Monday Dec 23, 2013
North Kingstown, RI – Happy Holidays Ocean State and fellow futurists … This is Bob Plain and as always I am podcasting to you from The Hideaway on the banks of the Mattatuxet River behind the Shady Lea Mill in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. But this is a special edition of the RI Future podcast celebrating that solstice time of year – or, as we call it here in America, Christmas.
Because so many of us suffer from seasonal affective disorder, and maybe take a little bit of umbrage at all the wanton consumerism posing as peace on earth and goodwill towards all people, we put together an extended podcast today dedicated to all the Christmas tunes Jesus would want us to spin at his birthday party … none are about how disgustingly sweet our lives can be or religious dogma or getting presents. Instead our playlist – ranging from rap to rock and from punk to funk – are about the real reason for the season: building community between our brothers and sisters during this otherwise dark and depressing time of year.
Footnotes:
John Lennon “Happy Xmass (War Is Over)
The Kinks “Father Christmas”
Stevie Wonder “Someday at Christmas”
Woodie Guthrie “1913 Massacre”
The Mighty, Mighty Bosstones “This Time of Year”
The Flaming Lips “Christmas at the Zoo”
Run DMC “Christmas Is”
The Sonics “Don’t Believe in Christmas”
The Ramones “Merry Christmas, I don’t want to fight tonight”
Robert Earl Keen’s “Merry Christmas from the Family”
Steve Earle “Christmas Time in Washington”
Billy Squier “Christmas Is the Time to Say I Love You”
Simon and Garfunkel “Silent Night”
MXPX “Auld Lang Syne”