Weirdness: December 2013

We're busy starting to take down all of our decorations. It's going to take at least a week, (we're in no great hurry). As I've written in past, my relationship with the Holiday Season is long, complicated and at times contradictory. But there is some enjoyment putting them up, (perhaps based on childhood memories of same), and there is a little touch of sadness in taking them back down.

The Recipe

http://www.food.com/recipe/ice-cubes-420398

Happy Birthday Alex Chilton!

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

Happy Birthday Nichelle Nichols!

http://www.uhura.com/

The Orchid Mantis

http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2013/12/terrifying-pink-orchid-mantis/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+colossal+%28Colossal%29
Pretty neat camouflage!

(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

Newspaper and magazine layout disasters

http://www.buzzfeed.com/lukelewis/newspaper-and-magazine-layout-disasters

Fun stuff!

(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

An interesting article about the history of, and collecting, boomboxes

http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/how-boomboxes-got-so-badass/

A new theory about the Dyatlov Pass Incident

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread989559/pg1
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2528696/Dyatlov-Pass-incident-Has-mystery-nine-skiers-died-Siberian-wilderness-1959-SOLVED-Author-claims-new-scientific-explanation.html?ico=home^headlinesAn

I don't think that I'm buying this...

Christmas is a time for Family

http://www.ohio.com/news/christmas-night-fight-between-sisters-over-apple-fritters-ends-in-stabbing-1.455161?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
http://www.breitbart.com/InstaBlog/2013/12/26/Teen-Arrested-For-Pulling-Knife-on-Dad-After-Not-Getting-iPhone-for-Xmas

Happy Birthday Mike Pinder!

http://www.mikepinder.com/

Happy Birthday Marlene Dietrich!

http://www.marlene.com/index.html

Happy Birthday Sydney Greenstreet!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002113/

Happy National Fruitcake Day!

Yum!

God Damnit - STOP LOOKING AT ME!

http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/plugged-in/dino-eyes-watching-creepy-illusion-212150695.html

(Thanks for the link, Mike!)

Not-So-Easy Rider...

https://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=No_vqA2A3KY&%20feature=related

(Thanks for the link, Mike!)

Stocking Stuffers...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/25/christmas-babies-giant-stockings-photos_n_4501874.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009

Some great reviews on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Avoid-Huge-Ships-John-Trimmer/dp/0870334336/ref=sr_1_1?tag=ohmy0c-20

Happy Birthday to Monterey Pop!

Premiered on this date in 1968.

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

Happy Birthday to I Want To Hold Your Hand!

Released on this date in the U.S. in 1963.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMNPPwq8I2Y

Happy Birthday Steve Allen!

http://www.steveallen.com/main_page/index.html

Happy Birthday Elisha Cook!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0176879/

One of the great character actors.

Happy Birthday Thomas Nelson, Jr.!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Nelson,_Jr.

A Patriot.

Happy National Candy Cane Day!

Yum!

Happy Wren Day!

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

Happy Boxing Day!

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

My Hometown!

http://www.wusa9.com/news/article/287240/168/Santa-Claus-shot-with-pellet-gun-at-DC-toy-giveaway?source=nletter-

Feel the Love...

Happy Birthday to The Exorcist!

Premiered on this date in 1973.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070047/

Happy Birthday Shane MacGowan!

http://shanemacgowan.com/

Happy Birthday Rod Serling!

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/rod-serling/about-rod-serling/702/

Happy Birthday Cab Calloway!

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

Happy Birthday Humphrey Bogart!

http://humphreybogart.com/

Happy National Pumpkin Pie Day!

Yum!

Merry Christmas!

Santa has started!

http://www.noradsanta.org/

What to do if a bear attacks

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newsvideo/viral-video/10179925/TV-reporters-bear-safety-tips-demonstration-goes-viral.html

Ho-hum, I pretty much behave this way all of the time, regardless...

(Thanks for the link, Mike!)

Happy Birthday Fritz Leiber!

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

National Eggnog Day!

Yum!

Lovecraft - Twas the Night Before Solstice...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9vsLGAsyxQ

Brilliant!

a reminder - NORAD is getting ready to track Santa...

http://www.noradsanta.org/

The Art of Santa

http://www.fastcodesign.com/3023664/santa-hilariously-invades-famous-works-of-art?partner=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feedburner+fastcodesign&utm_content=feedburner

These are pretty cute!

(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

Happy Birthday to The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly!

Premiered on this date in 1966.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060196/

Happy Festivus!

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

Happy Tom Bawcock's Eve!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Bawcock%27s_Eve

Happy Human Light Celebration!

http://americanhumanist.org/HNN/details/2012-12-how-to-celebrate-humanlight-a-december-holiday-for-h

Happy Roots Day!

http://www.punchbowl.com/holidays/roots-day

Happy Birthday to The Crisis!

Fist published on this date in 1776.

http://www.ushistory.org/PAINE/crisis/

Dinosaur Porn In Trouble?

http://io9.com/amazon-is-making-it-harder-to-sell-bigfoot-porn-1488007285
Sigh, soon it will be driven underground - once again sold by grimy little paleontologists hanging around school yards... And how can we ignore the many studies showing the hidden psychological scars inflicted on young and impressionable minds by images of a scantily clad tyrannosaurus rex? WHO WILL PROTECT THE CHILDREN?!?

Happy Birthday to My Name Is Trinity!

Premiered on this date in 1970.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067355/

Happy Birthday to The Mummy!

Premiered on this date in 1932.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mummy_%281932_film%29

Happy Birthday James Burke!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Burke_%28science_historian%29

Happy Birthday to The President's Analyst!

One of my faves. Premiered on this date in 1967.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062153/

Happy Birthday Vampira!

http://www.vampirasattic.com/

Happy Birthday Frank Zappa!

http://www.zappa.com/whatsnew/

Happy National Kiwi Fruit Day!

Yum!

Happy National Hamburger Day!

http://www.fiveguys.com/

Yum!

Happy Mumping Day!

http://www.infoplease.com/dictionary/brewers/mumping-day.html

Happy Solstice/Midwinter's Day!

The Homecoming....

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-widow-reunited-missing-pows-remains-20131220,0,6709931.story#axzz2o4CSeQxk

So much going on in this story - love, loss, loyalty, and hope - alive and dashed.

Crozet Pizza Wins Again!

http://www.zagat.com/b/50-state-50-pizzas?utm_source=outbrain&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=desktopboost#46

Best Pizza in Virginia!

Cancel my appointments

http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/20131113002723.shtml

No wonder I hear voices....

http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/20131119043537.shtml

No mention of Snoopy

http://militaryhistorynow.com/2013/12/13/rules-of-engagement-8-air-combat-maxims-the-red-baron-used-to-conquer-the-skies/

The most successful nazi interrogator

http://militaryhistorynow.com/2013/12/18/we-have-ways-of-making-you-talk-kindness-not-torture-yielded-more-for-intel-for-this-nazi-interrogator/
Interesting. I'd never heard of this guy before now. Of course the Spanish Inquisition was way ahead of him...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSe38dzJYkY

Organizations that will not die

http://www.strangehistory.net/2013/12/20/montanelli-and-the-martyrs-of-spielberg/

The top cryptozoological stories of 2013

http://www.cryptozoonews.com/top-cz-2013/

A Phil Ochs concert recording online!

http://pastdaily.com/2013/12/19/phil-ochs-concert-dorweiler-germany-1968-happy-birthday-phil-ochs-dec-19-1940-nights-roundtable-birthday-edition/

Very cool...

Happy Birthday to The Graduate!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061722/

Premiered on this date in 1967.

Happy Birthday Billy Bragg!

http://www.billybragg.co.uk/

Happy National Fried Shrimp Day!

Yum!

http://www.blueridgeseafood.com/

Seasons Greetings Form The Glasgow School of Art

http://vimeo.com/81818940

This is pretty cute, especially for those of you into computers and electronic thingies...

(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

How The Media Will Report The Apocalypse

http://www.buzzfeed.com/tomphillips/how-the-media-will-report-the-apocalypse

This...Is...Classic.....

(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

Beautifully disturbing paintings

http://lazerhorse.org/2013/05/12/terrifying-visions-hell-murdered-polish-painter/

I've never heard of this guy before. Amazing images!

(Thanks for the link,Dennis!)

Happy Birthday Phil Ochs!

http://www.sonnyochs.com/philbio.html

Happy Chewidden!

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

Whining about wine

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/12/18/255241685/the-man-who-duped-millionaires-into-paying-big-bucks-for-fake-wine

Tee hee!

Some new Cthulhu Mythos t-shirts!

http://www.redbubble.com/people/retroreview/works/10240444-refuse-tyranny-obey-cthulhu

(Thanks for the link, Bill!)

Cthurkey!!!

http://metro.co.uk/2013/12/17/monster-of-a-christmas-meal-cthurkey-is-a-horrifying-hybrid-of-crab-turkey-and-octopus-4233799/

I'm hungry!

(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

An interview with Brad Steiger

http://apmagazine.info/index.php/component/content/article?id=476

There's an interesting story about John Keel in this...

Happy Birthday to How The Grinch Stole Christmas!

Premiered on this date in 1966.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060345/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2

Happy Birthday to For A Few Dollars More!

Premiered on this date in 1965. My favorite spaghetti western.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059578/

Happy Birthday Christopher Fry!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Fry
My favorite playwright. His play, The Lady's Not For Burning, is my fave play. It features a wonderful character named Thomas Mendip...

Happy Birthday Keith Richards!

http://www.keithrichards.com/

Happy Birthday Michael Moorcock!

http://www.multiverse.org/

Happy National Roast Suckling Pig Day!

Yum!

Beer Geek Gifts

http://www.parade.com/241589/jackiedodd/9-gifts-for-beer-geeks/

A couple of these look pretty tempting, actually...

New remasters on the way from Bruce?

http://theseconddisc.com/2013/12/17/is-bruce-working-on-new-remasters/

A collection of fun Christmas decorations

http://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicamisener/19-totally-amusing-christmas-decorations

(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

Happy Birthday to The Simpsons!

Premiered on this date in 1989.

http://www.thesimpsons.com/

Happy Birthday to Night of the Demon!

Premiered on this date in 1957. One of my favorite horror movies.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050766/

Happy Birthday Paul Rodgers!

http://www.paulrodgers.com/

Happy Birthday Eddie Kendricks!

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

Happy National Maple Syrup Day!

http://berkshiresweetgold.com/BSG-6-09/index.html

Happy Saturnalia!

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

Wuss America

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/os-rainbow-loom-bracelets-banned-20131213,0,5900542.story

Anniversary of an American victory

This date marks the beginning of Germany's last great (and strategic) offensive in WWII - the Battle of the Bulge. I consider myself something of a student of this conflict. I won't bore you with details, (one could easily write a book); but will say that it's example explodes a variety of myths that the current crop of so-called history TV networks seem to subscribe to - that the nazis really were super men. I, for one, am tired of seeing shows claiming that they were hours away from winning through sheer technological genius, and/or equipment, training, dedication, snazzy uniforms, etc.
The Bulge was a near-total failure of Allied intelligence gathering and interpretation. And it led to a massive surprise attack - no doubt about it. But over the course of the next ten days, it showed Americans bending, but never breaking, against overwhelming odds. It showed how brilliant we were at innovation, logistics and command, bordering if not surpassing genius. And it showed that the Yank could go toe to toe with the nazi and win - with just as much dedication and courage as the modern propagandists for the other side now claim. In 30 days it was over, the lines were essentially back to where they'd been on December 15th, and Germany's strategic reserve had been totally destroyed.

Happy Birthday Billy Gibbons!

http://www.zztop.com/

Happy Birthday Benny Andersson!

http://www.biography.com/people/benny-andersson-17168238

Anniversary of the Boston Tea Party

http://www.bostonteapartyship.com/

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/teaparty.htm

The Williams-Sonoma catoog - an alternnate take

http://deadspin.com/the-2013-haters-guide-to-the-williams-sonoma-catalog-1481230580

(Thanks for the link, Infidel 753 !)

My kind of garden...

http://io9.com/when-spring-comes-round-again-lets-all-go-to-the-pois-1483607353?utm_campaign=socialflow_io9_facebook&utm_source=io9_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

The Pink Tutu Project

http://www.buzzfeed.com/maycie/this-guy-travelled-the-country-in-a-pink-tutu-just-to-make-h

Very cool. The definition of a good spouse. You'll excuse me now, there seems to be a speck of sand in my eye...

RIP Peter O'Toole

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/12/15/251310592/peter-otoole-star-of-lawrence-of-arabia-dies

Gifts for that Special Someone

http://www.divinesecretsofadomesticdiva.com/2013/11/19/4th-annual-bad-holiday-gift-guide-10-gifts-so-bad-theyre-actually-awesome/

My annual plug for NORAD tracking Santa

http://www.noradsanta.org/

I've always thought that this was a cute idea. At the risk of appearing churlish, though, I wish that the graphics were more hi-tech and state of the art.

Wreaths Across America comes to Arlington

http://www.stripes.com/news/us/thousands-converge-on-arlington-for-wreaths-across-america-event-1.257706

I've written about this before, and will undoubtedly do so again next Holiday Season. One can debate the spending of time and money on such a project. But, there is something very moving about it, at least to me. Arlington is always such, but the view of it with all of those wreaths really is something.

The kid who made do...

http://www.viralnova.com/made-toys/

This is very cool...

Happy Birthday Young Frankenstein!

Premiered on this date in 1974. Great film.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072431/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Happy Birthday to One, Two, Three!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055256/

One of my all-time favorite movies. Premiered on this date in 1961.

Happy Birthday Alan Freed!

http://www.alanfreed.com/

Happy Birthday Dave Clark!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Clark_%28musician%29

Happy Birthday Tim Conway!

http://www.timconway.com/

Happy Birthday John Hammond. Sr.!

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/hammond-mn0000082997

Happy Birthday Samuel Blatchley Webb!

http://tahwsu.net/pdfs/trips/SamuelBlatchleyBio.pdf

A Patriot.

Happy Bill of Rights Day!

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html

A Japanese connection to the Roswell incident?

http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2013/12/did-japan-invade-roswell/

Neat insect spray promotion

http://gizmodo.com/this-clever-bug-spray-billboard-is-actually-a-giant-ins-505532686

New Beatles box set...

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/beatles-box-set-to-reissue-all-u-s-albums-20131212

Today's touching story of family love

http://www.tmz.com/2013/12/13/howard-stern-contest-johnny-orris-prostitute-bunny-ranch-dennis-hof/

A new DVD dealing with The Doors!

http://bedazzled.blogs.com/bedazzled/2013/12/the-doors-new-december-dvd-r-evolution-makes-for-r-evaluation-of-the-band-by-astro-mocker-.html#more

Happy Birthday to I'm Gonna Git You, Sucka!

Premiered on this date in 1988.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095348/

Happy Birthday Patty Duke!

http://www.officialpattyduke.com/

Happy Brithday Morey Amsterdam!

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

Happy Birthday Spike Jones!

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

Happy Halcyon Days!

http://www.answers.com/topic/halcyon-days-1

A cool handmade beer mug

http://www.instructables.com/id/Viking-beer-mug-no-power-tools-no-tools-at-all/?ALLSTEPS

Mysterious dimes...

http://www.ghosttheory.com/2013/12/09/disturbing-things-kids-have-said-when-talking-about-their-imaginary-friends

This brings up an interesting family story. My father in law passed away about 18 years ago. His cremated remains were placed in a columbarium inside a concrete niche, sealed with a metal name plate. About six years ago, my mother in law also passed away, and her remains were placed with her husband's. Upon unsealing the chamber, three dimes were seen to have been placed upright and leaning on the front of the husband's little box of ashes. The woman running the little burial, who was quite experienced in such things had never seen anything like that before, and asked the family about it. My brothers in law, who were the only ones to have attended the original funeral, weren't responsible, nor did they see any of the workmen placing anything, much less coinage, in the niche before sealing it. I've done a reasonably thorough search of burial and grave decoration and symbolism, and can't find a reference to anything that really matches what we saw. Here's a couple of articles:
http://whofortedblog.com/2012/06/27/currency-dead-leave-coins-graves/

http://www.snopes.com/military/coins.asp

Interesting enough, but they don't really match what I'm talking about - coins rather strategically placed by a stranger in a sealed niche, that might well never have been opened again. If you know of any significance or symbolism to three dimes, I'd appreciate hearing from you. (And the number 3 had no special significance in the man's life - it was not the number of wives, siblings, children, date of birth, death, wedding anniversary, etc.). It's a real mystery to me - a total stranger to the man and his family, almost certainly a worker detailed with sealing the chamber, carefully placed three dimes on their edge, leaning against the container of remains, and spaced evenly apart, facing the entrance. And then sealed it all up. Why?

Tales of imaginary friends

http://www.ghosttheory.com/2013/12/09/disturbing-things-kids-have-said-when-talking-about-their-imaginary-friends

The first phone - 1.200 years old!

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/ideas-innovations/Theres-a-1200-year-old-Phone-in-the-Smithsonian-Collections-231152081.html

Fascinating!

Anyone who's watched 5 Million Years To Earth is now shuddering

http://www.columbian.com/news/2013/dec/11/mysterious-object-blocks-seattle-tunnel-drilling/

Here's what's going to happen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5xPvFjPhkQ

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quatermass_and_the_Pit_%28film%29

I shall be constipated for the rest of my life...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/12/snake-bit-penis-kwabena-nkrumah_n_4432263.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009

Greed and shopping can be painful...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2520753/Chinese-boyfriend-jumped-death-girlfriend-insisted-going-clothes-shop.html

A real life X-files episode

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/secluded-hills-hid-a-familys-darkest-secret-20131206-2ywps.html

This reminds me of one of the spookiest X-Files episodes, "Home"...

EEEWWW!!!

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/dec/07/experience-new-species-up-my-nose?CMP=fb_gu

Happy Birthday to the Patti Smith album, Horses!

One of my faves. Released on this date in 1975.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horses_%28album%29

Happy Birthday Dick Van Dyke!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001813/

Happy Ice Cream Day!

http://justinesicecreamparlor.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_cream_cone

Happy Friday the 13th!

I will live forever...

http://www.businessinsider.com/abstaining-from-alcohol-significantly-shortens-life-2013-12

Happy Birthday to The Wolf Man! (the film)

Premiered on this date in 1941.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034398/

Happy Birthday Robin Tyner!

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

Happy Birthday Karl Wagner!

http://karledwardwagner.org/

One of my favorite fantasy/horror/sword & sorcery writers.

Happy Birthday Dionne Warwick!

http://www.dionnewarwick.net/

Happy Birthday Edward G. Robinson!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000064/

Happy Birthday John Jay!

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

Happy Picrous Day!

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

Happy Birthday to the Capitol Steps!

Started on this date in 1981, DC's hometown comedians.

http://www.capsteps.com/

Happy Birthday to V For Vendetta!

Premiered on this date in 2005.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0434409/

Happy Birthday George Mason!

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

http://www.gunstonhall.org/georgemason/

Happy Birthday Isaac Shelby!

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

A Patriot.

Wuss America

http://www.wtop.com/346/3521985/Colorado-6-year-old-suspended-for-kissing-a-girl

And by the way, Canon City isn't in southern Colorado, it's damn close to the center of the state. Learn to read a fucking map....

The Christmas Spirit

http://happyplace.someecards.com/28061/man-tries-and-fails-to-cut-down-christmas-tree-as-wife-laughs

Happy Birthday CBGB's!

Opened on this date in 1973.

http://www.cbgb.com/

Happy Birthday Emily Dickinson!

http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/155

Happy National Lager Day!

Yum!

http://www.stonebrew.com/

Happy Human Rights Day!

http://www.un.org/en/events/humanrightsday/

Wuss America - and Wuss Huffpost

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/26/original-ronald-mcdonald-first_n_4344630.html

I am no fan of McDonald's, but it's the low point of wussiness to label Willard's Ronald clown as some sort of horrifying nightmare. Sheesh! I remember this character quite well, and it was harmless - at least as harmless as any other corporate shilling going on at the time. I'd also point out that the article implies that Willard played the character, but didn't invent him. Wrong. Mac owes Willard, big time, for creating their mascot. He even still has the original costume and has joked how Micky D has offered to buy it, but won't meet his price of millions of dollars...
As for the wimps at Huffpost - grow a pair.... And, by the way, putting this under the heading of "Business" is really fucking lame - you shitting your drawers over a photo from the 60's is hardly news for capitalism, (Oops! Didn't mean to scare you with naughty language, Huff - Sorry! I'll pay for the underwear washing....)

The Coma...

http://thedailywhat.cheezburger.com/share/56811521

New book coming out exploring the mythology of Dionysos

http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalogue/gods_goddesses/dionysos-exciter-to-frenzy/

Happy Birthday to Charlie Brown Christmas!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059026/

Premiered on this date in 1965.

Happy Birthday Dalton Trumbo!

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

Happy Birthday Michael Dorn!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000373/

Happy Birthday Neil Innes!

http://www.neilinnes.org/

Happy Birthday Margaret Hamilton!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002121/

Happy Birthday Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001195/

Happy Birthday Joan Armatrading!

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

Bravo, Elton!

http://www.nme.com/news/elton-john--2/74295

I've always hated fascists like Putey. And it's somewhat hypocritical of a dictator who uses nothing but homo-erotic photos of himself in his propaganda photos to suddenly condemn it.

Operation Dead Mouse Drop

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/operation--mouse-drop-163310851.html

Cthulhu Pickles

http://www.ck-ranch.com/Coming-soon-Cthulhu-Pickles-Cthulhu.htm

A Guide to Breakfast Cereal Characters

http://www.lavasurfer.com/cereal-guide.html

I love the Internet.

Puppy guilt

http://viralcircus.com/30-naughtiest-dogs-youll-crack-up-when-you-find-out-what-they-did/

(Thanks for the link, Nancy!)

The neatest little igloo that you're going to see today

http://www.viralnova.com/backyard-igloo/

(Thanks for the link, Nancy!)

Snow and DC

I have whined before how awful snowfall is to the DC area. One of our many problems is the weatherdrones who do the predicting. You might as well use phrenology. Weather is a big business in the news media here. There's over a hundred years of detailed records and experience, many dozens of local weather data gathering stations, satellites, radar, and a small army of meteorologists, each armed with gigabytes of computer programs - all of which leads to...nothing. They can predict the weather around here with a great amount of accuracy about 3 hours ahead of time. Which is what I can do, based upon my growing up here and recognizing simple sky patterns, the breeze and temperature, etc. Billions of dollars and man hours for nothing, as opposed to just hanging around and being observant. As I am typing this, the various reports all boil down to the following:
1. We may or not see precipitation today, and it may start sometime this morning.
2. If there is precipitation, it will either be rain, sleet or snow.
3. If it is snow, there may be accumulations ranging from the merest dusting, to up to three inches.

Such a forecast may be made for about 99% of the days between November 1st to April 1st for our area - both past and future years. Any day. There is almost no way for such an alleged prediction to be totally wrong, it is so heavily couched and padded. Gypsy fortune tellers must be wailing into their beer about how, instead of making a hundred here and there off of their scams, they could have had lucrative six figure careers, if they'd just looked skyward rather than at palms. Pity the poor Tarot reader...

Anniversary of the assassination of John Lennon

http://www.johnlennon.com/

Happy Birthday Flip Wilson!

http://www.biography.com/people/flip-wilson-37305

Happy Birthday Sinead O'Connor!

http://www.sineadoconnor.com/

Happy Birthday Jerry Butler!

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

Happy Birthday Jim Morrison!

https://thedoors.com/

A performance of A Christmas Carol - in the original Klingon

http://www.cbtheatre.org/plays/productions/kcc-2013/kcc-2013-main.html

(Thanks for the link, Dennis!)

Happy Birthday Eli Wallach!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0908919/

Happy Birthday Vlad Tepes!

Mr. Excitement!

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

Happy Birthday Tom Waits!

http://www.tomwaits.com/

Happy Birthday Harry Chapin!

http://www.harrychapinmusic.com/

Happy Birthday Allan B. Calhamer!

The creator of the game, Diplomacy. One of the greatest board games ever invented.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_B._Calhamer

Happy Letter Writing Day!

http://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/letter-writing-day/

Today is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

http://www.nps.gov/valr/index.htm

RIP Colin Wilson

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

Brian Epstein biopic on the way

http://collider.com/the-fifth-beatle-peyton-reed/

The Record Collector's Guild

http://www.recordcollectorsguild.org/index.php

A valuable resource for all of us into collecting music.

A short history of Yankee Doodle

http://allthingsliberty.com/2013/12/short-history-yankee-doodle/

Would have preferred that this be the National Anthem, rather than that unsingable Star Spangled Banner.