tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80617010317988173342024-02-20T19:47:25.056-06:00Nuh Likkle BickleOr: I expected food a lot better than that. A Jamaican's blog on food, music, tech, life, and anything else blog-worthy.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136489279588471025noreply@blogger.comBlogger128125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8061701031798817334.post-69981957450535154122011-06-08T16:35:00.000-05:002011-06-08T16:35:13.797-05:00WolframAlpha - days until Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 release date<a href="http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=days+until+Harry+Potter+and+the+Deathly+Hallows%3A+Part+2+release+date">WolframAlpha - days until Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 release date</a><br />
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I know this is random after two months of silence, but I'm so excited about the movie and the harry potter conference and other wonderful madness going on that when I did this search on Alpha, I had to make a widget.<br />
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<script id="WolframAlphaScripte04e76c78726a50c0eede8b02b1a9c7a" src="http://www.wolframalpha.com/widget/widget.jsp?id=e04e76c78726a50c0eede8b02b1a9c7a&width=500" type="text/javascript">
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Disclaimer: I work for Wolfram Research, Inc.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136489279588471025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8061701031798817334.post-32545867210321505442011-03-15T11:45:00.000-05:002011-03-15T11:45:33.960-05:00Japan's Earthquake<div style="text-align: right;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.npr.org/news/graphics/2011/03/map-japanquake-300.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.npr.org/news/graphics/2011/03/map-japanquake-300.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From npr.org</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Japan's earthquake was terrible, the tsunami was really terrible, but the impending nuclear disaster is much worse. As my readers know, I went to Japan nearly 2 years ago. It was my first trip to Asia and I was struck by the people. Even in the chaos of the subway, there was an order. Everyone always seemed perfect. It was as if even if they're lives sucked, they were still going to put themselves together and look perfect. That's why I felt worried when it seemed like Japanese officials were understating the risk at the nuclear plants, and that when they started to ramp up the rhetoric to say that there actually was a high risk, it seems pretty scary.<br />
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On the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/12/world/asia/the-explosion-at-the-japanese-reactor.html?ref=asia">NY Times</a>, I found interesting features that explain exactly what's happening in with the nuclear reactors and puts it in context with similar past nuclear disasters.<br />
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So what now? The Japanese have pulled through so much that I'm sure they'll pull through this too, but in the meantime, I started to think about <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/14/how-to-help-japan-earthquake-relief_n_834484.html">donations</a>. Unfortunately, after the <a href="http://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressrelease/2011-01-06/year-indecision-leaves-haiti-recovery-standstill">Haiti debacle</a>, this has kind of left a bad taste in my mouth, so I'm looking out for different ways of helping. <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/03/15/134532391/crisis-in-japan-heres-how-to-help">NPR</a> has a link to appropriate ways to help. From experience, I'd guess that Japan is more organized than Haiti...but I do wish it didn't feel like I'm putting my money into a black box and hoping that it goes where it needs to.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2011/03/15/110049816_wide.jpg?t=1300203414&s=51" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2011/03/15/110049816_wide.jpg?t=1300203414&s=51" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;"><span class="credit">TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA</span>/<span class="rightsnotice">AFP/Getty Images</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136489279588471025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8061701031798817334.post-150736862105401412011-03-04T13:55:00.000-06:002011-03-04T13:55:47.841-06:00The Vault: The best food Engrish in JapanOne of our favorite pastimes when we were in Japan was finding hilarious Engrish - which wasn't hard at all. Here are some food themed ones for an amusing Friday read.<br>
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4. Bar Soul Blood, Kobe, Japan. Now I don't know why this place was called Bar Soul Blood, but I do know it was pretty hilarious. Also awesome: the picture of Michael Jackson. I think the it was pretty much the most expensive glass of coke I've ever had though...but the ambiance was awesome!<br>
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/cXO5Jkv-FwtEp6VHoSk8LHQ_XzV3flp_ki96HK5Vcqs?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="266" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_RUNISEDLcxo/TXA2u1BF9hI/AAAAAAAAEGw/fPSVZJSy_Y8/s400/IMGP7174.JPG" width="400"></a><br>
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<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/PNEsYCte8rUNLKWD_yWLiHQ_XzV3flp_ki96HK5Vcqs?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="266" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_RUNISEDLcxo/TXA3ziVh9OI/AAAAAAAAEG8/I6mFIThuOK8/s400/IMGP7176.JPG" width="400"></a><br>
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<a href="http://nuhlikklebickle.blogspot.com/2011/03/vault-best-food-engrish-in-japan.html#more">Read More...</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136489279588471025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8061701031798817334.post-43269366613476425962011-02-28T17:14:00.000-06:002011-02-28T17:14:16.738-06:00iRobot Create + BAM + Mac OSXThere's a depressingly low amount of advice online on how to communicate with your iRobot Create robot on Mac OSX, so here's my tech tip of the day.<br />
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First there's connecting to your Create over bluetooth. This isn't too hard, simply open the Bluetooth Explorer, find the Create (it'll have a name like ElementSerial), pair and then connect. Easy. Of course, don't forget to plug the BAM bluetooth adapter into your Create and turn it on before.<br />
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Next there's the issue of sending commands. iRobot recommends that you use RealTerm, but unfortunately that's not an option for us Mac users. So I went through a series of free options. The one that I wanted to like the most was using the screen command in the terminal. Unfortunately, I could connect but I couldn't type and send commands once I was connected. This happened when I tried some other free programs too (including the every popular ZTerm), so that was a bust.<br />
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The key was trying Serial Bridge. Now this isn't a free program, and I really wanted a free program, but it had a 30 day trial, so I figured I'd try it out. It's actually a combination of Serial Bridge + Apple's Apple Script. This, after some configuration, worked out perfectly! As an added bonus, Apple Script is super easy.<br />
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<ol><li>Download SerialBridge, fill out the form to get the code for a free trial, and Install. This is a dmg so it's pretty straightforward.</li>
<li>Open SerialBridge and go to File to create a new connection. I just called mine New Connection.</li>
<li>Make sure the settings are 57600 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, 0 flow. Save and you're now connected!</li>
<li>Next I worked off one of the example files that came in SerialBridge. Just edit the byte list to one of the examples that come with your Create. For example, byte list = {128, 132, 139, 2, 0, 0} turns on the Play LED on the Create and turns off all the other LEDs. You can delete or comment out the rest of the file, comments are pairs of (* and *).</li>
<li>Now, press the run button in the Apple Script editor. Success!</li>
</ol><div>Once I got this working, this got me thinking that there must be a free way to send Apple Script files over a serial port connection. Do you know of any? I've fiddled around with a couple of stuff but nothing's worked so far.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136489279588471025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8061701031798817334.post-49364414025788092002011-02-10T14:24:00.000-06:002011-02-10T14:24:54.554-06:00Adventures with Pie Pt 3: Banana Rum Cream Pie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WelrjDDz7pg/TTx8iib65AI/AAAAAAAAEDQ/qa2rSto-GIA/s1600/Photo+Jan+23%252C+1+05+29+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WelrjDDz7pg/TTx8iib65AI/AAAAAAAAEDQ/qa2rSto-GIA/s320/Photo+Jan+23%252C+1+05+29+PM.jpg" width="320"></a></div>Continuing the theme of custardy pies, this pie is ridiculously easy to make. It barely requires any baking (just the curry infused graham cracker crust, easy as pie)! I stumbled upon this recipe after getting a request for a banana cream pie. Not being a huge fan of bananas, I was looking for a twist on a standard banana cream pie and found this <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Banana-Rum-Cream-Pie-237682">recipe</a>. As a Jamaican, everything's better with rum, especially some good Appleton Estate Rum.<br>
<a href="http://nuhlikklebickle.blogspot.com/2011/02/adventures-with-pie-pt-3-banana-rum.html#more">Read More...</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136489279588471025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8061701031798817334.post-83542135158863862622011-02-08T12:07:00.001-06:002011-02-08T16:22:25.721-06:00New Music - Adele, Lady Gaga, PJ HarveyMusic I'm eagerly anticipating: Adele's <i>21</i>. You can actually <a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/02/06/133496838/first-listen-adele-21">hear the entire album online</a> courtesy of npr. I love Adele's voice and her previous album, 19, was one of my personal albums of the year.<br />
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</div><div>In a bit of a guilty pleasure, I'm also really curious to see what Lady Gaga has done with her new album, <i>Born This Way</i>. Apparently the first single will be released on February 11th , which (not coincidentally) is 2 days before the Grammy's [she will of course be performing the song at said award show]. Stefani Germanottta is, if nothing else, a publicity genius.<br />
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<b>Edit:</b> Apparently today was my day for finding new music. Check out <a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/02/06/133495228/first-listen-pj-harvey-let-england-shake">PJ Harvey's <i>Let England Shake</i></a>, also courtesy of npr. The album comes out on Feb 15th. I sort of stumbled upon this and am unfamiliar with her previous music, but I love love <b>love</b> the track <i>Written On The Forehead</i>, which samples the classic reggae song <i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7rAwluPfa8">Blood and Fire</a></i> by Niney the Observer while Harvey croons about the end of the world...you have to check it out!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136489279588471025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8061701031798817334.post-51229961526952403382011-02-08T11:43:00.003-06:002011-02-11T12:15:28.222-06:00Adventures with Pie Pt 2: Pumpkin Pie<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuW3wOe6YFX-rRhac67sr4aU25HM-XVEmEaPLGt_zGzciyCGkkTl26dDcps-vAszhMazM94lWt2pMvb193zizLr1nDf77_qKkLc21dVgDUIHy4JRfaItqVUGzIqyQYI5G1Lso6a-JfD7E/s1600/DSC01112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuW3wOe6YFX-rRhac67sr4aU25HM-XVEmEaPLGt_zGzciyCGkkTl26dDcps-vAszhMazM94lWt2pMvb193zizLr1nDf77_qKkLc21dVgDUIHy4JRfaItqVUGzIqyQYI5G1Lso6a-JfD7E/s320/DSC01112.JPG" width="320"></a>Mmm pie. Pumpkin pie is such a quintessential fall pie that I thought this was an excellent second pie. I was very happy with the filling, but wasn't thrilled with this crust paired with this pie, which lead to 2 more pies. The <a href="http://www.joyofbaking.com/pumpkinpie.html">recipe</a> is from my favorite baking site, joyofbaking.com.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now the crust is what you call pate brisee, french for short dough, because of the high ratio of fat to flour. The most important thing to remember is that butter needs to be really cold. I didn't have access to a food processor when I was making this, so I actually used a frozen stick of butter and then grated it using a cheese grater. This allowed me to be able to combine the flour with the butter and ice water without over mixing, which leads to a tough less flaky crust.</div><a href="http://nuhlikklebickle.blogspot.com/2011/02/adventures-with-pie-pt-2-pumpkin-pie.html#more">Read More...</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136489279588471025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8061701031798817334.post-15795405035919500992011-01-23T13:23:00.001-06:002011-01-23T13:25:23.271-06:00The Blueberry Experiment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e6/Blueberry_Macro_2.JPG/800px-Blueberry_Macro_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e6/Blueberry_Macro_2.JPG/800px-Blueberry_Macro_2.JPG" width="320"></a></div>Blueberries...a fruit that I don't care for particularly on its own, but add them to something and they're amazing. What's great about them is that you feel no guilt when using them because they're supposed to be so good for you. I've <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2850944/?tool=pmcentrez">read</a> that they can enhance memory, reduce blood sugar, and even reduce depression! I started this blueberry experiment last summer, with fresh blueberries. It involved <i><a href="http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/blueberry-zucchini-bread/Detail.aspx">Blueberry Zucchini Bread</a></i> (because zucchini was in season too) and <a href="http://joyofbaking.com/breakfast/BlueberryPancakes.html" style="font-style: italic;">Blueberry Pancakes</a> (because I never need an excuse to eat pancakes).<br>
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<tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/4oYJ1r0__5tvDrFswJWjDnQ_XzV3flp_ki96HK5Vcqs?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="300" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_RUNISEDLcxo/TF4_KLp2tzI/AAAAAAAAD7g/a81gYQnlo04/s400/DSC01022.JPG" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/KamilahT/DropBox?authkey=Gv1sRgCPbLpL2cwryenwE&feat=embedwebsite">Drop Box</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="http://nuhlikklebickle.blogspot.com/2011/01/blueberry-experiment.html#more">Read More...</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136489279588471025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8061701031798817334.post-48313887696618292452011-01-11T13:32:00.003-06:002011-01-11T14:36:36.911-06:00Why I hate Comcast sometimes#comcastsucks This just in, Comcast is <a href="http://nuhlikklebickle.blogspot.com/2008/08/i-hate-comcast.html">still</a> as infuriating as ever. Guess what? I don't care if you claim to have ended a special, if you're still advertising it ON YOUR MAIN PAGE then you should honor it. Period. Would it really have hurt you that much to honor your advertised $19.99/month? Was it worth it to insist upon $29.99/month? I was actually going to suck it up and go with you as my internet provider again and possibly even a cable provider and you lost my business.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQc74MIk4VOw0hKDEgYthUWhohDsnmgXhV0-ECDqf_VvzJYd-t9yAeetbXzWOpkRkGJo67O01h3-TPSQ7Dafx4V_AXJNSliRxynSQDa6XkKqNgymooLgKp8qvFHvgG1j8MsaP5pOgF_Y/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-01-11+at+1.23.52+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQc74MIk4VOw0hKDEgYthUWhohDsnmgXhV0-ECDqf_VvzJYd-t9yAeetbXzWOpkRkGJo67O01h3-TPSQ7Dafx4V_AXJNSliRxynSQDa6XkKqNgymooLgKp8qvFHvgG1j8MsaP5pOgF_Y/s640/Screen+shot+2011-01-11+at+1.23.52+PM.png" width="560" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinFqlGlxKvcQxd7hiTjcfp-rAT_SN0JO7h6Knv8rGWSQwnltLPUFLrYRlxlpnEK3O8UYfW4JeDBqBG0hFnbxVeO0cBp0aBeSK71BHxgq0NPciOzmtbs1mc-YKIjyifG29gVq3c1CH1DGI/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-01-11+at+1.22.05+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinFqlGlxKvcQxd7hiTjcfp-rAT_SN0JO7h6Knv8rGWSQwnltLPUFLrYRlxlpnEK3O8UYfW4JeDBqBG0hFnbxVeO0cBp0aBeSK71BHxgq0NPciOzmtbs1mc-YKIjyifG29gVq3c1CH1DGI/s640/Screen+shot+2011-01-11+at+1.22.05+PM.png" width="560" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Edit:</b> I just realized that it's worse than I thought, the site says this special is valid till 3/31/11 if you click terms and conditions. For shame!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqrcKzrgJn-2oUaf119zr-ZSLV7aFBxv4qPc3fZoOWDhU2BXjnpPCcv0qvpF0ODHu-UBOUqhg0X4E7jW3eovyqqXS002cZ2wzJYtLqQtE-v0J7whZEB2VnoWmQQZqdzswTardrfAomkWs/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-01-11+at+2.31.18+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqrcKzrgJn-2oUaf119zr-ZSLV7aFBxv4qPc3fZoOWDhU2BXjnpPCcv0qvpF0ODHu-UBOUqhg0X4E7jW3eovyqqXS002cZ2wzJYtLqQtE-v0J7whZEB2VnoWmQQZqdzswTardrfAomkWs/s640/Screen+shot+2011-01-11+at+2.31.18+PM.png" width="560" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136489279588471025noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8061701031798817334.post-48679085757226470302011-01-11T12:09:00.000-06:002011-01-17T18:38:21.230-06:00World HarvestChampaign's best kept International food secret: World Harvest. I'm continuously amazed at the stuff I'm able to find there, surprising since sometimes when you're out in the middle of cornfields, you don't expect to find:<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RUNISEDLcxo/TSIlXbIUqxI/AAAAAAAAEAw/nYo_-uXV5mc/s1600/DSC01146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RUNISEDLcxo/TSIlXbIUqxI/AAAAAAAAEAw/nYo_-uXV5mc/s320/DSC01146.JPG" width="240"></a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RUNISEDLcxo/TSIzubIQ-RI/AAAAAAAAEBc/GtsXp7RiwwA/s1600/DSC01147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RUNISEDLcxo/TSIzubIQ-RI/AAAAAAAAEBc/GtsXp7RiwwA/s320/DSC01147.JPG" width="180"></a></div><br>
<a href="http://nuhlikklebickle.blogspot.com/2011/01/world-harvest.html#more">Read More...</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136489279588471025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8061701031798817334.post-40982533921135866932011-01-04T14:36:00.000-06:002011-01-04T14:36:01.060-06:00The Vault: Jamaica in JapanWi likkle but wi tallawah. The ridiculous amount of Jamaican stuff in Japan leads me to wonder how it's possible that such a tiny island could have such a big cultural influence on the world.<br>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwmRqCGZZjykJrnkt-UucPxPQ_sZkognk-Q5VZYqvv_CDWC2fd1ubBIGv2MzCsyC5e8XnOrUEolI0RYK2eSnbXSlmSaLAEMEM-Ce7gBcU7cpoU5il6ISo3WPeVYkEl0lcaXxsWKBirVw/s1600/IMG_9304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwmRqCGZZjykJrnkt-UucPxPQ_sZkognk-Q5VZYqvv_CDWC2fd1ubBIGv2MzCsyC5e8XnOrUEolI0RYK2eSnbXSlmSaLAEMEM-Ce7gBcU7cpoU5il6ISo3WPeVYkEl0lcaXxsWKBirVw/s320/IMG_9304.JPG" width="240"></a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RUNISEDLcxo/Swn0mJlH_ZI/AAAAAAAACD4/hhvGuyg-VaY/s1600/IMG_9303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RUNISEDLcxo/Swn0mJlH_ZI/AAAAAAAACD4/hhvGuyg-VaY/s320/IMG_9303.JPG" width="240"></a></div><br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RUNISEDLcxo/Swn0nOvhutI/AAAAAAAACFA/ETwHdrtndEM/s1600/IMG_9310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RUNISEDLcxo/Swn0nOvhutI/AAAAAAAACFA/ETwHdrtndEM/s320/IMG_9310.JPG" width="240"></a> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RUNISEDLcxo/Swn0mreLuXI/AAAAAAAACEY/xF9Ouuhu04U/s1600/IMG_9305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RUNISEDLcxo/Swn0mreLuXI/AAAAAAAACEY/xF9Ouuhu04U/s320/IMG_9305.JPG" width="240"></a></div><br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-bFAWxbEhRp2M_6d29_0SpWIFdk3MfqIN7pbQr_9Pfh6NC5v0v9EE0L9zPv_xGe3Kq7OOrEu78h-VzanQN_1Mn19v9PCC6_tFSklR0YlDk-TV6nHt5CLU1nJ0wA5E3kaHmULMNah4O4/s1600/IMG_9309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV-bFAWxbEhRp2M_6d29_0SpWIFdk3MfqIN7pbQr_9Pfh6NC5v0v9EE0L9zPv_xGe3Kq7OOrEu78h-VzanQN_1Mn19v9PCC6_tFSklR0YlDk-TV6nHt5CLU1nJ0wA5E3kaHmULMNah4O4/s320/IMG_9309.JPG" width="320"></a></div><br>
<a href="http://nuhlikklebickle.blogspot.com/2011/01/vault-jamaica-in-japan.html#more">Read More...</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136489279588471025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8061701031798817334.post-43761352045940446362011-01-02T13:30:00.008-06:002011-01-02T13:44:53.321-06:00Adventures with Pie Pt 1: Chocolate PieMy adventures baking pie started in the summer, when I made my very first pie: <a href="http://joyofbaking.com/ChocolatePie.html">Chocolate Pie</a>. This was a good starter in some senses, because the crust was a simple Graham Cracker crust. Plus it has chocolate, and not only do I love chocolate, I was preparing it for the wake of my friend Dan, a budding chocolate maker. If I remember correctly I actually prepared the crust and filling the day before, since the filling needs to be refrigerated overnight.<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_aKqHk4eshzHUb2ipf0CREl5KYqj1AYjd5RrfmCnQkYjD12Y90gVDC6fSDM0Y-h88Y4ycnUYDAiOEj4dgesS0a8K32D86o58pFCPezn3afcwUrN7HBCfP0zVjj7SqEKaPK7nBzlf6-98/s1600/DSC01020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_aKqHk4eshzHUb2ipf0CREl5KYqj1AYjd5RrfmCnQkYjD12Y90gVDC6fSDM0Y-h88Y4ycnUYDAiOEj4dgesS0a8K32D86o58pFCPezn3afcwUrN7HBCfP0zVjj7SqEKaPK7nBzlf6-98/s320/DSC01020.JPG" width="320"></a></div><br>
<a href="http://nuhlikklebickle.blogspot.com/2011/01/adventures-with-pie-pt-1-chocolate-pie.html#more">Read More...</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136489279588471025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8061701031798817334.post-68409716515484121262010-12-30T23:30:00.000-06:002010-12-30T23:30:00.895-06:00Song(s) of the Day: Auld Lang Syne/My Dear AcquaintanceTo ring in 2011, I have my last holiday themed post. Kenny G. Regina Spektor. Pink Martini. Byron Lee & The Dragonnaires. Salsa Celtica.<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.inquisitr.com/wp-content/auld-lang-syne-lyrics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://www.inquisitr.com/wp-content/auld-lang-syne-lyrics.jpg" width="400"></a></div><br>
Auld Lang Syne loosely translates to for the sake of old times. The song basically reminds us that we should remember old friendships. It's fitting that this is the song that has become associated with celebrating a new year beginning.<br>
<a href="http://nuhlikklebickle.blogspot.com/2010/12/songs-of-day-auld-lang-synemy-dear.html#more">Read More...</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136489279588471025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8061701031798817334.post-35344970798410970702010-12-29T17:31:00.002-06:002011-02-08T17:16:37.050-06:00Food Consumption in JamaicaI thought this was nifty. We consume a lot of cassava and yam in Jamaica! Click submit to see the stats for a specific country and click more for the stats broken down by food group. I tried to include a random selection of countries. On a side note, the widget builder in wolfram alpha is kinda cool: <a href="http://developer.wolframalpha.com/widgetbuilder/" target="_blank">http://developer.wolframalpha.com/widgetbuilder/</a><br />
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<script id="WolframAlphaScript38939679cb1c1dba08ec5f40ca8ac226" src="http://www.wolframalpha.com/widget/widget.jsp?id=38939679cb1c1dba08ec5f40ca8ac226" type="text/javascript">
</script>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136489279588471025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8061701031798817334.post-68826704728496668662010-12-28T20:00:00.009-06:002010-12-28T20:00:02.915-06:00The Element of FreedomAmazon has Alicia Key's <i>The Element of Freedom<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=nuhli-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B002Y5210G&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe></i> on sale for $5 so I finally got around to purchasing it. I admit before I wasn't super excited about it, but I've bought all of her albums so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I was pleasantly surprised. For instance, I'd watched the video for <i>Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart</i> but a year later now that I've listened to it on the album, I actually like it more. I've totally been in that place before and perhaps that's part of the appeal of the song. In retrospect I was probably distracted by the whole Hancock/Rogue from X-Men/typical lonely super hero storyline in the video. (Check it out at the end of the post and tell me if you agree with the Hancock analogy!) There's something very plaintive about the refrain, <i>"Tonight, I'm gonna find a way to make it without you"</i>. Sometimes when you've lost someone, whether due to a break up or moving or death, the hurt is so bad that you can only take things one day at a time. This I understand.<br>
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<a href="http://nuhlikklebickle.blogspot.com/2010/12/element-of-freedom.html#more">Read More...</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136489279588471025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8061701031798817334.post-73064090293428066312010-12-27T02:29:00.000-06:002010-12-27T02:29:05.957-06:00Why would you dream of a White Christmas?Why would you dream of a White Christmas? I mean yes it's beautiful, and it was nice to sit by a fire crocheting and eating christmas pudding at the end of the day, but in all practicality, White Christmas = Christmas Travel Nightmare. And these airlines really need to come up with a better way of handling this. 2 hours on hold trying to fix your flight is just unacceptable, and at 1 hr, 40 minutes on hold, I'm getting pretty close to the 2 hr mark. Shame on you American Airlines.<br />
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Argh.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136489279588471025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8061701031798817334.post-9783138609844173382010-12-24T23:00:00.001-06:002010-12-24T22:01:20.568-06:00Song of the Day: The Christmas SongChestnuts roasting on an open fire...and so begins my absolute favorite song. And while I absolutely love Natalie Cole's version, the classic is her father's, Nat King Cole's <i>The Christmas Song</i>. I have a special treat with this post because I stumbled upon a video of the man himself singing the song.<br>
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<a href="http://nuhlikklebickle.blogspot.com/2010/12/song-of-day-christmas-song.html#more">Read More...</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136489279588471025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8061701031798817334.post-8974676236860805852010-12-23T13:50:00.001-06:002010-12-24T22:00:15.755-06:00Song of the Day: Christmas Soca PartyIt's not Christmas in Jamaica until you hear <i>Christmas Soca Party</i>, Byron Lee's party. In fact, just play it and you can almost picture yourself running around with your cousins on Christmas day, playing with new presents, eating Christmas cake...the good old days.<br />
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<object height="180" width="250"> <param name="movie" value="http://listen.grooveshark.com/widget.swf" /><param name="wmode" value="window" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashvars" value="hostname=cowbell.grooveshark.com&widgetID=23321721&style=metal&bbg=E8DA5E&bfg=FFFFFF&bt=FF4746&bth=E8DA5E&pbg=FF4746&pbgh=FFFFFF&pfg=E8DA5E&pfgh=FF4746&si=FF4746&lbg=FF4746&lbgh=FFFFFF&lfg=E8DA5E&lfgh=FF4746&sb=FF4746&sbh=FFFFFF&p=0" /><embed src="http://listen.grooveshark.com/widget.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="250" height="180" flashvars="hostname=cowbell.grooveshark.com&widgetID=23321721&style=metal&bbg=E8DA5E&bfg=FFFFFF&bt=FF4746&bth=E8DA5E&pbg=FF4746&pbgh=FFFFFF&pfg=E8DA5E&pfgh=FF4746&si=FF4746&lbg=FF4746&lbgh=FFFFFF&lfg=E8DA5E&lfgh=FF4746&sb=FF4746&sbh=FFFFFF&p=0" allowScriptAccess="always" wmode="window" /></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136489279588471025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8061701031798817334.post-59335008656318610432010-12-19T20:49:00.001-06:002010-12-24T21:35:53.841-06:00Song(s) of the Day: Someday at Christmas/Dream a Dream/All I Want for Christmas is YouNot a lot to say today, but I do love when artists come up with _good_ original Christmas songs.<br />
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When I was in high school and in my the world is such a terrible place phase, I really loved Stevie Wonder's <i>Someday at Christmas</i>:<br />
<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MtOmLeFdnGY?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MtOmLeFdnGY?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
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I really wish Charlotte Church was still making used of her voice like she did in <i>Dream a Dream</i>:<br />
<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EMfmskQIx6E?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EMfmskQIx6E?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
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Finally, I know it's pop, but Mariah Carey's<i> All I Want for Christmas is You</i> is just fun:<br />
<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yXQViqx6GMY?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yXQViqx6GMY?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
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What are your favorite non traditional Christmas songs?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136489279588471025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8061701031798817334.post-88105133839240416152010-12-18T13:45:00.005-06:002010-12-22T17:26:07.307-06:00Song of the Day: Joy to the World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://thewhitneyvault.ch/vault/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/The-Preachers-Wife-71.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://thewhitneyvault.ch/vault/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/The-Preachers-Wife-71.jpg" width="400"></a></div>Joy to the World needs to be joyous. It needs to be grand. It needs to have soul. You'd think that'd be obvious, but the problem is that if you just perform the music as is, it's sort of repetitive.<br>
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The words are by Isaac Watts but adapted from the Bible; the music is by Lowell Mason but based on a melody by Handel. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joy_to_the_World">Fun fact</a>: this was, at the some point, the most published hymn in North America. It's unclear if it still is.<br>
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<a href="http://nuhlikklebickle.blogspot.com/2010/12/song-of-day-joy-to-world.html#more">Read More...</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136489279588471025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8061701031798817334.post-5978437161586974492010-12-17T13:46:00.002-06:002010-12-22T15:35:23.005-06:00Song of the Day: Carol of the Bells<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQg1R_JZdVT3_awV7_YXap7ygw_myTdPbfDJjsxjHH-Qier7YWIzA" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQg1R_JZdVT3_awV7_YXap7ygw_myTdPbfDJjsxjHH-Qier7YWIzA"></a></div><i>Carol of the Bells</i> is... magical... sprightly ... mystical... happy. My love affair with the song started after I sang it in a choir for the first time, in 8th grade, one of the few good memories I have of middle school. We also had actual bells that we ran while singing, and the combination of that, and just something about that song...I just loved singing it, in fact I still love singing it, it's hard for me to resist singing along to this day. It's also pretty near impossible to sing this song without smiling, even if you're Scrooge or the Grinch.<br>
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<a href="http://nuhlikklebickle.blogspot.com/2010/12/song-of-day-carol-of-bells.html#more">Read More...</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136489279588471025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8061701031798817334.post-88228487177441894472010-12-16T21:07:00.007-06:002010-12-17T16:27:00.487-06:00Song(s) of the Day: Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!/Winter Wonderland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RUNISEDLcxo/TQvXvt1w5JI/AAAAAAAAD-U/pkZ5xi1Gkz0/s1600/DSC01135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RUNISEDLcxo/TQvXvt1w5JI/AAAAAAAAD-U/pkZ5xi1Gkz0/s320/DSC01135.JPG" width="320"></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">It snowed again last night. Don't get me wrong, the world covered in a blanket of white is beautiful, but I swear it's snowed more frequently this winter than my previous ones here. <b>Edit:</b> Check out that mountain of snow! You can barely see the FedEx truck over it!</span><br>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br>
</span><br>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I was a little hesitant to choose <i>Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!</i> as one of the songs of the day because it feels like I'm encouraging the weather. To be fair, I love snow, it's the other wintry weathers I don't like (Ice, sleet, hail, windchill factors). Fun <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_It_Snow!_Let_It_Snow!_Let_It_Snow!">trivia</a>: This song was written by lyricist Sammy Cahn and composer Jule Styne in July 1945 on one of the hottest days on record. Also, despite this song being treated as a Christmas song, it makes no mention of Christmas itself.</span><br>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br>
</span><br>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So my favorite version of this song is Aaron Neville's. His <i>Soulful Christmas<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=nuhli-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B000002G1V&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe></i> album brings back memories of Christmases at my Aunt's house, with her dancing while cooking the dinner or baking Christmas Cake. It's funny, but I believe the reason we love Christmas music so much are the memories we've associated with it. And Aaron Neville is able to convey the pure delight he has with the snow.</span><br>
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<a href="http://nuhlikklebickle.blogspot.com/2010/12/songs-of-day-let-it-snow-let-it-snow.html#more">Read More...</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136489279588471025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8061701031798817334.post-1278867809551983432010-12-15T14:49:00.003-06:002010-12-16T12:14:18.639-06:00Song(s) of the Day: Linus and Lucy/Christmas Time is Here<i>A Charlie Brown Christmas<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=nuhli-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B001CO42J8&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe></i>. Possibly the best Christmas movie ever made. And it gave us one of the best Christmas albums (by Vince Guaraldi), another reason to love it. Interesting <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Charlie_Brown_Christmas">trivia</a>, <i>A Charlie Brown Christmas</i> was the first prime-time animated tv special. It was also the first time Charlie Brown was on tv. It took a lot of convincing to get Charles Schulz to agree to move the Peanuts Gang from print to tv, but apparently once he started and Lee Mendelson, executive producer, <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2005-12-05-charlie-brown-christmas_x.htm">brilliantly</a> <a href="http://www.popeater.com/2010/12/07/charlie-brown-christmas/">decided</a> on Vince Guaraldi as the composer, things went full steam ahead. Of course the network was nervous because of Linus's little Nativity speech, the choppiness of some of the animation and the general anti-consumerism moral, but the ratings were off the charts and a Christmas tradition was born.<br>
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<a href="http://nuhlikklebickle.blogspot.com/2010/12/songs-of-day-linus-and-lucychristmas.html#more">Read More...</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136489279588471025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8061701031798817334.post-75588389144676431282010-12-14T20:00:00.010-06:002010-12-15T14:20:40.593-06:00Song(s) of the Day: Christmas in Jamaica/Christmas in the Sun/Welcome Home to JamaicaThe cold front that has gripped the US is making me antsy about not spending Christmas (or Crismus as it is in patois) in Jamaica. No sorrel, no Jamaican Christmas cake, no Christmas dinner cooked by my mom and my aunt, no beach, no warmth, and no family. Hence the inspiration for this post.<br>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Snowflakes-Toni-Braxton/dp/B0000CABJQ?ie=UTF8&tag=nuhli-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Toni Braxton</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=nuhli-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0000CABJQ" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1">'s <i>Christmas in Jamaica</i> I choose just for Shaggy's little interludes in the song about jerk chicken and ackee and saltfish. I suspect if you either aren't Jamaican or haven't spent Christmas in Jamaica, the song may not be so special. The song itself has an ordinary R&B vibe to it.<br>
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I almost just chose Fab 5's entire Christmas in the Sun<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=nuhli-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B0019KFDP2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe> album but decided to stick with just two songs. The titular song, <i>Christmas in the Sun</i>, surprisingly has some inspiring moments in it, especially with the state of emergency/Dudus calamity that we endured this year. "Have you ever ever stopped to realise that our home is tropical island paradise? We have our problems but we can solve them, but we have no problems with snow and ice." "No roasted chestnuts on an open fire, but roast caawn and breadfruit and turkey for Crismus dinner." "Down in Jamaica, it's hot sunny weather, and people are warm and friendly all the time. Now it's the Crismus season and the fun cyaan done, so have a joyful irie Crismus in the sun." Oh how I wish I were.<br>
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<a href="http://nuhlikklebickle.blogspot.com/2010/12/songs-of-day-christmas-in.html#more">Read More...</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136489279588471025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8061701031798817334.post-63002106565916579892010-12-13T20:26:00.036-06:002010-12-15T14:19:24.991-06:00Song of the Day: Twelve Days of ChristmasOh the memories of annoying the grown-ups with singing this song in the car...it's the song that doesn't end. The weird thing is that by the time you got to the eighth day of Christmas you were usually running out of breath and your mouth was dry but you persisted in singing. So where does it come from and why is it my song of the day?<br>
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Welcome to the Christmas edition of my new song of the day feature. I'm counting down to my favorite holiday by attempting to pare down my many favorite christmas songs down to 12...it will be tricky, but I shall persevere.<br>
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When I started to do some research on this post, I was surprised to find that there is apparently a <a href="http://www.crivoice.org/cy12days.html">religious interpretation</a> of this song. The Twelve Days apparently refer to the days starting with December 26th (Boxing Day) to January 6th (the Day before The Epiphany). In popular culture however, this usually refers to the twelve days leading up to Christmas.<br>
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There are many traditional versions of this song. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Twelve-Days-Of-Christmas/dp/B000WLOMRE?ie=UTF8&tag=nuhli-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Burl Ives</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=nuhli-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000WLOMRE" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1">' version comes to mind as a definition of the traditional twelve days, but being Jamaican, I'm also a fan of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wish-You-Merry-Christmas/dp/B000002W43?ie=UTF8&tag=nuhli-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Harry Belefonte</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=nuhli-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B000002W43" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1">'s. Classical music lovers will definitely appreciate <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Twelve-Days-of-Christmas/dp/B001380QNO?ie=UTF8&tag=nuhli-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Leonard Bernstein</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=nuhli-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001380QNO" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1">'s Twelve Days, it's definitely the grandest, complete with a choir and full orchestra.<br>
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<b>Edit:</b> I forgot to mention a mostly unknown instrumental version of this by Byron Lee & The Dragonaires, you can listen to it here: <a href="http://new.music.yahoo.com/byron-lee-the-dragonaires/tracks/twelve-days-of-xmas-o-come-all-ye-faithful-first-noel-medley--207310197">Twelve Days Of Xmas/ O Come All Ye Faithful/ First Noel (Medley)</a>. For some reason it's not played on the Jamaican radio as often as some of the other songs on this album...listening to it I can almost picture myself at home in the warmth.<br>
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The parodies of this song are the best versions. My two favorites are Natalie Cole's version and Frank Kelly<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=nuhli-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B002GIQQXE&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>'s Christmas Countdown. My Jamaican readers will all know Christmas Countdown, the Irish version of Twelve Days (affectionately known as Dear Nola). (<b>Edit:</b> I was told I should mention that the Christmas season has not officially begun in Jamaica until you hear this song.)<br>
<a href="http://nuhlikklebickle.blogspot.com/2010/12/song-of-day-twelve-days-of-christmas.html#more">Read More...</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04136489279588471025noreply@blogger.com3