Here we are in the throes of the holiday season with all the demands to shop and eat and listen to another round of “Jingle Bell Rock.” So it seemed appropriate to distract myself, and possibly you, by seeking out some holiday alternatives…
The NYC Metro Raging Grannies broke out in song this week at Grand Central Station with a songbook full of alternative carols (for Hanukkah and Christmas) including “Oy! To The World”, “I’m Dreaming of a Green Planet”, “Hark! The Humpback Whale Sings”, “Bibi: I Make A Little Wish,” and that popular earworm, “Rudolph’s Dream” (Lyrics by Corinne Willinger):
Metro Raging Grannies at Grand Central Station, Dec. 18, 2024. Photo by Linda Novenski. Lots more photos by Hideko Otake here.
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
Had a painful swollen nose,
He would have seen a doctor,
Because he said it grows and grows.
Rudolph can’t pay his doctor, Even with the ACA.
He can’t afford their health plans,
And he says it’s not okay.Rudolph told all the people.
Congress heard the people shout.
We need single payer health care,
So no one has to, do, with—out!
Email from the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights alerted me to their Holiday Season Boycott Action, which reminded me of the time some years back when it was announced at an activist meeting that Sabra hummus was on the BDS (boycott, divest, sanctions) list. A collective sigh went up. It’s really good hummus but the company is partly owned by The Strauss Group, an Israeli company which provides funding and support to the Israeli military. And, another sigh, Ben & Jerry’s is on the list too.
Dave Lippman (photo on Facebook)
For decades Dave Lippman has been helping us fight the good fight against corporations and the military-industrial complex with biting humor. He’s a self-defined “investigative songwriter” who “afflicts the complacent, takes the air out of the windbags of the week, de-distorts history, and updates worn-out songs with parody and thrust.” He’s got some BDS songs that might be a little hard to sing along with, but his website offers a refreshing break from “Jingle Bell Rock” — and you can also contact him for an appearance at one of your upcoming events.
I can’t think about holiday shopping without Rev. Billy and The Church of Stop Shopping coming to mind. He started street preaching in Times Square in 1998 in response to then Mayor Guiliani’s militarized/commercialized development of the area. Over the years the Stop Shopping Choir evolved into a hugely entertaining, musically dynamic, and politically charged group taking the message of Earthalujah around the world these days. For a 2-minute dose see their “20 Years of ‘Stop Shopping’” video here. For a full session, you can watch their show, “EXTINCTION! the Musical”, recorded a Joe’s Pub in NYC here.
And speaking of boycotts, let’s not forget war tax boycotting! Celebrate another year of resistance or prepare for the next one. The first day to file is around the end of January, but in the meantime, you can begin to make some rough calculations. If you find out you’ve had too much withheld and are not able to resist this year, recalculate your W-4 to make adjustments for the coming year. Self-employed workers may find they’ve been paying too much into estimated taxes, which is also easily adjusted with the final 2024 payment or the ones you make in 2025. NWTRCC will be offering WTR 101 sessions online, and various groups around the country may also offer in-person sessions. Watch for the announcements on this website or NWTRCC’s social media.
Finally, Rev. Billy reported a “Transformative Happy Rage” from their recent tour in the U.K. That sounds to me like a good prescription for the next four years. Rage on, with some humor whenever possible.
— Post by Ruth Benn
P.S. Of course, add your own lyrics and links in the comments to help get us through this holiday season.
