For those of us who never lost our childhood love for the man they call Santa Claus, the film Stalking Santa may be the perfect gift this Christmas. Shot as a mockumentary ala This Is Spinal Tap, the poker-faced wit appeals to adults of any level, and the film might even be ideal for children questioning whether or not the phenomenon of Old St. Nick is real.

Directed by Greg Kiefer, Stalking Santa chronicles the quest of self-proclaimed "Santatologist" Dr. Lloyd Darrow, a man so obsessed with discovering the truth about Santa Claus that he's willing to risk the respect of his family, harassment from the government, and his own personal safety (especially when dealing with fake mall Santas). His search brings forth knowledge of ancient hieroglyphics portraying a large man in a red suit, a bizarre cover-up involving the Roswell crash and its effects on the Town Center Shopping Plaza in Polka City, OH, amongst many others. Narrated by William Shatner, the films plays out like a documentary on the Discovery Channel, only much funnier.

A moment comes when Darrow questions the identity of a man whom he believes to be an elf. By studying photographs, he comes to the conclusion that the mystery man's once pointy ears could have been surgically removed in order to make him blend in as a regular member of society. "Could they have been snipped off? Do you have records of that?" he asks a doctor over the phone. "Oh yeah, I'm quite serious" he adds before waiting a few seconds to hang up the phone.

It's just one example of the sweet but natural humor filling the duration of the film. Darrow's obsession with Santa Claus draws on a youthful spirit that children can identify with, and his seemingly real encounters with ordinary people could trick kids into thinking it's a real documentary. For a fun movie screening the whole family will enjoy, make sure to check out Stalking Santa. 

You can purchase this holiday warming, make you giggle DVD on our marketplace. Click here to purchase.

For as long as most of us can remember, somehow Santa Claus and St. Nicholas have been synonymous terms. What few of us realize; however, is that jolly 'ol St. Nick actually came first.  He is directly connected with the pre-Christmas, holiday season of Advent. "Huh?" you asked? Get ready to be enlightened.

Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas, making it fall somewhere between November 27 and December 3. Amongst Christians, the season marks a period in which they are to prepare for the 2nd coming of Christ.  According to the St. Nicholas Center:

Advent is the time when people of faith are most at odds with the culture. The church calls people to focus on getting ready to receive Christ—preparing hearts and lives to make room for Jesus, to live as he would have us live. It is a time of longing, not fulfillment. Quiet reflection, not celebration. The culture, however, is already in a time of festivity, unable or unwilling, to wait and contemplate and prepare for the real festival. It is not easy to observe Advent without being pulled prematurely into Christmas. 

St. Nicholas's relevance to all this comes from the fact that he originally kick-started Advent with a joyous feast. Often portrayed as a friendly man in red clothes and a white beard, St. Nicholas lived the examples provided by Christ by giving gifts of nurture and love on his day of December 6. His spirit is to provide others with some food for thought on how they should live their lives.  Christians are to, essentially, meditate on ideas of caring and sharing before Christ arrives so they can accept Him as one with them.

For non-Christians, the idea of Advent can be applied to various other occasions in life. It is a time to realize that while waiting for something extraordinary to happen, extraordinary things are still going on around us as we wait. Christmas is not a day in which we put our blinders on for the weeks before it in hopes of getting to it quicker. Every single day is special, and it's always the right time to consider others before ourselves

Finding it hard to join in on the Thanksgiving celebration because you're a vegetarian? Believe us--we understand.  The last thing any of us needs during a warm family occasion are our dads and uncles teaming up to poke fun of our personal eating habits.  That's why the holiday also makes a momentous occasion for fulfilling activist work! The Adopt-A-Turkey Project is a catered to saving the lives of those adorable, gobbling creatures that some of us can't bare to eat.

Since 1986, Farm Sanctuary has used the Adopt-A-Turkey Project to protect more than 1,000 turkeys and provide education to millions of people on their plight and cruel commercial treatment.  For a small fee anyone can visit their website and sponsor a turkey, which will guarantee it safe and healthy living conditions on a farm in New York or California.  Sponsors will also receive a certificate and color photo of the life they saved, as well as a year-long membership to Farm Sanctuary and a newsletter that contains the latest issues involving animal rights activism.  Desired volunteers can even adopt a turkey and raise it in their own home!

According to Farm Sanctuary, "Between 250 and 300 million turkeys are raised for slaughter every year in the U.S. – more than 45 million alone for Thanksgiving. U.S. turkey consumption, which has increased by 116 percent since 1970, averaged at 17.5 pounds per person last year."

The website also features a number of educational resources, as well as free printable leaflets that can be distributed in your community.  If the only people you may want to challenge on eating turkey for Thanksgiving are your family, Farm Sanctuary also provides dozens of tasty alternative recipes. 

Whatever your case may be, don't allow the holiday festivities bring you down this year.  Use them as a reminder that activism never takes a vacation. 

If there was ever a person who could have left this life feeling defeated, it's poet, musician, activist, and actor John Trudell. However, Trudell has used his lurid past to sustain a critically recognized career that continues to inspire millions.  

I became familiar with Trudell as a musician in the early morning hours of a sleepless Sunday night. I turned on the radio and caught the last half of his song "Hanging On The Cross," which sounded all the more alien and intoxicating to my half-awake brain.  His nearly spoken vocals reminded me of Lou Reed, and the rock guitar riffs mixed with pounding Indian chants sounded contrastingly alive and angry.  His lyrics matched the tone of the rhythms though, with words likening the struggle of Native Americans to that of Jesus Christ hanging from the cross.  When it ended I immediately Googled his name after the radio host mentioned it. 

According to his official website:

John Trudell is an acclaimed poet, national recording artist, actor and activist whose international following reflects the universal language of his words, work and message. Trudell (Santee Sioux) was a spokesperson for the Indian of All Tribes occupation of Alcatraz Island from 1969 to 1971. He then worked with the American Indian Movement (AIM), serving as Chairman of AIM from 1973 to 1979. In February of 1979, a fire of unknown origin killed Trudell’s wife, three children and mother-in-law. It was through this horrific tragedy that Trudell began to find his voice as an artist and poet, writing, in his words, “to stay connected to this reality.”

While relatively unknown in the mainstream press, Trudell's work deals with the fundamental struggles we all encounter in life. While Native American culture remains a steady theme of his music and poetry, he has a way of writing about overcoming difficult struggles so that anyone can relate to the plight of the Indian, as well as identify areas of their own life that could use some change. His music (which can be purchased via his website or through iTunes) also happens to be dense with creative instrumental ideas, inspiring Bob Dylan to call his 1986 album AKA Graffiti Man the most brilliant record of that year.    

To learn more, make sure to pay him a visit. 

And this is the trailer for a documentary on Trudell's life:

Lantz Lazwell is an up and coming singer/songwriter pretty much guaranteed to make waves in the near future.  Often playing both guitar and keyboards while singing, the L.A.-based musician writes heavily instrumental tunes that wrap rock and R&B sounds into a completely unique package.  

Lazwell's band also features Jamie Hunting on bass, an established musician in his own right, who has performed with the likes of Vince Neil of Motley Crue, and the one and only "Diamond" David Lee Roth--who I shouldn't have to tell you is the main reason why Van Halen was so good when it first started up. Mike Sato takes on percussion, and Matt Dickson (former Burning Spear and G-Love and Special Sauce) plays the saxophone.  

Lazwell's music often delivers a slightly jazz-funk groove over a more rock-y edge.  His vocals range from sounding like the croons of a sleepy-eyed misfit to just downright heartfelt and soulful.  It embraces enough musical stylings to win over a diverse audience, which you may be able to experience for yourself if you happen to be in California over the next few months.  He and his band will be performing shows in Chico, Sacramento, Placerville, and West Hollywood from now until February, with a full-length debut album to follow soon afterwards.

To hear some tunes and stay updated on tour dates, check out his official MySpace page.

You can also check out this video of a live performance at the Whisky-A-Go-Go in Hollywood: