Coming in from the cold

Don't you just love Christmas? Such a great time of year. You get to spend an unusually long amount of time with your family, (always relaxing and pleasurable), or else some quality time alone, become filled with the peace, calm, and spirituality of the season, and can look back with satisfaction at what a fantastic year you've just had.

Just kidding!

I thought I'd get a quick one in just in time for Christmas, for all those who love it just as much as me (ie, not very much at all.)

It's called Coming In From The Cold - I'm trying to think of tunes that helped pick me up when I was blue, the songs that saved your life as Morrissey put it, so it's not all gloooom...


By the way, this is my list for Santa:

• Self-adhesive magnetic tape for making Meg Pickard's Moognets.
• Photoshop.
• HDR software
• A chainsaw. (Don't ask. Actually, if anybody has a chainsaw, could I borrow it? I don't really need one permanently. )

*Sigh* This reminds me of the first time Rae read my blog.
'I never realised before - you're a girl geek!'

And you? What's on your list?


podcasts
down with Christmas

Flagging...

Slaminsky is closed for refurbishment until 2007 (and may even return with new premises and a new name) we wish all our valued customers a happy holiday...

In the meantime, please enjoy some light elevator music.

podcasts

Advent calender

I found Taiga the Fox's blog and her magnificent advent calender via Patroclus. Especially loving the madness that lurks behind door number five.

Bah! Wish I'd thought of it. Too late now.

advent calender

Watch this?

There's something very annoying about Alan Yentob but Imagine today is all about the internet and features bloggers, might be interesting... or very annoying...

tv

Have you been good?

Well it's kind of early, but Woolworths doesn't seem to care, so...here are some virtual Christmas pressies for my linkees, because it's the season of goodwill, (and it's very easy to be generous when the presents are virtual.) Just call me Santa...

for Matt, a hat to proclaim his love of toast



for the Curve, a book about his favourite young soul rebels -but maybe he already has it? (and for Em a Roberts Radio for listening to Radio 4 in style)

And for bad Sarah a handy survival guide from our hero, Ray Mears

for Betty, some punk rock so she can watch the Slits in action once more

for Great She Elephant, some black & silver tango shoes to encourage her to go out dancing

for Alda, a cashmere beanie to keep her ears warm if Iceland gets too icy

for Cream, a gold skyscraper cocktail set, for when he's entertaining

for Rad, a cuddly R2D2 (though no doubt he already has it)

for Helga, our German girl about town, Lili Marlene - the collected works of Marlene Dietrich.

for pop fan Del, some Ronettes and Crystals singing Christmas tunes, even if he's not into carols he's got to like that cover

for Quink, now that he has a little Quinklet, he can continue his perambulations with this Time Out Guide - London for Children

what else for Señor T but a nice bottle of Rioja?

for Anxious, some kitchenware for her cookies and carrot cakes or maybe a retro apron for when she's feeling domestic

for Greavsie this classy car to drive Barberella around in style (because he wrote a nice post about his 'dad' car)

for QE, any one of these gaming t-shirts (I do not understand any of these references)

and a gravity-defying robot for hard-to-buy-for Sevitz

for young Heather a book with lots of pictures of her favourite man

for Realdoc a day in the spa, being a mum and a doctor I reckon she needs a day off

for Tim a nice bottle of brandy and glasses to sip it from when he needs a break from writing

for Pashmina, a handbag (what else?) Now one woman's dream bag might be another woman's fashion no-no but this Mulberry bag is fairly classic

for DcVer who has gone all green-fingered, this banana tree for his balcony

for Patroclus, this spiralight - I've no idea why, just thought it looked like fun

and for Billy an air zooka "air zooka your friends with high velocity air balls!" I could have thought of lots more intellectual presents for you but this looked like fun too.

for Guyana Gyal a hammock to swing on in the garden while she's thinking up stories

for art-loving Adrian, a membership to the Tate, where he can drink in the bar with a lovely view whilst appreciating some art

for Wyndham, a TiVo box to forward through all those pesky ads

for Dan, a case to carry his lovely camera in

for Viking, my fellow coffee fiend, this Gaggia to make coffee in his new place in Seattle

for Destructor a Pelikan pen to inspire him to write his next novel

for Rockmother, a pair of vintage platforms, so she can live up to her RoMo image, and see over people's heads at gigs.

for Natalie, some Mod Cat's Eye sunglasses for keeping the sun off next time she goes to a festival

for Gordon this 'charming' porcelain chihuahua night-light - sorry Gordon, I have no idea of your taste, I think it is the most hideous thing I've ever seen but it will be surely be a talking point in your gracious home.

for Shyha, one of these Lomo fisheye cameras (if I can borrow it sometime)

for Broke in Berlin, a baby Fiat - I'll get one too, we'll both learn to drive and we can tootle around Berlin having mini-car-races in them.

Wow, shopping online eh? This is much more fun when money is no object, and you don't have to go down Oxford Street.

If I left you out, drop me a line in the comments and I'll find one for you.

Christmas
presents