Holiday mix CD 2010

I've been spending this weekend trying to figure out how to get my new Time Capsule to work. Which of course it doesn't, or sometimes and not perfectly. You'd think it would be easty to just power it up and BOOM! you've got yourself af new wireless harddrive for your laptop that also works as a router. I wish. With some jiggery pokery, I did manage to force it into working as a router, only to discover that I have to constantly register my devices including but not limited to my MacBook Pro, iPhone 3G S and an HP media center with my Internet supplier. Of course I can also only access my beloved Time Capsule from my HP media center, which makes complete sense because I haven't installed the AirPort programme that the MacBook apparently requires to set it up. Yes, I'm beyond thrilled.

So this is my first blog entry through this Time Capsule device, and if it's going to be my last you'll never know. Because of all this, I've decided to be a little festive, and steal an idea from the fabulous Tim and do a mix CD. This however will be more holiday related, so if you are all bah humbug you'll have to deal with it. The songs are not in any kind of order as to which one I like the best, although you can imagine about the first one on the list.

1. Kylie Minogue - Let it Snow

This is a new recording from Miss K and I think it's fair to say that it's pretty damn good. I first heard of it on Twitter, and then before long it was available on iTunes bundled with her delightful cover of Santa Baby (performed live at the tree lighting ceremony in NYs Rockerfeller Center 2010).



2. Mel & Kim - Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

This is, to me, a classic. Probably one of the first contemporary Christmas classics I liked. It's fun, it's catchy, the video is hilarious and I liked Kim Wilde. I have memories of dancing around the Christmas tree in our hall to this song wearing a pair of grey leggings and an oversized red jumper. Good times!



Some might prefer the lovely Brenda Lee version to this though. I like that too.

3. Shakin' Stevens - Merry Christmas Everyone

To be honest, I had never heard this one before last year. I own quite a few Christmas albums and how this didn't make it onto any of them is just shocking! Outrageous!



How great is this!

4. Bing Crosby - White Christmas

This is probably THE Christmas classic. I adore this, and it shouldn't be covered because nothing will ever come even remotely close to it. We'eve always heard this at my parents house at Christmas. I even bought the movie White Christmas because of it. This is the essense of Christmas. Funniely enough, it looks like it'll be a white Christmas again this year.



5. Ove Sprogø - Når Du Ser Et Stjerneskud (When You Wish Upon a Star)

The Danish version of Jiminy Cricket (Jesper Fårekylling) When You Wish Upon a Star that features in the Disney From All of Us to All of You show. It's not Christmas eve before you've heard (and seen) this. They show it every year and evil bro and I used to sit and watch it with our crazy aunt. When that song came on, we knew it was not long before the big feast and then it would be time to dance around the tree and get our presents.



Sing along now. Come on everyone!

6. Nat King Cole feat. Natalie Cole - Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire

This is not a song I've ever looked for, but rather one that my mother was really fond of. Sometimes these things rub off on you. It's like Sir Cliffs - Mistletoe and Wine which I am shamefully admitting to liking too. We always heard these songs for Christmas.



7. MC Einar - Det' Jul Det' Cool (it's Christmas, it's cool)

This is a late 80s early 90s Danish Christmas classic. One that I started by thinking was fun, but now it really is kool. A little dated, but kool. It's not your typical romaticising Christmas, but rather dealing with all the over consumption and greed in a very smartly sarcastic way without alienating people. You may just think it sounds weird, and if I were in your place I would have to agree. I have a memory of sitting on the loo singing it on the top of my lungs once I was home alone, and the paperboy came and he yelled at me to shut the fuck up. Of course, at that point it was June.



8. Wham - Last Christmas

There simply is no Christmas without Wham Last Christmas. Everything from the song to the video just screams perfection. I can't hear it enough. It's another song that I've danced around in grey leggings and oversized red jumpers to.



9. Eartha Kitt - Santa Baby

Santa Baby has got to be the most covered Christmas song of all time. Everyone from Ally McBeal to Madonna, to The Pussycat Dolls and Taylor Swift have covered this track. Even Kylie made a delightfully sensual attempt (which I prefer to most of the other versions). Eartha Kitts version is still number one in my book. *PUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR*



10. Britney Spears - My Only Wish This Year

I know. I'm not proud, but I really do like this. I ended up buying a really bad Christmas album called Platinum Christmas back in 2000 because of this one song. I tell you, the rest of the tracks from S Club 7, Steps, Monica, TLC, R Kelly to name a few were absolute crap. This song made up for the $20 it cost. CDs were very expensive back then - and still are around here.



11. Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas

This is another song you just can't get around. The year it was released it was in the Danish top 10 through mid January. There was no denying it. Of course, I waited years until I bought the album. Mostly because I'm not a Mariah fan. Still, this is a delightful little holiday nugget. It's like the Pringles - once you pop you can't stop.



12. Various Danish Artists - Let Love Be Love

Probably one of the only good Danish holiday songs. This also did incredibly well on the Danish chart. It seems we (and by we, I mean everyone else) love our Danish artists. You may recognise SOAP who had that hit Soap is in the air. It's a little sappy, but that's the holidays, isn't it.



Because I'm really nice, I'll include some guilty pleasures as B-sides.

B-Side - Spice Girls - Sleigh Ride

There really are no words.



B-Side - Aqua - Spin Me a Christmas

If for nothing else, their videos are hilarious. This one too.



Until the Time Capsule works again, Merry Christmas my pretties.

Carrie Bradshaw I'm not

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Disconnection

Apologies for not being able to post the results of

The Freakin' Green Elf Shorts Competition

Before we get to that though, I'd like to tell you all a story from the real world. The world of my Internet supplier. You see, I called them a month ago to tell them that I was moving. The guy typed my new address into his system, made a note of what I wanted done. I wanted the large cable tv pack and my 12mbit connection moved to my new address. He assured me everything was fine and that it would work on Monday, March 16 at the latest. I was happy and we said our goodbyes. This is when I mention that I've moved twice before and everything worked like a charm both times.

The move itself is a post for another time because that was quite traumatic and the issue isn't settled yet. Anyway, I found an envelope from Yousee - my Internet supplier in my mailbox saying that they'd registered my order. This is when everything went downhill. They'd registrered it to the wrong appartment and floor. So I called them (waiting in a telephone queue for about 20 minutes) and told them my issue. The Stupid Customer Service Monkey (hereafter known as SCSM) apologised and changed it while I was on the phone. I was pleased and we hung up.

Well, on the 18th it still wasn't working so I called the SCSM again, only to talk to someone else who could say that the order was placed as a standard order meaning I wouldn't have Internet or cable tv until the 30th. I told them it wasn't acceptable, and SCSM didn't know what to do. A few choice words later he cancelled my order and placed it, while I was on the line, as a priority order. I asked how long it would take until it would work before the weekend. The cable tv started working Saturday, yet still no Internet.

Monday the 23rd I called first thing, speaking again to SCSM who couldn't say what was wrong. He said it was supposed to work and that I had to speak to someone in the technical support department so he transferred me. I had the pleasure of a girl who politely told me to turn on my cable modem because it was offline. I told her, politely, that my cable modem was turned on already and that it had been for the past week. She said that she'd send out a technician to have a look and he would call me within a few days time.

The technician called Tuesday and we agreed that he would come by that same day at noon. He promised to call ten minutes before he was at the address so I'd have someone let him in. At noon he called and said he was ten minutes from my address - in Copenhagen! I politely told him I had moved, he laughed and said he doubted he was allowed to drive all the way across the country to visit me. He said he'd call Yousee to tell them and I said I would too.

Furious Pete (that's me) called Yousee and said a few choice words, they were useless of course saying they didn't know how he'd gotten my old address because my new address was the only one they had on file. They would however send out a new technician to my new address and he would call me. They couldn't say when. In the end he came by on Friday and fixed everything. It took less than five minutes.

Now, I'm expecting two bills for the technicians. If they bill me I'll spontaniously combust, but look out for the mushroom cloud.

By the way, about The Freakin' Green Elf Shorts Competition the date has been cast in stone.

The winner will be announced on Thursday April 2nd.

But come back for more every day until then - I'll make it worth your while.