Interrogatories
Are there any pets in your neighborhood that you wish would move out?
What is your greatest vice? Greatest virtue?
What category of book do you own the most of?
What smells, for you, mark each season?
The Twitter Emitter
There are people on “Duck Dynasty”? I thought it was like Meerkat Manor for mallards.
— Teresa Kopec (@TeresaKopec) December 19, 2013
I give America credit. Even complete idiots who have no clue what free speech even means have the right to speak freely.
— William K. Wolfrum (@Wolfrum) December 19, 2013
It Christians today just ranted about the rich, the religious hierarchy & divorcees as Jesus did, they wouldn't get or lose reality shows.
— LOLGOP (@LOLGOP) December 19, 2013
Sad Duck Dynasty fans playing and rewinding Ned Beatty piggy scene in Deliverance in order to get their hillbilly fix. #NoPhilNoShow
— TBogg (@tbogg) December 19, 2013
I'm sick of you all violating my first amendment right to a reality show.
— LOLGOP (@LOLGOP) December 19, 2013
Hating people is a lifestyle choice.
— God (@TheTweetOfGod) December 19, 2013
Supporters of Duck Dynasty guy to wear camo tomorrow in solidarity which will make the lines at Walmart appear to be a lot shorter.
— TBogg (@tbogg) December 19, 2013
You would think by now people would understand that free speech doesn't mean freedom of consequences from the words you speak.
— Will McAvoy (@WillMcAvoyACN) December 19, 2013
I genuinely don't remember making you all this stupid.
— God (@TheTweetOfGod) December 19, 2013
On This Day
In 1732, Benjamin Franklin began publishing Poor Richard’s Almanac.
In 1776, Thomas Paine published his essay American Crisis essay, containing the now famous line, “These are the times that try men’s souls.”
In 1843, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol was first published. Raise your hand if you think Republicans all need to be visited by 3 ghosts. (I stole that from someone on Twitter, I forget who.)
In 1907, a coal mine explosion in Jacobs Creek, Pa., killed 239 workers.
In 1974, Nelson Rockefeller was sworn in as vice president, replacing Gerald Ford, who became president when Nixon resigned.
In 1974, Ron Wood (a perfect match, I think) joined the Rolling Stones.
In 1975, John Paul Stevens was appointed to the Supreme Court.
In 1984, the British government agreed to return their colony of Hong Kong to China in 1997.
In 1987, Presidential candidate Paul Simon and musician Paul Simon co-hosted Saturday Night Live. Which I missed.
In 1993, Libya announced that it would be destroying all of its chemical weapons stockpile.
In 1998, the House of Representatives forwarded articles I and III of impeachment against President Bill Clinton to the Senate.
Born on This Day
1777 – Pierre Auguste Vafflard, French painter (d. 1837)
1793 – Lorenzo Quaglio II, German painter (d. 1869)
1816 – Franz Reinhold, Austrian landscape painter (d. 1893)
1835 – Antonio Gisbert, Spanish painter (d. 1901)
1849 – Henry Clay Frick, American industrialist and financier (d. 1919) once called the most hated man in America (apparently not the nicest guy, at last in his career).
1865 – Minnie Maddern Fiske, American actress (d. 1932)
1869 – Edward Willis Redfield, Pennsylvania Impressionist landscape painter (d. 1965)
1875 – Carter Woodson, American historian and author, founder of Black History Month. (d. 1950) The son of slaves, his schooling was sporadic in his youth, and he was largely self-taught. Nonetheless, he did well enough to make it to Harvard, where he was the second African-American (after W.E.B. DuBois) to earn a doctorate.
1899 – Martin Luther King, Sr., American Baptist minister and father of Civil Rights activist, Martin Luther King, Jr. (d. 1984)
1902 – Sir Ralph Richardson, English actor (d. 1983)
1906 – Leonid Brezhnev, leader of the Soviet Union (d. 1982)
1910 – Jean Genet, French writer (d. 1986)
1915 – Édith Piaf, French singer and actress (d. 1963)
1918 – Professor Longhair, American blues musician (d. 1980)
1924 – Edmund Purdom, English actor (d. 2009)
1928 – Nathan Oliveira, American artist (d. 1910)
1933 – Cicely Tyson, American actress
1935 – Bobby Timmons, American jazz pianist (d. 1974)
1940 – Phil Ochs, American folk singer (d. 1976)
1941 – Maurice White, American singer and songwriter (Earth, Wind & Fire)
1942 – Cornell Dupree, American session guitarist. (He played the opening guitar riff on Aretha Franklin’s “Respect”, among other things).
1944 – Richard Leakey, Kenyan paleontologist, conservationist and politician
1944 – Alvin Lee, English singer and musician (Ten Years After)
1955 – Rob Portman, right wing American politician, senator from Ohio
1963 – Jennifer Beals, American actress, gay rights advocate and women’s rights activist
1980 – Jake Gyllenhaal, American actor (Donnie Darko)
Died on This Day
1665 – Gerard Pietersz van Zijl, Dutch painter (b. 1607)
1745 – Jean-Baptiste van Loo, French painter (b. 1684)
1848 – Emily Brontë, English author (b. 1818)
1851 – J. M. W. Turner, British painter (b. 1775) the real “painter of light”
1851 – Marie-Philippe Coupin de la Couperie, French painter (b. 1773)
1873 – Pharamond Blanchard, French painter (b. 1805)
1890 – Eugène Louis Lami, French painter (b. 1800)
1929 – Blind Lemon Jefferson, American bluesman (b. 1893)
1931 – Raffaelo Sorbi, Italian painter (b. 1844)
1952 – Ricardo Baroja, Spanish painter, engraver, and writer (b. 1871)
1986 – V. C. Andrews, American author (b. 1923)
1993 – Michael Clarke, American drummer (The Byrds) (b. 1946)
1996 – Marcello Mastroianni, Italian actor (b. 1924)
1997 – Jimmy Rogers, American blues guitarist (b. 1924)
2000 – Rob Buck, American guitarist (10,000 Maniacs) (b. 1958)
2000 – Milt Hinton, American jazz double bassist (b. 1910)
2000 – John Lindsay, American politician (b. 1921)
2000 – Pops Staples, American singer (The Staple Singers) (b. 1915) (Love this version of this song)
2003 – Hope Lange, American actress (b. 1933)
Today is
National Hard Candy Day
Oatmeal Muffin Day
Look for an Evergreen Day
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