Tohoku Tsunami Hitting Miyako Harbor

Given that the 8th anniversary of the 2004 Andaman-Sumatra Earthquake & Indian Ocean Tsunami just passed and a haunting movie ("The Impossible") about the story of one family of survivors hit theaters in Los Angeles and New York last Friday with more theater openings to come it seems tsunami are on my mind of late. Recently, while conducting one of my periodic trollings of Youtube for new tsunami videos I came across this compelling raw video footage of the 2011 Great Tohuku Earthquake & Tsunami which footage I had not seen before. More Tohoku tsunami video links are to be found below the movie player below.


Top Ten Most Dramatic Tohoku Tsunami Videos

Another Top Ten Most Dramatic Tohoku Tsunami Videos

Indian Ocean Tsunami Effects At Koh Similan

Just a day or two past the eighth anniversary of the Andaman-Sumatra Earthquake and resulting Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004 I felt compelled to go find something new on Youtube about this event. I have already posted a great many videos here of that event and am convinced I have seen most of the extant footage available online. However, I hoped that I might get lucky and find something new. Although I've been familiar with what happened to the tourists at Koh Similan during this event I had never seen this presentation and video perspective before. Not only is the footage compelling in an understated way (there are no crashing waves or scenes of stark terror) and is well-captioned and not over-edited and features a nice little primer on the basic scientific details of the earthquake and tsunami. All in all this is great stuff and be sure to check out the following link:
Top Ten Most Dramatic Indian Ocean Tsunami Videos

Picture of the Day - Blue Christmas

While out walking my dog and myself this evening I came upon this delightful Christmas light display at a residence on 16th Street just off of Vine Street here in Paso Robles, CA.

My Favorite Vine Street X-Mas Displays

Tonight I took a Christmas Eve stroll down Vine Street here in Paso Robles in order that I might view and enjoy the various Christmas-decorated houses. I had missed the opportunity to do so at this year's Vine Street Victorian Christmas Showcase as my date that night was not feeling well. Below are some of my favorites.

All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

North Co. Christian Fellowship X-mas Eve 2012

Tonight I elected to attend my first ever Christmas Eve church service anywhere at any time in my life. Since North Co. Christian Fellowship is my church home I attended the one there. Given that I nearly talked myself out of going given how tired I felt earlier this evening and how much I have to do this evening I almost didn't attend the service. Below is what I witnesses and experienced.

North County Christian Fellowship tonight.

I am ashamed to admit the white trees on either side made me think of the White Tree of Gondor.

The church always does a nice job of decorating at the holidays.

Pastor Steve Calagna gave a weighty and wonderful sermon that mixed substance for the faithful along with a primer for our unbelieving guests.

We closed the service with a symbolic candle-lighting send-a-way ceremony.

Faux fireplace in the sanctuary.

Another view of the sanctuary following the service. 

All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).

The Night Santa Went Crazy

This is one of my many favorite "Weird Al" Yankovic tracks and accompanying music videos and certainly this is the relevant time of year for me to share it here. Last year I posted on this blog his other great Christmas track "Christmas At Ground Zero".  I have placed the lyrics below the music player below. 

Down in the workshop all the elves were makin' toys
For the good Gentile girls and the good Gentile boys
When the boss busted in, nearly scared 'em half to death
Had a rifle in his hands and cheap whiskey on his breath
From his beard to his boots he was covered with ammo
Like a big fat drunk disgruntled Yuletide Rambo
And he smiled as he said with a twinkle in his eye,
"Merry Christmas to all - now you're all gonna die!"

The night Santa went crazy
The night St. Nick went insane
Realized he'd been gettin' a raw deal
Something finally must have snapped in his brain

Well, the workshop is gone now, he decided to bomb it
Everywhere you'll find pieces of Cupid and Comet
And he tied up his helpers and he held the elves hostage
And he ground up poor Rudolph into reindeer sausage
He got Dancer and Prancer with an old German Luger
And he slashed up Dasher just like Freddy Krueger
And he picked up a flamethrower and he barbequed Blitzen
And he took a big bite and said, "It tastes just like chicken!"

The night Santa went crazy
The night Kris Kringle went nuts
Now you can't hardly walk around the North Pole
Without steppin' in reindeer guts

There's the National Guard and the F.B.I.
There's a van from the Eyewitness News
And helicopters circlin' 'round in the sky
And the bullets are flyin', the body count's risin'
And everyone's dyin' to know, oh Santa, why?
My my my my my my
You used to be such a jolly guy

Yes, Virginia, now Santa's doin' time
In a federal prison for his infamous crime
Hey, little friend, now don't you cry no more tears
He'll be out with good behavior in 700 more years
But now Vixen's in therapy and Donner's still nervous
And the elves all got jobs working for the postal service
And they say Mrs. Clause, she's on the phone every night
With her lawyer negotiating the movie rights

They're talkin' bout - the night Santa went crazy
The night St. Nicholas flipped
Broke his back for some milk and cookies
Sounds to me like he was tired of gettin' gypped

Wo, the night Santa went crazy
The night St. Nick went insane
Realized he's gettin' a raw deal
Something finally must have snapped in his brain
Wo, something finally must have snapped in his brain
Tell ya, something finally must have snapped... in his brain

Source: AZLyrics.com

Last Christmas

This is one of my favorite Christmas songs of all time and it isn't even a mid-20th Century or older classic but rather an 80's classic by Wham!