News
SLIDING INTO THE FIRST WEDNESDAY OF 2021, LET'S TALK NIGHTMARE WASPS! BUT FIRST...
Happy National Cuddle Up Day! Yes, really. Since January has some of the coldest temperatures of the year in the northern hemisphere, I guess it's a natural fit to want to get cozy with family (both human & fuzzy and/or scaly) while we all wait for things to warm up again.
I'm hesitant to bring any more attention to #BeanDad — and if you happened to miss out on that Twitter kerfuffle last weekend, more the better — but today is ALSO National Bean Day! Whether you're a fan of kidney beans in bowl of piping hot chili, black-eyed peas in some freshly made hoppin' john, or unadulterated jelly beans by the fistful for dessert, enjoy!
*****
Before I get to today's notable birthdays, we have a new thing to share at Boredwalk! I know I don't usually do "sales-y" stuff in these Wednesday emails — the goal remains, as ever, to entertain you with some fun links — but I figured this is something worth sharing!
Ooh! What will be in YOUR bundle!?!
We're now offering clearance-priced mystery sample sets for 50% OFF! Each bundle comes with three mystery tees, tanks, and/or fleece at half their regular price. What a deal!
Please note that the shirts included in these bundles are of the same quality you've come to expect from Boredwalk — they're not damaged or defective or remaindered or anything of the sort. This just helps us clear out excess stock while also passing some sweet savings on to you!
*****
We have several notable birthdays to celebrate today, so let's get to it!
• First up, happy admittance day to "The Land of Enchantment", the great state of New Mexico! Following the end of the Mexican-American War in 1848, New Mexico was classified as a "territory" from 1850 until this day in 1912, when it was admitted as the 47th state in the Union. Terrifying fact: the state insect of New Mexico is the tarantula hawk wasp! Eek! If the name alone is enough to give you nightmares, just wait — the tarantula hawk is one of the largest parasitoid wasps, and uses its sting to paralyze its prey before dragging it to a brood nest as living food; a single egg is laid on the prey, hatching to a larva which eats the still-living prey. For the land of enchantment, New Mexico's ecology sure is metal AF! Thanks for the Hatch chiles, but please spare us your larvae.
• Next, give a NOT-AT-ALL-ADULTERATED sugar cube to the psychedelic ghost of Pink Floyd guitarist, songwriter, singer, and co-founder Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett, born this day in 1946! Despite his dominant songwriting influence from the band's inception in 1965, the combination of Syd's mental illnesses and his predilection for consuming copious quantities of mind-expanding substances eventually led to his dismissal from the band in 1968. He released two uneven (but occasionally inspired) solo albums before retiring from public life in 1972. Pink Floyd continued to be influenced by their time with him, though, with 1975 album Wish You Were Here's multi-part epic 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond' and their 1979 album The Wall among the homages and tributes the remaining members wrote in Syd's honor even after he was no longer in the band.
• Moving along, a very brainy piece of cake for actor Norman Reedus, born this day in 1969! While Mr. Reedus's breakthrough role was as Murphy MacManus in the film Boondock Saints, his role as the gritty bow-hunting Daryl Dixon on AMC's long-running The Walking Dead series is what made him a horror superstar.
• Next, a yuk-y (but not yucky) slice of cake for actor, comedian, and hilarious Saturday Night Live cast member Kate McKinnon, born this day in 1984! Prior to joining the cast of SNL in 2012, Kate was a member of the cast of Logo TV's The Big Gay Sketch Show for all three of that show's seasons from 2007-2010.
• Finally, a very cool, very erudite cupcake for Arctic Monkeys singer, songwriter, and guitarist Alexander David "Alex" Turner, born this day in 1985! While Arctic Monkeys' 2006 debut album was (and remains) the fastest-selling debut album in British history and 2009 third album Humbug is among my most favorite albums, some of his best pure songwriting work is on the soundtrack EP he released as a solo artist for the 2010 film Submarine. Key tracks: '505', 'Cornerstone', 'Do I Wanna Know?', 'The Dream Synopsis', and 'Stuck On The Puzzle'. His songwriting evokes a mood of ennui with a dash of delightful wordplay.
OK, OK...you've waited long enough. It's link time!
1. In honor of Syd Barrett, here is Pink Floyd's classic tribute to him with a fresh spin!
Musician Luna Lee covers 'Wish You Were Here' on the traditional Korean instrument the gayageum, and it's very cool!
The whole "wearing anything with pineapple print when on a cruise signifies that you're a swinger" thing is news to me, but then I suppose I'm not the target audience. You do you, pineapple peeps! (Or each other, if you're among consenting compatriots.)
Fodor's Travel has compiled a list of bizarre museums across the US, and I am HERE FOR IT. I know that the sensible among us are still at least several months away from this sort of outing, but boy howdy, do I look forward to a visit to the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin!
4. Werewolf arrested in Pakistan.
This story is slightly less hilarious than the headline suggests, but dude — what a headline it is!
5. Finally, Google's workers are unionizing.
The workers of Alphabet, Inc. — parent company to Google and all of its subsidiaries — are joining forces with the Communications Workers of America. Program Manager Micki Anselmo states “This union builds upon years of courageous organizing by Google workers, from fighting the ‘real names’ policy, to opposing Project Maven, to protesting the egregious, multi-million dollar payouts that have been given to executives who’ve committed sexual harassment, we’ve seen first-hand that Alphabet responds when we act collectively. Our new union provides a sustainable structure to ensure that our shared values as Alphabet employees are respected even after the headlines fade.”
Here's hoping this is the first of many steps Google's workers take in being the change they want to see in the world!
LOL! J/K — WE'RE NOT CHANGING ANYTHING!
Happy Wednesday! Technically today is National Resolution Planning Day, but good grief, does that sound dreary and wholly unappealing. To that end, let's all pretend it doesn't exist, shall we?
Yay, consensus!
We have several notable birthdays to celebrate today, and one notorious death day, so let's get to it!
• First up, happy birthday to journalist, poet, short story writer, and novelist Joseph Rudyard Kipling, born this day in 1865! Mr. Kipling's most well-known work is 1894's The Jungle Book, which has been adapted several times in both animated and live action forms, but he was a well-regarded writer throughout his life and remains to date the youngest-ever English-language winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, which he won at the age of 41.
• Next, give a hot lick (of frosting) to influential guitarist, singer, and songwriter Ellas "Bo Diddley" McDaniel, born this day in 1928! Mr. Diddley played a crucial role in the transition from blues to rock and roll and was a major influence on many artists, from Elvis Presley & Buddy Holly to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Clash. A hallmark of his performances — including as the opening act on The Clash's 1979 US tour — was the presence of his signature rectangular guitar. Fun fact: He played the role of a Philadelphia pawn shop owner in the 1983 comedy Trading Places.
• Moving along, a very sketch-y birthday to comedian, singer, and actress Tracey Ullman, born this day in 1959! Ms. Ullman got her start in British sketch comedy shows in the early 1980s, but gained fame in the US as the centerpiece of FOX's The Tracey Ullman Show from 1987-1990 (which happened to be America's first introduction to The Simpsons, who were featured in Matt Groening's animated shorts between Tracey's live action sketches). My favorite Tracey Ullman role, though, is that of Sylvia Stickles in John Waters' classic A Dirty Shame.
• On the sporting side of things, let's give four cakes to basketball icon LeBron Raymone James, Sr., born this day in 1984! Mr. James is a 4-time NBA champion, 4-time NBA MVP, and 16-time NBA All-Star, but more than that he's a vocal civil rights activist and has a pretty solid sense of comedic timing, as evidenced by his post-game interviews and his meta-role as himself in 2015 Amy Schumer comedy Trainwreck.
• Finally, a very bizarre death day for Russian royal advisor Grigori Rasputin, who "died" on this day in 1916! I put "died" in quotes because really Mr. Rasputin was done in by a veritable smorgasbord of murder at the hands of Russian political conservatives who reportedly poisoned, shot, and then drowned the notorious Siberian mystic in an effort to halt his increasing influence over Empress Alexandra and the royal family. (Coincidentally in Russian history, it was on this day eight years later in 1922 that Lenin proclaimed the establishment of the USSR.)
OK, OK...you've waited long enough. It's link time!
Could you quibble with the selections for various years? Sure, but you'd be hard pressed to find a more seamless selection than this.
This is one of the funniest things I've seen all week! I just love that the producers at FOX2 Detroit okayed this segment, and I applaud Mr. Kevra for keeping his language clean throughout given how his very real and visceral disdain for stupidity while driving in wintry conditions is juuuuusssstt simmering beneath his humorous veneer. This kid has a future as a comedian, a serial killer, or both.
Internet Shaquille is REALLY into burritos. I thought I loved burritos, but now I know that I only "love" burritos. Internet Shaquille LOVES burritos, no quotes, full stop. Internet Shaquille thinks about burritos the way I imagine helicopter parents think about how they can improve their kid's chances of getting accepted early at an Ivy League school.
Also, "Internet Shaquille" is an amazing handle. No one is coming to "Internet Matt" for his thoughts on burritos, but that Internet Shaquille guy...he sounds like he might know some sh!t.
4. Ever wondered why Chinese food and Judaism go together like baiju & kosher wine (latkes & wontons)?
Some NYC women in the know educate us about the cultural connection between Jewish New Yorkers and their neighborhood Chinese restaurants over the last century.
Maybe more of us need to eat black-eyed peas this year. This year could have been so much different had we all just munched more of these legumes!
A FESTIVUS FOR THE REST OF US.
(Un)happy Festivus! I hope you've adequately limbered up for the Feats of Strength and have compiled your naughty list for the annual Airing of Grievances. Given the 2020 of it all this year, I imagine we're all packing a fairly extensive list. (I know mine is.)
The only "miracle" is that this miserable year has come to an end...
not that we have high hopes for the next one.
Not many birthdays to honor today — or historical happenings, for that matter — but what we lack in quantity is made up for in quality.
• First up, happy birthday to Madam C.J. Walker (born Sarah Breedlove), who entered this terrible world on this day in 1867! Ms. Walker was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as the first female self-made millionaire thanks to the bootstrapped business she founded, the Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company, which developed and marketed a line of cosmetic and hair care products for black women. Ms. Walker was also a patron of the arts and was noted for her political and social activism. She was the first member of her family born into freedom following the Emancipation Proclamation. She's kind of a big deal.
• Next, a sonorous baritone "huuupppy buurrrday" to singer, songwriter, and musical icon Eddie Jerome Vedder (born Edward Louis Severson III), born this day in 1964! Mr. Vedder is the primary songwriter, lead vocalist, and one of the guitarists in the band Pearl Jam. Over the last few decades Pearl Jam has been a little polarizing within the grunge/alternative/rock community, but the run of albums from their 1991 debut Ten through 2002's Riot Act stands as one of the most consistently excellent stretched in the annals of rock & roll history (even if my dad accurately compared Eddie's singing with the sounds a depressed baritone makes while they're battling a severe case of food poisoning in a reverberating bathroom).
• Finally, a very somber and stake-y birthday to the most lost of boys, Corey Haim, born this day in 1971. Mr. Haim was at the forefront of a crop of massively popular child stars in the 1980s. While his breakthrough role was in the titular role of 1986's Lucas, and his best role (in my opinion) was in the previous year's Silver Bullet, an adaptation of Stephen King's werewolf novella The Cycle of the Werewolf, he achieved mega-star status in 1987 when he starred opposite his BFF Corey Feldman in Joel Schumacher's vampire epic The Lost Boys.
OK, OK...you've waited long enough. It's link time!
1. Yule log not cutting it this year? How about a dumpster fire instead?
This is probably the only time in which it will be acceptable to gather the family around a video of a flaming dumpster to close out the preceding year.
Meredith and I have been engaging in some somewhat more...sinister...craft projects for the office as of late, so stay tuned for those in the coming weeks and months!
I am always extremely impressed by artists that can work in three dimensions. They may as well be magicians, as far as I'm concerned.
4. Finally, some good news for coral reefs!
Despite warming events that killed off neighboring coral reefs, this reef off the coasts of Kenya and Tanzania is teeming with life and is a hopeful sign of the future if OUR species can get its act together.
Meredith visibly cringed when she saw some of these selections because of how personal our own experiences with these songs have been over the last few years, but I figured "hey, mi playlist su playlist."