BBB Pulp Pick - Christmas Coach

"The Christmas Coach" was an "inside illustration" for the Saturday Evening Post published 12/28/1935. (Click pict for larger view)

BBB Classics

The BBB is headed for a long winter's nap but if you feel a bit of a withdrawal coming on, click on the "BBB Classic" button above and read one of over 1700 entries!

And if you want to see some Holiday Funnies (updated daily including post-Christmas & New Year's funnies), click here for a listing from this year and last.

Looking for a Christmas Carol-like video to watch? Click here to see a wide variety of possibilities Jim Hill has compiled.

Enjoy your holiday!

BBB Destination - Home

For the holidays, there's no place like hearth and home ... family, friends, stories, games, feasts, and song.

From my home to yours ... a wish for a joyous holiday season!

Today in History - 1913

Arthur Wynne (1871 - 1945), born Liverpool, England, was a British editor and puzzle constructor in his home country and the United States of America.

He worked for the New York World and one day was asked to invent a new game for the paper. Wynne thought of a game he had played in his childhood called "Magic Squares" and soon came up with the crossword puzzle, which was first issued on this day in the World. It was originally called a "Word-Cross Puzzle" and was diamond shaped and had no black spaces.

Soon, it became "cross-word" then "crossword", and had black spaces. Arthur came out with his first crossword puzzle book in 1924.

News from all over - Washington DC

Mars will be unusually bright this Christmas Eve and the moon will be shining full — a development that might make Santa Claus rethink his need for Rudolph's red nose.

That idea, from Miami Space Transit Planetarium director Jack Horkheimer, made us wonder if retooling a certain reindeer song is the best way to explain it to the kids:

Mars is a red-tinged planet
With a very shiny glow
And if you look to see it
You will find the moon in tow.

The red planet will shine brighter because it will be directly opposite the sun, reflecting the most light, and fairly close to Earth, only 55.5 million miles away. The full moon will appear nearby, rising about an hour later, said Horkheimer, host of the public television show "Star Gazer."

All of the other Yuletides
Santa would have at his side
The shiny nose of Rudolph
Acting as his big sleigh's guide

Mars will outshine the brightest star and won't be as noticeable in the sky for nine more years, Horkheimer said. The Hubble Space Telescope took a picture of Mars, which came closest to Earth on Dec. 18, but it will be brighter on Christmas Eve because of its position opposite the sun.

But this very Christmas Eve
Santa came to say:
"Rudolph, now with Mars so bright,
You can stay at home tonight."

"It will be a brilliant red light," Horkheimer said. "It is so bright it knocks your socks off." He added that this would allow Santa to give Rudolph a pink slip, albeit a temporary one.

Then all the reindeer teased him.
And they shouted out with glee:
"Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer
Outsourced to astronomy."

Source

So Now You Know

The most performed holiday song is "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)". Written by Robert Wells and singing great Mel Tormé, the song became a seasonal classic with the release of Nat "King" Cole's 1946 recording. The song has been covered by numerous artists including Eddy Arnold, The Carpenters, N'Sync, Reba McEntire, Perry Como, Johnny Mathis, Celine Dion, Luther Vandross, Whitney Houston, Amy Grant, Mel Tormé and James Taylor, but Cole's rendition remains the most played on radio today.

BBB Geeky Novelty

A Pac-Man Christmas Tree can be seen at Nuevos Ministerios in Madrid, Spain. It uses thousands of multicolored LEDs to display an animated tribute to the popular classic 80s arcade video game.

News from all over - London

What is Santa's favourite pizza? One that is deep pan, crisp and even.

That was picked on Wednesday as Britain's worst Christmas cracker joke in a survey of readers of Nuts magazine. But it was a tough struggle picking the corniest gag unveiled in Christmas crackers along with paper hats and useless gifts.

Here are some of the runners-up:

What's white and goes up? A confused snowflake.

How do snowmen get around? They ride an icicle.

What do you call a penguin in the Sahara desert? Lost

Who hides in the bakery at Christmas. A mince spy!

Source

Today in History - 1928

For the first time, a living actress in the United States had a theatre named after her. The Ethel Barrymore Theatre opened in New York City. It is the only surviving theatre of the many the Shuberts built for performers who were affiliated with them. It has been used continuously as a legitimate house, unlike many of the older theatres that have been used for a variety of purposes throughout the years.

So Now You Know

Before holly was hung in houses to accompany other Christmas decorations, it was considered to be a sacred plant by the Druids. While other plants wilted in winter weather, holly remained green and strong, its berries a brightly colored red in the harshest of conditions.

The Druids regarded holly as a symbol of fertility and eternal life, thought to have magical powers. In Druid lore, cutting down a holly tree would bring bad luck. In contrast, hanging the plant in homes was believed to bring good luck and protection.

Today's Chuckles

BBB Swell Site

What better place to go this time of year than Santa's Secret Village at the North Pole?

Today in History - 1891

Corrugated paper was patented by Albert L. Jones of New York City. Something to appreciate as you pack up that holiday goodie box for someone special!

News from all over - North Pole

An Imperial Stormtrooper commando broke into Santa's Factory on the North Pole yesterday evening, killing an undetermined number of elves, arresting the owner and confiscating his sled. Joe Kwazansky, local spokesman for the Evil Galactic Empire in Los Angeles, appeared in a press conference this morning confirming the rumors of an Imperial takeover of Christmas' celebrations. "The Emperor wants to assure His subjects that Xmas will continue as planned. The pug-nosed fatso, however, will pay for his crimes," Mr. Kwazansky said amid the palpable shock in the press corps. Apparently, the arrest has occurred in connection with earlier reports on the manufacturing and stealth placement of Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Source

So Now You Know

The North Pole plays a key part in the cultural worldview of esoteric Sufism and Iranian mysticism. "The Orient sought by the mystic, the Orient that cannot be located on our maps, is in the direction of the north, beyond the north". The Pole is also identified with a mysterious mountain in the Arctic Ocean, called Mount Qaf, whose ascent, like Dante's climbing of the Mountain of Purgatory, represents the pilgrim's progress through spiritual states. In Iranian theosophy, the heavenly Pole, the focal point of the spiritual ascent, acts as a magnet to draw beings to its "palaces ablaze with immaterial matter"

BBB Etymology - Eggnog

Eggnog, or a very similar drink, may have originated in East Anglia, England, though it may also have been developed from posset (a medieval European beverage made with hot milk). Some posit the drink adopted the nog part of its name from the word noggin, a Middle English phrase used to describe a small, wooden, carved mug used to serve alcohol in. Yet another story is that the term derived from the name egg-and-grog, a common Colonial term used to describe rum. Eventually the term was shortened to egg'n'grog, then eggnog.

The ingredients for the drink were too expensive and uncommon for the lower classes, but it was popular among the aristocracy. "You have to remember, the average Londoner rarely saw a glass of milk," says author and historian James Humes. "There was no refrigeration, and the farms belonged to the big estates. Those who could get milk and eggs to make eggnog mixed it with brandy or Madeira or even sherry."

The drink crossed the Atlantic to the English colonies during the 18th century. Since brandy and wine were heavily taxed, rum from the Triangular Trade with the Caribbean was a cost-effective substitute . The inexpensive liquor coupled with plentiful farm and dairy products helped the drink become very popular in America

News from all over - Oberlin

A postcard featuring a color drawing of Santa Claus and a young girl was mailed in 1914, but its journey was slower than Christmas. It just arrived in northwest Kansas.

The Christmas card was dated Dec. 23, 1914, and mailed to Ethel Martin of Oberlin, apparently from her cousins in Alma, Neb. It's a mystery where it spent most of the last century, Oberlin Postmaster Steve Schultz said. "It's surprising that it never got thrown away," he said. "How someone found it, I don't know."

Ethel Martin is deceased, but Schultz said the post office wanted to get the card to a relative. The card was placed inside another envelope with modern postage for the trip to Oberlin - the one-cent postage of the early 20th century wouldn't have covered it, Martin said.

"We don't know much about it," she said. "But wherever they kept it, it was in perfect shape."
Source

Today in History - 1620

Passengers on the British ship Mayflower come ashore at modern-day Plymouth, Massachusetts, to begin their new settlement, Plymouth Colony.

After exploring the region, the settlers chose a cleared area previously occupied by members of a local Native American tribe, the Wampanoag. The tribe had abandoned the village several years earlier, after an outbreak of European disease. That winter of 1620-21 was brutal, as the Pilgrims struggled to build their settlement, find food and ward off sickness. By spring, almost half of the original 102 Mayflower passengers had died. The remaining settlers made contact with returning members of the Wampanoag tribe and in March they signed a peace treaty with a tribal chief, Massasoit. Aided by the Wampanoag, especially the English-speaking Squanto, the Pilgrims were able to plant crops--especially corn and beans--that were vital to their survival.

So Now You Know

In 1644, the English Parliament abolished the Christmas holiday compelling shops to be open that day. This august body also declared plum puddings and mince pies as "heathen."

Today's Chuckle

BBB Pulp Pick - Rocking Horse (Gramps Joins the Fun)

Here's a favorite that appeared on the Saturday Evening Post cover of December 16, 1933.
The BBB features a favorite Rockwell Christmas painting Mondays through Christmas eve.

News from all over - St. Paul

Hidden in an old converted warehouse in the West Seventh neighborhood is a pipe organ looking for a good home. It has about 900 pipes, a case made of American walnut, an African zebrawood keyboard and a custom-made, adjustable bench.

And if he hadn't wear cloth gloves when he carefully handled the pipes, it would have Timothy Patterson's fingerprints all over it. Patterson built the organ over the course of eight summers and about 5,000 hours of work.

The 53-year-old Minneapolis resident has been building and fixing organs for 33 years, in the United States and Europe. He's worked day jobs ranging from driving taxicabs to doing computer work to make ends meet when the organ business waned.

"It's been a struggle for most of my life," he said.

But his latest project is even more of a labor of love than usual. He built the instrument on speculation, with no actual buyer in mind. He was limited by a budget for materials and the height of the ceiling of his workshop - about 18 feet - but other than that he was free to create his dream organ, an instrument he describes as Gothic in appearance and French in sound.

"It's a classic shape and design," he said. "This is the way the old boys made it."
Source

Today in History - 1843

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens was published in London and immediately sold out. He wrote the story in just two months, beginning in October, 1843 and finishing at the end of November. It was the first of five Christmas books by Dickens. Its successors were The Chimes (1844), The Cricket on the Hearth (1845), The Battle of Life (1846), and The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain (1848).
Check out Scrooge U - a compilation of movie and television adaptations

So Now You Know

Over at the Madison (Wisconsin) Symphony Hall, the amount of beer that would fit into the biggest organ pipe is 1,509.2 liters (or about 399 gallons).

BBB Destination - Las Vegas

Town Square Las Vegas offers "Norman Rockwell Holidays," in which several of the artist's iconic holiday-themed covers are turned into life-size, 3-D displays. "It's a really unique concept that we're thrilled to be able to bring to Town Square Las Vegas," says Vicki Rousseau, Town Square's marketing director.

The new center, which offers dining, shopping and outdoor strolling, is "designed to be a gathering place and focal point" for valley residents, she says. "So when we looked at what holiday decor would fit -- what the overall theme of the project was -- I don't think you can get any more American or town-squarish than Norman Rockwell."

The project's developers, Turnberry Associates and Centra Properties, enlisted The Becker Group, a Baltimore-based marketing and design firm, to create the exhibit. The company took several of Rockwell's now-iconic holiday covers for The Saturday Evening Post and Country Gentlemen magazine -- including "Santa and His Helpers" from 1922, "Santa Reading Mail" from 1935 and "Grandfather and Boy on Rocking Horse" from 1933 -- and fashioned them into life-size replicas.

Then, Rousseau says, an interactive component was added to the each display. In addition to reading about the painting -- when it was completed, what Rockwell said about it and the like -- viewers can press a button and hear an audio summary that offers a cultural context to each painting.

In addition, featured in a 30-by-30-foot "Santa House" designed to be reminiscent of Rockwell's studio is a 3-D representation of "Triple Self-Portrait," the famous painting of Rockwell at an easel, painting his own portrait with the help of a mirror.

Today in History - 1798

David Wilkinson of Rhode Island patented the nut and bolt machine.

So Now You Know

Close your eyes and let those gently lilting lyrics sung by Gene Autry run through your mind ...

You know Dasher and Dancer
And Prancer and Vixen,
Comet and Cupid
And Donner and Blitzen...

Or maybe those words by "Clement Clarke Moore",

Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!

But wait ... turns out the original 1823 poem “A Visit from Saint Nicholas” by Henry Livingston, Jr. reads

Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on Dunder and Blixem!

Only in later versions, modified by Moore in 1844, were the two names changed to German: Donder (close to Donner, thunder) and Blitzen (lightning), to better rhyme with "Vixen". Finally, for some reason, in the song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" Johnny Marks turned "Donder" into "Donner". Since 1950 or so, the two reindeer names have been Donner and Blitzen in both the “Rudolph” song and the “Visit” poem.

News from all over - Wigan

Organisers of today's world pie-eating championships were thrown into panic when a dog ate all the pies. They were hoping bakers could produce replacements for at least 10 pies wolfed down by Charlie, a diminutive bichon frise belonging to 1995 champion Dave Williams who was entrusted with guarding the pastries.

"I only turned my back for 10 minutes and they were gone," Williams told the Daily Mirror. Tony Callaghan, owner of Harry's Bar in Wigan, where the competition is held, said: "Former champs are given the pies for safekeeping and to ensure there is no tampering.

"Dave put them in the fridge, but the door did not close properly ... when he came back that bloody dog had ate the pies."

The pies are made to strict specifications for the competition, which is not about the volume eaten but how quickly contestants can eat one pie.
Source

BBB Geeky Novelty

This time of year it's fun to unwrap those precious decorations to place around the home or on the tree. Some displays are eclectic, others themed. Folks over at pcnews really know how to bring eclectic, themed, and geek together.

They even let you in on the secret to adding snow to your decorations.

News from all over - Orange County

Sheriff's deputies dressed as Santa's elves cited more than 100 speeders on Orange County roads Wednesday.

Here's how it works: a sheriff's deputy dressed as an elf clocks cars using a radar gun then dispatches a motorcycle deputy to pull them over and issue the driver a ticket. More than 130 tickets were written in just over two hours. The highest speed was recorded at 79 mph in a 45 mph zone.

In the past, some motorists said using a holiday icon to enforce the law did not seem right. "That's specifically why we didn't use Santa Claus," Ken Wynne of the Orange County Sheriff's Office said in an earlier report. "We didn't choose a nativity scene. We chose an elf. An elf is known for their impish behavior.
Source

Today in History - 1577

English seaman Francis Drake sets out from Plymouth, England, with five ships and 164 men on a mission to raid Spanish holdings on the Pacific coast of the New World and explore the Pacific Ocean. Three years later, Drake's return to Plymouth marked the first circumnavigation of the earth by a British explorer.

So Now You Know

According to the University of Illinois Extension Service, real Christmas trees are involved in less than one-tenth of one percent of residential fires and only when ignited by some external ignition sources.

BBB Swell Site

Some folks go all out this time of year decoratiing with lights, fog, strobes, trains ... the list goes on. So where can you get ideas for making your home the eyesore showplace of the neighborhood? PlanetChristmas, of course! And when you've got it all ready, you can submit pictures so we all can see your work. Why, they've even got an internet radio station. Ho, Ho, Ho!

News from all over - House of Lords

All other problems solved, the House of Lords has been listening with interest to a call for thick slices of bread to be cut down to size.

Thick bread equals thick waistlines, according to Baroness Gardener of Parkes, who told the Lords of her concern that the width of a standard slice was getting thicker.

Baroness Gardener said, "Why is it that in central London you can hardly find a thinly sliced or medium-sliced load of bread to buy, and any sandwich you buy in any supermarket is now made with thick bread? While the House of Lords continues to use medium-sliced bread - and very nice bread - in its sandwiches, even the House of Commons has moved to thick bread."
Source

Today in History - 1897

The Katzenjammer Kids (Hans and Fritz), a comic strip created by the German immigrant Rudolph Dirks, debuted this day in the American Humorist, a Sunday supplement of the New York Journal. The Kids still stir up trouble in selected venues today making it the oldest comic strip still in syndication. Today the feature is drawn by Hy Eisman.
Related BBB Entry

So Now You Know

An associate and friend of Thomas Edison, Edward Johnson, is recognized as the first person to put electrified lights on a real Christmas tree. It happened in 1882 and just three years after the incandescent light bulb was invented. Johnson was a New Yorker and an executive of the Edison Illumination Company of New York City. Although the press smelled a publicity stunt, the event took place at Johnson's home in support of his belief in the lighting product's safety.

General Electric reduced the expense in 1903 by mass producing pre-assembled tree lighting for the very first time. The assembly was still too expensive for the average home but could be purchased or rented by department stores in electrified cities. The wiring consisted of eight green pre-wired porcelain sockets, eight colored glass bulbs and a plug for attachment to a nearby wall or ceiling light socket.

BBB Etymology - Carol

There is general agreement that carol comes from the 14th century French carole, "a kind of dance" - specifically a circle-dance, danced to a single jig. Most agree the earlier form was probably corola but opinions are divided as to whether it derives from chorus (i.e. the singing dancers of ancient theater) or from corolla, "crown" or "garland", from the shape of the circle-dance.

Carols were not necessarily associated with Christmas. There were Easter carols, too.

Today in History - 1882

The Bijou Theatre in Boston became the first theatre in the US to use electric lighting on its stage, personally installed and supervised by Thomas Edison. It had 644 electric lights, which got as much public attention on opening day as the actual show, Gilbert and Sullivan's Iolanthe.

News from all over - Wellington

Alan Blacklock's shot of a cloud formation that looks remarkably like a reindeer is the real deal and not some festive lark. The happy snapper, a photographer for Niwa, captured the shot while sitting in the backyard of his suburban Paparangi home late on Sunday afternoon.

"I was just in the right place at the right time. It was a fluke, just one of those things," he said.
Source

So Now You Know

According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year (the only members of the deer family to have females that do so), male reindeer typically drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid December. Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring. Thus, it is likely that Santa's reindeer are female.

BBB Pulp Pick - Girl and the Christmas Party

Norman Rockwell paintings often focus on family and especially children. Here's one he titled "Little Girl Looking Downstairs at Christmas Party". It appeared on the cover of McCalls magazine, December, 1964.
The BBB will feature a favorite Rockwell Christmas painting Mondays through Christmas eve.

Today in History - 1955

The Big Surprise on NBC-TV awarded the largest amount of money given away on television. Mrs. Ethel Park Richardson of Los Angeles, CA won $100,000 in cash.

News from all over - Patras

A legal battle is under way in this western Greek city over a parrot that is facing a $650 parking ticket. The local council says his perch is illegally parked and is obstructing drivers because it partially blocks a metered parking space.

With his multi-coloured Amazonian plumage and extrovert personality, Coco has, for 18 years, been something of a mascot in this busy port city, with narrow streets and precious few parking places.

His small perch occupies part of a metered zone and under the zero tolerance rules, the local police have ordered Mr Michalopoulos to pay a heavy fine.

The pet shop owner says he has ignored the authorities because if Coco goes back inside the store permanently the macaw will die because he is a sociable creature who enjoys being with people.

Patras's Deputy Mayor Spiros Demartinos is embarrassed that Coco's plight is attracting international attention. "Is it bureaucratic to be concerned about the parrot's safety?" he asks. "The parrot's security is of paramount concern to the council."
Source

Quotable Quote

Commonplaces never become tiresome. It is we who become tired when we cease to be curious and appreciative.
-Norman Rockwell

BBB Destination - Killington

If you're looking for a way to escape from the hustle and bustle of the holiday rush, come along to the Vermont Holiday Festival. This weekend is filled with snow-covered fir trees with white holiday lights, the smell of balsam in the air, themed events, and a way to create special memories with family and friends.

Today in History - 185

Some 1,800 years ago, Chinese astronomers witnessed the sudden appearance of a brilliant "guest star." Scientists now widely regard this celestial event, carefully noted in an official history at the time, as the oldest supernova ever recorded. Indeed, researchers have suggested several candidates for the glowing stellar remnant cast off during this apparent supernova, the explosive death of a massive star.

But a new analysis of the historical record suggests the ancient Chinese didn't see a supernova explosion after all. Instead, two radioastronomers now argue, the discovery was in fact a comet.

Astronomer Bradley E. Schaefer of Yale University finds the new report intriguing but says it's too early to settle the controversy. He maintains that the ancient Chinese discovered the object low in the sky just before sunrise. A comet at the reported position would have had to have been very bright to be seen at all. And a bright comet is either unusually large or passing very near Earth. In the latter scenario, the comet couldn't remain visible for as long as 7 months, Schaefer says.

News from all over - New York

Madame Tussauds, the wax museum where Napoleon Bonaparte twice sat for his likeness, now has the Burger King and his progeny, the Whopper.

The King, for his part, has a head even larger than you'd expect, and is something like twelve feet tall. Should you need to see your burger sovereign, he will be at Madame Tussauds through February.
Source

So Now You Know

One of the original slogans of the Whopper advertised by Burger King was There are 1024 ways to have a Whopper; the claim is based on the math formula of whether the sandwich has the ingredient or not, a binary number of 0 or 1, raised to the power of number of possible ingredients at the time, ten, thus 2^10=1024. This claim was later expanded to There are 221,184 possible ways for a customer to order a Whopper sandwich.

Today's Chuckle

BBB Geeky Novelty

The sounds of the holiday season abound: bells, music, crunching of the snow, the oohs and ahs as candles are lit and decoration boxes opened. But what is there to hear when on that commute to work or while driving around town gathering and delivering packages or maybe a Christmas tale or two playing in the background while decorating or wrapping? A little light-hearted geekiness would be appreciated at these times, eh?

Well, folks over at FiT (FriendsInTech.com - an informative and fun site for techies most any season) have just the thing, podcasts for listening directly online or for download and burning to CD, pod, or other device. First up ...Lucky The Reindeer and the Island of Misfit Geeks

Santa is trying something different this year and is enlisting all the elves to create a new Massive Multiplayer Online Game for all the girls and boys. Demos have gotten tough reviews and there is a lot of work to be done before Christmas.

Lucky the Reindeer and his friend and Elf, Herbert, Leave Santa’s Workshop out of frustration because they feel like they don’t fit in and are not included in the round of development. Heading out to look for the one place that will accept a geek for who he really is, they travel in search of the Island of Misfit Geeks.

Will they find the Island? Will Santa be good to his word and get a good game out in time for Christmas?

Plus...A Geek Christmas Carol

With his old friend Steve Marley and 3 ghosts of Tech Christmas past in tow, Scrooge is confronted with the decisions he is making and the life that he has had before…

News from all over - LaPorte

A man accused of stealing a twin-engine plane and driving it down the taxiway staged the stunt while he was drunk to impress his girlfriend, police said. Michael Santos, 38, was charged Friday with theft, criminal mischief and operating a vehicle after his driving privileges had previously been forfeited for life.

According to police reports, Santos was drunk when he took his girlfriend to the airport to show her that he could fly a plane. They climbed into the plane and were heading down the taxiway when, Santos told police, flames began shooting from the left engine. He said he turned off all the switches and veered into a soybean field.

Damage to the aircraft was estimated at $160,000.
Source

Today in History - 1948

Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts premiered on CBS-TV (It had been a popular radio show since 1946 and was on the radio waves into 1956). According to the Nielsen Ratings, it was the highest rated television show for the 1951-1952 season. The show ran for almost 10 years and the redhead introduced such talent as Pat Boone, The Chordettes, Carmel Quinn, The McGuire Sisters, Rosemary Clooney, Tony Bennett, Connie Francis, Steve Lawrence and Al Martino.

Quotable Quote

Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart.
-Washington Irving

BBB Swell Site

Looking to jump start your holiday spirit? There's nothing like a classic video, song or even commercial to get things rolling for the season. Sled on over to 101 Christmas Videos to Watch and Enjoy: both the 2007 list and the 2006 list are worth considering. Not to be missed on the 2006 list: #101. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians; while the 2007 list offers up: #41. Alfred Hitchcock - Santa Claus and the 10th Avenue Kid

News from all over - the USA

William Batson knows firsthand that when friends visit, they're likely to gather in the kitchen. The 6-year-old regularly invites guests into his play kitchen to prepare pretend meals, wash dishes or stow food in the refrigerator. "The stove talks," says William, who lives in Phoenix.

Mary Batson bought her son a kitchen set before he could walk. She thought it was a great toy, although her husband, Alan, had doubts. "He rolled his eyes," she says. "I said, 'What are you thinking? Look at all the male chefs."'

These days both Batsons are fine with William spending time in the play kitchen. Alan, who enjoys cooking, came around quickly after he saw how much fun his son had with the toy. The idea of boys playing in kitchens seems more palatable to parents today than in earlier generations, probably because of how they were raised and how they run their households, says Dr. Michael Kaplan, an assistant clinical professor at the Yale Child Study Center in New Haven, Connecticut.

"Men are reshaping and rethinking their roles," he says. "They are doing much more (cooking and housework) than they ever have." And television has contributed to making men more comfortable in the kitchen.

"Some of these roles have been helped by the Food Network," says Robert J. Thompson, director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University in New York. The network "has defeminized the kitchen" with programs such as "Iron Chef," "Emeril Live" and "The Restaurant," he says. Many young children - boys and girls alike - also enjoy watching the enthusiastic Rachael Ray.
Source

Today in History - 1951

The first push button-controlled Park-O-Mat garage opened in Washington, DC by Parking Services Inc. It had no ramps, no aisles and no lanes. Instead a single attendant, without entering a car, could automatically park or return an auto in less than a minute. It used a "vehicle parking apparatus" (patented 14 Oct 1947, No. 2,428,856). Two elevators parked 72 cars on a lot 25 by 40 feet. The garage was an open building with 16 floors and 2 basement levels.

Quotable Quote

Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall.
-Larry Wilde

BBB Etymology - Peanut gallery

The term originated in the days of vaudeville as a nickname for the cheapest (and therefore rowdiest) seats in the theater; the cheapest snack served at the theater would often be peanuts, which the patrons would sometimes throw at the performers on stage to show their disapproval.

In the 1950s, The Howdy Doody Show adopted the name to represent their audience of 40 kids.

News from all over - Kakamigahara

An aquarium filled with exotic fish here is using an electric eel to power lights on a Christmas tree. Each time the electric eel at the Aqua Toto Gifu aquarium touches a copper wire in its tank, it sends power that lights up globes decking a Christmas tree.

Officials expect the "eel Christmas tree" to be a popular attraction for dating couples in the lead-up to Christmas Day, when the tree will be removed.
Source

Today in History - 1872

The Dei Gratia, a small British brig under Captain David Morehouse, spots the Mary Celeste, an American vessel, sailing erratically but at full sail near the Azores Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. The ship was seaworthy, its stores and supplies were untouched, but not a soul was onboard.

On November 7, the brigantine Mary Celeste sailed from New York harbor for Genoa, Italy, carrying Captain Benjamin S. Briggs, his wife and two-year-old daughter, a crew of eight, and a cargo of some 1,700 barrels of crude alcohol. After the Dei Gratia sighted the vessel on December 4, Captain Morehouse and his men boarded the ship to find it abandoned, with its sails slightly damaged, several feet of water in the hold, and the lifeboat and navigational instruments missing. However, the ship was in good order, the cargo intact, and reserves of food and water remained on board.

The last entry in the captain's log shows that the Mary Celeste had been nine days and 500 miles away from where the ship was found by the Dei Gratia. Apparently, the Mary Celeste had been drifting toward Genoa on her intended course for 11 days with no one at the wheel to guide her. Captain Briggs, his family, and the crew of the vessel were never found, and the reason for the abandonment of the Mary Celeste has never been determined.

So Now You Know

Electric eels work like a battery and can discharge from 350 to 650 volts of electricity. The head acts as the positive pole and the tail is the negative pole of the battery. When it is moving it can emit electric impulses up to 25 per second. A 20-foot eel can produce enough electrical current to light 12 household light bulbs.

BBB Pulp Pick - The Story of Christmas

This Norman Rockwell painting appeared on the cover of The Literary Digest, December 24, 1921. The alternate title for this illustration is Grandfather with Two Children.

This illustration was Rockwell's thirty-third picture featured on the cover of The Literary Digest. Rockwell artwork was featured on the cover of The Literary Digest twelve times just in 1921.
The BBB will feature a favorite Rockwell Christmas painting every Monday through Christmas eve.

News from all over - West Chester

For the first time a regional atheist group will display a holiday tree on the Chester County Courthouse lawn during the winter holidays, potentially setting a seasonal model for other communities.

County commissioners have allowed groups to display a Christmas tree and menorah on the lawn. But last year, The Freethought Society of Greater Philadelphia, an atheist group, asked the commissioners to either let any group set up a seasonal holiday display or ban the displays entirely. This fall, the commissioners approved a policy that allows any group to put up a seasonal display if it meets design, insurance and safety requirements.

"This is a very rewarding step in our citizenry of Chester County, where we are now being recognized as an integral part of the community. And it makes us feel like whole citizens to be able to participate in this way," said Margaret Downey, president of the Freethought Society.

The group’s display, "The Tree of Knowledge," will include a 15-foot evergreen with color copies of book covers as decorations. Some of the book covers will include the Holy Bible, the Quran, "Ethics Without God," "Why I Am Not a Christian," and "Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism."
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Today in History - 1910

Neon has been used as a marketing tool since roughly 1902, when a curious Frenchman named Georges Claude sent an electrical discharge to a sealed tube of neon gas. On this day, Claude bicycled one of his neon signs over to the Paris Auto Show where it launched a revolution in automobile promotion.
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So Now You Know

The free standing Las Vegas Hilton sign in front of the hotel on Paradise Avenue is the largest free standing sign in the world. The 279 foot tall, the sign boasts over six miles of neon and fluorescent lights, a total surface area of more than 70,000 square feet, and it's 40' thick. Think of a 70,000 Sq. Ft., four-story building on it's end. A larger sign that stood at the same location was blown down during a severe wind storm. While smaller then the original, the new sign is still the largest free standing sign in the world.