Christmas TV Trivia

Are you watching your old Christmas favorites on TV, VHS, and DVD? Do you sniffle when Santa sings with the little Dutch girl, Frosty melts, and George Bailey realizes he really does have a wonderful life? If so, you are ready for my first-time-ever Christmas trivia!

For each clue name the Christmas special/movie.

1. Mr. Gailey proves that Kris Kringle really is Santa.
2. Bob Wallace and Phil Davis save the Columbia Inn from bankruptcy on Christmas Eve.
3. Bing sings “White Christmas” for the first time in this movie.
4. Uncle Billy misplaces $8,000 on Christmas Eve.
5. We meet Father Chuck O’Malley for the first time.
6. Max pulls a sleigh full of Christmas cheer.
7. The Winter Warlock puts one foot in front of the other.
8. Scott Calvin becomes the new Santa.
9. Scrooge’s debtors sing “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” and dance on his coffin.
10. Francis Xavier Cross produces the world’s worst version of A Christmas Carol, live, on Christmas Eve.
11. The misfit toys hope Santa find them new, loving homes.
12. Henry Travers (best known as Clarence the angle in It’s a Wonderful Life) plays selfish Horace P. Bogardus.
13. Skating to “Christmastime is Here.”
14. Randy can’t put his arms down.
15. Hocus Pocus runs away from Professor Hinkle, the world’s worst magician.

The answers are in the Comments section.

Tolkien on Film Nominated for an Award!

Tolkien on Film: Essays on Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings (which contains an essay by yours truly) has been nominated for an award! Tolkien on Film was edited by Janet B. Croft, published by Mythopoeic Press, and is for sale on Amazon.

If I understand correctly, the awards will be presented at The One Ring Celebration: The Official Convention for Lord of the Rings Fans (Authorized by New Line Cinema) in Pasadena, CA, January 20-22, 2006. Convention Info

The One Ring is a fan site which is mentioned in some of the film documentaries included with Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films.

Anyone can vote here. Item #2 is Best Tolkien themed book published in 2005. Tolkien on Film is #4 in the list of nominees. Vote early and vote often and thank you for your support!

Let it Snow!

It's a beautiful, snowy day in mid-Michigan. We're supposed to get 6-8 more inches of snow tonight.

Everybody sing along: Since we've no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Blogging in the Library

I'm doing something I've always dreamed of: working in the library atrium (the coolest view on campus) on a wireless laptop!

Why the library atrium? Because it's got a wall of three-story windows overlooking the Flint River, with lots of trees, and nice view of the William S. White Building across the river. This beautiful view more than makes up for the lack of windows in my office. Over here I have the biggest windows and the best view on campus. If I ever find a good picture I'll post it on my blog.

How did this dream come true? The university had money to spend on on-line instructors. When my Department Chairman asked for my wish list I requested a laptop (12-inch Apple PowerBook G4), a 1 GB jump drive, and a puppy.

Yesterday the laptop and jump drive arrived. The Department Chairman assures me the puppy has been sent to the Foreign Languages department for housetraining. They have it hidden really well, since I can't find any signs of it.

In the meantime, I think I'll call my new laptop Spot, since it has a white Apple-shaped spot on the top.


Image taken from Apple's PowerBook specs.

Now I need to quit having fun and get back to my end-of-the-semester grading.