Christmas video countdown -
Please remember to time your drugs correctly
Today in History
Our old friend, Francisco Franco was born 115 years ago today.
Franco graduated from the Spanish military academy at Toledo and became the youngest major in the Spanish army at the age of 23. By the age of 34 he was a general, and by 41 he was Commander of the Spanish Army.
Eager for war but lacking an enemy, the ambitious young Spanish commander-in-chief declared war on Spain in 1936 and defeated her in just three years.
The war was so successful and exciting it inspired World War II, and Franco's rise to power foreshadowed the ascension of other evil bastards in Europe.
After his victory Franco named himself "Generalísimo" ("villainous bastard") to better distinguish himself from the "Fuhrer" ("maniacal bastard") in Germany and "Il duce" ("vicious bastard") in Italy.
Franco ran the country until shortly after his death in 1975.
General Franco, heroically, remains dead.
The Panama Pacific International Exposition was the 1915 worlds fair held in San Francisco, California. Taking over three years to construct, the fair had great economic implications for the city that had been almost destroyed by the great earthquake and fire of 1906. The exposition was a tremendous success, and did much to boost the morale of the entire Bay Area and to help get San Francisco back up on its feet.
Architects and designers went all-out for the design of the fair's buildings. There never before had been a fair who's architectural focus had been so all-encompassing. 76 city blocks had been cleared or filled to set the stage for the exposition, and its final size was 635 acres, which allowed for the hundreds of buildings that were built. The spectacular palaces, courts, state and foreign buildings at the fair were made of a temporary plaster-like material, designed to only last for the duration of the fair.
The fair ran from February 20th until December 4th, 1915 -- and was widely considered to be a great success.
This is a strange little film shot on location at the PPIE
December 4, 1930 -
The encyclical Casti Connubii issued by Pope Pius XI stated that the Calendar-based method, sometimes knonw as theRhythm method, is an acceptable method of birth control.
December 4, 1954 -
The first Burger King, originally called Insta Burger King, is opened in Miami, Florida.
Not to be gross but many of those first patrons have still not finished fully digesting their meal.
Here's some Holiday Trivia :
"Hot cockles" was a popular game at Christmas in medieval times. It was a game in which the other players took turns striking the blindfolded player, who had to guess the name of the person delivering each blow. The rules of the game quickly evolved as most players died after being struck with the large sticks with sharpened nails the game originally used or from contracting Plague from interacting with the large crowds that congregated to watch the festivities. "Hot cockles" was still a Christmas pastime until the Victorian era.
Quote of the Day
Half of the American people have never read a newspaper. Half never voted for President. One hopes it is the same half. - Gore Vidal
18 more shopping days until Hanukkah, 21 more shopping days until Christmas.
And so it goes,
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