I Just Read About That…

SOUNDTRACK: THE LEEVEES-Hanukkah Rocks (2005).

The collection of Hanukkah songs is fantastic. I love this album more than a guy who doesn’t celebrate Hanukkah should.

The LeeVees are Adam Gardener from Guster and Dave Schneider  from The Zambonis (with help from The Time Share Choir).  Dave and Adam write super catchy poppy-but-rocking songs all about the holiday.  Most of them are funny or have a humorous aspect, but the songs all rock and stand up to repeated listens.

“Latke Clan” begins as a sweet ode to everyone’s favorite potato pancake  “Santa is cool but Hanukkah Harry’s the man, come and join of Latke Clan.”

“Applesauce vs Sour Cream” is the perennial decision you have to make with your latkes.  “just tell you mom to fry, not bake.”

“Goyim Friends” Goyim friends make lists and get snowboards and paintball guns, but “we will march on, six pairs of socks from each other’s mom.”

“At the Timeshare” is a hilarious, catchy song.  It’s swinging and loungey and is all about their parents wanting to live down at the time share in Boca or was it Boynton.  Or Daytona. Or Talahassee (There’s no Jews there).

“How do you spell Channukkahh?” is a hilarious goof on the spelling of this holiday and it totally rocks.

“Kugel” is a sweet mournful song about how times change–“you were once sweet and creamy, no you’re low-fat.”

“Jewish Girls”  Go to the mitzvah Ball, you may be surprised to find who is in the tribe.

“Gelt Melts”  This punky number says what everyone knows–if you keep the gelt in your pocket, you’ll be sorry.  “If goys can eat an Easter Bunny, why can’t we eat chocolate money.”

“Nun, Gimmel Heh Shin”  Yup, a dreidel song without the music from the dreidel song.

“There’s” also a bonus track called “Holiday,” a simple acoustic guitar song with the two guys singing about a lovely relaxing holiday.

[READ: December 20, 2017] “The Game of Smash and Recovery”

Once again, I have ordered The Short Story Advent Calendar.  This year, there are brief interviews with each author posted on the date of their story.

Hello. Welcome. It’s finally here: Short Story Advent Calendar time.

If you’re reading along at home, now’s the time to start cracking those seals, one by one, and discover some truly brilliant writing inside. Then check back here each morning for an exclusive interview with the author of that day’s story.

(Want to join in? It’s not too late. Order your copy here.)

This year I’m pairing each story with a holiday disc from our personal collection.

This was one of those stories where the character and setting are otherworldly–completely alien.  The main characters have a full story arc, and yet we are never provided any kind of context for where or even what they are.

The question is, of course, does it matter.

In some respects, no, and yet it is so frustrating to read this whole thing and have so many fundamental questions unanswered.

The main character is Anat.  She loves Oscar, her brother, who has raised her practically from childhood.  Their parents have been absent for as long as she can remember.  They left when they realized that Anat was different–what was she?

Oscar provided her with Handmaids (they seem like nanobots who can rebuild themselves in various ways).  The Handmaids have been crucial to Anat’s survival, for they even fought of the vampires that frightened her so much (these vampires are not what we think of as vampires).

Anat actually relates to the vampires–she sees that they are not unlike she and Oscar–scavengers on Home and able to breathe Home’s soupy atmosphere.

Today is Anat’s birthday. She doesn’t like the fuss. But of course Oscar celebrates it (but not his own).  They spend time in The Bucket, a sleeping quarter of sorts.  But today is a day to play games.

The best game they play is called Smash/Recovery.  It is played on the whole surface of Home except for the Stay Out territory.  Each player gets a True Smash marker and a False Smash marker and a True Recovery marker and a False Recovery marker.  They can move their markers based on a randomly generated number or try to guess where the others’ marker is.  If you miscalculate and blow up a Recovery marker or a retrieve a Scout marker the opponent wins.  Oscar won the first four games, bit Anat has won all the rest.

Anat believes that when she wins this game her parents will return.  They have been gone much longer than intended and have lost several ship trying to get back.

Upon winning this game, Anat received a present from a handmaid which included “everything she didn’t know.”  She learns her name is not Anat.  She starts uncovering herself.  She has been in pieces.

Anat knows now what she must do.  But Oscar has made it so she cannot leave Home.

And aside from the details of what is happening at that moment we will learn no more.

So yeah there’s a lot of wha??

This story was dedicated to sci-fi writer Iain M. Banks, but I’m not sure why.