Lincoln's 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation

October 3, 1863

By the President of the United States
A Proclamation

The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and provoke their aggressions, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict; while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people. I do, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that, while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation, and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United Stated States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington, this third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.

Abraham Lincoln

Your Time Killers For Pretending To Work on the Wednesday Before Thanksgiving

Ah, that magical day in the office where time becomes meaningless. If you're like me, it's you and Nick, the Graduate Assistant as the only ones planning to show up for work on Wednesday. It'll be an odd mix of the clock moving too slowly and the ability to actually get some work done for once without the weird guy from around the corner coming to your door and killing your schedule for the day.

I have a very warm place in my heart for The Addams Family movies. Their commentary on The First Thanksgiving.



Some guy re-enacts a key scene from Planes, Trains and Automobiles.



Here's a Thanksgiving puzzle...

Happy Turkey Week

I don't even know where to start...

It's that magical week of the year!  I'm not sure when you kids are checking out for the week, so I thought I'd just pop up now and wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving.

<festive> Happy Thanksgiving! </festive>

I'm feeling much better now than last Wednesday evening, and I seem to be a few degrees away from hail and hearty.  Much better way to enter the holiday than worrying about contaminating the yams.

This year Jason is headed off to Phoenix, homeland of his ladyperson, AmyD.   It's going to be a bit more quiet around these parts, and I'll surely miss having him around at my folks' dinner, but I guess I've been disappearing with Jamie for Thanksgiving for years and years at this point.  Fair's fair.

I anticipate no Thanksgiving madness.  The family may not be "sane" or "stable"- but they are predictable.  The only wildcard is my pal JuanD, who is joining us for dinner and who is smart enough not to get into a heated debate with my 15 year old cousin or throw a punch at Jamie's dad.

If it is looking like it's going to get rough, prepare mentally and physically and think:  what would Superman do?

Lois's dad is decidedly not fun to deal with

We're having a bit of a Holiday shindig on December 1 (sure, come on down), so I'll also be spending the weekend cleaning and decking the halls.  I still haven't been to Home Depot to see if they have a bear for the front yard.  I kind of want one.

Aside from that:  football.  Probably a movie or three.  I'm not laboring under any delusions.  It's a three-day weekend with a "workday" of consuming bird and pie tacked on to the start.  I work for a university, so I'm looking at the clock for when they shut us down from Christmas til New Year.

I am going to watch a VERY SPECIAL Christmas movie, so I look forward to posting on that.

Anyway, gobble, gobble, y'all.

Novemberama! Joan Crawford!

Joan really looks like she knows her way around a sharp, deadly knife...

No.  Just, absolutely, no.  We are not doing this.

Happy Turkey Month, everybuddy!

Halloween Close-Out

Well, that was a whole lot of Halloween on this blog.  I hope you kids enjoyed it.

I figured I might as well do a real Halloween blowout here once, so, that was it.  I like me some Holidays, for sure, but Halloween and it's focus on lightweight scares, costumes and candy has always been a favorite.

In days of yore I might have tried to make more of Halloween night itself, but these days I'm pretty happy just to spend the evening in the driveway and get the chance to see the kids come up in their costumes.  And this year we had a heard of turtles.  Man, there were a lot of kids.

Some great costumes from Adventure Time characters to Kermit the Frog to Witches and Werewolves to somebody named "Minecraft Steve", who was the kid across the street with a box on his head.  And, because memes never really die, we had The Honey Badger.

Jason and Amy came by, so we had some company as we handed stuff out to the trick-or-treaters.  It's always more fun with company.

Anyway, it is a weird Halloween partially because the next several days are going to be nuts.  I have serious meetings at work followed by a work trip to Denver that will last all of 36 hours and end on Monday.

Hope your Halloween was fun!

If what I saw at CVS when I popped in this evening was any indication, we are now officially in the Christmas season.

Taste Test: Candy Corn Oreos! A story in pictures

1. The Cookie

2. The Setting

3. The Taste Tester

Signal Watch Call for Entries: What Spooky Movies Shall I Watch this October?

Hi y'all!

October is just around the corner.  I need to consider what spoooooky movies I can watch as we head into the haunted season.

let's blow the lid off this Halloween!

If you've hung around the past few years, you should know all about my love of Frankenstein movies and classic Universal Horror films.  And, of late, I've liked a lot of the Hammer films I've had a chance to see.  I'll check out a Vincent Price flick, and I'm pretty fond of stuff that rides the line between cheesy and scary.

Signal Watch Watches: Lady In The Lake (1947)

Released about 3 months after 1947's Dark Passage*, this movie also employs the first-person-perspective camera-work that somebody must have been wanting to play with at the time.  Where Dark Passage abandons the conceit fairly early in the movie, Lady in the Lake (1947) uses the trick more or less for the duration of the film except during a few, brief framing sequences during which Robert Montgomery, as Philip Marlowe, addresses the audience before merging with them in a spot of cinematic magic during which the audience is given a sort of thrill-ride like experience of seeing the film from Marlowe's perspective.

It's an oddball stunt, one easier to pull that the matinee jazz of 3D pictures or smell-o-vision, but Montgomery's direction definitely gives the effort a sort of "check this out!" quality, drawing attention to itself with awkward use of mirror shots that don't accomplish much but remind the audience that we're all watching a movie here - and, boy, isn't THAT cool...?

Happy 4th of July from Cap and The Signal Watch!

What better superhero way to celebrate America than with the Sentinel of Liberty, Captain America!

You guys know I'm in the bag for Marvel's answer to jingoistic, flag waving super-dudes.  If you haven't been reading Ed Brubaker's work the past few years, you've really been missing out.

Of course, thanks to this summer's The Avengers, many of you now know Cap as a movie character, and that's terrific!  He may not be the definitive movie Cap, but he's not bad, when you consider the company he's kept in previous attempts to put Cap on screen.

Point of Fact:  When people ask me which is my favorite Avengers movie, I cannot help but answer: Captain America. Where was the musical scene in The Incredible Hulk or Thor? Nowhere.



And, of course, there's the 1990's version of Cap...



But you're really missing out if you've not seen the 1970's version.



Or, if you prefer a 1940's matinee serial:



So Happy Birthday, America, from me and Captain America!  Here's to a pretty darn good run at Democracy!

Yes, that is Kirby!  He even provided Kirby Dots for what I assume was a Bi-Centennial issue of Cap.

and special Disney bonus round:

Ann Miller Sez: Let's Get Patriotic on This 4th of July!

Happy Fourth of July, Comrades!

Today we celebrate our independence with acts of patriotism, be it lighting off fire crackers, grilling foodstuffs, singing some nationalistic tunes, going to an outdoor concert sponsored by the city, or heading to the beach. And, of course, FIREWORKS.

So long as we're saluting America this week, I'd like to take a minute to salute American Ann Miller, the woman of 10,000 taps. Ann Miller loved four things: tapping, singing, smiling and AMERICA.  And probably saying things like "Tinsel Town" and "That's showbiz, kid!".

I invite you to view the photos, most certainly, but also to watch the two clips below, both pretty great war-time patriotic numbers and feature Miller's amazing footwork and, uh, the things between her feet and hips.

If I thought this was what it looked like to have a factory, I'd be a titan of heavy industry and manufacturing:

So as we brace ourselves for Independence Day, let's hope we can all get as excited about America as the lovely Ms. Ann Miller, who was never afraid to be show some leg for Mom, Baseball and Apple Pie.

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

Happy Father's Day to The Admiral, The Old Man, Pop, Paterfamilias, Lord of the Manor, Founder of the Feast, the Progenitor, Dad.

I shall cut to a scene from a recent dinner party at which a friend was experiencing trouble, and I related an anecdote about my dad and his outlook upon life.



Happy Father's Day, Dad!

Memorial Day: American Women

On this Memorial Day, I thought maybe I'd take a minute to remember the many women who've also served in and in conjunction with the US Armed Forces.

I'm not clear on how women are currently deployed in the US Military, but in our recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there can be no question that those anywhere in the theater are at risk.  Nor can you bypass the sacrifice many have made just to serve.

Its hard to ignore the contributions of women in World War II, be it the WACS, the WAVES, the women who took jobs in factories building machinery or the women who carefully managed a country under rationing and who planted victory gardens.

Korea and Vietnam saw women serving in an increased capacity as medical staff.

Like A Doll's Eyes - Quint's Monologue

As we head toward Memorial Day, a day of remembering our fallen soldiers here in the US, and as we cross the threshold into summer (at least here below the the Mason-Dixon Line), I am already pondering not if, but when, I will watch Jaws this summer.

I can't remember the last time I saw a movie with a monologue, a real monologue, included.  I don't suppose the kids these days would sit for a full two or three minutes of somebody just, you know, talking, without pulling out their cell phones and texting away.  But this is from an era of filmmaking that wasn't entirely about avoiding risk, perhaps the only serious era where this occurred at the studios.

No matter how many time I watch it, Robert Shaw's speech about the sinking of the Indianapolis still hits me.  Its a terrific bit of film writing and an amazing performance to match, all carried by the extremely young Steven Spielberg behind the camera.



The sinking of the Indianapolis as described by Shaw's character Quint was all too real, the details of which had only been released to the public in the few years previous to when Jaws hit theaters, and not many had heard the story.

Clearly the speech sets the motivation for Quint, that its far more than about the $10,000 plus expenses, and it gives the film's primordial man vs. nature premise a bent that supersedes Brody's duty and Hooper's scientific curiosity.  And, in many ways, despite tying the film to World War II, it also manages to decouple the film from a 70's creature movie, placing it alongside Melville as a seafaring journey, a sort of tale of revenge against the very sea that gives the character meaning.

Memorial Day isn't just about car sales or a day off.

1100 men went in the water, 316 men come out.  The sharks took the rest.  June the 29th, 1945.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you!  Especially you mothers out there!  I hope you enjoy the day you planned for yourself and are hoping your incompetent families can execute upon.

You may be surprised to learn that I have a mother. Sort of two of them, in fact, if you count Judy, Jamie's mom.  And one must ALWAYS count on Judy.  She's sneaky.

neither of them, for good or ill, are exactly a Lucille Bluth

Both Real-Mom and Adjunct-Mom are to be celebrated for their continuing and much appreciated Mother-ness here in our 37th year.  I think its safe to say that Jamie and I are pretty darn close with both sets of folks, and we grow to appreciate them more every year not just for what they do now, but in understanding what what they did for us when we were entitled little brats growing up.

For example, my mother may have been right that I could not have ALL THE TOYS and I should clean my room once in a while.  Only in my 37th year am I figuring out WHY.  Also, she may have been right on a few (thousand) other things, but even here on Mother's Day, we're not giving up ground.

And, of course, we know that our mothers may not always be perfect, but we know that they love us and have always done their best for us.

sometimes you gotta do right by your kids

Heck, they've even been pretty great when we've been less than pleasant to be around (see: me, ages 9-27).

Both Moms have raised the bar for what it means to be a decent human being, through their acts of charity and volunteer efforts, and by generally living by The Golden Rule better than virtually any other folks I know.  Role models, people.

So today I publicly salute them, and think you should probably call your mom if you haven't yet done so.

Happy Star Wars Day!

May the 4th be with you!

Meesa the avatar for what happened to everything Generation X once believed in! 

It's Star Wars Day!  That's fun.

You know, I'm sort of a non-observant Star Wars fan at best.  But as I understand it, the movies and TV show are very popular with the younger set, and I won't be the one to rain on that parade.

Here's to Yoda, Wookies, Princess Leia in her snow suit, and better times.  And, hell yes...

Lando's not a system.  He's a MAN.

Hope Your Easter is Going Well

every holiday is made better with the power of Elvira

Howdy, y'all!

I hope your Easter (or, if you're not celebrating Easter, your Sunday) is going well.

I doubt I'll get to post tonight, so I wanted to tag in and wish everyone a good end of the weekend, a lovely Monday, and all that jazz.

We met up with Jason and Amy at Amy's recently adopted church in Central Austin.  My folks came down, as did CousinSue and her daughter, Ciara.   Quite a nice church, Central Presbyterian.  I was impressed.

From there we headed north to my folks' place and met up with some longtime family friends as well as Matt & Nicole. The KareBear put out an enormous spread that could have fed a small army, but we did it justice, I think.  They've also installed a water feature in their backyard that I found kind of mind-blowing.  Basically, not having a small creek in the backyard was not going to suit The Admiral, and so, now he's got one.

All in all, a lovely day.

Yesterday I finally broke down and made the switch to propane.  I am now the proud owner of a Weber 210 Spirit.  My summer grilling is looking like it will not be the char-cooked mess of the last few years.

Anyhow, off to the store I go to get some meat to throw on the grill this evening.  Wish me luck on the Maiden Voyage of the Spirit 210!

Happy Easter, People

Happy Easter, Signal Corps!

His work done for the year, the Easter Bunny takes five

We celebrate Easter at our house. Well, to be more accurate, we celebrate Easter with my folks near every year, and this year we're doing no less, especially as the family has all moved to Austin.

I expect we'll have ham.  There always seems to be ham at Easter.

If Easter is something you do at your house, I hope that you have a good one.  If not, enjoy the quiet Sunday.

We'll be back on Monday-ish.  Here's Fred Astaire and Judy Garland in the finale to 1948's Easter Parade.  It is a silly movie, and it co-stars Ms. Ann Miller.

TV Round-Up: Shows I'm Really Missing

Of late, Jamie and I are running out of shows to watch.  Frankly, we've lost our enthusiasm for some of the shows we'd been watching as time seems to have taken its toll on whatever early creative explosions were occurring, giving way to predictable, redundant comedy or plotting turning the show into a 30-60 minute exercise in remembering better days.

Yes, I'm looking at you 30 Rock.  I've turned you off halfway through the episode the past two weeks.

But it reminds me that at least 30 Rock got a chance, again and again from NBC.  Other shows have either been cut down in their prime, or ended due to what I have to assume were business reasons before the show has finished really exploring the possibilities of the characters.

editor's note:  for clarification, from here to the end, its probably worth checking the calendar.

We mostly talk genre around here, so surely I am not alone in my despair amongst my friends here as I wonder aloud why Lexx ever went off the air.   A clear vision of man's future, at least as inspiring as Andromeda, or the oft mentioned Earth: Final Conflict.  All had something compelling to say about us as people, something that needed to go on for much longer than the limited schedules fate bestowed them.

But if I can indulge in Example Prime:  According to Jim.  

I am aware that many shows are lucky to see a single season, but with the complex plotting, nuanced characterization and fascinating growth of the characters in multiple modes from a sort of Sirkian exploration of family and class to a sort of pathos worthy of Von Trier, this slice of Americana received only 8 seasons in which to explore the lives of Jim, Cheryl, they're family and friends.  What more could we have learned by seeing Jim's eventual transition to retirement?  How would he and Cheryl have coped in Season 25 with the overdose death of Dana?  

There are so many lingering questions that only time and the room to let the characters really breathe in their space could have really bring the show to maturity and let longstanding trends with the characters bear fruit.

It seems impossible that 2009 saw the final (official) episode of the program, and I admit I'm a bit behind in my fan-fiction both prose and the skits and full episodes on my website http://geocities.accordingtoryan/\\3456#, but I think its worth keeping the vision of the show alive.  If Arrested Development can see a revival after its shaky ratings and confusing messaging, I'm fairly certain that the millions who watched According to Jim during its official run will be able to see this program see the light of day once more.  

One More on St. Patrick's Day, before we go

.

Happy St. Patty's Day from me, Jamie, The KareBear and The Admiral.

After all these years, I finally had a green beer on St. Patrick's Day.  It tasted like beer.

This picture was actually taken to tell Jason the family was really enjoying celebrating his B-Day without him.  Because that's how we roll in the Steans Clan.

Wow, you can really see the Nike logo on my shoe down there.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

It's not just Jason's B-Day, its also St. Patrick's Day!

Let's put on some green, shall we?

And why not Batman and Superman?

Try not to throw up all the Guinness, corned beef and cabbage, and we'll talk to you next week.