hurry down the chimney

Fun things to give and get, organized by the alleged themes of this blog:

Texas
Stuff: The 2005 Austin Live Music Capital of the World Christmas ornament. I can't find a picture online, but it's really cute this year. Available at Goodwill and Hallmark. That's not a sentence you write very often.

Book: All Over the Map: True Heroes of Texas Music by Michael Corcoran. On my wishlist. Corcoran writes a history of Texas musicians whose work hasn't been widely recognized, especially early African-American performers.

DVD: Lubbock Lights, the great film about Lubbock music reviewed here a couple of weeks ago.

Football
Tickets: to the Rose Bowl. Of course.

Book: The Last Coach: A Life of Paul "Bear" Bryant by Allen Barra - Yes, Vince, I cheered for Alabama growing up. My friend Molly's dad played for Bear's late 60's/early 70's teams who won all those national championships. This looks like a fantastic read.

Book: The Courting of Marcus Dupree by Willie Morris - I just got this and am so excited to finally read the story of Marcus Dupree's college recruitment by OU and others. Morris is one of my favorite authors; his insight into the interaction between all the competing social forces in the South and his incredible ability to write should make for a great read and a great gift for anyone you know who's interested in football, race, and Southern history.

Music
Book: The Best of No Depression: Writing About American Music - A good overview of the last few years of some great subjects, including Wilco, Lucinda Williams, and Johnny Cash. I enjoyed it.

Gadget: Bose SoundDock for iPod - I got one of these for my birthday in May and love, love, looooooooovvvvvvve it. The sound is incredible and it's portable -- it's goes everywhere with from youth camp to the mountains to parties at the ranch.

DVD: Johnny Cash: Live from Austin, Texas Why they're waiting until 5 days before Christmas to release this is beyond me.

Tickets: to Jeff Tweedy's solo tour, part 2. If you or someone you love can make it to the West coast this winter.

Gadget: Shure Ec3 sound isolating earphones These are so cool. And so out-of-reach.

Politics
Stuff: A fun t-shirt. Or two.

Book: Active Liberty: Interpreting Our Democratic Constitution by Stephen Breyer. I saw part of an interview with Justice Breyer about his book over the Thanksgiving break and have been wanting to read it ever since.

Africa
Stuff: Anything from Amani ya Juu, a women's workshop in Nairobi. They do mail-order online. I love, love, love their stuff, like the awesome rag baskets that Genie and my sister snapped up, sparkly napkin rings, super-fun jewlery, and their beautiful quilts, one of which I will one day have in my home.

DVD: Amandla!, a fantastic documentary about the role of protest music in the dismantling of the apartheid regime in South Africa. So good.

Baptists
Book: American Jesus by Stephen Prothero, reviewed here the other day. Not targeted on Baptists per se, but there's a lot in this that has to do with the denomination's history and the recent unpleasantness.

Stuff: A Landover Baptist license plate frame. You know you want one.

Stuff: And a funny t-shirt.