Filed under: Conservatism, Freedom, History, Politics, Pop Culture | Tags: Christmas, Gifts, Republicans, Retro, Ronald Reagan
Just in time for Christmas, and exclusively available from American Elephants, the original, official, iconic, 1980 “Reagan for President” primary-election campaign logo, AND the official, 1980 “The Time is Now. Reagan & Bush” general-election campaign logo t-shirts. (Coming very soon in buttons, bumper stickers and other items. So check back soon!)
Classic, iconic, historical gifts ANY Reagan fan would love to receive!
These official 1980 campaign logos are not available anywhere else! …I checked! I wanted them for myself because they’re a better design than the 1984 campaign logo, they don’t include the year (so they’re timeless) and they’re from the campaign that started it all! …so I reproduced them myself.
Be a part of history! Be a part of the 1980 campaign that launched the Reagan Revolution — the longest period of peace and prosperity in American history. Show your support for the greatest president of the 20th century! Especially now — especially as Obama and the Democrats are doing everything in their power to dismantle all the real progress Reagan made!
And while you’re at our shop, be sure to check out our other designs too!
We hope you have a very Merry Christmas!
Love,
The Elephants
Filed under: Humor, Religion, Television | Tags: Christmas, Good Neighbors, Little House on the Prairie Christmas Special, Star Wars Christmas Special
Remember back when TV didn’t suck? Yeah, neither do I.
BUT, these first two videos had me briefly believing that such a time existed — then I remembered the third video.
The first is from my new favorite (old) show. I didn’t even discover Good Neighbors (alternately titled The Good Life) until a few years ago. It’s a show about a couple, the Goods, who drop out of the rat-race to live a simpler, self-sustaining life. (Don’t worry, it’s not a preachy environmental show at all) while their neighbors and friends maintain their affluent ways.
This is their Christmas show from 1977. The characters will charm your socks off, and you will probably end up watching the entire series as I have. Each show is less than half an hour and all are also available to view instantly, in much better quality, on Netflix. But YouTube works just fine, if you dont mind the show being split into three parts. See parts 2 and 3 here.
The second video is one you may remember. Schmaltzy tear-jerker, as Little House on the Prairie so often was. Warm, fuzzy family-viewing from back before networks had altogether eradicated Christ from Christmas in favor of Santa Claus. Here’s part one, the rest can be viewed here.
And the third video is one that I saw for the first time since 1978 last year. I remember seeing it then. I was nine years old and a GINORMOUS Star Wars fan. Even so, I think I remember thinking how bad this was even then. If you have not seen the Star Wars Christmas Special, you must. It truly is must-see-TV because watching is the only way to appreciate how utterly dreadful it is. Chewbacca’s wife and kids? Princess Leia singing, and what Star Wars Christmas Special could be complete without appearances by Harvey Korman, Jefferson Starship, Dianne Carol and Bea Arthur dancing with Greedo?
Ugh.
In all sincerity, this may very well be the worst thing ever broadcast in any format at any time. George Lucas has said he wishes he could hunt down and destroy every last copy. I wish he would.
WordPress wont allow us to imbed Google videos, so you can watch it here. So painfully, uncomfortably bad, it’s hardly to be believed. And isn’t that what Christmas is all about?
Merry Christmas!
Filed under: Music, Religion | Tags: Christmas, Christmas Carol, O Holy Night
I hope to stop in more throughout the day, but in case you don’t, I know my fellow elephants join me in wishing you and yours the very Merriest of Christmases! And Joy to the World!
Nat King Cole, believe it or not, sings more than just The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire). This is one of my favorites, because unlike that other, you don’t hear it every time you turn around, and besides, it’s just fun.
Filed under: Movies, Music | Tags: Christmas, Christmas Carols, Snow, White Christmas
I have snow on the brain as I watch other parts of the country, and world, being covered in blankets of beautiful white just in time for Christmas. We still don’t have any here, and so far the weather report suggests we won’t get any until two days after Christmas.
So some carols and songs that have more to do with snow than Christmas are buzzing around my brain. The first is Snow from the movie musical White Christmas, starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen. The second is also titled Snow, but a very different song by the French songstress Claudine Longet.
What about you? Are you going to have a white Christmas?
Filed under: Music, Religion | Tags: Christmas, Christmas Carol, Herb Alpert
Nobody beats the original by Julie Andrews from the Sound of Music, but one of my favorite things is Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass’ Christmas Album. We grew up with it, and last year I found this rare footage on YouTube. The whole album is a classic; one that everyone should have.
Filed under: Music, Politics, Religion | Tags: Christmas, Christmas Carols
Like I said, my tastes in Christmas music are all over the map. First choral, then jazz, now country — and who knows what next. I like an eclectic mix. Now, I’m generally not very big on much country music — nothing wrong with it, it just isn’t usually my thing — but that means when I DO like a country song, you know it’s gotta be a good one. And so this is.
Old Toy Trains was, I believe, first introduced by Roger Miller back sometime in the late 1960′s and has since become a standard covered by many — but my favorite by far is this deep, cozy version by Toby Keith from the compilation CD, A Country Christmas. All the nostalgia of childhood Christmas wrapped up in one comfortable old song.
I liked it so much the first year I heard it, that I dragged out the old HO and set it up around the Christmas tree. *I* thought it was charming and watched it circle underneath the twinkling lights for hours; no one else seemed to even notice.
Then again, mine was no where near as cool as this guy’s. Now, THAT’s cool!
A beautiful soundtrack for those of you snowed-in back east and in the Midwest. Build a fire, or if you don’t have a fireplace, put one on your monitor, burrow down under your favorite blanket, and kick back and enjoy the gorgeous, sultry song stylings of the incomparable Sarah Vaughan as you watch the snow drift down. A nice steamy cup of creamy hot cocoa never hurts either.
Filed under: Religion, Music | Tags: Christmas, King's Singers, Carols, Mormon Tabernacle
I love Christmas carols. I love all kinds of Christmas carols — traditional, contemporary, choral, jazz, even country and some rock. I’ve yet to find a rap Christmas song that I can tolerate, and I doubt I ever will, but for the most part my taste in carols is very wide-ranging and eclectic. But I think my favorites are traditional carols that you don’t hear much anymore, and lesser known renditions of those you do.
The Sussex carol is one such song, and you can’t get much more majestic than this rendition by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir with the King’s Singers (famous English singing group), with the full tabernacle orchestra, including bell choir and pipe organ. This concert was broadcast a few years back on PBS, so they may play it again.
Pretty good way to start off the season. Hope you like!
(Update: You know, I still like the version by the Choir of King’s College I played last year better. )
Alas, what goes up, must finally come down. Seeing as it’s now closer to Valentine’s Day than it is Christmas, I figured it was time to take down the blog’s Christmas decorations. (Not that I need to announce it, but where else am I going to use this awesome, adorable elephant enjoying his after-Christmas treat?)
Filed under: Television | Tags: Christmas, Good Neighbors, Little House on the Prarie, Star Wars Christmas Special
Remember back when TV didn’t suck? Yeah, neither do I.
BUT, these first two videos had me briefly believing that such a time existed. Then I remembered the third video.
The first is from my new favorite (old) show. I didn’t even discover Good Neighbors (alternately titled The Good Life) until a few years ago. It’s a show about a couple, the Goods, who drop out of the rat-race to live a simpler, self-sustaining life. (Don’t worry, it’s not a preachy environmental show at all) while their neighbors and friends maintain their affluent ways.
This is their Christmas show from 1977. The characters will charm your socks off, and you will probably end up watching the entire series as I have. Each show is less than half an hour and all are also available to view instantly, in much better quality, on Netflix. But YouTube works just fine, if you dont mind the show being split into three parts. See parts 2 and 3 here.
The second video is one you may remember. Schmaltzy tear-jerker, as Little House on the Prairie so often was. Warm, fuzzy family-viewing from back before networks had altogeher eradicated Christ from Christmas in favor of Santa Claus. Here’s part one, the rest can be viewed here.
And the third video is one that I saw for the first time since 1978 last year. I remember seeing it then. I was nine years old and a GINORMOUS Star Wars fan. Even so, I think I remember thinking how bad this was even then. If you have not seen the Star Wars Christmas Special, you must. It truly is must-see-TV because watching is the only way to appreciate how utterly dreadful it is. Chewbacca’s wife and kids? Princess Leia singing, and what Star Wars Christmas Special could be complete without appearances by Harvey Korman, Jefferson Starship, Dianne Carol and Bea Arthur dancing with Greedo?
Ugh.
In all sincerity, this may very well be the worst thing ever broadcast in any format at any time. George Lucas has said he wishes he could hunt down and destroy ever last copy.
WordPress wont allow us to imbed Google videos, so you can watch it here. So painfully, uncomfortably bad, it is hardly to be believed. And isn’t that what Christmas is all about?
Merry Christmas!
Nobody beats the original by Julie Andrews from the Sound of Music, but one of my favorite things is Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass’ Christmas Album. We grew up with it, and this year I found this rare footage on YouTube. The whole album is a classic.
