Office chatter

Over five and a half years later*, this is still the first shirt worn in my gym clothes rotation. Fare thee well, denizens of Dunder Mifflin Scranton. Dinkin' flicka.

*It was amazing how quickly these showed up on ebay after “Fun Run” aired.

"And the Oscar goes to...That's My Boy!"

Well, it's time once again for the prestigious annual Hollywood circle jerk that we call the Oscars. (A.K.A. the only thing that makes me put off viewing The Walking Dead.) Yes, the stars have come out to shine! And preen, mug, bloviate, etc. Just who will take home the big prize this year? The story about a President desperately trying to do the right thing and secure his legacy (Zero Dark Thirty), the exploits of a couple of mental patients training for a dance contest (Django Unchained), or the extreme close ups of singing people pretending to be French (Amour)? Or maybe one of the other nominated films?

I have seen very few of the nominated films this year, so I largely can't comment on the merits of them. But the fact that The Avengers only got one paltry nom in a technical category - and not nods all across the board - reinforces my view that the Oscars are a sham. In my heart the film has already won the Oscar for Best Picture Ever Made. (Apologies to Highlander.) Also completely overlooked: Bernie, The Cabin in the Woods, and Blue Like Jazz. COME ON!

It wouldn't be the Oscars without a lot of chatter about red carpet fashion! Yeah, well, unless someone is wearing something goofy like a swan dress, I don't really care about all that. But I will say that I'm currently wearing a shirt by Anton "Piggly" Wiggly, pants by House of Simpsons, and slippers by Louis Dockers.

Per usual, I'll be live blogging the ceremony here in the comments section. I invite you to join in the snark and comment along. Feel free to talk smack about what movies and actors you hate (true story: not everyone likes Anne Hathaway), who you love, what a mess the telecast is, who you are wearing, your predictions, the most glaring snubs, etc. (I'll also post some exceptionally funny tweets that I come across during the night; do the same, if you want. Twitter was made for events like this.)

Bring on the glitz, glamor, and phoniness!

I stand resolute.

"I've achieved plenty and there's no better than the best." - Dwight Schrute on New Year's resolutions

January's coming to a close and, while I hate the whole resolution thing, I guess I should lay out some areas for improvement within the coming year. But unlike previous years, I'm keeping it simple with only three attainable goals:

1. Cool it with the other screens while watching movies and TV. At home, that is. I'm not a Philistine that disrupts fellow moviegoers. But within the comfort of my couch, all too often I multitask with my laptop and/or phone when I put on a movie or TV show. And without my full attention, I miss things and don't fully appreciate what I'm half-watching. No more! Well... Just during commercials! And the boring parts!

2. Give back to my favorite podcasts. These days I listen to more podcasts than music. They've entertained me so much for no cost at all. While I've been pretty good about doing my Amazon shopping through The Christmas Stocking's affiliate link, I feel I should be better at supporting them. Get a premium subscription to Never Not Funny? Buy a Doug Loves Movies shirt? See Paul F. Tompkins or the Sklar brothers if they ever do a show around me? Purchase the Comedy Film Nerds book and Girl on Guy app? Yeah, I think I should do all of those things.

3. Don't start another book series until I finish the ones I've already started. Currently I'm in the middle of The Strain and The Hunger Games trilogies. No more new ones until I get through those. (I'm not counting my beloved Parker books, since there are 24 of those and few contain arcs that carry through to subsequent books. Or so I've heard.)

Bonus! When talking about Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, and their spawn, I vow to never, ever use the loathsome word "Kimye".

Happy Burns Night!

Happy Burns Night! I shall be celebrating in the traditional manner: reading some of his verse on my Kindle, sipping a wee nip of scotch, and getting caught up on last night's NBC comedies.

Drink 'n Songs: Eggnog

Welcome to the first installment of Drink 'n Songs, in which, in order to maximize enjoyment of a beloved (likely alcoholic) beverage, I pair it with a group of five or so songs. I've been kicking around this idea for a couple of years now and figured Christmas would be the best time to get off of my duff* and unveil it.

And the beverage for this inaugural installment of DNS? Eggnog!

Now, you can go out and buy premade eggnog from a store - might I suggest Southern Comfort's go at it? - and mix it with your choice of spiced rum, Irish whiskey, brandy, or bourbon. Or if you're feeling your oats, you can make your own from scratch. Per the Behind the Bar Show podcast, here's a recipe:

4 eggs
2 oz simple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
3 cups milk
grated nutmeg

Whisk eggs until frothy. Whisk in simple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and allspice. While still whisking, slowly add the milk. Serve in Irish Coffee glasses or mugs. Sprinkle nutmeg on top. Feel free to spike with rum or whiskey.

Got your eggnog all ready? Good. Just what songs would enhance the pleasure of consuming this Yuletide drink? Look no further! Actually, you will have to scroll down to see them...

1. The Minus 5 - "Your Christmas Whiskey"



"Christmas is the warmest time of year" is the repeated theme of this song by the Minus 5 and they are right. This is a time for sharing with family and friends, so pour them a mug of eggnog and let the warm fuzzies inside you grow.

2. Duke Ellington - "Sugar Rum Cherry"



You're sitting around the house, listening to the same old Christmas songs and the rage swells when Wham! shuffles onto your playlist. It's high time you class up the joint with this smokey take on "The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy". And rum is in the title, so it kinda sorta is mandated that it be included in this list.

3. John Legend with Stephen Colbert - "Nutmeg"



Face it: eggnog is the most sensual of the holiday beverages. So, put the kids to bed, ladle out a couple of glasses, and get freaky with your loved one while John Legend ushers you through the quiet (snow) storm.

4. The Decemberists - "Please Daddy (Don't Get Drunk This Christmas)"



While eggnog is one of the best things about the holiday season, you don't want to overdo it. You'll be regretting it when a fight inevitably breaks out during your party. Let the Decemberists' cover of this John Denver staple serve as a reminder that this drink is best enjoyed in moderation. (Plus, overindulgence will result in your "fat pants" becoming your "regular pants".)

5. The Morning Squirrels - "The Eggnog Song"



This is a bit of nepotism on my part, since this is a song my brother composed and performed back around 2005. Yes, it may be a little on the nose for this list, but it really lays out the eggnog-fueled joys of the holiday season (with assists from Charlie Brown and Linus).

So there you have it. Put these songs on the hi-fi in your space age bachelor pad, kick back with a mighty mug of nog, and revel in the waning days of the year. Merry Christmas!

*Duff beer! There's an idea for a future edition. Brilliant.

Wonderful christmasTunes

Season's greetings, faithful reader(s). The economy's in the dumps, there's rage in the Middle East, Howie Mandel is hosting a new game show. Clearly, we need a little Christmas. And this year's edition of A Very Micah Christmas has arrived just in time.

This year I put all of the songs - well, all of the ones available on Spotify - into a playlist for your convenience:



The full AVMC '12 experience includes the following:

1. "We Need a Little Christmas" - AgesandAges
2. "Wonderful Christmastime" - The Shins
3. "The Wassail Song" - The Boy Least Likely To
4. "Silent Night, Holy Night" - Allen Toussaint
5. "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" - Paul McCartney
6. "All I Ever Get for Christmas Is Blue" - Over the Rhine
7. "O Little Town of Bethlehem" - The Silver Fleece
8. "I'll Be Home for Christmas" - Frank Sinatra
9. "White Christmas" - Dean Martin
10. "Snowflakes" - Erica Driscoll and Boots Ottestad
11. "The Krampus Song" - Jordan Dobbs Rosa
12. "Hanu-calypso" - Kenny Ellis
13. "Mambo Santa Mambo" - The Enchanters
14. "A Great Big Sled" - The Killers with Toni Halliday
15. "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" - Twisted Sister
16. "Zombie Christmas" - Emmy the Great and Tim Wheeler
17. "Lonesome Anti-Christmas Blues" - The Fratellis
18. "Cheap Gold" - Frightened Rabbit
19. "Baby, It's Cold Outside" - Built for the Sea
20. "Christmas Must Be Tonight" - My Morning Jacket
21. "Christmas Eve With You" - Lindi Ortega
22. "If We Make It Through December" - Merle Haggard
23. "This Good Night Is Still Everywhere" - Dustin Kensrue
24. "Auld Lang Syne" - Andrew Bird
25. surprise!

You can grab them all right here. Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving weekend!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. I've neglected this blog so much (and put more effort into my Tumblr lately) that I almost forgot to post this slideshow I made for the best Thanksgiving song ever, Steve Poltz's "Holiday Song".

Count your blessings, enjoy the time with your loved ones, think of others, keep warm, and stay safe.

After Charlie Brown inevitably takes his own life, the neighbors and his "friends" will have his blood on their hands

I made these Great Pumpkin pictures and posted them one by one over the last week at my Tumblr, but I figured it's be nice to have them all in one place.
Happy Halloween!