Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Culture

They’re Killing South Park – You Bastards!

The little beach town of Hermosa Beach, on the south Santa Monica Bay in California, is having an image problem with their recreational facility known as “South Park.” The Women’s Club in HB offered to provide a new sign for the park, but tied a name change to the deal. It seems they are offended by the stigma attached to the name itself.

Is it just me or are these do-gooding stiffs just a little too insecure with themselves? I hope that Matt and Trey will offer an episode dedicated to these pinheads.

Continue reading…

14 Nov 2006 by California Culture Whacko Politics

Samhain

Today is the autumnal cross-quarter day. Like equinox and solstice, a cross-quarter day identifies a place in the Earth’s orbit. Cross-quarters occur at the midpoint between solstice and equinox.

Image: Diagram of solstices, equinoxes and cross-quarter events. (Courtesy Archaeoastronomy.com — Click for an animated version)

Ancient Celtics celebrated cross-quarter days as significant events in their calendar. Samhain marked the end of the harvest and the end of summer. Samhain is the word for November in the Irish language. The same word was used for a month in the Celtic calendar, in particular the first three nights of this month, with the festival marking the end of the summer season and the end of the harvest. A modernized version of this festival continues today in some of the traditions of the Catholic All Saints’ Day, the secular Halloween, and in folk practices of Samhain itself in the Celtic Nations and the Irish and Scottish diasporas.

Archeoastronomy.com is an interesting site to visit. Go there and read about the ancient peoples celebration of celestial events. Also visit Old News and read about the possibility that ancient Native Americans may have been influenced by the Celtic calendar! Fascinating stuff.

07 Nov 2006 by Astronomy Culture

Halloween 2006

Halloween Greetings

Once again, the leaves are falling and the pumpkins in the patch are ripe. It’s the time that all restless spirits set forth in their annual ritual of calling on the living – and demanding treats.

Halloween is known and loved today as a time to wear costumes, go door to door asking for candy, and watch monster movies. But the holiday’s origins go back centuries to the enactment of All Saints’ Day, a Christian holiday. Along the way, it has also picked up traditions from Samhain, a Celtic festival celebrating the start of winter.

We’re looking forward to the visitations of all the little goblins and spirits at our door tonight. We plan on posting some spooky pictures here tomorrow.

31 Oct 2006 by Culture

Spooks and Flowers

Since we love Halloween, we’re going to start getting in the “spirit” with this colorful centerpiece on our table this weekend. Over the weekend, we’re going to get the decorations and the rest of the preparations ready for the little spooks headed our way on October 31st.

27 Oct 2006 by Culture Photography

Hibiscus

Since we had network problems today, Cap’n Bob was not able to finish his article as planned. So, he asked me to post a flower photo.

There are over 200 varieties of this lovely flower. It is the state flower of Hawaii and the national flower of South Korea. This golden hibiscus was growing in a pot at a nearby home improvement center.

23 Oct 2006 by Culture Home & Garden Photography

Categories

Archives