jim henson

(This is a compiled repost of items culled from my soon-to-be-extinct subsidiary blog, 'Brief Window')

1. 1980s holiday viewing experience at BeTaMaXMaS!

This is pretty amazing - -
Click over to BeTaMaXMaS, hunker down in the basement, grab the remote, check the
TV Guide, and cruise the channels for Xmas programming from the '80s.

Old sitcoms, commercials and promos, animated Xmas specials and more.

Be sure to adjust the rabbit ears on the old TV to improve your reception.
A time-warp treat!

(via Intercourse with biscuits)


2. Follow link to a delightful and intriguing online collection of
Old Soviet Christmas New Year cards! (Correction; See below)




































(Click on images to ENLARGE in a new window)

(Found via Everlasting Blort and Martin Klasch)

- UPDATE, 12/20/08: But wait, there's more! Turns out the link above was only to the 'aerospace' portion of the collection. Follow this link to Mazaika.Com for several hundred more with many different themes!

- UPDATE, 12/21/08: Not only that, but...
Questions about these cards (including 'So what do they say?' and 'Didn't the Soviets ban religious celebrations?') has prompted some further research.

Sometimes it's great to be an ignorant westerner - - it affords you the chance to learn new things.

"С Новым Годом", as it appears on most of these cards, can be translated to english as
'Happy New Year'.

Christmas has begun to make a comeback in post-Soviet Russia, but the New Year's celebration has been the bigger event for decades.

- Follow link to a 1985 New York Times article and learn a little about how elements of banned Russian Christmas traditions were folded into the popular State-approved New Year's holidays - - which became civil celebrations, rather than religious or political in nature.

- Also check out an interview at Ephemera with Boris Glazer, the 'curator' of this collection.

- And no, that's not Santa in these cards. Click over to Wikipedia to read about 'Father Frost'
(a.k.a. Ded Moroz), the Russian counterpart to Mr. Claus.


3. Troy McClure Film or Actual Terrible Movie?
"You may remember him from such hits as 'Christmas Ape' and 'Christmas Ape Goes to Summer Camp', but how well do you remember Troy McClure’s other projects?"

Click over to the mental_floss website to take their quick quiz, and learn where truth is stranger than fiction, especially in the American film industry. (Found via IMDb)

Has-been Hollywood star Troy McClure was a beloved peripheral character on 'The Simpsons' TV show, though the character was retired in 1998 following the death of voice actor Phil Hartman.

Once you've completed the 'Troy McClure Film or Actual Terrible Movie?' quiz, then you're free to follow the link to
The Simpsons Archive's complete rundown on
'The Stellar Acting Career of Troy McClure'.



4. Vintage Cocktail Napkins

On his blog,
the Mt. Holly Mayor's Office,
Mayor Mike talks about his love for old cocktail napkins;

"The naive nudes, the
hand-drawn typography and the absolute corn beneath my glass of rye make me yearn for simpler times and a stronger liver."

Follow link to see items from his collection, The Jim Backus Memorial Cocktail Napkin Museum, on display at flickr.































































































5. A great gift idea!

Follow link to view a preview for the
self-published cookbook 'Natural Harvest -
A Collection of Semen-Based Recipes'

From author Fotie Photenhauer's
back-cover description:
"Semen is not only nutritious, but it also has a wonderful texture and amazing cooking properties.
"Like fine wine and cheeses, the taste of semen is complex and dynamic.
"Semen is inexpensive to produce and is commonly available in many, if not most, homes and restaurants.
"Despite all of these positive qualities, semen remains neglected as a food.
"This book hopes to change that.
"Once you overcome any initial hesitation, you will be surprised to learn how wonderful semen is in the kitchen.
"Semen is an exciting ingredient that can give every dish you make an interesting twist."

Be sure to scroll through the page views available in the Lulu.Com preview window to catch a glimpse of recipes for Tuna Sashimi With Dipping Sauce, Man-Made Oysters, and the Almost White Russian cocktail, among other delectables.

(Another treat via the ever-vigilant eyes of the folks at Everlasting Blort)