little girl her bicycle.

There’s so much imagination here. From the visuals to the characters, to the story. How does Santa find the time to deliver all those presents? Where is his home in the North Pole? Why the big secret? All of these questions are cleverly addressed. We're off to a good start.

There are many stories to be told about Christmas. Good will t’wards man, family, friends, the spirit of the season, materialism vs. genuine sentiment… most of these have been approached before and in great films. “Arthur Christmas” has managed to come up with a new idea, one unmined by Hollywood. This picture is all about Santa. What is Santa? Is he just a jolly guy who breaks into your house on Christmas Eve and spoils your children with material possessions, getting the job done in one night to preserve the mystery of the holiday? That’s what Steven and his father seem to believe. Arthur knows better. Obviously, Santa isn’t real but I'll admit to believing in a “spirit of Christmas” and this picture captures that “entity” superbly.

From Aardman, who has previously graced us with such gems as "Chicken Run", and "Wallace & Gromit", we expect certain things: strong visuals, memorable characters, and great humor. All those hallmarks are present here. This world is so lively and well-thought-out you can feel the depth of the characters. Thanks to top-notch voice-acting, sharp writing, and beautiful animation, these animated characters feel just as real as live actors. It’s frequently laugh-out-loud funny, and never because of cheap gags. It's a smart film both children and adults will eagerly unwrap.

I had heard great things about Arthur Christmas ahead of time, which is why I picked up a copy to add to my collection earlier this year. I need to spread the message that compelled me to check it out. You can feel the passion that was poured into every element of this film and does the high-tech Santa thing better than anyone else. I can’t wait to share Arthur Christmas with my family. When I do, I'll make sure to get them to stick around for the end credits as there’s a kinda, sorta thing right at the end. (On Blu-ray, December 17, 2016)

[thatfairyfangirl]

True Colors Chapter 11

You could hear the whispers of the locals as you paced through the lot of trees, taking in the smell of the sap and needles, your hand cradled snuggly in his just incase you ran into any of the neighbors...they all loved to gossip. All the while you pushed the thought of how well your fingers fit together into the furthest corner of your mind. Bucky, however was watching you more than the trees you were supposed to be picking one from, he loved how your eyes lit up at the ones you found promising.

“Thanks for this Buck. I don’t think we had a real tree in that house since I was maybe five..” As you spoke his fingers slipped from yours, the arm finding its way around your shoulder to keep you warm against his body.

“If it keeps you happy Doll.” He remarked with a smile, giving your chin a small pinch with his metalic hand. The brisk feel of the metal sent chills down your spine, fogging your brain with...feelings? Nah, it’s just Bucky, can’t be. “So do you see one you like?”

“That one.” You proclaimed pointing to the best one in proximity, trying your best to ignore the sensations being so close to him gave you, sure they will pass.

~ ~ ~ ~

Once the tree was home and up you lead him up to the attic. Remnants of your old studio could be seen in the dust riddled room that had long ago been dominated for storage use in your absence. You didn’t really mind though, you had much better back in New York now. Off in the corner was a big box labeled X-mas, torn and tattered tape barely keeping the box together.

“Mom, I know...but that’s how the kids wear their hair now.” You heard echoing from the lower floors of the home as you brought the decorations down, an old santa cap inside the box caught your eye. Bucky followed with one of his own, watching the once vibrant shades in your hair become muted and dull as you stopped in the middle of the stairs, biting your lower lip hearing your mother’s voice.

“And all that metal in her face…” Your nana’s old voice wabbled up the stairs prompting you to play with the ball of your piercing down there. “She’ll never amount to anything as long a-” You spun around reaching into the box to pull out the hat, slipping it over his head, the white puffball dangling in his face. Red was definitely his color. You both took a moment to smile before noticing the plastic sprig of mistletoe clinging to the fluff of the pompom. With a soft chortle you lifted yourself up on your toes. Bucky’s heart raced as he watched you inch closer and closer until your hand came to his face. As his arm reached out to pull you in he felt the slight tug of you removing the decoration.

“There, that’s better.” You smiled before taking his hand to lead him into the livingroom to attempt to tolerate your family.

~ ~ ~ ~

On the stove sat a kettle of homemade hot chocolate, filling the house with the heavenly smell. “You know Darling, your mother just doesn’t understand.” Nana explained as she showed you once again how to make the family cookie recipe. Showing you how to make them had become just as much of a tradition as eating them. “And to be honest I don’t understand either. After your father-” She waved her hand not wanting to talk about his death. “You just color your hair like a parrot and run off to New York...barely in your teens...You hurt her (Y/N).”

You rolled your eyes at the old woman’s ignorance, trying to be fair, knowing that her generation probably never heard of mutants…the times they are a-changin’. “Nana, you know that’s not true. I would have stayed if it was safe.” You sighed looking up to see Bucky through the door  building a fire in the livingroom, forgoing the usual tools, just using his hand to turn the wood, not like it would hurt the metal.... “And I always come back, just like I promised.”

“Well why don’t you get yourself a real job instead of playing around with that noise you call music? Then you can come see us on actual holidays.” The backhanded jab at your profession choice stung as you bit your lower lip, trying so hard to keep everything inside. “If you would just get rid of all that color,” she waved her hand around your head to indicate your hair, “you could get a real job.” And now it really felt like the holidays for you.

“Okay Nana, as much as I’ve enjoyed this talk,” the clock on the wall chimed, “ABC is showing the Christmas Classics today and Bucky’s never seen them.” You dusted off your hands,  grabbed 2 mugs and helped yourself before going to collect your soldier. “Come on Buck, time to learn about Christmas!”

Bucky looked up to you with a warm smile and just like that all the aggravation and headache your family caused you just melted right away as he stood. His strong fingers brushed against yours as he took the mug sending that chill down your spine again. “Doll you know I've had Christmas before. I happen to actually like Christmas. Spending time with those you lo-really care a lot about… you know we had Christmas back in the 40s right?”

You just stood there watching him for a moment in the sparkling light of the falling snow and the fire. The afternoon sun through the window causing the blue of his eyes to shine like you never could see in the city as he took his first sip of one of the only family recipes you were ever able to recreate. Shaking your head you perked yourself right back into your usual hyperactive self. “DID IT INCLUDE THE GRINCH? SNOOPY? I THINK NOT. Now hurry up! Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town is on first and I don’t want you to miss it!.”

Nana watched from the kitchen, shaking her head disapprovingly at the bionic arm. “You know mom, I’d be willing to bet that arm is the only reason she’s even interested in a monster like that.” Your mom muttered as she sat down, taking your place at the kitchen table to finish up the deserts you abandoned. Bucky paused for a moment at the stairs by the kitchen, the gears of his left arm whirring as his fist clenched, trying his best to push the comments out of his mind before heading down into the den. “Why couldn’t she have brought home Tony?” Yep. he definitely didn’t like that woman.

“I’m sorry Buck. I should have thought about how they would have reacted. Hell, it might have been easier if I just told her that there isn't a boyfriend because the last guy turned her daughter off of the whole idea of dating.” You sighed as you turned on the TV, snuggling into his chest on the couch just incase either of the two decided to come down and apologize to him...now that would be a christmas miracle. “I don’t know why I thought this year would be any different.” Bucky’s bionic arm wrapped around your waist as he pulled an afghan over the two of you. “You are seriously my new best friend for putting up with this shit.”

“Hey, it’s alright Doll.” His lips came down to your forehead as his arms wrapped tightly around you. “You think I’m not used to comments like that by now? Besides, at least now you have some moral support to get you through the trip.” With a half smile you let the words comfort you, melting into into the warmth of his body as Bucky recognized the voice of the narrator as Fred Astaire, bringing a nostalgic smile to his lips, seeing why you didn’t want him to miss it. He knew this was why he was tagging along, he knew you would have needed him. He just hoped that his plan of shut the hell up and take it was the right one. As you sat there silently watching the parts of your childhood that Bucky missed out on he became well aware of how close you two were, the feel of each breath you took against his chest as his fingers absentmindedly trailed against the curve of your waist, back and forth as you listened to his heart beat faster and faster. Though he tried to keep his mind on the movies all he could think about was how good you smelled. And as Rudolph sang about how much of a misfit he was Bucky’s mind began to race, questioning this friendship and if it should go further? If it ever even could? It would seem, as many times before, Tony had succeeded in getting under Bucky’s skin.

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@sillydecoy​

Announcement from the writer:

I am also on Patreon! You can find me on Patreon HERE. I know, I know, it sounds like I am expecting you to pay for my writing but fear not! I will only be charging $1 a month, and even that is voluntary. The majority of my fics will be available for free. The $1 subscription will be for access to the really adult content stuff I have been sitting on such as what I have been calling “Blind Date’s Deleted Scene” and access to my discord AND early access to fics! As a bonus for you guys since you have been with me since the beginning of Blind Date I will grant you free access to the discord if you shoot me a message here on tumblr and ask.

I will still post fics on Tumblr up until they are no longer welcomed by the staff, but patrons will be able to view them early.

For those who have trouble with hyperlinks on their device or find it hard to click a small word vs an actual link here is the full link to my new Patreon    https://www.patreon.com/fairyfangirl

[burnouts3s3]

Let's Talk About: Carl Foutley and Hoodsey

(Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit unprofessional blog post written by an unprofessional blog poster. All purported facts and statement are little more than the subjective, biased opinion of said blog poster. In other words, don’t take anything I say too seriously.

"Let's Talk About" is a series of articles focused on individual character or characters and their development and commentary throughout the work in question. THIS IS NOT A REVIEW OF THE WORK, but rather what the character says about the world around them.  If you wish to read a strict review, please click on the link to read it. My reviews focus more on the purely technical aspects of the work. There are bad characters with good messages. There are good characters with bad messages and so on and so forth. Thank you.

Author’s Note: Okay, this is going to be a weird one. Originally, I wanted to do a review of As Told By Ginger, one of my favorite childhood shows and cartoon I sincerely hope people get to watch. But, thanks to Paramount, the studio that owns Nickelodeon and, by proxy, ATBG, trying to buy the official releases of this show have been a nightmare! While Paramount ‘has’ released DVDs of the show, they are very sparse and leave out way too many episodes. Even attempts to upload episodes to Youtube have been shut down by Paramount. For some reason, Nickelodeon refuses to sell episodes of the show digitally through venues like Amazon or itunes. As such, I’m going to be skipping over my review of this show and focusing on a topic near and dear to my heart.)

Let's Talk About: Carl Foutley and Hoodsey

As Told By Ginger is probably one of my favorite childhood shows growing up. The characters felt real. The situations were relatable and the humor was on point.

For those who don’t know, As Told By Ginger was a Nickelodeon Cartoon that ran through the 2000’s that depicted the everyday life of Ginger Foutley, a middle school student who tries to get through her day to day  by writing in her journal. It was a simple premise but executed spectacularly thanks to the animation studio of Klasky Csupo (who also did other shows such as Rugrats, the Wild Thornberrys and Rocket Power).

While Ginger would be dealing with her problem (such as a cute boy who’s using her to get a good grade in Chemistry class or helping her friends, Dodie Biship and Macie Lightfoot, with a problem), her younger brother who was in Elementary School, Carl Foutley, and Dodie’s younger brother, Robert Joseph “Hoodsey” Bishop, would be getting into trouble.

In his Doghouse (a memory Carl holds onto in hopes his runaway dog, Monster, will return), he and Hoodsey create ideas to swindle his classmates. Carl and Hoodsey would usually have their own subplot where in Carl hatches a scheme to get money, get revenge or attempt to get his petrified eyeball away from Blake Gripling.

See, producers and executives are a bit wary to catering to a single demographic. In ATBG’s case, catering to girls. (To be fair, even in the original pilot Carl and Hoodsey were there). As such, while Ginger and Dodie were doing “girly” or “feminine” things, Carl and Hoodsey were doing “boy” things and had the share of the gross out humor.

It’d be easy for Carl and Hoodsey just to be the comic relief. Their material is funny and they break up a lot of the dramatic moments with their antics. But as the series progressed, I began to realize that the show runners were doing a lot more with the two than I realized.

For example, I thought there was a strong sense of “children during the face of mortality”.  When Hoodsey and Dodie’s grandmother dies in “Losing Nana Bishop”, Hoodsey has a different reaction from the rest of his family. See, while Dodie, his father and his mother are all grief stricken with the loss of his grandmother,  Hoodsey isn’t. And he feels weird about it, saying “But I don’t feel sad, Carl.”. A child realizing their apathetic towards their own relation’s death is a strangely mature arc to go through. Hoodsey eventually comes around saying he will miss her but in his own way stating “I’ll never look at blue foam or a raisin and not remember how Nana used to laugh at me and pinch my cheek really hard."

This happens earlier in the series. Carl begins a sort of May-December Romance with Maude, an elderly lady he meets at a nursing home. (To be fair, it’s said that these feelings only come from Carl and Maude doesn’t return his feelings but finds him entertaining company). As Carl prepares to propose to her, Maude dies and Carl has to deal with it.

But the biggest impact was during No Hope for Courtney, when Carl realizes Ms. Gordon has retired because Carl pulled a prank too far and traumatized her. Because of that, Carl does everything he can to get her back. Eventually, he wins her over. However, the night before class, Carl wakes up and calls out her name. The next day, it’s revealed that Ms. Gordon died in her sleep. (This was done as a tribute to her voice actress Kathleen Freeman passing away). The final shot is Carl crying over her death.

Religion is also a big part of the show (which is surprising, given that this was a Nickelodeon show meant for children). Carl is an atheist, but it’s only really mentioned in passing when Ginger nearly dies from a burst appendix.

In contrast, Hoodsey is seen more as the more religious of the duo, if not necessarily the more moral. What I mean is that Hoodsey is as willing, if not more so, to get into much trouble as Carl is but Hoodsey does believe in a divine power. We get glimpses of this. When Carl and Hoodsey get Mrs. Gripling’s money so Hoodsey can pretend to be a homeless boy for her (Mrs. Gripling was trying to become the head of a social club and did so by faking to do actual charity work), Hoodsey argues they should give the money back, stating "when the big guy sends me a message, I try to pay attention." In “Losing Nana Bishop”, Hoodsey says that their grandmother is somewhere in “that great big bingo hall in the sky”.

Normally, Christianity vs Atheism debates are reserved for the internet Youtube videos or conservative propaganda pieces. In fact, there’s a scenario you could see how Carl would argue with Hoodsey about religion.Instead, the writers of the show establish this through a clever and subversive way.

Hoodsey believes in Santa Claus while Carl does not. The two get into an argument about how ‘real’ Santa is, with Hoodsey being so devoted to Santa he breaks his friendship with Carl.

Eventually the two bury the hatchet and decide they’re better off laughing at things such as neon signs of reindeer pissing.

"Sure you're cool hanging with a non-believer?" Carl asks Hoodsey.

"To each his own and all that," Hoodsey replies.

What led to Carl’s jadedness towards Santa Claus, Carl replies "Something stupid. I think I used to wish my dad would come home for the Holidays or something like that". This is a reference to the fact that his birth father left his family when he was young.

In the world of sitcoms and cartoons, the showrunners sometimes depict various family units and how they contrast with one another. Carl’s family had a Single mother, Lois Foutley, and Ginger. He was the only male character in the house and the youngest child.

Through the 90’s most shows had nuclear, if dysfunctional, families with a mother and father and multiple children. Even if the sons were often trouble makers, they had father figures to look up to. Bud Bundy had Al, Chris Griffin had Peter, Eric Forman had Red, Bobby Hill had Hank and Bart Simpson had Homer.

Hoodsey, whose parents are still together and haven’t separated, even makes a side comment to Carl "You see how complicated having two parents can be?"

To be fair, as time went on other cartoons and cartoon characters have commented on divorce. Sharon Spitz from Braceface, Pepper Ann Pearson from Pepper Ann, Sammy "Squid" Dullard from Rocket Power, Will Vandom from W.I.T.C.H. and Tino Tonitini from the Weekenders are all products of divorced/separated couples. But whereas their mothers they stay with are considered embarrassing, overprotective, smothering, or strict, the absent father figure is usually idolized and admired, even with their actual presences hidden or built up. For the first times we hear about them, we never actually "see" what Pepper Ann's father and Tino's father looked like until later in the series after they're mentioned.

It's also implied that the absent father figure is the better off or the richer of the two households with a "cool" profession. Pepper Ann's father is a pilot, Squid's father is an executive, Will's father is seen driving a sports car (implying he's wealthy) and Sharon Spitz's father is a rock star. As such, it's seen as an idolization of the absent father figure. "My dad's not here because he's busy being cool somewhere else".

Then, we finally get hints of who Ginger’s father is.

In "Hello Stranger", Ginger gets a congratulations letter for graduating Elementary School (an event, as her friend Darren mentions, that happened ages ago) from her father. Ginger invites her father to attend her poetry reading only for him not to show up. Lois decides to send flowers to Ginger and has them written to be from Ginger's Father (even though he had nothing to do with them). Ginger sees through the guise but thanks her mother anyway.

When we do finally meet Ginger's Father, Jonas, the truth is finally revealed: he is a mall Santa who can't be bothered to make it to her daughter's poetry reading. It's also implied he's not well off financially. "I'm sort of a Jack of all trades and Master of none" he says in a later episode.

When Carl and Jonas do meet on Christmas Day, Hoodsey inadvertently stages a meeting between them, Carl, meets him with scorn and hatred. He even says "My Mom always warned me about getting in a car with a total stranger." Jonas gives Carl a globe full of peanuts, not knowing that Carl is violently allergic to them.

The show doesn't mince words; Jonas Foutley is a deadbeat dad who doesn't know his own children and his attempts to be there fall flat. (To be fair, the show gave him redeeming values such as giving GInger good advice or having him wrestle rogue attacking turkeys).

Ginger and Carl have very different reactions to their birth father. Ginger attempts to get Jonas back into her life as much as possible while Carl wants nothing to do with him.

Consider how strange that is. Ginger, the older female child, idolizes her father while Carl despises him. Carl instead attempts to help Dr. Dave, a recurring character and co-worker of his mother, help woo Lois. Carl who’s the younger child instead feels more comfortable with his step father while Ginger, who would be older and would have more memories of her father leaving her, is dedicated to making her father a part of her life as much as possible.

It’s interesting to see how he, who is barely entering middle school not only wants to embrace his potential new father, but harbors resentment against his birth father. He even goes so far as to address him as Jonas while calling Dr. Dave Dad. Carl even accuses Jonas of conspiring to ruin Lois and Dave's wedding!

In one of the final episodes of the season, Carl helps Lois find a new house. Lois decides to indulge Carl's gross out side and shows off houses that she thinks Carl would like before settling on a real house. Except, throughout the episode, Carl dismisses each of the houses and commits himself to finding an actual home.

When Lois asks why Carl is acting out of character, Carl responds.

"It's my last duty as Man of the House before Dave steps into the role", he says.

Think about that. Carl, despite admitting he loved the creepy and gross houses Lois showed him, decides to take the responsibility of house hunting seriously because he considers it the last duty "as man of the house" before Dave comes in. He is deliberately choosing to step away from his own selfish desires and deciding to 'act like a man'. Not masculine as in gaining muscles or beating up people or acting as an authority figure, but doing something as simple as helping his mother and changing his attitude and behavior.

Consider the context: Carl favors Dr. Dave, a step-father, despite Dave not being his birth father and him acting squeamish and cowardly, more of a man than his actual parent. Why? Because Dave is there and helps his family while Jonas, Carl's birthfather, has been mainly absent from his childhood.

So naturally, Carl's viewpoint of masculinity and manhood are changed. Rather than being assertive of muscular, it's simply being there and supporting his family when he can.

That's strangely profound in a child.

It feels like Carl’s arc is that of maturity. But through the series, attempts into forcing Carl to mature all fail. Ms. Gordo and George (a strict boy scout who uses military training to straighten out Carl), all fail. Attempts to force Carl to destroy the dog house, his secret lair and his nostalgia into hoping his long lost pet, Monster, will come back fail. Even when a classmate tricks Carl into growing up fails. But instead, Carl chooses by his own accord when he's finally ready to destroy his dog house. He chooses to turn his back against pranking. He chooses to help his mother out with the wedding and move.

(It should also be mentioned that Carl was willing to let his dog house be destroyed when George blackmails Carl that by leaving he would cast the blame on Ginger whose program is failing). Then, on Lois’ wedding day, Monster, the dog Carl has been waiting to come back, returns to him.

In some ways, Carl’s story is a view of masculinity but through the lens of grade school boy. Through this sense of jadedness, we see a boy who’s grown weary of the world but works through it by being as gross and angry as possible. But instead of pursing masculinity as a form of power or revenge fantasy, he views it as an aiding tool and someone who genuinely wants to help (even if that help causes more trouble than aids).

Tress MacNille is a voice acting professional who’s shown her merit through shows such as the Simpsons, Futurama and other works. But it’s with Hoodsey that she embodies a character and gives said character real depth. But it’s Jeannie Elias who absolutely delivers as Carl (she also played Botley in Jumpstart 3rd grade adventures).  It’s not uncommon for female voice performers to voice young boys (this is done for a variety of reasons as animated shows can go on for years and female actresses tend to ‘sound’ younger than male ones), but Elias performance while holding a scratchy voice manages to convey anger, sadness, humor and cunning at all the right times. Kudos to her.

The series ends, showing an Adult Ginger reading her book to a group of her adult friends as well as Darren with their child. Hoodsey and Carl are seen sitting next to each other.

Though, there is one detail I do find funny. In an episode, Carl says "I can see Me and Hoodsey being friends 30 Years from now".

I guess some friendships do last a lifetime after all.

https://amzn.to/2UHi4lk

[musemash]

Xmas 2021 Trilogy: part 3 GHOST OF SAVIOR FUTURE – by David D. Fowler & Aeon 999 – updated Dec 29, 2022

"Into this world, this demented inn, in which there is absolutely no room for him at all, Christ comes uninvited." – Thomas Merton

MFF offers our very best wishes for a happy 12 Days Of Christmas. In honor of our favorite MESSIAH, the links below go to some entertaining yuletide posts. We especially draw your attention to the poignant BIRTH UNDISTURBED video, exploring the creation of an extraordinary artistic rendition of Jesus' birth. We offer free viewings of two iconic films: SCROOGE, featuring Alastair Sim's definitive take on A Christmas Carol; and James Stewart's greatest performance, in Frank Capra's classic IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.

We also invite you to check out the links at the bottom of the page for much more seasonal tomfoolery. JESUS: THE TRUE MYTH VS ATHEIST FAN FICTION challenges the recent resurgence of the questionable notion that Yeshua Of Nazareth was not a real historical figure. And the newly revised and much expanded edition of our 2020 JOYFUL CHRIST MASS AMID A CATASTROPHIC YEAR features more than 200 delightful videos. Finally: God bless y'all, every one – for a most merry extended Yule, and a hopeful 2023. Stay safe, friends!

The Gospel According To Linus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXmGLJ0S1Bs Bohemian Hanukkah https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P30ckBf1wk An Advent Visualization https://faithingproject.wordpress.com/tag/kaitlin-hardy-shetler/ The Real Father Christmas https://classicalwisdom.com/people/saint-nicholas-the-real-santa-claus/ The Face Of Saint Nicholas https://www.stnicholascenter.org/who-is-st-nicholas/real-face The Pagan Ritual Christians Stole https://teslatelegraph.com/2022/12/20/christmas-the-pagan-ritual-christians-stole-was-actually-called-yule-and-pre-dates-jesus/ Greeks Vs Romans: Who Influenced Christmas More? https://classicalwisdom.substack.com/p/greeks-vs-romans Bizarre St. Nick Stories https://listverse.com/2016/12/17/10-bizarre-stories-about-the-real-saint-nicholas/ Some Nativity Scenes Have Party Poopers https://www.ranker.com/list/what-is-in-a-catalonian-nativity/melissa-sartore The Puritan Grinch https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/what-is-designation/heritage-highlights/did-oliver-cromwell-really-ban-christmas A Lawyer's Christmas Eve http://www.dezert-rose.com/humor/christmas/twaslegal.html There's No Mary Problem In ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ https://www.thebulwark.com/there-is-no-mary-problem-in-its-a-wonderful-life/ Santa On The Cross https://www.stuff.co.nz/bay-of-plenty/300762647/santa-on-a-cross--blasphemy-or-biting-commentary-on-consumer-christmas Poems For A Busy Time https://christians-read.com/2022/12/28/poems-for-a-busy-time-by-james-r-coggins/ Advent Poem https://www.ekstasismagazine.com/poetry/2022/advent Container Of The Uncontainable https://www.ekstasismagazine.com/poetry/2022/he-chora-tou-achoretou The Great Conjunction https://www.ekstasismagazine.com/poetry/2022/the-great-conjunction Adoration Of The Magi https://www.ekstasismagazine.com/poetry/2022/adoration-of-the-magi Mary: A Sonnet https://www.ekstasismagazine.com/poetry/2022/mary-a-sonnet This Our Hallowed Haunting https://www.ekstasismagazine.com/poetry/2022/this-our-hallowed-haunting Birth Undisturbed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xGozquR2QY https://www.glamflame.net/photography/birth-undisturbed-photo-series-natalie-lennard/ Libera At Christmas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQadcm_dwEM&list=PLF_pjbI-JsWd_X-wUVyvoBGL4WJ1PfvFU I Wonder As I Wander https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvADhdoQ8n0 Star Of Bethlehem 1956 https://vimeo.com/136611735 The Present 2016 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjqiU5FgsYc The Snow Queen 2012 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AQc0BGWskM Scrooge: A Christmas Carol 1951 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvEMd7WLoew Peace On Earth 1939 https://archive.org/details/peace-on-earth-1939-restored It’s A Wonderful Life 1946 https://vimeo.com/645015849 Veni Veni Emmanuel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hgy8bThRHM Now To Conclude Our Christmas Mirth https://caitrionaoleary.bandcamp.com/track/now-to-conclude-our-christmas-mirth

Part 1: GHOST OF TREASONS PAST https://musemash.tumblr.com/post/671325173472018432/xmas-2021-trilogy-part-1-ghost-of-treasons-past Part 2: GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENTS https://musemash.tumblr.com/post/671325487007776768/xmas-2021-trilogy-part-2-ghost-of-christmas JOYFUL CHRIST MASS AMID A CATASTROPHIC YEAR https://musemash.tumblr.com/post/638702098005016576/image-gallery-1-gods-favorite-ornament-2-the JESUS: THE TRUE MYTH VS ATHEIST FAN FICTION https://musemash.tumblr.com/post/154953263965/jesus-the-true-myth-vs-atheist-fan-fiction-by HAVE YOURSELF AN ORTHODOX LITTLE CHRISTMAS https://musemash.tumblr.com/post/672791046078578688/happy-new-year-friends-mff-offers-our-earnest

Gallery Credit: #4 by Russell Mang #9 by Dave Myers #10 by Alexey Kondako and Adolphe-William Bouguereau

[placetobenation]

SmackDown on Fox Episode #12 SmackDown Episode # 1,061 Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center 12/20/19 The show opens with a video recap of The Miz vs Bray Wyatt match at TLC as wells as the return of Daniel Bryan. Daniel Bryan comes out to start the show and he talks about how when he looked in the mirror for the first time after what happened with The Fiend he didn’t notice that his hair and beard were gone but instead noticed that the Daniel Bryan brand that he created was gone. Bryan says that his daughter Bridie cried when she first saw him because she didn’t recognize who he was as all she has ever known was Daniel Bryan the brand. Bryan vows to change Bray Wyatt just like Bray Wyatt changed him.  Bryan calls out Bray but The Miz comes out instead and talks about Bray terrorizing his family and that at TLC it wasn’t about winning or losing as much as it was about protecting his family. The Miz then says he is going to take the Universal Championship from Bray Wyatt and this brings out King Corbin. Corbin claims to be the next in line for Bray’s Universal title since he beat Roman Reigns at TLC, Corbin goes on to insult Bryan and The Miz and say they had failed as fathers, just as Bryan and Miz are going to attack Corbin Dolph Ziggler slides in and attacks both Bryan and Miz and this sets up the main event match for tonight.  I liked the promo by Bryan about how the brand he had created and the way that most people (including his daughter) had come to know him might be dead but with that brand dying he found his real self once again. That was really good stuff as was the continuation of the love/hate relationship that Bryan and Miz have with each other. Everything was going good in this opening segment but that would change because of course, we can’t have an opening show promo without involving King Corbin, although I will say he wasn’t that bad this week, the line about Bryan and Miz failing as fathers was a great heel line. Corbin actually brought up a credible point that he should be number one contender since he beat Roman Reigns at TLC. It was obvious once Ziggler attacked what our main event was going to be for the evening. 

As the show comes back from the first commercial break we get an interview with Heavy Machinery where they talk about what happened last week with Cesaro slamming the ham on the ground and how that really hurt Otis’s feelings. Mandy Rose then walks up and says she has a present for Otis and she presents him with an all-new ham and then kisses him on the cheek which leaves Otis happily surprised while at the same time my own hopeless romantic heart has me going Aww! Match #1: Heavy Machinery vs The Revival (Miracle on 34th Street Fight) The Revival mock Heavy Machinery who is dressed as Santa Claus. All four men start brawling until Heavy Machinery hit stereo backdrops on The Revival and then squish Dawson’s head between their two massive guts. Wilder grabs Otis from outside the ring and snaps his neck across the top rope while Dawson sends Tucker into the steps on the other side of the ring. The Revival send Tucker face-first into the announce table and then try to shove some of the Christmas cookies that were at ringside down the throat of Otis. The Revival throws around all the presents that were set up around ringside so that they can set up a table next to the ring. The Revival attempt to double suplex Tucker through the table but Otis stops that from happening, Otis lays Wilder across the table and just when he is fixing to jump off the apron and put Wilder through the table he is sprayed by a fire extinguisher that Dawson grabbed from under the ring. The Revival powerbomb Otis through the table as we go to commercial. We come back to see The Revival in control as they are working over Tucker on the ramp, but he fights them both off and hits Dawson with a suplex on the ramp. Wilder hits Tucker with a present that turns out to be a bowling ball, Wilder rolls the ball down the ramp and right into the family jewels of Tucker. Dawson rolls Tucker into the ring while Wilder puts on one of the Santa jackets and grabs one of the trees from ringside so he can put it in the ring. We get a shot of the Otis’s ham at the announce table and Cole tells Graves to keep his hands off it and Graves replies that he is more of a roast beef kinda guy and knowing how Graves is there is a good chance that he wasn’t talking about the actual food roast beef if ya get what I mean. Back in the ring, Wilder has went crotch first into the Christmas tree when Tucker moved out of the way. Tucker hits Dawson with a hip toss that sends Dawson out of the ring to catch a breather. Dawson hits Tucker in the gut with the fire extinguisher and then The Revival sends Tucker flying across the announce table which causes Otis’s precious ham to hit the floor. Dawson picks up the ham and slams it on the floor and this fires Otis up as he grabs Wilder and sends him flying into the presents and Christmas tree at ringside with an exploder. Otis and Dawson are in the ring and Otis hits an exploder on Dawson. Otis looks around confused until he finally gets out of the ring and looks underneath it where he pulls out a bag that ends up being revealed to be full of Legos. Otis picks up Dawson and slams him into the pile of Legos and we see that some of them have stuck to Dawson’s back. Otis then hits an electric chair and fall away slam combo on The Revival. Otis splashes Dawson in the same corner that had the Christmas tree in it and then hits the Caterpillar elbow drop. Otis picks up Dawson and Tucker runs in which allows them to hit the Compactor for the win.  Winners: Heavy Machinery via Pinfall  Match Rating: ***1/4 As we go to break we see Dana Brooke hanging out and talking to Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross as Lacey Evans walks up with her daughter. As we come back from commercial we see Mandy talking to Sonya backstage when Otis walks up and apologizes for what happened to the ham during the match and this leads to Mandy hugging Otis but his sweat rubs off onto her dress and she walks off a bit aggravated but isn’t hateful toward Otis like you would expect, this leaves Otis standing there with a sad look on his face.  I can’t believe I am saying this but I loved everything that involved Otis tonight, first off the match was a lot of fun and had spots that made me genuinely laugh which isn’t something that always happens with these holiday-themed matches. I like how they use Legos as the most dangerous weapon in these comedy matches because those things actually hurt like crazy but at the same time, it’s funny to see these grown men sell being thrown into a pile of blocks. I also liked the Mandy and Otis stuff as their story has been a slow build throughout the year where they would give you just a bit of interaction just to remind you that there is a story between those two, it will be interesting to see where this story goes from here. I will take this story with Otis any day over Mandy calling other women ugly. I wonder if they are starting to split Mandy and Sonya as it seemed like they were each doing their own thing on the show which isn’t something we have seen from the two of them before. Whether I will like this Mandy and Otis stuff in a few weeks is debatable as it could just be that I like it this week because I’m in a good mood because it’s the holiday season.

We cut back to the ring where The Revival is frustrated that they have to compete in matches like they just competed in as they are a serious tag team. They do not want the fact that they compete in silly matches like a Miracle on 34th Street Fight to be apart of the legacy they leave behind. Elias comes out and sings a song and for the second straight week, he says something questionable as he talks about Revival needing to make a major change just like Caitlyn Jenner did.  It’s as if Elias’s gimmick is saying stuff on purpose that he knows is going to get Twitter in an uproar, but that’s not too surprising given that Vince and Bruce Prichard are the ones running things on SmackDown and they are not the most PC people you will run across.  We go back to the locker room where Sami Zayn walks up to Braun Strowman and talks to him about being his secret Santa, this leads to Cesaro and Nakamura coming in to back up Zayn and Strowman tells Zayn that he wants a shot at the Intercontinental Championship for Christmas.  As Carmella makes her way to the ring we see that she now has pyro. We go to commercial before the match starts. Match #2: Carmella vs Sonya Deville They lock up and Sonya hits a couple of knees to the gut before taking Carmella down to the mat with a snapmare and a sliding knee strike which gets a 2 count. Sonya chokes Carmella across the middle rope until Carmella tries to make a comeback with some slaps but Sonya gets her in the corner and delivers a series of kicks. Carmella catches a charging Sonya with a boot and then hits her with a clothesline as Carmella is getting back into the match. Sonya tries for a takedown but doesn’t get the full effect of it as Carmella slides between her legs and then dodges a couple of kicks from Deville. Carmella takes Sonya down with a superkick and then locks her in the Code of Silence which Sonya eventually taps out to. Winner: Carmella via Submission  Match Rating: **¼ This was a decent match but just as I said last week it would’ve been better if they had more time. I really can’t wait until it’s Sonya’s turn to really shine on her own in a feud for the title as she has so much potential and I don’t think we’ve even seen half of what she is capable of.  As Carmella is walking up the ramp and celebrating her win we get the entrance of New Day which leads to a fun little interaction where Carmella dances and then mimes jumping rope as we go to commercial. Carmella seems like she would be really fun to be around as she seems to have a very infectious personality that you can’t help but love.  We see another Sheamus return promo, I just saw this on Twitter a moment ago and I can’t believe I didn’t think about it before, but now that Sheamus is back being a singles star what are the chances they try to do Bryan vs Sheamus once again at WrestleMania. It probably wouldn’t be as bad as we would imagine it would be because once we finally got a proper match between Bryan and Sheamus at Extreme Rules 2012 it turned out to be a really good match that a lot of people think very highly of. Match #3: The New Day vs Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura w/ Sami Zayn Kingston and Nakamura start things out and right away Nakamura runs over and knocks Big E off the apron. Kingston and Nakamura trade strikes until Nakamura sends Kingston into the corner but he springs off the ropes and hits a dropkick. Kingston sends Nakamura into the ropes which allows Cesaro to make a blind tag, Nakamura shoves Kingston into a European uppercut from Cesaro and then Nakamura hits him with a backstabber for a 2 count. Cesaro hits Kingston with a gut-wrench suplex and then locks in a rest hold which Kingston quickly escapes from. Cesaro tags Nakamura back in and he tries to get a hold on Kingston but Kingston fights out of it and then lands on his feet on a back suplex attempt and this allows him to make the tag to Big E.  Big E knocks Cesaro off the apron and then hits a series of belly to belly suplexes on Nakamura followed by the big splash. Big E looks to set up the Big Ending but Nakamura hits him with a spinning heel kick instead. Big E catches a charging Nakamura with a uranage out of the corner which gets a 2 count as Cesaro breaks up the pin. Kingston uses his legs to launch Cesaro out of the ring where he then hits him with the trust fall dive. Nakamura lands some kicks on Big E thanks to a distraction from Sami Zayn. Big E rolls to the outside where he is mowed down by a clothesline from Cesaro. Nakamura rolls Big E halfway into the ring and hits him with a running knee strike and then he sends him into the steps as we go to commercial.

We come back from commercial to see Big E backdrop Cesaro over the top rope and to the floor. Big E tries to make the tag but is cut off by Nakamura who knocks Kingston off the apron. Nakamura comes off the middle rope with a diving knee to Big E. Nakamura sets up for the Kinshasa but is turned inside out with a clothesline from Big E. We get a tag on both ends and Kingston springboards into the ring with a clothesline and then delivers some chops and a dropkick before being sent into the corner, but just like earlier he springs off the ropes and this time he hits Cesaro with a hurricanrana. Kingston hits the mushroom stomp that gets a 2 count. Kingston hits a jumping clothesline and follows that up with a Boom Drop that only gets a 2 count. Kingston goes for the Trouble in Paradise but Cesaro avoids it and hits Kingston with a pop-up European uppercut for a 2 count. Big E clotheslines Cesaro out of the ring and then launches Kingston into the air and onto Cesaro and Nakamura at ringside. Kingston throws Cesaro back into the ring and then comes off the top with a crossbody that only gets him a near fall. Nakamura pulls Big E off the apron and the distraction allows Cesaro to roll-up Kingston but he is only able to get a 2 count. Cesaro gets Kingston in the big swing and then follows up with a double stomp into the gut and yet again Kingston kicks out at 2. Cesaro looks to hit the Neutralizer but Kingston backdrops him and then catches Cesaro with a small package out of nowhere to get the win for his team.  Winners: The New Day via Pinfall   Match Rating: ***1/4 After the match, Cesaro, Nakamura, and Zayn beat up New Day until Braun Strowman makes the save. Cesaro and Nakamura are able to get some shots in on Strowman including a kick to the head from Nakamura but he eventually fights back and hits Nakamura with a running avalanche and hits Cesaro with the shoulder block on the outside. Strowman attempts to hit the Powerslam on Nakamura but Zayn pulls him out of the ring in time.  The match was the typical above-average TV match that you see every week from the New Day. I like that they are putting Strowman into the Intercontinental title picture as it is past time for him to win a singles title and if they aren’t going to go all the way and put one of the top titles on him then the Intercontinental title will have to do. I wouldn’t be surprised if they put the title on him next week as a way to make their last show of the year (and of the decade) have a big moment that lets the fans go home satisfied. 

In the back we see Bryan and Miz getting ready for their match against Corbin and Ziggler. Miz thanks Bryan for saving him at TLC as Bray was fixing to smash his face in, but Bryan says he didn’t do it to help Miz and this leads to them arguing about who hates the other more.  Bayley and Sasha Banks make their way to the ring for the next match as we go to commercial. Match #4: Bayley w/ Sasha Banks vs Dana Brooke They lock up and Bayley pushes Dana into the corner where she delivers a forearm and then smashes Dana’s head into the turnbuckle. We get a spot that was too similar to what Sonya did earlier in the night as Bayley hits Dana with a snapmare and then follows up with a sliding clothesline for a 2 count. Dana makes a comeback with some forearm shots followed by a hip toss and a kick to the head that only gets her a 1 count. Bayley slams Dana to the mat by her hair and then hits a running knee that knocks Dana back into the corner where Bayley stomps a mudhole in her. Bayley hits a suplex on Dana that gets a 2 count and then she locks Dana in a chin lock. 

Dana elbows her way out of the hold and then lands on her feet on a back suplex attempt. Dana hits Bayley with an enziguri and then goes up top where she connects with the Swanton which would’ve got the win but Bayley is able to reach the ropes. Dana is on fire at this point as she hits her handspring back elbow and then follows up with a shoulder block and a cartwheel splash for another 2 count. Dana sets Bayley up for the Brooketista Bomb but Bayley is able to escape and flapjack Dana across the top turnbuckle which leads to Bayley hitting her awful new finisher to get the win.  Winner: Bayley via Pinfall   Match Rating: **1/2 After the match, both Bayley and Sasha get in Dana’s face and berate her until Lacey comes out to make the save. Lacey then calls Sasha a Legit Bully and challenges her to a match that will happen after the commercial break. Match #5: Lacey Evans w/ Dana Brooke vs Sasha Banks w/Bayley Lacey and Sasha start the match talking trash to each other before Lacey picks up Sasha and drives her into the corner where she bashes the back of Sasha’s head into the turnbuckle. Lacey charges at Sasha but Sasha grabs her and gives her a receipt as she starts bashing Lacey’s head into the turnbuckle. Sasha hits a running Meteora to the back of Lacey’s neck as she was still leaning against the corner. Sasha stomps and chokes Lacey in the corner before hitting her with a suplex for 2. Lacey fights her way out of an armbar only to be taken down with a dropkick from The Boss. We then see our third snapmare setting up for a running grounded move as this time Sasha hits Lacey with a running Meteora that gets a 2 count.  Sasha starts to toy around with Lacey while also taunting the crowd. Sasha sends Lacey back into the corner where she lets her know that she is the leader and Bayley is the role model. Lacey makes her comeback with some knee shots to the mid-section and then the two women fight on the apron where Lacey comes out the winner as she catches the leg of Sasha and slams her down to the apron, Lacey then slingshots from the apron into the ring and kicks Sasha to the floor in the process. Lacey goes out to attack Sasha and slams Sasha’s head into the ringside floor a couple of times. Lacey feints a Woman’s Right to Bayley which causes her to fall back onto her butt just like Sasha did a couple of weeks ago. Sasha uses that distraction to send Lacey into the ring post and then into the barricade right in front of where Lacey’s young daughter is sitting and while doing this both women are counted out.  Winner: Double Countout   Match Rating: **1/4

After the match Sasha mocks Lacey’s daughter who is at ringside and Lacey’s daughter is not taking kindly to this as she has this mean look on her face and actually almost punches Sasha when Sasha gets too close to her, this finally leads to Lacey attacking Sasha to the point where she has to be pulled off of Sasha by the referees and Dana Brooke. I really enjoyed both of these segments involving Dana, Bayley, Sasha, & Lacey as it was the most storyline development we have gotten in the SmackDown’s women’s division in over a month which was nice to see. I think Lacey is doing a fantastic job as a babyface as I have enjoyed her babyface promos a lot more than I ever did her heel ones. I’ve said it in the last few SmackDown reports I’ve done but it’s good to see Dana get more time on TV. Lacey’s daughter’s reactions to Sasha mocking her and beating up her mom were really great and if I remember nothing else about this episode of SmackDown I will definitely remember that, pissing off and making kids cry seems to be a hobby of Sasha’s as I will never forget when she ripped off Izzy’s Bayley headband back when Bayley and Sasha were feuding in 2015 and it made Izzy cry.  This whole women’s segment was the highlight of this week’s show for me.  We get a recap video of the King Corbin vs Roman Reigns match at TLC before we get ready for our main event.

Match #6: Dolph Ziggler & King Corbin vs The Miz & Daniel Bryan Bryan and Miz argue about who is going to start the match but it ends up not mattering as all four men start brawling. Miz sends Corbin out of the ring while Bryan hits the Yes Kicks on Ziggler, Miz tags himself in and starts hitting the It Kicks. Bryan intersects Corbin with a dropkick to the knee and then both Miz and Bryan hit the kicks to their opponents in stereo which sends the heels rolling to the outside as we go to commercial.  As we come back from commercial Corbin is working over Miz but he quickly makes the tag to Bryan. Corbin sends Bryan into the corner but Bryan backflips out of it and then hits the running clothesline. Bryan is fired up as he starts a Yes chant and then hits a couple of dropkicks in the corner but when he goes for the third he gets caught with the Deep Six by Corbin which gets a 2 count. Corbin tags in Ziggler who rubs Bryan’s face across the laces of his boot and then rubs it across the top rope. Ziggler keeps talking trash to Bryan which allows Bryan to try to make a comeback so he can tag in Miz, but Ziggler grabs Bryan’s leg and pulls him back to the center of the ring. Ziggler knocks Miz off the apron and brings Bryan back into the heel corner where Corbin tags himself back in.  Corbin continues to beat down Bryan and then mocks the Yes chant. The heels are in full control as Ziggler gets tagged back into the match and he continues to taunt Bryan. Ziggler beats Bryan down in the corner and then tells Corbin to finish him off as he tags him back in. Corbin delivers a running clothesline in the corner and then repeatedly elbows Bryan in the collar bone region. Corbin sets Bryan up on the top rope but Bryan fights him off and is finally able to hit a big move as he comes off the top with a missile dropkick.

Bryan makes the hot tag to Miz who hits repeated kicks on Ziggler in the corner and then hits him with the corner clothesline. Miz boots Corbin in the face and then slides under the legs of Ziggler where he tries to get a pin but Ziggler kicks out. Miz hits the snap DDT on Ziggler and then hits the Skull Crushing Finale on Corbin. Ziggler hits Miz with his big DDT which gets a 2 count. Miz catches Ziggler’s leg off an attempted superkick and locks Ziggler in the figure-four. Bryan hits Corbin with the running knee before he can break up the figure-four and moments later Ziggler taps out. Winners: The Miz & Daniel Bryan via Submission  Match Rating: *** It was announced that next week there will be a triple threat match between Corbin, Miz, and Bryan where the winner will face Wyatt at the Royal Rumble for the Universal Championship.

The show ends with the three men who will be in the triple threat match next week in the ring as the lights dim and Bray Wyatt’s laugh echoes throughout the arena. This was a good match and lasted just the right amount of time as some main event matches can get a bit long which tends to make me lose focus and attention on them but I was focussed on this match the entire time. If they keep this whole Miz and Bryan being frenemies story going after Rumble I wouldn’t be surprised to see WWE make them a long term team and have them go for the titles at WrestleMania, because it isn’t likely that either of them will be in the Universal title picture at WrestleMania as that is most likely going to be Reigns vs Wyatt. I wouldn’t complain too much about a New Day vs Revival vs Bryan/Miz match at WrestleMania as they could put on one hell of a match. I was surprised that there was no Roman Reigns or Bray Wyatt on this show, but I’m pretty sure they will be back next week as they want the final SmackDown and Raw shows of the year to be big. 

While this episode wasn’t out of this world amazing I thought it was a lot of fun and was easy to both watch and review which isn’t always the case. I liked the storyline progression in the women’s title feud but still, I wish the women’s matches that don’t involve the champion got more love and more time. I enjoyed everything with Otis tonight as it was harmless fun and the stuff with Mandy was sweet and well done. The best thing about SmackDown tonight was the fact that Corbin was tolerable and the material he was given in his promo didn’t suck so good job to whoever wrote it, actually I felt Ziggler was way less tolerable on this show.  After watching tonight’s show I actually look forward to next week and hope I can at least get a 2-week streak of good SmackDown episodes that are fun to watch. I’ll see you guys next week when I review the final SmackDown of 2019 and of the 2010s. 

[floridaindependent-blog]

Clean-Shaven vs Beard: Which is the Look to Take You into 2019?

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Clean-Shaven vs Beard: Which is the Look to Take You into 2019?

What do Hipsters and Santa Claus have in common?

Well, they both have beards of course.

Are you thinking about adding some fluffy festive joy to your face this Christmas?  Or, are you ready to drop the Hipster-look by going clean-shaven this winter?

There are people who have strong views on both sides of the clean shaven vs beard debate.

In this article, you’ll discover everything you need to consider about the beard or no beard conundrum. Let’s go!

1. Be Attractive to Others

One reason to grow a beard is a way to appeal to the ladies. It’s not possible to reduce the entire of womankind to a simple pro or anti-beard.

On the one hand, studies have suggested that women find a bit of a beard very attractive. On the other hand, other studies have found that women prefer a big fluffy beard.

But it’s certainly not the case that all women love beards. For example, this 2012 study argues that women really prefer clean-shaven men to beardies.

Nonetheless, if you want to attract women with your beard, you could be going about it totally wrong. There is evolutionary research which shows that rather appealing to the opposite sex, men grow beards to enhance their standing among other men.

2. The Good of Your Health

Shaving your face has a number of health benefits.

If you leave dead skin on your face for too long, it can cause you to develop acne or poor skin. By shaving on a regular basis, you prevent any dead skin from building up.

Likewise, many people claim that being clean-shaven is healthier and cleaner than growing a beard. According to the UK newspaper, the Mirror, “some beards contain more poo than a toilet”.

There’s nothing new about the claim that beards are dirty and unclean. For some people, a beard indicates that you’re unkempt.

However, a 2014 study, found that among hospital staff, it was the clean-shaven rather than those with beards which were most likely to be carrying germs on their face.

So, why is this? The researchers claim that the shaving of facial hair, “may support bacterial colonization and proliferation”. In other words, beards improve people’s immune system to fight off diseases.

3. Rebel or Copy Cat?

Beards have long been associated with rebels and revolutionaries.

Think about some of the most famous rebels in history. The economist, Karl Marx, the communist revolutionary Che Guevara, and the Mongolian warlord Ghengis Khan all famously wore beards.

Furthermore, Alexander the Great forbid his men from growing beards because he thought that would be vulnerable during battle. Therefore, growing a beard would be very rebellious.

However, since beards are all the rage at the moment, they have truly gone “mainstream”. Therefore, rather than a rebel, growing a beard is just jumping on the tail end of the trend.

In fact, according to this study, the more beards become popular, the less trendy and attractive they become.

Therefore, it might be too late for you. Perhaps, we have already reached “Peak Beard“.

4. Time is Ticking

People are constantly telling you that they’re busy, according to the Economist.

This begs the question – how do we ever have time to wash ourselves nevermind to shave?

Our Fathers and Grandfathers may have found the time to shave on a daily basis, but that’s simply not possible anymore.

However, really, it only takes around 5 minutes at the most. If the president of the United States has time to shave in the morning, so do you?

And besides, maintaining a healthy looking beard is not without effort. You need to regularly apply beard oil, keep it looking trim and comb it frequently.

5. Younger or Older?

Sometimes, the decision about whether to grow a beard or go clean-shaven is determined by whether you want to look younger or older than your years.

When you enter puberty, you want to grow your beard to show that you’re becoming a ‘real’ man.

However, when you start to feel the years take their toll on you, you definitely don’t want to make yourself appear older than you really are.

Every bearded man who has switched to clean shaven has experienced the back-handed compliment of – “you look so much younger”.

According to this study reported by the Daily Mail, growing facial hair can increase how old you look by up to 10 years.

If you’re worried about aging, it’s definitely better to keep shaving in the mornings.

6. It Matches Your Look

Do you wear a formal suit to work? Are you a casually dressed kind of guy?

You can also take into account the rest of your look when deciding whether to grow facial hair or not.

It may be that you simply don’t suit a beard. It’s certainly not for everyone.

If all you can muster is a patchy beard, then maybe you should accept your fate as a clean-shaven fella.

After all, there’s nothing wrong with sporting the Don Draper (from AMC’s Mad Men) look. Check out these products to discover more about following in the footsteps of Madison Avenue’s greatest fictional character.

Clean Shaven vs Beard?

There is no simple answer to the clean shaven vs beard debate.

At the end of the day, you have to decide for yourself whether let it grow or to opt for a clean shave.

After reading this article, at least you must have learned that there are arguments on both sides of the debate.

If you want to read more about the latest fashion trends emerging, check out our fashion blog here.

[superbearfun]

Looking back now over Christmases in my childhood, railroad trains were as integral a part and essential to the holiday itself as Santa Claus, Snickerdoodles, and Christmas trees. We are not talking 1940 as in Ralphie from ‘A Christmas Story’, but not far removed, being more early 1950’s for me, being born at the tail end of 1949.

Every year my family would devote one December Saturday for an annual pilgrimage to downtown St. Louis to see the big department store window displays with their trains running around and around, shop a bit, crane our necks up at the tall buildings, and have lunch at Miss Hullings’ Cafeteria. It was magical, at a time when all meals were made at home and “going out” was something that just wasn’t done except on rare occasion. The annual Train Window Displays certainly counted as a special occasion.

When very young, let’s just say around three to five years old for discussion purposes as memories before that are a bit more foggy, we lived in Kirkwood, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. Every year, Santa Claus would arrive at the Kirkwood Railroad Station on a train pulled by a huff-chuffing steam locomotive, complete with whistles and bells. Santa would be greeted by applause and cheers by the crowd, step out of the train, wave, and then come inside the station for each of us to take our turns sitting on his lap for a photo while confiding our seasonal wish list.  Memories like that tend not to fade over the years. And I still have the photos of me on his lap. Somewhere.

I have not submitted to an official DNA test but would bet the next rent check that I inherited my train-loving gene from my father. Beyond the real world Santa train and department store window displays, my father was as big a train fan as I remain today. My third birthday (yes, I remember because it was that special) brought a Marx Passenger Train set from Santa, just like the one he arrived in at the station each year. Within minutes my father had the little train circling around the base of the Christmas tree. There is no doubt that train logged as many miles circling the tree as Santa’s reindeer that Christmas.  For an over-the-road truck driver, my dad made a crackerjack engineer!

The following Christmas brought another train, a Lionel Freight Train with a huffing, puffing steam locomotive that actually had a working headlight and put out tiny puffs of smoke as it ran around the tracks. The technology was advancing by leaps and bounds in the early ’50’s! We had two trains circling the Christmas tree that year, in opposite directions so the make-believe engineers could wave at each other as they passed each time around. It was dizzyingly awesome.

That was to be my last complete train set package for many years, as each subsequent Christmas brought more Lionel train cars, buildings, tiny people to be painted, bridges, trees, telephone poles, tunnels, and accessories. Adding on to the established base. Before long, my father and I had a complete, working Lionel model train layout going each holiday, complete with plastic buildings, Cowboys and Indians, army men, horses, pigs, and cows. It continued to build and grow for several years.

Buildings were lit from the inside.  Working switches were added.  A new transformer arrived later with a whistle button and a cool, side-mounted throttle. Two pre-fab tunnels were added, one tunnel with a little blue lake painted on top and the other, longer tunnel curved to fit over a matching curve at the far end. A tall tower with a revolving red and green lantern at the top arrived one year, along with crossing gates that blinked red lights and went down and then back up as trains rumbled by. We had a long, silver metal bridge which merely sat on the floor, bridging over nothing, but it was neat to see the train travel thru it. A few years later, a new flat car appeared, which at the push of a button launched a helicopter flying off thru the air in someone’s direction. The future had arrived right in our living room!

Meanwhile, apart from the ever-burgeoning Lionel empire, the old Marx passenger train dutifully encircled the Christmas tree on our living room floor each year. I don’t think our Christmas trees would have remained upright without that Marx train holding their roots in place over the years. It had a job and it did it well.

At some point around the age of nine or so, my older sister moved out to be on her own, leaving her bedroom vacant. It was just the right size to fit a 4′ x 8′ plywood board atop sawhorses for a permanent set-up, and it wasn’t long before my father and I were hurrying to construct a bonafide model train layout to be ready by Christmas, just a few months away. It was awesome and took up nearly the whole room.

But, and please pardon me if I get a little technical here in explanation, it wasn’t long before we reached the inherent problem presented by the old Lionel trains, the point where the train layout reached its limits. There was no more room for expansion.

In model trains ‘Scale’ represents the ratio of the model size to the real-life prototype. Lionel trains were ‘O’ scale, modeled on a scale of 1:48, where 1 inch on the model equals 48 inches in real life, making for fairly good-sized model trains which required a goodly amount of space to operate. Especially around curves, since trains do not handle 90 degree turns as well as automobiles and bicycles, having a much larger turning radius. Which in turn limits how much track and modeling can be done in a given space.

Still with me? Good — because now we’re getting to the dramatic part. Reaching my eleventh birthday, buoyed by a decent fifth-grade education by this point and having been exposed to Boy’s Life Magazine and the modern world thru the Boy Scouts, I had become aware of the newest, modern new thing in model railroading — ‘HO’ scale — ‘HO’ itself standing for “Half of O” scale.

‘HO’ scale modeling was at a 1: 87.1 modeling ratio, meaning one inch of model equaled 87.1 inches in real life. The decimal point alone made it much more scientific and cutting edge to the knowledgeable fifth-grader. In short, ‘HO’ model trains were about half the size of the old (and “out of date” in my young mind) ‘O’ scale Lionel trains while at the same time being much more detailed and realistic. The early train sets were truly more ‘toys’ while the new ‘HO’ trains were ‘models’, and to me at age eleven and now a Boy Scout, a vast difference. Madison Avenue and the marketers had my full attention. “Models” were for serious folk, while “toys” were for kids. And at age eleven and going on campouts and hikes, I no longer considered myself a kid, already being a Second Class Scout, after all.

In addition, it was all supported by the obvious fact that our Lionel train ran around on three silver tracks — Three! — while the new ‘HO’ trains ran on two more realistic, copper-colored rails with faux-wooden ties. Two tracks, like trains in the real world. Not to mention that my best friend down the street had an American Flyer set which ran on two rails like the real trains, which he constantly reminded me of.

The new ‘HO’ scale meant that in the same amount of space one could do twice as much modeling, track, and scenery work, with a much more realistic than “toyish” (three rails!) layout. Converting to HO meant that suddenly our 4′ x 8′ layout would not be maxed out, after all. The wonders of the modern age!

But, this is where my father and I parted ways. His affection for our early Lionel trains was deep-rooted and his opinions set in stone. I suppose, looking back with an understanding not yet acquired by age eleven, that he was emotionally invested in them. By advocating for the new ‘HO’ model trains, as far as he was concerned my position was pure heresy spoken by a greenhorn still wet behind the ears who didn’t know anything.

But, of course, in the fifth grade,  if really not quite knowing it all, I was aware of the unfortunate fact that if anything ‘HO’ related was going to appear under the Christmas tree that year, it wasn’t going to be delivered by Santa Claus. I negotiated, bargained, pleaded, and threw myself on the mercy of the court that year to no avail. Ol’ Dad wouldn’t budge. — No ‘HO’ — period.

And that’s where it stood for another three years. In my mind, he was being hard-headed and unreasonable, denying modern science. In his mind, I was simply out of mine. The ‘Marx’ train locomotive eventually wore out and was dutifully replaced under the tree by the old Lionel train set each Christmas, no longer running along the rails on the bedroom train layout which had long since been dismantled following the Great ‘O’ vs ‘HO’ debate of a few years past. As well as our having grown bored with it since any more work or expansion was out of the question due to having run out of space. The big Lionel was reduced to annually running its course on the floor, around and around and around beneath the tree once a year at Christmas time.

My father and I still had a good relationship, mind you. We just seldom if ever spoke about trains anymore, except in debate. With the determination and fortitude of Ralphie and his “Red Ryder BB Gun With A Compass In The Stock”, each year I would ask, plot, scheme, and maneuver for an ‘HO’ train set for Christmas, only to find myself with a pair of gloves or something else “more my age” now.

And then something happened that still to this day I cannot explain. Perhaps it was a Motherly Intervention. I have no idea and can only relate the event as it occurred.

One chilly, late October Friday night my Scoutmaster appeared in our home for an inexplicable reason, with three ‘HO’ scale, little ore car kits he was working on and building. He was seated at the kitchen table with my mother and father, explaining all about them, showing a completed model, one in progress about half-finished, and the other in pieces, still untouched in the box. I was called in to see them, and of course, I was mesmerized. The idea of building your own rolling stock from kits was fascinating to someone already loving to do handwork, and this was all being demonstrated by my Scoutmaster, nonetheless. The man who had taught me how to put up a tent, build a fire, and to make a foil pack hamburger dinner in a campfire!

If I had ‘HO’ fever already, I popped the top off the thermometer that night. After a while and having talked about all things ‘HO’ over a few cups of coffee, the mysterious discussion was over and he left. None of it ever to be discussed or mentioned again over the following months. I can only compare the strangeness of it all to Thomas Edison suddenly appearing unannounced in a colonial town square, switching on a light bulb, and then everyone going back to their candles and never mentioning it again.

And then followed the Christmas of my fourteenth year, two months later. With my birthday on December 16th, nine days before Christmas, one soon gets used to birthday and Christmas presents being combined into one, which worked out well sometimes for a larger gift than one might expect singularly for either event on its own. Other times not. But number fourteen was one of those auspicious times when it did.

That birthday was a swing and miss with something I do not recall, being told that we were just exceptionally poor and money was tight that year. I understood as we were admittedly and firmly entrenched in the “middle class — lower third” and subject to its economic ups and downs over the years, never in that “upper class” which we talked about in school.

On Christmas Eve, I opened the unusually large package which had been cleverly buried and hidden behind the Christmas tree in utter disbelief and amazement to find a brand spanking new ‘HO’ train set including my favorite — a smoke-puffing steam engine! An exact, half-size version of the old Lionel steam engine! Birds sang — Bells rang — Angels smiled — and I did a Happy Dance! The Universe was once again back in order.

Over the next year, my Father and I worked together again, in the basement this time, on a new 5′ x 9′ layout even larger than the old one, with a special “quieter” board he had come home with one day from the hardware store made specifically for train layouts, he maintained. Later as we went along, Dad protested, grumped, and griped all the way in typical fatherly fashion, complaining about the tiny ‘HO’ parts and concept in general to save face, but couldn’t hide the fact that he loved it all every bit as much as I did.

We ditched the old, pre-fab Lionel tunnels and constructed towering mountains from screen wire and plaster in their place with cuts and tunnels at two different levels. We sculpted rock cliffs, constructed trestles, built buildings, and formed trees and bushes. We wired automatic switches and every building with lights, had a working sawmill with its saw going up and down on mock logs, and a turning water wheel on a riverside mill. We had a building which “caught fire” (flickering lights, of course) and at the turn of a switch, firemen pumped real water into it to extinguish the “blaze”. To top it off, right before the next Christmas, we added an honest-to-goodness working waterfall behind which the trains passed thru another tunnel while real water drizzled down the mountainside in front. We were back loving our trains. Trains had made us “We” again.

A few years later brought the most-prized Christmas present I ever received — ever. Something I had wanted for years and had little hope of affording myself at the time — “The General”. Unwrapping the package, I remember being so excited that my sock-covered feet slipped out from under me on the newly-waxed floor! I hung suspended in mid-air for a moment and then crashed to the floor in a heap, all while carefully cradling the box in my hands to protect my new prize.

“The General” was a famed, wood-burning steam locomotive involved in a daring raid in the Civil War, when on April 12, 1862, Northern infiltrators stole the locomotive and headed back north, intent on sabotaging rebel railroad lines and bridges deep behind enemy lines as they went. They were pursued by another locomotive, “The Texas”, and eventually captured before much damage could be done. But, Fess Parker, of Davy Crockett and Walt Disney fame, had made a 1956 movie about it, “The Great Locomotive Chase”, and that was enough to have peaked my interest. “The General” was not cheap, and there it was in my hands!  I still have “The General” safely stored in its original box. Best Christmas present ever. Magic under the tree.

Nowadays, the old Marx train, worn out as it is but much too valued to be discarded, rests in a box. Emotional investment again, I suppose. The old Lionel train, together with all the attendant pieces and accessories, waits in two boxes on top of it. My collected ‘HO’ trains and materials gathered over the years? They reside in three boxes alongside. Boxed treasures of Christmases and times past. I cannot think of Christmas without thinking about trains. And cannot think of trains without recalling the times with my father. And perhaps my mother’s inserted influence. Hopefully, all to be resurrected and shown the light of day again soon following another move in the coming year, even if inoperable.  Memories on display and stories yet to be told.

Memories. And stories. That’s what holidays and Christmases are all about, aren’t they? The cherished memories we build together in our families and with our friends over the years?  Most are good.  Others maybe not so much, sometimes.  That’s the way life is. But, some of them are outstandingly special that remain with us forever.  My fondest family traditions and Christmas memories seem to run thru tunnels, over bridges, and along train tracks thru the years.

What memories of Christmases and family do you hold close to your heart? What are your most-treasured holiday traditions and stories?  Please feel free to share them in the ‘Comments’ section with us! And, I encourage you to visit my wonderful author and blogger friends listed below as they each share their cherished holiday traditions and reminiscences with us, as well.

Cat Michaels — “Holiday Traditions To Ring In Our Season”

Sandra Bennet — “Tis The Season For Holiday Traditions”

Rebecca Lyndsey — “Let’s Talk Holiday Traditions”

Rosie Russell — “Holiday Traditions Blog Hop” 

K. Lamb– “The Smell of Christmas”

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“From home to home, and heart to heart, from one place to another. The warmth and joy of Christmas brings us closer to each other.” — Emily Matthews

“Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind.” — Mary Ellen Chase 

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“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. ” — Norman Vincent Peale

          Christmas Trains — Tracking Memories Beneath the Tree Looking back now over Christmases in my childhood, railroad trains were as integral a part and essential to the holiday itself as Santa Claus, Snickerdoodles, and Christmas trees.