The nanny state, and wuss America

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2012/05/classist-side-mayor-bloombergs-soda-ban/52996/
You'll get my Tab when you pry it from my cold dead hand.  But you'll have to be careful, because the other hand is going to be swinging an empty bourbon bottle into your meddling face....



(Thanks for the link, Mike!)

Calming Manatees

http://calmingmanatee.com/
Very cute!

(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

Happy Birthday to A Big Hand For The Little Lady!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060165/

One of my faves.  One of the few films that captures the essence of True Gamesmen.

Happy Birthday Clint Eastwood!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000142/

Happy Birthday John Bonham!

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

New Eric Burdon album on the way!

http://www.music-news.com/shownews.asp?H=Eric-Burdon-to-release-new-album-in-September&nItemID=52397

Some neat new links on the Men In Black

This is a phenomena within the UFO community that's ebbed and flowed over the decades.  It looks to be enjoying a boomlet again.

http://www.johnkeel.com/?p=1335

http://copycateffect.blogspot.com/2012/05/mibs-x.html

Beatles Stories

http://beatlesstories.com/about/

This looks like a cool little film documentary.


(Thanks for the link, Perry!)

RIP Doc Watson

http://www.eonline.com/news/doc_watson_folk-music_legend_dead_89/319287

(Thanks for the link, Perry!)

Happy Birthday Copacabana!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039277/

Groucho's last starring film, Premiered on this date in 1947.

Happy Birthday Mel Blanc!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000305/

Charlie now glows in the dark...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47592012/ns/us_news-environment/#.T8VDQ1L0-Sp
Umm, high levels of radioactivity in sea creatures off the coast of Japan....  Isn't this how Godzilla starts?


(Thanks for the link, Infidel753!)

Happy Birthday Melissa Etheridge!

http://www.melissaetheridge.com/

Happy Birthday Patrick Henry!

http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/henry.htm

Vlad The Impaler School Of Anger Management

http://www.cafepress.com/dd/13611328

I love it...

Toy Shining!

http://kylelambert.co.uk/gallery/toyshining/index.html

Cute!


(Thanks for the link, Dennis!)

Happy Birthday Joseph Guillotin!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph-Ignace_Guillotin

Happy Slugs Return From Capistrano Day!

http://www.wellcat.com/may/slugs_return_from_capistrano_day.htm

Happy Birthday Gladys Knight!

http://gladysknight.com/

Happy Birthday John Fogerty!

http://www.fiveguys.com/

Happy National Hambruger Day!

http://www.fiveguys.com/

Today is Memorial Day

http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html

http://www.va.gov/opa/speeches/2012/05_25_2012.asp

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/

Eddie Chapman - Double Agent

http://www.secondworldwar.org.uk/chapman.html


A fascinating footnote to the War.


(Thanks for the link, Dennis!)

Happy Birthday to God Save The Queen!

Released by the Sex Pistols on this date in 1977.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBo0LLlKu5Q

Happy Birthday Ramsey Lewis!

http://www.ramseylewis.com/

Happy Birthday Bruce Cockburn!

http://brucecockburn.com/

Happy Birthday Christopher Lee!

http://christopherleeweb.com/

Happy Birthday Vincent Price!

http://vincentprice.org/

The Virginia Renaissance Faire Is Taking Place!

http://www.varf.org/

Tea with Cthulhu!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/94506752/green-curly-cthulhu-tea-cosy-a-warm-and?ref=sr_gallery_6&ga_search_query=Cthulhu+tea+cozy&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=ZZ&ga_min=0&ga_max=0&ga_search_type=all

Cellini and the Salamander

http://www.strangehistory.net/2012/05/26/cellini-and-the-salamander/

An interesting tidbit of occult history.  I seem to remember an article, many years ago, attempting to explain the phenomena as being caused by certain twigs of certain wood burning in a certain fashion and causing movement resembling that of a live creature.  Who knows?

Happy Birthday Bobcat!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001281/

Happy Birthday John Wayne!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000078/

Happy Birthday Stevie Nicks!

http://rockalittle.com/

Happy Birthday Matt Stone!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001778/

The Ultimate Chef

http://www.france24.com/en/20120525-japanese-man-cooks-serves-own-genitals


(Thanks for the link, Dennis!)

'Trapping' a rainbow

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18181201

Happy Birthday Paul Weller!

http://www.paulweller.com/

Happy Birthday Richard O'Brien!

http://www.robcrusade.com/

Happy Birthday Hal David!

http://www.haldavid.com/

Happy Towel Day!

http://towelday.org/

Happy National Wine Day!

http://www.virginiawine.org/

The history of dice

http://www.awesomedice.com/blog/253/history-of-dice-2/
Fun stuff!


(Thanks for the link, Dennis!)

Happy Birthday Tommy Chong!

http://www.cheechandchong.com/

Happy Birthday Patti LaBelle

http://www.pattilabelle.com/

Happy Birthday Mr. Zimmerman!

http://www.bobdylan.com/us/home

Happy National Escargot Day!

Yum!

Nothing to declare...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/briton-arrested-in-thailand-after-being-found-with-six-roasted-human-foetuses-7766232.html

Tunguska Meteorite Found?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2145769/Have-scientists-finally-meteorite-set-1908-Tunguska-explosion.html

See a man burned alive! Children under 5 - no charge!

http://valley.newhavenindependent.org/archives/entry/ansonia_man_to_be_burned_at_stake_admission_free_for_kids_under_5

Slinky On A Treadmill!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=711bZ_pLusQ&feature=youtu.be

This may well be the coolest thing that I've seen all week.  Which will give you some idea of how the week is going for me...

(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

Happy Birthday to The Thin Man!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025878/


One of my faves.  Premiered on this date in 1934.  Nick & Nora remain the penultimate married couple

Happy Birthday Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001196/

Book review about the 'black-eyed children"

http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2012/05/the-black-eyed-children-reviewed/

This supposed phenomena has been rattling around the Fortean universe for at least the last ten years, or so.

Lego Birds!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/gallery/2012/may/18/birds-made-from-lego-in-pictures?CMP=twt_gu#/?picture=390328457&index=0

(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

Pictures of Matchstick Men

http://www.likecool.com/Just_War--Video--Gear.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Likecool+%28Likecool%2C+coolest+gadget+magazine%29&utm_content=Google+Reader
This is a very neat little anti-war stop-action film from the Soviet Union.


(Thanks for the link, Chris!)

Japanese try to buy/bully silence

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2147248/Japanese-officials-ask-U-S-town-remove-memorial-Korean-sex-slaves-captured-Japan-World-War-II.html

Our "allies"....

Happy Birthday Arthur Conan Doyle!

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

Happy Birthday Bernie Taupin!

http://www.berniejtaupin.com/

Happy World Goth Day!

http://www.worldgothday.com/

Happy Anniversary to Bogey and Betty!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MheNUWyROv8

Happy Birthday Ron Isley!

http://ronisley.com/

RIP Robin Gibb

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/robin-gibb-bee-gees-co-founder-dead-at-62-20120520

Happy Birthday Cher!

http://www.cher.com/

Happy Birthday Jane Wiedlin!

http://janewiedlin.com/

Happy Birthday Joe Cocker!

http://www.cocker.com/us/home

Happy National Pick Strawberries Day!

My knees can't handle it anymore.  But the first ten years or so of my marriage, this was a happy annual late-Spring ritual for my wife and I.  Schlepping out to some pick-your-own farm in the hinterland on a VERY early Sunday morning and grabbing 20+ pounds of strawberries for munching on, freezing, and, (of course), daiquiris...

Some Star Trek fun

http://gammasquad.uproxx.com/2012/05/25-great-ideas-for-a-new-star-trek-tv-series

The rabbit witch of Mann

http://www.strangehistory.net/2012/05/18/shape-shifting-in-a-nineteenth-century-court-room/


Fun stuff!

Steampunk insects

http://www.arthrobots.com/

Cthulhu VS Monopoly!!!

http://www.geek.com/articles/geek-pick/help-cthulu-destroy-the-boardwalk-empire-in-this-new-twist-on-monopoly-20120518/

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/forkingpath/the-doom-that-came-to-atlantic-city

Happy Birthday Pete Townshend!

http://www.thewho.com/

Happy Birthday Joey Ramone!

http://www.joeyramone.com/index.php

Happy Birthday Dusty Hill!

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

Happy Armed Services Day!

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/armed-forces-day

DC's war against record stores

https://www.change.org/petitions/dc-city-council-stop-treating-record-stores-and-vintage-stores-like-pawn-shops


If only these stores sold crack, DC would leave them alone....

Happy Birthday Mark Mothersbaugh!

http://www.mutato.com/

Happy Visit Your Relatives Day!

http://holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/May/visitrelativesday.htm

Facebook Economics

http://www.borowitzreport.com/2012/05/17/a-letter-from-mark-zuckerberg/

(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

RIP Doug Dillard

http://www.billboard.com/news/doug-dillard-banjo-great-who-crossed-genres-1007086552.story#/news/doug-dillard-banjo-great-who-crossed-genres-1007086552.story


(Thanks for the notice, Perry!)

European History in 3 1/2 minutes!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/16/europe-history-time-lapse_n_1520724.html?ref=mostpopular


(Thanks for the link, Dennis and Chris!)

RIP Donna Summer

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31749_162-57436280-10391698/donna-summer-dead-at-63/

Happy Birthday Trent Reznor!

http://www.nin.com/

Happy Birthday Craig Ferguson!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0272401/

Happy Birthday Country Dick Montana!

http://www.countrydickmontana.com/

Happy Birthday Maureen O'Sullivan!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001577/

Happy National Pack Rat Day!

Super Sex

http://www.rawbw.com/~svw/superman.html


(Thanks for the link, Dennis!)

RIP Chuck Brown

http://www.wtop.com/109/2867525/Chuck-Brown-Godfather-of-Go-go-dead-at-75

Happy Birthday Pet Sounds!

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

Happy Birthday Jonathan Richman!

http://www.myspace.com/pablopicassowasnevercalledanasshole

DC, Arlington, and Alexandria - well read

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/15/most-well-read-cities_n_1517859.html?utm_campaign=051512&utm_medium=email

Thanks the gods, at least we've got one thing going for us.

RIP Douglas Warren

http://www.goldminemag.com/article/spaniels-founding-member-warren-dies-at-78

How Facebook Will Change

http://www.happyplace.com/16025/10-terrifying-changes-that-are-bound-happen-once-facebook-goes-public

I believe every one of these things.

Happy Birthday to Let It Be

Released on this date in 1970 in the States.

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

Happy Birthday Eno!

http://www.enoweb.co.uk/

Happy Birthday L. Frank Baum!

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

Hanging with Hendrix

http://www.retronaut.co/2012/05/hanging-out-with-jimi-hendrix-1964-1970/

Happy Birthday David Byrne!

http://www.davidbyrne.com/

Happy Birthday Jack Bruce!

http://www.jackbruce.com/

New book out examining the god Thoth

http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalogue/hellenismos/thoth-ancient-egyptian-god-of-wisdom

Looks interesting, always liked this dude.

RIP Donald Duck Dunn

http://deathbeeper.com/6899301.html

Happy Birthday Ritchie Valens!

http://www.ritchievalens.com/

Happy Birthday Stevie Wonder!

http://www.steviewonder.net/

Happy Birthday Getting Straight!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065775/

One of my faves.  Premiered on this date in 1970.

Happy Leprechaun Day!

http://classiclit.about.com/od/leprechaunday/Leprechaun_Day.htm

Happy Jamestown Day!

http://www.historyisfun.org/jamestown-settlement.htm

My one-stop shopping

http://www.battlemerchant.com/

Poe, as illustrated by Harry Clark

http://www.retronaut.co/2012/05/tales-of-mystery-and-imagination-by-edgar-allen-poe-1919/


Beautiful!

Happy Birthday Steve Winwood!

http://www.stevewinwood.com/

Happy Birthday George Carlin!

http://www.georgecarlin.com/

Happy Birthday Burt Bacharach!

http://bacharachonline.com/

Happy Birthday Avalon Hill!

The company was formed on this date in 1954.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avalon_Hill

Happy Limerick Day!

http://www.inquisitr.com/23873/limerick-day/

The Old Ways Die Hard In The Marketing Department

http://yfrog.com/ki9chztvj

Notice the national flags...

(Thanks for the link, Chris!)

Happy Birthday, Bride of the Monster!

Premiered on this date in 1955.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047898/

Happy Birthday Salvador Dali!

http://www.duke.edu/web/lit132/dalibio.html

Happy Birthday Phil Silvers!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0799014/

Happy Birthday Eric Burdon!

http://ericburdon.ning.com/

Hamburger Helper

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/08/hans-ulrich-rudel-cannibals-switzerland_n_1499517.html?ref=weird-news

Guide to dining at airports

http://www.portfolio.com/business-travel/2011/12/21/airport-dining-guide-part-one

http://www.portfolio.com/business-travel/2011/12/28/airport-dining-guide-part-two

I'm not a huge air traveler, but I know that some of you are.  This looks like a nice reference.

Neat Pankcakes!

http://www.saipancakes.com/


(Thanks for the link, Chris!)

When Spock Met Hendrix

http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2012/05/09/when-spock-met-hendrix-trek-icon-leonard-nimoys-cosmic-moment/


(Thanks for the link and title, Mathew!)

Happy Birthday Bono!

http://www.atu2.com/band/bono/

Happy Birthday Donovan!

http://www.donovan.ie/

Happy National Shrimp Day!

Yum!

Hot Doggin'...

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/05/08/hot-dog-hooker-catherine-scalia-to-reporters-im-sexy-and-i-know-it-everybody/


(Thanks for the link, Dennis!)

We'll leave the light on for you....

http://clarendon.patch.com/articles/police-centreville-man-pulls-guns-at-hotel-over-rates

Happy Birthday Dave Prater!

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

Happy Birthday to The Muppets!

First appeared on TV on this date in 1955.
http://kidshow.dcmemories.com/sam1.html

http://blog.rifftrax.com/2008/05/09/happy-53rd-birthday-muppets/

RIP Maurice Sendak

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/09/books/maurice-sendak-childrens-author-dies-at-83.html

FBI is #1!

http://www.wtop.com/109/2856731/Modern-Ugly

Happy Birthday Bob Clampett!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0163332/

Happy Birthday Ricky Nelson!

http://www.ricknelson.com/

Happy VE Day!

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

Anniversary of the death of Mordecai Anielewicz & end of Warsaw ghetto uprising

Heroes.

http://www.ushmm.org/research/center/lerman/medal_award/award.php?content=warsaw

Happy Furry Day!

http://www.timetravel-britain.com/columns/traditions/traditions03.shtml

China continues to amaze me with their exports

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/may/07/south-korea-drugs-dead-babies?newsfeed=true

I used to complain that everything they made was based on lead, asbestos, and anti-freeze.  Clearly, they've taken the criticism to heart and expanded the list of components....

Dinosaurs In The News!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/dinosaurs/9172233/Exploding-dinosaur-myth-burst-by-scientists.html
Leave it to the Swiss to kill my fun.  I, for one, will always believe in exploding dinosaurs.  It's just too cool not to be true!


Pull My Claw:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/dinosaurs/9250032/Dinosaurs-passing-wind-may-have-caused-climate-change.html

The cutting edge of flea-bitten!  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/dinosaurs/9114907/Giant-Jurassic-fleas-may-have-fed-on-feathered-dinosaurs.html

(Thanks for the links, Infidel753!)

Irony....

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/05/04/former-guns-ammo-editor-charged-in-arizona-slaying/

Catching a Tiger (tank)

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/the-heroic-wwii-mission-to-capture-a-deadly-820143

A fascinating tale from WWII.  I do rather wonder if the tank really did fire on a u-boat, however....(I can't imagine that it was kept with ammo loaded on, nor what such an action might do to the deck of a ship hauling it). 

The ultimate fialure at a dog obstacle course...

http://www.wimp.com/dogcourse/


(Thanks for the link, Millie!)

Tomcats flying with Sukhois

http://defensetech.org/2012/01/30/monday-eye-candy-tomcats-and-sukhois-what/#comment-270748

The world gets a little stranger.


(Thanks for the link, Nick!)

Happy Birthday Darren McGavin!

http://www.darrenmcgavin.net/

Happy Birthday Gabby Hayes!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0371025/

Happy National Roast Leg Of Lamb Day!

Yum!

An alternate wind energy concept

http://tywkiwdbi.blogspot.com/2012/05/new-wind-energy-concept.html


Pretty neat!

(Thanks for the link, Infidel753!)

Happy Birthday Orson Welles!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000080/

Happy Birthday, Satisfaction!

Keith Richards came up with the riff for Satisfaction on this date in 1965.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a7cHPy04s8

Cthulhu Dog Tags

http://arkhambazaar.com/dagon-industries-inc./cthulhu-dog-tag

Wuss America

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/6-year-old-boy-suspended-from-colorado-school-for-sexual-harassment-after-quoting-pop-song/2012/05/04/gIQAPASc1T_story.html

We see this again and again.  There really does seem to be a trend in this country.  The requirement for serving on a school board, or being a school administrator is that you have to be incredibly stupid, hidebound, petty, authoritarian, wildly unrealistic, inflexible, short-sighted, immature, reality-rejecting, and completely lacking in any sense of judgement, perspective, humor or patience - all on the public dime.  Frankly, I'd rather deal with the first grader...


(Thanks for the link, Mike!)

My next lair....

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/05/03/heres-your-chance-to-own-navy-stealth-ship/?hpt=hp_c3

Can't you just see this cruising up the Potomac?


(Thanks for the link, Dennis!)

Happy Birthday Bob Seger!

http://www.bobseger.com/index/home

Happy National Oyster Day!

Yum!

http://www.harriscrabhouse.com/menu.htm

Happy Herb Day!

http://www.herbday.org/

Happy National Hoagie Day!

Yum!

Your job isn't that bad, after all....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/03/zoo-keeper-licks-monkeys-butt_n_1475873.html


(Thanks for the link, Mike!)

Mike is running for Prez!

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/wtf-headless-chicken-announces-presidential-candidacy/

Fun stuff!  For those of you out of the loop, Fruita was where my Mother grew up, and I spent many a pleasant Summer.  There really was a Mike, he really was headless.


(Thanks for the link, Barb!)

Happy Birthday to The Mummy! (remake)

Premiered on this date in 1999.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120616/

Happy Birthday Dick Dale!

http://www.dickdale.com/

Happy National Homebrew Day!

Yum!

The Viewtron - a proto Internet

http://gizmodo.com/5907450/atts-1983-solution-for-information-overload-is-retro+futuristic
Fun stuff!


(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

Happy Birthday to The Black Cat!

Premiered on this date in 1934.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024894/

Happy Birthday, Cocoanuts!

Premiered on this date in 1929.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0019777/

Happy Birthday Frankie Valli!

http://www.frankievallifourseasons.com/

Happy Birthday James Brown!

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

Happy Birthday Pete Seeger!

http://www.peteseeger.net/

Happy Paranormal Day!

http://www.answers.com/topic/paranormal-day

Happy Nettle Day!

http://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/may_day.htm

Thanksgiving Fashion

http://www.neatoshop.com/product/Turkey-Hat

Cthulhu Bottle Opener!

http://www.neatoshop.com/product/Cthulhu-Bottle-Opener?tag=8581

Dulles Airport Sucks

http://www.wtop.com/109/2850167/Dulles-one-of-the-worst-airports-BWI-one-of-the-best

Understandable.  My worst experiences with the parasitic thugs at TSA have been there.  Interestingly, Portland, Oregon's airport showed TSA off at their finest - pleasant to the point of cheerful, efficient, etc.  I've always suspected that the close timeline between the closing of the Lorton Prison here and the beefing up of TSA at Dulles were NOT a coincidence. 

Happy Birthday, Miracle On 34th Street!

Premiered on this date in 1947.  (Why not in November?!?)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039628/

Happy Birthday Link Wray!

http://www.wraysshack3tracks.com/

Happy Birthday Lesley Gore!

http://www.lesleygore.com/

Happy Ducking Day!

http://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/may_day.htm

Saturn and Beyond...

http://vimeo.com/40234826

A beautiful video from Space.


(Thanks for the link, Dennis!)

John Peel's Musical Archives - Online!!!!

http://thespace.org/items/s000004u

This is an incredible resource.  I mean, seriously.


(Thanks for the link, Erik!)

The Ultimate Amazon.com Reviews

http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B000KKNQBK/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

These are hysterical!


(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

Anniversary of the founding of the Illuminatus

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

Anniversary of the end of the Marymount Community in 1628

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Morton_%28colonist%29

Happy Birthday Judy Collins

http://www.judycollins.com/index1.php

Happy Birthday Louis Nye!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0638574/bio

May is Zombie Awareness Month

http://zombieresearchsociety.com/zombie-awareness

Happy May Day!

http://www.theholidayspot.com/mayday/history.htm

Happy Halfoween!

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=halfoween