These guys just about read my mind

I woke up today at 1:30pm with the sound of dogs barking, phones ringing, and voices. Not a good combination. I went outside to see what the heck was going on, and there was a truckload of contract workers trying to cut a path through our hideously-overgrown pasture to inspect the utility poles that are out there (there are 2 or 3). The problem: Xena was alarm-barking these guys, and fiercely. That’s the second time she’s done that in a week (the last time was, amusingly enough, when my mother-in-law stopped by to borrow our Christmas wrapping paper). Xena usually presents the illusion of a Big, Mean Dog in our yard, which I’m sure – along with the unkempt exterior of the place – has kept intruders away. But apparently something has happened recently that has inspired her to act the part with gusto. Even more amusingly, Sparky showed up to back her up. These guys who were just trying to do their job were not happy. The voice on the other end of the phone was someone with the Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative, who was also not happy. Would it have just killed them to provide us with some advance notice that this was going to happen today? Xena would’ve stayed inside, and never would’ve called her little buddy (and, undoubtedly, his little buddy) for backup.
As we’ve been getting closer to Christmas, I’ve had a bit of a rant building up in response to such things as the political correctness fervor over Christmas trees and whatnot, and lo and behold, a couple of guys have saved me the trouble, read my mind, and said almost exactly what I’ve been thinking for a few years now: What the hell happened to Christianity? Good reading. Maybe now Christianity – which is simultaneously one of the world’s largest religions, and yet many practitioners of whom are also among the first to act like they’re still victims stuck in the coliseum with the lions – might just understand why there’s a bit of a bullseye painted on their back. After years of being co-opted by a political regime that’s tried to claim they have a “Christian” agenda whilst trying to strongarm the rest of the world into thinking their way, it’s no wonder we have Rabbis demanding that Christmas trees be taken down. The wheel turns. The Christian Right has just bought those of us who, while believers, happen to be moderates or even liberals, several years of grief.
Going from there to the Ask And Ye Shall Receive department, I got the Doctor Who CD in the mail today – man, is this a Whovian Christmas or what? I’ve been tiding myself over for several weeks with the Cardiff Children In Need concert, but the CD is even better. The Tooth And Claw teaser monk music? It’s there. Original synth-heavy version of “Westminster Bridge”? Check. Doomsday music? Bingo. “Love Don’t Roam” is a damned nifty song, though I wish they’d at least included the original “Song For Ten” as a bonus track (but fear not, it can be found here for what I suspect is a limited time – I’ll be a-burnin’ that to CD, thanks to the BBC!). Turns out I got the Limited Edition version after all, though the slipcase is the only real prize there – the “bonus badge” is tiny. 😆 Great music, though, and the track-by-track commentary from Murray Gold is interesting. This has been a great soundtrack year, especially in the TV department, and just a great music year overall, which I’ll cover in a forthcoming installment. The indie labels, especially the boutique soundtrack specialty labels, have definitely earned the money they’ve gotten out of me this year. Gapporin did a top ten of 2006 in his LiveJournal blog recently, and I’ve probably got a top 20 or top 25 in me. Hell, I’ve probably got the top 20 or 25 of the year in my travel bag that goes to work with me every night. (Yeah, I admit, it’s a big honkin’ man-purse, whose contents have more to do with my sanity than my job. Deal with it.)
The stuff I got for my wife for Christmas arrived today. Good stuff! Now I’ve just gotta hide it…
By the way, for fans of “AL-TV,” this just in from my inbox: “AL-TV” will premiere tomorrow (Friday, Dec. 15) at 8 PM Eastern (check your local listings!) on VH-1. Al will be showcasing many of the videos from “Straight Outta Lynwood,” as well as “interviewing” some of his “friends” in the “music industry!”