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(FDR Lights the National Christmas Tree (photo from 1940)

It's getting to be that time of year again - and you know Christmas is just around the corner when they start lighting the National Tree. Since the season keeps moving up, I suppose it's only natural the tree gets lit today, as opposed to December 24th as it was during the Roosevelt years.

And in 1935, FDR did the honors.

FDR: “For the spirit of Christmas knows no race, no creed, no clime, no limitation of time or space. Yes, the spirit of Christmas breathes an eternal message of peace and goodwill to all men.”

I think it's safe to say the season has officially begun.

Grew up with two sisters, no brothers. At this time of year when White Christmas would come on the tee vee, we'd belt this one out loud and proud.

Lord help the mister, who comes between me and my man.

*The YouTube notes indicate Vera Ellen, a dancer, is not actually singing here, and it's Trudy Stevens's voice you're hearing with Rosemary Clooney's.

Favorite showtunes sharing appreciated tonight...

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Don't you love unauthorized video clips on songs that aren't out yet? Here's the new Sponge Bob Christmas song.

Missing from the fabulous game Whack-A-Wingnut: a chance to whack John Gibson with a War-On-Christmas Tree. I'd also like to whack the lot of them with the Fairness Doctrine. Otherwise, perfect.

Open Thread below.

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(Jean Shepherd - Occupation: Cheerful Chaos Merchant)

Living on the West Coast, I didn't have the opportunity of experiencing Jean Shepherd as so many in New York did. I got it by way of rumor, his album on Elektra and his syndicated radio show that periodically ran on KPFK. I heard he was good friends with a lot of the Beat Generation poets, and growing up with a well-thumbed copy of "A Coney Island Of The Mind" in my high school notebook, anyone who was anywhere near that scene had to be a hero of mine.

Years later, I ran across a collection of tapes which featured his live shows and a bunch of his studio shows from the early 60's, which this is one.

Shepherd is pretty much known today as the guy who wrote "A Christmas Story". And even though it's achieved a kind of "classic Americana" status - it doesn't really explain who Shepherd was and why he was so loved by everyone who heard him. His was a skewed vision of the world, often darkly humorous and completely iconoclastic.

To a 16 year old mind, he was just what the doctor ordered.

Christmas sure has a lot of songs, but 4th of July not so many. This one by Soundgarden is a fantastic slab of total sludge that's buried toward the end of their classic album Superunknown, and I always skip ahead to it.

"Fourth of July" by X is another great one.

What will you be spinning at your BBQs this weekend?

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From the Late Show with David Letterman Dec. 26, 2008.

From Headzup:

After saying that if a president does it, it's not illegal, Vice President Dick Cheney is visited by the ghost of Richard Nixon.

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Chris Farley reminding me that he was one funny S.O.B. while he was still with us. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone. My family had a good chuckle together when watching this today. I hope you do as well.

I'm not sure if South Park has ever been funnier than its first episode ever.

Enjoy. For the most part, we'll be taking the day off today like normal folks.

But as far as I'm concerned, Mary is always going to look a lot like Imogene Herdman - sort of nervous and bewildered, but ready to clobber anyone who laid a hand on her baby. And the Wise Men are always going to be Leroy and his brothers, bearing ham. When we came out of the church that night it was cold and clear, with crunchy snow underfoot and bright, bright stars overhead. And I thought about the Angel of the Lord - Gladys, with her skinny legs and her dirty sneakers sticking out from under her robe, yelling at all of us everywhere: 'Hey! Unto you a child is born!'

"The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" - Barbara Robinson

Here is how this book begins: "The Herdmans were absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world. They lied and stole and smoked cigars (even the girls) and talked dirty and hit little kids and cussed their teachers and took the name of the Lord in vain and set fire to Fred Shoemaker's old broken-down toolhouse." These truly nasty kids bully their way into the lead roles in a church Christmas pageant because they want hot chocolate and cookies, and by the end of the book, their unexpected Christmas spirit has us in tears.

What can I say? I'm such a sucker for a redemption story. Whether it's Scrooge, the Herdmans, George Bailey, the Grinch, little Susan Walker - or me, I just can't resist the story of someone who once was blind, but now they see.

This is what I wish for all of you this Christmas: To see, to fly above the despair. To understand why Christmas resonates throughout the world, even in places where they don't especially care (or even believe) that Jesus was born in a manger.

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Happy holidays! h/t Case.

Check out their version of The Hallelujah Chorus for a little more.

Redneck Mountain Dew Christmas Tree, or the ultimate in aluminum recycling? You decide! (h/t Mickey Finn)

Open thread below...

C&L will be hosting a Christmas party with the Drinking Liberally crowd in Santa Monica tonight at 7PM....
The club is called TRIP and the address is 2101 Lincoln Blvd, 90405

There will be some food and drink...see you there.