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That's MISTER Lag Monkey to you.
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 Posted - Dec 01 2017 : 10:30:07
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Ok, so Advent doesn't start until Sunday, but Advent calendars usually start with December 1st.
Regardless, it's a time of miracles.
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Arcane
Administrator
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Posted - Dec 01 2017 : 17:24:42
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Woooo!!!
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Novus Ordo Seclorum
Knowledge is power... has been since time eternal. Arcane knowledge is thereby ultimate power and can
therefore lead to ultimate corruption. Wisdom (and the experience that comes with age) is a serum for corruption.
Perhaps that is why there are so many Old Men with Arcane knowledge and so few young ones...
Arcane OMO - Circa 2001
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That's MISTER Lag Monkey to you.
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Posted - Dec 02 2017 : 03:54:07
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Tamales are a Christmas tradition in many parts of the Southwest and Latin America. The steamed packets of cornmeal packed with meat, cheese or whatever and wrapped in, generally, a corn husk are a common festive meal. Nobody quite knows why they're associated with Christmas. There are a few theories.
They originated probably around 8000 to 5000 BC in Mesoamerica. Corn was an important and revered crop and some people even believe that people came from corn. Mesoamerican people would make tamales as a take along food and as gifts. So, the tradition of tamales as gifts may have originated there.
It's possible that the tamale wrapped in a corn husk came to represent the baby Jesus wrapped in cloth as a later Christian adaptation of the Mesoamerican idea.
Regardless, they are time consuming to make and people often host parties (sort of), called tamaladas, to make them. I've never tried making them, so I can't attest to the difficulty or the claim that homemade ones are far better than the ones you can get at a restaurant. But, I've heard these claims again and again. Given the difficulty, people tend to make them in large quantities - another feature making them popular for holiday gatherings.
What to try your hand at making some?
Here you go. Let me know how they turn out.
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Arcane
Administrator
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Posted - Dec 02 2017 : 16:53:15
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Speaking from personal experience - I think the homemade vs restaurant is subjective. I have current and past family members who participated in the tamaladas. The output was different for each family so... I think it comes down to what you grew up with winds up being the best. I can equate that equally to my grandmother's cooking. To me it was superlative but YMMV.
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Novus Ordo Seclorum
Knowledge is power... has been since time eternal. Arcane knowledge is thereby ultimate power and can
therefore lead to ultimate corruption. Wisdom (and the experience that comes with age) is a serum for corruption.
Perhaps that is why there are so many Old Men with Arcane knowledge and so few young ones...
Arcane OMO - Circa 2001
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Aged
That's MISTER Lag Monkey to you.
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Posted - Dec 03 2017 : 16:42:18
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Today is the first day of Advent and like last year, I thought I'd post a version of O Come Emmanuel, this time featuring Lindsey Stirling.
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Country: USA
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That's MISTER Lag Monkey to you.
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Posted - Dec 04 2017 : 06:15:41
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We all do it from time to time ... I'm talking about gift reciprocity - the idea that you need to give gifts of equal value to the ones you receive.
The idea has some pitfalls. Afterall, some gifts don't come with a price tag.
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That's MISTER Lag Monkey to you.
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Posted - Dec 05 2017 : 10:07:37
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The Elf on the Shelf
I remember these guys from the 60's and I never got it. The ones I remember had their hands sewn together and about all they could do was sit with their knees tucked under their arms.
60's era elf
Then in 2005, a lady named Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell figured out a back story for the elves and published a kids picture book. The idea is the elves show up in your house starting around Thanksgiving and each night they magically fly back to the North Pole each night to tell Santa about the childrens' behavior during the day. ... Oh, and you're not supposed to touch the elf or it ruins the magic or something and they can never tell Santa that you've been good. Kind of creepy, huh?
I can't believe I didn't think of this but, you can have some fun with your elf on the shelf placement. In particular, don't put Dad in charge of the elf on the shelf
But remember, the elf on the shelf is watching...
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Bypass-OMO
frequent visitor
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Posted - Dec 05 2017 : 22:44:18
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OK all I can say is WOW lol
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That's MISTER Lag Monkey to you.
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Posted - Dec 06 2017 : 09:55:58
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I remember the first time I heard Bing Crosby and David Bowie sing Little Drummer Boy (Peace on Earth) and, at the time, I thought it was really interesting how two such different singers could come together that way. I was also pretty certain that the track had just been dubbed together ... at least until I saw that previous link.
Of course even the classics can stand some updating.
... and let mankind not bogart love.
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That's MISTER Lag Monkey to you.
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Posted - Dec 07 2017 : 05:37:38
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Chet Atkins was a legendary guitar player. At one point in his career Chet Atkins coined the term “Certified Guitar Player” to describe an artist who personified the ultimate in performance skill and musical quality. Chet personally bestowed the C.G.P. title on only four guitarists: Tommy Emmanuel, John Knowles, the late Jerry Reed, and Steve Wariner. His daughter bestowed the title on Paul Yandell, the long-time bandleader for, and confidant of, Chet Atkins—and a stellar guitarist in his own right.
 
Tommy Emmanuel & John Knowles
Here's a Christmas favorite that features 2 CGP's
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Country: USA
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That's MISTER Lag Monkey to you.
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Aged
That's MISTER Lag Monkey to you.
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Posted - Dec 09 2017 : 05:28:59
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I've always felt that being a parent of young children at Christmas was a treat. None of my kids are young now, but I still remember trying to bring the magic. It was hectic Christmas Eve, trying to get them to bed, and then making sure things were put together, loaded with batteries and set out to look special. I remember that magical feeling as a kid myself, seeing the presents under the tree first thing Christmas morning.
But, apparently there are parents don't get the memo on that...
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That's MISTER Lag Monkey to you.
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Posted - Dec 10 2017 : 06:46:19
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The Gift of the Magi is a short story by O. Henry and was first published in the New York Sunday World on December 10, 1905. I can remember reading it in high school or middle school (I can't remember which) and not thinking much of it at the time. I can remember thinking that Della could just regrow her hair. As I've matured (my wife would probably take issue with that or at least say I haven't gone very far in that regard ...), my appreciation of the story has changed - especially since I have a greater appreciation for what goes into getting "the perfect gift" for someone you love.
Wikipedia summary:
Mr. James Dillingham Young ("Jim") and his wife, Della, are a couple living in a modest apartment.
On Christmas Eve, with only $1.87 in hand, and desperate to find a gift for Jim, Della sells her hair for $20 to a nearby hairdresser named Madame Sofronie, and eventually finds a platinum pocket watch fob chain for Jim's watch for $21. Satisfied with the perfect gift for Jim, Della runs home and begins to prepare pork chops for dinner.
At 7 o'clock, Della sits at a table near the door, waiting for Jim to come home. Unusually late, Jim walks in and immediately stops short at the sight of Della, who had previously prayed that she was still pretty to Jim. Della then admits to Jim that she sold her hair to buy him his present. Jim gives Della her present – an assortment of combs, useless now that her hair is short. Della then shows Jim the chain she bought for him, to which Jim says he sold his watch to get the money to buy her combs. Although Jim and Della are now left with gifts that neither one can use, they realize how far they are willing to go to show their love for each other, and how priceless their love really is.
The story ends with the narrator comparing the pair's mutually sacrificial gifts of love with those of the Biblical Magi.
If you'd like to read the story in its entirety, here it is.
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That's MISTER Lag Monkey to you.
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Aged
That's MISTER Lag Monkey to you.
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Posted - Dec 12 2017 : 08:52:11
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Olive is a Jack Russell terrier that learns the Christmas is endanger of cancellation because Blintzen has been injured in a practice flight and can't fly. Santa has announced that he hopes he can make his run with "all of the other reindeer", which Olive mishears and thinks Santa's talking about her.
Meanwhile a postman, that's tired of hauling all the catelogs, cards and gifts for Christmas decides this is his chance to ease his seasonal burden once and for all.
The show follows Olive's attempts to make it to the North Pole and help Santa and the postman's attempts to keep her from ruining his plan.
My daughters loved the show and we used to have the dvd, but once when we were clearing out our dvd library my youngest said it could go. Of course, she now disavows ever saying that because she loved the show and wishes we still had it ... to which I tell her that's why I asked if she was sure it could go multiple times before putting it in the pile for the public library.
Fortunately, somebody uploaded it to YouTube.
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Aged
That's MISTER Lag Monkey to you.
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Posted - Dec 13 2017 : 07:45:24
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45 years ago today, Gene Cernan stepped into lunar module Challenger and became the last person to walk on the moon. Before entering the LM, he said,
"I'm on the surface; and, as I take man's last step from the surface, back home for some time to come - but we believe not too long into the future - I'd like to just [say] what I believe history will record. That America's challenge of today has forged man's destiny of tomorrow. And, as we leave the Moon at Taurus-Littrow, we leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind. Godspeed the crew of Apollo 17."
The picture below shows the EVAs conducted during the mission, which included use of the 3rd lunar rover (or "moon buggy"). Anyone else remember this musical exchange between Cernan and Schmitt?
On the following day, the LM lifted off, marking the last extraterrestrial excursion by humans.
(Yeah, I know, it's not really much of a Christmas themed story, but since it happened on this date and much of this thread is about nostalgia, I thought I'd include it.)
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That's MISTER Lag Monkey to you.
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Posted - Dec 14 2017 : 07:17:45
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One thing we must all keep in mind during the holiday season ... Safety First!
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Aged
That's MISTER Lag Monkey to you.
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Posted - Dec 15 2017 : 07:35:22
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"Good King Wenceslas" is a popular Christmas carol that tells a story of a Bohemian king going on a journey and braving harsh winter weather to give alms to a poor peasant on the Feast of Stephen (December 26, the Second Day of Christmas). During the journey, his page is about to give up the struggle against the cold weather, but is enabled to continue by following the king's footprints, step for step, through the deep snow. The legend is based on the life of the historical Saint Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia or Svatý Václav in Czech (907–935). (from Wikipedia)
The story of the real King Wenceslas is a bit more complicated than that of the Christmas carol.
First of, as you can see from above, he wasn't a King. He was a Duke. He only became a king posthumously when the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I conferred the title of king to him. Duke Wenceslaus (not different spelling) came to power in 921 upon the death of his father. However, given his age (13), his grandmother served as regent. This infuriated his mother and she had his grandmother killed. His mother then assumed the role of regent. When Wenceslaus reached 18, he assumed the role of regent and had his mother exiled.
During her reign, Wenceslaus's mother initiated a number of actions against the Christians of Bohemia. Wenceslaus reversed these policies and introduced Latin rites to the church there - made necessary by the lack of Slavic priests due to his mother's policies. He also divided the country between himself and his brother in an attempt to fend off disputes.
However, his brother, with the help of a group of nobles plotted his assassination. They invited him to a feast and stabbed him and his companions. It's said his brother ran a lance through Wenceslaus as his lay dying.
Almost immediately, Wenceslaus was deemed a martyr and a saint. Biographies circulated after his death continued the theme and gave rise the the concept of the righteous monarch - a ruler whose power stems from their piety.
Wenceslaus is considered a nation hero in the Czech Republic and the legend goes that when the Motherland is in danger or in its darkest times and close to ruin, the equestrian statue of King Wenceslaus in Wenceslaus Square will come to life.
Ok, enough history ... Good King Wenceslas
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That's MISTER Lag Monkey to you.
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Posted - Dec 16 2017 : 16:08:54
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Bob Newhart was famous for his deadpan humor and often relied on subtly for laughs.
So, it should come as no surprise when Christmas time rolled around during the first season of Newhart, it was a clever, subtle gem.
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Country: USA
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That's MISTER Lag Monkey to you.
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Posted - Dec 17 2017 : 06:06:16
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When my children stopped believing in Santa Claus, I have to admit it was a bittersweet moment. On one hand, the "magic" took a major hit, but on the other, security precautions could be slackened.
But perhaps, some people always believe.
(Either that, or some folks maybe have Quentin Tarrantino plan their Christmas party.)
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Country: USA
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That's MISTER Lag Monkey to you.
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Posted - Dec 18 2017 : 03:50:28
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For some actors, playing Santa is a bit of a stretch.
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Advent calendar 2017
