Category: holiday

American Anthem

Cold Cream 'n' Roses

Today I listened to a delightful program on NPR called American Anthem. Among the songs that the show profiled were:

  • The Star Spangled Banner (naturally)
  • America The Beautiful
  • Fanfare for the Common Man, by Aaron Copeland
  • Born in the USA
  • God Bless The USA
  • America, by Simon & Garfunkel
  • This Land is Your Land
  • The Times They Are a-Changing
  • Get Together, as performed by the Youngbloods
  • Symphony No. 9 in E minor, “From the New World”, Op. 95, B. 178, by Antonín Dvořák
  • Dixie

NPR writes:

Sometimes, a song isn’t just a song: It’s shorthand for an idea. Some songs can rouse and rally huge masses of people at once, whether they’re chanting in a stadium, marching in the streets or sweating it out on the dance floor.

American Anthem: The Playlist. (2019, July 01). Retrieved July 4, 2019, from https://www.npr.org/2019/07/01/736718887/american-anthem-the-playlist

NPR has put together a playlist that not only includes the songs listed above but also songs that have reached “anthemic status.”

I think that this playlist should include Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.” What other songs do you think should be included?

#MusicMonday Top Ten #Christmas Songs Written by Jews

Cold Cream 'n' Roses1 Comment

The two holidays that celebrate the divinity of Christ—the divinity that’s the very heart of the Jewish rejection of Christianity—and what does Irving Berlin do? He de-Christs them both! Easter, he turns into a fashion show [Easter Parade] and Christmas into a holiday about snow [White Christmas].

That quote from Phillip Roth begins Marc Tracy’s article “From ‘Winter Wonderland’ to ‘White Christmas,’ the Top Ten Christmas Songs Written by Jews” in Tablet magazine and quite frankly, I can’t think of a better way to begin this post.

I’ve assembled a playlist of the de-Christed secularized Christmas songs listed in Tracy’s article:

There’s plenty of Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra here, but the one video that catches my eye and ear is the video of Mel Tormé and the one, the only Judy Garland singing The Christmas Song (aka Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire), which Tormé co-wrote with Bob Wells. Who knew? I didn’t even know that Mel Tormé was Jewish.

If you want to listen to Nat “King” Cole’s iconic rendition of The Christmas Song, visit #MusicMonday Nat “King” Cole “The #Christmas Song”.

Source:

Tracy, M. (2016, December 09). From ‘Winter Wonderland’ to ‘White Christmas,’ the Top Ten Christmas Songs Written by Jews. Retrieved December 21, 2018, from https://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-arts-and-culture/music/22910/have-yourself-a-jewish-little-christmas

Softlips® holiday limited edition review and giveaway!

Cold Cream 'n' Roses8 Comments
Softlips® has released a limited edition collection of Christmas-y flavored lip balms, available exclusively at Target, purveyor of all things cute.

Softlips 2-pack Jack Frosting lip balm

The Style Page recent sampled Softlips® Jack Frosting lip balm from the LE collection. Dimethicone guarantees a smooth application, while sunscreen agents provide SPF 20 protection. Softlips® Jack Frosting lip balm also includes emollients such as squalane, petrolatum, and vitamin E. Softlips® describes its Jack Frosting lip balm as having a flavor like buttercream frosting. When I first opened the tube, it smelled like burnt sugar, like crème brûlée. On subsequent applications, I became aware of the buttercream flavor.  After applying the lip balm, you become aware of the cooling sensation of menthol: no wonder, as Softlips® is a trademark of The Mentholatum Company.

Softlips Vanilla and Winter Mint Holiday Gift Tag Pack

The Style Page is hosting a giveaway of limited edition Softlips® products! There are 4 prizes, for 4 winners:

  • Softlips® Jack Frosting 2 pack with bonus Softlips® Vanilla and Softlips® Winter Mint Holiday Holiday Gift Tag Pack 
  • Softlips® Jack Frosting 2 pack with bonus Softlips® Vanilla and Softlips® Sugar ‘n’ Spice Holiday Gift Tag Pack 
  • Softlips® Jack Frosting 2 pack with bonus Softlips® Raspberry and Softlips® Sugar Cookie Holiday Gift Tag Pack 
  • Softlips® Jack Frosting 2 pack with bonus Softlips® Raspberry and Softlips® Sugar Plum Berry Holiday Gift Tag Pack 

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