Well, following a delicious round of sayonara sushi (the official title was something along the lines of Salaciously Succulent and Stupendously Sacrosanct Sayonara Sushi, but much of it has been lost to history), I have departed Davis and returned to Virginia. The trip was largely uneventful except that I went from lows of 55 to lows of 15 (with 25 mph winds, naturally), and spent my time in the air reading this. My verdict so far? Mediocre. Things picked up a bit around Iowa, but if my mode of travel hadn't mandated that I not move at all for 8 hours, well, I would have done something else with my time.

I'll be in Lexington on Wednesday through Friday to meet up with some friends and hang out with my brother. If you happen to be one of the aforementioned, prepare to be met!

At once debuting a new feature on the blog and in keeping with our holiday theme, I am now proud to present (in no particular order, barring the last)
THE BLOG OF MANY THINGS BIG 'OLE LIST #1: 
GREATEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES EVER

Dr. Suess's How the Grinch Stole Christmas

I think I've already said all that needs to be said here, but note that the Grinch's heroic moment is now on youtube for those of you left wanting more from my earlier post. 

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Peanuts always strikes close to home, and this holiday rendition is no exception. The animated feature chronicles the misadventures of a depressed and distraught Charlie Brown, trapped in a sort of middle-aged Christmas crisis. The overall atmosphere is unforgettable. 

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Unconventional to say the least, Tim Burton's masterpiece tells the tale of a band of Halloween misfits who seek to transcend their own holiday and take over Christmas as well! The animation is iconic, and the yuletide antics of Jack Skellington are not to be missed.

The Santa Clause

A Tim Allen movie based entirely off of a half-cooked pun that involves a divorced father in a custody battle for his son when he accidently becomes Santa and everyone around him thinks he going crazy!? Yup, looks like we've entered the dubiously good Christmas Comedy section of the list! Just look at the HILARIOUS way that E dangles on the end of the title! Comedic gold. Seriously though, the corny/absurd plot is what makes this movie a classic!

Jingle All the Way

Can you go wrong when Arnold and Sinbad team up for a Christmas-based comedic slapstick extravaganza? Of course not. The ultimate Christmas confrontation features the two duking it out to see who will win a coveted Turbo-man action figure for his son. Love is on the line! (aside: How in the sweet Virgin Mary is that guy my governor!?)

Home Alone

The comedies keep on rolling with the well-known and imaginative Home Alone. It's filled to the brim with memorable scenes like this. And who doesn't remember fondly the terrible tortures that the two bumbling bandits endure at the hands of the surprisingly competent and frankly sadistic Macaulay Culkin? Seriously though, those guys should be dead. 

A Christmas Story

Don't shoot your eye out while watching this all-time classic. Its another christmas-quest film, and this time the ultimate treasure hanging in the balance is a Red Ryder BB-gun.

The Awesome Rankin/Bass Christmas Movies

Probably best known for their famous Rudolph the Red-Nosed Raindeer animation, the super-prolific Rankin/Bass also produced The Year Without a Santa Claus, Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, Jack Frost, Frosty the Snowman, and my personal favorite The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, in which St. Nick gets an origin story complete with magic and demons! Their songs tend to be great too.

Miracle on 34th Street

A nearly (due to the last entry on the list) unsurpassed Christmas classic. Touching and magical, it all comes down to a thrilling courtroom climax, where a lawyer ends up in the precarious position of proving that his client is in fact the real Santa Claus!

It's a Wonderful Life

Now and forever the king of all Christmas movies, It's a Wonderful Life tells the tale of the down and out George Bailey who dares make that bold statement that he wishes he had never been born. To change his mind, the angel-in-training Clarence takes George on a now legendary journey into a nightmare world in which he had never existed. Heartwarming and unforgettable, this movie reminds us all why it's so great to be alive. 

And since we need a villain, why not use the evil Henry Potter?

Antagonist of It's a Wonderful Life, Potter is a heartless real estate tycoon whose only response to a jovial, "Merry Christmas" would be to raise your rent. Intent on driving George Bailey's Building and Loan out of business, Potter takes advantage of the absent minded Uncle Billy, steals most of the company's assets and accuses the innocent George of bank fraud. Worse yet, in the scenario where George was never born, Potter does what any unchecked evil genius would do...he names the whole town after himself!