SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Holiday Television Programs: Day 23 - "Seinfeld - The Strike"

ed note: This article was first published on December 18th, 2016

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 23 "Seinfeld - The Strike"

Original air date - December, 18th 1997 

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,  Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty-One, Twenty-Two

For SeedSing's Advent Calendar of great holiday television shows, today, I'm going to write about the "Festivus" episode of "Seinfeld". I know the episode is called "The Strike", but lets be honest, I think we all know this as the Festivus episode. The Festivus episode of "Seinfeld" ranks right up there with any "Simpsons", "The Office" or any other TV show we have written about for the Advent calendar. In fact, I'm going to say that the Festivus episode of "Seinfeld" is the best holiday television show ever. I may quote "The Simpsons" more, or laugh at "The Office" more, but this particular episode of "Seinfeld" has literally changed the way I view the holiday. Today marks Festivus, and I will be airing grievances, showing feats of strength and getting the big pole out for this wonderful pre holiday holiday. 

The episode starts off funny. We all learn that Kramer was/is a worker in a bagel shop, and the strike that he has been seemingly on for years, has ended. Funny right off the bat. The whole thing with the bagel shop, and Kramer's past, and now present, are all classic "Seinfeld". We also get another story involving Elaine giving some creeps a phony phone number and there is some wackiness that happens with this plot line throughout. But, the true gem of the episode is when George's dad tells the world of the joyous day of Festivus.

We learn that when George was a kid, his dad was in line waiting to get him a toy, a doll in fact, and someone else got the last one. He pleaded and prodded the person to give him the doll, but they just would not budge. This caused Frank to lose his mind. He got very, very upset, as he almost always does.  This was when and where he Frank decided he needed to have a "holiday for the rest of us", and thus, Festivus was born. He decided that everyone needs to do many things to make themselves feel a bit better during this holiday season.

Let's be honest, this time of year brings out the anxiety and anger in the best of us. The holiday season can be pretty rough. So, the fact that Frank came up with a holiday where everyone can air their grievances, I love it. I wish this was a real thing and people would not get upset at the outcome. Imagine how nice it would be to tell everyone how you feel, but with the caveat that they cannot get mad at you, and they are allowed to do the same. This would be terrific. To let it all out, that would feel great from both sides. I love that the Costanza's do this every year, because who has more grievances than the Costanza's? No one, that's who. Imagine Frank, Estelle and George sitting around airing their grievances, it must be magically hilarious.

Then, the feats of strength. This would be my absolute favorite. This gives you the chance to prove who is the strongest in your family. I would crush this part of Festivus (ed note: no he would not), and I think my whole family, while they might disagree at first, knows that I would dominate. Now, imagine once again, the Costanza's doing this. I can almost guarantee that Estelle would be the strongest in the family. She may not look it, but I think she would absolutely dominate George and Frank in a feats of strength competition. I bet George is also the weakest, even at everyone's advanced age. He is so meek and mean, but that is just his attitude, I'm sure that does not translate into actual strength.

Then, we have the Festivus pole, which is the alternative to the tree and menorah used during this time of year. It is just an unadorned pole that sits in your living room on December 23rd. It does nothing, but it adds so much to this episode. The fact that Frank just wanted an alternative to all the glitz and glamour of the holiday's is a perfect representation of Frank and the Costanza's. They do not conform to social norms at any times, and I love that.

What makes this episode even more wonderful is the fact that people have made Festivus a real holiday. This has become a real thing. At the time of its airing, it was just an idea that Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David and the "Seinfeld" writing crew came up with, but now, it is real. The computer hasn't proclaimed that I have spelled the word wrong once, there is actual written facts on the internet and most people actually celebrate the day. This has become a world wide, nationally celebrated holiday. I know for a fact that when I go see my family later today, we will celebrate some of the best parts of Festivus, and I cannot wait (ed note: also the fact that Ty will once again lose the feats of strength).

The fact that Festivus is a nationally recognized thing should be more than enough to get this episode on our list, but there are so many more reasons. It is a funny, goofy, Costanza heavy episode, which are usually the best that "Seinfeld" has to offer. While I love "The Simpsons", and it will always be my favorite show, this episode of "Seinfeld" is one of the best episodes of just general television, but it is also the best representation of this holiday that TV has ever put out. It is magnificent.

Go out and have a wonderful Festivus everyone. After all, it is a holiday for the rest of us.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Did we mention that Ty always loses the feats of strength. He does always lose. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Holiday Television Programs: Day 23 - "Seinfeld - The Strike"

ed note: This article was first published on December 18th, 2016

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 23 "Seinfeld - The Strike"

Original air date - December, 18th 1997 

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,  Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty-One, Twenty-Two

For SeedSing's Advent Calendar of great holiday television shows, today, I'm going to write about the "Festivus" episode of "Seinfeld". I know the episode is called "The Strike", but lets be honest, I think we all know this as the Festivus episode. The Festivus episode of "Seinfeld" ranks right up there with any "Simpsons", "The Office" or any other TV show we have written about for the Advent calendar. In fact, I'm going to say that the Festivus episode of "Seinfeld" is the best holiday television show ever. I may quote "The Simpsons" more, or laugh at "The Office" more, but this particular episode of "Seinfeld" has literally changed the way I view the holiday. Today marks Festivus, and I will be airing grievances, showing feats of strength and getting the big pole out for this wonderful pre holiday holiday. 

The episode starts off funny. We all learn that Kramer was/is a worker in a bagel shop, and the strike that he has been seemingly on for years, has ended. Funny right off the bat. The whole thing with the bagel shop, and Kramer's past, and now present, are all classic "Seinfeld". We also get another story involving Elaine giving some creeps a phony phone number and there is some wackiness that happens with this plot line throughout. But, the true gem of the episode is when George's dad tells the world of the joyous day of Festivus.

We learn that when George was a kid, his dad was in line waiting to get him a toy, a doll in fact, and someone else got the last one. He pleaded and prodded the person to give him the doll, but they just would not budge. This caused Frank to lose his mind. He got very, very upset, as he almost always does.  This was when and where he Frank decided he needed to have a "holiday for the rest of us", and thus, Festivus was born. He decided that everyone needs to do many things to make themselves feel a bit better during this holiday season.

Let's be honest, this time of year brings out the anxiety and anger in the best of us. The holiday season can be pretty rough. So, the fact that Frank came up with a holiday where everyone can air their grievances, I love it. I wish this was a real thing and people would not get upset at the outcome. Imagine how nice it would be to tell everyone how you feel, but with the caveat that they cannot get mad at you, and they are allowed to do the same. This would be terrific. To let it all out, that would feel great from both sides. I love that the Costanza's do this every year, because who has more grievances than the Costanza's? No one, that's who. Imagine Frank, Estelle and George sitting around airing their grievances, it must be magically hilarious.

Then, the feats of strength. This would be my absolute favorite. This gives you the chance to prove who is the strongest in your family. I would crush this part of Festivus (ed note: no he would not), and I think my whole family, while they might disagree at first, knows that I would dominate. Now, imagine once again, the Costanza's doing this. I can almost guarantee that Estelle would be the strongest in the family. She may not look it, but I think she would absolutely dominate George and Frank in a feats of strength competition. I bet George is also the weakest, even at everyone's advanced age. He is so meek and mean, but that is just his attitude, I'm sure that does not translate into actual strength.

Then, we have the Festivus pole, which is the alternative to the tree and menorah used during this time of year. It is just an unadorned pole that sits in your living room on December 23rd. It does nothing, but it adds so much to this episode. The fact that Frank just wanted an alternative to all the glitz and glamour of the holiday's is a perfect representation of Frank and the Costanza's. They do not conform to social norms at any times, and I love that.

What makes this episode even more wonderful is the fact that people have made Festivus a real holiday. This has become a real thing. At the time of its airing, it was just an idea that Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David and the "Seinfeld" writing crew came up with, but now, it is real. The computer hasn't proclaimed that I have spelled the word wrong once, there is actual written facts on the internet and most people actually celebrate the day. This has become a world wide, nationally celebrated holiday. I know for a fact that when I go see my family later today, we will celebrate some of the best parts of Festivus, and I cannot wait (ed note: also the fact that Ty will once again lose the feats of strength).

The fact that Festivus is a nationally recognized thing should be more than enough to get this episode on our list, but there are so many more reasons. It is a funny, goofy, Costanza heavy episode, which are usually the best that "Seinfeld" has to offer. While I love "The Simpsons", and it will always be my favorite show, this episode of "Seinfeld" is one of the best episodes of just general television, but it is also the best representation of this holiday that TV has ever put out. It is magnificent.

Go out and have a wonderful Festivus everyone. After all, it is a holiday for the rest of us.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Did we mention that Ty always loses the feats of strength. He does always lose. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Television Programs: Day 21 - "Saturday Night Live - TV Funhouse December 17th, 2005

ed note: This article was originally published on December 21st, 2016

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy.

Day 21 "Saturday Night Live - TV Funhouse December 17th, 2005"

Original air date - Read the title 

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,  Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty

We all need that special time where we rule the world. I can do no justice to the master work of Darlene Love and the people at TV Funhouse. 

Enjoy

RD 

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He also did not wait in line for King Kong on Christmas Day. He wish he had.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Television Programs: Day 9 - "The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! - Koopa Klaus"

ed note: This article originally premiered on December 9th, 2016

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a new awesome holiday television program for every day of Advent. This is the greatest tv of the season. Enjoy.

Day 9: "The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! - Koopa Klaus"

Original air date - October 30th, 1989

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight

One of the very best things about Christmas is getting a great present. During our shopping sprees, it is inevitable to find something that you want for yourself. The desire to get that one great present usually turns into an obsession. For the few weeks leading up to Christmas, we can start to get pretty self-centered about presents. We sometimes forget about all the good feelings experienced by giving other people joy around the holds. Our selfishness can make Christmas a downright icy time of the year.

In the late 1980's The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!  was there to capitalize on the sudden popularity of the Mario Bros. video games on Nintendo. Each episode started and ended with a live action adventure of Mario and Luigi with their celebrity friends in New York City. Cindi Lauper, Norman Fell, Vanna White, and many other late eighties luminaries stopped by the Mario Bothers plumbing shop. In between these live action segments was an unrelated cartoon adventure of Mario, Luigi, the Princess, and Toad in the Mushroom Kingdom. The crew was constantly thwarting the evil schemes of King Koopa and his coalition of animal like bad guys (ed note: The Mario games had not named the main bad guy Bowser yet, hence the title King Koopa).

On the day before Halloween in 1989, The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! presented an animated adventure titled "Koopa Klaus". The episode starts with Mario and the crew trying to dig a tunnel to HawaiiLand. Due to Toad's terrible navigation, they end up in the North Pole of the Mushroom Kingdom. Before the heroes arrived in the snowy landscape, King Koopa froze Santa's workshop and took Father Christmas hostage. King Koopa hates Christmas for some reason and wants to destroy all the toys Santa will be delivering. Our heroes decide to visit Santa's workshop on suggestion by Toad.  He is obsessed with getting presents. The Princess decides to give Toad his present early in hopes that it calms her servant down. Upon getting his new snowboard, Toad selfishly goes off to play. He never even thanks the Princess for the thoughtful gift.

The joy of Toad and his new snowboard is short lived, because King Koopa spots the crew and decides to attack. Our heroes see that Santa is a captive in King Koopa’s sleigh, and they all decide to save the big guy. Toad agrees to help, but not for Santa’s safety, he wants to save the toys. At one point, a bob-omb hits Toad and knocks him off the snowboard. He is concerned about his new toy, and the Princess scolds him for being selfish and only thinking of himself. Mario and Luigi use some good old platform jumping, some cave chasing, and other assorted video game moves to get Santa away from King Koopa and save the day.

Saint Nick was safe, but Santa’s workshop was still frozen. Toad is beside himself because he fears there will never be any new toys for the little guy. He then feels ok because at least he got a new snowboard, who cares about anyone else. The Princess tells Toad that Christmas is a time to think of others. With the spirit of the season finally coming into focus for Toad, he gives the snowboard to Santa so at least one present will make it for a Christmas delivery. The kindness of Toad’s gift causes the ice to melt, and free Santa’s workshop. Christmas is saved in the Mushroom Kingdom, and as a reward the Mario crew got to spend the evening delivering presents to all the toads, toadettes, and maybe even a few goombas and koopas.

Getting a cool gift is awesome. What we should not forget is that the feeling we get from giving someone a cool gift is what Christmas should be about. We will spend a lot of time in shops, or on the internet, looking for some great gifts. In our searches, there will be something great that catches our heart’s desire. This is not the season to be selfish. The joy of Christmas will be felt when you give someone else their heart’s desire. If your lucky, you will get that gift so someone else can feel the true holiday spirit.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of The X Millennial Man Podcast. He is still waiting for a game to feature the rad talking late eighties Link of The Legend of Zelda cartoon series.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

SeedSing's Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Television Programs: Day 6 - "The Wonder Years: Christmas"

ed note: This article originally premiered on December 6th, 2016

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a new awesome holiday television program for every day of Advent. This is the greatest tv of the season. Enjoy.

Day 6: "The Wonder Years: Christmas"

Original air date, December 14th, 1988

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five

We all wanted that one perfect gift for Christmas. Many times that gift was made by Nintendo. In the mid-eighties there was the original NES, 2006 saw the Wii, and in 2016 we are all out desperately searching for the original NES once again. There was the Furby, Cabbage Patch Dolls, and Tickle Me Elmo that drove people crazy during past holiday shopping sprees. Sometimes we wanted that perfect gift to be a big purchase we have been holding off on. A new car, a big vacation, or even the latest and greatest in television technology could be the gift that makes that particular Christmas the most memorable ever. That big gift would consume much of our holiday spirit.

In 1988, "The Wonder Years" was early in it's second season. The show was coming off a Best Comedy series Emmy and was quickly being recognized as one of the must-watch shows on all of television. Baby boomers loved the nostalgia, and gen xers loved the characters. Kevin, Paul, Wayne, Jack, Norma, and of course Winnie Cooper were people we wanted to spend time with. The third episode of the second season was to be the first of many Christmas-themed stories.

"Christmas" starts off with Kevin, Wayne, and Norma marveling at the new color televisions on display at the local store. They have decided that for this Christmas, color tv is at the top of their wish list. Throughout the entire episode, the members of the Arnold clan find their own way to convince patriarch Jack that a color television would make this Christmas extra special. Jack acts in his normal sensible way, but at one point he even admits to wanting a color television. Is the price worth it, or even feasible, is what troubles Jack. Reality is not on display for the rest of the Arnold's, and the color television becomes the obsession for Christmas.

Kevin Arnold is not only entranced by the hope of color tv, he also is still pining for Winnie Cooper. While daydreaming of a moment with Winnie, she approaches Kevin to present the young man with a Christmas present. Her only wish is that Kevin wait until Christmas to open the gift. This moment drives the smitten younger Arnold to find a perfect gift for Winny. He and Paul end up at a mall so Kevin can find the right perfume for Miss Cooper. After many attempts, he settles for a simple snow globe. In Kevin;s mind, getting a gift is what really matters.

Like any good episode of "The Wonder Years", the third act reveals the folly of Kevin's thoughts. When delivering his gift to Winnie, Kevin learns her family has decided to suddenly leave town and not spend Christmas at home. In the pilot episode of "The Wonder Years", we learn that Winnie's brother Brian was killed in Vietnam. This was to be the Cooper's first Christmas at home without their son, and they decided to spend the holidays elsewhere. Later, Kevin catches up with his color tv obsessed family as the sing Christmas carols. In the middle of song, it starts to pour down rain on the Arnold clan. All the anxiety of the holidays washes away as Jack breaks out into uncontrollable laughter. The rest of the family joins the father, and Kevin realizes what real memories are made on Christmas. The best memories of the holidays come from being together and experiencing the unexpected. Wanting something does not make for Christmas magic, experiencing something does. We learn that the family did not get their color tv that year, but nobody cared. Winnie's gift to Kevin was a simple four leaf clover and the wish of luck in the upcoming year. This Christmas was memorable because of what was unexpected, and welcomed.

There is a very good chance that most of us will not get that new car, big vacation, or mini classic Nintendo this Christmas. Right now in early December we may hope for the unexpected, and unreasonable, to happen. Really though, chances are that the perfect gift we have in mind now will not appear on Christmas morning. The thing is that we will not remember this holiday season for  what we did not get. Something will happen, unexpectedly, that will put this Christmas into our own personal history books. We just have to let those events come to us.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is still interested in that mini NES. It would be an unexpected surprise to find one this holiday season.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Television Programs: Day 3 - "Saved By the Bell: Home for Christmas Part 1 and 2"

ed note: This article was originally published on December 3rd, 2016

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a new awesome holiday television program for every day of Advent. This is the greatest tv of the season. Enjoy.

Day 3: "Saved By the Bell: Home for Christmas Part 1 and 2" Original air date, December 7th and 14th, 1991

Opened Doors: One, Two

Going to the mall during the holiday season has its ups and downs. It is always very crowded, people are downright rude, and there are cheesy Christmas activities going on everywhere. Santa is patiently attending to thousands of scared, or overly greedy, children every single weekend. All the stores are playing the same holiday standards you were sick of decades ago. Untrained, seasonal, workers slow down the cash registers at stores people only visit in December. And if you are lucky, there will be a half-assed holiday pageant or play going on near the food court. Nine times out of ten, this production is an extremely loose interpretation of the Charles Dickens classic "A Christmas Carol".

In the early 1990's, the gang from Bayside High taught the gen xers and millennials the important lessons of the late 20th century. Lessons like staying away from caffeine pills, be nice to the hot girl in a wheelchair, and should you use dope? Nope. The lesson on two Saturdays in December was about how homeless people are real. 

Home for Christmas was a two-part episode that took place entirely away from Bayside and The Max. Due to this geographic change, there is no Mr. Belding to be seen in this extended adventure. Instead we have the kids all hanging out at a local mall for a variety of reasons. Kelly is working at a mens store to make some extra money. Jessie assisting Santa as one of his elves. Slater is wrapping presents, very poorly. Zack and Screech are not being employed, but they are still hanging around because Zack's mom is getting ready to put on a mall production of "A Christmas Carol". Lisa is volunteering at a hospital, but she also finds plenty of time to get away and join the crew. Shenanigans were about to start.

The craziness gets started when Zack and Screech discover an extremely well put together homeless man shaving in the mall bathroom. Later, on a date with a girl he just met, Zack remarks unkindly about the homeless man. The new girl promptly storms out. The whole crew becomes obsessed with the encounter with the homeless man. The girl Zack pissed off also happens to work at the same store with Kelly. Storylines start to connect after Zack sees the new girl wolf down a basket of fries. She was eating like an animal, not a classy early 90's socal teenager. We learn that the homeless man and the girl are father and daughter. This Christmas was about get real in Bayside California.

The story progresses like any other good Saved By the Bell. The crew discover a problem, hijinks ensue, a lesson gets learned, and our new friends get a better shot in life. There is the Scrooge-like character of the mens shop owner, the bratty kid who kicks Jessie, and the women rightfully upset about Slaters bad gift wrapping job. All of these people exist in large quantities in the real world, but in the Saved By the Bell world we have the Bayside crew to make it all better. The Scrooge discovers the Christmas spirit, the gang learns a lesson, and the homeless people get to live in the Morris house until next episode. A true god bless us everyone. 

Even if you do all of your holiday shopping online, and you should, it is always fun to get out to the local mall. The people are usually terrible, the kids are brats, and there may be less desirable homeless people in the bathrooms, but the Holidays are alive and well in these retail wastelands. The malls are also filled with teenagers, and some of them may be well meaning. If they lack in empathy, maybe they will at least give you a terrible rendition of "A Christmas Carol". The memories of that awfulness will keep Christmas going all year.

Ed Note: These Holiday music article are meant to be fun. Having said that, this is the most important time of the year to help the homeless in your city. Your time and money is needed to assist your local homeless charities. Contact the United Way to find a charity in your city.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He thinks if you are going to watch only one two-part Saved By the Bell that takes place in a mall, skip this one and watch the one where the crew buys U2 tickets.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing

SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Holiday Television Programs: Day 23 - "Seinfeld - The Strike"

ed note: This article was first published on December 18th, 2016

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 23 "Seinfeld - The Strike"

Original air date - December, 18th 1997 

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,  Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty-One, Twenty-Two

For SeedSing's Advent Calendar of great holiday television shows, today, I'm going to write about the "Festivus" episode of "Seinfeld". I know the episode is called "The Strike", but lets be honest, I think we all know this as the Festivus episode. The Festivus episode of "Seinfeld" ranks right up there with any "Simpsons", "The Office" or any other TV show we have written about for the Advent calendar. In fact, I'm going to say that the Festivus episode of "Seinfeld" is the best holiday television show ever. I may quote "The Simpsons" more, or laugh at "The Office" more, but this particular episode of "Seinfeld" has literally changed the way I view the holiday. Today marks Festivus, and I will be airing grievances, showing feats of strength and getting the big pole out for this wonderful pre holiday holiday. 

The episode starts off funny. We all learn that Kramer was/is a worker in a bagel shop, and the strike that he has been seemingly on for years, has ended. Funny right off the bat. The whole thing with the bagel shop, and Kramer's past, and now present, are all classic "Seinfeld". We also get another story involving Elaine giving some creeps a phony phone number and there is some wackiness that happens with this plot line throughout. But, the true gem of the episode is when George's dad tells the world of the joyous day of Festivus.

We learn that when George was a kid, his dad was in line waiting to get him a toy, a doll in fact, and someone else got the last one. He pleaded and prodded the person to give him the doll, but they just would not budge. This caused Frank to lose his mind. He got very, very upset, as he almost always does.  This was when and where he Frank decided he needed to have a "holiday for the rest of us", and thus, Festivus was born. He decided that everyone needs to do many things to make themselves feel a bit better during this holiday season.

Let's be honest, this time of year brings out the anxiety and anger in the best of us. The holiday season can be pretty rough. So, the fact that Frank came up with a holiday where everyone can air their grievances, I love it. I wish this was a real thing and people would not get upset at the outcome. Imagine how nice it would be to tell everyone how you feel, but with the caveat that they cannot get mad at you, and they are allowed to do the same. This would be terrific. To let it all out, that would feel great from both sides. I love that the Costanza's do this every year, because who has more grievances than the Costanza's? No one, that's who. Imagine Frank, Estelle and George sitting around airing their grievances, it must be magically hilarious.

Then, the feats of strength. This would be my absolute favorite. This gives you the chance to prove who is the strongest in your family. I would crush this part of Festivus (ed note: no he would not), and I think my whole family, while they might disagree at first, knows that I would dominate. Now, imagine once again, the Costanza's doing this. I can almost guarantee that Estelle would be the strongest in the family. She may not look it, but I think she would absolutely dominate George and Frank in a feats of strength competition. I bet George is also the weakest, even at everyone's advanced age. He is so meek and mean, but that is just his attitude, I'm sure that does not translate into actual strength.

Then, we have the Festivus pole, which is the alternative to the tree and menorah used during this time of year. It is just an unadorned pole that sits in your living room on December 23rd. It does nothing, but it adds so much to this episode. The fact that Frank just wanted an alternative to all the glitz and glamour of the holiday's is a perfect representation of Frank and the Costanza's. They do not conform to social norms at any times, and I love that.

What makes this episode even more wonderful is the fact that people have made Festivus a real holiday. This has become a real thing. At the time of its airing, it was just an idea that Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David and the "Seinfeld" writing crew came up with, but now, it is real. The computer hasn't proclaimed that I have spelled the word wrong once, there is actual written facts on the internet and most people actually celebrate the day. This has become a world wide, nationally celebrated holiday. I know for a fact that when I go see my family later today, we will celebrate some of the best parts of Festivus, and I cannot wait (ed note: also the fact that Ty will once again lose the feats of strength).

The fact that Festivus is a nationally recognized thing should be more than enough to get this episode on our list, but there are so many more reasons. It is a funny, goofy, Costanza heavy episode, which are usually the best that "Seinfeld" has to offer. While I love "The Simpsons", and it will always be my favorite show, this episode of "Seinfeld" is one of the best episodes of just general television, but it is also the best representation of this holiday that TV has ever put out. It is magnificent.

Go out and have a wonderful Festivus everyone. After all, it is a holiday for the rest of us.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Did we mention that Ty always loses the feats of strength. He does always lose. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Television Programs: Day 21 - "Saturday Night Live - TV Funhouse December 17th, 2005

ed note: This article was originally published on December 21st, 2016

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy.

Day 21 "Saturday Night Live - TV Funhouse December 17th, 2005"

Original air date - Read the title 

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,  Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty

We all need that special time where we rule the world. I can do no justice to the master work of Darlene Love and the people at TV Funhouse. 

Enjoy

RD 

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He also did not wait in line for King Kong on Christmas Day. He wish he had.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Holiday Television Programs: Day 19 "The Office - Christmas Party"

ed note: This article was first published on December 19th, 2016

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 19: "The Office - Christmas Party"

Original air date - December 6th, 2005 

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,  Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen

For SeedSing's Advent Calendar of great holiday TV shows, today I'm going to write about one of my all-time favorite episodes of the American version of "The Office". The episode is simply titled, "Christmas Party", and it takes place in what most everybody believes is their best season, the second.

The episode starts like most, with one on one interviews, and we can see that Dunder Mifflin is decorated for the season. They have a big tree, lots of wreaths, holly, all the things you'd expect when walking into any office during the holiday's. We get an early interview with Jim(John Krasinski), talking about how he finally got Pam(Jenna Fischer) for secret Santa. They have always done a secret Santa at Dunder Mifflin, and Jim, apparently, has never gotten his true love, Pam before. This was well before they were married and had kids and everything, so I think it was great for the writers to have this as one of the main stories in this episode. Later, while speaking with Jim, Michael Scott(Steve Carrell) reveals to him that he got his favorite person in the office, Ryan(BJ Novak), for secret Santa. He proclaims that he spent a lot of dough and went all out because he wanted this party to be extra special. Jim says he thought there was a 20 dollar limit, but we all know Michael to be a bit of a spender and a pest.

When all the workers gather around the tree to do secret Santa, that is when this episode goes from good to great. At first, all is well.  Oscar(Oscar Nunez) gets the shower radio he wanted from his secret Santa, Kelly(Mindy Kaling). Jim gets his gift from Creed(Creed Bratton), which is just one of his old shirts, because Creed is never prepared for anything. Oscar has a gift for Creed, but he doesn't know anything about him, assumes he is Irish, and gets him a four-leaved clover keychain. Then, it is Pam's turn, and she opens her gift, which is a teapot that she has pointed out to Jim many, many times. He not only remembers to get her this teapot, but he also stuffs it with some inside jokes and a note telling her how he truly feels about her. She is very happy, and Jim is pleased with the great job he has done. Then we get to Ryan. He opens his present, and it is a video iPod. For those of you that are even younger than me, back then, in the early to mid-2000's, a video iPod was a big deal, and pretty expensive. It is so expensive in fact, they say that it cost 400 dollars for Michael to buy it, because of course he left the price tag on. After all the initial shock, it is now Michael's turn to open his present from Phyllis(Phyllis Smith). He opens the paper to reveal a homemade oven mitt. It is a very thoughtful and very nice gift, and just what secret Santa should be all about, but Michael is unhappy. He is so upset that Phyllis did not spend a single penny on his gift. He throws his Santa hat off and madly storms into the hallway to let the camera crew knows how he feels about Phyllis' gift. After a minute or so, the other workers ask if they should just continue to open gifts, and Dwight(Rainn Wilson), says no one does anything until Michael says so.

Michael comes back after about 5 minutes and declares that they are going to play a game called "Yankee Swap". The game consists of people deciding if they want to steal a present, open a new present or just keep what they have. We all know this game. Others call it "White Elephant" or "Nasty Christmas". The game is brutal, and shows people's true feelings. This is exactly what Michael wants, because it means everyone will want the iPod he bought. The game starts, and of course the iPod is the hot item. Everyone is trading for it, even Pam. When Pam takes it the first time, Jim is noticeably upset, but Pam says to him, "I mean, it's an iPod". Brutal and to the point. After awhile, Phyllis leaves the room after Michael bad mouths her gift and convinces Meredith(Kate Flannery) to take it. Michel tries to "explain" reverse psychology to the audience before this happens, and it is hilarious. Go watch it now. After Phyllis leaves, Michael asks what is wrong with her, and the rest of the workers tell him it is because he bought a very expensive gift, then bad mouthed all the other gifts.

Michael feels bad, and tries to make up for his mistake, but he makes it worse by telling everyone that he got a big bonus for firing someone, and this just makes everyone even madder. They all leave the circle around the tree, and Michael is despondent. Michael leaves to go get alcohol for the party because he thinks this will make everything better.

While he is at the liquor store, we get shots of everyone trying to get the gifts they truly want. Everyone wants the iPod, but Pam has it, and she loves it. She is smitten. Jim is trying everything he can to get the teapot back, Dwight has it now, but he just cannot convince him. Dwight claims he will use it for sinus infections, and that makes Jim even more upset. At one point, we see Dwight looking through the teapot, and he fins all the inside jokes. Pam sees this from a distance, and she starts to realize that Jim went through a whole lot to get this gift specifically for her.

Michael returns, with 15 bottles of vodka, and now the Christmas party truly begins. They aren't supposed to have alcohol, but no one truly cares, as I expect most real life offices would do the same. The vodka does help. People start to have fun, no one is mad at Michael anymore. At one point, Michael proclaims that Ryan is the "king of the party planning committee", because he found some shot glasses. Even Todd Packer(David Koechner) shows up, with mistletoe on his groin. During the party, Jim walks over to Pam, who looks like she is working, to tell her she doesn't have to answer phones at a party, but we come to realize that she has traded gifts with Dwight. Jim is thrilled and tells her that there is more to the gift than just the tea pot. He and Pam talk about all the inside jokes in the tea pot, but Jim slyly takes the note away and puts it in his pocket before Pam can get to it. We even get to meet Phyllis' boyfriend for the first time, Bob Vance, and his interaction with 3 of the workers is great. After the party they all decide that they are going to go to a bar for an after party, and they even invite Michael, who never gets invited to anything. Before they leave though, Meredith approaches Michael and takes off her shirt. Michael does not reciprocate the feelings, but it is pretty funny. I put this part in because it is the first true time we see how drunk Meredith acts. This becomes a running gag throughout the show.

This particular episode of "The Office" is great. They always brought their A game to the holiday episodes, but this was the first, and, in my opinion, the best. It is a classic.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He did not have any drinks at the SeedSing holiday party, but he did clean his sinuses with a teapot. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Television Programs: Day 17 - "A Very Sunny Christmas"

ed note: This article was originally published on December 17th, 2016

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 17: "A Very Sunny Christmas"

Original air date - December 16th, 2010, released on DVD and Blu-ray November 17th, 2009 

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,  Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen

The memories of our childhood Christmases tend to be filled with joy and excitement. Of course we do have a few friends who hated Christmas because their parents were not into the holiday spirit, but most of us have great memories. We got awesome toys, people came over to visit, and the day ended with some fun activities. As we get older, we start to learn all the things our parents did to make these great, or unpleasant, holiday memories. Sometimes these truths from our Christmas past will ruin our Christmas present, and make Christmas yet to come look even worse. Sometimes we are only left with a simple activity to take our minds off of the ugly lie that is Christmas.

In November of 2009, the long-running FX comedy It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia released an extra long episode on DVD and Blu-ray titled A Very Sunny Christmas. The episode had some harsher than normal language, and some animated nudity. FX was not ready to air the very special episode of the Always Sunny gang. With a few edits for television, A Very Sunny Christmas made it's television debut on December 16th, 2010 as the sixth season finale.

The supersized holiday special has Mac and Charlie excited for Christmas, but Dee and Dennis are not feeling the joy. Mac and Charlie love Christmas because as kids their parents made the holidays awesome. Dee and Dennis hate Christmas because their dad Frank used the joyous day to promise his kids great gifts and just end up faking them out with empty packages. 

This year Frank goes too far. He buys Dennis dream car, a Lamborghini Countach, and Franks intends to keep it for himself. He also carries around a designer bag, Dee's dream gift, and fills the bag with cheese snacks and chocolate. The Reynold's kids have been pushed to the breaking point and decide to pull a Christmas Carol scheme on Frank to make him change. 

Meanwhile, Mac and Charlie are getting more excited for Christmas. On a visit to Mac's home, the two lifelong friends find a videotape of a young Mac at Christmas. Here we learn that Mac's criminal father used to take his family from house to house on Christmas morning to steal other families presents. It was presented to Mac as a South Philly tradition where you would go to other people's houses and take their presents while they went to your house and got presents for themselves. Once Charlie helps Mac see the truth, their Christmas spirit starts to dim. They decide to head over to see Charlie's mom, she is always filled with holiday joy.

At Charlie's house, Mac learns about the Christmases of the past in the Kelly household. Every year a Santa. or elf, would come to the door. The gentleman would give little Charlie a present, then head upstairs with mom Kelly. Many Santas, and elves, would come to the Kelly house on Christmas day. Being confronted with the fact that his beloved mother is an actual prostitue starts to completely break Charlie's fragile mind.

The Christmas Carol scheme of Dennis and Dee does not go well. Frank's old business partner Eugene, a man that Frank swindled millions of dollars from, is a born again Christian who just wants to talk about Jesus. Their attempt to show Frank how much people hate him just ends with the nude elder Reynolds bursting from a couch he demanded to be sown into. Their attempt to show him a future gravesite also fails spectacularly. The lesson of Christmas was not appearing before the Scrooge-like Frank.

With their terrible realizations, Mac and Charlie are still trying to make Christmas merry. On a trip to a mall to buy an old friend a new shirt, and a cool toy, poor Charlie spots the mall Santa and starts to approach the jolly fellow. Once on Santa's lap Charlie has one question, did Santa visit his mom (the real dialogue was too hot for FX, hence the early DVD release). With Santa quite confused, Charlie lunges at the man and red and starts to bite old St Nick's ear off. The scene ends with a little girl in hysterics.

The whole gang gets back together on Christmas Eve night and decide that the whole Christmas thing is garbage. They vow to forget their troubles by getting drunk and forgetting about all the awfulness. While they poor the first few drinks, Charlie receives a phone call and tells everyone that Frank died in a car accident.

Once the gang reaches the hospital, they see Frank very alive. He was in an accident, but just hurt his leg. He tells the crew that he had a vision, one that looks a lot like the Rudolph animated special. Through the vision he wants to be a better man. The gang doesn't buy it and heads back to the bar. The truth is that Frank does want to be better and has decorated the whole bar, with his old partner Eugene, for the holidays. Frank is giving Dennis the Lamborghini, Dee gets the designer bag, Mac and Charlie get the new hot toy, everyone is about to have a great Christmas.

Then Eugene enacts his own fake out and pulls a gun on the crew. He demands all the gifts and blows everyone down with an industrial snow machine. Christmas sucks once again. The only thing that everyone can do to make this Christmas worthwhile is to throw rocks at trains. Why wouldn't you throw rocks at trains?

The idea of a perfect Christmas is a myth. The truth of how people pull off a Christmas miracle is filled with some dark actions. Most people do not have criminal fathers, or prostitutes for mothers, but we all have parents who have gone to extremes to make the holidays memorable. When confronted with the truth, we have a choice to make. We can try to make the holidays joyous in our own way, or we can bite Santa's ear off. No matter what we choose, the day should definately end with anice group activity.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He one time had an Omni Bot. That thing was the stuff.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Television Programs: Day 10 "Doctor Who - A Christmas Carol"

ed note: This article was originally published on December 10th, 2016

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 10: "Doctor Who - A Christmas Carol"

Original air date - December 25th, 2010

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine

If you had one more day to spend with the person you love best, what day would you pick? Everyone has a variety of perfect days, but most of us look at Christmas as being the best of all the perfect days. We tend to be surrounded by joy, and we are usually with good friends. Many of our problems disappear on Christmas Day. The only thing that makes Christmas Day more magical is having your special someone by your side. If you had only one day left, it would be very hard not to pick Christmas Day.

In 2005 the long-running British sci-fi series Doctor Who was brought back to television after being off the airwaves for sixteen years. Since the relaunch, Doctor Who has produced a special Christmas episode every December. Most of the time the Christmas specials would have a holiday feel. There have been monster snowmen, a wardrobe that transported people to a magical winter world, and a town named Christmas. On Christmas Day of 2010, Doctor Who decided to adapt the most classic British holiday story, A Christmas Carol.

The story kicks off with newlywed companions Amy and Rory on a crashing starship. Their craft was stuck in a strange cloud formation surrounding a planet. The Doctor, played by Matt Smith, comes to help and learns that the dangerous clouds above the planet are controlled by one man on the surface. Here we meet Kazran Sardick played by Michael Gambon. Sardick is our Scrooge stand-in for this Christmas Carol. The Doctor learns that Kazran's father used to loan people money, and in exchange for the funds, the families would submit one of their loved ones to cryogenic freezing. The frozen person would not be released until the money is paid off. The Doctor decides that he needs to thaw the icy mans spirits, and since the Doctor has a time machine, why not pull a little Christmas Carol magic.

In order to pull off the Ghost of Christmas past, the Doctor goes back to when Kazran was a little boy and starts to change the man's memories. The young Kazran and the Doctor explore the clouds and learn that fish, and sharks swim in the skies. One adventure goes haywire, and a shark comes after the two. Everyone is ok, but part of the Doctor's trusty sonic screwdriver ends up in the shark. Young Kazran then convinces the Doctor to temporarily release one of his father's frozen debtor prisoners. The young women, Abigail, has a singing voice that can calm the sharks in the clouds. Kazran, Abigail, and the Doctor go on a shark-drawn carriage ride, and promise to meet up again every Christmas eve. 

Every year Abigail and the Doctor stay the same, but Kazran is growing one year old. During one adventure, Kazran and Abigail are around the same age and share a kiss. Their relationship grows every Christmas eve, until one time Abigail shares a secret with Kazran. That night as they put Abigail back into storage, Kazran tells the Doctor he does want to have anymore Christmas adventures. The camera pans away and we see a number counter on Abigails storage tank move to the number one.

The Doctor tries to reason with Kazran, but the old man will not let the crashing starship land safely. He is not concerned with the thousand of lives that will be lost. Companion Amy Pond is then projected via hologram to Kazran as the ghost of Christmas present. She explains that he can save everyone right now if he wants to. The entire ship is singing "Silent Night" to ease the ship through the clouds, but they can not control the sharks like Abigail could. They are going to crash.

Kazran says he does not care if they die, they should die. The Doctor comes again to try and reason with the man. Kazran tells the Doctor that his bitter nature is because of the Doctor and his adventures with Abigail. The secret she shared with Kazran all those years ago is that she is terminally ill, and the numbers on her storage unit count down the days she has left. Kazran understands that he is the Scrooge in the Doctor's Christmas Carol and does not care if he dies alone. His love for Abigail has turned him into to being a miser with her last day.

Here the Doctor reveals the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is Kazran himself. The Doctor has brought the young Kazran to the present and asks him if this is the man you want to be. The little boy is horrified when Kazran comes to hit him. Kazran stops his hand, and breaks down. He sees that his hoarding of the memories of Abigail has made him not enjoy those times past. Kazran agrees to land the ship, but his change of heart has made him unable to control the clouds. Kazran's father built the machine for the bitter person his son was. This new joyful person was not recognized by the "isomorphic" controls. There is only one person who can control the clouds, and that is Abigail.

Kazran releases Abigail, and she remarks about how he took way too much time to spend their last day together. She sings to the fish, the clouds break, and the starship lands safely. Amy acknowledges that she is aware that this is Abagail's last day. The Doctor remarks that it is, but her and Kazran gets one more perfect time. If only we could all be so lucky. The last shot is an old Kazran, and a joyful Abagail riding a shark-drawn carriage through the snowy clouds.

It is hard to pick what day we would want to be our last one with our best love. Many of us never think of the answer to this grim question. Yet somewhere out in the universe people on shark filled cloudy planets face this question. If we try to find that one last perfect day, we will grow old and bitter.  Do not be bitter, be joyful, and choose Christmas Day. You can never go wrong spending Christmas with the one you love.

RD

RD Kulik

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. If he could not choose Christmas Day as his last, he would choose May 11th. He has always had good weather and good fun on that day.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Television Programs: Day 4 - "M*A*S*H: Death Takes A Holiday"

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 4: "M*A*S*H: Death Takes a Holiday"

Original air date, December 15th, 1980

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three

Christmas memories affect people in different ways. Some remember great joy during the holiday season. Some remember anxiety about the financial demand that Christmas puts on people. Most people experience a mixture of these two memories, along with a whole bunch of other happy / sad feelings. Others look at Christmas as a particular special day . We want everyone to be happy, healthy, and think only of joy. We do not want to think about death and starvation.

In December of 1980, M*A*S*H was one of the most watched shows on television and had recently passed 200 episodes. The adventures of the 4077th often time mixed comedy and drama. On the 15th of December, "Death Takes a Holiday" would be remembered as a great piece of television because of the serious nature of the episode.

The staff and doctors of the 4077th are getting ready to throw a Christmas party for a local orphanage. After learning that the food for the party was lost in an enemy attack, the MASH decide to donate their own food gifts from home to the meal. Everyone is a good sport except for Maj Charles Winchester, who donates very little. Charles was always seen as being snooty, so the rest of the unit believe he is just being a typical Scrooge.

What everyone else does not know is that Charles is upholding a family tradition in anonymously donating his chocolate bars to a needy charity. The Major later finds out that the orphanage sold his fancy chocolate on the black market. Charles is upset and confronts the director of the orphanage, but understands that the chocolate was worth a lot of money, and now the orphanage can afford rice and other staples for many meals. Maj Winchester wanted to give the kids joy on Christmas, but is satisfied to know that his gift allowed for a longer survival for the charity.  

The party itself is good fun, but some are absent because a mortally wounded soldier is brought into the MASH. Hawkeye, BJ, and Margaret are tending to the soldier, and quickly figure out that the man will not live. The group also find out that the man has a wife and young children. It is assured the man will die, but Hawkeye, BJ, and Margaret make a vow to keep the soldier alive until Christmas has passed. They did not want the man's children to remember Christmas as the day their father died.

The surgery is not going well for the mortally wounded soldier, and he dies just before the end of Christmas Day. Hawkeye goes to the clock and moves the hands until it is after midnight. He announces the death as 12:05 am, December 26th. Margaret says she has never falsified a record, and one of the doctors says she should, he informs the group that Christmas should be a time of birth. The group kept their promise to the dying man.

Terrible things happen to people every day. Many of us use Christmas Day as that oasis away from the hurt in the world. Christmas should be a day of birth, and joy, and togetherness. Unfortunately reality cannot use that one day to save starving orphans, or give a young father the chance to watch his kids grow up. What Christmas can give us are happy memories that will carry us through the bad times. The orphans will remember that an anonymous donor gave them months of food, and a family will remember that their father/husband held on for one more Christmas Day. Those memories will make Christmas special.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. 

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing

SeedSing Classic: Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Television Programs: Day 2 - "G.I. Joe: Cobra Claws are Coming to Town"

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we are looking back at the great holiday music, movies, television episodes, and food of this great season. Enjoy

Day 2: "G.I. Joe - Cobra Claws are Coming to Town" Original air date, November 7th, 1985

Opened Doors: One

The holiday season tends to see a lot of people taking much needed time off work. Many companies are shorter staffed due to the large amount of employee vacations. The people left in the office around the end of December tend to be the people who do not particularly care for the whole holiday season. They may have no families, or they may not care for the one they have. Thank goodness for these people, because without them we would have no one to do any of the needed work during the end of December. Work like defending our nation from an evil terrorist organization determined to the rule the world.

In November of 1985, the G.I. Joe cartoon presented kids with a Christmas themed episode entitled "Cobra Claws are Coming to Town". The story begins with our real American heroes transporting a bunch of toys for a charity event, and then Cobra attacks. The Joes easily repel the attack, but Cobra agent Firefly leaves something with the toys. Once back at Joe headquarters, the team is getting ready to have Christmas dinner prepared by chef extraordinaire, and heavy machine gunner, Roadblock. Shipwreck, Blowtorch, Tripwire, Dusty, and Wild Bill are a few of the Joes all on duty during this holiday season. Cover Girl remarks to Duke that the Joes are a bit undermanned because so much of the team is off for the holidays. Duke reassures the tank driver that is all good because the Joes have an awesome laser security system to keep Cobra out. Everything should be peaceful this joyous night.

Roadblock's turkey is a big hit with the Joes, even Junkyard the dog gets a leg to feast on. Unfortunately. Junkyard's buddy Mutt is not feeling very festive. Duke chalks it all up to holiday blues. While walking off the blues, Mutt is ambushed by tiny Cobra troops that hid out in the toys Firefly left after the first attack. All of the Cobra high command along with a bunch of troops were shrunk down and made it behind the laser barrier by hiding in the toys. Once free, the Cobra troops are brought back to normal size by Destro's shrinking/enlarging gun. This holiday night was not going to be silent.

What follows is a typical G.I. Joe adventure. Cobra Commander has the upper hand, and can not lose, but he does. Destro invents a world-changing weapon, and once broken, we never see it again. Shipwreck makes lewd comments about a side of beef, and Duke is no nonsense. Oh, and Shipwreck's parrot Polly is shot with Destro's gun and becomes massive. With the gun destroyed, we never get any explanation on how this highly intellectual bird is brought back to normal size. This is what us kids wanted from G.I. Joe. Knowing the familiar plot beats was half the battle.

What makes "Cobra Claws Are Coming to Town" a holiday classic is the fact that it mimics all great Christmas shows, plus we have some kick butt red on blue laser battle action. Mutt is grumpy, then he is not. Cover Girl gives Duke a little kiss on the cheek and wishes him a Merry Christmas. Shipwreck is once again left dateless, plus he has a giant bird to contend with. Cobra Commander has to spend another holiday arguing with Destro and the Baroness. "Cobra Claws are Coming Town" showed that in the world of G.I. Joe, the themes of togetherness and teamwork did not take a vacation on Christmas. Work still had to be done while the small crew enjoyed Roadblock's feast, and that work was done to the same standard as the last 50 plus encounters with Cobra.

Many people are finalizing their plans for the upcoming holiday season. Offices will be mostly empty, those left behind may have the holiday blues, and work may seem a bit dull. Do not be fooled, the enemy may have revolutionary technology, and will use it to strike when your guard is down. Just remember, your coworkers who were also left behind will be there to have your back. Teamwork will make anyone's season sunny and bright.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He kept yelling out COBRA while writing this, but was calm when he repeated Yo-Joe three times. 

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing

SeedSing's Advent Calendar of Holiday Television Programs: Day 23 - "Seinfeld - The Strike"

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a new awesome holiday television program for every day of Advent. This is the greatest tv of the season. Enjoy.

Day 23 "Seinfeld - The Strike"

Original air date - December, 18th 1997 

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,  Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty-One, Twenty-Two

For SeedSing's Advent Calendar of great holiday television shows, today, I'm going to write about the "Festivus" episode of "Seinfeld". I know the episode is called "The Strike", but lets be honest, I think we all know this as the Festivus episode. The Festivus episode of "Seinfeld" ranks right up there with any "Simpsons", "The Office" or any other TV show we have written about for the Advent calendar. In fact, I'm going to say that the Festivus episode of "Seinfeld" is the best holiday television show ever. I may quote "The Simpsons" more, or laugh at "The Office" more, but this particular episode of "Seinfeld" has literally changed the way I view the holiday. Today marks Festivus, and I will be airing grievances, showing feats of strength and getting the big pole out for this wonderful pre holiday holiday. 

The episode starts off funny. We all learn that Kramer was/is a worker in a bagel shop, and the strike that he has been seemingly on for years, has ended. Funny right off the bat. The whole thing with the bagel shop, and Kramer's past, and now present, are all classic "Seinfeld". We also get another story involving Elaine giving some creeps a phony phone number and there is some wackiness that happens with this plot line throughout. But, the true gem of the episode is when George's dad tells the world of the joyous day of Festivus.

We learn that when George was a kid, his dad was in line waiting to get him a toy, a doll in fact, and someone else got the last one. He pleaded and prodded the person to give him the doll, but they just would not budge. This caused Frank to lose his mind. He got very, very upset, as he almost always does.  This was when and where he Frank decided he needed to have a "holiday for the rest of us", and thus, Festivus was born. He decided that everyone needs to do many things to make themselves feel a bit better during this holiday season.

Let's be honest, this time of year brings out the anxiety and anger in the best of us. The holiday season can be pretty rough. So, the fact that Frank came up with a holiday where everyone can air their grievances, I love it. I wish this was a real thing and people would not get upset at the outcome. Imagine how nice it would be to tell everyone how you feel, but with the caveat that they cannot get mad at you, and they are allowed to do the same. This would be terrific. To let it all out, that would feel great from both sides. I love that the Costanza's do this every year, because who has more grievances than the Costanza's? No one, that's who. Imagine Frank, Estelle and George sitting around airing their grievances, it must be magically hilarious.

Then, the feats of strength. This would be my absolute favorite. This gives you the chance to prove who is the strongest in your family. I would crush this part of Festivus (ed note: no he would not), and I think my whole family, while they might disagree at first, knows that I would dominate. Now, imagine once again, the Costanza's doing this. I can almost guarantee that Estelle would be the strongest in the family. She may not look it, but I think she would absolutely dominate George and Frank in a feats of strength competition. I bet George is also the weakest, even at everyone's advanced age. He is so meek and mean, but that is just his attitude, I'm sure that does not translate into actual strength.

Then, we have the Festivus pole, which is the alternative to the tree and menorah used during this time of year. It is just an unadorned pole that sits in your living room on December 23rd. It does nothing, but it adds so much to this episode. The fact that Frank just wanted an alternative to all the glitz and glamour of the holiday's is a perfect representation of Frank and the Costanza's. They do not conform to social norms at any times, and I love that.

What makes this episode even more wonderful is the fact that people have made Festivus a real holiday. This has become a real thing. At the time of its airing, it was just an idea that Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David and the "Seinfeld" writing crew came up with, but now, it is real. The computer hasn't proclaimed that I have spelled the word wrong once, there is actual written facts on the internet and most people actually celebrate the day. This has become a world wide, nationally celebrated holiday. I know for a fact that when I go see my family later today, we will celebrate some of the best parts of Festivus, and I cannot wait (ed note: also the fact that Ty will once again lose the feats of strength).

The fact that Festivus is a nationally recognized thing should be more than enough to get this episode on our list, but there are so many more reasons. It is a funny, goofy, Costanza heavy episode, which are usually the best that "Seinfeld" has to offer. While I love "The Simpsons", and it will always be my favorite show, this episode of "Seinfeld" is one of the best episodes of just general television, but it is also the best representation of this holiday that TV has ever put out. It is magnificent.

Go out and have a wonderful Festivus everyone. After all, it is a holiday for the rest of us.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Did we mention that Ty always loses the feats of strength. He does always lose. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

SeedSing's Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Television Programs: Day 21 - "Saturday Night Live - TV Funhouse December 17th, 2005

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a new awesome holiday television program for every day of Advent. This is the greatest tv of the season. Enjoy.

Day 21 "Saturday Night Live - TV Funhouse December 17th, 2005"

Original air date - Read the title 

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,  Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty

We all need that special time where we rule the world. I can do no justice to the master work of Darlene Love and the people at TV Funhouse. 

Enjoy

RD 

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He also did not wait in line for King Kong on Christmas Day. He wish he had.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

SeedSing's Advent Calendar of Holiday Television Programs: Day 19 "The Office - Christmas Party"

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a new awesome holiday television program for every day of Advent. This is the greatest tv of the season. Enjoy.

Day 19: "The Office - Christmas Party"

Original air date - December 6th, 2005 

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,  Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen

For SeedSing's Advent Calendar of great holiday TV shows, today I'm going to write about one of my all-time favorite episodes of the American version of "The Office". The episode is simply titled, "Christmas Party", and it takes place in what most everybody believes is their best season, the second.

The episode starts like most, with one on one interviews, and we can see that Dunder Mifflin is decorated for the season. They have a big tree, lots of wreaths, holly, all the things you'd expect when walking into any office during the holiday's. We get an early interview with Jim(John Krasinski), talking about how he finally got Pam(Jenna Fischer) for secret Santa. They have always done a secret Santa at Dunder Mifflin, and Jim, apparently, has never gotten his true love, Pam before. This was well before they were married and had kids and everything, so I think it was great for the writers to have this as one of the main stories in this episode. Later, while speaking with Jim, Michael Scott(Steve Carrell) reveals to him that he got his favorite person in the office, Ryan(BJ Novak), for secret Santa. He proclaims that he spent a lot of dough and went all out because he wanted this party to be extra special. Jim says he thought there was a 20 dollar limit, but we all know Michael to be a bit of a spender and a pest.

When all the workers gather around the tree to do secret Santa, that is when this episode goes from good to great. At first, all is well.  Oscar(Oscar Nunez) gets the shower radio he wanted from his secret Santa, Kelly(Mindy Kaling). Jim gets his gift from Creed(Creed Bratton), which is just one of his old shirts, because Creed is never prepared for anything. Oscar has a gift for Creed, but he doesn't know anything about him, assumes he is Irish, and gets him a four-leaved clover keychain. Then, it is Pam's turn, and she opens her gift, which is a teapot that she has pointed out to Jim many, many times. He not only remembers to get her this teapot, but he also stuffs it with some inside jokes and a note telling her how he truly feels about her. She is very happy, and Jim is pleased with the great job he has done. Then we get to Ryan. He opens his present, and it is a video iPod. For those of you that are even younger than me, back then, in the early to mid-2000's, a video iPod was a big deal, and pretty expensive. It is so expensive in fact, they say that it cost 400 dollars for Michael to buy it, because of course he left the price tag on. After all the initial shock, it is now Michael's turn to open his present from Phyllis(Phyllis Smith). He opens the paper to reveal a homemade oven mitt. It is a very thoughtful and very nice gift, and just what secret Santa should be all about, but Michael is unhappy. He is so upset that Phyllis did not spend a single penny on his gift. He throws his Santa hat off and madly storms into the hallway to let the camera crew knows how he feels about Phyllis' gift. After a minute or so, the other workers ask if they should just continue to open gifts, and Dwight(Rainn Wilson), says no one does anything until Michael says so.

Michael comes back after about 5 minutes and declares that they are going to play a game called "Yankee Swap". The game consists of people deciding if they want to steal a present, open a new present or just keep what they have. We all know this game. Others call it "White Elephant" or "Nasty Christmas". The game is brutal, and shows people's true feelings. This is exactly what Michael wants, because it means everyone will want the iPod he bought. The game starts, and of course the iPod is the hot item. Everyone is trading for it, even Pam. When Pam takes it the first time, Jim is noticeably upset, but Pam says to him, "I mean, it's an iPod". Brutal and to the point. After awhile, Phyllis leaves the room after Michael bad mouths her gift and convinces Meredith(Kate Flannery) to take it. Michel tries to "explain" reverse psychology to the audience before this happens, and it is hilarious. Go watch it now. After Phyllis leaves, Michael asks what is wrong with her, and the rest of the workers tell him it is because he bought a very expensive gift, then bad mouthed all the other gifts.

Michael feels bad, and tries to make up for his mistake, but he makes it worse by telling everyone that he got a big bonus for firing someone, and this just makes everyone even madder. They all leave the circle around the tree, and Michael is despondent. Michael leaves to go get alcohol for the party because he thinks this will make everything better.

While he is at the liquor store, we get shots of everyone trying to get the gifts they truly want. Everyone wants the iPod, but Pam has it, and she loves it. She is smitten. Jim is trying everything he can to get the teapot back, Dwight has it now, but he just cannot convince him. Dwight claims he will use it for sinus infections, and that makes Jim even more upset. At one point, we see Dwight looking through the teapot, and he fins all the inside jokes. Pam sees this from a distance, and she starts to realize that Jim went through a whole lot to get this gift specifically for her.

Michael returns, with 15 bottles of vodka, and now the Christmas party truly begins. They aren't supposed to have alcohol, but no one truly cares, as I expect most real life offices would do the same. The vodka does help. People start to have fun, no one is mad at Michael anymore. At one point, Michael proclaims that Ryan is the "king of the party planning committee", because he found some shot glasses. Even Todd Packer(David Koechner) shows up, with mistletoe on his groin. During the party, Jim walks over to Pam, who looks like she is working, to tell her she doesn't have to answer phones at a party, but we come to realize that she has traded gifts with Dwight. Jim is thrilled and tells her that there is more to the gift than just the tea pot. He and Pam talk about all the inside jokes in the tea pot, but Jim slyly takes the note away and puts it in his pocket before Pam can get to it. We even get to meet Phyllis' boyfriend for the first time, Bob Vance, and his interaction with 3 of the workers is great. After the party they all decide that they are going to go to a bar for an after party, and they even invite Michael, who never gets invited to anything. Before they leave though, Meredith approaches Michael and takes off her shirt. Michael does not reciprocate the feelings, but it is pretty funny. I put this part in because it is the first true time we see how drunk Meredith acts. This becomes a running gag throughout the show.

This particular episode of "The Office" is great. They always brought their A game to the holiday episodes, but this was the first, and, in my opinion, the best. It is a classic.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He did not have any drinks at the SeedSing holiday party, but he did clean his sinuses with a teapot. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

SeedSing's Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Television Programs: Day 18 - "A Very Murray Christmas"

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a new awesome holiday television program for every day of Advent. This is the greatest tv of the season. Enjoy.

Day 18: "A Very Murray Christmas"

Original air date - December 4th, 2015 

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,  Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen

The Holiday season can be very lonely for some. In today's economy, many people will find themselves away from family and friends around Christmas. Even worse, some of us will be trying to get home, but the unpredictable December weather will bring some cataclysmic storm that will strand us where we stand. Sometimes the best thing to do when we are alone on Christmas is to find the nearest bar, and drink with your temporary holiday family.

Netflix got into the musical holiday Christmas special business with their 2015 release of A Very Murray Christmas. The one-hour special, directed by Sofia Coppola, featured internet sensation Bill Murray in his own modern holiday extravaganza. There was music, drama, and guest stars galore. The entire ordeal was a call back to the Christmas specials of the 50's and 60's, but A Very Murray Christmas incorporated the cynicism of star player Mr. Bill Murray.

The tale is a simple one. Bill is waiting, with his piano playing buddy Paul Shaffer, to start filming a star-studded musical Christmas special. The problem is that New York City is being pounded by a terrible blizzard. Bill is not optimistic about his special going off.  His producers are typical smarmy Hollywood people and urge him all will be well. How could all be right, the guest stars are nowhere to be seen? There is no George Clooney, or Pope Francis, or Angelina Jolie, the snow has kept them all away. Even if Mr. Murray wants to flee, the show must go on. Thank goodness Chris Rock gets stuck in New York. Bill has one, uncooperative, guest star to sing with. Then the power goes out. Special canceled, everyone is allowed to let it all go.

Poor Bill is still stuck in New York. With trusted Paul Shaeffer by his side, Mr. Murray decides to celebrate Christmas in the hotel bar drinking with the staff. He encounters a poor almost married couple (Rashida Jones and Jason Schartzman) who ended up in a fight because the weather ruined their picture perfect New York Christmas wedding. Being the lover of weddings that Bill Murray is, he tries to make it right. He sings with the kitchen staff (Phoenix), he orders drinks, he brings people together. Once Christmas eve becomes Christmas day, Mr. Bill Murray has had too much joy, and drink, and he proceeds to pass out.

In his dreamlike drunken sleep, Bill lives his grand Christmas special. George Clooney and Miley Cyrus join him for song, dance, and general holiday frivolity. The entire event is what makes the holidays magical. Bill Murray did it, he imagined the greatest 21st-century-holiday tv special ever. It makes the fact that he wakes up with just Paul Shaffer, and his piano, to keep Mr. Murray company for Christmas day a worthy reward.

We are never alone, especially on Christmas day. The weather may trap us, or jobs may be our late December prison, but we will always find people to be festive with. So many people think they will find themselves alone on Christmas Day, but they will always find each other. Barring their company, we will always have the spirits of the holidays. The ghosts of bourbon, vodka, gin, tequila, and rum will let us experience the joy of the season. They may even help us imagine George Clooney and Miley Cyrus. That is a true Christmas miracle.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He has spent many times alone around Christmas Day. If only he had Phoenix there to help him out. 

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

SeedSing's Advent Calendar of Awesome Television Programs: Day 17 - "A Very Sunny Christmas"

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a new awesome holiday television program for every day of Advent. This is the greatest tv of the season. Enjoy.

Day 17: "A Very Sunny Christmas"

Original air date - December 16th, 2010, released on DVD and Blu-ray November 17th, 2009 

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen,  Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen

The memories of our childhood Christmases tend to be filled with joy and excitement. Of course we do have a few friends who hated Christmas because their parents were not into the holiday spirit, but most of us have great memories. We got awesome toys, people came over to visit, and the day ended with some fun activities. As we get older, we start to learn all the things our parents did to make these great, or unpleasant, holiday memories. Sometimes these truths from our Christmas past will ruin our Christmas present, and make Christmas yet to come look even worse. Sometimes we are only left with a simple activity to take our minds off of the ugly lie that is Christmas.

In November of 2009, the long-running FX comedy It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia released an extra long episode on DVD and Blu-ray titled A Very Sunny Christmas. The episode had some harsher than normal language, and some animated nudity. FX was not ready to air the very special episode of the Always Sunny gang. With a few edits for television, A Very Sunny Christmas made it's television debut on December 16th, 2010 as the sixth season finale.

The supersized holiday special has Mac and Charlie excited for Christmas, but Dee and Dennis are not feeling the joy. Mac and Charlie love Christmas because as kids their parents made the holidays awesome. Dee and Dennis hate Christmas because their dad Frank used the joyous day to promise his kids great gifts and just end up faking them out with empty packages. 

This year Frank goes too far. He buys Dennis dream car, a Lamborghini Countach, and Franks intends to keep it for himself. He also carries around a designer bag, Dee's dream gift, and fills the bag with cheese snacks and chocolate. The Reynold's kids have been pushed to the breaking point and decide to pull a Christmas Carol scheme on Frank to make him change. 

Meanwhile, Mac and Charlie are getting more excited for Christmas. On a visit to Mac's home, the two lifelong friends find a videotape of a young Mac at Christmas. Here we learn that Mac's criminal father used to take his family from house to house on Christmas morning to steal other families presents. It was presented to Mac as a South Philly tradition where you would go to other people's houses and take their presents while they went to your house and got presents for themselves. Once Charlie helps Mac see the truth, their Christmas spirit starts to dim. They decide to head over to see Charlie's mom, she is always filled with holiday joy.

At Charlie's house, Mac learns about the Christmases of the past in the Kelly household. Every year a Santa. or elf, would come to the door. The gentleman would give little Charlie a present, then head upstairs with mom Kelly. Many Santas, and elves, would come to the Kelly house on Christmas day. Being confronted with the fact that his beloved mother is an actual prostitue starts to completely break Charlie's fragile mind.

The Christmas Carol scheme of Dennis and Dee does not go well. Frank's old business partner Eugene, a man that Frank swindled millions of dollars from, is a born again Christian who just wants to talk about Jesus. Their attempt to show Frank how much people hate him just ends with the nude elder Reynolds bursting from a couch he demanded to be sown into. Their attempt to show him a future gravesite also fails spectacularly. The lesson of Christmas was not appearing before the Scrooge-like Frank.

With their terrible realizations, Mac and Charlie are still trying to make Christmas merry. On a trip to a mall to buy an old friend a new shirt, and a cool toy, poor Charlie spots the mall Santa and starts to approach the jolly fellow. Once on Santa's lap Charlie has one question, did Santa visit his mom (the real dialogue was too hot for FX, hence the early DVD release). With Santa quite confused, Charlie lunges at the man and red and starts to bite old St Nick's ear off. The scene ends with a little girl in hysterics.

The whole gang gets back together on Christmas Eve night and decide that the whole Christmas thing is garbage. They vow to forget their troubles by getting drunk and forgetting about all the awfulness. While they poor the first few drinks, Charlie receives a phone call and tells everyone that Frank died in a car accident.

Once the gang reaches the hospital, they see Frank very alive. He was in an accident, but just hurt his leg. He tells the crew that he had a vision, one that looks a lot like the Rudolph animated special. Through the vision he wants to be a better man. The gang doesn't buy it and heads back to the bar. The truth is that Frank does want to be better and has decorated the whole bar, with his old partner Eugene, for the holidays. Frank is giving Dennis the Lamborghini, Dee gets the designer bag, Mac and Charlie get the new hot toy, everyone is about to have a great Christmas.

Then Eugene enacts his own fake out and pulls a gun on the crew. He demands all the gifts and blows everyone down with an industrial snow machine. Christmas sucks once again. The only thing that everyone can do to make this Christmas worthwhile is to throw rocks at trains. Why wouldn't you throw rocks at trains?

The idea of a perfect Christmas is a myth. The truth of how people pull off a Christmas miracle is filled with some dark actions. Most people do not have criminal fathers, or prostitutes for mothers, but we all have parents who have gone to extremes to make the holidays memorable. When confronted with the truth, we have a choice to make. We can try to make the holidays joyous in our own way, or we can bite Santa's ear off. No matter what we choose, the day should definately end with anice group activity.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He one time had an Omni Bot. That thing was the stuff.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

SeedSing's Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Television Programs: Day 10 "Doctor Who - A Christmas Carol"

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a new awesome holiday television program for every day of Advent. This is the greatest tv of the season. Enjoy.

Day 10: "Doctor Who - A Christmas Carol"

Original air date - December 25th, 2010

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine

If you had one more day to spend with the person you love best, what day would you pick? Everyone has a variety of perfect days, but most of us look at Christmas as being the best of all the perfect days. We tend to be surrounded by joy, and we are usually with good friends. Many of our problems disappear on Christmas Day. The only thing that makes Christmas Day more magical is having your special someone by your side. If you had only one day left, it would be very hard not to pick Christmas Day.

In 2005 the long-running British sci-fi series Doctor Who was brought back to television after being off the airwaves for sixteen years. Since the relaunch, Doctor Who has produced a special Christmas episode every December. Most of the time the Christmas specials would have a holiday feel. There have been monster snowmen, a wardrobe that transported people to a magical winter world, and a town named Christmas. On Christmas Day of 2010, Doctor Who decided to adapt the most classic British holiday story, A Christmas Carol.

The story kicks off with newlywed companions Amy and Rory on a crashing starship. Their craft was stuck in strange cloud formation surrounding a planet. The Doctor, played by Matt Smith, comes to help and learns that the dangerous clouds above the planet are controlled by one man on the surface. Here we meet Kazran Sardick played by Michael Gambon. Sardick is our Scrooge stand-in for this Christmas Carol. The Doctor learns that Kazran's father used to loan people money, and in exchange for the funds, the families would submit one of their loved ones to cryogenic freezing. The frozen person would not be released until the money is paid off. The Doctor decides that he needs to thaw the icy mans spirits, and since the Doctor has a time machine, why not pull a little Christmas Carol magic.

In order to pull off the Ghost of Christmas past, the Doctor goes back to when Kazran was a little boy and starts to change the man's memories. The young Kazran and the Doctor explore the clouds and learn that fish, and sharks swim in the skies. One adventure goes haywire, and a shark comes after the two. Everyone is ok, but part of the Doctor's trusty sonic screwdriver ends up in the shark. Young Kazran then convinces the Doctor to temporarily release one of his father's frozen debtor prisoners. The young women, Abigail, has a singing voice that can calm the sharks in the clouds. Kazran, Abigail, and the Doctor go on a shark-drawn carriage ride, and promise to meet up again every Christmas eve. 

Every year Abigail and the Doctor stay the same, but Kazran is growing one year old. During one adventure, Kazran and Abigail are around the same age and share a kiss. Their relationship grows every Christmas eve, until one time Abigail shares a secret with Kazran. That night as they put Abigail back into storage, Kazran tells the Doctor he does want to have anymore Christmas adventures. The camera pans away and we see a number counter on Abigails storage tank move to the number one.

The Doctor tries to reason with Kazran, but the old man will not let the crashing starship land safely. He is not concerned with the thousand of lives that will be lost. Companion Amy Pond is then projected via hologram to Kazran as the ghost of Christmas present. She explains that he can save everyone right now if he wants to. The entire ship is singing "Silent Night" to ease the ship through the clouds, but they can not control the sharks like Abigail could. They are going to crash.

Kazran says he does not care if they die, they should die. The Doctor comes again to try and reason with the man. Kazran tells the Doctor that his bitter nature is because of the Doctor and his adventures with Abigail. The secret she shared with Kazran all those years ago is that she is terminally ill, and the numbers on her storage unit count down the days she has left. Kazran understands that he is the Scrooge in the Doctor's Christmas Carol and does not care if he dies alone. His love for Abigail has turned him into to being a miser with her last day.

Here the Doctor reveals the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is Kazran himself. The Doctor has brought the young Kazran to the present and asks him if this is the man you want to be. The little boy is horrified when Kazran comes to hit him. Kazran stops his hand, and breaks down. He sees that his hoarding of the memories of Abigail has made him not enjoy those times past. Kazran agrees to land the ship, but his change of heart has made him unable to control the clouds. Kazran's father built the machine for the bitter person his son was. This new joyful person was not recognized by the "isomorphic" controls. There is only one person who can control the clouds, and that is Abigail.

Kazran releases Abigail, and she remarks about how he took way too much time to spend their last day together. She sings to the fish, the clouds break, and the starship lands safely. Amy acknowledges that she is aware that this is Abagail's last day. The Doctor remarks that it is, but her and Kazran gets one more perfect time. If only we could all be so lucky. The last shot is an old Kazran, and a joyful Abagail riding a shark-drawn carriage through the snowy clouds.

It is hard to pick what day we would want to be our last one with our best love. Many of us never think of the answer to this grim question. Yet somewhere out in the universe people on shark filled cloudy planets face this question. If we try to find that one last perfect day, we will grow old and bitter.  Do not be bitter, be joyful, and choose Christmas Day. You can never go wrong spending Christmas with the one you love.

RD

RD Kulik

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. If he could not choose Christmas Day as his last, he would choose May 11th. He has always had good weather and good fun on that day.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

SeedSing's Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Television Programs: Day 9 - "The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! - Koopa Klaus"

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a new awesome holiday television program for every day of Advent. This is the greatest tv of the season. Enjoy.

Day 9: "The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! - Koopa Klaus"

Original air date - October 30th, 1989

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight

One of the very best things about Christmas is getting a great present. During our shopping sprees, it is inevitable to find something that you want for yourself. The desire to get that one great present usually turns into an obsession. For the few weeks leading up to Christmas, we can start to get pretty self-centered about presents. We sometimes forget about all the good feelings experienced by giving other people joy around the holds. Our selfishness can make Christmas a downright icy time of the year.

In the late 1980's The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!  was there to capitalize on the sudden popularity of the Mario Bros. video games on Nintendo. Each episode started and ended with a live action adventure of Mario and Luigi with their celebrity friends in New York City. Cindi Lauper, Norman Fell, Vanna White, and many other late eighties luminaries stopped by the Mario Bothers plumbing shop. In between these live action segments was an unrelated cartoon adventure of Mario, Luigi, the Princess, and Toad in the Mushroom Kingdom. The crew was constantly thwarting the evil schemes of King Koopa and his coalition of animal like bad guys (ed note: The Mario games had not named the main bad guy Bowser yet, hence the title King Koopa).

On the day before Halloween in 1989, The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! presented an animated adventure titled "Koopa Klaus". The episode starts with Mario and the crew trying to dig a tunnel to HawaiiLand. Due to Toad's terrible navigation, they end up in the North Pole of the Mushroom Kingdom. Before the heroes arrived in the snowy landscape, King Koopa froze Santa's workshop and took Father Christmas hostage. King Koopa hates Christmas for some reason and wants to destroy all the toys Santa will be delivering. Our heroes decide to visit Santa's workshop on suggestion by Toad.  He is obsessed with getting presents. The Princess decides to give Toad his present early in hopes that it calms her servant down. Upon getting his new snowboard, Toad selfishly goes off to play. He never even thanks the Princess for the thoughtful gift.

The joy of Toad and his new snowboard is short lived, because King Koopa spots the crew and decides to attack. Our heroes see that Santa is a captive in King Koopa’s sleigh, and they all decide to save the big guy. Toad agrees to help, but not for Santa’s safety, he wants to save the toys. At one point, a bob-omb hits Toad and knocks him off the snowboard. He is concerned about his new toy, and the Princess scolds him for being selfish and only thinking of himself. Mario and Luigi use some good old platform jumping, some cave chasing, and other assorted video game moves to get Santa away from King Koopa and save the day.

Saint Nick was safe, but Santa’s workshop was still frozen. Toad is beside himself because he fears there will never be any new toys for the little guy. He then feels ok because at least he got a new snowboard, who cares about anyone else. The Princess tells Toad that Christmas is a time to think of others. With the spirit of the season finally coming into focus for Toad, he gives the snowboard to Santa so at least one present will make it for a Christmas delivery. The kindness of Toad’s gift causes the ice to melt, and free Santa’s workshop. Christmas is saved in the Mushroom Kingdom, and as a reward the Mario crew got to spend the evening delivering presents to all the toads, toadettes, and maybe even a few goombas and koopas.

Getting a cool gift is awesome. What we should not forget is that the feeling we get from giving someone a cool gift is what Christmas should be about. We will spend a lot of time in shops, or on the internet, looking for some great gifts. In our searches, there will be something great that catches our heart’s desire. This is not the season to be selfish. The joy of Christmas will be felt when you give someone else their heart’s desire. If your lucky, you will get that gift so someone else can feel the true holiday spirit.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of The X Millennial Man Podcast. He is still waiting for a game to feature the rad talking late eighties Link of The Legend of Zelda cartoon series.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.