Weirdness: October 2014

Commemorating Unknown Soldiers

http://militaryhistorynow.com/2014/10/27/known-but-to-god-how-the-world-commemorates-its-unknown-soldiers/
A nice article. The Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington is one of the three sites on the top of my list when visitors ask what to see while touring DC. One addendum - there is an official Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier. It is perhaps one of the most obscure historical items in DC, not even known to many long time residents. It's located at the cemetery of the old Presbyterian Meeting House in Old Town Alexandria.

DC is #6 for Vampires, Baltimore is #3

http://patch.com/district-columbia/georgetown/dc-ranks-best-city-be-vampire-list-0

We've always been known for our blood suckers...

Happy Birthday Tom Paxton!

http://www.tompaxton.com/

Happy Birthday Bud Spencer!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0817881/

Happy Birthday to The Lincoln Highway!

Dedicated on this date in 1913.

http://www.lincolnhighwayassoc.org/

Happy Nos Calan Gaeaf!

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

Happy Nutcrack Night!

http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-nut1.htm

Happy National Carve A Pumpkin Day!

http://www.zombiepumpkins.com/

Happy National Candy Apple Day!

Yum!

Happy National Magic Day!

http://magicsam.com/national-magic-week-press-page/

Happy Allantide!

http://childrensbooks.suite101.com/blog.cfm/allan_day

Happy Halloween!!!

An explanation of the Lovecratian city of R'Lyeh

http://mentalfloss.com/article/59676/weird-physics-hp-lovecrafts-corpse-city-rlyeh

A unified field theory of Cthulhu. I like it!

Halloween Happenings in Virginia

http://www.virginia.org/halloween/?adref=fb1014halloweenevents#NV

Anniversary of the radio broadcast of The War Of The Worlds

In 1938. Probably the most famous radio broadcast, ever.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_%28radio_drama%29

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6YNHq1qc44

Happy Haunted Refrigerator Night!

http://www.wellcat.com/october/haunted_refrigerator_night.htm

Happy Halloween Eve!

A/K/A:
Devil's/Cabbage/Tick-Tack/Mischief/Corn/Goosy/ Trick/ Gate/ Beggars Night

Happy Birthday Grace Slick!

http://www.jeffersonairplane.com/the-band/grace-slick/

Happy Birthday Otis Williams!

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

Happy Birthday Ruth Gordon!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002106/

Happy Halloween Week!

Tonight is the Night of the Recent Dead.

http://life.paperblog.com/it-s-halloween-week-let-s-celebrate-83593/

Happy Punkie Night!

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

Happy National Candy Corn Day!

Yum!

The First Space Walk

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/2014/newsspec_9035/index.html

A very brave and resourceful man, and a great story.

Churchill's Moment of Revenge

http://www.strangehistory.net/2014/10/28/churchill-urinating-germany/

The Butchers' Secret Language

http://blogs.theage.com.au/lifestyle/allmenareliars/archives/2006/08/the_secret_lang.html

Happy Birthday N.O.W.!

Founded on this date in 1966.

http://now.org/

Happy Birthday Ralph Bakshi!

https://ralphbakshi.com/
Wizards is one of my favorite movies.

Happy Birthday Bill Mauldin!

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

Genius. Essential. One of the greatest cartoonists of all time.

Happy Halloween Week!

Tonight is the Night of Remembrance of Forgotten Ancestors.

http://life.paperblog.com/it-s-halloween-week-let-s-celebrate-83593/

Happy Birthday to the Internet!

http://www.computerhistory.org/atchm/october-29-1969-happy-40th-birthday-to-a-radical-idea/

Irony and the Game of Operation

http://www.wpxi.com/news/entertainment/operation-game-creator-cant-afford-his-own-operati/nhs9R/

(Thanks for the link, Mike!)

What If Google Was A Guy?

This is pretty neat!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuOBzWF0Aws

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B759dzymyoc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJD1Iwy5lUY

The Spirit Of Halloween From Smithsonian/Folkways

http://www.folkways.si.edu/the-spirit-of-halloween/music/playlist/smithsonian

A neat collection of songs, stories and poems from the archives.

Happy Birthday Elsa Lanchester!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006471/

Happy Birthday John Laurens!

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

A Patriot.

Happy Halloween Week!

Tonight is The Night of Remembrance For Pets & Animals.

http://life.paperblog.com/it-s-halloween-week-let-s-celebrate-83593/

Happy Wild Foods Day!

http://www.food.com/food-holidays/wild-foods-day-1028

LoveCraft Brewing!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/473587906/lovecraft-brewing-company
Very cool!

(Thanks for the link, Art!)

Happy Birthday to The Great Pumpkin!

Premiered on this date in 1966. A personal fave.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060550/

Happy Birthday to You Bet Your Life! (The radio show)

Premiered on this date in 1947.

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

Happy Birthday to The Federalist Papers!

The first one was published on this date in 1787.

http://www.foundingfathers.info/federalistpapers/

Happy Birthday Garry Tallent!

http://www.garrytallent.com/

Happy Birthday Lara Parker!

http://laraparkersite.blogspot.com/

Happy Birthday John Cleese!

http://www.thejohncleese.com/

Happy National Potato Day!

Yum!

Happy Halloween Week!

Tonight is the Night of The Nurterers.

http://life.paperblog.com/it-s-halloween-week-let-s-celebrate-83593/

Happy American Beer Day!

http://www.craftbeer.com/brewers-association

Yum!

A nice little article about the humble hourglass and its importance

http://unenumerated.blogspot.it/2013/07/a-very-underrated-invention.html

Happy National Pretzel Day!

http://www.juliussturgis.com/

Happy Birthday Doonesbury!

Premiered on this date in 1970.

http://doonesbury.washingtonpost.com/

Happy Birthday Natalie Merchant!

http://www.nataliemerchant.com/splash/

Happy Halloween Week!

Tonight is the Night of The Artists.

http://life.paperblog.com/it-s-halloween-week-let-s-celebrate-83593/

Happy All Hallows' Read Week!

http://www.allhallowsread.com/

Happy National Pumpkin Day!

http://www.punchbowl.com/holidays/national-pumpkin-day

Halloween & Class

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/10/23/rich-person-writes-letter-complaining-about-having-to-give-candy-to-poor-kids-on-halloween/

RIP Jack Bruce

http://dangerousminds.net/comments/r.i.p._jack_bruce_of_cream
I am really saddened by this....

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-29772926

Happy National Greasy Food Day!

http://www.food.com/food-holidays/greasy-foods-day-1025

Pumpkin Carving

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/17/inappropriate-pumpkins-photos_n_6004724.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000022&ir=Weird+News

Some Oldies But Goodies.

Let the Coffin Races Begin!

http://www.colorado.com/events/2014-manitou-springs-emma-crawford-coffin-races

http://www.emmacrawfordfestival.com/

I've always wanted to attend this!

Anniversary of The Charge Of The Light Brigade

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

Happy Halloween Week!

Tonight is the Night of Heroes & Martyrs.

http://life.paperblog.com/it-s-halloween-week-let-s-celebrate-83593/

Happy World Pasta Day!

http://www.pasta-unafpa.org/pasta-day.htm

The cutting edge of street busking

http://vimeo.com/109672232

Pretty neat!

(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

An interesting history/article on vampire hunting in Serbia in the 18th century

http://esoterx.com/2014/10/18/johannes-the-vampire-slayer-and-the-reluctant-revenants/

The Ultimate Halloween Prop

http://empirenews.net/man-dies-in-haunted-house-mistaken-for-prop-for-almost-2-weeks/

Happy Birthday Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid!

Premiered on this date in 1969.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064115/

Happy Birthday American Pie!

Released on this date in 1971.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Pie_%28song%29

Happy Frankenstein Friday!

http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/October/frankensteinfriday.htm

Happy Halloween Week!

Tonight is the Night of Seers.

Happy National Bologna Day!

Yum!

Charles Fort's Notes To Be made Available!

http://whofortedblog.com/2014/10/23/charles-forts-notes-will-become-available-shortly/

This'll be an excellent resource for Forteans.

Air New Zealand teaches travel safety, Hobbit-style

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152270728951572

Charming.

Headline of the Day

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/11174548/Rubber-ducks-can-kill-your-sex-drive-research-finds.html

Swiss Cream and hitler

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/creamer-packaging-features-dictator-mugs/41074650
Long time readers will remember that I've always viewed Switzerland's proclamations of neutrality and innocence during WWII as being against the facts. So I'm amused to see this "accident", (because no one in a company ever pays the slightest attention to marketing - oh no). Am also curious as to why a company would want the image of cigars associated with cream? I guess it's a fascist thing...

The Archaeology of Hollywood

http://www.livescience.com/48321-ten-commandments-sphinx-unearthed.html?cmpid=558444

From Ox Carts To Railways

http://www.strangehistory.net/2011/05/02/from-ox-carts-to-railways/

Happy Birthday Weird Al!

http://www.weirdal.com/

Happy Birthday Ellie Greenwich!

http://www.elliegreenwich.com/

Happy Birthday Johnny Carson!

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

Happy Birthday Thomas Pinckney!

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

A Patriot.

The occult influence on rock music

http://dangerousminds.net/comments/season_of_the_witch_how_the_occult_saved_rock_and_roll

An interesting, if too short, article and interview. It mentions Coven as a serious group in this area. I'd also add Black Widow to that little list.

The End of TSOP

http://www.prosoundnetwork.com/article/philly-intl-records-to-be-demolished/18497

What a sad end to a center of American pop culture.

(Thanks for the link, Tom!)

RIP Ben Bradlee

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/ben-bradlee-legendary-washington-post-editor-dies-at-93/2014/10/21/3e4cc1fc-c59c-11df-8dce-7a7dc354d1b1_story.html?wpisrc=al_comboPN

Happy Birthday to The Sterile Cuckoo!

Premiered on this date in 1969. One of my faves.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065037/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Happy Birthday to She Wore A Yellow Ribbon!

Premiered on this date in 1949.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041866/

Happy Birthday N.C. Wyeth!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._C._Wyeth

Happy Birthday Timothy Leary!

http://www.biography.com/people/timothy-leary-37330#synopsis

Happy Birthday Bobby Fuller!

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

Today is the Beginning of the Month of Brumaire in the French Revolutionary Calendar

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

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL CAPS LOCK DAY!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caps_lock#International_Caps_Lock_Day

Happy National Nut Day!

http://www.national-awareness-days.com/national-nut-day.html

The "miss hitler" contest

http://uproxx.com/webculture/2014/10/jew-hating-russian-women-are-competing-to-be-named-miss-hitler-2014/
I continue to be amazed at how people whom adolf would have gleefully enslaved or murdered continue to venerate him. His plans for Russia were beyond medieval. And these people are beyond stupid...

(Thanks for the link, Mike!)

Oysterfest is coming up in Maryland!

http://www.cbmm.org/oysterfest/

Happy Birthday to Trinity Is Still My Name

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068154/

Premiered on this date in 1971.

Happy Birthday Manfred Mann!

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

Happy Birthday Samuel Taylor Coleridge!

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

Happy National Caramel Apple Day!

Yum!

Ten Days Until Halloween!

Beauty By Lovecraft!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Beauty-by-H-P-Lovecraft/338508486325721

(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

Nixon's The One!

Anniversary of the Saturday Night Massacre of 1973.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/watergate/articles/102173-2.htm

Happy Birthday Carolyne Mas!

http://www.carolynemas.com/

One of my fave rock'n'rollers.

Happy Birthday Tom Petty!

http://www.tompetty.com/

Happy Birthday Bela Lugosi!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000509/

Happy Birthday Art Buchwald!

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

A Washington Institution for many years, a personal fave of mine, and a very nice man.

Happy Birthday Margaret Dumont!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0241669/

Happy Free Speech Week!

http://www.freespeechweek.org/

Bela's Lugosi's Dead - The Nine Hour Version

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOBe--9NqLU

Happy birthday Trey Parker!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005295/

Happy Birthday Tor Johnson!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0426363/

Anniversary of the War of Jenkin's Ear

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_Jenkins%27_Ear
Today is the anniversary of my favorite name for a war.

Happy Birthday Christian Febiger!

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

A Patriot.

Today is the anniversary fo the surrender at Yorktown in 1781

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

Happy Dorothy Parker Day!

http://www.dorothyparker.com/nj/

A nice interview with Cassandra Peterson (Elvira)

http://www.denofgeek.us/movies/cassandra-peterson/240290/cassandra-peterson-talks-elvira-elvis-and-evil-bong-in-exclusive-interview

Happy Birthday to The Bunnyman!

An authentic urban legend in NoVa. First sighted on this date in 1970.

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/vr/bunny/

Happy Birthday Laura Nyro!

http://www.lauranyro.com/

Happy Birthday Chuck Berry!

http://chuckberry.com/
One of my faves. The real King of Rock'N'Roll.

Happy Birthday Hollywood Squares!

Premiered on this date in 1966.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059995/

Happy Birthday Jim Seals!

http://www.sealsandcrofts.com/main.html

Happy Birthday Tom Poston!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0692976/

Happy National Pasta Day!

Yum!

http://www.pastavalente.com/

"look beautiful at your next dinner date"

http://thegrio.com/2014/10/16/sears-swastika-ring/?utm_source=crowdignite.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=crowdignite.com
I had no idea that Dachau was open for dining at this point. Well done, Sears - always on the cutting edge of looking beautiful.

Jim Henson (and IBM) take on the "Paperwork Explosion"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IZw2CoYztk&feature=youtu.be

I'm still waiting for the "thinking" part to come into play...

(Thanks for the link, Erik!)

Happy Dictionary Day!

https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/dictionary-day/

Fusion Energy Breakthrough?

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/15/us-lockheed-fusion-idUSKCN0I41EM20141015
We'll see. I know nothing of physics or engineering. I do know hype. In the 1950's, we were assured by these same types of people that fusion energy was but ten years off. In the the 1960's, they said it was twenty years off. In the 1970's, they told us that it was now 30 years away, (do you notice a pattern, here?). By the '80's the so-called experts FINALLY wised up, and stopped handing down predictions. I'll believe it when one of these generators is powering my flying car....

Anniversary of Marie Antoinette's beheading in 1793

One less parasite....

Anniversary of John Brown's Raid in 1959

http://www.civilwar.org/150th-anniversary/john-browns-harpers-ferry.html

Happy Birthday Nico!

http://smironne.free.fr/NICO/

Happy National Liqueur Day!

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

Yum!

Happy World Food Day!

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

Teh Life & Death of a Pumpkin

An oldie but goody

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-1aui-wluE

An interesting article about the present and future of books and publishing

http://www.economist.com/news/essays/21623373-which-something-old-and-powerful-encountered-vault

(Thanks for the link, Ed!)

A Celtic Cross On Mars...

http://www.examiner.com/article/irish-cross-embedded-mars-rock-opportunity-rover-photos-ancient-symbol

(Thanks for the link, Mike!)

Happy National Roast Pheasant Day!

Yum!

Happy Birthday Friedrich Nietzsche!

http://www.iep.utm.edu/nietzsch/

(Un)Happy National Grouch Day!

http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/National_Grouch_Day

Neat Bookstores!

http://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/gallery/2014/oct/10/weird-and-wonderful-bookshops-worldwide-in-pictures?utm_source=Publishers+Weekly&utm_campaign=ae4daaa506-UA-15906914-1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0bb2959cbb-ae4daaa506-305042341

We're #1! We're #1!

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=109&sid=3721668

The Paul Lynde Halloween Special

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4psTeRpQ-1o
This was a horrible little show from the late 70's. The reason that I'm posting it is that it was the last performance of Margaret Hamilton as a witch.

Happy Birthday Justin Hayward!

http://www.justinhayward.com/

Happy World Egg Day!

Yum!

The spookiest one minute film that you're going to see today

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/10/tuck-me-in-video_n_5965642.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000022&ir=Weird+News

Cthulhu Joins Amway

http://www.ncscooper.com/cthulhu-joins-amway/#.VDw_dXewQSN

The Horror!!!

Captain Worf News

http://trekmovie.com/2014/10/09/exclusive-michael-dorn-talks-capt-worf-star-trek-series-casting-details-go-ahead-timeframe-more/

Actually, if handled well, I'd love to see this as a series.

Night of the Sea Monkey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3OhK8a9f30

Why wasn't I told?

A nice article about visiting the Manassas Battlefield Park

http://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/civil-war/manassas-battlefield-park-illuminating-the-outset-of-the-civil-war/?mqsc=E3780601mqsc=E3780601&utm_source=WhatCountsEmail&utm_medium=warfare_history_full+Warfare%20History%20Daily%20Military%20History&utm_campaign=MH%20Commentary%2010/14/2014

The ultimate Halloween party?

http://www.romania-insider.com/romanias-bran-castle-hosts-dracula-themed-party-on-halloween/133330/?utm_source=Romania+-Insider.com+MAIN&utm_campaign=8260d6a6d4-13_oct_201410_12_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ece3d6d4cf-8260d6a6d4-405586489&ct=t%2813_oct_201410_12_2014%29

(Thanks for the link, Ed!)

The Mouth Blog Serenade

http://io9.com/please-permit-this-fleshy-mouth-blob-to-serenade-you-wi-1645482769

Happy Birthday Lenny Bruce!

http://www.lennybruceofficial.com/

Happy Birthday John Ford Coley!

http://www.johnfordcoley.com/

Happy Birthday Paul Simon!

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

Happy National Chess Day!

http://www.uschess.org/

Happy Birthday Joseph Graham!

http://amrevmuseum.org/reflections/career-general-joseph-graham-north-carolina

A Patriot.

Happy Indigenous People's Day!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_People%27s_Day

Happy Columbus Day!

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/columbus-day

We're gonna need a bigger tin of Old Bay...

http://www.express.co.uk/news/weird/521553/Giant-crab-spotted-off-British-coast

The Physicist who doesn't exist

http://io9.com/this-widely-cited-physicist-is-a-total-asshole-he-also-1645289295

The fist Velvet Underground recording - Discovered!?

http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/229143/mystery-package-lou-reed-mailed-to-himself-in-1965-could-contain-the-velvet-undergrounds-first-recording/

(Thanks for the link, Erik!)

Happy Birthday Love Happy!

Premiered on this date in 1949.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041604/

Happy Birthday Aleister Crowley!

http://hermetic.com/crowley/

Happy Birthday Sam Moore!

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

Happy Birthday Melvin Franklin!

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

Happy Farmers Day!

http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/October/oldfarmersday.htm

Happy Freerhought Day!

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

The Muppets on Dick Cavett!

http://dangerousminds.net/comments/jim_henson_and_muppets_1971_appearance

Headline and Story of the Day

http://www.strangehistory.net/2011/05/18/giving-corpses-acrid-enemas/

A modern Viking burial at sea

http://www.navytimes.com/article/20141002/NEWS03/310020066/Coast-Guard-gives

Britain's Dullest Men

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2777801/Drain-spotter-traffic-cone-collector-brick-fan-pin-ups-feature-calendar-Britain-s-boring-men.html

Drilling out demons

http://www.strangehistory.net/2014/10/07/drilling-demons-nineteenth-century-france/

Charming people...

The last nazi at war?

http://www.strangehistory.net/2010/06/27/nazi-kurt-captured-in-arctic-circle-in-1981/

I'm not sure how much of this I believe. Like the author of the article, I question how heavily he was provisioned, and how he managed thereafter.

The White Lily

https://medium.com/covilian-military-intelligence-group/the-white-lily-lydia-vladimitovna-litvyak-the-jewish-soviet-fighter-ace-b3c7afca6817

A female Jewish/Russian ace of WWII.

Lovecraft Book Purse

https://www.etsy.com/listing/165824762/hp-lovecraft-recycled-book-purse-sci-fi?ref=shop_home_active_4

Pretty neat!

Happy Birthday to Saturday Night Live!

Premiered on this date in 1975.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072562/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Happy Birthday to To Have And Have Not!

Premiered on this date in 1944.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037382/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Happy Birthday Mike Nelson!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0625621/

Happy Birthday Eleanor Roosevelt!

http://www.biography.com/people/eleanor-roosevelt-9463366

Only 20 Days Until Halloween!

Happy National Coming Out Day!

http://www.hrc.org/resources/entry/national-coming-out-day

Happy Natl Sausage Pizza Day!

http://crozetpizza.com/

Yum!

Happy It's My Party Day!

http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/October/itsmypartyday.htm

Happy General Pulaski Memorial Day!

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

Help Fight Cancer!

Unless it's unprofitable to do so....

http://wonkette.com/562965/susan-g-komen-doesnt-have-a-problem-with-cancer-as-long-as-its-pink

The Beatles Never Existed! Proof!

http://www.thebeatlesneverexisted.com/

I wonder which of the Pauls was the one who died?

(Thanks for the link, Kevin!)

Headline of the Day

http://metro.co.uk/2014/10/09/dwarf-stripper-got-bride-to-be-pregnant-on-her-hen-night-4899418/

Happy Birthday Diamond Dave!

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

Happy Birthday Kirsty MacColl!

http://www.kirstymaccoll.com/

Happy Birthday Ed Wood!

http://www.biography.com/people/ed-wood-251029

Happy Birthday Gerrard Winstanley!

http://spartacus-educational.com/STUwinstanley.htm

Happy World Egg Day!

https://www.internationalegg.com/corporate/eggindustry/section.asp?id=26

Yum!

Another DC murder mystery about to be solved?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/exhumed-body-in-alabama-could-be-notorious-bethesda-fugitive-brad-bishop/2014/10/09/393f95ec-4fca-11e4-aa5e-7153e466a02d_story.html?wprss=rss_homepage

Stone Brewery to open in Richmond

http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/stone-brewing-co-names-richmond-virginia-for-its-east-coast-facility.217909/

Sigh. On the one hand, I suppose that this will make it somewhat easier to get their more limited edition beers here.On the other hand, it's a pain in the ass to drive there from NoVa, and frankly, I've always considered the town to be a dump.

The Paper Airplane Gun!

http://twentytwowords.com/the-best-automatic-gun-ever-folds-and-shoots-paper-airplanes/

This is so cool!!!

(Thanks for the link, Chris!)

New Velevet Underground box set in November!

http://theseconddisc.com/2014/10/01/beginning-to-see-the-light-6-cd-super-deluxe-velvet-underground-coming-in-november/

For Halloween in the DC region....

http://www.nbcwashington.com/entertainment/the-scene/Haunted-Houses-Ghost-Tours-DC-MD-VA-2014--278374281.html

A collection of ghost tours and Halloween attractions.

Remember Kids, Obesity Is Dangerous

http://www.kctv5.com/story/26737161/500-lb-body-causes-fire-at-henrico-crematory

Happy Birthday Jackson Browne!

http://www.jacksonbrowne.com/

Happy Birthday John Entwistle!

http://thewho.com/history/john-entwistle/

Happy National Submarine-Hoagie-Hero-Grinder Day!

Yum!

Happy Leif Erikson Day!

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

India and hitler

http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Why-is-Adolf-Hitler-popular-in-India-376622
I know that himmler, amongst many other half baked crackpot theories, was constantly trying to piece together some sort of Aryan/German/Indian cosmology. But he was viewed as a joke by most nazis not in his direct employ. I'd be curious what these ignoramuses in India would think were they to read about hitler's attitudes towards their people - whom he regarded as worthless detritus.

An ultra-realistic CGI face

http://geekologie.com/2014/10/stop-staring-ultra-realistic-computer-mo.php

They're just getting better and better at this.

(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

My Precious....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/The-First-Prototype-of-The-One-Ring-from-The-Lord-of-the-Rings-and-The-Hobbit-/331340897082?

A bit about living in NoVa

http://www.bustle.com/articles/43121-15-things-only-people-from-northern-virginia-understand

I'd agree with about 2/3 of these points.

Now we know why Rudolph's nose glows

http://www.thelocal.no/20141006/radioactive-reindeer-found-in-norway

An unusual object on Mars?

http://www.examiner.com/article/gun-found-on-mars-by-nasa-rover-video

There'll be a Blood Moon in a few hours

http://www.iflscience.com/space/watch-live-webcast-second-total-lunar-eclipse-2014

Happy Birthday "Imagine"!

Released on this date in 1971.

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

"Life After Death" research

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/11144442/First-hint-of-life-after-death-in-biggest-ever-scientific-study.html

I am rather neutral on this topic, at this point. My one great difficulty is with how 'death' is defined. It seems to be somewhat inaccurate the way many medical staff use it in these instances. For me, the definition is that once you're dead - you don't come back. If you do come back - you weren't really dead*. If one goes by that definition, then I'm not sure that we can rule out a variety of mental phenomena for these testimonies.

*I am already reciting Monty Python's Dead Parrot sketch in my head as I type this

Fun Street Art

http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2014/07/oakoak-street-interventions/
And on the darker side:

http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2014/07/isaac-cordals-cement-skeletons-on-the-streets-of-mexico/

(Thanks for the links, Mathew!)

The cutting edge of teaching English to the Japanese

http://kotaku.com/japan-learns-the-correct-way-to-use-f-k-1581598425

(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

Happy Birthday Joe Hill!

http://www.aflcio.org/About/Our-History/Key-People-in-Labor-History/Joe-Hill-1879-1915

Happy Birthday John Mellencamp!

http://www.mellencamp.com/

Anniversary fo the Batle of King's Mountain

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

One of the battles that helped win the Revolution.

Happy Birthday Caesar Rodney!

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

A Patriot.

Happy Birthday Abraham Woodhull!

A Patriot.

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

The Great Martian War 1913-1917

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVSq8m9YvDU
http://www.history.co.uk/shows/the-great-martian-war/episode-guide/about-the-martian-war

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3199240/

Why wasn't I told?!? This looks amazing. Is anyone familiar with it, and is it commercially available?

RIP Geoffrey Holder

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/07/arts/geoffrey-holder-dancer-choreographer-and-man-of-flair-dies-at-84.html?_r=0

Competition!

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/deaconsbench/2014/10/archbishop-performed-exorcism-after-black-mass-in-oklahoma/

Happy Mad Hatter Day!

https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/mad-hatter-day/

Happy National Noodle Day!

Yum!

Happy Ivy Day!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivy_Day_%28Ireland%29

Happy World Habitat Day!

http://www.habitat.org/getinv/events/world-habitat-day

DC mapped as Middle Earth

https://www.etsy.com/listing/192769352/fantasy-map-of-washington-dc-poster

There are orcs everywhere....

Japan spends millions on yet more lies about hiro and the War

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/09/japanese-emperor-cautioned-against-wwii-official-history/

Gee, imagine that, the Japanese ruling class claim that hirohito was a nice guy. What a big fucking surprise. There is a debate going on amongst military history buffs as to whether or not it was the atom bomb, or the Soviet declaration of war that caused the Japanese to surrender. I happen to believe it was both*; but my argument for the atomic bomb factoring in isn't based on the usual assumptions as to its destructive power in a general way. Rather, I believe that it finally convinced ol' hiro that HE wouldn't survive. For the last year or two, a huge underground bunker had been built (with the usual use of slave labor) to keep his nibs happy and fat against traditional air attack, (there is very little about this place written up in Western histories of the War, a serious lapse). When the reports came in about the first two blasts, and the poisonous radiation, and the shock wave and oxygen deprivation, etc. etc., our boy shit his pants realizing that, for the first time, there was a very real chance that he'd have to suffer the same fate he'd condemned all too many others to. The bunker probably wouldn't be adequate. And he caved, right quick.
I have no interest in getting the English language release of this "official" history. I have enough toilet paper already, thank you.

*I believe it was the Soviet's and their successful invasion of Manchuria that let most of the civilian government and ruling class to conclude that they had no chance or choice. But not hiro.