Category: History

35 Years Ago Today

[Image from here.]

The Original Pointer Sisters

Plastic face protection from snowstorms. Canada, Montreal, 1939, and they were apparently available in two sizes, regular and deluxe. For some reason, this comes to mind. G’head. Click it.

[Found here, via here.]

Want. Really Want.

I’d just add a huge rearview mirror so I could jump before the Amtrak nails me. And a cooler.

[Found here.]

18 April 1942 – The Doolittle Raid

December 31, 2009 — Jonna Doolittle Hoppes speaks about her Grandfather, General Jimmy Doolittle from her new book “Calculated Risk” and the importance of recording history for future generations at the Historic Flight Foundation’s “B-25 Grumpy Welcome Reception”. This clip includes original film footage of the crews on the historic “Doolittle Raid” of WWII, which proved to the US and the Japanese Empire that America could and would strike back.

There’s obviously more to the story than we’re able to present here. The anniversary of the Doolittle Raid deserves recognition, as it was not only unimaginably dangerous and ballsy, but very necessary to send a message to Japan, as well as to the American public. It was created, orchestrated and accomplished in a little over 4  months after the unwarranted attack on Pearl Harbor.

Military Magazine recently published a first person account of a pilot who volunteered for the mission without knowing what it was. The mission wasn’t revealed until the modified bombers had been loaded onto the U.S.S. Hornet and the Hornet was at sea. Of the pilots who volunteered, all were given opportunities to decide for themselves whether they wanted to go on, without reprimand or dishonor, and not one of them sat down.

http://www.milmag.com doesn’t have the story on line yet, but it’s a must read.

[Crossposted here.]

Easter

“And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; / And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, / And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.”

[Interior view of the tower of Le Corbusier’s Notre Dame du Haut chapel here.]

[Update– Sorry about the earthquake today. I’ll choose my biblical passages more carefully from now on.  We felt it at about 3:45PM PST as a long roller that lasted for over a minute, kinda like being on a boat on a calm sea. No damage here. –Bunk]

April Fools Day

If you don’t like this collection, click on the refresh button. Happy Birthday to all yinz what be done borned on April 1.

Saturday Matinee – The Manfred Mann, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin & Sonny Boy Williamson Connection

Manfred Mann sings Dylan’s “Just Like A Woman.”

Bob Dylan sings Memphis Minnie‘s & Kansas Joe McCoy‘s “When The Levee Breaks,” but for now,  let’s say it’s a Led Zeppelin cover.

Led Zeppelin rips off  Sonny Boy Williamson‘s “Bring It On Home,” at least for a minute or so and for a bit at the end.

“Nine Below Zero” by Sonny Boy Williamson with Otis Spann, and they didn’t rip off anyone.

Have a great weekend folks.

Saturday Matinee – Fess Parker, Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone & stuff

Here’s to Fess Parker (August 16, 1924 – March 18, 2010).

When Disney’s semi-historical series on Davy Crockett ran out (Crockett was killed at the Alamo), Fess Parker had garnered a lot of fans. What to do next? Cast him as Daniel Boone, of course.

As Daniel Boone, Fess Parker’s costar was Ed Ames, who portrayed an Indian scout. Here he is demonstrating his famous hatchet throwing skills.

Have a great weekend folks, and R.I.P. Mr Parker.

The Feasts of St. Joseph

Earlier today (19 March 2010), Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi invoked a prayer to St. Joseph for help in passing the Health Care debacle.  Not being Catholic, I couldn’t remember who he was the patron saint of besides children’s aspirin, so I decided to check  Wikipuddlia.

Here’s the entry for St. Joseph:

Further down, under Sainthood, we find this:

Here’s the pertinent paragraph enlarged.

Now click on that image.  It’s on Wikipedia, so it’s got to be true… heh. My initial reaction was that some wag edited the Wiki for fun, BUT WAIT!  IT’S TRUE!

From The Washington Times:

Seeking to shore up support for her embattled health bill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi today announced it was the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker, adding “We pray to Saint Joseph to benefit the workers of America which is what our health bill would do.”

Problem is, March 19 is indeed the feast day of Saint Joseph, foster-father of Jesus. But the actual feast of St. Joseph the Worker (same man, two ways of commemorating him) comes in six weeks. Set for May 1, it was introduced by Pope Pius XII in 1955 to counteract May Day, the high holiday for communist and socialist workers.

So, Wikipedia is right, Nancy blew it twice in one swell foop, and Joe Biden’s disease is contagious.

[Crossposted here.]

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Nice version of Nell Flaherty’s Drake. Here’s Tommy Makem & the Clancy Brothers’ version.

[Related post with words here.]