The Garlic: 10/25/2009

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Happy Halloween!

Well, it's THAT night, again.

The yearly slog of the calendar when you're supposed to give away tooth-destroying candies to small (and large) costumed children (here, in the Northeast, they're getting a break, it's windy, but balmy, in the low 60's).

Even as a child, I never quite got into this holiday, or event ... Or whatever it is ...

Wikipedia says that ...

Halloween (more traditionally spelled Hallowe'en) is an annual holiday celebrated on October 31. It has roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain and gets its name from being the eve (e'en) of the Western Christian holy day of All Saints (the Eastern Orthodox celebrate All Saints Day in June). It is largely a secular celebration but some have expressed strong feelings about perceived religious overtones ...

The colours black and orange have become associated with the celebrations, perhaps because of the darkness of night and the colour of fire or of pumpkins, and maybe because of the vivid contrast this presents for merchandising. Another association is with the jack-o'-lantern. Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, wearing costumes and attending costume parties, ghost tours, bonfires, visiting haunted attractions, pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films.

Ahhh ... "Merchandising" ...

Like there's not enough balls-of-string - electronic, or otherwise - to waste your money on.

Moving along ...

Last year we gave you the funky 'Blues for Dracula' from Philly Joe Jones.

This year we go with the original rappers, Lambert, Hendricks and Ross;

Halloween Spooks Lambert, Hendricks & Ross

You can check out The History of Halloween

And, 'Ben and Jerry's Halloween'

Or, "Trick or treat: Is Halloween another tacky American import or a bit of harmless fun that boosts the economy?"

Siento

Yes, a muy grande siento, for our missing-in-action this past week.

No, we didn't fall off the face of the planet, but, rather, we were inundated with tasks, for both The Aunt, and myself, on the homefront, that cut deeply into computer time, as well as leaving one tired, and very uncreative in the evening.

We're hoping to get a few posts up today, and use that to build back into a groove.

In the meantime, we'll let the great Hector Lavoe take it away!

HECTOR LAVOE - SIENTO

Visit the Hector Lavoe Website

This Date ... On The Garlic

31 October 2008... On The Garlic

Good Post Alert: Barry Crimmins with "Eat Jim Crow!"

Hey Palin, I'll See You Your First Amendment Rights, and Raise You Our Eighth!

McKKKain-Palin, In Reverse

Happy Halloween!

31 October 2007... On The Garlic

Bush Grindhouse Launches "We Want Angel Back" Approach Over Telcom Amnesty

Retro, Retro ... U.S. Foreign Policy Spikes Upward - Karen Hughes Resigning!

Justice Served ... Now It's A Wait For The Karma

31 October 2006... On The Garlic

Developing Story: New White House Policy Causing Feet-In-Mouth; Bush Stumping Causes Panic, Chaos: Cheney Claims Said “Duncan”, Not “Dunking”; President’s Use of “Just Say No” Confusing; FBI, and DEA Staff Stretched Thin, Chasing Down Rally Attendees

31 October 2005... On The Garlic

Cheney Reportedly Takes Blame For Libby Charges; "Didn't Set Up Fall Guy", Says Disheartened VP; Hopes There's Time 'To Fix This".

White House Sets Mark With No Terror Alert During Indictments; Libby's Bad News Passes Without Fear Package; Homeland Security Looks Into Missed Opportunity

Top Ten Cloves: How President Bush Spent His Weekend At Camp David

Friday, October 30, 2009

This Date ... On The Garlic

30 October 2008... On The Garlic

Save This Snapshot!

30 October 2007... On The Garlic

Rummy On The Run? ... Let's Give Him Some Chase Music!

Left Off Medal of Freedom Recipient List, Libby Said To Be "Crushed"; Cheney Said To Be Furious, Threatens To Expose Shadow Presidency If Pardon Doesn't Come Through

All You New Iraq Diplomats, Don't Forget To Pack Your Brooms

30 October 2006... On The Garlic

Top Ten Cloves: Things Lynne Cheney Didn’t Get To Tell Wolf Blitzer About Her New Book

Thursday, October 29, 2009

This Date ... On The Garlic

29 October 2008... On The Garlic

Top Ten Cloves: Possible Surprising Things Barack Obama Will Do With His Paid Infomercial This Evening

29 October 2007... On The Garlic

PBS's Lehrer Admits Brooks "Body Language" Skills "Creeps Me Out"; Reveals Uncomfortable With Columnist "Staring At Me" On-Set; Alludes "Toe-Tapping" Also Involved

Is Diane Feinstein Drinking From Joe Lieberman's Cup?

Don Nottebart ... Now, This Is An Obit With Some Ooomph!

29 October 2006... On The Garlic

Weekend Special - Sautéed Cloves

A Little Less Conversation, A Little More Ugliness Please ... The Results - The Garlic's Weekly Poll

29 October 2005... On The Garlic

Weekend Special - Sautéed Cloves

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Top Ten Cloves: Possible Things That Distracted Northwest Pilots

News Item: Licenses of 2 Northwest pilots who overshot airport are revoked

10. Got knocked out when heard former Court-Appointed President Bush is now Motivational Speaker

9. Were watching trailers on their laptops for new Amelia Earhart movie

8. Got stumped, trying to figure out what Sarah Palin's new company is

7. Took turns acting out Air Trans commercials

6. They were arguing about Brett Favre

5. On the phone with Richard Henne, pitching new hoax, starring two real pilots

4. Pouring through Ancestry.Com, seeing if related to Ahmed Wali Karzai, to make claim to some of his money

3. Without telling company, pilots were testing new Google Turn-by-Turn Android application, and, well ...

2. Got frightened - Lost their nerve, to buzz the Mall of America

1. Ran into problems installing Windows 7

Bonus Links

Randy James: Northwest's Wayward Flight: Sleeping Pilots?

Dan Frommer: Did Laptops Cause Pilots To Fly 100 Miles Too Far?

James Fallows: More on the Minneapolis "overflight"

Kevin Drum: Stop Digging

Michelle Deal-Zimmerman: At lunchtime, act like a pilot and take a "Northwest Nap"

This Date ... On The Garlic

28 October 2008... On The Garlic

A Fair and Balanced Meltdown

"Hey, Wait A Minute ... We're Not Your Friends!"

Good Post Alert: The Three Ashleys

28 October 2007... On The Garlic

In Dana Perino's World, The Glass Is Always, and Perpetually, Half-Full

What The ...!

Hugs and Smarts

General, Drop Your Draws, The Country Wants To Thank You ... The Results - The Garlic's Weekly Poll

28 October 2006... On The Garlic

A Personal Note: The End For A True, True, Icon - Red Auerbach

Editor's Note

28 October 2005... On The Garlic

Breaking News! - Libby Indicted, Resigns and At Odds With Cheney Over Defense; VP Holds On To 'Nolo Contendere' In Event Charges Come; Has "No Problem" With Libby Doing Jail Time

Top Ten Cloves: Reasons Google Needs A Lobbyist

Monday, October 26, 2009

This Date ... On The Garlic

26 October 2008... On The Garlic

IDOTW Update ... Blakeman's Paying Off!

26 October 2007... On The Garlic

Wag The FEMA

Public Service Announcement - Dick Cheney Hunting Alert

Barry Crimmins Exclusive! Quick action saves Reagan Library

26 October 2006... On The Garlic

Top Ten Cloves: Other Harold Ford Television Ad Commercials Considered By Ken Mehlman and the RNC

26 October 2005... On The Garlic

Buoyed By Iraq Success, White House Examining Writing New U.S. Constitution; Wholesale Changes Seen; Special Prosecutors and Grand Juries Certain To Be Left Out

Top Ten Cloves: The White House Is So Worried About The Indictments That …

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Soulful Strut

Pretty bold title, heh, considering we tanked posting this weekend.

It was a bit busy, here on the Homefront, but it had to do with something else;

Today is our birthday!

So, we decided not to sit at the computer, very much, and indulge in some minor celebration (Thanks, Sisters!), as greetings dribbled in from family and friends.

In that light, we're going to point you to some other voices, on one of the weeks' top (remarkably), stories.

The ridiculous, collectively, panties-getting-in-a-knot reaction to the Obama -Faux News War.

We only touched on it briefly, the other night, with the ignoramus Jake Tapper, but there were truckloads and barges of pixels burned out on this story.

However, there were three that stood out, above the crowd.

Barry Crimmins had people jumping up, and waving at him to weigh in, so Barry, in his best-satirist-in-the-country-mode said "Okay, you want to hear what I have to say ... " with "Look! A shiny balloon!"

Joe Conason, on Salon, steps in to trace the foundation of Faux News lies to the corpulent mouth-breather Roger Ailes, in his "Criticizing Fox News isn't "Nixonian." But Fox News is"

And, Dan Froomkin, over on his new fortress, HuffPo, slaps the mainstream corporate media upside-the-head with a "WTF!" in his "Why Journalists Shouldn't Be Defending Fox News"

For that matter, Frank Rich was pretty much on-the-money today, as well.

As to our title tonight, since it's our B'Day, we wanted to have some music to pump things up, so we turned, as we did earlier this week, to Young Holt Unlimited for that;

Young Holt Unlimited - Soulful Strut