Month: November 2010

Brick’s Spider

Bugs I can do…spiders…not so much.

Damn near wrecked my car once on I-81. Flipped down the sun visor and a big-ass spider, about the size of a manhole cover drops down about 6 inches in front of my face and just hangs there swinging ever so slightly on his 200 lb. shock cord, about as thick as my thumb. We were eye-to-eye and even with my sun-glasses on, he had me outnumbered 2 to 1. It was so big it completely blocked my view through the windshield. I think I blacked out for a moment because the next thing I remember I was off the side of the road, trying to get out of my car, with my seat-belt still hooked in.

I noticed my sunroof was open, and off to the side of the road something caught my eye. I saw what I thought looked like a deer being dragged through heavy brush with a similar colored shock cord with 2 big puncture wounds on his neck…and a hairy leg as big around as a telephone pole disappearing into the thickets.

It’s a good thing too, because if I’d have gotten out of my seat belt, that spider would have got a whoopin’ to end all whoopins.

[Image from here. Awesome story via Brick. Crossposted here.]

Saturday Matinee – Ramsey Lewis Trio, Weather Report, Rickie Lee Jones, Southside Johnny, Procol Harem

Ramsey Lewis [h/t Coldwarrior].

Weather Report was THE jazz-fusion band of the 1970s, and the late Jaco Pastorius was one of the greatest fretless bassmen, with all his awesome burping, farting and growling.

About the same time, I was in love with Rickie Lee Jones. She always reminded me of Diane W., but don’t tell the missus that.

Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes was another favorite of mine back then.

The unwritten rule for posting videos is that one must post one, three or five for the karma to balance. So in order to keep things hunky and dory, here’s the fifth:

That’s Procol Harem from 1967, featuring the legendary Hammond B3 Organism.

Have a great weekend folks, and be back here tomorrow for more fun and games.

The Friday .Gif Post No.152 – Shovel Shower, Sit-ups & Headbanger Pizza

[Found here, here and here.]

My Dog Spot

Last night as I was doing my part to help fill up the local landfill, I spotted this little cute guy, obviously a stray. He was 1-3/4 inches long, and aside from twitching his antennae, wasn’t moving much. Since he was cold, I brought him in to warm up on the kitchen counter.

The missus wasn’t pleased. Bunkarina thought it was cool.

Haven’t seen one of these around in years. It’s a Potato Bug, more commonly known as a Jerusalem Cricket. They don’t prefer potatos, and they’re not native to Jerusalem, they don’t jump and they’re not crickets. They don’t chirp, but they do make mating sounds (listen here) that they “hear” with their feet.

If you spot a Potato Bug, be forewarned… they bite.

Deathmobile Babe Magnet

[Found here.]

Rubber City Record

[Found here.  You catching this, Strider? Got a link to a recording?]

[Update: STRIDER SHOOTS — HE SCORES!]

Something Awesome Happened Today.

Remember the California kid who was suspended from school for having an AMERICAN FLAG on the back of his bike? The school was afraid that the kid’s display of OUR NATION’S FLAG might cause racial tensions. The story has an awesome outcome.

Original stupid story here.

Here’s the awesome outcome.

—————————————-

Meanwhile, something bad happened. A kid got slapped for getting out of line in Kansas City, MO. But that’s not the bad part. THIS IS. And it’s 40 page diatribe of serious insanity from the boy’s mother.

(Tip o’ the Tarboosh to Savage.)

Andy Boy’s Contribution To The World

Andy Boy was a major manufacturer of broccoli in the 1960s. Unfortunately one strain was inedible, so Mr. Boy, always the innovator, turned it into one of the most popular hairstyles ever.

Subsequently Andy re-engineered the vegetable and they have a booming business today.

[Disclaimer: This post is satire and is in no way intended to disparage or impugn The Andy Boy Company or its produce. All in fun. Image found here.]

PEZ’s Contribution To The World

These are reproductions of one of the rarest PEZ candy dispensers. I should know… I had one of the 1968 “Luv” originals, and it’s somewhere in the basement of a house in Ohio. It looks like this:

I don’t remember ever refilling it with the little brick-shaped candies, but I disassembled and reassembled it at least once when I was bored.

[Images found here and here.]

Saturday Matinee – Chip Test, Unethical Football, Burnside & Woods, Rancid, and Buster Keaton

Memory chip testing WIN!

Awesome play. (Tip o’ the Tarboosh to Kitty.)

Country Blues, with Johhny Woods and R.L. Burnside. Woods teamed up with Mississippi Fred McDowell during the 60s blues revival.

Burnside learned from McDowell who lived in the next county over, but never got much attention until the 90s. Burnside and his family, tired of the life of sharecroppers, moved to Chicago in the early 50s. Subsequently his father, uncle and brother were murdered there.

In 1959 he returned to Mississippi, and was convicted for murder himself, and served time at the Parchman Penitentiary. He was freed after only six months… via a bit of chicanery.

Rancid‘s “Time Bomb” was a retro ska hit in the early 90s.

Buster Keaton, aka The Great Stoneface, was a classic. Grab a beverage and a snack and enjoy a blast from the early years of comedy. Have a great weekend folks, and be back here tomorrow.