Words & Tricks

Let it Snow. Let it Snow. Ok, Stop.

Well, it’s about time. Look at that reddish-orange blob over there. That means the Twin Cities are finally getting a little Winter cheer in the form of snow. For those who have been looking forward to this for weeks, now, I hope they’re happy.

Actually, count me in. I don’t have to drive anywhere. And the shopping I have left to do, can be done in the comfort of Minneapolis’s space-age habi-trail called the Skyway system. No fuss, no muss, just throngs of shoppers colliding, dividing, converging and emerging from bookstores, perfume shops, department stores, fast food restaurants, slow food restaurants, kitchen supply stores, clothing stores (men’s and women’s), shoe stores … well, I’m sure you get the idea.

I just hope they don’t have to commute back out to the ‘burbs when it’s all done. Poor suckers.

Further Reading on Words & Tricks

• Gift Guide: Gift Certificates for Charities (1)
• Gift Guide: DoCoppenhagen’s Top 15 (of 50) Music Picks for 2006 (0)
• Freelance Clips (0)
• Check Back Here for Your Holiday Gift Guide (0)
• About Chris Pommier (1)

Tags: Christmas, Hanukah, holiday, local, shopping, snow, weather, winter

Gift Guide: Gift Certificates for Charities

Last year I gave my aunt and her family the opportunity to donate to a charity of their choice. I encouraged them to discuss it as a family, to discover something about each other that maybe they didn’t know before. Sure, it’s a little touchy-feely, but they seemed to like it. OK, my aunt seemed to like it, I never did learn whether her kids were burning me in effigy, or not.

I know not everyone will be too keen on this idea with the gimme, gimme, gimme-ness of the season crashing down around us (and yes, I love to get presents, too), but for some JustGive.org’s charity gift certificates are the perfect choice.

So, even if you aren’t sure what causes are closest to your loved one’s heart, there’s no need to go through the pesky process of talking about your values. You can purchase a gift certificate for any amount of money and send it via email, or print it out and send with a card. Then your budding philanthropist can save the whales, cats, kids or whatever or whomever they like. And you look like a saint. What could be better?

Further Reading on Words & Tricks

• Gift Guide: DoCoppenhagen’s Top 15 (of 50) Music Picks for 2006 (0)
• Check Back Here for Your Holiday Gift Guide (0)
• Let it Snow. Let it Snow. Ok, Stop. (2)
• Gift Guide: For the Orchid Lover in Your Life (1)
• World’s greatest people make wishes, blow out candles at TED conference (4)

Tags: charity, Christmas, gift, giving, guide, Hanukah, holiday, ideas

Check Back Here for Your Holiday Gift Guide

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah (or Chanukah or Hanukah or Chanuka or Chanukkah or Hanuka or Channukah or Hanukka or Khanike or ???? or ?????), Yule, Kwanza, or perhaps you refuse to celebrate the holiday season at all by not diving into the rampant consumerism that grips the majority of this country, but you know, know, that a certain person will kill you if you don’t buy them a gift … Well, I’ll be posting a series of suggestions for you.

You never know. Maybe I’ll stumble on the perfect gift that you would never have thought of yourself. Better check back often, or better yet sign up for my feed in order to be sure.

Gift Guide Quick Navigation:

• Top Music of 2006 from the blog DoCopenhagen
• How about a book for the Orchid Lover in your life
• Give the gift of charity.

Further Reading on Words & Tricks

• Gift Guide: DoCoppenhagen’s Top 15 (of 50) Music Picks for 2006 (0)
• Gift Guide: Gift Certificates for Charities (1)
• Let it Snow. Let it Snow. Ok, Stop. (2)
• Freelance Clips (0)
• About Chris Pommier (1)

Tags: books, Christmas, gift, guide, Hanukah, holiday, list, magazines, music

Gift Guide: DoCoppenhagen’s Top 15 (of 50) Music Picks for 2006

The Blog DoCopenhagen has been compiling a very popular list of the top 50 music videos of the previous year. There are plenty of artists that internet users will be familiar with, but perhaps the general populous of non-addicts might not be aware of.

I’ve listed the top 15 here. You can find and watch the all the videos of 2006 by clicking on the link above, and then, when you find something you like, come back here and click on a link below to buy it.

1. Ok Go - Here It Goes Again
2. Jenny Wilson - Let my shoes lead me forward
3. Gnarls Barkley - Crazy
4. M. Ward - Chinese Translation
5. Zero 7 - Left Behind
6. Sigur Ros - Flugufrelsarinn
7. Malajube - Montreal -40°C
8. An Pierlé & White Velvet - Jupiter
9. Thom Yorke - Harrowdown Hill
10. Peter, Bjorn & John - Young Folks
11. The Knife - We Share Our Mother’s Health
12. Xiu Xiu - Hello From Eau Claire
13. Battle - Children
14. Para One - Dudun-Dun
15. Ed Harcourt - Visit from the Dead Dog

Further Reading on Words & Tricks

• Check Back Here for Your Holiday Gift Guide (0)
• Gift Guide: Gift Certificates for Charities (1)
• Let it Snow. Let it Snow. Ok, Stop. (2)
• Music library getting dusty? 3-and-a-half websites you may not know (but should immediately bookmark) (2)
• Gift Guide: For the Orchid Lover in Your Life (1)

Tags: CD, Christmas, DoCopenhagen, gift, guide, Hanukah, holiday, Jenny Wilson, M. Ward, music, Ok Go, Xiu Xiu, Zero 7