Homeowner's display in Boston, MA Decorating your house for Christmas is no longer just stringing up a single row of lights on the roof, and you'll need more than those cool "icicle" lights to please the public. (Of course, if you live anywhere near a house that synchronizes the lights to music, you might as well throw in the towel.) Nowadays, homeowners are jollier than ever, seemingly competing against each other to create the most dazzling home display. Some towns do, in fact, hold competitions to reward these illuminated homes which are racking up their utility bills. People drive miles to see displays of electric Christmas cheer, and some houses take good advantage of the crowds, asking for donations for charities. Doing it all for a worthy cause might also be good ammo against those Grinch-like neighbors who want to shut the whole thing down. Apparently, some folks aren't crazy about constant lines of cars idling down their streets, blocking their driveways, and making it hard for their many friends and admirers to visit them. (Or maybe they're just jealous....) This year, if you and your family enjoy scoping out well-lit houses with countless lights and goodies, give thanks to the homeowners, if you see them. And if you're the Grinch who lives next door, lighten up, will ya? Suggested Sites... Osborne Family Christmas Lights - this family's display was a victim of Grinch neighbors, but their display lives on at Walt Disney World. Tacky Light Tour - ginormous database of Christmas-decorated houses across America. Ugly Christmas Lights.com - they can't all be beautiful and tastefully decorated. Christmas Vacation Tribute Video - first featured is Clark Griswold's super-illuminated house, which may have inspired today's Christmas display enthusiasts. Wikipedia: Christmas Lights - the history of electric Christmas lights and other holiday decorations.

Directory categories: Christmas Displays and Lights, Christmas Light Retailers, Christmas

Archived under: Christmas, Contests, Decorating, Events, Fanatics, Holidays, Home and Garden

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Shoppers following their own advice. (And , no, we didn't have to pay to use this image.) (Photo by Brave New Films) When getting or giving a gift, we often hear, "It's the thought that counts," implying that it doesn't matter what we buy, as long as we buy something. So, every year on the day after Thanksgiving, American shoppers hurl themselves into malls in a frenzy, desperately hunting for Black Friday bargains. After the shelves been picked clean and the registers closed out, economists anxiously await the day's totals, hoping to forecast a strong economy for the upcoming holiday season. But there are some who believe that the only forecast this consumerism points to is damage to ourselves and our planet. And if folks like the Reverend Billy have anything to say about it, we won't be buying anything. The good Reverend is one of those critics of rampant consumerism who urge you to participate in the holiday madness by not participating in it. "Reverend Billy" is the nom du theatre of performance artist Bill Talen, who founded the Church of Stop Shopping. His mock gospel of anti-consumerism became deadly serious when he attacked a certain mouse-headed corporation for its "Disneyfication" of New York's Times Square, and Starbucks for driving out small local businesses in the name of creating a "fake Bohemia." It's not that Billy is anti-capitalist; rather, he stands for a "real human experience" and against corporations that seek to homogenize or erase the uniqueness of small mom 'n' pop stores in the name of efficiency and profit. But it's not just Reverend Billy. On this day of all days, there's a whole movement that asks you to buy nothing at all -- not even gas, bread, or coffee! Proponents of "Buy Nothing Day" claim that it serves as a brake on the rampant consumerism that has spoiled society. If you do decide you must shop this weekend, remember that wise spending -- such as understanding where purchases come from and what kind of an impact they'll have on our environment -- may make all the difference between wasteful overconsumption and practical resource conservation on our planet. So before you make that rush to the mall over the next few weeks, ask yourself if you're doing all that shopping just for shopping's sake. And pause to think if your purchase will be the one that brings on the Shopocalypse. Suggested Sites... Adbusters: Buy Nothing Day - information on observations worldwide. Reverend Billy and the Church of Life After Shopping - stop the insanity. Buy Nothing Day.org - sit around the house and get to know your family. What Would Jesus Buy? - official site for the documentary about Reverend Billy's work. But would it be a sin to buy it? Money Can't Buy Happiness, Er, Can It? - Nobel Prize-winning economist asks whether America's consumption boom is really a good thing.

Directory categories: Buy Nothing Day, Reverend Billy, Black Friday Sales, Anti-Consumerism, Consumer Advocacy

Archived under: Business, Consumer Advocacy, Counterculture, Culture Jamming, Economics, Environment, Events, Issues and Causes, Shopping, Society and Culture

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Writers hold a "midnight write" to kick off NaNoWriMo. (Photo by Megan Myers) Writers, boot up your laptops! November is National Novel Writing Month, or "NaNoWriMo" to the initiated. The idea is that with the right combination of drive and discipline, anyone can crank out a 175-page novel over the course of a month. A group of writers in San Francisco organized the first NoWriMo in 1999, and since then the event has snowballed into a national (if niche) phenomenon. Interestingly, the project isn’t for pen and paper. To be an official participant, you have to submit your manuscript electronically in order to have the length verified by word-count software. It should be noted that people were keeping tabs on words long before machines made it easy to do so. Ernest Hemingway famously wrote 500 words a day. This marathon of writing events begs the question: Can you really write a good novel in 30 days? Well, it doesn't have to be Proust; it just has to be 50,000 words. The event organizers are the first to admit that writing done in this manner isn't the stuff of masterpieces. They say -- and I quote -- "You will be writing a lot of crap." To them, it's more about the process. And like the marathon, not everyone finishes. According to the site, last year 120,000 participants signed on at the beginning of the month, but only 20,000 people completed their pieces by midnight on November 30, the official deadline. Suggested Sites... National Novel Writing Month - the official site of the event's organizers. Word Count Tool - start generating your official word count with an online tool. National Novel Writing Month for Homeschoolers - learn how to incorporate National Novel Writing Month into homeschooling lessons. About.com: How to Organize a NaNoWriMo Write-In - tips on how to mobilize a writing group for the big event. Essortment's Strategies for Overcoming Writer's Block - offers a few exercises to help your creative juices flow.

Directory categories: Literature, Creative Writing, Literature Events, Authors, San Francisco

Archived under: Arts, Authors, Books, Events, Fanatics, Literature, San Francisco, Writing

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"Are we not one-hit wonders?" (Anybody see another hit song?) (Photo by Alterna2) What is it about "One Hit Wonders" that make them just so darn catchy? Most musicians rarely make it to the big time at all, and those that do are usually able to make careers out of it (or at least long enough to reach that elusive #2 hit). But One Hit Wonders are different. They're like the most ephemeral of stars: they shine brightly for a single moment of time, then burn out into oblivion. But if they're lucky, their songs remain for eternity. Inspired by "One Hit Wonder Day" (last week, on September 25th), we asked our fellow Yahoos to share their favorite One Hit Wonder* of all time. (You can find Part One here and Part Two here.) On a side note, many of the below mentioned artists and bands are still recording and performing 10, 20, and in some cases, almost 30 years later -- so props to them for overcoming (or in some cases, embracing) their status as "One Hit Wonders." Mike M.: Wow, there are a LOT of great one hit wonders, but the first one that comes to mind is "Centerfold" by J. Geils Band -- "Na, na, na-na-na-naaa, na, na, na, na-na-na-na-naaaa!" Adam: Easy. "Falco 3" by Falco (it had "Rock Me Amadeus" on it). Wow. I just felt a shiver of embarrassment. Ick. Corinne: The first song I ever loved and still love now is "Too Shy" by Kajagoogoo. Adrienne: Peter Godwin's "Images of Heaven" was truly transportive for me in the early 1980s. Brian: Favorite one hit wonder: "Whip It" by Devo. I was always angry my parents never bought me a Devo-hat! JoAnne: "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, and I'm not at all ashamed of it. One of the best '80s songs, and one I will bounce around to every time I hear it. Followed very closely by "867-5309 (Jenny)" from Tommy Tutone. Helene L.: My favorite one hit wonder is "My Sharona" by The Knack. I like the guitar riff, the entertaining beat, and the profound philosophy of the lyrics. What bothers me now is the name of the band, "The Knack," because in my native region, a knack is a type of sausage. The parody by "Weird Al" Yankovic, called "My Bologna" is almost as addictive. Dave S.: I was crazy for "Freeze Frame" by The J. Geils Band. It's decades younger than my favorite music of the 1920s, but there was something about that organ riff and their shouting "freeze frame!" that I loved. Sue me. Sarah L.: "I Melt With You" by Modern English. It still gets so much radio airplay (not to mention covers ad nauseum) that few people realize they can't name another song recorded by the same band. Adrianna: There's "The Macarena," does that count? (Editor's Note: Not only does it count, VH1 named "The Macarena" its #1 One Hit Wonder of all time!) (*Please note that "One Hit Wonder" status is as much defined by perception as by actual radio charting status.) Suggested Sites... One Hit Wonder Central - learn about all sorts of One Hit Wonders from the 1950s to the present. Are You a One Hit Wonder? - find out if you are secretly a one hit wonder with this quiz. VH1: The Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the '80s - surely you love one of these.

Directory categories: Music, Rock and Pop, Music Charts, Musical Artists, CDs, Records, and Tapes

Archived under: 1970s, 1980s, Celebrations, Dance, Entertainment, Events, Flops, Heavy Metal and Hard Rock, History, In Character, Music, Music History, Musicians, Rock and Roll, Songs

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Those cats are fast as lightning! (Photo by mK B.) What is it about "One Hit Wonders" that make them just so darn catchy? Most musicians rarely make it to the big time at all, and those that do are usually able to make careers out of it (or at least long enough to reach that elusive #2 hit). But One Hit Wonders are different. They're like the most ephemeral of stars: they shine brightly for a single moment of time, then burn out into oblivion. But if they're lucky, their songs remain for eternity. Inspired by "One Hit Wonder Day" (last week, on September 25th), we asked our fellow Yahoos to share their favorite One Hit Wonder* of all time. (You can find Part One here.) On a side note, many of the below mentioned artists and bands are still recording and performing 10, 20, and in some cases, almost 30 years later -- so props to them for overcoming (or in some cases, embracing) their status as "One Hit Wonders." Mitzi: I’ve always liked "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by The Proclaimers. Not sure if they qualify as one hit wonders, but I don’t think any of their other songs ever hit the U.S. charts. Cathleen: My favorite one hit wonder record (and sure to stay that way) was Color Me Badd's "C.M.B." Some may call "I Wanna Sex You Up" their only actual "hit," but "I Adore Mi Amor" and "All 4 Love" made it to the Top 10 in my heart. I'm pretty sure they pioneered the use of numerals instead of words in song titles, an innovative and important achievement in the history of pop music. Think of where texting would be today without these four musical geniuses. Cliff: Hanson's "MMMBop." Huw: I can't say I have a favorite one hit wonder, but I'm very entertained by "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" -- a delightfully ESL track by the Spanish duo Baccara. Chris B.: I hope that both "Kung Fu Fighting" and "If Loving You Is Wrong, I Don’t Want To Be Right" make your compilation. (Editor's note: They have now!) Jessica J.: My top one hit wonder: "Breakfast at Tiffany's" by Deep Blue Something. Dave T.: Although not my favorite one hit wonder per se, the one that has etched itself permanently into the album of my memory is Joe Dolce's "Shaddap You Face." It was a novelty record which consisted of an American-born Australian offering such times less lyrics as "Whassamatta you? (Hey!) Gotta no respect? Whaddaya think you do? Why you looka so sad? It's-a not so bad. It's-a nice-a place. Ah, shaddap you face!" All this in a seriously dodgy Italian accent to boot. This is largely memorable because it kept a genuine 80s classic (Ultravox's "Vienna") off of the #1 spot in the U.K. and forever tarnishing Midge Ure's reputation. We'll have our final round of humiliating confessions tomorrow! (*Please note that "One Hit Wonder" status is as much defined by perception as by actual radio charting status.) Suggested Sites... One Hit Wonder Central - learn about all sorts of One Hit Wonders from the 1950s to the present. Are You a One Hit Wonder? - find out if you're secretly a One Hit Wonder with this quiz. VH1: The Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the '80s - surely you love one of these.

Directory categories: Music, Rock and Pop, Music Charts, Musical Artists, CDs, Redcords, and Tapes

Archived under: 1970s, 1980s, Celebrations, Dance, Entertainment, Events, Flops, Heavy Metal and Hard Rock, History, In Character, Music, Music History, Musicians, Rock and Roll, Songs

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