11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month 1918

“Go Fish” Company Headquarters

Yep. They invented the game. I only hope the windows are operable. [Found here.]

Sledge

1956 Pobeda Sledge (Russia)

[Found here.]

Chicks Dig Guys Who Vote

This election is going to determine the fate of Our Nation. Are we going to emulate failed European-style socialism, or are we going to stand up, get bureaucracy out of the way and let the free-market engine of prosperity take us and the rest of the civilized world out of the doldrums that we’ve experienced for the past four years? In sailing terms, the US economy is in irons, and it shouldn’t have to be this way.

The very people who caused this geopolitical financial mess claim that people like me who oppose the economic self-destruction of this Great Country are racist homophobic women-haters, anti-science, knuckle-dragging drooling cavemen who want to destroy the environment and eat your babies in front of your God Denying Eyes. If you believe any of that crap you have no credible reason to vote.

By definition I’m a liberal. I want to change things. I want to elect officials who are fiscally conservative, morally sound, and who will protect our nation and allies from danger, both here and abroad, regardless of party affiliation. The Democrat Party offers none of that today, only lies, smears, cheap shots and half-truths. Throw the bastards out tomorrow.

The Chicks will dig you.

Bunk

Eileen & The Hot Links

Michael Jackson’s 1993 Patent is cool, but he likely got the idea from this guy.

Hominid will creep you out. [via]

Sea star suppertime.

Tattoo Spellcheck.

Nothing but Plague Doctors. Prior to medical/scientific knowledge about the causes of The Black Death, Plague Doctors risked their lives attempting to treat the infected while trying to protect themselves from the  “miasma.” The very sight of a Plague Doctor terrified people as he was a harbinger of death, and due to his specialty, a Plague Doctor was often forced to be a recluse himself.

I missed the debut of the The Butter Dance, but inadvertently featured it here. Don’t try this at home, or anywhere for that matter. After all *ahem* Melati Suryodarmo is a professional. [h/t kdub]

Retro Pron – 1890s.  Drool away me laddies. Drool away.

Saturday Matinee – Operation Ivy Mike, Zippo Tricks & Ohio Players

1 November was the 60th Anniversary of the first thermonuclear blast known as Operation Ivy Mike – 10 megatons set off on Eniwitok Atoll.
[h/t Soylent Green]

Papa Strutts was on the flagship USS Estes, and said that although they were miles away,  the shock wave blew out all the light bulbs on the ship. He’s an official member of  The Glow In The Dark Society.

Zippo tricks were a necessary evil growing up, at least they used to be a million years ago when we’d flip the cap on the downstroke and flick the wheel coming up, on our jeans. A quick 1-2 flourish. Zippos rock.

And that’s about as silly a performance of pure funk that I’ve ever seen. The Ohio Players, introduced by Helen “I Am Woman” Reddy in 1975.

That’s about all I can take for tonight. Have a great weekend, folks.

Saturday Matinee – Gainsbourg & Cassal, Robert Gordon, Papa Charlie Jackson & Gnarlemagne

Serge Gainsbourg singing “Chez Les Ye-Ye.” Serge is Pee Wee Herman on sopors. He rocked, but not as much as Pierre Cassel whose shoes became glued to the floor during the video. Cassel’s son is a rapper named “Rockin’ Squat.” Go figger.

Now there’s some Red Hot Rockin’ Squat by Robert Gordon with Link Wray in 1978. That’s a cover of a 1958 hit by Billy Lee Riley, titled simply “Red Hot.” The song can be traced to the work of Robert Johnson.

Personally, I think Robert Johnson was/is overrated, and his fame is due to his recordings covered by British rockers of the early 60s.

Yeah I know, Blasphemy. Johnson got picked, while others, like Papa Charlie Jackson were overlooked. I’m not an authority on musical anthropology, so take it for what it’s worth.

Jackson’s “Airy Man” showed up on a Yazoo Records album that the Missus gave me years ago. The chords were unusual, and the liner notes said this:

“Airy Man Blues,” a work in the key of D, illustrates Jackson’s most complex blues picking in the uptempo idiom at which he and very few other bluesmen excelled.  Two fingers play melody and harmonies with support from a thumb  which is quite steady within several different patterns. Often he executes complex or seemingly impromptu runs on three or more strings.  The basic chord changes are:

D, D, G7, D;
G, D, E, A/A7;
D,  D, G7, D;
G7, D, E/A7, D.
In the break he changes to
B, B7, E, E7, A, A7 D/D minor, D.

Despite the length of these phrases and the comedy of his lyrics, the song is well within the basic blues idiom, lacking in all essential ragtime qualities except speed.

So I looked for a live vid of Papa Charlie Jackson, but instead found a cool tribute by “Gnarlemagne.” It works.

With that we’re out. Have a great weekend, folks and be back here tomorrow for more inane entertainment.

Problem Fixed In 4…3…2…1

[Found here.]

Oh Hi Space Shuttle! Nice To See You!

Space Shuttle Endeavor’s last journey through the streets of Los Angeles 15 October 2012.  Cool time-lapse video of the roadtrip here.

[Image found here.]

VP Biden & Martha Raddatz versus VP Candidate Paul Ryan *Debate*

I hope you all saw that kangaroo court of a “debate” this past Thursday.

Despite Vice President Joe Biden’s theatrics and Martha “ObamaAttendedMyWedding” Raddatz’ intentional avoidance to squelch the continual one-sided interruptions of Paul Ryan’s commentary (96 to 6 according to one source), that picture is equal to a 1,000 word summary of the circus. Ryan was shouted down.

It was not a “debate.” It was an exhibition of how leftists/liberals/progressives lie, even when called on those lies. Regardless of your party affiliation, that their supporters in the media support such obvious fabrications and propaganda as Vice President Joe Biden promoted during that “debate” is abhorrent.

Whatever happened to “objective journalism?” Where is Walt Kelly now that we need him?
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Update: Hat tip, image found here.

Update 2: Added .gif just because.