Ruth Norman (1900-1993) was the gilded leader of “Unarius,” a UFO cult founded with her husband Ernest in 1954. Ruth was not only a figurehead for “interdimensional understanding” but a master at putting together looks fit for an intergalactic space queen.
[Photos & modified caption found here and, yes, there’s more.]
[Original source unknown and I don’t remember where I found it. A Tineye search produced no matches.]
Jared Dines commissioned the design of a 17-string guitar, paid $1,200 for it, then learned that it was made in China for $400. Pissed him off, so he destroyed it. He then ordered this 18-string from a legit Australian company. Nice catchy tune…
Hillbilly Moon Explosion is interesting. Not too many bands feature Wednesday Addams teaching Lurch how to do The James Brown (at least I think that’s the dance).
The Baboons‘ “It’s Dark” has a solid (but unattributed) Howlin’ Wolf groove, so let’s go there.
That’s Willie Dixon on bass. He wrote, arranged, produced, played and sang on some of the most influential blues standards in modern history, so it’s really a Dixon Groove.
Have a great weekend, folks. See you back here when you’re ready.
[Original image found here. I added the captions. Click on the image for the NSFK punchline.]
Slavery: What They Didn’t Teach in My High School.
This [from the “What The Hell Was He Thinking?” Department].
That [from the “What The Hell Was He Driving?” Department].
The Other [from the “Why Twitter Was Invented” Department]. Sound up.
Fuman Musicoloco the Juggling Drummer. Scroll down for the video.
Walter E. Williams on “Russian Collusion.” It’s not what you think it is.
Found in 2013, planet Kepler 78b, 700 light years away, orbits its star in just 8.5 hours. Its top layer is a rolling ocean of lava that reaches temperatures of 2760°C.
U.S. Marines held a training exercise (in a faux village) with Mexican Marines and a Royal Canadian Army infantry force at Camp Pendleton on 3 July 2018:
The squad of Mexican marines stepped deliberately through a narrow alley, their rifles scanning windows and roofs for any potential danger. The village seemed calm, with some local residents milling along the market street amid the occasional sounds of bleating goats.
But the blast from an improvised explosive device near the patrol broke the calm, and the Mexican force joined by several U.S. Marines for the security mission were soon under gunfire from unknown shooters in what looked like a coordinated attack.
[Link, with video here. Related post here.]
And yes, the neighbor’s little yappy dog has been going at it since 5pm. It’s now midnight…
[Top image: W.C. Fields drills Elise Cavanna as Zedna Farley looks on in The Dentist, 1932.]
Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks had an unusual sound for a band based in San Francisco at the peak of the psychedelic music era. From an obit in the New York Times 7 February 2016:
“He came to call his music “folk swing,” but that only hinted at the range of influences he synthesized. He drew from the American folk tradition but also from the Gypsy jazz of Django Reinhardt, the Western swing of Bob Wills, the harmony vocals of the Andrews Sisters, the raucous humor of Fats Waller and numerous other sources.”
Hicks was still performing up until his demise at the age of 74.
THAT is the prettiest (and only) cover of Tom Waits‘ classic “The Piano Has Been Drinking” I’ve ever heard. The backup vocals are sultry, and note the subtle hat-tip at about 03:00.
Have a great weekend folks, and a long one if you’re taking advantage of a mid-week Independence Day.
Tacky Raccoons 