Humor in the Eye of the Beholder

Today, a moment of respect for the bizarre, the odd, the strange, the improbable, and the outrageously funny Charles Addams (born Jan 7, 1912) .

The creator of the Addams Family, he was a person whose sense of the humorous and macabre has entertained me for years.

The comic strips like Bizarro and The Far Side, and music by the likes of Weird Al, Dr. Demento, and even Benny Grunch appeal to me. Still, nothing is quite so stirringly funny when I am in a down mood as the strange people created by Mr. Addams' genius.

May he rest in peace. Or in pieces, as he prefers.

Meanwhile, it is wet and cold today, so soup is in order. I will make a "clean out the fridge so none of the leftovers turn into life forms" soup, as I don't want the bacon grazing on the lettuce again.

To go with the soup, beer bread. The easiest bread in the world. Mix 3 cups of self-rising flour with 3 T of sugar and 10-12 ounces of cheap beer. (Amount of beer needed depends on how humid the day is.) Slap in a greased loaf pan and bake at 350*F for about 20-25 minutes.


Today is:

Ganna, Ethiopia (Corresponds to Christmas for the rest of us.)

Harlem Globetrotters' Day

I'm Not Going To Take It Anymore Day

International Programmers' Day

Nanakusa, Japan (Festival of Seven Herbs)

National Tempura Day

Nativity of Christ -- Orthodox Christian

Old Rock Day

Panama Canal Day

Sekhmet -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar, New Year's Day

St. Aldric's Day (patron against asthma)

Usokae, Japan (Bullfinch Exchange Day)


Birthdays Today:

Nicholas Cage, 1964
Katie Couric, 1957
David Caruso, 1956
Kenny Loggins, 1948
Paul Revere, 1938
William Peter Blatty, 1928
Jean-Pierre Rampal, 1922
Charles Addams, 1912
St Bernadette, 1844
Millard Fillmore, 1800


Today in History:

Calais, the last English possession in France, is taken back by the French, 1558
Boris Godunov siezes the Russian throne upon the death of Feodore I, 1598
Fire destroys Jamestown, Virginia, 1608
Galileo discovers the first 3 moons of Jupiter (Io, Europa, and Ganymede), 1610
Francis Bacon becomes the English Lord Chancellor, 1618
The typewriter is patented by Englishman Henry Mill, 1714
Battle at Panipat India: the Afghan army beats Mahratten, 1761
The Bank of North America opens in Philadelphia, the first US commercial bank, 1782
The first balloon flight across the English channel, by Blanchard and Jeffries, 1785
The modern Italian flag is first used, 1797
Liberia is colonized by Americans, 1822
The first railroad station in the US, in Baltimore, opens, 1830
Fanny Farmer publishes her first cookbook, 1896
The first steamboat passage through the Panama Canal, 1914
The Harlem Globetrotters play their first game, 1927
"Buck Rogers", the first sci-fi comic strip, and "Tarzan," one of the first adventure comic strips, premier, 1929
The "Flash Gordon" comic strip (by Alex Raymond) debuts, 1934
Marian Anderson becomes the first black singer to perform at the Met (NYC), 1955