Random Kitties: Christmas 1970

"Joanie, you look so pretty in that Nehru jacket!  Go pose with Mr. Whiskers by the tree."

I am a big fan of "found photos."  

You've heard of this, right?  People go to flea markets and garage sales and buy up old unwanted photographs for their own use and enjoyment.  

At first, I thought this was the saddest pursuit I had ever come across.  Then I changed my mind.  Photos don't have to lose their purpose when they become orphaned; no, instead photos and their subjects find new lives, new appreciation, and no one is forgotten. 

After all, what is a photograph?  I am a person.  I walked on this planet.  I had a life, and someone thought to document a moment of that life, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant.  I was here.  

Now I myself am an avid collector.  And the Internet, Pinterest especially, is a fountain of such photos.  My favorites involve people posing with their pets.  Since I am a much-abused human belonging to a cat, I like photos with kitties the best...so much so,   "Random Kitties" is a new category here on this blog.

Hope You Had A Cool Yule

Me, I'm plum tuckered out from making the Yuletide gay!

We had a really splendid holiday, lots of lovely presents (I got a Kitchen Aid stand mixer!  A cashmere pashmina!  A bottle of Samsara perfume!), gallons of libations, and a Christmas dinner of all-you-can-eat crab legs at our favorite local Chinese buffet.

I hope you all had a beautiful Christmas, if that's what you celebrate.  May it have been as much fun as this:

1977

I love this picture.  It's from this blog, and I find it so wonderful.

Wait a second...Santa Claus, NO!

From 1968: "God bless all of you, all of you on this good Earth."

Merry Christmas.

Grocery Store Favorites, Holiday Edition: Do They Know It's Christmas?

There is such a level of joy in this song, even 27 years later, that I just can't be snarky about it. Watching the video is like seeing old friends again.

Feed the world...let them know it's Christmastime again.

Sounds Good To Me

Please tell me that that is not a white-gloved Black Man serving cocktails to Mr. and Mrs. Whitey as their little brat languishes on Santa's lap.  And was Santa auditioning for a Thomas Dolby video?  "Science!"

From 1983: An Unsettling Portrait Of When Moms Wearing Reindeer Sweatshirts With Noses That Really Light Up Descend Upon Area Shopping Malls Today

"This is not a drill! She's got competitor's coupons, people!"

Wishing You And Yours A Very Merry Christmas

I leave for you my all-time favorite clip on YouTube.
What it is might surprise you.

Thank you for being my readers. Much love to you all.

From 1952: Beautiful Avon Ad Featuring Loretta Young

A phenomenal double-clicker.

From 1974: Team Heat Miser Versus Team Snow Miser

The greatest rivalry of all time, ladies and gentlemen...

Watch and decide for yourself: Team Heat Miser, or Team Snow Miser?



This program, The Year Without A Santa Claus, first aired on December 10, 1974. One of the most popular Rankin/Bass productions, it aired on ABC.

(p.s. I'm firmly on Team Heat Miser.)

From 1982: She's Right On Time

I am not really a fan of Billy Joel, but when I like one of his songs, I can be really quite obnoxious about it. So it is for this song. It appears on 1982's The Nylon Curtain.

According the various Billy Joel sources on The Information Superhighway, the song was never really released as a single, despite the hilarious and elaborate video that was made for the tune.

Here's a bit of trivia for you: before Joel married Christie Brinkley in 1985, he had romantic entitlements with two other models: Elle MacPherson and Whitney Houston (who had quite a promising career as a model until she, you know, opened her mouth to sing and Holy Heaven came out.)

From 1975: A Corey Feldman Christmas

Before he broke into the movies, Corey Feldman was an incredibly prolific child actor in television commercials from a very young age.

Here, Feldman is roughly three years old.

The young people of today simply do not understand that, to a Seventies Kid, a booklet of McDonald's gift certificates was one of the best presents you could ever get under the tree. Oh, the joy: playing with your new Maskatron (by Kenner!) on Christmas Day 1976, secure in the knowledge that some piping-hot McDonald's fries and one of their delicious cheeseburgers was in your near future, courtesy of Santa and those wonderful McD's gift certificates.

Those were the days.

From 1977: Classy Christmas In The Weiss House When I Was Growing Up: A Super Snack Smorgasboard, Cold Beer, and The Voice Of Charlie

A Christmas Present From Our Friend Doug Over At Dougsploitation

If there's anything I like more than tacky late-70s network Christmas extravaganzas, it's tacky late-70s network Christmas extravaganzas sponsored by McDonald's!

Now, apparently the gem of a program aired in December 1976. The only way this show could have been possibly improved upon was if then-presidential daughter-elect Amy Carter made a A Very Special Appearance to sing a medley of holiday favorites with a bicentennial flair. And Tony Orlando and Dawn, Rerun, Donny and Marie, and Kris Kristofferson could have joined in the Christmas magic just before the commercial with the Budweiser Clydesdales.

Papá Noel adora tetas grandes!

"Christmas with the dog lunatic...just for adults"

¡Ai yi yi! Put the kids to bed and put some cocktails in the shaker, because the dog lunatic awaits with some sophisticated holiday fun! ¡Las Pascua de Navidad atractivas para todos!

From my new favorite blog ever, LP Cover Lover.

From 1955: Bettie Page Wishes You A Merry Christmas

January 1955, where Page was Playmate of the Month.

She had a saucy innocence that is both contemporary and provocative, and also nostalgic.
Hugh Hefner

From Christmas 1972: I Give Up. There Are No Words.

Take it away, Jimmy Osmond. No, really. I mean, quite literally, take it away.

This video leads me to form a new category for blog posts: Botched Abortion.

And to think, my own Mother sent me this clip, just to torment me. Because you know I am going to be singing that chorus all the goddamned day long.

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year...To Take Some Time Off From Blogging

I'm a little burned out, folks, and like the rest of you, I have tons of stuff going on during the next three weeks.

Thanks to all of you who have made this blog part of your Internet day. I am very honored to have you come around and kick it with me, old school.

I leave you with what might be the single most awesome clip I have ever seen on The Internets.

Love to everyone. XOXOXOXOXO

See you in 2010...

And Santa Can Be Our Regular Saturday Night Thing

Patrick Swayze

1952-2009

Just In Time For Christmas, 1980: The Soundtrack Of Stan And Linda Facemeyer's Secret Santa Cocktail Potluck Party

1980

Hey, McScrooge! Still Blue And All Bah Humbug? Well, Let Doug Over At Dougsploitation Put You In The Holiday Mood!

In this installment, Doug takes a hilarious look at Christmas specials from days of yore, including my all-time favorites (and inspiration for my hairstyle since 1975), The Captain and Tenille.