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11/21/2007: The 1991 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!

Quick Note: I’m spending oodles of money on this year’s Christmas/Advent wares, so if you want to help me recoup some of that, there’s an easy way to do it. If you’re taking advantage of Amazon’s ridiculously good Black Friday deals this weekend, please do so using this link right here. I’ll get a little referral fee, and that will let me buy more wacky-flavored candy canes without having to give up gasoline. Thanks!


Ha ha ha ha ha! Technically, I am NOT late! Up now, with like 10 minutes to spare before it’s actually Thanksgiving, is my review of the 1991 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, filled with words, pics and video clips!

I must be honest with you: It’s the least interesting of the parades I’ve reviewed, and nothing exciting happens. In fact, after struggling to make the article go for at least two pages, I ultimately consolidated it into one longer page. There just wasn’t enough there. Next year, perhaps I should investigate things like this before it gets too late to pick a different parade.

On the other hand, it had Captain Planet, The Addams Family and, uh, Kelsey Grammer, and that’s at least good for something.

A Happy Thanksgiving to all who will be celebrating it tomorrow. Eat the food, drink the drinks and bask in the glow of a holiday season officially begun. Now that the bird parade is out of my hair, it’s time to paint this sum’bitch town red…and motherfuckin’ green. Holla.


While I’m here, I might as well knock this out of the way. I’m not sure if there’s anything to dislike about these neat little Play-Doh stocking stuffers, except for the fact that they’re sold together in really ugly plastic bags. If you’re able to convince yourself that they didn’t come in such ugly, useless bags, they become flawless.Each pack comes with two holiday-themed Play-Doh containers. One is shaped like an undecorated Christmas tree, while the other is a rather befuddled and egg-shaped snowman. You get white and red Play-Doh, while the containers themselves each host a small Play-Doh “cookie cutter”.

More interesting than any of this is the warning sticker on each container, alerting parents with allergy-laden children that Play-Doh contains wheat. This seems like a bold admission that most kids enjoy eating Play-Doh. Someday, they should just make outright edible, flavored Play-Doh and be done with it. We’re going to eat it anyway…it might as well have a hint of cherry and an ad campaign behind it.


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Discussion Thread: 253 comments

is it just me or is the chanukka section at Target / Wal-mart getting SMALLER every year? Target had only 1 endcap and Wal-Mart has half of 1 eisle. F XMAS!

Ghosted by Peter Luger @ 11/24/2007 3:57 AM EST


Special K- Yeah, work was pretty fun today, just cause most people were in a good, shopping and money blowing mood.

Love the Calender. But considering it’s after Thanksgiving I cannot believe we still have a week to go.

Ghosted by kb @ 11/24/2007 4:10 AM EST


Yay, Advent Calendar! Darn the anticipation this coming week! :D

Say, Matt, any chance of getting links to the previous calendars incorporated somehow in the header or the side links?

Ghosted by Moony @ 11/24/2007 4:39 AM EST


ADVENT CALENDAR…YIPPIE!

Ghosted by Greg @ 11/24/2007 6:13 AM EST


augh. Last night I developed a sore throat that mysteriously disappeared but now my nose is runny and I feel achy and bummed. Not having much food to eat today didn’t help much either. My best friend and I usually go and do a grocery run today and I slept in and when he asked if I wanted to go with him I basically told him to f off. You do not want to be the one that has the duty to wake me up. When I am half asleep in bed I am in the train of thought where I would kill my own mother to get 2 more hours of sleep.

Even though seeing the advent calendar made me smirk a little. I want to get one of those advent calendar’s I saw at rite aid for 1.29 with the little pieces of chocolate in it. I got one of those once when I was a kid about 10 or so and I remember those pieces of chocolate were really good. Maybe it was just because I was a kid who knows. I also got a kick out of the shapes they were, like one was a train and then you took it out and there was a drawing of a train behind it. My cousin said why don’t you just eat them all at once and I thought doing that had some sort of law behind it! Like if you did that you would go to jail!

Take care you guys. Really.

Ghosted by Goob @ 11/24/2007 7:54 AM EST


I’m at work right now eating pecan pie. Our boss was nice enough to bring it in yesterday and today. Also had some free pizza yesterday. One thing I like about this job is they feed us all the time. I think this year might be the first year in a long time that I can afford to actually buy presents for a lot of people. At least I hope so. I guess it all depends if things go well at the job interview I have on Monday. It’s just for a second little restaurant job for 3 days out of the week. My real job is on weekends (obviously, since I’m here right now).

I’m so jazzed that this will be my first Christmas as an X-E’er and look forward to following the Advent Calendar for the first time as it unfolds every day. I’m at the end of the 2003 one now in my reading (It’s been going reeeeeally slow for some reason), and if I’ve learned one thing so far, it’s that Mare is a right bitch. I feel for poor Mista Snowman. I know it probably won’t end this way (no spoilers please), but I’m praying he kills her in her sleep. And Mystery Boy gets a few kicks in there too. I plan on spending some time this evening getting caught up on past calendars so I’ll be ready to go come Saturday. Looking forward to getting introduced to Waiterbot at some point too. I wanna see what the fuss is all about. And to actually hear “the man behind the curtain’s” voice–albeit distorted– will be interesting indeed.

Ghosted by DJ D @ 11/24/2007 8:18 AM EST


Oh, and hope you start feeling better there, Goob-a-doo.

I’ve got at co-worker that makes the coffee here every morning and I don’t know how he’s grinding this stuff, but yesterday I told him I was convinced he was lacing it with cocaine. I had some serious jitters for like 2 ours.

Ghosted by DJ D @ 11/24/2007 8:37 AM EST


Oop, that was supposed to be 2 hours, not ours.

I just called him over to read what I was writing about him as I was typing that. He’s concerned now.

Ghosted by DJ D @ 11/24/2007 8:38 AM EST


Awwww yeah! Advent Calendar is upon us!! Now to get my new TV, some Christmas Crunch, a Santa claus hat and watch EVERY CHRISTMAS MOVIE KNOWN TO MAN.

Ghosted by Terror Claws Cole @ 11/24/2007 9:45 AM EST


Listening to the X-Mas jukebox right now. Currently playing–”Simply Having a Cheesy Synthesizer Time”. I’m also 2 cups into the aforementioned coked-up coffee, and I think I got the jitter-hands. I don’t know what’s happening here. I’m usually such a pissed off, sullen, sarcastic, night person who hates mornings, and yet here I am–it’s 9:00am, and I’m wide awake, at work of all places, feeling alright and enjoying happy Christmas music. It must be the season, or X-E or something. I’m losing all kinds of goth cred over here.

Ghosted by DJ D @ 11/24/2007 9:59 AM EST


My smile is stretched from ear to ear
For the XE advent page is here….
Soon Christmas will come for those who care,
And I smile, knowing XE will be there.

:)

It’s coming, I can feel it. Hooray for Xmas!!

Ghosted by Muppet Baby @ 11/24/2007 12:20 PM EST


with the calendar up it now truly is beginning to look a lot like christmas

Ghosted by thejyav @ 11/24/2007 12:42 PM EST


I am soooooooooo excited about the advent calendar. I have given up my quest to find one at a local target since the drones there have absolutely no clue what im talking about when i ask them when it will be getting there.(I used to work at target and had no clue about anything going on in the store, so i kind of feel for them) Anywho, put up the christmas tree last night while watching Team America World Police. It was kind of a funny juxtaposition since christmas has become so “secularized” due to america (shout out to Waiterbot). Before that, I watched Superbad for the first time, and laughed until i got tears in my eyes during a few parts. I still like knocked up better….i guess because i can relate to the characters more…i was never a teenage boy trying to get laid so i cant really take on their point of view. Also, got into a fight with the fiancee because he is a real Scrooge McDuck when it comes to christmas. I asked him to help with the tree and he got all up in arms about how HE doesnt like christmas, I like christmas and that I am the one who wanted to put up the tree. Fuck that, so I yelled at him and then he helped me, and all is right in the world. Sorry for the looooong post.

Ghosted by Leigha @ 11/24/2007 1:50 PM EST


Cheers for the Advent Calendar going up! I’m glad you used the vintage graphic, I don’t think it could possibly be improved upon :D
I keep forgetting to ask this: Was anyone else shocked to hear them using Richard Cheese’s version of “Christmas Time is Here” to plug A Charlie Brown Christmas? They didn’t do that last year, did they?
(If anyone’s unfamiliar, Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine is a coverband that does (awesome) lounge music versions of popular songs. They’re at the top of my “Must See Live” list, and I just found out that they’re on the last leg of their farewell tour! They’re playing a show in a couple of weeks, but it’s the exact same night I was planning on going to see The Last Boy Scout/Kiss Kiss Bang Bang as part of Edgar Wright’s film festival. Now I’ve got a really tough decision to make.)
I’ve still yet to see Knocked Up (I just can’t get past my distaste for Katherine Heigl) but I thought Superbad was hysterical. I was never a teenage boy, but I was a teenage girl, and a dork, so I could relate.

Ghosted by squee4242 @ 11/24/2007 2:07 PM EST


no dial up still! Im all contorted like a chinese acrobat , trying to angle the psp so I get at least a 30% signal from the neighbors.

Ghosted by mandy_on dial up til Thursday_Reeves @ 11/24/2007 2:15 PM EST


Oh, boy!!! The calendar is warming up in the bullpen!

Ghosted by kingklash @ 11/24/2007 2:36 PM EST


Wow, what a Thanksgiving! I’m spent and I need another vacation to recover but instead I am packing the suitcase for another business trip. I will say it has been a more meaningful Thanksgiving and it has made me reflect on how lucky I am.
Speaking of thankful, I am pretty jazzed the calender is up and charging. Matt, if you do any Christmas give a ways this year you should mail out Advent pieces from calenders past. That would be a pretty kick ass tree ornament. Just a thought.

Ghosted by Bill @ 11/24/2007 3:04 PM EST


Dear Advent calendar, I love you. Seriously, I love you. Welcome back. -Nizz

Ghosted by Nizz @ 11/24/2007 3:20 PM EST


Holy shit, I just got finished reading the 2003 Advent Calendar for the first time, and man was that great. What a satisfying end to the Mare saga. Nice to see that bitch finally got what she deserved….well, until 2004 I guess. I’ll know in a few minutes when I start reading it. It’s one of those rare (though not as rare as you would think) times at work when there’s literally nothing for me to do but sit here and read Advent calendars. I love my job.

Bill, Man, you’re a business trip takin’ fool. Where are you going this time?

Hey, Matt, in one of the articles on the 2003 calendar you made mention of your chinchilla and provided a picture of it. Do you still have it? If between 2003 and now it’s met its untimely demise, I apologize for potentially stirring up any bad feelings by asking that.

Well, off to start 2004…

Ghosted by DJ D @ 11/24/2007 3:26 PM EST


I can’t put my finger on it but you look different today, Mr. X-E blog. More festive somehow.

Ghosted by The Manimal @ 11/24/2007 3:52 PM EST


I know this has been mentioned before, and I hate to be a broken record. But, I was explaining the advent calender to a friend and they wanted to catch up on it and I wasn’t sure what link to send to them. Is there any link that shows them all in one spot?

Ghosted by kb @ 11/24/2007 3:56 PM EST


Sorry guys, I know you’ve been asking. Here are quick links — will add to the sidebar later.

2002
2003
2004
2005
2006

Ghosted by Matt @ 11/24/2007 4:14 PM EST


Yay! Advent! I need to take a whole day and just re-read all the old advent calendars.

Right now I’m surrounded by pieces of a 1970s (possible late 60s) Christmas tree that’s about to go up in my room. It was sad going out to get it though, because it was in our leaky pump house which has become a burial ground for my favorite old toys :( We were using it to store them but then the roof got a hole in it and everything got ruined. I even found a nunchuk from a missing Ninja Turtle that I bought in like 2003. I need to ask my mom about that one…

Oh well. I’m gonna go out to Walmart now and buy some colored lights and Care Bears ornaments. Our living room tree is classy, so my bedroom tree is gonna be as gaudy as possible. I might even get some tinsel, even though we pretty much banned tinsel after the Great Dad Attack of ‘88, when my dad came home with huge bags of tinsel and totally coated the tree in it. I think there might still be some vintage 80s tinsel worked into the branches.

Ghosted by jazzy @ 11/24/2007 4:30 PM EST


Rock-a-Doodle was cute! I actually still have a copy of it although I’m probably one of the only people alive that does.

Ghosted by Ladytink_534 @ 11/24/2007 4:33 PM EST


Say, DJ D.

If you don’t mind me asking, just what job do you have (it sounds great)?

Anyway, am I the only one who can’t wait to start X-mas shopping? I LOVE X-mas shopping at a crowded chaotic store.

Ghosted by Tetsu Deinonychus @ 11/24/2007 4:58 PM EST


I’ve actually finished most of my shopping online over the past few days. There’s a lot of great deals going around and almost everyone has a little-to-free shipping deal.

Nothing compares to the in-store chaos, but if I get the main gifts out of the way, I can at least avoid waiting on a 45-person line to buy one DS game for a kid who will play it three times before moving on.

Ghosted by Matt @ 11/24/2007 5:01 PM EST


I could start, if I wanted to. Though, I think I’m going to get the semester out of the way, first.

Since I missed Black Friday, I might as well indulge in some Christmas Eve shopping to make up for it.

Norbert tells me they re-released Jingle All the Way. Yeah, I think I’m already good with the version I have.

Ghosted by Knegative @ 11/24/2007 5:10 PM EST


kb: So how were the tips? hehe

Ghosted by Special K @ 11/24/2007 5:17 PM EST


I’ve actually finished all of my shopping, aside from those little last-minute gifts I never plan to buy, but I get in the store and my friend would just love this little plushie and my mom HAS to have that Elvis ornament, etc. Going out to busy stores to browse for those sorts of things is a lot more fun when you’ve already gotten the more important and less interesting gifts taken care of.

I’m also on the lookout for a Wii for me. I doubt I’ll find one, but the hunt is exciting.

Ghosted by jazzy @ 11/24/2007 5:35 PM EST


hey thanks a lot Matt!

Special K- to be honest…I work downtown and when the crowd is mostly suburban mom types the tips are about 15% not 20…but considering their mood was festive and we had the Trans Siberian Orchestra playing on repeat all day, it was worth it.

Ghosted by kb @ 11/24/2007 6:19 PM EST


“Also, I forgot to mention that there was a Ragu commercial on the tape and Ben Stiller’s wife is the main character in it. HAHAHAHA” -Basted by Leigha

Wow I dont remember ever seeing that commercial! That would have been during the “Hey Dude” years right? God I loved that show.

Ghosted by crazy_mainer @ 11/24/2007 6:21 PM EST


I just saw a commercial for cranberry splash and it was hilarious! Anybody else seen this? With the “holiday Hawk”.

Ghosted by Cameron T. @ 11/24/2007 6:40 PM EST


Advent Calendar fuck yeah!

Ghosted by Coter @ 11/24/2007 7:08 PM EST


Tetsu, I work for a company that makes videos for the classifieds sections on newspapers’s websites. When you go to their sites, instead of just reading about a job you can watch a brief 30 second video that details what the job’s about and gives you all the info for where/how to apply. My job is to create the graphics and company logos that appear in the videos. I also record the voice-over actors when they come into the studio to record the voice-over bits for the videos. The goal is to be there long enough to work my way up to a full-time editor position, since digital video and film editing is what my degree is in. I’m just a part timer right now. My job is to basically create all of the individual parts of the video, then turn them over to the editor who puts the whole thing together. Then, I go back behind them and watch it to check for any mistakes they may have made.

It’s pretty interesting and really laid back. It’s a much more relaxed environment on the weekends so people bring their dogs in and let them run around the office and everything. On our down time we just play frisbee or mess around on the internet or whatever. I can honestly say that I love my job.

As for Christmas shopping, I’ll probably do what I do every year–wait until about a week before, then spend a whole day running around town trying to find everything at the last minute. This will probably somehow all take place at like 3:00 in the morning. I do really enjoy wrapping presents though. I always have. There’s nothing like sitting down for an hour or two and doing it all at once and then seeing your haul all spread out nicely under the tree. Usually, A Christmas Story is playing in the background when I do it. Of course, my little OCD thing is that I try to get as much use out of one roll of wrapping paper as I can before I move on to another one, so all the gifts end up looking alike, cause they’re all wrapped with the same paper. This drives my mother crazy when I come to visit and drop off the presents. She uses about 45 different rolls with bags and loads of bows and everything. I’m much simpler and streamlined. I mean, once they’re distributed, who gives a crap?

Ghosted by DJ D @ 11/24/2007 7:29 PM EST


OMG OMG OMG ADVEEEEEENNNNTTT CALENDAAAAARRRR!!!! I can now finally start the Christmas festivities without feeling guilty. Thank you, Matt!

Oh, DJ D – I can understand where your mother’s coming from, because I do the same thing. I use all different kinds of fancy paper, and I add bows and ribbons and special stuff all over the place. It’s like an art for me. That way, once everything’s under the tree, it looks totally AWESOME. And when you pass someone a gift for them, it looks so beautiful that they’re already thinking it’s a great present before they’ve even opened it.

Ghosted by Frakkyfire @ 11/24/2007 8:07 PM EST


Your mom sounds like mine, DJ. Wrapping is a big, artistic production. But they really do look very nice under the tree, and she has no problem with how everyone else wraps. Oh, reminds me I have reusable ribbon from gifts she’s done that I can use…

Ghosted by Moony @ 11/24/2007 8:14 PM EST


No SNT??

actually I can’t stay up and wait. Gotta work early.
I am going to bed with dreams of SugarPLums and Mare in my head.

Ghosted by RedKat @ 11/24/2007 8:22 PM EST


Hey, kb, I was just checking out your site. Good stuff. I share your pain with waiting for The Cure shows to get started. I was supposed to see them in Sept, then that got moved up to April, then again to June. So, it’ll be next summer before I get to go. It’ll be my 3rd time seeing them. They’re my all-time fave band, with David Bowie and Bauhaus bringing up a close second. I’ve never seen Bowie, but hope to sometime before I die. I’ve seen Bauhaus twice, and met them once. Well, I met Love and Rockets rather, but that’s almost the same thing.

Anyways, sorry for the interruption. Is anyone else having post-Thanksgiving withdrawal? I’m really craving some turkey and dressing right now, but all I have is soup and frozen pizza. Oh well, I think I’ll go downstairs and make some soup, then come back up and spend the rest of the night catching up on Advent Calendars and watching Battlestar Galactica: Razor tonight. Anyone else a Battlestar Galatica fan?

Ghosted by DJ D @ 11/24/2007 8:23 PM EST


I am still surprised someone hasn’t created a Wikipedia-esque article with all of the highlights/timeline of the Advent Calendar events. I had to get caught up last year (I got behind in 2005 due to baby crap) and I had to back to read the old ones since I had forgotten them. Would Matt allow?

Ghosted by The Manimal @ 11/24/2007 8:27 PM EST


You know one thing I love on a present? When someone ties or tapes a goody on the top. Like a piece of candy, or a stocking stuffer type of present. I have gotten those and I love them they make the whole present.

One year a few years back I didn’t have much money (which is common for me) I had about 35 dollars. Well I got a multipack of mint lifesavers (I think they were an off brand) and a couple of people only got those actually. I love giving presents so I always feel bad if I can’t give people presents even when they don’t give me them. Except for people saying “are you trying to tell me something?” they were happy to get them.

Ghosted by Goob @ 11/24/2007 8:29 PM EST


I can’t be the first one to catch the secret in the Advent Calendar, can I?

Ghosted by Sam @ 11/24/2007 8:30 PM EST


Forgive the double post, I should quantify/qualify/clarify that in no way was I suggesting that the highlight reel usurp the real stories/articles. Just a way to baptize the newbies and refresh the memories of the old guard.

Ghosted by The Manimal @ 11/24/2007 8:33 PM EST


Sam,I just could not wrap my brain around batrib.

Ghosted by RedKat @ 11/24/2007 8:33 PM EST


Except for Knack’s picture going to his myspace page I didn’t find anything.

Ghosted by Goob @ 11/24/2007 8:33 PM EST


I found the secret, but it raises more questions than it answers.

Goob: I’m glad you mentioned the little extra thing idea. I think I’m going to do that with the things I give out this year.

Ghosted by jazzy @ 11/24/2007 8:41 PM EST


jazzy no problem :) I think it also makes you look like you put more money into the present then you did lol.

Ghosted by Goob @ 11/24/2007 8:44 PM EST


Oop, I just found the secret too, but I have no idea what it could mean. That does raise a lot of questions. I wonder if the location of where the secret can be found is a clue itself.

Ghosted by DJ D @ 11/24/2007 8:57 PM EST


I’ve stared at rainbows before, but I’ve never had a rainbow stare back at me.

Ghosted by Magic Toy @ 11/24/2007 9:02 PM EST


so weird, it definitely doesn’t feel like Saturday.

Happy SNT anyhoo!

Ghosted by Joker @ 11/24/2007 9:20 PM EST


Haven’t been around for awhile, but happy holidays everyone!

Ghosted by Jessica Marie @ 11/24/2007 9:22 PM EST


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