Nativity 

I didn't mention it at the time because I had other things in mind, but one of the greatest Irish songwriters of all time, Shane MacGowan, dying in the same news cycle as Henry Kissinger sounds like the beginning of a joke you would tell only when drunk and with friends. The real dark harmonic beauty comes from MacGowan dying Nov. 30, the same death date as Oscar Wilde, another brilliant Irish rebel who has only been ever more exonerated by the passing of time. That exoneration comes at a steep cost, though, because the soul of beauty that resides in the heart of every human being who yearns to express the universal salvation and dignity of all their fellow people only burns brightly in contrast with the reality that we are all living in Kissinger's world for the foreseeable. What do I mean by that? A ruling class dedicated to the stupid and brutal mass extinction of the lives of unseen millions, in the name of narcissism, career and ego, just as much as it was for the purpose of western capitalist conquest. And for what? Everything is decaying in the empire and the wars are coming home. Now that Kissinger is dead and unavailable to act as consultant for literally every administration since Nixon, our last bipartisan position is endless fuel for the war machine. The ever-growing mountain of skulls these demons created would block out the sun if America and its client states ever gained the ability to reflect on such things.

Against that backdrop, I invite you to appreciate the humanity of people like MacGowan (listen to his music!), Wilde and the hope they bring us all. Hope is not a delusion but rather a source of power for the powerless, renewable and miraculously expanded by our better nature. A star in the darkness. Blessed are the peacemakers and the freedom fighters, too.

Merry Christmas.

Thursday, Winter Solstice

Time, "the school in which we learn ... the fire in which we burn" — according to the poet Delmore Schwartz — has brought us more place markers to roast astride the Yule log. Not only is today the beginning of our calendar recognition of winter, but it's also an evening of celebration at the Sanctuary, where Starry Night is the theme, and the unique venue and art house's 10th anniversary is the cause. Music will be provided by Daniel Nickerson's interactive musical sculpture the Furniture Ensemble, and food ranging from vegan to omnivore fare will be provided by Rachael Patton, Aida Kastell, Erica Davie and Blackberry Bramble. There will be lots of activities, including a winter lighting ceremony and a gift exchange (if you wish to participate), as well as the general pleasure of enjoying the distinct ambience of the place.

The fun begins at 6 p.m., and the pricing is sliding scale, and structured as follows: $25-$40 for entrance, food, a party favor and a champagne toast; $50-$60 includes all of the above, along with, according to the website, "a special surprise gift." Sounds good to me.

Friday

Big 8 is playing the Basement tonight at 9 p.m. What is Big 8, you ask? Why it's a New Orleans/Southern soul, blues and vintage country band helmed by a crew of the following local allstars: Jeff Landen, Paul DeMark, Robert Franklin and Justin Brown. No cover charge, so plenty of pocket money to spare for the servers of drinks and tunes.

Saturday

As we close in on the nativity holiday, our music options dry up and disappear like rooms for rent in ancient Bethlehem. No worries, the Speakeasy and the Logger Bar both have something doing tonight for free. Eight p.m. at the Speakeasy is the hour of power if you want to catch the classic funky soul and R&B sounds of Jenni, David and the Sweet Soul Band. An hour later and much nearer to the Mad River, DJ Deaf_Eye will be spinning dance grooves for the timber saw-embedded floor of Blue Lake's coziest night spot. That's as good as it gets tonight, which honestly ain't bad.

Sunday, Christmas Eve

Now begins a three-night stretch, from here to Boxing Day (more on that later) during which I've got nothing to offer by means of live music suggestions. I can offer something else in the form of two axioms that are perhaps overshared but still undervalued: It is better to give than to receive, and it is through forgiveness that we ourselves find forgiveness and, sometimes, atonement.

Christmas

Listen to Phil Spector's Christmas Album, one of the greatest out there and a true hall of famer in the "separating the art from the artist" arena of sport. A game that I'm realistic enough about the ferocious extremes of humanity to navigate daily with little or no traction, but for some reason presents itself as a genuine skill issue for some people. (Let not the late Spector's shadow blot out the legacy of The Ronettes.)

Tuesday, Boxing Day

Why doesn't America celebrate Boxing Day? It seems so lovely, expressing thanks and charity to the workers and the poor who inhabit our society in mostly invisible stations. A day of appreciation after gluttony for those who work hard to keep things running, often forgotten and severely undervalued. Oh, I think I just answered my own question.

Wednesday

There's a decent film about beings from the outside coming into the human world, bringing a mysterious and nearly intangible message designed to create a revolutionary change for the common good. It features a protagonist who is haunted by very dark tendrils of memory, dream or prophecy. And his name isn't Ebenezar Scrooge, either. She's actually a linguist named Louise Banks, played by Amy Adams. I'm talking about Arrival here, folks, playing at the Arcata Theatre Lounge tonight (doors at 6 p.m., raffle at 7 p.m., showtime five minutes later). Director Denis Villeneuve and writer Ted Chiang went for something here, and for the most part succeeded, if only proving that the former had what it takes to make a real big space epic, and the latter's large sci-fi canon isn't too concept-heavy for adaptation to the big screen ($5, $9 with a poster).

Collin Yeo (he/him/ho,ho,ho) thinks that John Lennon might have been a little mistaken when he sang about war being over if you want it. But he's still going to continue wanting it. He lives in Arcata.