Christmas Is Not Your Birthday

Today’s photo was submitted by Louise Kellar.

In a message designed to speak out against the crass commercialism of the holiday season, Smith Valley United Methodist Church in Indiana would like to remind you that Christmas is not your birthday. It would have added an extra layer of meaningfulismness if they had written “Christmas is not your birthday”, but maybe they couldn’t find italicized sign letters. That’s cool. No judgment. We work with what we have, as I and Sigourney Weaver always say.

But if they had italicized “your”, they’d be implying that Christmas is Jesus’s birthday, which would, of course, be taking HUGE historical license because everyone knows that if Jesus existed he was not born on December 25th, which is – I’m going to assume – the date that Smith Valley United Methodist Church assigns to Christmas.

I do have two mortal, non-supernatural entity friends who were born on December 25th and who both bitch about having their birthdays on Christmas, so I hope they never see this sign because I’d hate for them to get confused.

Christmas Is Not Your Birthday
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Morning Happies

Two cute videos from teh internetz. Kids being kids and doing cute kids stuff, occasionally with help from adults acting like kids.

This one was shared with me by my friend David Coral, an actor who works every year down at the Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona, Minnesota. Eva and Anna explain A Midsummer Night’s Dream – with help from the GRSF actors.

Morning Happies

The Jellyfish Tragedy

This is a post by guest blogger Ellen Bulger, written during the cold and long winter of December 2010.

Winsor Locks, CT

In a rarely-seen or photographed event, thousands of hapless jellyfish on their way to spawn were stranded and frozen along the shores of the Connecticut River last week. The gelatinous creatures are not uncommon, but usually go unnoticed because they are a cold water species. But the necessities of reproduction bring them together in great numbers this time of year, as they return to their traditional spawning grounds. A freakish combination of weather conditions allowed lucky and observant onlookers to enjoy this serendipitous spectacle.

High and Dry and Frozen © Ellen Bulger

“As a rule, we don’t even notice them.” explained Caleb Shoeworthy, whose family have fished these waters for shad for five generations. “The thing is, you just can’t see them in the river. They have no color. You could have half a dozen of them in that bucket and you’d swear there was nothing but water. Even the big ones are pretty much invisible.”

Continue reading “The Jellyfish Tragedy”

The Jellyfish Tragedy

6 O’Clock BS: Kitteh Film Festival

Oh yes. This is happening. The world-famous, dare I say hallowedWalker Art Center will be hosting an outdoor Internet Cat Video Film Festival this August 30th in Minneapolis. From the Walker Blog:

Walker Open Field welcomes cat lovers (and challenges haters – c’mon, you know who you are)* to openly release your cat-video-induced giggles and emotions that are otherwise muffled by computer screens and constrained by cubicles. […] Let’s transform this singular small screen viewing experience into a shared celebration with the larger-than-life projection of these silly clips out on the Open Field.

Also borrowed from the Walker Blog

What’s your favorite cat video – classic or new? Post the link below so we can share in the kitteh mania. Mine’s below. At almost seven minutes, it’s longer than any kitteh video should have a right to be, but An Engineer’s Guide to Cats is no ordinary cat video.

*They mean Crommunist.

6 O’Clock BS: Kitteh Film Festival

6 O'Clock BS: Kitteh Film Festival

Oh yes. This is happening. The world-famous, dare I say hallowedWalker Art Center will be hosting an outdoor Internet Cat Video Film Festival this August 30th in Minneapolis. From the Walker Blog:

Walker Open Field welcomes cat lovers (and challenges haters – c’mon, you know who you are)* to openly release your cat-video-induced giggles and emotions that are otherwise muffled by computer screens and constrained by cubicles. […] Let’s transform this singular small screen viewing experience into a shared celebration with the larger-than-life projection of these silly clips out on the Open Field.

Also borrowed from the Walker Blog

What’s your favorite cat video – classic or new? Post the link below so we can share in the kitteh mania. Mine’s below. At almost seven minutes, it’s longer than any kitteh video should have a right to be, but An Engineer’s Guide to Cats is no ordinary cat video.

*They mean Crommunist.

6 O'Clock BS: Kitteh Film Festival