Weirdness: August 2008

http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2008/08/fake-beatles-no.html

It's been quite some time since I've mentioned WFMU's blog - an amazing site that I heartily recommend for all serious pop music fans.

a touching family reunion

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2008/08/26/exclusive-pervert-dad-and-son-s-reunion-behind-bars-86908-20712236/

The Bark Mitzvah

http://www.myfoxny.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail;jsessionid=9E9AA66C2C06EED4B0AF50470A1C686F?contentId=7289152&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1

I love it when people come up with ideas to relieve the vapid wealthy of their money...

very cool blog devoted to horror

http://lottd.blogspot.com/

Vincent Price reads The Raven

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FID1CiB4bcU&eurl=

Classic.

David McCallum reading The Duniwch Horror available online

http://davesworld56.blogspot.com/2008/08/david-mccallum-reads-dunwich-horror.html
I have this old Caedmon record and always enjoyed it.

Happy Anniversary, Born To Run!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Born_To_Run

http://www.brucespringsteen.net/songs/BornToRun.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av2rClwyCu8

What can I say...probably my all-time favorite album by my all-time favorite performer. A mini-encyclopedia of Rock'N'Roll history and East Coast iconography. It begins with a drum attack lifted right out of Carole King's "Locomotion", and ends with a wail in the night, "trying to make an honest stand". Tramps like us, babe, Tramps like us....

Happy Birthday Elvis Costello!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izFsZvkemio&feature=related

http://www.elviscostello.info/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Costello

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab_IO-SlK5w

A fave, that first album helped get me through that year at William & Mary...

Happy Birthday Lord Dunsany!

http://www.dunsany.net/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Dunsany

Another genius and another Essential. One of my favorite fantasy writers, and I believe one of the best authors in the English language.

Happy Birthday Tim Burton!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000318/

http://www.timburtoncollective.com/

Genius. Essential.

Happy Birthday Sean Connery!

http://www.seanconnery.com/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000125/

I know he's a swine, but he's also one of the last of the great Action/Adventure heroes.

a variety of strange and amusing photos

http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/08/never-give-up-funny-pics-part-9.html

How to fire someone

http://www.eatliver.com/i.php?n=3420

super-high weirdness in North Korea?

http://www.japantoday.com/category/kuchikomi/view/north-koreas-kim-died-in-2003-and-was-replaced-by-lookalike-says-waseda-profesor

The PC Toaster

http://www.crazypc.com/other/misc/toast.htm

some VERY nice chess sets

http://www.houseofstaunton.com/index.shtml

I want to get the pieces carved from wooly mammoth ivory!

Happy Birthday Niagara!

http://www.niagaradetroit.com/music.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sRRndqsvNM&feature=related

Destroy All Monsters came out of Detroit, and were one of the coolest of the early American punk bands. Classic.

King Lear in I Am The Walrus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhIDeweP3-8&fmt=18
Fantastic stuff!

(Thanks for the link, Perry!)

The Go Go's video for Our Lips Are Sealed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrYM2Gt9sMw

Fun stuff!

The Happenings perform I've Got Rhythm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK62pW35GIw

I've always loved this version. Reminds me of innocent Summers....

Blondie perform Denis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbqssGAsL6Q&feature=related

Great cover.

Brocken Money

http://sexy-witch.blogspot.com/2006/11/brocken-money-1922.html

http://sexy-witch.blogspot.com/2007/01/more-brocken-money.html

Beany & Cecil!

http://cool-mo-dee.blogspot.com/2008/08/beany-and-cecil.html

A nice slam against Disney, here. (I had an Official Beany's beany in my childhood, the rotor would fly off, etc. - very cool).

the snake...

http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?in_article_id=269940&in_page_id=2

I must admit, this guy was a pretty good sport....

The Miskatonic Acid Test

http://grimreviews.blogspot.com/2008/08/miskatonic-acid-test.html

I believe someone has finally captured my mind on film.... This looks so cool. It reminds me of the last Dougstock! (If I could only remember the last Dougstock...).

What if H. P. Lovecraft sold candy?

http://www.mcsweeneys.net/2008/8/15burns.html

This is wonderful....

new Lovecraftian film

http://grimreviews.blogspot.com/2008/08/new-lovecraftian-film-chill-due-in.html

Happy Anniversary to The Big Sleep!

It premiered on this date in '46. One of my faves!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQPz432NvRs

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038355/

Happy Birthday Gene Kelly!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000037/
http://members.aol.com/humorone/gene.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmCpOKtN8ME

I just think Kelly was such a talent. And Singing In The Rain is perfection. An Immortal.

(He also did a brilliant job portraying Mencken in Inherit The Wind!)

Happy Birthday Keith Moon!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hngmb0pTcMY

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Moon

http://www.whocollection.com/Keith's%20Pictures%20of%20Lily%20Kit.htm

Happy Birthday Oliver Perry!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Hazard_Perry

http://www.nps.gov/archive/pevi/HTML/Perry.html

Happy Birthday Mighty Max!

http://www.maxweinberg.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Weinberg

Happy Birthday Mark Russell!

http://www.markrussell.net/

hmmmm, it all seems so...innocent....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/7574619.stm

But I know my Scottish history...The Beanes Clan have arisen....

Happy Birthday Dorothy Parker!

http://www.dorothyparker.com/

http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Dorothy_Parker

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Parker

One of my faves. An influence on my calm demeanor and charitable outlook...

Happy Birthday John Lee Hooker!

http://www.johnleehooker.com/

http://web.telia.com/~u19104970/johnnielee.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOyj4ciJk34

Another essential. Bedrock.

a nice little article about Vincent Price's cookbook

http://www.slate.com/id/2197533/?wpisrc=newsletter

I have tried to find this, but have failed in seeing any good deals on it...

The Cutting Edge of USB items....

http://www.wowzzers.com/product_info.php?products_id=463?GoogleImgAdUSBHD&gclid=CLW5-J7fn5UCFQIyxwodKEJEaQ

(Thanks for the link, Linda!)

Happy Birthday Joe Strummer!

http://www.joestrummer.com/

http://www.joestrummer.org/

http://www.strummernews.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ9v0TQv9wo

One of the Immortals. Essential.

Happy Birthday Jackie DeShannon!

http://www.jackiedeshannon.com/

http://jackiedeshannon.tripod.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVCBSIn_1j0

One of my faves. Talented, and one of the prettiest performers I know of.

Happy Birthday Fritz Freleng!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0293989/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friz_Freleng

more German mythology on the way...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/08/17/sv_hitler.xml

And so, once again, we are presented with that most ludicrous of myths - the "Good German". I've written about this in the past, and will only say that the way von Stauffenberg and his fellow conspirators is and have been portrayed is the biggest crock of shit, ever. The real resistance was microscopic, brave, had absolutely no chance of survival, much less success; and was more noble and idealistic than all the stupid generations of "vons" combined. And while we're at it, Tom Cruise, his massive ego, and his idiotic ideology, can kiss my ass, too.

Quark being released on DVD!

http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Quark-The-Complete-Series/10240

I suspect I'm one of the few people who remember this show. It wasn't great - but it was cute, and had its moments. Some of the scenes with Ficus were great.

The Scottish Games are coming

http://dc.about.com/od/specialevents/a/VAScottishGames.htm

Happy Birthday H.P. Lovecraft!

http://www.hplovecraft.com/

http://alangullette.com/lit/hpl/

One of the great masters of supernatural fiction and horror. Essential.

Happy Birthday Isaac Hayes - RIP

http://www.isaachayes.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5tqAbrZeX0

Happy Birthday Robert Plant!

http://www.robertplant.com/
http://www.robertplanthomepage.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Plant

http://www.ledzeppelin.com/

http://www.led-zeppelin.org/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4jUy2FJW_w

fan video for the Isley Brothers' Who's That Lady"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1DDgNCLD84&feature=related

A wonderful song, and I first heard it on the radio about this time 35 years ago....

Gilbert O'Sullivan performs Get Down

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrKkbZZMNWg

An uber-guilty pleasure. I've always enjoyed this wicked little bit of fluff, although I firmly believe it's about beastiality....

The Beloit Mindset List

http://www.beloit.edu/mindset/2012.php

I will be typing this up with carbon paper and mailing copies out to all of you, soon. Those of you whom I don't have a mailing address for, I'll dial on the phone - if I have the Exchange Name...

where there's a will....

http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=456&sid=1462053

The New "Village"

http://www.denofgeek.com/television/100695/the_prisoner_heres_the_new_village.html

But I like Portmeiron!

Guernica in 3D

http://www.lena-gieseke.com/guernica/movie.html

Really amazing.

(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

Happy National Potato Day!

http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=172533&sid=cb424b25e80d2fc0a381b98e3e625326

Happy Birthday Ginger Baker!

http://www.ginger-baker.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVqvNKsPKUM

Unbelievable drummer. One of the Immortals.

Happy Birthday Gene Roddenberry!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0734472/

http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/TOS/creative/69095.html

Lego Olympics!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1046255/On-marks-set-Lego-Welcome-Olympics-everyones-quick-blocks.html

(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

The Schoenberg Commercial ;)

http://www.youtube.com/user/schoenbergcommercial

Very cute!

(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

RIP Nancie Mantz

From the Electric Prunes web site:
Very Sad news. Nancie Mantz, co writer with Annette Tucker of "I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night", passed away a couple of nights ago. She was a friend of the band and a very creative person. Condolences to her daughter. We will play in LA on the 10th of August and her dynamic song will have a special meaning for us that night, I am sure.

Nancie Mantz was a songwriter whose 1960s work in collaboration with Annette Tucker helped jump-start the psychedelic punk boom and, 15 years later, became one of many flash points for the paisley underground. Mantz was principally a lyricist, trained on piano, guitar, and violin but proficient on none of them. Her focus was words, and she was good enough as a song-poet to get signed to Four Star Publishers in the early '60s -- her collaborators there included the company's head, Dave Burgess, and 1960s Crickets member Glen D. Hardin, as well as a young composer with bigger aspirations named Harry Nilsson. She collaborated with Hardin and Nilsson, among others, and had some successes with Keith Colley ("Human Kindness," "Ladder of Success") and with Burgess ("He's a Big Deal"), but it was when she was teamed with Tucker that some very interesting lightning seemed to strike. Tucker had gotten a band called the Electric Prunes signed to a company owned by engineer turned producer Dave Hassinger, who had gotten them a contract with Reprise Records and now needed some songs that could be potential hits. In the interim, Tucker had presented her with the proposed title "I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)," which the pair knocked off as a finished composition in less than an hour. Presented to Hassinger and the Prunes in a demo sung by Jerry Fuller, it was recorded by the Prunes in their style and hit number 11 nationally, and suddenly Tucker and Mantz were turning in seven songs (plus two more written by Tucker and Jill Jones) to Hassinger and the Prunes for their debut album. I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night) was a landmark psychedelic punk album, and a unique creation from a major label, as well as the best showcase that any rock-era songwriter this side of Jimmy Webb ever had for his or her work. Among Mantz's most personal contributions to the album -- though one the band didn't fully appreciate -- was the gentle ballad "Onie," which Mantz had written for her own daughter, Tracy, but her most striking contribution may well have been the raunchy psychedelic punk showcase "Are You Lovin' Me More (But Enjoying It Less)." Some of Mantz's more conceptual songs, such as "The Toonerville Trolley," were less successful, but on the whole the album was a great creative showcase. It was also to be the last, as only three of Tucker and Mantz's songs would appear on the next Prunes album, Underground, and none of them would be recorded as well as the stuff off the first album. The Tucker/Mantz team saw subsequent success as another song, "I Ain't No Miracle Worker," was recorded by the Chocolate Watchband and also later topped the charts in Italy. Mantz continued writing songs through the end of the 1960s, and saw hits with the Newbeats and the American Breed. She gave up composing in 1970 following the murder of her mother, and in the ensuing years left the music business.

(Thanks for the article, Perry!)

Happy Birthday Jerome King Criswell!

http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0188186/bio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xes0F36eTJA

One of my favorite fruitcakes/frauds.

"Poe" reads The Raven....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4p99rf63jCE&eurl=http://www.google.com/reader/view/

Pretty neat!

Happy Birthday Mae West!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0922213/
http://maewest.blogspot.com/

Often imitated, never equalled. She is an American Original. Genius. Essential.

Big Star performs In The Street

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAtb65Z_bkA&feature=related

Fun stuff!

Rod & The Faces perform Maggie May

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6FOCoL26SQ

It was about this time of year, (in '71), that the radio started to play cuts from Every Picture Tells A Story. One of the greates pop albums of all time, (If you disagree with me, I urge you to seek out the Wizard of Oz, as you are in need of a heart, a brain, and courage. And go back to Kansas...). Thirty seven years ago. Amazing.

Mary Chapin Carpenter's video for This Shirt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vEAEwDRNjY

DC's Finest. A gifted songwriter and Treasure. A beautiful song about an interesting subject. Some of us are deeply attached to material objects and the memories that they trigger. I can certainly understand those who think it's a silly concept; nevertheless, the feelings are significant for many of us. I've surrounded myself with such things; indeed, the Manor is full of them, practically haunted by them. They are familiar, the known, the trusted, and the symbols of people, times and places that, combined, pretty much make up me. I'm sure that sounds strange, even pathetic, to many folks - who seem to forget the past almost as soon as it's created, much less keep reminders of it. So be it...

Jr. Walker performs What Does It Take To Win Your Love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFAC-7FOQ8U&feature=related
Beautiful song, always reminds me of calm Summer days canoeing out of Fletcher's Boat House.

Bruce Cockburn performs Lovers In A Dangerous Time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rINOz8434Xw

I always loved this tune.

web security that helps digitize books

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93605988

This just seems so neat!

Florida's Criminal Mastermind

http://www.winknews.com/news/top/26953354.html

Save Quasimodo!

http://naturalplane.blogspot.com/2008/08/ritual-murder-of-hunchbacks-reported-in.html

Guns Drawn, Police Arrest Nilla Wafers

http://www.macombdaily.com/stories/081308/loc_local01.shtml
I don't blame 'em - you never want to turn your back on a Nilla.....

the secret ingredient

http://consumerist.com/5036528/sorry-about-the-rocks-in-your-raisin-bread-heres-5

At Last - Some Olympics Games That I'd Enjoy Watching

http://static.iftk.com.br/mt/2008/08/most_exciting_olympic_games_12.html

the cutting edge of acupuncture

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/travel/1105076,CST-FTR-portland0813new.article

The Dairy Queen Sign

http://bitsandpieces.us/2008/08/11/scream-for-ice-cream/

my fave warning sign

http://blameitonthevoices.blogspot.com/2008/08/wheelchair-users-beware-of-crocodiles.html

the worst smoke alarm...

http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=3794051

The Evil of Portishead

http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?in_article_id=258185&in_page_id=2&in_a_source=

Clearly, I've found the location for my new secret lair.

Only 75 Days Until Halloween...

the cutting edge of chicken cooking accessories

http://www.cooking-gadgets.com/ceramic-drunk-chicken-heads/

headstone art and memorials

http://thehomebased.com/?p=97

nice Rat Fink images

http://flickr.com/photos/dr_odio/sets/72157603708344001/detail/

I always loved Ed "Big Daddy" Roth's illustrations. A major influence on a warped childhood....

Steampunk Fashion links

http://etheremporium.pbwiki.com/Clothing%20and%20Costuming

the world's most expensive car

http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/08/aston-martin-un.html

how the other half live: the rooftops of NYC

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jwillys/sets/72157606566769262/detail/

Sir Penguin

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7562773.stm

Awwww.....

Twinkle & The Who on Shindig

http://bedazzled.blogs.com/bedazzled/quicktime-twinkle-and-the.html

The Return of the Cliffhanger!

http://www.cliffhangerproductions.org/

I'm a sucker for this stuff!

Bela Lugosi's Dead - on this date in 1956

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq7xyjU-jsU
http://www.lugosi.com/

It Begins....

On this date in '74, the Ramones debuted at CBGB's. Perfection.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRxrgZ1T_YM

Happy Birthday Jimmy Webb!

One of the great American pop songwriters.

http://www.jimmywebb.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlEpKhSHTyQ

Happy Anniversary Woodstock!

http://www.woodstock69.com/

Happy Birthday Huntz Hall!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0355653/

I was always liked the East Side Kids...

Happy VJ Day!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_over_Japan_Day

A great day.

Tee Hee!

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/84575

Winnie The Pooh - Thug

http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUST27183520080812?feedType=nl&feedName=usoddlyenough

Happy Birthday Gary Larson!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Larson

http://www.thefarside.com/

Genius. Essential.

Happy Liberty Tree Day!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Tree
An almost forgotten date in American history...

Happy National Navajo Code Talkers Day!

http://www.navajocodetalkers.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_talkers

Amazing fellows. Heroes.

Happy Birthday David Crosby!

http://www.crosbycpr.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Crosby

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPaz03HyDSA

A survivor.

Borg Bugs

http://www.zuzafun.com/pimp-my-bug

death by boule...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1043629/Lourdes-tourism-chief-killed-tense-game-petanque-hit-head-metal-boule.html

That's nothing. You've not experienced danger and terror until you've played "Extreme Lawn Darts" here at the Manor....

Killer Fish

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/blog.php?blogid=198

I am NEVER EVER going to take a piss within 1000 miles of the Amazon.

the love that dare not speak its name....

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2544920/Man-who-had-sex-with-park-bench-cut-free.html

DOH!!!

http://www.smh.com.au/news/unusual-tales/cheeky-carver-coins-homer-euro/2008/08/12/1218306844524.html

Sacrilege!

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080804100254.htm

Mars Attacks!

My cousin Lee had just informed me that on August 27th, the planet Mars will approach to within 34,649,589 miles of Earth - the closest in centuries. Lee, poor innocent that he is, was enthusiastic about this event, but I know better....
According to that imminent authority, H. G. Wells, this is exactly the moment that those dastardly Martians will choose to attack, unleashing their mighty armada of death upon the Earth. But those of us "in the know" are ready for them. I have a whole room of aluminum foil caps, and enough guns, bourbon, and ammunition to make the bombing of Dresden look like a marshmallow roast. I am leaving immediately for Grover's Mill, NJ. and, as a secret weapon, am travelling all the way with my feet immersed in ice water, with the car air conditioning set to full blast. I will personally infect every one of those bastards with a cold virus, if it's the last thing I do. This time, we're ready....

For more of the true story, I refer you here. You have been warned.

((Actually this may be false: http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_mars_encounter.htm. What the hell, I've always wanted to see Grover's Mill, and you can't be too careful about these martian invasion things....))

(and a big thanks to Lee for alerting me to our impending doom!)

Happy Birthday South Park!

http://www.southparkstudios.com/

First broadcast on this date in '97. Filthy, obscene, blasphemous, insulting, gross, and absolutely Essential.

Happy Birthday Hitch!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000033/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Hitchcock

http://hitchcock.tv/

THE Master of Suspense.

Jefferson Airplane performs Today (from Monterey Pop)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-pQCzQ0oCo

One of the prettiest love songs. Enough nostalgia. See ya tomorrow.

George performs What Is Life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3xAo0vTGbU

The mind falters, but I believe it was around November of '74 that future-brother-in-law Rick and I went to see Harrison at the old Cap Center. The show was a mixed bag, and Billy Preston helped carry it for the first hour or two. But, finally, George hit his stride with a ten minute version of this song, and it is one of my fondest concert memories.

Petula performs Don't Sleep In the Subway

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Jda2ivskI8

Another wonderful memory flogger. I'll always have a crush on Pet.

Tommy James performs Crystal Blue Persuasion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LN38vED24Eg&feature=related

It was the Summer of '69, and my family was vacationing at my Uncle Harry's place. Eddie bought this album and played it at least once each day throughout that season, and now I associate it forever with that place and those times. It is pretty weird and ironic to associate the late 60's with a time of innocence. So be it.

Michael Martin Murphey performs Wildfire

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2Q_89EL-js

I know, I know, it's contrived. I still love this song.

The O'Jays perform Love Train

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhdQyuN9ktE

I always liked this tune.

The Greatest Band You've Never Heard Of

I've written about 'em before. The Reivers were one of those bands that I honestly think only record store employees knew about - and we loved them. Several of us old timers have been hearing rumblings lately; there have one or two reunion dates announced. I think we may be seeing a ressurection at hand. Essential. I can't tell you how great these guys. The closest I can come is to say that, at their best, I consider them almost as good as Bruce. Yes, that they're important.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM373n9Kbg4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_-WP4AAy50&NR=1

http://www.myspace.com/thereiversofficial

http://thereivers.net/home.html

Heart performs Crazy On You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5PKULglde8
A great, great song. It's easy to forget that Heart were very cool back then in the Fall of '76.

Welcome to Weirdsville Radio Returns!!!

http://www.neverendingwonder.com/weirdsville.htm

The ultimate in Halloween-oriented radio returns! Great stuff! Brilliant! Essential!

The "Porn Inspector"

http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=456&sid=1457694

This sounds like a skit from "In Living Color". By the way, did I mention that I was a Bourbon Inspector?

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?in_article_id=260985&in_page_id=2

Oh! The Humanity!

(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

Happy Birthday Mark Knopler!

One of the greats.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjDD30FjwdM

http://www.markknopfler.com/

http://www.mark-knopfler-news.co.uk/

Happy Anniversary to The Wizard of Oz!

Premiered on this date in '39. Pretty incredible film and performance.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032138/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rc9FEI7W4LY&feature=related

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wizard_of_Oz_(1939_film)

grim reaper comes for the trim reaper

http://www.buffalonews.com/258/story/411544.html?imw=Y

flexible electronics

http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/n07311682-electronics-flexible/

This could be pretty neat.

the latest on invisibility

http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article4494440.ece

RIP Isaac Hayes

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Obit-Isaac-Hayes.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

some songs for August

gothic computer

http://www.datamancer.net/archbishop/archbishop.htm

so cool....

I love trailering!

http://www.heavy.com/video/41933#/channel/1161

Some of my fondest memories from childhood are the fun my family and I had travelling across the country in a travel trailer. This video brought back some of those memories.

neat marketing vehicles

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/17264

Theremins!

http://www.hacknmod.com/displayMOD.php?hack=1618

the ultimate in work stations

http://www.bornrich.org/entry/top-10-luxury-workstations-leisure-pleasure-and-work-of-course/

A few of these look like they're right out of a dentist's office...

Rube Goldberg Lives!

http://www.chilloutzone.de/files/08041402.html

I just love this kind of stuff! Brilliant!

Happy Anniversary to Horsefeathers!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023027/

One of my faves. Premiered on this date in 1932. Remember, the password is ALWAYS "Swordfish"...

Happy Birthday Bobby Hatfield!

http://www.righteousbrothers.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDyOulteViU

Righteous!

Happy Birthday Ian Anderson!

http://www.j-tull.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh0woT7NkKI

Happy Birthday Ronnie Spector!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCUO7F2xjzw

http://www.ronniespector.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXpX-7UrzeI

Ronnie....

Happy Puck's Fair!

http://www.terracetalkireland.com/articles/puck-fair.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killorglin

Happy Birthday David Steinberg!

http://thedavidsteinberg.com/

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0825731/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Steinberg

One of my faves.

Police! FREEZE! Drop The Cheescake Box!

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=456&sid=1456326

(Thanks for the link, Peter!)

Bill Gates can go fuck himself

http://gizmodo.com/5019516/classic-clips-bill-gates-chews-out-microsoft-over-xp

It is amusing that a man who can make a difference here, HELL, THE Man, is reduced to whining about what so many of us go through constantly - the unfathomable and wretched state of software directions, intuitiveness, and ease of use. For those of you over 45 - remember when computers were going to SAVE time? It is incredible to me, both at home and in my job how god damned obfuscated so much of this shit is. Yes, it does amazing things, but do so in such a confusing and convoluted manner that I am shocked at how much success I do have with computers. Right now, I am battling both Windows and AVG's stupid "Security" package. I think the main security consists of it so overloading my system that I can barely get to the Internet, much less get a virus from it. I doubt most hackers would have the patience to try and send something to me, Continental Drift looks like Le Mans compared to my connection speed. Right now, I am typing out information about twice as fast as it takes for a similar amount to download and make it past the Maginot Line of this alleged firewall. Meanwhile, Windows has lost/destroyed a dll file that is soooo obscure that I can find no listing of it on Google. My whole computer wheezes away as if it were in some sort of asthmatic hell. Every time I boot up, I receive one of these unbelievably terrifying, yet worthless, messages that the system has determined that an "unknown" system is starting up - do I want to allow it. It doesn't tell me what it is, doesn't even give me the file name. I just have to guess, without a shred of information provided, as to whether or not I am about to unleash the seven hells of cyber-fuckery upon my system, or just allow Microsoft Office* to start up. (*Yes, the krauts at AVG appear to treat things like Microsoft Word as some sort of dread plague, and I always receive the most dire warnings when it kicks in, asking me to manually "allow" such an obviously safe program to run. This system is for the uber-paranoid. It's afraid of everything. I may have actually found a bunch of Germans who would surrender to the French - they are that wimpy. And, like the above article - their directions are worthless.
And so we come back to Bill Gates, dealing with incompetent minions who make more in one year than I'll see in twenty, and all he does is send 'em some pissy little email. Blow me. The solution is to fire the asshole who completely messed up the job, (and no god damned golden parachute - not one penny. Let his coworkers see him miss a few mortgage payments - they'll get the idea), tell his replacement why he was canned, and that the same will happen to them if things don't change immediately. The problem with the computer industry is there are so many people in it who aren't any good at what they do. Just because one is brilliant at writing code doesn't mean you're good at managing others, or designing usability, or have good table manners, etc. (There are a few of you reading this who are good in more ways than one - and I've told you so, but you appear to be exceptions). It's an immature industry, and consumers have let it get away with murder, and so, apparently, has Bill Gates.

heaven VS hell...

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/warrants-street-schmidt-2115884-four-anaheim?orderby=TimeStampDescending&showRecommendedOnly=0&oncommentsPage=1

news on hydrogen fuel...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jul/31/energyefficiency.energy

the cutting edge of children's car seats

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D92DKUSG0&show_article=1

Happy Birthday Dustin Hoffman!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000163/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dustin_Hoffman

RIP Erik Darling

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/06/AR2008080603762.html

the Complete Works of Lovecraft Online!

http://www.dagonbytes.com/thelibrary/lovecraft/index.html

interesting article on the children of nazis converting to Judaism

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/06/judaism.secondworldwar

Paul Lynde's Halloween special on YouTube!

http://davesworld56.blogspot.com/2007/05/i-thought-id-share-some-video-from-this.html#links

An awful show, but also weirdly interesting the way it's thrown together. And, most importantly, it features the great Margaret Hamilton's last performance as a witch! That alone makes it memorable.

life on Mars?

http://estimateofthesituation.blogspot.com/2008/08/news-unbroken-nasa-denies-white-house.html

a new type of synesthesia discovered

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=the-sound-of-sight

Britain From Above

Fascinating!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7539529.stm

(Thanks to Infidel753 for the link!)

Happy Birthday Nathaniel Greene!

http://members.aol.com/JonMaltbie/NatGreene.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathanael_Greene

Hero. Patriot.

Happy Birthday Mata Hari!

http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/matahari.htm

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-474631/Mata-Hari-interested-thing--wasnt-espionage.html

Spy? Victim? Still a mystery....

Robot VS. Puppy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dneLQY6ZVk&eurl=http://mfrost.typepad.com/cute_overload/

The Restaurant Error

http://livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/07/17/Chinese_restaurant_takes_the_cake_for_naming_error

An achiever

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080804/tod-bulgaria-police-drinking-offbeat-7f81b96.html

our grip on reality...

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/media/library/imagination

A sad update

I just wanted to let folks know that my mother-in-law, Muriel, passed away yesterday morning. To make a long story short, Linda went over to the apartment and discovered her. There were no signs of discomfort at all. One moment she was quietly reading a book, and the next one she was gone. She'll be interred up at Arlington with her husband. It is sadly ironic that her grand daughter had just arrived here to visit with he for the first time in six years, and she passes away a couple of hours before that reunion would take place.
Linda is holding up well, but she loved her mother dearly and looked after her. There will be many changes and reminders of loss in the weeks and months ahead. Sometimes, growing older seems to be little more than tallying up those losses.

Happy National Mustard Day!

http://www.mustardweb.com/

The date for this keeps moving around, but I believe this is the "official" date. I also highly recommend the mustard museum - neat stuff!

Happy Birhtday Neil Armstrong!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCt1BwWE2gA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Armstrong

Happy Anniversary American Bandstand!

Today is the national premiere of the show. Essential chronicle of American pop culture.

http://www.fiftiesweb.com/bandstnd.htm

http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/A/htmlA/americanband/americanband.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Bandstand

Happy Anniverdary Rock'N'Roll High School!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079813/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1001xArPVk

One of my fave movies. Great soundtrack and some wonderful scenes.

Update

Just wanted to let folks know that Linda's niece, Katy, will be visiting us for a few days. We'll be taking her around sightseeing here in Byzantium, so I probably won't be posting too much over the next week...

The Music of Erich Zann

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ira4vM_SdIE&eurl=

A very neat little stop motion film on the Lovecraft tale.

some neat necklaces & cigarette/business card holders

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=88844&order=&section_id=&page=1

Happy National Watermelon Day!

http://www.watermelon.org/

Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons perform Let's Hang On

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ04NiiFy2U&feature=related

Classic. Probably my favorite song by the Seasons.

Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers perform Chinese Rock

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_-HR3R72hc

Wonderful tune.

The Sisters of Mercy perform Gimme Shelter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aphNXlEtypI

Love this song, and I was always liked their cover of it.

some fun Cthulhu kitsch

http://shop.cafepress.com/design/7470960

http://shop.cafepress.com/design/25675947

http://shop.cafepress.com/design/14087508

http://shop.cafepress.com/design/18228418

http://shop.cafepress.com/design/19729522

http://gifts.cafepress.com/item/2007-mousepad/185147167

http://gifts.cafepress.com/item/miskatonic-university-alumni-license-plate-frame/100166274

http://bumperstickers.cafepress.com/item/got-tentacles-sticker-bumper/242068218

http://signs.cafepress.com/item/vote-cthulhu-yard-sign/225980428

latest news on military body armor

http://www.defensereview.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1159

the laser harp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLVXmsbVwUs&eurl=http://www.google.com/reader/view/

Spider VS Snake

http://bitsandpieces.us/2008/08/02/a-spider-eating-a-snake/

the sling shot

http://www.nypost.com/seven/07292008/news/regionalnews/woman_weight_lifted_122078.htm

the pause that refreshes

http://www.topix.net/news/weird/2008/07/raw-man-drinks-wite-out-at-booking

The Chair

http://bitsandpieces.us/2008/07/28/perspective-chair/

The Tunnel Borer

http://bitsandpieces.us/2008/07/28/how-to-drill-a-hole-through-a-mountain/

Pretty neat!

Ninja Convention

http://imagechan.com/img/5847/Ninjas/

product failure

http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?in_article_id=241571&in_page_id=2

Hire A Zombie

http://home.comcast.net/~jim.emelander/hireazombie/index.html

neat yard haunt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQLejhwN11g

nice site ofr Halloween art & info

http://www.halloweenartists.com/

new Elric reissue!

http://www.randomhouse.com/delrey/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780345498649

Wine Terrorism!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20080802/wl_time/franceswineterrorists

You'll get my chardonnay when you pry it from my cold dead hand...

Happy Birthday Mojo Nixon!

http://www.mojonixon.com/

http://www.artrocity.com/rockshots/mojo1.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAoh_yteKkc

An American Classic. Essential.

Happy Birthday Myrna Loy!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001485/

http://freespace.virgin.net/donna.moore/myrna.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG3NZjRv2nM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gH_6ilKUF8&feature=related

One of my faves - sharp, beautiful, and always charming. A legend. With William Powell, she displayed the ultimate married couple.

Fossett's Vanishing Act?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/into-thin-air-did-steve-fossett-fake-his-own-death-882540.html

the most expensive pair of jeans

http://mysterytopia.com/2008/08/100-year-old-mine-jeans-sold-for-36099.html

very interesting parasitic vine....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20080731/sc_livescience/plantstalkeveneavesdrop;_ylt=AuhONRnKRLb10exFLg.awJUPLBIF

life inside salt crystals

http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/signsoflifefoundinsiderocksalt;_ylt=AhWpONAIl1iIp_e4DIv7F3UDW7oF

Pretty interesting...

Happy First Harvest/Lammas!

Ah yes, the wheel turns.... Oh, there's plenty of hot and humid weather left, and the plant life around here is just reaching its full bloom, (the butterfly bushes here at the Manor are more like trees - more fit for Mothra than the usual swallowtails and monarchs...); but the sun is setting earlier. And I once again have to use the car's headlamps for my early morning commute in to work. August has always struck me as an awkward month. The bloom is off Summer, the newness and excitement of it all has dissipated, and if you're a kid, you can start to feel the cold claws of school starting to reach out for you. It is a time of partings and endings too. But the farmer's markets around here are bursting with fresh produce (excellent corn and baby eggplant this year!), I'm starting to get Halloween catalogs in the mail, and in another 6 weeks it should be almost tolerable outside again. It's still a new month - let's see what happens...

Happy Birthday Jerry Garcia!

http://www.dead.net/
http://hake.com/gordon/garcia.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYmIu_njso4

Happy Colorado Day!

http://www.colorado.gov/

I wish I could be there right now...

Weirdness

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Happy National Toasted Marshmallow Day!

Friday, August 29, 2008

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Out of Town

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Monday, August 25, 2008

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Friday, August 22, 2008

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Monday, August 18, 2008

RIP Nancie Mantz

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Only 75 Days Until Halloween...

Friday, August 15, 2008

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Mars Attacks!

Tuesday, August 12, 2008