Morning Open Thread: Gunhild Carling, Sweden's Queen of Swing
Gunhild Carling was born in 1975 into a family of musicians and just started playing:"I haven’t ever been to a music teacher. I come from a family that plays music. I grew up in the south of Sweden,...
View ArticleNew Day Café: Today is National Bird Day 🦆
It’s National Bird Day! Have you ever gone birding, alone or in a group? Binoculars highly recommended. There are some great photographers here at Kos, and you can find their work in the Daily Bucket...
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IAN: Snack Foods
The holidays are over, but videos abound. Last Tuesday, Max Miller’s Tasting History discussed the true origin of potato chips, which led me down the path of snack foods in general…Potato ChipsReading...
View ArticleMorning Open Thread: The Standup of Cristela Alonzo
Introduction: I ain’t got one. Just enjoy the comedy of Cristela Alonzo.Cristela Alonzo made history when she became the first Latina to create, produce and star in her own network sitcom, Cristela for...
View ArticleNew Day Café: Japan's Tea Ceremony 🍵
Today is National Hot Tea Day — what better excuse for us to take a peek at Japan’s Tea Ceremony?Have you ever taken part in a tea ceremony? I confess to knowing nothing about them, or the rituals...
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IAN: The Incredible Nina Simone
What a talent! She originally wanted to be a concert pianist, but was denied that, almost certainly because of racism, which ultimately would spur her activism. She was one of the most extraordinary...
View ArticleMorning Open Thread: National Hot Buttered Rum Day
Hot buttered rum has a long history.This specialty cocktail originated somewhere in Europe, supposedly around England’s Henry VIII era, becoming popular with the American Colonists. The book Convivial...
View ArticleNew Day Café: Cute Critters
Just a bit of fun today with some adorable animals.Maine Coon Cats[2:22]xxYouTube VideoxMy parents’ 20 lb maine coon sitting beside me and crying bc my cat (1/3 his size) was mean to him...
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IAN: Happy Hot Sauce Day!
...And I’m not stupid enough to call one “the best”! Instead, here’s a look at a few popular variations.Hot sauce goes back at least to 7,000 BCE, from what I’ve read. Ancient Mesoamericans used it for...
View ArticleMorning Open Thread: Anna Kendrick
Anna Kendrick was born in Portland, Maine in 1985. She first appeared on Broadway when she was 12, earning a Tony nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the 1998 Broadway musical High...
View ArticleNew Day Café: Tapas
Have you ever been to a tapas bar? What did you order? The garlicky shrimp — I don’t remember the name; it might have been Camarones en Ajo. Or not — anyway, it was a real crowd-pleaser.Spanish tapas...
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IAN: National Pork Rind Day? Who Knew?
This holiday is completely corporate, of course:National Pork Rind Day was started in 2011 by Rudolph Food. It is the largest manufacturer of pork rinds and the brand that declared the day a national...
View ArticleMorning Open Thread: Simon's Cat
Simon Tofield created the “Simon’s Cat” series. Wiki tells us,Tofield, who has over 13 years of experience with animating commercials for companies such as Marmite and Tesco,[7][2] came up with the...
View ArticleNew Day Café: Yum, National Tater Tots Day!
Mmm, Tater Tots. [H]ow do the cast-offs from making French fries become the bite-sized, kitchen-friendly morsels we love to devour today? Through persistence and ingenuity, of course!Two brothers,...
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IAN: Sarah Millican, NSFW
Sarah Millican is one of my favorite comedians working today. She’s frequently off-color, and very, very funny.She has her own YouTube channel, which is where I found most of these, but my introduction...
View ArticleMorning Open Thread: Make Your Own Soft Drinks
Glen of the Glen and Friends channel on YouTube has done a whole series of DIY soft drink videos. Here, for your entertainment, I present a few. If anyone is intrepid enough to actually try doing this...
View ArticleNew Day Café: Have You Ever Tasted...?
Things that make you go, drool...To answer my own question in the header, the only one of these I’ve been fortunate enough to taste is the Moroccan B’stilla — a friend used to make large ones for...
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IAN: Trickster Gods
These videos are kind of cheesy, and aimed at people much younger than me. However, I think they’re fun, informative introductions to their various myths.Enjoy!Nahua (Aztec) Mythology and the Origins...
View ArticleMorning Open Thread: Taylor Swift
Because she just won the Superbowl 🏈 here’s a selection of Taylor Swift videos.Hosting SNL (Nov. 7, 2009) xxYouTube VideoxHey MAGA, we know you're butt hurt because Kansas City Chiefs won the Super...
View ArticleNew Day Café: MsMojo Has Opinions...
...about Broadway musicals, among other things. Here they count down some tops from musical theater. From the best roles for mezzo sopranos to the best tunes to belt, I hope you’ll enjoy these...
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IAN: Fascinating Aïda
This British group has been around for decades. I think they’re very funny — hope you agree.Warning: Not Safe for Work”A Tory MP”[3:07]xxYouTube Video*🎵 🎵 🎵Hi! I’m Itzl!As you can see by Itzl's...
View ArticleMorning Open Thread: Adorable Animals
Sometimes the gods of YouTube toss me adorable animal videos, so I thought I’d share some cuteness to go with your morning beverage. Enjoy!Until one has loved an animal a part of one’s soul remains...
View ArticleNew Day Café: Lost in the Pond: British v. American Words
Lauurence Brown is a YouTube chronicler of the differences between life in Britain and life here, across the pond. He writes,In 2008, I was swept to America by the fickle hand of fate (and marriage)...
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IAN: Goodnight, Sweet Flaco
Deep sadness. But he got to fly free for just over a year. That’s something.xFlaco, the Central Park Eurasian eagle-owl, in all his glory. Five months ago tonight, I was watching a just-escaped and...
View ArticleMorning Open Thread: What's For Breakfast?
What do you like for breakfast? Do you like something light, like a bagel, or a heartier spread? For me, it’s often bread and cheese, or avocado toast, or just leftovers from dinner.But here for your...
View ArticleNew Day Café: PoTAYto, PoTAHto
Potatoes on my mind...Braised Little Red PotatoesBraising the potatoes in water steams the interior to give them a nice, creamy texture, and browning them in butter gives them a flavorful, crispy...
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IAN: Some Creation Myths
I stumbled on this YouTube channel, and found the videos both goofily charming and informative, at least as introductions to their subjects. Hope you’ll like them too. Aztec Creation MythThe story of...
View ArticleIt's Not That Difficult...
TFG has bragged about being the guy who ended Roe v. Wade. He’s bragged multiple times — and there are tapes. (Lordy, lordy, THERE ARE TAPES!) Want Joe to win in November? Keep replaying those...
View ArticleMorning Open Thread: The Comedy of Anjelah Johnson-Reyes
If you’re not familiar with the standup comedy of Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, I hope you’ll enjoy this introduction to her.Anjelah Johnson-Reyes was born and raised in San Jose, California where she grew up...
View ArticleNew Day Café: Leslie Nielsen in...
Leslie Nielsen started his career as a dramatic actor playing romantic leads — as he did in the science fiction classic Forbidden Planet. Later in his career, of course, he got to show his comedic...
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IAN: Regional Favorites - Burgers, Hot Dogs, Pizza & BBQ
One of the YouTube channels I subscribe to is Weird History Food. The tone is tongue-in-cheek and the graphics are excellent. (I assume that there’s at least one other Weird History channel, and one of...
View ArticleMorning Open Thread: Antonio Carlos Jobim
A little bossa nova for breakfast today. Antonio Carlos Jobim, nicknamed Tom, ...was first exposed to music by his two guitar-playing uncles. At 14, he began studying music seriously…. He was ......
View ArticleNew Day Café: The Humble Bean
People have been growing the humble bean for a very long time — and eating them for even longer.Cultivated beans have been found in the tombs of ancient Greeks and Egyptians. Domesticated fava beans...
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IAN: Animal Antics
StarringPrince Michael the CatBecause OMG he is one well-trained cat, and these are awesome. The website is here; the YouTube channel is definitely worth a look..Aaron adopted Michael in New York City...
View ArticleMorning Open Thread: Bebe Neuwirth
You might remember her from Cheers, where she played Frasier’s wife Lilith, but Bebe Neuwirth has had a long career on Broadway.Beatrice "Bebe" Jane Neuwirth ([...] born December 31, 1958)[1] is an...
View ArticleNew Day Café: Asparagus!
It’s almost asparagus season here, and given the weather, it might already be in season where you are, so today, let’s look at the delicious stalks.Every spring many of us harvest the new shoots of...
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IAN: Plate Tectonics, Seahorses, and Other Cool Science Stuff
Don’t you just love Mary Shelley’s classic story of hubris? But this isn’t about Dr. Frankenstein’s creation; it’s about Real Science as presented by PBS. Its website says that PBS Eons takes you[f]rom...
View ArticleMorning Open Thread: Some Humor to Brighten Your Day
So, I had a different diary in mind, but the gods of YouTube kept tossing me irresistible videos that I can’t quite turn into a coherent whole. So, just enjoy!First up is one of the great Broadway...
View ArticleNew Day Café: Rick Bayless' Taco Seminar
Jazz up your taco night! You probably know Rick Bayless, chef and owner of award-winning Frontera Grill, a restaurant in Chicago that specializes in Mexican cuisine. And his YouTube channel offers a...
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IAN: Orcs and Ents and J.R.R.
A video about Tolkien’s invented languages was the impetus for today’s diary. I went to YouTube to see what other interesting videos there might be on the topic of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and...
View ArticleMorning Open Thread: English Is Weird
English is a Germanic language, and yet about ¼ of its words have been imported from France, thanks to William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings. (1066! 1066!) Almost ½ of English seems to come...
View ArticleNew Day Café: Citrus Fruit
Did you know that all our citrus fruits come from three “grandfather” species? I didn’t, until I watched this first video:A Primer on Citrus Fruit from Epicurious [22:08]xxYouTube VideoA grapefruit is...
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IAN: Cool Cosmic Stuff
Quite a universe we live in! And now we have a better look at it.Meet the James Webb Space Telescope[9:49]xxYouTube Video*🪐 🪐 🪐Hi! I’m Itzl!As you can see by Itzl's concerned look, this group is for us...
View ArticleMorning Open Thread: Breakfast with the Blues ☕
A musical soundtrack of sweet, sweet blues for your early morning enjoyment.The blues echoes right through into soul, R&B and hip hop. It's part of the make-up of modern music. You can't turn your...
View ArticleNew Day Café: 🧅Got Onions?🧅
They’re cheap. They’re versatile. And they’ll grow practically anywhere. So it’s no wonder that they’re one of the world’s most-used vegetables.In fact, onions are almost certainly among the earliest...
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IAN: Have You Met Philomena Cunk?
Philomena Cunk is the posh idiot played by comedian Diane Morgan. A master of deadpan humor, Morgan goes around sparring with interviewing experts as Philomena for Cunk’s eponymous TV shows.I don’t...
View ArticleMorning Open Thread: It's National Cheese Ball Day!
We’ve got a three-fer today. Not only is it National Cheese Ball Day, it is also National Banana Day and National Crawfish Day. Let’s dig right in.Pineapple Cheese BallCheese balls are the perfect...
View ArticleNew Day Café: Friday Frolics
No theme today, just some stuff I enjoyed. Hope you will, too.A Brief Introduction to the Science Fiction Rock StarOctavia E. Butler[]xxYouTube Videox#ReliefWednesdayThis magnificent stucco relief of a...
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IAN: Yee-haw! Lawmen, Outlaws & Gunslingers
Western lore was everywhere in the middle of the 20th century, most of it invented. The History Guy at YouTube has a whole series about some legendary — and some forgotten — rogues of the “wild...
View ArticleMorning Open Thread: There's No Business Like...
🎵 Good morning! 🎵 How about a few numbers from a few current and classic musicals? Starting with a song from Sondheim’s flop-turned-hit:“Franklin Shepard, Inc.,” Merrily We Roll AlongDaniel...
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