Weirdness

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

DC government fantasies

http://whyihatedc.blogspot.com/2009/06/dc-vows-crackdown-on-fireworks.html

It's always amusing to see the District's government making claims to do ANYTHING at all. Always bet on failure - you'll be rich in no time. Considering the fact that they can't find or stop armed gangs from virtually and openly running whole neighborhoods, I really don't think they're going to be able to ferret out a few fireworks....

WMD

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/lincolnshire/8121586.stm

An easily solved problem...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/8125439.stm

I believe that a simply turning of the ignition key on this machine will clear up the problem, pronto....

death by bikini wax

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100240299&gt1=31036

Sorry, can't excited about this....

the found wallet

http://www.bakercityherald.com/Local-News/Memories-come-with-discovery-under-the-bleachers-at-BMS

I find myself a little moved by this whole story. I guess it's because I often look to the past, myself; and here we have a little memory flogger pop up like this. Pretty interesting.

The Onion takes on Taco Bell!

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/taco_bells_new_green_menu_takes

the cutting edge of DWI

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2009/0630091dozer1.html

Happy Birthday Flo Ballard!

http://www.gowiththeflo.co.nr/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Ballard

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWx9COMYSdo

Poor Flo...

Monday, June 29, 2009

Johnny Rivers performs Secret Agent Man

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iaR3WO71j4

I've written before that this is one of my all-time fave songs. It was the (American) theme to Patrick McGoohan's brilliant TV show, Secret Agent; and it was my personal theme song in grade and middle school - because the odds were I wouldn't live to see tomorrow....

Procol Harum performs Conquistador

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

Great song.

Stealers Wheel perform Star

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

I always loved this song, but it never seemed to really hit it with American listeners. An integral part of all the weirdness that was the Spring and Summer of '74. Very weird indeed. (that's Gerry Rafferty singing, by the way).

Pet performs Downtown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GVE7lRZuFM

A song I associate with my childhood. It always seemed to be on the radio or the bowling alley jukebox. And I'll always have a crush on Petula.

Sheryl Crow performs Soak Up The Sun

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVHY4-Jx48o

Fun song.

Bruce Springsteen performs Growin' Up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dy7RTicVr0&feature=related

The soundtrack to a lot of lives...

The Guess Who perform These Eyes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSw3VSs2rdU

Beautiful...

interesting new book on the top levels of the Allies' alliance in WWII

http://victorhanson.com/articles/hanson062809.html

this could be me....

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/potato_chip_connoisseur_detects

interesting article on the value of women in the military in Iraq & Afghanistan

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htintel/articles/20090629.aspx

and more nazi footnotes - in the South American jungle

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1195710/Nazi-slaves-haciendas-Hitler-fanatics-forced-orphans-build-new-Fatherland-Amazon.html

another aspect of hell - nazi brothels

http://freeinternetpress.com/story.php?sid=21866

Another nasty, but necessary, footnote about the nazis.

a little more info on the British poisoned needles of WWII

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8119653.stm

Fascinating. Singer could have developed a horizontal sewing machine that shot the thingies out like a machine gun....

NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.examiner.com/x-672-Disease-Prevention-Examiner~y2009m6d21-H1N1-flu-linked-to-French-fries-sold-in-fast-food-restaurants

I was going to say that you'll get my french fries when you pry them from my cold dead hand, but I guess that's the situation now...

Protect Yourself - Eat More Steaks

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/jun/28/attacks-by-cattle-ramblers-blunkett

hamburger helper

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/4-feed-on-half-cremated-body-held/articleshow/4708113.cms

With Jackson's death, comes change....

http://www.myconfinedspace.com/?attachment_id=87434


(Thanks for the link, Nick!)

Happy Birthday Ray Harryhausen!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0366063/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Harryhausen

Genius.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

fanvid of the Airplane performing Pretty As You Feel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r8BaKwyNQ0&feature=related

Ah, echoes of a misspent youth. See ya tomorrow.

Billy Ocean performs Love Really Hurts Without You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WfHtDTZguQ

One of my faves. The greatest Motown song that was never on Motown.

fanvid for Nite City performing Summer Eyes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-a-QoIIY9w

Completely forgotten now, but I was a big fan; saw them on their one and only tour back in '77 - great show. That's Ray Manzarek on keyboard.

Carole King perfroms Jazzman

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

An American treasure.

The Rascals perform Groovin'

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

Classic. Perfect for late June.

The Spinners perform I'll Be Around

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F5RNdmVTdg

Great song by a great group. My fave by them. Classic '72 soul.

The Marvelettes perform Mr. Postman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nuEY6fQgzk

Classic

fanvid for Pianosaurus performing The Sun Will Follow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4wylXOYLQI&feature=PlayList&p=DE7C467007E76FD4&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=6

Another group that I think you had to work in a record store to have heard of. They only released one album, but it was great - they played nothing but toy instruments.

Peter Gabriel perfroms Red Rain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7m7Q9VwYqw

A beautiful lament.

Canned Heat performs Let's Work Together

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN7j-LCgaiE

Heat should have been bigger. Great band.

photo of a bubble cracking

http://craytonc.tumblr.com/post/124913122

neat!

Happy Birthday to Where The Action Is!

Premiered on this date in '65. I always liked this show and would rush home from school to watch it.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0240305/

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

Happy Birthday Mel Brooks!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000316/

http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Studio/1382/webring.html

Happy Birthday Gilda Radner!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0705717/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilda_Radner

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Girlscouts

http://www.blameitonthevoices.com/2009/06/girlscouts.html

luggage

http://ydr.inyork.com/ci_12670439

Government In Action

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-a1_3drunk.6938552jun23,0,5983292.story

Arrrr!

http://www.nj.com/gloucester-county/index.ssf/2009/06/lobiondo_sponsors_bill_permitt.html

Rehearsing the end of the world

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8110000/8110678.stm

I continue to be amazed that I lived to be 30. I really am. I'd always assumed there was an excellent chance I'd die in some thermonuclear blast. Apparently, the British felt the same way...

Darwin Award nominee

http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2009/06/harrison_man_uses_screwdriver.html

the office prank

http://bitsandpieces.us/2009/06/22/dont-open-the-door/

Toothpick Frisco

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/06/18/toothpick.city.pkg.kgo

The Curse of Cheddar Bay

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l--BvXpaGq4

Pure genius. Brilliant. I wish I'd done this...

the quietest wedding vows

http://www.weirdasianews.com/2009/06/21/chinese-marry-dead-girls-ghost-brides/

Sunrise over the Parthenon

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090621.html

my favorite Closed sign

http://bitsandpieces.us/2009/06/21/shut-happens/

neat spooky mirror

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIGxKY5y6Mg&e

marketing the product

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/5587035/Church-blesses-fathers-with-beer.html

The War Against Easter!

http://www.coloradodaily.com/news/2009/jun/20/eviction-easter-bunnies-boulder-county-woman-asks-/

Don't get all hung up about Easter....

the wussiest getaway driver

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/5586861/Jewel-gang-caught-after-getaway-driver-refuses-to-speed.html

deer hunting....

http://bitsandpieces.us/2009/06/20/deer-hunting/

one of the stranger possible weapons of WWII

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1195603/War-poison-dart-How-Britain-planned-rain-death-Nazis.html

Never heard of this one before.

the cutting edge of loan collateral

http://naturalplane.blogspot.com/2009/06/latvian-finance-firm-plays-devils.html

neat horror photography

http://www.joshuahoffine.com/

trailer for new Lovecraftian film - Colour From The Dark

http://grimreviews.blogspot.com/2009/06/colour-from-dark-trailer.html

Retrofuturism

http://weburbanist.com/2009/05/11/future-past-173-radical-retrofuturistic-directions-in-design-technology/

Neat stuff!

a Cthulhu parody of Chick comics

http://www.myconfinedspace.com/?attachment_id=83672

Fun stuff!

Happy Birthday Captain!

http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/K/htmlK/keeshanbob/keeshanbob.htm

Happy birthday, Dark Shadows!

Premiered on this date in '66.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059978/

http://www.darkshadowsonline.com/

http://www.natural-innovations.com/ds/

Friday, June 26, 2009

Jacko takes on the Internet

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/06/26/michael.jackson.internet/index.html

I can't wait to see the collapse around Sky Saxon's demise....


(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

Lulu performs The Boat That I Row

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5usk2yrw0E&feature=related

A nice cover of an old Neil Diamond song. I am probably it's only fan.

fanvid for Joy Division performing Sister Ray

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdlcNt2lR_o

Come to the Dark Side....

Yes performs Roundabout

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xql99I1VSdI

Classic.

fanvid of The Shangri-Las performing Remember Walking In The Sand

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy8_38U3xLU

So cool...

The Blasters perform I'm Shakin'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB2kogSjyQU&feature=PlayList&p=B5066024FE3674A7&index=40

Great band.

Paul Roland performs The Blades of Battenburg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4zpuwos0Uw&feature=related

One of my fave artists. Psyche-Baroque rock for the weird and literate. Great songs!

First Person Shooter Disease

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jBKKV2V8eU&feature=popular

Art!

http://www.wbaltv.com/food/19854003/detail.html

Newport Folk 50th Anniversary bash

http://folkfestival50.com/
If only Phil Ochs could've made it...



(Thanks for the link, Pete!)

RIP Sky Saxon

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2009/06/sky_saxon_rip.html


(Thanks for the link, Pete!)

The Onion is right there...

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/neverland_ranch_investigators

the quickie

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31547484/ns/today_weddings/?gt1=43001

Thriller in Legos...

http://fancinematoday.com/2009/06/26/michael-jackson-fan-film-thriller-with-legos/

Amazing...




(Thanks for the link, Missy!)

The Love Note

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?t=h&hl=en-GB&ie=UTF8&ll=47.644859,-122.297798&spn=0.002143,0.005686&z=18

(Thanks for the link, Nick!)

Happy Birthday Peter Lorre!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000048/
http://www.peterlorrebook.com/

Great actor, one of my faves.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

T Rex performs Bang-A-Gong

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uueO8BQGLDo&feature=related

The Mindbenders perform Groovy Kind Of Love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B8k3wzHUvE

Classic.

Joe Cartoon takes on Mahmoud

http://joecartoon.atom.com/cartoons/972-ahmadinejad_in_a_blender

RIP Michael Jackson

A weird life, an amazing talent, and a total loon. No one knows what his childhood was like, pushed into superstardom, and apparently warped beyond measure. Very sad.
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/police/all-5pondtheft.6938676jun24,0,4376070.story

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcN-oxpV-Sw

MIA

http://www.mcall.com/news/local/police/all-5pondtheft.6938676jun24,0,4376070.story

Jack-O Dead?

http://www.tmz.com/

(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

The Literal Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj-x9ygQEGA

Genius. Pure Genius.


(Thanks for the link, Audrey!)

Happy Birthday to The Omen!

Great horror movie. Premiered on this date in '76.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075005/

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

All You Need Is Love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzJ2NKp23WU

Today is the anniversary of its global telecast in '67.

Happy Birthday Carly Simon!

http://www.carlysimon.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B7bVD_DkM4

Happy Ratification Day (for VA)

Virginia ratified the Constitution on this date in 1788. The most important thing about this event is that it directly led to the Bill of Rights.

http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html

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

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The Kinkster performs Proud To Be An Asshole From El Paso

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzfei3jG_To&feature=PlayList&p=DD44F6A00D0B9F2E&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=19

The next governor of Texas.

Mojo Nixon video for Debby Gibson is Pregnant With My Two-Headed Love Child

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O92QcjT6vDY&feature=related

Mojo Rules...

RIP Bob Bogle

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/06/16/obit.bogle.ventures/index.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJ11y7pYl-8

Jr. Walker & The All Stars perform What Does It Take To Win Your Love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0xzcavGrj4

Beautiful...

ABBA's video for Knowing Me, Knowing You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZwFDDdt-bY

always liked ABBA, blend of bubblegum and Phil Spector.

real-life spiderman...

http://www.yourdailymedia.com/media/1231427476/Real_Life_Spider_Man

interesting airport runways

http://www.premier-holidays.com/info/4_of_the_worlds_strangest_airport_runways.aspx

Kosher Search Engine

http://www.koogle.co.il/English/

the cutting edge of prostitution payment

http://www.newsok.com/feed/box-of-chips-pays-for-prostitution-in-oklahoma-city/article/3380255?custom_click=pod_headline_news

Boy those are hard times. I mean, it wasn't even for Route 11 chips!

I have an excuse - it's my least important organ

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8092930.stm

RunPee...

http://www.runpee.com/#app=845b&e1bd-RunPeeID=7.66.0&b704-selectedIndex=0

The cutting edge of software applications...

sneaky snake

http://www.discoveryon.info/2009/06/snake-discovered-that-scares-fish.html

Northern Virginia Brewfest this weekend!

http://novabrewfest.com/summer/

Stone Brewery will be there - Woo hoo!

Happy Birthday Arthur Brown!

http://www.arthurbrownmusic.com/
http://www.godofhellfire.co.uk/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOErZuzZpS8

An Original.

Happy Birthday Ambrose Bierce!

http://www.online-literature.com/bierce/

http://www.biercephile.com/

One of my fave curmudgeons!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

The girl who does not age

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Health/story?id=7880954&page=1

Fascinating, and very sad. I was more interested in the mental aspects of this phenomena than the purely physical. Apparently, her brain is not developing the various capabilities that we'd associate with ageing, but I wonder if there's still some accumulation of experiences and observations going on that would lead to a more sophisticated view and understanding of the world - greater than what one would get from a normal 16 month old? And although psychoanalytical theory is pretty much shot to hell, I'd still be curious about a practitioner's evaluation of her current and past psychological state(s), (such as oral, anal, etc.).

The Nano-Gear

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615102036.htm

Very impressive. What's even more impressive is that these scientists have discovered Time Travel, as the article is dated from the year 20009 in the journal of Nature Materials....

Happy Birthday Stuart Sutcliffe!

http://www.stuartsutcliffeart.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Sutcliffe

http://www.geocities.com/imagine_80_jwl/Stuart1.html

The Lost Beatle...

Happy Birthday Josh Whedon!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0923736/
http://whedonesque.com/

Genius. Essential. One of the few (current) guys whose TV shows I can bare watching.

Monday, June 22, 2009

The Ramones perform Judy Is A Punk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXcNazpB8Co

Perfection.

fanvid of Johnny Burnette performing Rock Billy Boogie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JBkbxdwor0

Great stuff, and almost forgotten now...

The Cramps perform Human Fly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3HSO1F7zHM

So cool...

Bob Seger performs Against The Wind

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi79wy97Wug

Tinny recording, great song.

just another day in the District

http://whyihatedc.blogspot.com/2009/06/spotted-dc-summer-interns.html

Yes, our Summer interns will pop your Summer interns, anyday!

fake illness

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8108000/8108940.stm

This would put the plant at about the same level of intelligence and subterfuge I had in third grade...

Paul Simon Weeps

http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE55L3CZ20090622?feedType=nl&feedName=ustechnology

My Kind Of Cookbook!

http://www.mythicalcreaturesguide.com/page/Mythical+Creature+Dishes

sad news about Peter Tork

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/checkup/2009/06/a_former_monkee_with_cancer.html

Happy Birthday Peter Asher!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Asher
http://www.peterandgordon.net/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB6l4i-zA_Q

Happy Birthday Howard Kaylan!

http://www.howardkaylan.com/

http://www.theturtles.com/turtles.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfuRz1w_8ss

Loved the Turtles...

Happy Birthday Todd Rundgren!

http://www.tr-i.com/
http://trconnection.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsezr0qiFIc

Happy Birthday Bruce Campbell!

http://www.bruce-campbell.com/

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0132257/

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Play Ball!

Got to see my first Nationals baseball game, (thanks Pete!). They got blown away by the
Bluejays, but it was great fun seeing the new stadium, dodging fly balls, and enjoying an unusually cool and dry June afternoon. There is something very old-fashioned about the few games I've attended over the years. I always feel like I'm in a short-term timewarp going back to around 1963. Fun stuff!

the world's largest

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j7F_4S2lgM&feature=fvw

I am so jealous....


(Thanks for the link, Erik!)

Happy Birthday Ray Davies!

http://www.raydavies.info/www/main.php?content=blog5
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Davies

http://www.myspace.com/raydavies

http://www.kindakinks.net/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXuJXPd8C14

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvyDWGF290M


Genius. Essential.

Happy Birthday Nils Lofgren!

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

http://www.nilslofgren.com/

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

A local boy who done good...

Happy Birthday Berke Breathed!

http://www.berkeleybreathed.com/

Great cartoonist, and a very nice guy.

Happy Fathers Day!

For me, a reminder of loss. Hopefully for the rest of you, an excuse to connect.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Jim Croce performs Operator

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2iS8XctJKo&feature=PlayList&p=C799C7F39BCD123C&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=2

Great song. Too many memories. See ya tomorrow.

fanvid of the Guess Who performing No Time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqeSUAlI5uI&feature=related

A great song. I've written about it before, but what the hell, it bares repeating. It was the Summer of '71 and I was spending it with my cousins in Colorado. There were all sorts of things going on then, some of them quite bad. But it was still one of the best and most interesting times of my live. We'd go cruising almost every night in my (future) cousin-in-law Rob's hot rod. And that would inevitably mean a stop at the local Tastee Freeze diner. They had some sort of sound system there, but apparently possessed only one album to be played on it - a greatest hits package of the Guess Who, which they played relentlessly over and over again. I'm sure it drove the employees mad, bu t for those of us who just stopped by once a night, (every night), it meant those songs would be engraved on our DNA. I simply can't think of this, or any other Guess Who tune, without remembering those times, (and the cute girl behind the counter...).

George McRae performs Rock Your Baby

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arxhW1RgDDo

Another guilty pleasure, first generation 70's disco. But I always enjoyed it. From the summer of '74, a time in my life of great strangeness and contrasts. Nights at places like Tammany Hall, This Is It, Electric Circus, and Good Guys. I showered often...

fanvid of Edward Bear's Last Song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPeAL657lnk&feature=related

A guilty pleasure. Twas the Spring of '73 and one is young, and things seem permanent and important. And now they are like wisps of smoke, disappearing if one tries to clutch them. I'm not sure which is the bigger curse, to be young and naive and hope for some permanence, and peace or to be older and know that such is, at best, temporary.

Elvis Costello video for Pump It Up

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

Perfection. One of the great angry young men. You haven't lived until you've heard Linda sing along with this song....

Suicide performs Ghost Rider

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1woMEExMZXg&feature=related

Great New York No-Wave from the late 70's. Heavy stuff...

the cookbook

http://www.ecookbooks.com/p-10160-manifold-destiny.aspx?affiliateid=10097

Cthulhu Pillow

http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/cthulhu-fleece-11-inch-round-pillow

RIP John Joseph Houghtaling

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105668180

Ah, Magic Fingers, how my parents hated them. We'd check into a motel, and my brother and me would start whining for a quarter, just to get shaken around for a couple of minutes. Quite a racket...


(Thanks for the link, Missy!)

Sir Christopher Lee...

http://thevaultofhorror.blogspot.com/2009/06/legendary-horror-icon-knighted.html

Wow, I never thought I'd ever read anything like the first sentence in this article...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/5549712/Moaning-German-soldiers-an-embarrassment-say-chiefs.html?lame

Times have changed. Wuss German soldiers. Who'd of thunk it?

Weird Al Yankovic performs "Craigslist" and takes on The Doors

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R32aFmxL9HY&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Egoogle%2Ecom%2Freader%2Fview%2F&feature=player_embedded

Featuring Ray Manzarek on keyboard. This...Is....Classic....

texting...

http://www.timesrecord.com/articles/2009/06/15/news/doc4a3684abccec9392547770.txt

Art!

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/12264

and more wide world of sports!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/festivalsandevents/5188191/The-worlds-weirdest-festivals.html

the friendly skies...

http://consumerist.com/5290598/continental-puts-10+year+old-child-on-the-wrong-plane

The Wide World of Sports!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5525806/World-Stinging-Nettle-Eating-Championship-attracts-record-crowd.html

Tee Hee!

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/06/13/Anti-drug-activist-arrested-on-drug-charge/UPI-23131244914047/

the cutting edge of turf wars

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6488380.ece

what passes for excitement in Iowa...

http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?500_tractors_go_on_joyride&in_article_id=686777&in_page_id=2

Woo-Wee! Let me catch my breath!

The Old Ones - Cthulhu Rock!

http://www.myspace.com/orderoftheoldones

10 "scientific" objects that changed the world

http://www.newscientist.com/gallery/dn17273-ten-most-historic-science-objects

Lists like this are always a little dangerous. For one thing, I'm not sure what "scientific" means. These are all machines and tools, and/or the result of something resembling orgnanized study. Under such circumstances, I'd add the smelting of iron, the plow, the mill (water or wind), the wheel, soap, and (for me) the corkscrew....

a new CAS collection!

http://nightshadebooks.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=91

I've been so looking forward to the completion of this series. Klarkash-Ton was one of my faves.

I'm a big fan of Al Stewart,

If you are too, you'll want to check out these items befroe they go out of print in two weeks. Just be aware that shipping from this guy tends to be sloooow....

http://www.nevillejudd.com/index.php?id=85

Happy Birthday Brian Wilson!

http://www.brianwilson.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Wilson

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

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

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L--cqAI3IUI&feature=fvw


Another artist it's difficult to write about - what can one possible say that hasn't been said a million times before?

Happy Birthday Errol Flynn!

http://www.inlikeflynn.com/

http://www.errolflynn.net/

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

THE Swashbuckler!

Friday, June 19, 2009

fanvid for Donovan's War Your Love Like Heaven

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-FyHKHbm8Y&feature=related

I'm gonna go light a candle and try to figure out where the last 40 years went. See ya tomorrow...

999 perform Homicide

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

Great second generation British punk. I love this tune.

Booker T & The MG's perform Time Is Tight

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHq4laFwAEM&feature=PlayList&p=DC1B136F9185DE16&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=5

So cool....

The Jackson 5 perform I Want You Back

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfJu_Bom2sA

It was a very long time ago and in a galaxy far far away; but before the creepiness, there was a very talented young man with some cool steps and some great songs.

The Reivers video for In Your Eyes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkgkueS1sIw

An extraordinary band. I've always wanted to own a radio station, and play whatever the hell I wanted. One night I'd lock myself in the booth with a case of Tab, a fifth of Virginia Gentleman, a copy of Steinbeck's Travels With Charlie and play nothing but Reivers albums until I fell into unconsciousness about 40 hours later.

The Go!Team perform Keys to The City

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MFk9h-EScM

I love this song.

Alice Cooper performs School's Out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbNEOJMGFAo&feature=fvst

Classic. I had this tape in my little Sony tape player and played it (over and over) on my drive home after graduating from college.

Martha Reeves & The Vandellas perform Heatwave

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE2fnYpwrng

Great stuff...

It's Summer!

Ya gotta have some Beach Boys:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1FaflUn4Co

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN7Xs9WVNBU&feature=fvw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=654H4xfDYKM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXif3HvtpNg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufl54Ys3nA0

Goat Trauma!

http://www.goat-trauma.org/

In PG County, I believe the trauma is the other way 'round....

Orgy - For True Gamesmen

http://img-fotki.yandex.ru/get/3604/myg2001.ca/0_28378_12046286_orig

Now, I remember spencer Gifts selling a variety of stuff like this in the late 60's and early 70's, (perhaps they still do, I'm no longer in middle school, so I have no reason to keep up with them). But I don't remember this. Anyone?

a little something for the ladies...

http://community.livejournal.com/vintage_ads/1217445.html

a life, one polaroid a day

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/15131

An interesting project, with a sad ending.

the recession affects us all

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090618/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_grave_sale

the hunger

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090619/ap_on_fe_st/odd_bologna_robbery

Happy Birthday Spanky McFarlane!

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

http://www.answers.com/topic/spanky-and-our-gang

http://www.spankyandourgang.com/

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

One of my all-time fave bands. Lost innocence...

Happy Birthday Ann Wilson!

http://annwilson.com/
http://www.myspace.com/officialannwilson

http://www.heart-music.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gpNqB4dnT4

Happy Birthday Alan Cranston!

The only man to be sued by Hitler (!)

http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=C000877

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

Thursday, June 18, 2009

The Devil's Veggie

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1193407/Sprout-hating-captain-bans-Devils-vegetable-ship.html

True Gamesmen

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8105963.stm

nazism and America's universities

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/06/17/nazism

A little known chapter of history. Columbia's antisemitism WAS well known, however. They were quite open and proud about it at the time.

Happy Birthday Paul!

http://www.paulmccartney.com/
http://www.myspace.com/paulmccartney

http://www.macca-central.com/default.php

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJ7w-wt38l8

What can you say that hasn't been said literally a million times before?

Happy Birthday Linda Thorson!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0861771/

http://www.theavengers.tv/forever/bio-thorson.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2PKH4T2SNY

She was always overshadowed by Diana Rigg, but I always liked Thorson too.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers perform Chinese Rock

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

One of the great drug abuse songs.

fanvid for Them performing Gloria

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuY1umk4R8s

Essential.

Wall of Voodoo's video for Mexican Radio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdpllAHo0ng

Fun song!

Grek Lake performs Lucky Man

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nm7-cysfE2c

Always liked this song, and assumed it was about JFK. Can anybody confirm this?

Al Stewart performs Year of the Cat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1h5gu5CVnA

One of my fave songs by one of my fave artists. I've written about it before. Al is a genius at taking the historical, the personal and the philosophical and intertwining them. One of those people whom you ever get, or never will. A song made for scuffling down M Street at midnight, circa '74-'79.

Chad Vader's Fathers Day Special

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

Happy Bunker Hill Day!

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/bunker-hill-day

http://www.almanac.com/redletterday/2009-06-17

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

The Beach Boys perform Fun Fun Fun

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXif3HvtpNg

Classic.

Frampton performs Baby I Love Your Way

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmjFk7i4hyg

Beautiful tune for a Summer evening.

as usual, The Onion figures it out...

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/gymnast_shawn_johnson_put_to

Excess...

http://maybeyoushouldntbuythat.com/

Anniversary of the Monterey Pop Festival!

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

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064689/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGJynZNr7rk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYwZ8I8wOGA&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcndMdD4zDI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZxNZ-hikto

I've always considered this festival superior to Woodstock or the Isle of Wight, etc. Wonderful music and performances.

Happy Birthday Stan Laurel!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0491048/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Laurel

http://www.laurel-and-hardy.com/

Monday, June 15, 2009

Rickie Lee Jones performs Last Chance Texaco

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTP3ScWi7rc

Great, great song; and one of the best song titles, ever. Time for another two fingers' of bourbon. See ya tomorrow.

Bruce performs Out In The Street

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sl10b20SoA

It was around this time of year in '76, and I'd get together with my friends Roger and Margrete and we'd head into town. It'd be hot and humid, and the sun would be about where it is right now. You'd want to start at the Iguana Club first, a little folk club run by the Lutherans. The park would be parked, eventually, and you'd hope to god it'd be there when you got back. We'd dodge the winos and creeps that have always been a cherished part of that neighborhood, and go in, sip tea and listen to a couple of guys attempt to imitate Paul Simon for an hour or two.
From there, we'd head off to Gtown, (the car was still there), and the night's bacchanal would begin. The end would be at Cafe de Paris for last call, steak tartar, onion soup, and the best french fries I've ever had. That was a nice Spring...

DC VS PG

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/14/AR2009061402713.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/13/AR2009061302112.html

Yes, it's a neck and neck race between the mindless corruption and lazy incompetence of the DC government and the murderous gangsterism of PG County's futile attempts at imitating civilization. Its a battle royale that's been going on for decades, still with no clear winner. And the playing standards are getting higher. PG can no longer merely rely on its police force acting like an army of nazi occupation, shooting people out of hand; nor can DC simply sit back on its laurels of a school system so corrupt that it spends more money than the entire GNP of Europe, yet has not had a graduate in over ten years who can actually read. Such strata have become commonplace, and new lows are needed to spice up the competition.
Some predictions - PG will lead off with the school board putting down its crack pipes long enough to actually base its budget on what they can win on Kino in Atlantic City. The District Government, (who will immediately steal the crack pipes laid down by their PG cohorts), will counter by forbidding books in town, and thus not embarrassing the natives with challenges beyond their abilities.
Forget the Superbowl - this is where the titans play!

An interesting reunion of the Desert Rats

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/06/15/the-desert-rats-and-the-friend-who-was-once-a-foe-115875-21441630/

I believe this is how many horror movies start...

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/15/slumbering_arctic_alien/

Alert Mayor Daley!

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/Oddities/090615/K061502AU.html

Nevermore....

http://www.thelocal.se/19432/20090513/

I had no idea that ravens could be that predatory.

the cutting edge of dog washing

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?Puppy_survives_toilet_flush_ordeal&in_article_id=685008&in_page_id=34


(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

It Begins...

Lennon and McCartney met for the first time on this date in '56.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1Y3PlmwnRM&feature=PlayList&p=956A7D7D10D88854&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=45

Happy Birthday Harry Nillsson!

http://www.harrynilsson.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Nilsson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALVjwR3dFE8

Poor Harry, a genius who should've been bigger.

Happy Magna Carta Day!

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

Happy Birthday Jim Varney!

I always liked Ernest.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001815/

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

http://www.jimvarney.org/

Happy Birthday Black Adder!

The series premiered on this date in '83. Brilliant.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084988/

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

http://www.geocities.com/televisioncity/8889/bladder.htm

Happy Birthday to The Legend Of Hell House!

One of my all-time fave horror movies. Premiered on this date in '73. Great stuff!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070294/

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

http://cinefantastiqueonline.com/2009/03/18/hell-house-and-the-legend-of-hell-house-book-film-rew/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MDF9vZVd_s

Sunday, June 14, 2009

The Beatles perform I Want To Hold Your Hand

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iim6s8Ea_bE

Innocent times. I miss those guys.
See ya tomorrow...

fanvid and tribute to the Cowsills and Love American Style

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TsoqhgEPyc

I always liked the Cowsills. A guilty pleasure. And L.A.S. had it's moments, it was generally a place to see actors on their way up, or on their way down...

Jerry Butler performs Only The Strong Survive

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1fyaT8MWK4

The Iceman...

The Grateful Dead perform Uncle John's Band

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGmRrCPUR3c

Beautiful song.

Jackson Browne performs Running On Empty

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bww2prhAWEA

My fave song by Jackson. Reminds me of tooling down Indian Head Highway. Hard to believe it's 30 years old....

Liz Phair performs Fuck & Run

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2akK4tYSwY&feature=related

So cool....

for Friday the 12th...

http://www.snorgtees.com/fridaythe12th-p-716.html

chalk chess

http://www.suck.uk.com/product.php?rangeID=112

I can see this resulting in some sort of biathlon - playing chess AND hopscotch....

in case of a blackout

http://www.suck.uk.com/product.php?rangeID=83&catID=7

Horror Radio

http://hauntedradio.50webs.com/

The British SS

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1192571/Three-Lions-Black-Shirt-Rare-Nazi-badge-striking-resemblance-England-squad-logo-discovered.html

An interesting article, seemingly written by two different people, as one part is much more accurate than the other. Yes, there were a VERY few British who (theoretically) joined the Waffen SS, mostly drawn from POW's. The unit was NOT elite, was never in combat, (at least as a unit, though I suppose it's possible that individual members got caught up in the shooting at the end). There is a debate as to how many members it had, most sources agree it was only 10-20 "strong". As a portion of the article points out, it was a simple, minscule, propaganda tool; but mostly was yet another example of Himmler's romanticism for the SS being some sort of international force. I've always been interested in this particular aspect of the 3rd reich - here you have THE guy who's responsible for "cleansing" Europe of all of its "racial undesirables", and taking over most of it, and yet he's also trying to make the Waffen SS, (supposedly the blonde-haired blue eyed elite of father Germany), into a real hodgepodge of nationalities, all under the banner of an anti-Bolshevik crusade. There's quite a bit that's been written about these units over the years, and it's quite interesting. At least on paper, by the Spring of 1945, probably a third of the SS divisions were (theoretically) foreign-based. Besides those few losers from the British, there were units (ranging in size from platoons to full-fledged divisions) of Cossacks, French, Arab, Indian (!), Flemish, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Slovakian, Bosnian, Croatian, Romanian, Magyar, Russian (!), Ukrainian, Belorussian, Dagestani, Khazak, Uzbek, Kirghiz, Turkmen, Georgian, Armenian, Crimean Tartars, and Kurelians, (and I've probably missed a few). Some of these people were quite publicly slated for outright enslavement should a nazi victory occur, so were' talking a very confusing (dare I say, stupid) dynamic going on.

Happy Birthday Jr. Walker!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jr._Walker_&_the_All_Stars
http://www.history-of-rock.com/junior_walker_and_the_all_stars.htm

http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/Junior%20Walker.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0xzcavGrj4

What a great performer. What a great sound, a sound of hot Summer nights. Just beautiful.

Happy Flag Day!

http://www.usflag.org/history/flagday.html
http://www.nationalflagday.com/default.asp

Saturday, June 13, 2009

new Tim Burton film - 9!

http://www.filminfocus.com/focusfeatures/film/9

Monster Bash 2009 in PA this month!

http://www.monsterbashnews.com/bash.html

the real-life hobbit house

http://www.bad-time.com/real-life-hobbit-house

the cutting edge of "fetch"

http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?Dog_play_potentially_explosive_game_of_fetch&in_article_id=681516&in_page_id=2

R'yleh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYcskk_20OM&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Egoogle%2Ecom%2Freader%2Fview%2F&feature=player_embedded
Neat animation!

Christmas Is Coming!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061956430?ie=UTF8&tag=dvdaday&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061956430

Spirit performs Dark Eyed Woman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsxTFRpSgus&feature=PlayList&p=6E30408855A5F691&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=6

Wonderful song.

my next car...

http://englishrussia.com/?p=971

This'll help driving to Seven Corners...

I never go out without my umbrella...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1192503/Close-encounter-rock-kind-Schoolboy-survives-direct-hit-meteorite-travelling-30-000mph.html

Albania and Chicago have something in common...

http://news.stv.tv/oddly-enough/102001-deceased-albanians-still-eligible-to-vote/

the cutting edge of name recognition

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12572413?source=email

Maryland Driver

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/12/AR2009061201949.html

Hmmm, I have my suspicions about the accuracy of this story, the idea that someone who owns a Volvo actually managed to drive it over 55mph would be unprecedented...

Neat Toys!

http://www.tenacioustoys.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MECHTMINI

Sort of a steampunk feel to 'em.

Arlington: The Rap

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T1RMuoQnKo


(Thanks for the link, Chris!)

Happy Birthday Basil Rathbone!

One of my faves. Any movie with Basil in it automatically gets an extra point in my ratings.

http://www.basilrathbone.net/

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001651/

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

Happy Birthday Paul Lynde!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001489/

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

http://www.classicsquares.com/lyndesquares.html

http://www.paullynde.info/

Friday, June 12, 2009

Happy Loving Day!

http://www.lovingday.org/

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

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Rod Stewart & Ron Isley video for This Old Heart Of Mine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd5vvoWcQ4A

One of the best songs of all time and one of the classiest videos. Rod has his faults, but he is a true lover of Soul Music, and including Ron Isley in this stylish video monument to late 60's music is entirely cool and appropriate.

The Beat Goes On....

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/06/11/ent.chastity.bono/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU10TZs1ow0

(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

The Left Banke perform Walk Away Renee

http://bedazzled.blogs.com/bedazzled/2009/06/walk-away-renee-the-left-banke.html

Beautiful song.

The Jamestown Code...

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/06/090608-jamestown-slate.html

interesting new brain research

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17280-speeding-up-brain-networks-might-boost-iq.html

my medicine cabinet

http://www.pharmacytechs.net/blog/old-school-medicine-ads

VERY cool ads!

(Thanks for the link, Chris!)

Happy Birthday to True Grit!

One of my fave Westerns, filmed in my beloved San Juan Mountains of Colorado.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065126/

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EUP9rOLf30

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3AX4nw6JDg

Happy Birthday to A Day At The Races!

Premiered on this date in 1937.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028772/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Day_at_the_Races_(film)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBk5Ne5x1hQ&feature=related

Happy Birthday Frank Beard!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Beard_(musician)

http://www.zztop.com/zzintro.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BYny9l20wc

Happy Birthday Gene Wilder!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000698/

http://www.genewilder.net/

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaPZZJVDx6Y

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Bowie covers Alabama Song

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

Brilliant. See ya tomorrow...

fanvid for The Jefferson Starship's Hyperdrive

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfZRQ6e1X_E&feature=related

From '74. This will probably seem slow, pretentious, even nonsensical to many of you. All I can say is, you had to be there....

an alternate mix of The Doors' Riders On The Storm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltNTP4QZZfE&feature=related
A nice re-editing of a classic. And appropriate for tonight. As I'd written earlier, we are inundated with rain and thunder storms here at the Manor. The air is heavy and charged with electricity and in the fast-fading sunlight I can see more clouds gathering for an onslaught later tonight. It is the climate of danger, and evil is about.

I...Must...Own....This....

http://booksteveslibrary.blogspot.com/2006/04/phynx-worst-movie-of-all-time.html

Has anyone ever seen this damn thing? I actually own the 45 from it, The Boys In The Band, which I'd always assumed was from the film of the same name, (the first openly gay main-stream movie that I'm aware of). But The Phynx sounds positively surreal! A quick search of Google didn't reveal any DVD of it. Any ideas, folks?

EEEWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/most-horrific-parasitic-worms/10497

not all sheep have wool...

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2009/0609092prank1.html

Hummingbird power!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8091944.stm

a tribe (and language) without numbers or time

http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,414291,00.html

Fascinating. But hopelessly stagnant. I would be more interested as to why such a small and limited group hadn't been wiped out by its neighbors centuries earlier*. How was any technology or tools developed? Is there any decision making within the community? If so, how are the results arrived at.
*The fact that one guy (a virtual stranger) can steal a few bows in front of the entire community planning to murder him - and get away scot-free doesn't argue for a particularly robust group of people - organizationally or mentally.
I know I'm running way ahead of the meager data offered in this article. But it sounds almost as if one has discovered the intellectual equivalent of the missing link between humans and our ape-like ancestors.


(Thanks for the link, John!)

The return of WHFS

http://www.hfs2.com/

it remains to be seen if it'll be any good. I admit I lost interest in the station by the mid-70's. they seemed incapable of playing anything other than that era's country/blues/rock genre (Little Feat and Bonnie Raitt). They ignored virtually the entire music scene going on in Britain and Europe, and had an open disdain for punk, heavy metal, soul, and the vast majority of oldies. As far as I'm concerned, the real crime was when WGTB got shut down by the priests...


(Thanks for the link, Peter!)

Happy Birthday to Tales From The Crypt!

The series debuted on this date 20 years ago. Great stuff!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tales_from_the_Crypt_(TV_series)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096708/

http://www.warnervideo.com/talesfromthecryptdvd/card.html

Happy National Yo-Yo Day!

http://www.holidayinsights.com/other/yoyoday.htm

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

nice set of links about research into life extension

http://infidel753.blogspot.com/2009/06/report-from-front-lines.html

Fascinating stuff. I recommend folks check out my friend Infidel753 's full blog for additional entries and links about this topic, (and many others). I share his belief that such research is going to lead to a variety of changes. He tends to be a bit more optimistic about the social repercussions of life extension than I do. But then, part of my charm lies in a stygian cynicism - and I mustn't disappoint my fan base....

photonic spookygram coding

http://www.programmica.info/2009/06/supersecret-codes.html

I'll stick to pig latin....

new movie based on the old UFO series

http://www.cinemaspy.com/article.php?id=2575

It was a really good series, I hope the movie is too.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Excitement!

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

http://www.jackiewilson.net/

http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/jackie-wilson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1odvp-_bhk

One of The Immortals.

Happy Birthday Lin Carter!

As a writer, I confess I didn't think much of Carter, (the truth is, he was a hack). But he was a great scholar and brilliant editor of Fantasy literature. His deal with Ballantine Books to reprint so many of the classics, as well as to put in print new authors, created a renaissance in the literature that's never been equaled and literally created a whole generation of fans, myself included.

http://www.angelfire.com/az/vrooman/

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

Happy Birthday Johnny Depp!

I think he's probably my fave actor of his generation.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000136/

http://www.johnnydeppfan.com/

Anniversary of Bruce signing to Columbia Records in 1972...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAvolRT3sX4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcD1IFBdtjg

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

So cool. It was about two years later that my old friend Cliff introduced me to Bruce's music. Thanks Cliff, I owe you one.

Monday, June 08, 2009

Obama Visits Manassas! (At least according to The Onion...)

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/obama_drastically_scales_back

Well, they've got Manassas pretty well pegged...

(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

Julian Cope video for World Shut Your Mouth

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa8gYL_SC9o

my next pillow

http://www.geekologie.com/2007/04/blood_puddle_pillows_look_like.php

this looks kind of neat - a place to discover and rate various apps

http://appuseful.com/


(Thanks for the link, Susan!)

Trekkie Inspirational Posters

http://echosphere.net/star_trek_insp/star_trek_insp.html


(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

Happy Birthday Nancy Sinatra!

http://www.nancysinatra.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Sinatra

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRkovnss7sg

Cool!

Happy Birthday Keenan Ivory Wayans!

Genius. Essential.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005540/

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNBt4srCn84&feature=related

Sunday, June 07, 2009

Mary Chapin Capenter, (and some friends) perform He Thinks He'll Keep Her

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qxU82mNaI8

DC's Finest. Fantastic song.

ABC performs When Smokey Sings

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-ZMDci4Wps

Great 80's pop.

The Music Explosion performs Little Bit O' Soul

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMKblZEnD3c

Great song. It's hard to believe it was 42 years ago! I still remember buying this single at a little record store in Montrose, Colorado in July of '67, (along with the Turtles' She'd Rather Be With Me).

R.B. Greaves performs Take A Letter Maria

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9Y0x1jLkLg

Sniff "n The Tears perform Driver's Seat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFwcmU6Ql0A&NR=1

Great song. Spring of '79 - Plowing down Braddock west of Ox Road, at midnight going 80mph, not caring about anything.

Starbuck performs Moonlight Feels Right

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

One of those songs that's almost spookily applicable to the times. 'Twas the Summer of '76. Very warm, full of great promise, excitement and disappointment.

fanvid for The Boys In The Band (How About A Little Hand)

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

I honestly believe I am the only person alive who remembers (and owns) this song.

The Grassroots perform Let's Live For Today

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnFZsrs32Co

I love this song.

Evil Alien Beings Behind KFC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HJP2Y7xJLY&feature=related

Yea, I really wanna suck down a bucket of their chicken after seeing this.

new book on Lovecraft

http://www.hplovecraft.com/study/litcrit/ul.asp

Tee Hee!

http://www.fark.com/cgi/comments.pl?IDLink=4421079

the ultimate lock picker

http://www.wired.com/techbiz/people/magazine/17-06/ff_keymaster

Pretty neat.

Groucho on the Today Show in '63

http://classicshowbiz.blogspot.com/2009/06/today-show-with-guest-groucho-marx-1963.html

Mighty Mouse!

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?Amazing_moment_as_mighty_mouse_takes_on_a_hungry_leopard_-_and_wins&in_article_id=678895&in_page_id=34

the cutting edge of eBay

http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?Unemployed_man_puts_himself_on_eBay&in_article_id=677643&in_page_id=2&in_a_source=

new book out on the "Red Orchestra"

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/books/review/Herzog-t.html?_r=2

An under-reported chapter in WWII. This should make good reading.

In sunshine & in shadow...

Today is the anniversary of the premiere of one of my fave Westerns - El Dorado.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061619/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Dorado_(film)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzFQIot58So&feature=related

Happy Birthday Prince!

http://prince.org/
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-196646101143773778

Saturday, June 06, 2009

The Lovecraftian Menu

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=519195

Notebook Wars!

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

a cute little library video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns314ZNaJb4

the cutting edge of ice cubes

http://www.toxel.com/tech/2009/03/24/20-unusual-and-creative-ice-cube-trays/

Lava Church

http://www.artificialowl.net/2009/04/mexican-church-buried-by-lava-san-juan.html

Like A Fish...

http://www.likeafish.biz/

Ekranoplans...

http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2009/06/ekranoplans-showcase-part-2.html

I'm collecting two of each animal...

As I am typing this, there is a large yellow orb in the sky, beating down waves of light and heat upon me. The elders tell me that it's called the Sun. I wouldn't know - if I've seen it before, it was too long ago to remember. It has been raining here about every three hours for what seems like four months. The grounds around the Manor have gone beyond saturated and are on the verge of being classified as an underwater habitat. I have to scrape barnacles off of my car. It's so bad that fish are drowning here.
Our near-worthless weathermen tell me that today's unusual dry-spell may actually continue into tomorrow, (the rest of the week they are predicting more torrential downpours). So, I figure I have about a three hour window in which to finally mow the lawn and bring it's height down to something that doesn't resemble a Jurassic rain forest.
All this water also means that the mosquito population around here, which never needs any help to become a sky-blackening swarm by late June, is going to blossom into something of biblical proportions. I'm predicting a return of malaria to the DC area no later than the 4th of July. The threat is serious enough that I am considering, ((shudder)), foregoing bourbon in favor of gin to ward off the plague. It's a sacrifice, I know. But one's health is important.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzzf44HkFw8&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8NQRKxs2ko

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMZ4amjbqhU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIqxnYZZNB8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91IMtlwqAAc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbiLZS_HFx0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRKqfrct070&feature=PlayList&p=CF47AC4D302F60F0&index=0&playnext=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQstQST1GiM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwDh-xea40s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puYjGU27eo0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xze0QhGBidc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz0Sscke9z4&feature=PlayList&p=4799D9ABC5C00B2A&index=0&playnext=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUogzf1h2UY

Fire Town video for The Good Life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhhuMqFnJ8M
Another great band that never managed to break through. Pity.

The dB's perform She's Got Soul

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAr5jNAGfA8&feature=related

So cool. Should've been bigger.

Roxy Music performs Virginia Plain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zoi6O-cq9I

The Ohio Players perform Love Rollercoaster

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBkVV9xxCHE

Stupid, but oh-so-fun!

Diana Ross & The Supremes perform Reflections

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0HE7TC8y5g&feature=PlayList&p=D66858D6DCDD3191&index=0&playnext=1

Great song and performance.

Elvis performs Jailhouse Rock

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpzV_0l5ILI

One of the great rock vidoes.

The Ramones perform We Want The Airwaves

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV4rMCkyrLE

new REH collection - Conan's Brethren

http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/HB-46348/Conan's-Brethren.htm

Cheese Roll!

http://www.yeeta.com/_Cooper_s_Hill_Cheese_Rolling


(Thanks for the link, Infidel 753!)

Happy Birthday Gary "U.S." Bonds!

http://www.garyusbonds.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zshUXe-PTeQ

Happy Birthday Levi Stubbs!

Lead singer of the Four Tops, one of my faves, and one of the coolest names, ever.

http://www.history-of-rock.com/four_tops.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3yFvWOg1Wk&feature=related

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

Pigpen, this here's Rubber Duck...

The song, Convoy, takes place on this date....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tk4gRBgDQw

We're Gonna Rock, Rock, Rock!

Billy Haley and his Comets' Rock Around The Clock hit #1 on this date in 1955.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5fsqYctXgM

Happy Birthday, Satan!

According to the film, The Omen, Damien Thorne was born on this date...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQ4kU5Sjktg

The Anniversary of D-Day

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dday/

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090602/ap_on_re_us/us_d_day_memorial_woes

http://www.army.mil/d-day/

An incredible event and mission. So complex and so dangerous that it's almost impossible to wrap one's mind around it. Absolutely riveting. Heroic.

Happy Birthday Nathan Hale!

http://www.connecticutsar.org/patriots/hale_nathan.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Hale

Friday, June 05, 2009

The Dolphin Threat...

http://www.anti-dolphin.org/

I never trusted Flipper...

Superheroes?

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/06/04/real.life.superheroes/index.html

maps of the seven deadly sins in America

http://scienceblogs.com/gnxp/2009/05/map_of_seven_deadly_sins.php

Happy Festival of Popular Delusions!

Thursday, June 04, 2009

Happy Graduation!

Linda and I have got at least five friends/relatives graduating around now from high school or college. We congratulate each of you and wish you continuing success as well as peace and happiness. You've done good. You really have, and we're proud of you.
I am reminded of my own academic exits, (actually, that's not really true - we were passing a bottle at high school's ceremonies, and in college I couldn't wait to get the hell out and on the road to California...). But at any rate, let's pretend I can remember them. You will be told that you're facing great changes never confronted before and that you're generation is unique, etc. All lies, the first of many you'll be told the rest of your life. Think of this as preparation for those to come. I'm sorry, you're not special. None of us were.
Every generation, group, subculture, clan, class and individual faces a variety of challenges and battles. Many of them are quite important, some a matter of life and death. And sometimes you lose, sometimes you win, and mostly you muddle through in a world that doesn't really care one way or the other.. You are no better, and probably no worse, than those who came before you. But you are younger. Which means that you may not have as much experience as you think you do, or might need, in all situations. Oldsters don't have all the answers, but if we're still around it means we've managed to come up with at least a few - we're survivors. At least give us a hearing, we're not always wrong. Just as you've picked up some things, so have we...
Don't be stupid. Now, a lot of the time, it's hard to tell what a good choice is. I know that. One must take some risks, and jump into situations without knowing 100% about it. It can't be avoided. But there are some people, situations and things that positively scream out "Trouble!". Do yourself a favor, listen to that scream and stay away. Oh, you can observe, (from a safe distance), and you'll definitely learn - but stay away. I guarantee you that the universe will toss enough troubles in your way that you won't have to waste time seeking them out.
Connect and remember. Find a community. Hopefully, it already exists with your family and the friends you've made along the way. But if it doesn't exist there, don't give up looking for people whom you can be close to, can trust, can rely on, and can have fun with. That's something that doesn't seem as important to many people as it once was, and I really believe that's a shame and a near-fatal error on the part of folks. I'm not talking about people whom you can use or be used by, but real relationships of affection and equality. I have many, and they've been a strength to me and I refuse to believe that they won't be to you, too. Share - both ways. Be kind to your family. It's worth it in all but the worst circumstances. Talk to them. Learn about where you came from, where your parents came from, and grandparents, etc. It probably won't seem important now. Give it 20-30 years. It will. Trust me.
Now the folks I'm specifically writing this to are pretty smart. And I strongly suspect that I'm not saying anything you don't already know, or at least sense. But I figure it won't hurt to have a little positive reinforcement from your truly, ( and, as you've learned by now, the older folks LOVE handing out unsolicited advice. It's something about age that makes us enjoy gassing away on what we think you should be doing. I had to put up with it when I was your age, now you do too. Don't worry, you'll get your shot at it in about 30 years.) At any rate, that's my piece, I hope it's of value, either now or in the future. Best of luck.

Lovecraft knew....The Mountains of Madness

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090603/sc_afp/scienceantarctica

chimp tools

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31066482/

I'm always fascinated by stuff like this because I think it challenges long-held assumptions and definitions on intelligence and human "uniqueness". I think that the next hundred years will provide a much more subtle and sophisticated view.

RIP David Carradine

http://movies.yahoo.com/news/movies.ap.org/actor-david-carradine-found-dead-bangkok-ap

the cutting edge of mis-identification

http://menwholooklikeoldlesbians.blogspot.com/


(Thanks for the link, Missy!)

Kukla, Fran and ....

http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?Penis_string_man_used_genitals_like_a_puppet&in_article_id=670278&in_page_id=2


(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

1st promo for the new Prisoner re-make

http://io9.com/5276526/ian-mckellen-invites-you-to-the-village-in-new-prisoner-promo

Sigh. I hope it's good. I hope it gets people interested in the old series, as well as getting them to think, (like the old series did). But I doubt it...

Anniversary fo the Battle of Midway

One of the greatest American military victories - ever. I also believe this is the first true naval battle where the opposing fleets never set eyes upon one another.

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/wwii-pac/midway/midway.htm

Happy Birthday Gordon Waller!

http://www.gordonwaller.com/

http://www.peterandgordon.net/

150 Days Until Halloween!!!


Wednesday, June 03, 2009

the Love Boat - Somali-style!

http://www.tothepointnews.com/content/view/3617/85/


(Thanks for the link, John!)

a new Buffy?

http://www.film.com/features/story/five-reasons-buffy-vampire-slayer/28478445

I agree with the author of this article - this doesn't sound good at all.

Happy Birthday Suzi Quatro!

http://www.suziquatro.com/
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~suziq/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SXWgC0SLCA&feature=related

Happy Birthday Ian Hunter!

http://ianhunter.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEfR-DyuHjI

Happy Birthday Curtis Mayfield!

One of the Immortals.

http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/Curtis%20Mayfield.html

http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/curtis-mayfield

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQqTxK7VhSk

Ode To Billie Joe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZt5Q-u4crc

Today is the date that the song takes place.

Happy Birthday Leo Gorcey!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0329832/

Happy Jack Jouett Day!

http://www.americanrevolution.org/jouett.html
http://www.ushistory.com/story_jack.htm

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

The Barrell Monster!!!

http://www.newraleigh.com/articles/archive/barrel-monster-spotted-on-hillsborough-street/


((Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

Monday, June 01, 2009

the spy chip....

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/06/spy-chips-guiding-cia-drone-strikes-locals-say/

just another day in the District

http://whyihatedc.blogspot.com/2009/05/mpd-versus-parking-enforcement.html

Zombie Squad

http://zombiehunters.org/

the trials and tribulations of little Adolph Hitler

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30973157

As usual, the reporting is quite poor, with no real detail as to the exact status of the children, the official explanation for any adoption, and any legal background or opinions regarding it.

Happy Birthday Le Petomane!

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

Happy Birthday Sgt. Pepper!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sgt._Pepper's_Lonely_Hearts_Club_Band