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A Very Special Xmas for Me

16 Dec

I don’t know exactly when it was that I became such a fan of Christmas music, but 10 years ago I decided to create a mix of my favorite holiday tunes.

A friend of mine suggested I give it out to people as a sort-of Christmas card, and she even gave the mix the name A Very Marty Xmas.

The rest is history.

With the exception of 2008, I’ve made a mix every year for the past decade.

I say humbly that these compilations have become as much of a beloved holiday tradition as A Charlie Brown Christmas or the all-day A Christmas Story marathon on TBS.

And yes, I’m Jewish, which makes the whole thing even more fun. (Then again, so was Irving Berlin, and he wrote “White Christmas!”)

Which brings us to A Very Marty Xmas 2010, the special, extra-festive tenth-anniversary edition. Continue reading →

Step Back Into Christmas with Me

16 Nov

This really is the most wonderful time of the year. In fact, every year I can’t wait to get past Halloween because that means one thing: It’s time to start work on the year’s edition of A Very Marty Xmas.

2010 will actually be the 10th anniversary edition of my annual mix. That’s right, I’ve been making holiday mixes for 10 years (that is, if you don’t count 2008, which I skipped), and many folks have told me my mixes have become an essential part of their holiday. That’s pretty amusing — and impressive — considering I’m Jewish and all. Continue reading →

A Christmas Gift

27 Dec

When I say that visits to Boston by my niece, Abby, are getting to be routine, that’s not meant to say that they’re getting boring. Far from it. What I mean is that Abby comes to Boston twice a year and I can look forward to them now because I know that come December, she’ll be here (same with Labor Day weekend). It’s predictable and routine, in the best possible way. And this past weekend’s visit didn’t disappoint. We had a fun brunch at my place on Friday (with Barrah, Farry, and Scott), a visit to the Children’s Museum on Saturday, lots of Wii, lots of “Old MacDonald” (aka “EIEIO”), and lots of fun. If anything, it was too quick. Thankfully, I took lots of pictures, and that will help preserve the memories. Want a look? Just click here.

The Night the Jews Control the Town

24 Dec

Every year, I’m asked what I do on Christmas. After all, despite my love for the season, I don’t officially celebrate the holiday. Invariably, my answer involves a movie and Chinese food, because that’s what most Jews do on Christmas (there aren’t that many other options available to us). So instead of giving the same answer again this year, and at the risk of repeating myself, let me share this classic Saturday Night Live clip with you to better explain what I and my fellow members of the Tribe will be doing after sunset this evening.
http://www.hulu.com/embed/PGn5kYL4FWyX3NSHWa1VVw
For all of you who do actually celebrate, I wish you a very Merry Christmas!

An Xmas You’ll Always Remember

11 Dec

Here’s something you may not know about me: I absolutely love Christmas music.

Seriously.

There’s just something about it that I can’t get enough of.

The jingle-jangley tuneage permeates the malls and dominates the radio waves from Thanksgiving to December 25, and it just makes me feel so festive — and yes, I’m Jewish!

To spread that joy, I’ve been making a mix of holiday music every year since 2000, and those who’ve been listening have told me that A Very Marty Xmas just makes the holiday for them.

They say it’s as much a tradition to listen to my mixes as it is to trim the tree or party down or bake cookies (no kidding) — which, of course, is partly why I’ve kept this fun annual project going for almost a decade, and why I’ve amassed a collection of Christmas music that’s larger than any Jew should have. Continue reading →

More to Be Thankful For

29 Nov

I was remiss on Wednesday when I posted my list of the things I’m thankful for this year because I left off my sister and brother-in-law, Mitzi and Jason. This weekend they gave me a couple more reasons why they should have been on the list. Continue reading →

He Needs a Little Christmas

5 Nov

Disney + Jim Carrey + Robert Zemeckis + Christmas should add up to a joyous and fun holiday movie, right? Well, then, what the Dickens is up with Disney’s A Christmas Carol? This umpteenth retelling of the classic story is a dark and often scary film with very little joy and festivity. Not even Carrey giving voice to multiple characters can liven the mood. Kids at the screening I was at were fidgety and clearly not engaged, and I couldn’t blame them. Maybe I don’t know the Charles Dickens story as well as I should, but I’ve never seen it told in such a dark and depressing way — and this is a Disney film!

That said, the animation is really impressive. There’s great detail in many of the images, and the 3D effects provide depth and added realism without being a distraction. The opening credits sequence, when the “camera” goes sweeping over the London skyline, is particularly great. Carrey, too, is quite good; he makes the most of the material he’s been given, as does the rest of the cast, which includes Gary Oldman and Colin Firth. I just wish I walked out of the theater feeling uplifted and happy, like Scrooge is at the end of the film.

Disney wants this Carol to be a fun holiday film, like Carey’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas, perhaps. (Which is not to say that The Grinch is anywhere near a holiday classic, of course.) But they’ve gone all Scrooge on the seasonal charm, and instead, all we’re left with is a lump of coal. That’s why I’m giving Carol a C+. Bah humbug.

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like …

13 Oct

There was a chill in the air yesterday, brought on partly by the combination of a Pats loss and the end of the Red Sox season, and, of course, the colder temperatures. Add to that the fact that I spent a chunk of the weekend changing over my closet from short-sleeved clothes to long-sleeved ones, and it was hard to believe it was only October 12, because it felt like early November, at least.

But then, while wandering the aisles of Target in Watertown, my eyes saw a sight that warmed my heart: A full display of Christmas music on sale! And, as if right on cue, my iPhone told me I had a new email, and it was the weekly new-releases message from Newbury Comics. What’s going on sale this week? Well, it’s funny you should ask. Today marks the release of new holiday music collections from (deep breath) David Archuleta, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Irish Tenors, the Jackson 5, Barry Manilow, and Manheim Steamroller, among others. And yes, there was a whole display wall at Target just waiting to be filled by those new releases.

You know, most people hate it when stores jump the gun and start putting out their Christmas stuff before Halloween’s even over. Not me. I say, “Oh happy day! Christmas is coming!” Or, to quote one of my holiday favorites, “I may be rushing things, but deck the halls again now. For I need a little Christmas, right this very minute.”

So yes, you know where this blog post is going. If new holiday music and decorations are out, then it can only mean one thing: It’s time to start the annual compilation process for A Very Marty Xmas. Last year I decided not to make a mix, but maybe this year it’ll return. Only time will tell if these new releases will be of high enough quality to make a mix equal in quality to A Very Marty Xmas 2007. Stay tuned.

For now, if this is what the change of seasons means — that Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat — then I say it didn’t get cold early enough. Woo hoo!

You’ll Shoot His Eye Out, Kid

17 Jun

Unlike most people, I actually like jury duty.

I just find the whole process fascinating, and there’s always a good story to tell when the trial’s over.

However, until this week, I had never actually had the chance to sit on a jury and deliberate.

I came close, in 1996, when I was seated on the panel in a drug entrapment case in New York City. It was really cool, but after sitting through three days of arguments, I was sent home because I was only an alternate.

I was totally bummed.

So much, in fact, that I called the courthouse the next day to find out what the verdict was (innocent, just as I would have voted).

Three years ago, I was called to Foxborough for jury duty on a random Monday in August and hoped for the best … but, well, it was a random Monday in August, so there were no cases to try and I was sent home.

Fearing the same fate

When I received my summons to appear this week in Woburn, I anticipated the same fate. I even sent an email to coworkers telling them that I’d be back on Tuesday.

After all, what could possibly be going on in Woburn? Continue reading →

It’s Like Santa’s Been Here

25 Dec

There’s nothing quite like waking up early on Christmas morning and finding Santa’s been there to drop off all kinds of presents under the tree. At least, that’s what my non-Jewish friends tell me. Santa — that bastard — has never once shimmied down my chimney and brought me any presents. But that doesn’t mean I can’t spread some holiday — well, maybe not cheer exactly, but it’s new and it’s Christmas morning, so why not? This is U2’s brand-spanking-new cover of Greg Lake’s “Father Christmas.” To download the track, you’ll have to go to (RED)WIRE, but for now, enjoy the video. Merry Christmas!

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