Category: Holidays

Armistice Day / Veterans Day / Remembrance Day


“One of the guns of Battery D, 105th Field Artillery, showing American flag which was hoisted after the last shot had been fired when the armistice took effect. Etraye, France., 11/11/1918”.
Sergeant First Class Morris Fineberg, Photographer.

My grand-uncle was stationed in France in the U.S. Signal Corps in WWI, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he knew some of the men in the photo above. On 10 November 1918, he sent this letter home:

“Mom and Dad. Well, nothing much new, only today we got the news of the peace plenipotentiaries arriving for a conference with General Foch. It sounds good to me. There is something here now that I would like to tell you but can’t, so when I return you mustn’t forget to ask me about the civilian refugees in the church. It will be some story. Not much excitement lately. We had our balloon burned by a boche plane with American insignia on it.”

Then on 14 November, this:

Dear Mom and Dad:

Well, of all the wonderful things that could ever happen. The war is “won”. As the French say, “Fini la Guerre.” Every Frenchman we meet hollers, “Fini la Guere, Merci! Beaucoup.” It means – The war is over, thank you many times. We are sure some glad bunch. I sure will have a lot of stuff to tell you when I return. And that won’t be long. We are now away from the front for the first time. I just got rid of a bunch of cooties yesterday. I hope that they will be the last, too. They are sure the cause of one hell of a feeling.

Well, this is all for the present. So long and hoping to see you soon.

Soldier Bill

May God Bless All Veterans, both past and present.

[Image from here. Related posts here and here.]

Mr. P

[Found here.]

El Día de los Muertos

Show some respect.

[Found here.]

All Hallow’s Eve Grumpkins – A Retrospective


Our Grumpkins were known to make dogs bark and little kids cry. A red Sharpie marker, a serrated boning knife and Tom Waits’ “Bone Machine” / Mickey Hart’s “Planet Drum” blasting through the neighborhood made it all worthwhile.

The neighborhood kids are all grown up now…

Pumpkin

Love those eyes – great use of an adjustable hole cutter.  [Found here.]

Saturday Matinee Halloween Edition – Gawper, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Tom Waits, Rodrigo Blaas, Davy Knowles & Co.

The Gawper [via Miss Cellanea]

Screamin’ Jay Hawkins “I Hear Voices.”

Tom Waits’ “What’s He Building?” is a creepy classic.

Pixar’s Rodrigo Blass: “Alma.” (Caution: this is NOT for little kids.)

Nice jam. Albert Collins’ King’s “Born Under A Bad Sign,” cranked out by Davy Knowles, Christine Collister, Bonnie Hayes, and members of the Robert Cray Band.

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

The .Gif Friday Post No.199 – Squad Car Boy, Cassandra / Elvira, CAT Scan Head Melt


[Original undoctored .gif animations found here and here. The Elvira/Cassandra Peterson morph is my own.]

Self-Explanatory Pumpkin Carving

[Found here.]

Independence Day 4 July 1918

I might have posted these before. They are envelopes decorated by my great-grandfather and mailed to his son (my grand-uncle) who was stationed in France in the U.S. Signal Corps in WWI. Walter received them on 10 August 1918, and replied with this letter:

“…I saw a peach of an air battle last night. Believe me that is exciting stuff to see them diving and darting around like a couple of birds. That’s about all I can tell you. I can’t tell you who licked. Some of the best fliers are located near us. I guess there are a few “aces” among the bunch.

…Pap says the war will be over in a year making it July 4th 1919. I don’t want to shatter his hopes but I think about the fall of 1920 myself. That is simply my estimate. Maybe last longer or maybe  not as long.”

Late last year I asked Walter’s daughter if she’d allow me to post her father’s letters, in sequence beginning in February 1918, as if in real time. For personal reasons she declined, and I’ll respect her wishes.

Meanwhile, I hope all of you still have the same number of fingers and toes as you did yesterday at this time.

Independence Day

In Congress, July 4, 1776,

THE UNANIMOUS DECLARATION OF THE THIRTEEN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. Continue reading “Independence Day”