Weirdness: April 2016

Really liked this article. I've been drinking (and researching) it for years, and this article matches up with my experiences and findings, exactly. There's more bullshit and blather about this stuff - it seems directed towards ignorant frat boys. If you like the taste of anise/licorice, try it, you'll like it.

RIP Billy Paul

http://wtop.com/music/2016/04/me-and-mrs-jones-singer-billy-paul-has-died/

Happy Birthday Peter Jurasik!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0432867/

Happy Birthday Gina Torres!

http://www.gina-torres.com/

Happy Birthday Jerry Leiber!

http://www.leiberstoller.com/

Happy Birthday Björn Ulvaeus!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bj%C3%B6rn_Ulvaeus

Happy Birthday Meadowlark Lemon!

http://www.meadowlarklemon.org/biography/

Happy Red Hat Society Day!

http://redhatsociety.com/

A new "lost civilization" found?

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/did-a-coded-message-lead-an-american-to-a-lost-civilization-in-china

Fascinating article and archaeologist.

Happy Birthday William Castle!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0145336/

A nice article about Aqualung

http://dangerousminds.net/comments/my_god_jethro_tulls_aqualung_really_is_an_album_you_must_hear_before_you_di

RIP Lonnie Mack

http://www.guitarworld.com/artist-news/pioneering-guitarist-lonnie-mack-dead-74/29020

Full Pink Moon Tonight

http://www.almanac.com/content/full-pink-moon-aprils-moon-guide

Happy Birthday Peter Frampton!

http://www.frampton.com/

Happy Birthday Glen Campbell!

http://glencampbellmusic.com/

Happy Birthday Ryan Stiles!

http://www.ryan-stiles.net/

Happy Birthday Rondo Hatton!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0369061/

Happy Earth Day!

http://www.earthday.org/

RIP Prince

http://www.tmz.com/2016/04/21/prince-dead-at-57/

Snoopy Wins!

On this date in 1918, the Red Baron was shot down.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manfred_von_Richthofen

Happy Birthday Iggy Pop!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iggy_Pop

Well Hung Heart performs Throw It All Away

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

One of my fave current bands. Love these guys.

Release The Quacken!!!

http://cheezburger.com/418568/gif-hundreds-of-ducks-go-swimming

(Thanks for the link and title, Mathew!)

Happy Birthday L'Auberge Chez Francois!

Opened on this date in 1976. One of my fave restaurants.

http://www.laubergechezfrancois.com/

Oh My! Happy Birthday George Takei!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001786/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Takei

Beginning of month of Floreal in French revolutionary calendar

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flor%C3%A9al

A new reboot of the Twilight Zone is on the way

http://www.metv.com/stories/theres-a-twilight-zone-reboot-in-the-works-but-theres-a-surprise-twist

Happy Birthday Roger Sherman!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Sherman

A Patriot.

Happy Birthday Dudley Moore!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001545/

Happy Birthday Tim Curry!

http://www.timcurry.co.uk/

Happy Birthday Phlorescent Leech!

http://theturtles.com/

Happy Patriots' Day!

(This is the real date)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriots%27_Day

https://www.nps.gov/mima/index.htm

Happy National Amaretto Day!

Yum!

http://www.disaronno.com/

Happy National Garlic Day!

http://www.nationalgarlicday.com/

Great Plane Boarding Signs

http://cheezburger.com/782597/the-employee-responsible-for-these-amazing-boarding-signs-may-be-a-little-too-good-at-his-job

Fun stuff!

(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

Breaking up with a record collector...

http://thehardtimes.net/2016/04/16/man-gets-record-store-day-exclusive-form-break-letter-girlfriend/

Fun stuff! If you are one, or know one, this will seem frighteningly realistic....

(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

Happy Birthday to Legend!

Premiered on this date in 1995.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112045/

Happy Birthday Clarence Darrow!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarence_Darrow

Happy Birthday Ebenezer Learned!

A Patriot.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebenezer_Learned

Happy International Day for Monuments and Sites!

http://www.icomos.org/en/what-we-do/focus/18-april-international-day-for-monuments-and-sites

Happy National Animal Crackers Day!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_cracker

Today is the anniversary of Paul Revere's Ride

https://www.paulreverehouse.org/ride/real.html

Happy Patriots' Day!

https://www.nps.gov/mima/patriots-day.htm

Happy Birthday Benjamin Tucker!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Tucker

Happy Birthday Kristine Sutherland!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0840133/

Happy Birthday Liz Phair!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liz_Phair

Happy Birthday Senor Wences!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Se%C3%B1or_Wences

Happy Birthday Samuel Chase!

A Patriot.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Chase

Happy National Cheeseball Day!

Yum!

http://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/days-2/national-cheeseball-day-april-17/

Happy Bat Appreciation Day!

http://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/days-2/national-bat-appreciation-day-april-17/

Happy Record Store Day!

http://www.recordstoreday.com/

Happy Record Store Day!

http://www.recordstoreday.com/

Happy Birthday Ellen Barkin!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000289/

Happy Birthday Gerry Rafferty!

http://www.gerryrafferty.com/clientsites/20541/hold.html

Happy Birthday Sean Maher!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0536883/

Happy Birthday Dusty Springfield!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dusty_Springfield

Happy Birthday Charlie Chaplin!

http://www.charliechaplin.com/

Happy Birthday Jacob Coxey!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_S._Coxey,_Sr.

Happy Emancipation Day!

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/emancipation-day-dc

The world's most expensive turntables....

http://www.whathifi.com/features/10-worlds-most-expensive-turntables

My gods....

(Thanks for the link, Art!)

The neo-nazi sea monkey court case

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/17/magazine/the-battle-over-the-sea-monkey-fortune.html?_r=0

I am always fascinated by Jewish nazis. What a messed up mind.

Today is the anniversary of the Masonic laying of the cornerstone for DC in 1791

http://www.boundarystones.org/

Happy Birthday In Living Color!

Premiered on this date in 1990.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098830/

Happy Birthday Dave Edmunds!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Edmunds

Happy Birthday Harvey Lembeck!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0501183/

Happy Birthday Hans Conried!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0175788/

Happy Birthday A. Philip Randolph!

http://www.britannica.com/biography/A-Philip-Randolph

Happy Birthday Leonardo Da Vinci!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_da_Vinci

Happy National Glazed Ham Day!

Yum!

https://www.punchbowl.com/holidays/national-glazed-spiral-ham-day

Happy Cuckoo Day! (approximately)

http://projectbritain.com/year/april.htm

Anniversary of the Pine Tree Riot

http://allthingsliberty.com/2013/02/the-pine-tree-riot/

Another step towards The Revolution.

Happy Birthday Sarah Michelle Gellar!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001264/

Happy Birthday Gerry Anderson!

http://www.gerryanderson.co.uk/

Happy Birthday Tony Burrows!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Burrows

Happy National Dolphin Day!

http://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-dolphin-day-april-14/

Happy National Pecan Day!

Yum!

http://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-pecan-day-april-14/

Happy John Hanson Day!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hanson

A Ramones Tour of Queens

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/15/arts/music/his-brothers-keeper-a-ramones-tour-of-queens.html?smprod=nytcore-ipad&smid=nytcore-ipad-share&_r=0

Fun stuff!

(Thanks for the link, Karen!)

Facing the Zombie Apocalypse

http://metro.co.uk/2016/04/13/family-convince-girl-theres-a-zombie-apocalypse-while-high-on-dentist-drugs-5812969/

Happy Birthday Christopher Hitchens!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Hitchens

Only 200 Days Until Halloween!

Happy Birthday Ron Perlman!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000579/

Happy Birthday Don Adams!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0010915/

Happy Birthday Lyle Waggoner!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0905741/

Happy Birthday Mighty Max!

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

Happy Birthday Al Green!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Green

Happy Birthday Harold Stassen!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Stassen

Happy Birthday Charles Armand Tuffin!

A Patriot.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Armand_Tuffin,_marquis_de_la_Rouerie

Happy National Peach Cobbler Day!

Yum!

http://www.food.com/recipe/peach-cobbler-31901

Chesapeake Blue Crabs are coming back!

http://news.maryland.gov/dnr/2016/04/12/chesapeake-bay-blue-crab-population-shows-improvement/

Woo Hoo!

Jesus VS Reading Fiction

http://twonerdyhistorygirls.blogspot.it/2016/04/moral-poison-evils-of-reading-novels.html

I might argue with the good pastor that his bible was the first great work of fiction...

Historical origins of common idioms

http://listverse.com/2016/04/06/10-fascinating-historical-origins-of-everyday-idioms/

Fun stuff!

Happy Birthday Tiny Tim!

http://www.tinytim.org/

Happy Birthday John Kay!

http://steppenwolf.com/p-4268-john-kay.html

Happy Birthday Nicholas Brendon!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0107183/

Anniversary of the recording of Rock Around The Clock in 1954

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Around_the_Clock

Happy National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day!

Yum!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/articles/50-grilled-cheese.html

Anniversary of the Halifax Resolves, in 1776

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halifax_Resolves

An important step in the Revolution.

Happy International Day of Human Space Flight!

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

Happy National Licorice Day!

Yum!

http://www.licoriceinternational.com/licorice/pc/National-Licorice-Day-d7.htm

Happy Equal Pay Day!

http://www.pay-equity.org/day.html

Have It Your Way!

http://patch.com/district-columbia/washingtondc/watch-man-break-five-guys-cook-himself-burger-video

I thought the Hamburglar preferred McDonald's?

North Carolina is about to surrender....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/porn-site-bans-north-carolina-users-due-to-states-anti-lgbt-laws_us_570bd057e4b0885fb50d9a92?

A Root Boy Slim documentary is on the way!

http://www.washingtonian.com/2016/04/11/root-boy-slim-documentary-dick-bangham/?utm_source=Washingtonian+Newsletters&utm_campaign=85071290ab-Things_to_Do_April_11&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_84979a60af-85071290ab-114999965&ct=t%28Things_to_Do_April_11%29&mc_cid=85071290ab&mc_eid=9bfeb601f2

A DC legend....

Beethoven meets Zeppelin

http://laughingsquid.com/a-brilliant-cello-mashup-of-beethovens-fifth-symphony-and-led-zeppelins-whole-lotta-love/

Happy Birthday Joel Grey!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001297/

Happy Birthday Richard Berry!

And Happy International Louie Louie Day!!!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Berry_(musician)

http://www.louieday.org/default.htm

https://tdg.home.xs4all.nl/

Happy National 8-Track Tape Day!

http://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/days-2/national-eight-track-tape-day-april-11/

Happy National Cheese Fondue Day!

Yum!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/cheese-fondue-recipe.html

Happy National Pet Day!

http://www.petdayusa.com/

Steampunk Whale!

http://lexstrasshittyblog.tumblr.com/post/141275168715/steampunktendencies-12-long-9-wide-and-5

This is beautiful!

(Thanks for the link, Infidel753!)

Today is the anniversary of the breakup of The Bealtes

Thanks a lot, Yoko....

Happy Birthday Bobby Smith!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Smith_(rhythm_and_blues_singer)

Happy Birthday Alfred Kubin!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Kubin

Happy National Siblings Day!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siblings_Day

Springsteen and Billy Joel talk about Elliott Murphy

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

I agree - have been following this guy for over 30 years and really like his music - and he remains unknown in the States.

Secret Sauce!

http://now8news.com/mcdonalds-employee-admits-ejaculating-big-mac-secret-sauce-nearly-2-years/

(Thanks for the link and title, Mike!)

Anniversary of the death of Phil Ochs

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

Happy Birthday Tom Lehrer!

http://www.tomlehrer.org/

Genius.

Happy Birthday Avery Schreiber!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avery_Schreiber

Happy Birthday Carl Perkins!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Perkins

Happy Birthday Paul Robeson!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Robeson

Happy National Gin & Tonic Day!

Yum!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/the-perfect-gin-tonic-recipe.html

The oldest human-induced flame

http://www.strangehistory.net/2014/08/22/oldest-flame/

UFO's over Gettysburg

https://npsgnmp.wordpress.com/2016/03/31/when-the-martians-visited-gettysburg/

Why Slaves' Graves Matter

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/03/opinion/sunday/why-slaves-graves-matter.html?_r=1

Churchill and his debts

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/01/why-winston-churchill-was-so-bad-with-money/419094/

Pretty interesting.

The demonic origins of ventriloquism

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-demonic-origins-of-ventriloquism

(Thanks for the link, Dennis!)

A nice article of Van Dyke Parks talking about his albums

http://www.uncut.co.uk/features/van-dyke-parks-album-by-album-22874

Happy Birthday Emma Caulfield!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0146536/

Happy Birthday Buddha!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha

The Russians VS the Beautiful Snipers

http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2015/09/the-mysterious-femme-fatale-sniper-squad/

Happy Birthday Janis Ian!

http://www.janisian.com/

Happy Birthday Ravi Shankar!

http://www.ravishankar.org/

Happy National Beer Day!

http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/index.htm

http://www.stonebrewing.com/

Happy World Health Day!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Health_Day

Happy Birthday John Waterhouse!

http://www.johnwilliamwaterhouse.net/

One of my favorite artists.

Happy Birthday Phil Austin!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Austin

Happy Tartan Day!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tartan_Day

Happy Birthday William Dawes!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Dawes

A Patriot

Happy Plan Your Epitaph Day!

http://www.hardiehouse.org/epitaph/

Medieval Lovecraft!

http://io9.gizmodo.com/lovecrafts-creatures-would-have-made-excellent-opponent-1768666924

Cool illustrations!

(Thanks for the link, Mathew!)

Happy First Contact Day!

http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/First_Contact_Day

Happy Birthday Dan Perkins!

http://thismodernworld.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Tomorrow

Happy Birthday Roger Corman!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000339/

King of the B's

Happy Birthday Robert Bloch!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Bloch

Happy Birthday Nigel Hawthorne!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001329/

Happy Birthday Sybil Ludington!

A Patriot.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sybil_Ludington

Happy Tomb Sweeping Day!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qingming_Festival

RIP Andy "Thunderclap" Newman

http://www.udiscovermusic.com/andy-thunderclap-newman-passes-aged-73

Happy Birthday Robert Downey, Jr.!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000375/

Happy Birthday Muddy Waters!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muddy_Waters

Get Thee Behind Me, Cutlet!

http://twocrowsparanormal.blogspot.ca/2016/03/satanic-steak-goes-viral.html

I suppose that this is served VERY well done...

Happy Birthday Rumpole of the Bailey!

Premiered on this date in 1978.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078680/

Happy Birthday Washington Irving!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Irving

RIP Coca Crystal

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/03/nyregion/coca-crystal-avatar-of-counterculture-dies-at-68.html?_r=0

A nice article about this year's White House Christmas ornament

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/this-pumper-was-at-a-christmas-eve-white-house-fire-now-it-inspired-an-ornament/2016/04/01/95fb60b4-f734-11e5-9804-537defcc3cf6_story.html

The White House ornaments are something of a tradition in this area. They started off kind of weak, a couple decades ago, but have gotten much better.

A big MST3000 Reunion!

http://flavorwire.com/569257/perplexingly-mystery-science-theater-3000-crew-reuniting-for-rifftrax-anniversary-show

Happy International Pillow Fight Day!

http://pillowfightday.com/

A nice article on the Chesapeake's crab population

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2016/04/01/how-weather-can-make-or-break-a-chesapeake-bay-blue-crab-season/

The region has several food specialties, but the Maryland Blue Crab is #1. Whenever someone visits the DC area, I always try to get them to eat crab cakes, at the very least, and a feast of steamed crab feast is a must, if there's time.

An animated Lovecraftian film is in the works

http://www.horrorsociety.com/2016/03/24/animated-film-howard-lovecraft-frozen-kingdom-cast-ron-perlman-christopher-plummer/

Happy Blossom Kite Festival!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blossom_Kite_Festival

Happy Birthday Leon Russell!

http://www.leonrussellrecords.com/

Happy Birthday Marvin Gaye!

http://www.marvingayepage.net/

Happy International Children's Book Day!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Children%27s_Book_Day

Paperback Paradise

https://twitter.com/paprbckparadise?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Fun stuff!

The Smithsonian Tribble Breeding Program

http://blog.nasm.si.edu/behind-the-scenes/tribble-trouble/

Just another school day in NoVa

http://boingboing.net/2016/03/31/cia-borrowed-school-bus-for-tr.html

UFO/Cow Abduction Milk!

http://www.neatorama.com/2016/03/29/Milk-Bottles-Look-Like-Abducted-Cows/?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=postplanner&utm_source=facebook.com

Fun stuff!

Happy Birthday Pirate Radio!

Premiered on this date in 2009.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1131729/

Happy Birthday Ronnie Lane!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_Lane

Happy Birthday Grace Lee Whitney!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0926298/

Happy Birthday Lon Chaney, Sr.!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0151606/

Happy National Sourdough Bread Day!

Yum!

http://www.sourdo.com/

Happy St. Stupid's Day!

https://www.donaldjtrump.com/

Happy April Fools' Day!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Fools%27_Day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVo_wkxH9dU

Weirdness

Saturday, April 30, 2016

Combat Nun!

New and interesting info about the death of Yuri Gagarin

Talking Heads?

Librarian Hero!

The Soulbury Stone Never Loses

Some Victorian era jobs that no longer exist

American Dragons

Malaysian Heroes of WWII

Happy Birthday Wayne Kramer!

Happy Birthday Al Lewis!

Happy International Jazz Day!

Happy National Raisin Day!

Happy National Oatmeal Cookie Day!

Happy Beltane/Walpurgisnacht!

Friday, April 29, 2016

How KISS applied makeup in 1975

The Virginia Renaissance Festival is starting up!

Cthulhu Sex Toys!

Happy Arbor Day!

Happy Birthday Tommy James!

Happy Birthday Kate Mulgrew!

Happy Birthday Tammi Terrell!

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Ringo & Fans: Reunited

RIP Philip Kives

A new sighting of Goatman in Maryland

Happy Birthday Carolyn Jones!

Happy Birthday William Moore!

Happy Birthday James Monroe!

Happy National Cracker Day!

Happy World Day for Safety and Health at Work!

Today is Workers Memorial Day

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Happy Birthday Frank Belknap Long!

Happy Birthday Judy Carne!

Happy Birthday Hubert Henry Harrison!

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Kids react to the Beatles

Happy Birthday Carol Burnett!

Happy Birthday Stevie Nicks!

Happy National Kids & Pets Day!

Happy National Pretzel Day!

Monday, April 25, 2016

Stop swallowing crucifixes, people!

Cool! In my day it was just hopscotch...

Happy Birthday to The Adventures of Robin Hood!

A great article about absinthe