Saturday, December 25, 2010

The 2010 Holiday Spirit Blog Carnival 2nd Edition



Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and welcome to the Second Edition (and final edition) of The 2010 Holiday Spirit Blog Carnival (for this year). I'm glad that you've taken time out of your busy holiday schedule to spend a little of it with us!

For a lot of people this has been a hard year (maybe even the past few years) so many people will be happy to see it go and look forward to the next year with anticipation but now is a good time to also look back at the year and think about the good things that have happened (as well as the things that you might want to change). I've lost two uncles this years, so I'm reminded that all our lives on this planet are temporary and that we do need to let our loved ones know how much they mean to us.

I hope that you're able to spend the holidays with family and friends. Maybe you can even invite that lonely colleague that you know will be spending the holidays by him/herself to spend some of the holidays with you and your celebrations. Having been that colleague once in my life, I can tell you that you can sure make someone feel great if you invite them (even if it turns out that the already have plans and can't join you).

I've been happy with many of the submissions for this year's Holiday Spirit Blog Carnival and look forward to seeing all the great entries next year. My wife wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving this year within some of the holiday dishes she is preparing since I had to work on the American Thanksgiving this year (I have taken it off several times in the past) she wanted to make a pecan pie yesterday but had to settle for walnuts, but boy was it good! That reminds me that there were entries on Mexican food blogs and Pizza blogs. I'd love to see more recipes for those holiday favorites of yours. In the first issue this year there was an entry that talked about blogs on Kosher living, so hopefully I can learn a little more about Jewish living and I hope that next year we can learn more about Muslim and other holidays that we can include in the holiday spirit. It would be great if we can use this time of year to bring people closer together.


This year there are even more ways to celebrate the holidays. Globaljammerz.com is celebrating the holidays from December 1st right up till the new year breaking around the globe. They're holding a Happy Holidays event sponsored by the "If Music Be The Food Of Love....Play on!" group. Why not take a break from your holiday shopping and craziness and stop by? Have thoughts of a snow covered castle gone through your mind? Then maybe you might want to check out their "Castles of the World" group. Do you have a favorite holiday recipe, then why not share it with the Holiday Spirit and Globaljammez's "International Recipe Exchange" group?

Go grab a beverage of choice (warm or cold), enjoy the fire, and lets celebrate the holidays!

Big Cajun Man presents Gifts You Shouldn’t Get Your Kids (ever) posted at Canadian Personal Finance Blog, saying, "Some last minute gift ideas to completely MISS!"


Nancy Smith presents Advice On Choosing Ideal Child Gifts posted at Mothers Day 2009, saying, "Presents for kids are often obvious but at times you might need some extra ideas."


Kerry Fletcher presents How to decorate for a New Year's Eve party posted at Examiner.


Jennifer Miner presents Fun Things to Do NYC Christmas — The Vacation Gals posted at The Vacation Gals - Family travel, girlfriend getaways, romantic getaways, destinations, things to do, travel tips, saying, "We love to see our extended family every Christmas, so we always travel during the holidays. For anyone vacationing in New York City over Christmas, here are some of my favorite, fun, kid-friendly holiday activities in that city."

Steve presents Decorating for a Victorian Christmas Theme | Christmas 2010 Shop posted at Christmas 2010 Shop, saying, "Decorating in Victorian style is great for Christmas when you can afford the items."

MacKenna Stevens presents 39 Awesome Charities to Support This Holiday Season posted at Masters in Social Work, saying, "If you’re stumped for a gift to give loved ones who have everything they need (and then some), think about donating to a charity in their name this holiday season. Many charities have online access for donating and will mail you a small card or allow you to print out a flyer saying you’ve donated to them. Put this in a holiday card and give the gift of giving back to a cause you believe in."

Evelyn Dugan presents 15 Smart-Shopper Tips for Post-Holiday Shopping posted at Earn A Degree Online, saying, "Both online and in-store shopping offer additional markdowns the day after Christmas and well into January and February, so keep this guide handy to help you score during post-holiday shopping."

Tara Snyder presents 40 Tips for Doing All of Your Holiday Shopping Online posted at Online Training, saying, "The holiday season has arrived and stores are already blasting the Christmas tunes and giving us Black Friday-worthy deals in early November. While there’s a lot on your plate during the holidays, shopping for gifts doesn’t have to be one of them. You still have to do a little thinking and planning, but shopping online is worlds easier than trucking it out the store every time you realize you have someone else on your gift list."


Jaybot presents Xmas Holidays in Japan posted at Jaybot7 : Jason Surguine : Music : Audio : Design : Games, saying, "How I recently spent my Christmas holidays in Tokyo and Nagoya Japan. It's split into two parts, so you can choose which one"


Wise Bread presents 8 Gifts the Man in Your Life Really Wants posted at Wisebread.


Katie Sorene presents 7 Most Incredible Department Stores in the World posted at Travel Blog - Tripbase.


HtF presents How to Fix Up Your Christmas Tree to Keep It Fresh posted at How To Fix.



That concludes the final edition this year. Submit your blog article to the next edition of The Holiday Spirit Blog Carnival next year using our carnival submission form. Past and future editions can be found on our
blog carnival index page. I hope that you've enjoyed this edition and we look forward to your next visit. Feel free to submit an article, give us your comments, and spread the Holiday Spirit to others. Look for The Holiday Spirit Blog Carnival to return around Thanksgiving 2011. Be sure to check out our other blog carnivals as well as our other posts. Happy Holidays everyone and I hope that 2011 is a great year for you and your family.


Photo credit: "fireplace 2" courtesy of michalina.



Wednesday, December 22, 2010

The 2010 Holiday Spirt Blog Carnival 1st Edition


Welcome to the First Edition of The 2010 Holiday Spirit Blog Carnival. I've enjoyed this time of year for as long as I can remember. First there was all the excitement of the kid wondering what he'd get for Christmas and how much fun you could have in this time of year. Later on this time of year became more about connecting with family and friends and letting them know how much they meant to me. After becoming a parent there was of course the excitement of seeing the holidays through your childrens' eyes and getting all excited again. Over the course of The Holiday Spirit Blog Carnival, I hope that you'll join me in getting excited and spreading some holiday cheer. Two years when I chose the title for the blog carnival, I purposely choose Holiday Spirit because I didn't want to only focus on Christmas, and in fact I'd love to see some submissions on how other faiths celebrate holidays that are meaningful to them that occur this time of year. I'd love to hear how Jewish and Muslim people celebrate their holidays, it would be great if we can use this time of year to bring people closer together.


The first editon of the Holiday Spirit Blog Carnival for 2010 was delayed due to how unbelieveably busy I've been the past couple of months. There should be at least one or two more editions between now and Christmas.

This year there are even more ways to celebrate the holidays. Globaljammerz.com is celebrating the holidays from December 1st right up till the new year breaking around the globe. They're holding a Happy Holidays event sponsored by the "If Music Be The Food Of Love....Play on!" group. Why not take a break from your holiday shopping and craziness and stop by? Have thoughts of a snow covered castle gone through your mind? Then maybe you might want to check out their "Castles of the World" group. Do you have a favorite holiday recipe, then why not share it with the Holiday Spirit and Globaljammez's "International Recipe Exchange" group?

Without further adieau, let the holiday season begin!


Elizabeth Wright presents 50-Point Checklist To Perfect Your Holiday Hosting posted at Education Degrees.


Tim Dalton presents 50 Best Blogs for Kosher Living posted at Theology Degrees Online, saying "Keeping kosher is not always easy, but finding some support online can help enormously. Whether you already know lots about this lifestyle or are just starting out, you will need some kosher recipes, restaurant reviews, gift ideas, knowledge about food and wine, and much more..." I'd imagine that there are probably some good blogs there for people interested in finding out more about how Jewish people live.

Cindy Cullen presents Top 49 Mexican Cooking Blogs posted at Culinary Arts College, saying "Mexican food is delicious, but bringing the recipes to your own kitchen may be tricky. We all love hitting a Mexican restaurant, big or small, and noshing on enchiladas and fajitas and washing it all down with a margarita. These blogs will help you gather the right ingredients and perfect your technique when cooking up something spicy." I have fond memories of how the Tristan family always made Tamales for Christmas. I spent quite a few holidays with good friends in Dallas and think about them all often this time of year.

Cindy Cullen presents Top 24 Pizza Blogs posted at Culinary Arts College, saying "Nearly everyone, young and old, flock to the classic Italian dish that is accessible and easy to make at home. While we don’t all like the same toppings, learning more about pizza is something we all enjoy." A while back when visiting some friends that made a really neat pizza with apples and mustard, so how about a nice Christmas themed pizza?

Carrie Oakley presents 50 Time-Tested Recipes to Create the Perfect Thanksgiving Dinner posted at Online Colleges, saying "Thanksgiving brings memories of fun or horror, depending on who you’re talking to. If the job’s yours this year, check out this list of time-tested recipes that will be a hit with almost any crowd. While you can’t keep up with every guests’s eating habits or preferences, you can strive to create simple dishes that are full of flavor and easy to pull off without breaking a sweat in the kitchen..." Thanksgiving is behind us this year but lots of people make some of the Thanksgiving dishes for Christmas or maybe you can use this to get ready for next year.

Wise Bread presents 5 Rules for Planning Your Most Affordable Christmas Ever posted at Wise Bread. With Christmas being only days away don't let your Christmas shopping carry you away and take you beyond your budget.

Tash presents Christmas spirit of giving posted at Love Santa, saying "Christmas is about giving, not fancy wrappings and expensive gifts as such."

Hans Hallanger presents 22 Christmas Organizing Ideas for a less stressed holiday. posted at Organized Way Blog, saying " Ideas to help make the Christmas season be more organized, less stressful and more enjoyable."

Stretching the One Income Dollar presents Stretching the One Income Dollar: Christmas on a Shoestring posted at Stretching the One Income Dollar.

PT presents Christmas Gift Ideas Under $25 posted at PT Money, saying "A huge list of unique Christmas gift ideas under $25, perfect for a more frugal Christmas."

Wenchypoo presents The 12 Cyber-Scams of Christmas posted at Wisdom From Wenchypoo's Mental Wastebasket. Watch out when you do your holiday shopping.

Wenchypoo presents The One Gift Card Worth Giving...and It's Free! posted at Wisdom From Wenchypoo's Mental Wastebasket. A great and inexpensive gift idea.

Jerry Rogers presents 12 Great Gadget Blogs for the Smart Holiday Shopper posted at College Crunch.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of The Holiday Spirit Blog Carnival using our carnival submission form. Past and future editions can be found on our
blog carnival index page. I hope that you've enjoyed this edition and we look forward to your next visit. Feel free to submit an article, give us your comments, and spread the Holiday Spirit to others.


Photo credit: "Snowman Ornament 1" courtesy of pronoya.





Wednesday, December 8, 2010

John Lennon- IMAGINE



December 8, 1980, John Lennon was shot and killed in New York. I woke up the next morning and turned on the radio and was totally shocked to hear this. This was the first thing that I heard on this day that should have normally be a happy day for me, as it was my 14th birthday, but now it is really the only thing that I remember from that day. In a short period of time following John Lennon's murder, there were attempts on the the lives of the Pope and President Reagan (both unsuccessful). I wasn't arround when President Kennedy was assiginated, but I know that I was so shocked that someone would kill John Lennon and I think that people were probably as shocked when President Kennedy was killed.

In 1980, John released his "Double Fantasy" album. This marked his return after taking a few years off from the music world to be a stay at home father and raise Sean. The album signaled that he was back, it had a lot of promise and gave us a glimpse of where his music might have gone. Looking at the promise that was there after the release of "Double Fantasy", this makes his death that much more traggic.

Being shot down seems like a very ironic way to die for someone that was so peace oriented. It doesn't really seem fitting for someone known for wanting to "give peace a chance" and for saying that "War is Over, if we want it", should die in such a way.

There have been very few song writting teams that have come even close to matching the success fo Lennon/McCartney. Few bands or artists have been nearly as popular and loved as the Beatles. John's post Beatles musical career was pretty fruitful and you have to wonder if he had lived today, if Paul would have had the most successful post Beatles career or if John would have been more successful? You also have to wonder where he would have gone with his music? What projects would he have done? I also wonder, if he was such a controversial person that he was bound to be killed, if not on December 8, 1980 than another time?

I've really enjoyed working on the JOHN LENNON - IMAGINE event at Globaljammerz.com, putting together the daily online radio shows and telling people about the event. I hope that you'll check out my shows that are running at 9 pm (U.S. Central time) through December 12th. I also hope that you'll share what John and the Beatles have meant to you, what your favorite songs are, what your favorite memories and stories are, and I hope that you'll join the other Beatles fans at the Fab Four group at Globaljammerz. It doesn't cost anything to join, so why not check it out. With the remaining shows I'd like to do a couple of requests shows, so I've been collecting songs requests at various places along the web. I'd also like to do a couple of shows of people covering the Beatles and John Lennon songs, so your input is most welcome.

I remember making a vow on the day that I heard about John's death, that his death wouldn't be in vain and that I would someday find meaning in his loss (our loss). Thirty years later I'm still trying to find the meaning and make something out of my life. Who knows, maybe I'll find it by the the 60th Anniversary! I think that John would have loved our social web today and being able to connect with his fans in a totally different way than musicians did in the past would be something he'd appreciate. John, thank you for all the great music. Thanks to you, I can imagine all the people living for today and I can picture myself in a boat on a river with tangerine trees and marmalade skies and so much more.

Photocredit: The John Lennon collage is posted in the Fab Four group at Globaljammerz.