A month ago, I wrote about Henry Allingham, who celebrated his 113th birthday, and becoming the world’s oldest man, with a glass of champagne. Henry died this morning at the age of 113.
He was Britain’s last surviving veteran of World War I, a preacher of peace and the author of a memoir.
Read last month’s blog post here and today’s story here.
[Posted by Kathleen]
Filed under blogging, celebrities, education, history, news, pop culture, random, RIP, thoughts
Here is a Youtube gem! Brought to my attention by our Seoul correspondent, it is sure to impress. The clips come from a 1992 documentary about Wildwood, NJ. Just watch. You won’t be disappointed.
[Posted by Kathleen]
Henry Allingham turned 113 earlier this month, clinching the Guinness World Records title of World’s Oldest Man. The picture is of him on his 113th birthday, celebrating with a bit of the bubbly. Mr. Allingham, who has lived in three centuries, is also one of two surviving veterans of World War I left in the UK. Click here to read about his amazing life. I like this quote:
His experiences, and the sights he saw at the third Battle of Ypres, ensured that his youthful enthusiasm was replaced by an undying passion for peace. “War’s stupid,” he told the BBC. “Nobody wins. You might as well talk first, you have to talk last anyway.”
After finding out he was the World’s Oldest Man, his caretakers said he returned to bed after breakfast.
Awww. When I’m that age, I’ll go back to bed after breakfast too. While he is not the oldest person to ever live, he is surely something special. Here’s to 114, Henry! Cheers!
[Posted by Kathleen]
Filed under blogging, celebrities, definitely not politics, family, history, news, pop culture, random, thoughts
Just look at him...he's a rock and roll GOD.
Today is a sacred holiday. It’s National Neil Diamond day. Let’s take a minute to appreciate how glorious this man is and the impact he has made on our lives.
What a fox. RAWR!
Ba ba ba! So good! So good!
Check out the outfits in this one. Neil Diamond is all that is man.
[Posted by Kathleen]
Alright, I know. It’s “old news” (old being about two days), but I still wanted to weigh in.
In case you haven’t heard, my boy Barack named Sonia Sotomayor as his nominee to replace David Souter on the Supreme Court. First things first, how do you say her name? Mallory tackled that one! Click here. And now, my thoughts.
I’ve had a few days to digest this now, and I must admit, I’m a little let down. I see the pragmatism, but I don’t see the promise of change. I was really hoping for a strong logical and liberal voice on the court, and it seems that we are getting a left-leaner. So the court remains 5-4, but barely leaning left.
Her record on choice is thin, and while I’m sure she will uphold Roe v. Wade, I’d like to see someone on the court who has demonstrated more conviction in her career. Sure, she saved baseball, but what about our reproductive rights? Hopefully she bats lefty. (GET IT?! HA!)
GOP hip hop gangsta Michael Steele had this to say about her (from CNN’s Political Ticker):
Indeed, Steele was mild in his initial jabs, calling Sotomayor an “interesting pick” with “overwhelming political overtones to it.”
Funny, Michael Steele. That’s what most people would say about you! SNAP! But quite bluntly, B played it safe with this one. The GOP is searching for something to hold on to that justifies them not voting for confirmation, and the fact that nobody really knows anything about her is making their task more difficult.
From what I’ve read, Sonia Sotomayor is one heck of smart lady. She has an inspirational story of success (the projects in the Bronx to a SCOTUS nomination) and has an excellent reputation as a judge. She was first appointed to Federal District Court in New York by George H.W. Bush and the Court of Appeals by Bill Clinton, so she’s had bipartisan support in the past. Not too shabby. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention she’d be the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice! And just the third woman to ever sit on the bench.
I have no doubt in my mind that she will be a great judge, I was just hoping for a little more, I suppose. I wanted him to make a statement. Perhaps that’s for next time. I trust you, B!
[Posted by Kathleen]
Read this Kristof op-ed on mass rape in Liberia. Just…wow.
[Posted by Mallory]
Yeah yeah yeah. I know. I could have posted it this weekend (or yesterday), but nerd statistics show that nobody reads the blog on the weekend anyway, proving that you all use this while you are being paid by your unsuspecting employers. I love it!
SNL had a really good weekend. Another JT/Andy Samberg song. Oh girl, I love me some JT. And Samberg. RAWR. If you like “Dick in a Box”, you’ll like this one too:
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So that’s what your coworker is singing that you had no idea about. A big SWTCTW you’re welcome! What a beautiful ode to Mother’s Day. Oddly enough though, I won’t be showing that to my mom.
That was funny, now let’s get political and funny. In case you didn’t know, we have the greatest most bestest president in the entire world! He is hilarious! Here is his speech at the annual White House Correspondent’s Dinner:
The best joke in here is a little inside, I know! It’s the one he makes about John Boehner (pronounced like BAINER, not BONER) being a person of color. John Boehner, the House Minority leader, has skin that particular shade of orange that only comes from fake tanning. See?
He’s even oranger in person, if oranger is a word.
Wanda Sykes was also REALLY funny, but I can’t do all the work for you, so you need to look that up yourself.
I’m off to stalk the news and find funny stuff to post! You know you love me. XOXO, i forgot to blog this weekend girl.
[Posted by Kathleen]
Filed under blogging, celebrities, crushes, history, humor, music, news, politics, pop culture, post-college depression, random, sex, the arts, the hill, thoughts, TV, Uncategorized, YouTube
I don’t smoke, so today is a day just like any other for me. But like many people, I was curious why this day is so meaningful and how it go to be that way. So, click HERE to read a column in the HuffPo that explains everything. It’s fairly hilarious and kind of interesting. Here at SWTCTW, we find the answers to your questions so that you don’t have to look it up yourselves. You’re welcome, readers! XOXO!
[P0sted by Kathleen]
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everyone! I’d say something cool and witty in Gaelic, but guess what, I’m too lazy to look it up! Anyway, St. Patrick’s Day is being celebrated at the White House this year Obama style. Meeeesh had them dye all the fountain water green! Love her.
And now, perhaps for the first time ever, a SWTCTW repost. Dearest Madeline found this gem and posted it awhile back, but I think today’s as great a day as any to show it again. I present to you the song “There’s No One As Irish As Barack Obama”!
It’s no “Danny Boy”, but I think I love it. Have a fantastic St. Patrick’s Day! Do something Irishy! Drink something Guinnessy! Get lucky…in the Irish sort of way.
PS- Found this article to make us all sophisticated while celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. (It’ll tell you what Erin Go Bragh actually means, so maybe you should check it out.)
[Posted by Kathleen]
I always hated when you’d ask someone what their degree was in and they’d say something like “procrastination” or “drinking”. Oh, haha, good joke, you are HILARIOUS. But imagine if you asked someone what they got their Master’s in and the response was “The Beatles”–and they weren’t making lame attempts at wit! That’s awesome! No seriously, you can get a Master’s Degree in “The Beatles, Popular Music and Society” at Liverpool Hope University in England. Ummm. Sign me up!
Here is the AP story:
LONDON — The city of Liverpool already has a Beatles museum and its airport is named after John Lennon. Now a local university says it rolling out a graduate program entirely devoted to the Fab Four.
Liverpool Hope University said Tuesday that its new master’s program, “The Beatles, Popular Music and Society,” would give students the opportunity to analyze music and culture through the band’s work.
“There have been over 8,000 books about the Beatles but there has never been serious academic study and that is what we are going to address,” said Mike Brocken, who is directing the program at the university, which is in the band’s hometown in northwestern England.
Brocken said students would be expected to study the Beatles’ songs, stardom, hometown and cultural impact through four 12-week courses and a dissertation.
Brocken said studying the band was really a way of examining society as a whole.
“If popular music is about anything, it’s about people,” he said. “If we look at popular culture, it simply provides us with a very complex mirror of ourselves.”
I think I just found the answer to the quarter life crisis.
Paul McCartney, no joke, was my first celebrity crush. Of course, I was smitten with the young Paul McCartney. I was also devasted when I realized the pictures were in black and white because they were taken 40 years earlier. Wahhhhhh.
Imagine the classes you could take! Please leave comments with your wittiest/best effort Beatles inspired class name. (I won’t judge you as long as it’s not like “Drinking and Procrastinating to the Beatles!” But–side story– I did, in fact, have a Beatles pregame once. Or thrice.)
[Posted by Kathleen]
Filed under blogging, celebrities, crushes, definitely not politics, history, music, pop culture, post-college depression, random
six words to change the world. 