Imagine if Terry Gilliam directed your waking dreams.

"Royal de Luxe" a French troupe of giant puppets came to Berlin to celebrate the Day of German Unification from 2nd to 4th of october. Two giants, walking through Berlin - one coming from the east, one from the west of Berlin, to finally meet and unite at the Brandenburger Tor ..and to leave the city again, together.



Go to youtube and watch some more of this event - it's amazing.

then look for another event the "Royal de Luxe" did - the Suktan's Elephant - equally brilliant.

Today's word: Crassulent: adjective, very fat, overweight, grossly obese. The crassulent Republican candidate for Governor bounded onto the stage and bounced several of the children in the choir into the laps of the horrified audience members.

Today in History:
October 10, 1780 -
Over 48 hours, a slow-moving hurricane decimates Barbados, killing 4,326 (however according to the island's governor, "fortunately few people of consequence were among the number").



Over the next week, the catastrophic storm system moves on to Martinique (9,000 dead) and St. Eustatius (4-5,000). The unprecedented Great Hurricane of 1780 remains the deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record.


October 10, 1910 -
Tau Epsilon Phi (TEF, commonly pronounced "TEP") is a predominantly American fraternity with approximately 40 active chapters, chiefly located at universities and colleges in the Northeastern United States. The organization was founded on October 10, 1910, by ten Jewish men at Columbia University, as a response to the existence of similar organizations who would not admit Jewish members. The national headquarters is currently located in Voorhees, New Jersey and the official colors of the organization are lavender and white (although most chapters use purple instead of lavender).



Why is is important. Several of the readers and I (and well as George Stephanopoulos) are members of this fraternity. And you thought "The Skull and Bones" Society rules this country.


October 10, 1911 -
The Chinese revolution began in Hankow, on this date. The revolution spread rapidly, resulting in the abdication of six-year-old Henry Pu-Yi, the Academy Award-winning "Last Emperor" of China.



On the same day, the Panama Canal was officially opened, resulting in a popular palindrome. No palindrome was developed for the Chinese revolution, and this would later result in civil war.

October 10, 1956 -
George Steven's sprawling epic, Giant, premiered in NYC on this date.



As everyone knows, James Dean died during the making of this film and his performance is the one most remembered; check out Elizabeth Taylor's nuanced work throughout the film.


October 10, 1962 -
The British Broadcasting Company bans "Monster Mash" -- the Halloween-themed novelty tune by Bobby "Boris" Pickett -- for being "offensive."



The BBC never specifies precisely what it is about the song that's problematic.


October 10, 1968 -
One of the silliest movies Jane Fonda (or anyone else for that matter) ever made, Barbarella, lands in US theatres on this date.



The film's missing scientist character famously inspired the band name of pop stars Duran Duran.



October 10, 1969 -
King Crimson releases their debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King, considered by many to be the first progressive rock album.



Turn it up loud, spark it up and don't bogart that joint.


October 10, 1973 -
Bribe-happy Vice President Spiro T. Agnew finally resigns, after pleading guilty to federal income tax evasion.



In addition to his venality, Agnew is chiefly remembered for this offhand remark during the 1968 campaign: "What's the matter with the fat Jap?"



It should be noted that humorist Dave Barry points out that one can rearrange the letters in "Spiro Agnew" to spell "Grow A Penis."


October 10, 1985 -


As to all, cheap wine hawker, voice-over whore and movie legend Orson Welles, whose remarkably innovative Citizen Kane of 1941 was named the best American-made picture of all time in a 1998 American Film Institute poll, died of a heart attack at the age of 70.




Yul Brynner, Russian-born, Academy Award-winning Broadway and Hollywood actor died on October 10, 1985 (the same day as Orson Welles, his co star in The Battle of Neretva) in New York City. The cause of death was lung cancer brought on by smoking. Throughout his life, Brynner was always seen with a cigarette in his hand. In January 1985, nine months before his death, he gave an interview on Good Morning America, expressing his desire to make an anti-smoking commercial.



The clip from that interview was made into just such a public service announcement by the American Cancer Society, and released after his death; it includes the warning "Now that I'm gone, I tell you, don't smoke." If only he listened to himself.



And so it goes