I love hearing and singing

the music of the Christmas season. Topping my "favorites" are

"Oh Holy Night," "Joy to the World," "Oh Come

All Ye Faithful," "Silent Night," and most of the traditional

carols we grew up with.

On the secular side, just about

anything from the Carpenters, and most pieces sung by Bing Crosby, Johnny

Mathis and Frank Sinatra contribute to the warmth and aura of the Christmas

season. It's hard to beat Bing singing "White Christmas" and

Nat "King" Cole singing about chestnuts roasting on the open

fire.

I also have a growing list

of non-favorite Christmas tunes. These are songs that make you turn the

channel as soon as you recognize the tune. Or maybe turn the stereo off

completely. Only, once you hear it, the tune sticks with you like Ray

Buchanan on a wide receiver. These aggravating tunes are designed to seep

into your brain and pop into your thinking 100 times a day.

I could go an entire season

without Elvis singing "I'll Have a Blue Christmas Without You."

I have no qualm with Elvis, but my Christmas turns blue the minute I hear

that song. And why do we have to hear "Feliz Navidad" 1,000

times a Christmas season? That song is torture. I can do without "Christmas

in Killarney" and "Christmas Island." "I Want a Hippopotamus

for Christmas" was never really that cute. The dogs barking "Jingle

Bells," "Santa Baby" and anything by Alvin and the Chipmunks

I can live without.

I ran across another list last

week, Christmas songs for the psychologically-challenged. On the list

for people suffering from multiple personality disorder: "We Three

Kings Disoriented Are." For those who suffer from schizophrenia,

it's "Do You Hear What I Hear?" For those who suffer from codependency,

"On the First Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me, but then

I gave it all