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The 12 Christmas Links – Will You Laugh?

The 12 Christmas Links – Will You Laugh? That’s what I want to know. Let’s start with the first link:

The NORAD Santa Tracker

I first learned about the NORAD Santa Tracker in 2000, 20 years ago. I was quite cracked up that a branch of the US military would put up this elaborate web site to track Santa’s sleigh around the world. Each year the site became more sophisticated and elaborate.

Here’s the live Youtube feed:

It’s been fun following NORAD through the years with my children, from their teenage years to adulthood. My daughter follows them on Alexa.

Up next is this blast from Christmas past.

1981 Merry Christmas

12 Christmas Links – 1981 Merry Christmas

I lived through Ronald Reagan’s Presidency, from 1981, when I was 25 to 1989, when I was 33 and married for three years.

Now, let’s have a little Christmas entertainment coming up.

My Favorite Christmas Jazz

You know it and love it too. Here you go!

Interestingly, the drummer is 78-years-old Jerry Granelli, who is the last surviving member of the “Vince Guaraldi Trio”. The Trio consisted of Guaraldi on piano, Fred Marshall on bass and Jerry Granelli on drums. They, of course, recorded the original soundtrack for “A Charlie Brown Christmas”.

For my fourth link, I go to a classic from Tchaicovsky, ‘The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies” as rendered in this next clip:

Link 4 – A Classic Movie and Music Clip

Have you seen Fantasia? How about Fantasia 2000? Let me know what you think of them.

Your Fifth Link – My Favorite Christmas Movie

Since I’ve breached the movie genre, let’s continue in that vein with this classic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N4CAO1Gcvw

I first saw ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ as a young adult and I thought it was wonderful. What’s your favorite Christmas movie? Tell me, and I’ll give you a free audiobook.

12 Christmas Links – My Favorite Light Display Next

I play Wizards in Winter every year at Christmas.

Your Seventh Link – My Favorite Traditional Carol

But I’ve got more carols for you. Look to the following link.

Your Eighth Link – Non-traditional Christmas Carol

I love Carman! What sort of music do you like? Each response gets a free audiobook. Or you can join my newsletter here. Newsletter subscribers get all my audiobooks free.

You’ve got more coming up! Check out the eighth link below.

Next? The History of Christmas Carols

Do You Like Christmas Books?

A lot of writers create stories or books for Christmas. I haven’t done that yet, but this is the best I’ve on the subject. You’ll enjoy it for its own sake as a children’s book.

Let me know about your favorite book, Christmas or not. I’ll gladly give you an audiobook.

Now for a Christmas Laugh

This is the original and official video to go with this famous Christmas comedy song.

For my last link, let’s talk about the reason for the season.

12 Christmas Links – The Reason for the Season

12 Christmas Links
Why We Celebrate Christmas

Opinion: There’s never been a better Christmas . . .

And with that, let me wish you and your loved ones and very merry Christmas!

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Your 12 Best Links of 2019 From Andy Zach

Your 12 Best Links of 2019 from me, author Andy Zach are right here. What have you missed? Perhaps there’s a laugh or two for you or some amazing bit of technology you didn’t know about. The journey through time begins now!

January 2019 – My Favorite Video of 2019

This nostalgic memory from my childhood is much funnier now that I’m an adult.

How many of these famous cameo appearances can you identify? Identify all and win a book!

I can just hear some of you Millenials saying, “Ok, Boomer.” I am a Baby Boomer, so I can’t deny it.

February 2019 – A Great One Liner

Need I say the prequel to my book Paranormal Privateers is set in the Caribbean? Need I say this prequel is in my new book, Oops! Tales of the Zombie Turkey Apocalypse?

March 2019 – A Great Movie Trailer

Terry Pratchett is one of my inspirations. I re-read The Color of Magic, his first book in his Disc World series this year and it’s better than I remembered. This movie adaptation is great. Be sure to see it. Watch the trail above, if you doubt me.

Nine more links to go in Your 12 Best Links of 2019!

April 2019 – My Favorite ComicCon of 2019

Your 12 Best Links of 2019
Andy Zach at PeoriaCon. Click to read all about it.

At PeoriaCon I read the first page of Zombie Turkeys dozens of times while acting it out with my zombie turkey puppet. The Peoria Journal Star caught me in the act right there in Peoria, a mile from my home!

Click on the blog post to hear me on video!

May 2019 – The Fifth of Your 12 Best Links

Seriously, how can ‘spider butts’ not make the highlights list?

June 2019 – The Sixth of Your 12 Best Links

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=a1Om-662nUg&feature=emb_logo
Which Star Wars Movie is This?

I have to include this blog post, of four future science fiction story ideas. Which one do you like the best?

That’s all for now! I’ll post the other six items tomorrow.

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5 Cool Links for You I Found this December

You will enjoy these 5 Cool Links I found this December. Let’s start with this amazing prediction from 1953 that came true:

When was this fulfilled? With the iPhone in 2010? That was 57 years later. Make a prediction now for 2077. I’ll give the person with the best prediction your choice of any of my books.

5 Cool Links
Andy’s books, except for one

Here’s my latest book, published last Friday. You can win it with a well-reasoned prediction.

Oops!
Andy Zach’s latest book. Click to get it.

5 Cool Links for December – Your Next One

This link contains 5 cool things all by itself.

The Third Cool Thing – Enter My Book Contest Here

Contest rules

  1. Send me an email ([email protected]) or reply here with why or why not you would go into a space hotel.
  2. I will give you a free book of your choice if your response is factual and well-reasoned.
  3. You must respond before December 31st, 2019

Just in time for Christmas, your fourth cool thing

Did you know St. Nicholas was a Klingon? At least that explains the flying sleigh.

Finally, the last cool thing you’ll see of the 5 Cool Links – before my freebies below

These Triassic reptiles had massive heads. What if they were as intelligent as humans? What kind of civilization would they have? Write some fan fiction about these intelligent creatures, send it to me, and I’ll publish it. And I’ll give you your choice of my books to pick from.

And Now the Free Books, folks

My childhood hero, Ghoulardi

You will get 15 free science fiction and fantasy books here:

15 free books
Click to get 15 free books.

This includes a $30 prize for one lucky winner too. But you have to claim at least one book.

Before you go, why don’t you claim my free book, Secret Supers? It’s the first time I’ve offered it on a free promotion.

Secret Supers
Click to get your free copy!