Saturday Matinee – The Best Damn Band In The Land

Congrats, OSU!

[Related post here.]

The .Gif Friday Post No. 516 – The Bus to Hell, Nice Throw Bro, Fish Hug & Fish Smack

[Found here, herehere and here.]

One or Two Faces

“This illusion was discovered in an old photograph of two lovers sent to Archimedes’ Laboratory, a consulting group in Italy that specializes in perceptual puzzles. Gianni Sarcone, the leader of the group, saw the image pinned to the wall and, being nearsighted, thought it was a single face. After putting on his eyeglasses, he realized what he was looking at. The team then superimposed the beautiful Venetian mask over the photograph to create the final effect.”

[Image and caption found in here.]

St. Paul Winter Sports Carnival 1937

[Image found here.]

Charles Brace Darrow’s Contribution To The World: Monopoly

Darrow’s “Monopoly” made him a millionaire, but it wasn’t completely original. It was an adaptation of “The Landlord’s Game” patented over three decades earlier by Elizabeth J. Magie:

 

Elizabeth Phllips (nee Magie) renewed her patent in 1924.

[Found here.]

Christmas Eve

[Image found here.]
 
 
 
 
 
 

Saturday Matinee – BR5-49, The Moron Brothers & Septura

What a pretty Christmas song.
BR5-49 took their name from Hee-Haw skits featuring Junior Samples as a used car salesman who proffered BR-549 as a five-digit phone number. It was also the number of an International Trucks engine used in tractors and fire trucks and the designation meant Broad-Ring cylinder 549 cu. in. It was a powerful heavy-duty low-rev gas hog that got 3 mpg max.

Sorry, I got distracted chasing down obscure modern-day trivia. Not.

The Moron Brothers are a hoot. They sell coffee, too.

Bach’s Christmas Oratorio Suite (1734) as performed by Septura. They’re a brass septet from London who don’t know how to dress properly, so turn your head away and listen instead. They are very good.

Merry Christmas & Happy Hanukah to all.

The .Gif Friday Post No.515 – Christmas EasyTree, Robotic Reindeer & Santadrenaline

[Found here, here and here.]

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum, Wie treu sind deine Blatter!

A geometric tree made from greenery found outdoors was described in a December 1956 “Better Homes and Gardens” spread called “Decorate with Nature’s gifts.” (From Mid-Century Christmas)

 

This image from a 1960 Alcoa Aluminum newsletter shows a family pulling the tubes off the branches of an aluminum tree and then decorating it with ornaments. Via Alcoa Records, Detre Library & Archives, Senator John Heinz History Center. (From Mid-Century Christmas)

 

An ultra-Modern Christmas tree of candle holders and starbursts was shot for the December 1961 issue of “House Beautiful.” (From Mid-Century Christmas, reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.)

[Found in here, via here.]

Another Great Christmas Gift Idea – Safety Matches

[Found here, available here. Chet Phillips’ artwork is awesome.]