Interrogatories
Do you have any annual celebrations that aren’t on the mainstream radar? Besides your own birthday, that is.
Do you consider yourself patriotic? How patriotic? Love it or leave it, or change it or lose it?
Did you start to misbehave in class when the teacher left the room, or were you a virtuous child? What sort of things did you get up to?
What is your favorite book store, and why?
The Twitter Emitter
He knows when you've been sleeping. He knows when you're awake. He's an X-Box Kinect, basically.
— @midnight (@midnight) December 16, 2013
One year, Erwin Schrödinger was my Secret Santa. That was a Christmas to remember! #DontOpenTheBox
— Jeff Tiedrich (@jefftiedrich) December 16, 2013
Fascinating how financial interests can force a reevaluation of closely held principles.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) December 17, 2013
Meanwhile the Mars Rover tweeted "How cute it is that China managed to get a rover all the way to the Moon."
— Top Conservative Cat (@TeaPartyCat) December 17, 2013
Chris Christie claims NSA responsible for lane closings on GWB.
— Lizz Winstead (@lizzwinstead) December 17, 2013
Christmas. When billions of Christians celebrate the birthday of a Jew on a day picked by pagans.
— LOLGOP (@LOLGOP) December 17, 2013
Racism is something you learn. But there are a nearly infinite number of teachers out there ready to give you lessons.
— William K. Wolfrum (@Wolfrum) December 17, 2013
Paul Ryan vows the GOP will "get something" for raising the debt ceiling: "I'm hoping for a Presidential proclamation that Santa is white"
— The Daily Edge (@TheDailyEdge) December 17, 2013
I think Obama should troll everyone and put his presidential library in Kenya
— Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) December 17, 2013
REMINDER: A good Republican never says Happy Holidays to a senior whose Meals on Wheels have been cut. The correct term is "Merry Christmas"
— The Daily Edge (@TheDailyEdge) December 17, 2013
George Zimmerman's painting is actually of the same dog in George W. Bush's painting, except no longer posing a threat to the neighborhood.
— Top Conservative Cat (@TeaPartyCat) December 17, 2013
On This Day
In 1538, Henry VIII of England was excommunicated by Pope Paul III for dumping wife number one for wife number two and pillaging all the monasteries.
In 1777, the United States was formally recognized by France. I wonder if she would still recognize us?
In 1862, General Ulysses S. Grant (probably inspired by Ferdinand and Isabella) issued what was called General Order No. 11, which expelled Jews from Tennessee, Mississippi, and Kentucky. This was revoked a few weeks later by President Lincoln, and when Grant ran for President years later he claimed he signed the order without reading it. The order was ostensibly to stop a black market in cotton that Grant suspected “teh Jooz” of being behind.
In 1967, Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared while swimming near Portsea, Victoria and was presumed drowned.
In 1969, The United States Air Force closed _Project Blue Book, its study of UFOs, declaring that sightings generally resulted from “A mild form of mass hysteria, Individuals who fabricate such reports to perpetrate a hoax or seek publicity, psychopathological persons, and misidentification of various conventional objects.” Fox Mulder was not amused.
In 1969, musician Tiny Tim married Miss Vicki on Johnny Carson’s show. They had a daughter (Tulip Victoria) and divorced after 8 years.
In 1989, the first episode of The Simpsons (not counting the shorts that were shown on The Tracy Ullman Show) was broadcast.
In 1997, the very brave U.K. passed a law banning all kinds of guns (and this was the second such bill passed during Tony “Poodle” Blair’s reign).
Born on This Day
1667 – Jean-Baptiste Bosschaert, Flemish still-life painter (d. 1746)
1770 – (baptism date) Ludwig van Beethoven, German composer and pianist (d. 1827)
1775 – François Marius Granet, French painter (d. 1849)
1819 – Jean Baptiste van Moer, Belgian painter (d. 1884)
1853 – Herbert Beerbohm Tree, British actor/theater manager (d. 1917)
1859 – Paul César Helleu, French artist (d. 1927)
1859 – Ettore Tito, Italian painter (d. 1941)
1875 – Henri Émilien Rousseau, French Orientalist painter (not to be confused with the famous Henri Rousseau) (d. 1933)
1881 – Jan Sluyters, Dutch painter (d. 1957)
1883 – Raimu, French actor (d. 1946)
1887 – Josef Lada, Czech illustrator and painter (d. 1957)
1900 – Katina Paxinou, Greek actress (d. 1973)
1929 – William Safire, American columnist (d. 2009)
1930 – Bob Guccione, American magazine publisher (d. 2010)
1935 – Cal Ripken, Sr., American baseball coach (d. 1999)
1936 – Tommy Steele, English singer and actor
1937 – Art Neville, American musician (The Neville Brothers)
1942 – Paul Butterfield, American musician (d. 1987)
1945 – Chris Matthews, American journalist, serial interrupter
1949 – Paul Rodgers, English singer (Free; Bad Company)
1958 – Mike Mills, American musician (R.E.M.)
1974 – Giovanni Ribisi, American actor
1980 – Eli Pariser, American political blogger and activist
1987 – Chelsea Manning, incarcerated American soldier
Died on This Day
1686 – Liéve Pietersz Verschuier, Dutch painter (b. 1630)
1765 – Ercole Graziani II, Italian painter (b. 1688)
1830 – Simón Bolívar, Venezuelan military leader (b. 1783)
1833 – Kaspar Hauser, German foundling (b. 1812)
1957 – Dorothy L. Sayers, English mystery writer and personal favorite of mine (b. 1893)
1978 – Don Ellis, American jazz band leader (b. 1934)
1992 – Dana Andrews, American actor (b. 1909)
1998 – Allan D’Arcangelo, American artist (b. 1930)
2004 – Tom Wesselmann, US Pop artist (b. 1931)
2009 – Jennifer Jones, American actress (b. 1919)
2010 – Captain Beefheart, American musician (b. 1941)
2011 – Kim Jong-il, wacky North Korean leader (b. 1941)
Today is
Saturnalia, in honor of Saturn
National Maple Syrup Day
National Underdog Day
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