Joyeaux Noel

Ooh. Sparkly.

Holiday Goodness

If there are any fellow XM subscribers out there, I wanted to tip you off on a pretty cool holiday treat they are offering up this year.

Mixed in with all their specialty channels on ch. 120, they are doing something called "Bing Crosby Christmas Radio". This channel replays all of Der Bingle's RADIO Christmas Specials from the 1940s, complete and containing all the skits, guests and songs that orignally aired when the shows were originally broadcast.

It's a fascinating slice of both radio and entertainment history, a look at a period of days gone by. I've been enjoying the shows, closing my eyes and trying to put myself in the period when the shows aired: no TV, no iPods, no internet from Al Gore, Jr. yet - this was your main source of entertainment, and it certianly was entertaining.

And now, back to the Philco Radio Hour from December 25, 1946...

Oh, Those Wacky Illinois Democrats!

Is is any wonder that so many deceased citizens have no problem voting (multiple times) in the fine state of Illinois?

Illinois Gov. arrested on corruption charges

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested on corruption charges on Tuesday, including trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by fellow Democrat President-elect Barack Obama, federal prosecutors said...

The case shines a light once again on old-style corruption in the Chicago political caldron from which Obama emerged.

'The breadth of corruption laid out in these charges is staggering,' U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, the federal prosecutor, said in a statement.

Like, awesome. Totally.