Hard Candy Christmas

We've just had what we've been calling a "hard candy Christmas" at our house. Ostensibly, this means we didn't spend as much money, but mostly it just meant less work. I did spend about $130 on an upgrade for our kitchen though, and preparing for that took part of the morning and afternoon. Thanks to my good friend Lester though, it was very much worth it!  Here is what our old kitchen faucet (which was leaking and crusted with lime) looked like. . .

And here is the (vastly) new and imroved version. . .

Greenlee Gazette Christmas Gift Guide: The Birds Barbie!

Image from source, Coolest Gadgets

I was a typical boy at Christmas time, wanting trucks and building sets. . .boy toys. I would have been horrified if Mom had gotten me anything remotely girly for Christmas (well, maybe an Easy Bake Oven!). But my dark humor gene is thrilled by this new Barbie doll. Barbie as Tippi Hedren in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds? Awesome!

[Excerpt]

“The Birds” Barbie Doll: Hitchcock’s Work Now Complete

Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” is widely regarded as one of the finest films ever to be witnessed on the big screen. Filled with almost unbearable suspense, the movie centers around a blond vixen who finds herself amidst a revolt of a murder of world-domineering birds. The bird’s start going batty, attacking children and damaging homes in tremendous numbers. . .

Read more at: Coolest Gadgets

Hat-tip to Kent Jones of The Rachel Maddow Show for the tip!

Greenlee Gazette Christmas Gift Guide: Sarah Palin Calendar!

Image from source, Raw Story

OK, so maybe a Sarah Palin calendar would be a gag gift. It certainly makes me gag. . .

[Excerpt]

Calendars have long been popular gift for the winter holidays, with swimsuit models, pop stars and cute animals as reliable subjects.

Now Republicans still abuzz over the November presidential election can look forward to a new favorite for 2009: Gov. Sarah Palin. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Greenlee Gazette Christmas Gift Guide: DVD Box Sets

In an attempt to inject a little holiday cheer into an otherwise overly dour blog, I'm trying to post a Christmas-themed post every day or so. Some are re-runs, and others are new. This is a guide to some TV series DVD box sets I wrote several months ago, and it may provide you some ideas for your last-minute gift buying.

I intended to do additional parts to this post when I wrote it, and may take the time over the next few days to do just that. For now, here is part 1.

[Original Post]

All images from source, Wikipedia

I've recently started collecting a few of my favorite TV shows on DVD. It started innocently enough with an impulse purchase of Wonder Woman, season one. I was a big fan of the show--and super heroes in general--back when I was a kid. After getting the first season I simply had to have the other two (actually there were four seasons, but the first two seasons were so sporadic, they counted them as one).

After that, I bought Laverne & Shirley's and Bewitched's first season. Then I discovered a terrific website called DeepDiscount.com.* They have great prices to begin with, and free shipping, but it gets even better when they have sales. At Christmas time, they were running a buy-one-get-one-free sale, and it included an all-time favorite of mine, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Mom bought me the whole set. Next, I'll have to get Angel. Since then, I've amassed a few more. Here's a mini review of each, should you be interested in acquiring any of these titles.

Wonder Woman (Season's 1 - 3) - Lynda Carter is terrific in the title role, and the series is a great deal of nostalgic fun. If you've never seen it before, it probably won't hold up as well. The show has dreadful pacing (which is true of many 70s dramas), but manages to be colorful and fun. Just fast forward through the long tracking shots of cars arriving and departing and the like. The set contains a few--if sparse--extra features. Recommended for fans only.

Laverne & Shirley (Seasons 1 - 3) - Again, my impressions are colored by a nostalgic love for the show, but I believe it holds up pretty well. It is helped by being set in the 50s and 60s, and so looking dated is a given. The show belongs in the "classic" category, along with I Love Lucy. No extras, and some music is replaced. Still, if you're a fan, highly recommended.

Bewitched (Seasons 1 & 2) - Elizabeth Montgomery and Agnes Moorehead shine in this classic show, which is available colorized and in original black and white. The color version looks terrific, by the way. A few special features, and remember, TV seasons were much longer in the 60s. The total number of episodes in these two sets would fill three or four seasons of a current show. Highly recommended.

The Black Adder (Seasons 1 - 5) - If you're like me, you'd see this show while channel surfing, and pass right by. It was on PBS (imported from Britain), and it's all set in the distant past--not high on my list of favorites. The Other Half introduced me to the series early in our relationship, and I was converted. Strange, hilarious and twisted. If you like Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean) and British humor, you'll love it. Some special features, but remember, British shows have much shorter seasons than we do. Recommended.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Seasons 1 - 7) - I've already geeked out over this one enough. Suffice it to say, this is the DVD set to show the rest how it's done. Chock-full of special features, great packaging (even the slim sets), everything you could possibly want. Very highly recommended.

Part 2 to follow at a later date (I promise!).

*This site is not affiliated in any way with DeepDiscount.com, and this is not an advertisement. But I have used this service repeatedly, and am immensely pleased with it. Prices are often better than you can find on eBay. Also, the one time an error was made, they corrected it quickly, no questions asked. Check them out.

The Onion: Gag Christmas Gift Boxes

Usually, when I go to a web site, and have to wait for an ad before getting there, I can barely stand waiting for the "skip ad" link to pop up. In this case, the ad was as good as the site. On a visit to The Onion, the ad that popped up was for fake, parody gift boxes. The boxes are real, but the products on the outside are ludicrously funny.

The one featured here was my favorite. There are several others, including USB Toaster, iFeast (a catfood feeder/iPod player), Kleen•Stride (brooms for the front of your shoes), Visorganizer (a storage unit for the bill of your cap), 28-Piece Professional Whisk Set, and Auto Power Strip (attaches to your rear-view mirror). Great stuff.

[Excerpt]

Peaceful Progression Smoke Alarm Gift Box

Awake to your next fire calm and refreshed with DigiPliance's Peaceful Progression Smoke Alarm. Choose the perfect way for your family to wake up—from the peaceful sounds of the Rainforest, to the celebration of Dixieland jazz, or the hot pulse of the Caribbean—because a fire doesn't have to be a disaster. . .

Get yours at: The Onion