2009: For Sarah Palin, It Was A Very Bad Year

For the former ex-quitting governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, it was a very bad year. Let’s take a look at some of Caribou Barbie’s lowlights from the last twelve months:

1.)  In January and February of 2009 Sarah Palin began vocally blaming John McCain’s staff for her poor showing in televised interviews during the duo’s embarrassingly failed presidential campaign. As if the staff could have predicted that Palin would be unable to name a single book or periodical that she regularly reads;

2.)  She got into a tit-for-tat tabloid worthy feud with her grandson’s teenaged father almost immediately after Levi Johnston and Bristol Palin ended their relationship;

3.)  She got into a tit-for-tat tabloid worthy feud with television comedian David Letterman over jokes that he made about Palin and her family;

4.)  On July 3rd she abruptly and unexpectedly quit her job as governor of Alaska and in her incoherent and rambling resignation speech, she managed to disparage quitters. Remember when she said, “It would be apathetic to just sort of hunker down and go with the flow. We’re fishermen and we know that only dead fish go with the flow. And though it may be tempting and more comfortable to just kind of keep your head down and plod along and appease those that are just sort of demanding, hey just “sit down and shut up” that’s a worthless easy task out. That’s a quitter’s way out.”?  So let’s get this straight, if someone tells you to “sit down and shut up” and then you quit your job, that is “a quitter’s way out”, but if you simply unexpectedly quit the job of governor without warning or explanation, that is not “a quitters way out”? Ok then;

5.)  Later in the summer, Palin announced that she would write a memoir but that she would not be the author. It would be ghostwritten. What a means of demonstrating that linguistic acumen that she cultivated over 6 years at 5 different less than Ivy League colleges;

6.)  Did we mention “death panels” yet?

7.)  Palin’s much publicized cross-country, blue-collar bus tour of village-like hamlets to promote her book was exposed as a fraud when it was discovered that she was actually traveling on a private luxury jet at the cost of $ 4,000.00 per hour;

8.)  Her book, Going Rogue was critically panned as the result of a slew of factual inaccuracies. Members of the McCain staff called it, “a pack of lies” and “a work of fiction”. Consequently, the book’s publisher felt compelled to admit that it did not subject the tome to any fact checking. Strangest of all however, was Palin’s description therein of two threatened gang rapes of her daughters which compelled “Mama Bear” to take her children out of school, but which she never reported to school or law enforcement authorities;

9.)  She broke from the Republican Party and endorsed a third party candidate in the election for New York’s 23rd Congressional District seat. The Republican vote was thereby divided and a Democratic Party candidate won the seat for the first time since the Civil War;

10.) And finally, her “death panels” remark was deemed the “Biggest Lie of 2009” by PolitiFact.com.

Wow, will Sarah Palin ever be able to top herself in 2010?

SPECIAL MESSAGE

Before we send you along to today’s song parody, Lynnrockets’ Blast-Off would like to thank all of you Rocketeers for stopping by the blog this year. Your comments and suggestions have not only been helpful in supplying subject matter for the songs, but they have also provided the incentive to carry on with this time consuming blogging experiment which started on May 13, 2009. We owe a special debt of gratitude to the folks over at The Mudflats (themudflats.net) because they not only initially suggested that we start this blog, but they also helped this technology challenged novice to get it up and running. Once again, thanks to all of you and we hope that you and your families and friends have a happy and healthy new year.

Now let’s get back to the fun!!!

In honor of the troops, please remember to click on the song link below to familiarize yourselves with the tune and to have more fun singing along with today’s song parody.

It Was A Very Good Year song link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYIvwnbbZXU

IT WAS A VERY BAD YEAR

(sung to the Chad and Jeremy version of the song “It Was A Very Good Year”)

When she was seventeen
It was a very good year
It was a very good year for this small town girl
That was not too bright
With pageant queen height
A sight to be seen
When she was seventeen

When she was twenty-four
It was a not so good year
It was a not so good year for this pretty girl
She was now a pair
In maternity wear
No wedding décor
When she was twenty-four

When she was forty-five
It was a hell of a year
It was a hell of a year for this rejected girl
Who made so many scenes
And had a pregnant teen
Her future hope died
When she was forty-five

But now her days are short
Cuz it has been a very bad year
And now Sarah Palin’s life is one big whine
She’s hit the dregs
Been knocked down a few pegs
She’s the target of jeer
She’s had a very bad year.

Wednesday Night Music Byte

Oh, what the heck let’s have another one from Boston’s Dropkick Murphy’s.

In honor of the Boston Bruins’ historic Winter Classic hockey game to be played outdoors at Fenway Park at 1:00 pm EST on New Year’s Day, we thought it would be appropriate to feature a Boston band that are also Bruins (and Red Sox) fans.

Dropkick Murphys are an American Celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts. First playing together in the basement of a friend’s barbershop, they blended traditional folk rock and punk rock known as Celtic punk. Their influences include Stiff Little Fingers, The Pogues, The Clash, Thin Lizzy, The Dubliners, Hot Water Music, and the Swingin’ Utters.

Tonight’s video clip is the Dropkick Murphys playing their song “The State Of Massachusetts” on the David Letterman show. We have provided the lyrics because we understand how difficult it can be for some of you to understand a Boston/Irish accent while screamed in traditional punk rock fashion. Please enjoy.

THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS

she had excuses and she chose to use them
she was the victim of unspeakable abuses
her husband was violent, malicious and distant
her kids now belong to the state of Massachusetts!

they’ve been taken away!
they’ve been taken away!

[chorus:]
Billy was the bright one
tommy’s off his head
mother loved them both the same,at least thats what she said
i don’t predict the future, i don’t care about the past
send them both to DSS, now you had your chance
the posion took your babies
the judges took your rights
you can have your children or the night!
I supposed youve been a victim
though i suspect you may have lied
have you lost all ambition why don’t you give this thing a try
if you can’t and you fail won’t be the only loser
these kid don’t stand a chance with you in their future!

they’ve been taken away!
they’ve been taken away!

[chorus x2]

Last Call For Sarah Palin !!!

Sarah Palin "Going Rogue" on New Year's Eve

Let’s get ready to rumble !!! In this corner, wearing a beehive hairdo, a Victoria’s Secret bra and “Arctic Cat” trunks, we have the “Duchess of Death Panels”, the “Queen of Quitting”, the “Alaska Disastah”, Sarah Palin. In the opposite corner wearing no trunks at all but covering himself with a Koho hockey stick, we have the “Talkshow Teen”, the “Wasilla Drillah”, the “Condomless Kid”, Levi Johnston. Get ready for the Battle of the New Year. Palin vs. Johnston  2010 !!! At the sound of the gavel they will come out testifying !!!

What better way to close out year 2009 and commence 2010 than to watch the Palin clan’s dirty laundry aired in public in the form of a juicy custody battle? Levi Johnston, the teenaged father of Sarah Palin’s grandchild, Tripp, has already won the pre-fight competition by means of having the Marquess of Queensberry Rules discarded and replaced with the Alaska Rules of Probate Procedure. Additionally, despite fierce opposition from Team Palin, Johnston has convinced the court to make all proceedings open to the public and to use the legal names of all litigants rather than pseudonyms. Sarah Palin of course, would rather have had her patented Cone of Silence and Secrecy utilized in an effort to facilitate her uncivil backroom dealings and to hide everything from the pesky “mainstream media”. The Court however, would have none of the high-falootin’ Palin’s pre-trial shenanigans, opting instead to apply the same judicial procedure and standards that everyday common-folk must abide by.

The stakes for this Battle Royale are high. Hanging in the balance of this custody battle is baby Tripp’s upbringing. Should Team Palin claim victory, daughter/mother Bristol and the clan will have sole legal custody of the child. They will have free reign to raise him as a true “Palin child” with little to no adult supervision, no requirement of regular school attendance and a role as a stage prop at all of Grandma’s self-promoting publicity stunts. On the other hand should Levi Johnston prevail in court, he will have secured the right to joint legal custody of his son. In that case, the non-requirement of school attendance will be reinforced, the child will learn the valuable skill of being partially fatherless as Levi travels the country on the talkshow circuit and most likely on a book tour of his own and he will have the benefit of occasionally being supervised by a convicted criminal (by the way, was Tripp named after his paternal grandmother?).

This kid hasn’t got a chance. Poor Tripp might be better off if the court awards custody to a caring set of foster parents.

In honor of the troops, please remember to click on the song link below to familiarize yourselves with the tune and to have more fun singing along with today’s song parody.

Same Auld Lang Syne song link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NmdFgFyhnk

SAME OLD LAME WHINE

(sung to the Dan Fogelberg song “Same Auld Lang Syne”)

Met Sarah Palin at a Walmart store
She was shoplifting like a thief
There was no sign of kids or the “First Dude”
‘Cuz Sarah brings home the beef

I recoiled from her aging face at first
But then her eyes flew open wide
She knew I saw the moose meat in her purse
And then she just fibbed and lied

I said I was not a security man
And then Sarah Palin was glad
She lacked any sense of embarrassment
At the thought that she was bagged

I asked if we could have a drink or two
Cuz she was such a rising star
We met “Joe Sixpack” at the liquor store
And we three went to a bar

We drank a toast to ignorance
We drank a toast to Mao
She tried to explain her head’s emptiness
But she did not know how

She said she’s married to a derelict
Who can’t keep a job if he tried
She would have like to say she loved the man
But she couldn’t stand the guy

I said “death panels” were the end for her
That she could turn a Red-State Blue
And did she fear her would-be son-in-law?
She just said, “Lynn, F_ _ _  you”

She said she hated all the pro-choice whores
And that she hoped they’d go to Hell
I asked if Coulter was a “he” or “she”?
Palin said she could not tell

She toasted her omnipotence
And asked us all to bow
I said, “so long and good riddance,
I must be leaving now”

Then one last toast to ignorance
Cuz it was closing time
She lacks a sense of eloquence
But has that old lame whine

The beers were empty and our tongues were tired
Another book signing today
She put her hat on and hopped on her broom
And I watched her fly away

She graduated from a “safety school”
So she has no-one else to blame
There’s no intelligence inside her dome
That’s why she is so lame.

Tuesday Night Music Byte

In honor of the Boston Bruins’ historic Winter Classic hockey game to be played outdoors at Fenway Park at 1:00 pm EST on New Year’s Day, we thought it would be appropriate to feature a Boston band that are also Bruins (and Red Sox) fans.

Dropkick Murphys are an American Celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts. First playing together in the basement of a friend’s barbershop, they blended traditional folk rock and punk rock known as Celtic punk. Their influences include Stiff Little Fingers, The Pogues, The Clash, Thin Lizzy, The Dubliners, Hot Water Music, and the Swingin’ Utters.

The band has made a name for itself and built a following as a result of their non-stop touring all over the world and their St. Patrick’s Day weekend shows, which are held in and around Boston. The group is also well-known for their patronage of Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins games.

The song “Time To Go” was written about the Boston Bruins, and the band performed the song live at the Fleet Center at a Bruins game during intermission at a November 2003 game. For the 2004 baseball season the band released a re-working of an old Boston Red Sox song, “Tessie”. “Tessie” would be used in the major motion picture Fever Pitch and was included on the EA Sports MVP Baseball 2005 soundtrack. The band was invited to the Fever Pitch premiere of the movie which was held at Fenway Park where the video was also shot. The song continues to be played at Red Sox games along with Dirty Water after games the team wins.

“I’m Shipping Up to Boston”, is a song that was inspired by a Woody Guthrie poem the band found in his archives also called “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” which is featured in the 2006 Academy Award winning film The Departed, Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of the Hong Kong crime thriller Infernal Affairs (Scorsese mentioned the band in an interview after he won his first Oscar). Two videos, one with and without footage from The Departed were made in response to the overwhelming response to the band’s new hit song. The song was also featured in The Simpsons episode “The Debarted.” “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” became the walk-out song of Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon, who would dance an Irish jig to the song several times throughout the 2007 Red Sox Championship season. During the team’s victory parade, Papelbon did the jig while the Murphys played the song on the same float.

Please enjoy, “I’m Shipping Up To Boston”.

Sarah Palin Is “Tripp”ed-Up In Custody Battle

Levi Johnston appears to have landed the last blow in his battle with Sarah Palin for calendar year 2009. It was recently revealed that Palin’s daughter, Bristol has commenced court proceedings in an attempt to secure sole legal custody over her son, Tripp. Tripp’s father of course, is none other than Levi Johnston. Unfortunately for the Palins however, things have not gone as smoothly as planned.

Although Bristol Palin is the named litigant, Her mother Sarah’s fingerprints are all over this court proceeding. To begin, Bristol’s lawyer happens to be Sarah Palin’s personal attorney, Thomas Van Flein. It can also be assumed that the legal fees, if any, are being paid by “Mama Bear” Palin inasmuch as it does not appear that Bristol is employed or has any stream of income. Finally, the court pleadings reveal that the Palin camp has attempted to have all court records deemed confidential and closed to the public as well as to have the litigants‘ names redacted and replaced with pseudonyms. Secrecy of course, is a Palin trademark.

Father Levi however, opposed the secrecy and in a scathing affidavit filed with the court he alleged,

I know that public scrutiny will simplify this matter and act as a check against anyone’s need to be overly vindictive, aggressive or malicious, not that Bristol would ever be that way, nor that I would. But her mother is powerful, politically ambitious and has a reputation for being extremely vindictive, so, I think a public case might go a long way in reducing Sarah Palin’s instinct to attack.

The court agrees with Levi Johnston. On December 23, 2009 it denied the Palin clan’s request to use pseudonyms and ordered that all court records remain open to public scrutiny. We cannot wait for further public disclosure of the inner workings of the Palin family which should be revealed in the next few months. Are you listening, Court TV ?

In honor of the troops, please click on the song link below to familiarize yourselves with the tune and to have more fun singing along with the song parody.

Goldfinger song link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MagCoUYvIXE

GOLD-DIGGER

(sung to the theme of “James Bond’s Goldfinger”)

Gold-Digger
She’s the gal, who’s hairstyle is a bit much
She’s stripped her clutch
Such a gold-digger
Signing books for dough while wearing a grin
It’s a win-win

Golden words Palin pours in your ear
But her lies will continue next year
Her voice resembles a cobra’s hisses
she’s got real bad breath…

That Mrs. – – – – Gold-Digger.
Sarah P. will do anything for gold
If truth be told

Palin’s mantra is hatred and fear
Blinking eyes, telling lies everywhere
To the soldier boys, Palin blows kisses
It’s the kiss of death…

From Mrs. Gold-Digger
Baby Trigg’s birth story remains untold
If truth be told
The story controlled
We were sold
Sarah’s bold
The story controlled
We were sold
Sarah’s bold.

Monday Night Music Byte

Simple Minds are a rock band from Scotland, who had their greatest worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band, from the south side of Glasgow, produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s, and later went on to produce some politically inspired and critically praised work.

Simple Minds have secured a string of successful hit singles, the best known being their number 1 worldwide hit single “Don’t You (Forget About Me)”, from the soundtrack of the John Hughes movie The Breakfast Club and number 3 worldwide hit single “Alive and Kicking”.

Founding members Jim Kerr (vocals) and Charlie Burchill (guitar, keyboards), along with drummer Mel Gaynor, are the core of the band, which currently features Andy Gillespie on keyboards and Eddie Duffy on bass guitar.

The band have sold more than 40 millions albums worldwide since 1979.

Please enjoy “Alive And Kicking”.

Us Republicans, We Got Nuthin’ !!!

Pete Hoekstra (R) MI auditions to replace Fred Rogers

Today’s edition of “Stupid Things Said By Republican Politicians” features Michigan Congressman Pete Hoekstra. You remember this liar don’t you? He’s the guy that ran for office in 1992 and promised to serve no more than six terms (12 years) in the House, and not to accept any money from political action committees. Well, in 2004, Hoekstra broke his  term limits pledge by announcing that he would run for a seventh term and in 2006, he accepted over  $160,000 in Policial Action Contributions. Obviously, this is a guy who’s word can be trusted.

Yesterday, Hoekstra appeared on Fox News‘ Chris Wallace Sunday and boy did he have some salient remarks. He said that it  is “fair” to hold the Obama administration responsible for the recent attempted Northwest Airlines terrorist attack. Here are the remarks:

Wallace – “You were quoted in the Detroit Free Press this morning as saying that, you know, the key is to connect the dots and maybe the Obama administration will now realize that. Is it really fair to hold the Obama administration responsible here?”

Hoekstra – “Yeah, I think it really is. Connecting the dots here is not really on this particular case. It’s connecting the dots that we’ve seen over the last 11 months, over the last eight years.”

Really, Pete? Just wondering, but did you hold the Bush administration responsible for failing to connect the dots between the August 2001 written daily intelligence report to Bush which warned that al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden were preparing to attack the U.S. possibly by hijacking planes and the actual 9/11 attacks? Pete, you must remember when White house spokesman Ari Fleisher said,

There was . . . an awareness by the government, including the president, of Osama bin Laden and the threat he posed in the United States and around the world, That included long-standing speculation about hijacking…

Gee, those sure look like some dots that could have been connected, don’t they Pete? Were you so forthright in pointing that out in 2001 after the attacks? No? Why are we not surprised, Mr. No PAC Money Term Limits?

In other news, the Green Bay Packers clinched a wildcard playoff berth with their win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. Go Packers! Also, don’t forget to tune-in to the N.H.L.’s Winter Classic at 1:00pm EST on New Year’s Day. This season the outdoor game will be played at Boston’s historic Fenway Park and will feature the Boston Bruins playing the Philadelphia Flyers. Here we go, Bruins, Here we go!

Please remember to click on the song link below to familiarize yourselves with the tune and to have more fun singing along to today’s song parody.

A Day In The Life song link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di7fKh3Vbj8&feature=related

A DAY IN THE LIFE (OF THE G.O.P.)

(sung to the Beatles song “A Day In The Life”)

I read the news today oh, boy
About a senator who made the grade
And though the news was rather sad
Well, I just had to laugh
Is there a photograph?
John Ensign’s tryst will leave a scar
A “family values” guy who’s values changed
His dirty laundry will be aired
We’ve seen his kind before
In hypocrisy the G.O.P. wins all of the awards

I watched the news today oh, boy
Seems David Vitter spent time with a whore
It was a girl so he’s not gay
But here’s the funny hook
It’s all in her book
He’d love to make her gone

Horned up and out of bed
Larry Craig needed some head
Went to the airport to find a pup
Things looking up, he thought he found some bait
Found a leg to give a pat
Caught a bust in seconds flat
Gave a poor excuse when the news broke
Just another joke in the dirty G.O.P.
Ah, ah,ah, ah, ah, ah ,ah ……….

I read the news today oh, boy
The Sunshine State’s Mark Foley is a queer
These guys spew hate but have no balls
The party’s sure to fall
Hypocritical A-holes heading straight into a wall
They’d love to turn you on

Sunday Morning Coffee (or Tea) – 22

We’re Baaaaaaaaaaack. Just of few noteworthy news bits and comments thereon from this past week.

BREAKING NEWS: The U.S. Senate passed its version of a health care reform bill on Christmas Eve and this is how a typically irrational Tea-Bagger responds:

‘Nuff said.

THIS JUST IN: Moonbat Minnesotan Michele Bachmann has been exposed once again. No, not pictorially thank goodness. The uber-conservative socialism hating Republican Senator that rails against all forms of health care reform and foreclosure mitigation which might impede upon the perfection of the free market has been caught with her hand in the socialist cookie jar. TruthDig.com reports that Ms. Bachmann’s family farm has collected over $ 251,973.00 in socialized government farm subsidies since 1995. Just another example of a Republican imploring citizens to “do as I say, not as I do”.

BREAKING NEWS: In this week’s edition of “I Don’t Know What The F_ _ _ I’m Talking About”, we also feature Michele Bachmann. At a Tea-Bagger rally in Washington D.C. last week, the historically challenged Republican Senator, in an attempt to whip up the crowd, compared the Tea-Bagger movement to “The Charge of the Light Brigade”. Bachmann was apparently unaware that “The Charge of the Light Brigade” was a poem written by Lord Tennyson to commemorate a moment in the 1854 Crimean War, when British officers misdirected more than 600 troops into an area known as the Valley of Death to face 25,000 Russians. There were hundreds of casualties, the British officers were disgraced, and the Russians won the day. Like Sarah Palin, did Bachmann also attend the University of Idaho?

THIS JUST IN: Media Matters For America has just awarded Fox News host Glenn Beck its “Misinformer Of The Year Award”.

When he wasn’t calling the president a racist, portraying progressive leaders as vampires who can only be stopped by “driv[ing] a stake through the heart of the bloodsuckers,” or pushing the legitimacy of seceding from the country, Beck obsessively compared Democrats in Washington to Nazis and fascists and “the early days of Adolf Hitler.” He wondered, “Is this where we’re headed,” while showing images of Hitler, Stalin, and Lenin; decoded the secret language of Marxists; and compared the government to “heroin pushers” who were “using smiley-faced fascism to grow the nanny state.”

BREAKING NEWS: In response to PolitiFact.com deeming her “death panels” comment to be the biggest lie of 2009, Sarah Palin has scoffingly posted on Facebook against “Nancy Pelosi and friends who have tried to call ‘death panels’ the ‘lie of the year.’ “. Can this former ex-quitting governor of Alaska ever get her facts straight? If she is going to counter that one of her comments has been awarded the dubious distinction of being “the biggest lie of 2009”, shouldn’t she be aware that it was PolitiFact.com that bestowed the award and not Nancy Pelosi? What a maroon!

THIS JUST IN: A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released last Wednesday indicates that a  majority of Americans, 51 percent, believe that the Democrats’ policies are good for the country. By contrast, 53 percent of people questioned in the poll say that the GOP’s polices would move the nation in the wrong direction. It is obvious that the Tea-Baggers are not as voluminous as they want everyone to think, nor are they very influential.

BREAKING NEWS: This week’s edition of “The Numbers Don’t Lie Like Sarah Palin” features the obstructionist Republican Party. We now have proof-positive that the G.O.P. is the “Party of No”. People For The American Way reports:

So far, GOP foot dragging has forced the Senate leadership to file 67 cloture petitions and forced cloture votes on 38 occasions [1] .  Those numbers, while high, aren’t yet on pace to break the record set by the GOP in the last Congress of 139 motions filed and 112 forced votes.  But what is remarkable is that, of those 38 votes forced this year, cloture was invoked 34 times.

That means a full 89% of the time, the cloture vote did nothing but delay the inevitable—a huge increase from the previous high of 56%.

Please click on the song link below to familiarize yourselves with the tune and to have more fun singing along with the song parody.

Help song link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNcShXs_CMM

HELP

(sung to The Beatles song “Help”)

Help, Beck needs somebody
Help, not just anybody
Help, you know Glenn needs someone, help

When Beck was younger, so much younger than today
He would simply booze it up and toke his days away
But now those days are gone since Glenn Beck found the cure
Now it is the Racist Biz in which this small mouse roars

Help Beck if you can, for he may drown
And the President he hates for being brown
Help Glenn as his sponsorships go down
Won’t you please help Glenn B.

And now Glenn’s life has changed in oh so many ways
His advertisers have just vanished in the haze
First it was Geico and Men’s Wearhouse out the door
Now CVS has joined the rest, they’re pulling out for sure

Help Glenn if you can, his smile’s a frown
With all of his advertisers leaving town
How long will Fox News keep him around?
Won’t you please help Glenn B.

When Beck was stronger, way back when in his heyday
He never needed anybody’s help in any way
But now those days are gone and Glenn Beck is abhorred
Fox will find it’s in a bind if he’s not out the door

Help Beck if you can, he’ll make the rounds
His resumé will circulate from town to town
He might find employment as a clown

Have A Happy Boxing Day

Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated in Ireland, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. It falls on December 26th, which is also St. Stephen’s Day.

St. Stephen was a little known saint who achieved eternal fame by being the first Christian to be martyred for his faith, and he met his death by stoning.

Boxing Day is so called because on this day it was the customary for tradesmen to collect their Christmas boxes or gifts in return for good service throughout the year. Also, it included giving money and other gifts to charitable institutions, and the needy.

The holiday may date from as early as the Middle Ages, but the exact origin is not known. It may have begun with the Lords and Ladies of England, who gave Christmas boxes/gifts to their servants on December 26, or maybe by priests, who opened the church’s alms (charity boxes), and distributed the contents to the poor and needy.

In Ireland, this day has become part of the celebrations, of being with family.

A day to visit other relations, and to have a rest from the day before, to play fun games. Some families, buy a new game each year, but still bring out the old favourites 🙂

For some it is good to have the 2 days, as on one of the days you can visit with your parents, and the other day your inlaws 🙂

St Stephen is the patron saint of horses, so Boxing Day became associated with horse-racing and hunting. Other sports are also held on this day like football (soccer to Yanks) and rugby.

Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day is the Christmas season for those in Ireland.

It is a good day, to change the pace, have a more relaxing day, especially for the “cooks” in the family. Also a day to have something different to eat, some people have cold ham as the main dish to a cold buffet type meal. This way, putting together a buffet of cold foods, everyone can just help themselves to what they want, and how much they want. Mainly it is a day we try not to cook, as the day before is always very busy in the kitchen, and it is nice not to expect the lady of the house to be in the kitchen on this second day of Christmas, and to spend more time with family and friends.

Have a Happy Boxing Day!!!

The Bells of Dublin is an album of Christmas songs and traditional carols by the Irish band The Chieftains. The album features guest performances by various artists, including Elvis Costello, Jackson Browne, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Marianne Faithfull, Nanci Griffith, Rickie Lee Jones and the actor Burgess Meredith.

Writing in the album’s liner notes, Paddy Moloney said, “These recording sessions hold special memories for The Chieftains and myself, and bring together all the colours of this festive season.”

Christmas Day Music Byte

Like yesterday, there will be no snarky post on this wonderful day. We hope that all of you have a warm and comforting Christmas Day. See you all very soon.

“Merry Christmas, Darling” by The Carpenters was written by Richard Carpenter & Frank Pooler and originally recorded in 1970. At the time, it was only available on a 7″ single from A&M Records (1236) and later in 1974 reissued as A&M 1648 and in 1977 as A&M 1991. The single went to number one on Billboard’s Christmas singles chart in 1970, and did again in 1971 and 1973.

In 1978, The Carpenters issued their Christmas Portrait album, which contained a new remix of “Merry Christmas Darling”. However, the single versions of “Merry Christmas Darling” were of the original 1970 mix, and none of the singles had the newer 1978 mix. The original mix seems to be heard much more frequently these days. The major difference between it and the newer version is a newly recorded 1978 vocal by Karen Carpenter. Richard Carpenter himself calls the original recording one of his sister’s very best. The song has also been covered by Kimberley Locke, Vanessa L. Williams, and most recently Kyle Vincent.

Billboard magazine did not display Christmas singles on the Hot 100 in 1970. This song just missed the top 40 in Cash Box.

“Merry Christmas Darling” is the only Carpenters’ song that has been included on albums that feature songs by many different artists. i.e. Now That’s What I Call Christmas!. Every other Carpenters’ song can only be found on Carpenters’ albums.

Please enjoy this video clip of Karen Carpenter and her wonderfully comforting voice.