Newhart's Christmas Take

One of the pleasures of the movie Elf (which stars Will Ferrell and includes a scene of James Caan earning his place on Santa's 'naughty' list because he repossesses children's books from nuns and orphans) is Bob Newhart's take on being Santa's Helper, his flawless delivery intact. Watch the film, by all means, and here's a short clip of Newhart discussing the finale of his second series.

(Image: sharetv.)

Let's (World) Par-tay

With the issue finally proofs I mean proofed it's time to party, or at least

World Party- yes, that band is on my mind, sailing their ship of fools and making it all come true.

(image: uulyrics.com.)

Tripping over my own feet

Being so intent on launching 102.3, I accidentally deleted yesterday's post, which referenced that great film All The President's Men. And you would not believe the number of typos I had to correct in that one sentence. I'm writing like Colin Firth's character talks in Love, Actually, at the end when he's trying to speak Portuguese and asking for Aurelia's hands be in a marriages. We're just so close to filing, a spellcheck here, an amended caption there...

(Image: smh.com.)

1 Month to Panic

The proper Christmas spirit today seems to require a good shot of Christmas List Frenzy (as Ray Guy instructed in one of his columns, "Buy it! We'll find out what it is when we get home.") But there is an alternative to razing superstores for the latest geegaws and whatnots. A friend told me a couple of years ago she was taking a stand against buying 'stuff' - she would no longer give anyone anything they couldn't eat or use. In this vein, lots of people like to make their gifts. (Yes, Neil, if you're reading this, please, please make sure I'm on the list for "Christmas crackles.") I often make truffles, somehow losing the recipe from one year to the next, but here's a simple one I found. When it comes to making truffles, it truly is really hard to go astray.

(Image: ehow.com.)

Goodbye Solo

Rented this film on the weekend and must recommend it. Check out the trailer if you need more persuasion!

(Image: thoughtsonfilms.files.)

Judging by Covers

We are out of the office again for a couple of days - this time to sit with the designers (fantabulous Granite Studios) and block and proof the Winter NQ. The cover is crucial, of course, and we've been leaning away from placing text there and going with a full page, sumptuous image (Michele Stamp's Irises, Clare Rice's frontispiece, and wait 'til you see what we're playing with for the new issue). Cover art is in a constant style-shift, but you may argue that it reached its zenith in a now defunct art form - the record album cover. Here are Rolling Stone's Top 100 picks - and here's song from #16New Order's, Power, Corruption and Lies, featured above.

Nothing Says Christmas Like 2 Weeks at the Craft Fair

It's planet Christmas. No, it's space station Christmas, a place of coloured lights and shiny sparkly bebobs and several different versions of Silver Bells going 24/7. Gets a bit intense - you start to even dream of the Craft Fair, it's that hard to disengage - but we had fun. Now comes the time to design #434, our Winter Issue. Cover should be going to press tomorrow, very exciting.

(Image: macys.com.)

We've Moved to the Fair

Starting tomorrow the NQ will be personing a booth at the NLCDA Christmas Craft Fair - this year it's just across the Parkway at the Arts and Culture Centre. We'll have subs, calendars and our 'Christmas bundles' on offer, the whole gear. So I'll be away from this blog until that wraps - wraps up in shiny silver paper - November 17. If you visit the fair - and who doesn't? - come and chat.

(Image: wordpress.com.)

Might As Well Be On Mars

This blog is all about the videos lately, but that can't be helped. There's just so much cool stuff out there. Like this Pukka Orchestra song, which I've always thought one of the sweetest pieces of music I ever heard on the radio - and the video, which I just now today saw for the first time, isn't half bad either. Remember, this was the era when it was expected that any decent video had to have at least one tousled-haired vixen writhing atop a sports car. Having three guys sit at a table and sing, while two other guys move furniture around behind them - that was so crazy it just might work.

(Image: wordpress.com.)