More than my two front teeth

Nat King Cole's rendition of "All I want for Christmas Is my Two Front Teeth" was one of my favorite tunes of the holiday season growing up. Honestly I don't care if you get anything for me or not. Life as it is and will be are the only gifts I need (grammar, ugh). I am being utterly serious when I state that. Life is, without reservations, damn good to me right now. But at the request of one best friend, Erin, I am providing my own partial litany of Christmas desires to aid ye thoughtful gift-shoppers. But please implement your creativity because it may yield better ideas than what I spoon feed here.

1) If it's from the heart, it doesn't matter what it is. If it's from someone I love I will be sure to love it. Especially homemade stuff!

2) Noise cancelling earbud (for portability) headphones for ipod.

3) Kinokuniya stationary--I need to restock to maintain correspondence from South Africa

4) Cash money is always welcome, of course.

5) Fancy hosiery

6) Jumper dress

7) Music by following artists--don't worry about buying redundant albums. If I have something from the artists listed I have noted as such.

• The Jam, The Style Council, or Paul Weller. Already own: In the City, This is the Modern World, All Mod Cons, Sound Affects, Live Jam, Beat Surrender (compiliation), My Ever-Changing Moods(a.k.a.. Cafe Bleu[UK]), Internationalists(a.k.a. Our Favourite Shop [UK]), Confessions of a Pop Group, Heavy Soul, Days of Speed, Illumination.
• Lou Rawls (esp. at Capitol Records). Already own: Soulin', Carryin' On!, Sit Down and Talk to Me
  
• Billy Stewart
• Eartha Kitt
• Letta Mbulu
• Miriam Makeba
• Hugh Masekela (esp. one with the track Stimela)
  
• Gil-Scott Heron
• David Axelrod
• Tom Waits
• Aaron Copeland
• Lalo Schiffrin. Already own: Whole Lalo Schiffrin Goin' On, Music from Mission: Impossible. I would espcially like the Bullitt and The Cincinatti Kid soundtracks.
  
• Elmer Bernstein. Top choice: The Magnificent Seven
  
• Bernard Hermann. Already own: Vertigo
• Music from The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
• Joanna Newsom
• Of Montreal
• O'Jays
• MFSB
• Teddy Pendergrass. Already own: TP
• The Small Faces
• Spencer Davis Group
• Marlena Shaw
• Giles Peterson compilations
• The Good, The Bad, and the Queen
• Love Travels at Illegal Speeds-Graham Coxon
  

8) DVD's

• A Bit of Fry & Laurie: Seasons 1 & 2
• Freaks and Geeks: The Complete Series
• Arrested Development: Season 3
• The Office (BBC Version) : The entire series
• Talk To Her
• Bad Education
• Hiroshima, Mon Amour (The Criterion Collection)
  
• In The Mood for Love
• Skirt Power
• Live Forever (Britpop documentary)
• Amandla!: A Revolution in Four Part Harmony
  
• In The Heat of the Night
• Jeeves and Wooster
• Casanova (David Tennant, NOT Heath Ledger please)
• Black Adder
• Umberto D. (The Criterion Collection)
• L'Aventura (The Criterion Collection)

9) Books

• Anything by Stuart Hall
• Imagined Communities by Benedict Anderson
  
• On Beauty by Zadie Smith
• The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
  
• Biko by Donald Woods
  
• Photography books by Peter Magubane
• Native Speaker by Chang-Rae Lee
• Gish Jen
• Nadine Gordimer
• My Life in the Bush of Ghosts by Amos Tutuola
• Hopes and Impediments by Chinua Achebe
• Status Anxiety by Alain DeBotton
• P.G. Wodehouse
• Britpop!: Cool Britannia and the Spectacular Demise of English Rock by John Harris
• Any available back issues of Chimurenga
• Dogeaters by Jessica Hagedorn

10) A better world. Can you tell I'm feelling warm and fuzzy?


Although for Damon Albarn, it would appear that those teeth are all he really wants. Shocking!

Note: To see the segment that explains the above statement, you have to ff to 21:45 or so.