Counting down in semi-order…

Christmas Wrapping, The Waitresses

No, this is not the band, and not necessarily the best video, but it’s the only one they had. It’s an anti-Christmas song that still manages to make you feel good.

Merry Christmas Everybody, Slade

My God, how can you not love the Brits? I dare you not to adore this song instantly. But even if you aren’t crazy about the song (impossible!) you have to watch the video. Seriously, between the crazy guy with the dutch boy hair and the drummer at the end pretending to drum with his candy cane drumsticks, it’s a must-see 70′s trainwreck.

So This is Christmas, John Lennon

I’ve never been big fan of John Lennon, and especially not of Yoko Ono. But, this song is wonderful.

Fairytale of New York, The Pogues

It’s a little rough on the edges, but look past some of the singing. The songwriting is fantastic, but it certainly isn’t your mother’s version of a Christmas song. The Pogues should have gotten some type of award for a Christmas song with the word “maggot” in it.

2000 Miles, The Pretenders

A song that is often forgotten and overlooked. Chrissie Hynde has never sounded better.

Holly Jolly Christmas, Burl Ives

Again, another classic favorite. I like it even better than Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Blasphemy, I know!

Little Drummer Boy, Bing Crosby and David Bowie

I hope whoever dreamed up this pairing was given a hefty raise.

(more…)

Hey, it’s never too early for career pressure, eh? Not only is your poor child subject to those snide remarks from passive-aggressive Alpha Mummies at the playground (when did he start walking? Oh, gosh, that’s well within the lower range of normal. I’m sure he’ll catch up) but s/he must also compete against peers. Peers whose ranks include the youthful French podcaster Capucine. This video alone has had over 331,000 views.

Once upon a time… from Capucha on Vimeo. Passed along on a tip from Twitter from ThatWife

A breathtaking story by Capucine. Starring baby monkeys lost in frightening trees, a witch, crocodiles, a tiger, a “popotamus” and a lion, and even a “tremendously very bad mammoth”. There are also magic powers and an orange ring, but sometimes, “something goes amiss”.
Bring your popcorn and enjoy the show.

Ah, but she’d better watch her back. Everyone knows child stars burn out fast. Everyone remembers the brief, shining star that was Pearl the Landlord.

A great classic of the late 20th Century, presented live at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Sure, you’ve probably seen some version of it before, but this is one tradition I’m never gonna give up.

Passed along by Nancy Zimmerman

For LEGO!

I hate the man’s clothes, but by god he can make a kickin’ Lego fashion show video. See if you can spot Anna Wintour and Kanye in the front row…and who’s that tuxedo’ed smoothie who keeps staring at all the black models. Is that Robert DeNiro???

Better to enjoy the video than to force your poor, helpless children into outfits like this:

While you’re obliviously enjoying a long sleep-in on Sunday morning, this is what your children are watching…at least, if they’re anything like me. Only presumably your children don’t put Bailey’s in their morning coffee.

They take it black.

Back by popular demand, we here at Teeny Manolo are delighted to share the latest and greatest in video gaming with you!

Oh, for us old people, the totally confusing world of video games! Remember when the biggest thing out there was Pong?

I will only be referring to “game system” games today, not PC games, which are a whole other ball o’ wax. By game systems, I mean XBox, PlayStation, and Wii games. Not to mention that there are actually four different versions of the PlayStation platform, and now you know why I said it can get a little confusing. These games will also be tilted towards the young ones, so don’t be expecting Grand Theft Auto.

First of all, are you looking for the system itself?

Go here for the Wii.
Go here for the XBox 360.
Go here for the PlayStation 2.
Go here for the PlayStation 3.
Go here for the Nintendo DS.
Go here for the Nintendo DS Lite.

Now, on to the games!

Rock Band is one of the biggest games for this holiday season. It’s available for all gaming platforms. Hurry before it sells out! And even better, it’s on sale!

Wii Games

Guitar Hero World Tour Allows up to 8 players for rockin’ fun. Includes a mode to compose, edit, and share original music. A great game for parties, or for any time!

Mario Kart with Wii Wheel Mario and all his friends are up for a race! Fantastic graphics and tons of race courses amount to tons of fun for the entire family. Trust me when I say it’s adddicting!

Active Life Outdoor Challenge Get in on the action! Using a special mat, you and your kids can play over a dozen games with multiple levels such as river rafting, mine-cart challenge, and log jumping!

Super Smash Bros. Brawl All new, this game includes lots of characters from the Mario and Nintendo universes duking it out on more than a dozen different platforms. A must have for Wii fans.

XBox 360

Viva Piñata Create your own garden and more than 60 types of piñatas. Regardless of skill level, find challenge in keeping out sour piñatas, perfecting your garden, and keeping your new piñata friends happy.

NHL 09 Take your created player online and join a team with friends, or scout for players. Featuring 6 vs. 6 online team play, the ability to level up your player, tournament brackets, and awards at the end of every season.

FIFA Soccer 09 Play professional soccer your way in FIFA Soccer 09. It features new Custom Team Tactics that give you all the tools to become a first-team coach. Go inside the game engine to customize the positioning and support play of your teammates and decide exactly how your team will play in any situation.

PlayStation 3

LittleBigPlanet Imagine a world that’s yours to shape, build and explore. A community-based game in which players meet on a planet scattered with individual plots. It puts the power of absolute creation into your own hands. If you can see it, you can enhance it. If you can’t see it, you can invent it.

Spider-Man: Web of Shadows Rated “Teen” this game features an all-new combat system that allows for three-dimensional battles that can start on the street and end up on rooftops as Spider Man tries to save New York City.

MLB Power Pros 2008 MLB Power Pros delivers a unique flair to America’s favorite pastime with an original visual style, pick-up-and-play gameplay mechanics and deep gameplay modes.

Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures Takes the fun and creative construction of LEGO and combines it with the wits, daring and non-stop action from the original cinematic adventures that enthralled audiences everywhere.

Nintendo DS and DS Lite

Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir Delve into the latest evolution of search-and-solve fun! The game showcases highly detailed interactive scenes in which players look for cleverly hidden items in order to solve the case, an experience made for the added ease and interaction of stylus controls.

Kirby Super Star Ultra Get ready for Kirby overload! With so many adventures waiting to be unlocked, there will never be a dull moment as Kirby runs, floats, copies enemies and uses Helpers to fight King Dedede and Meta Knight.

Disgaea Rated “Teen” Completely remade to take advantage of Nintendo DS, the game offers a deep strategy RPG experience with an exceptional story, a fantastic script, and a host of loveable characters and settings.

Professor Layton and the Curious Village Sets players loose in a Victorian dream world as you and your guide, Professor Layton, explore a quirky Victorian village where everything is a puzzle.

You honestly think anything in this child’s life will ever live up to this moment? Phillies fans decided, for whatever completely arbitrary and not-at-all malt-beverage-related reason, to cheer wildly whenever this toddler raised his arms. Note how quickly this adorable child went from Jon Cusack in Say Anything to Adolf Hitler at the Nuremberg Rally.

As the comments on the video note:

He’s going to be really disappointed when he grows up and realizes he’s not a king or some sort of wizard.

You know, I always wondered what was in there. Between this and the scary carnies, I can see where Carnival of Souls came from.

As GoFugYourself put it:

She has poked her legs through a child’s amusement-park dream and put it RIGHT where you’d find the ticket booth to her Adults Only ride.

And some innocent childhood delights will never be the same.