closing time

heya

so here we are (in theory, look you see), the last month of a truly wretched year. unless you happen to own a decent amount of shares in some toilet paper business or pasta making concern, or any other trading enterprise which people panic bought off of during the invisible war on the new plague. a war which, one suspects, shall rage for a while yet. 

to misquote a famous quote from a musician i quite like, not only is this the last calendar update for the year, but (probably) the last one i shall do. you, the people, are quite capable, i have every confidence, of finding date information somewhere else. i really think i have exhausted the theme, actually quite some time ago, but for the sake of being complete i figured rounding out the year was the decent and right way for it to all go. 

finishing the year with something of a flourish is the Star Wars calendar in the kitchen. as you can see, via the greater glory of Commodore 64 mode, that is the "classic" line up of ostensible heroes from the original three (or so) films. to go from left to right, the shiny gay robot, the bin, the fake orphan nancy boy farmer, the impostor princess, the criminal enforcer and the people smuggler. all fine role models. 

probably the biggest issue with the more recent films (editions seven to nine) is that they went to all of the trouble to bring these characters back into some more films, yet did not give them one final, or last, adventure together. i believe they call this "subverting expectations" these days, but more commonly one would refer to it as denying the fans that which they would pay money for. 

any dates of consequence or significance in the month that is the month December to highlight? plenty, really, but here are a few key ones. 

1 - a very happy birthday to Neil "Colin" Warnock, the prolific football manager, born this day in 1948. he, with affection, gets called Colin by the fans, as his name is a perfect anagram of Colin and then another word i shall leave you to have fun working out. 

2 - Frankie Goes To Hollywood were declared number one in the singles chart on this day in 1984, for the third time and with their third single, The Power Of Love. it was to be the last time they were at number one anywhere outside of the heads of their devout fans. of which i am one.

fair use of image

4 - in keeping with a musical theme, it was on this day in 1956 that the Million Dollar Quartet made their now legendary recordings. the four were Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and The King, Elvis Presley. 

5 - originally planned as a standard Stallone action film, Beverly Hills Cop was released on this day in 1984. a quite brilliant film, holds up well to this day. 

6 - this was the day when Finland, in 1917, told the Soviet Union to Отвяжись!, or words to that effect. 

8 - on this day in 1980 Mark Chapman shot and killed John Lennon, apparently after considering shooting and killing David Bowie. most hold him (Lennon, not Chapman) up as a symbol of peace, love and harmony whereas others are baffled that a man with a dubious reputation for (to be as diplomatic as i can) "mistreating" women, drugs and generally being unpleasant would be elevated to such a level. what the others don't understand is that they won't care what you did, they won't care what you said, because everybody loves you when you're dead. 

9 - they have everything for men to enjoy, you can hang out with all the boys mostly thanks to the first ever YMCA being opened on this day in 1851. Montreal, if you were wondering. 

11 - fans and admirers of the film GoodFellas (and there are many) will note that on this day in 1978 it was so that the 'Lufthansa Heist' took place. 

12 - the chairman of the board, ol' blue eyes, Mr Sinatra, was born on this day in 1915. 

14 - cinema in 1984 once more, as Runaway was released on this day in that year. i vaguely recall that it featured him out of Magnum and her off of Cheers what was not Dianne, but my abiding memory of the film is Gene Simmons out of Kiss and some really smart robot spiders. 

17 - on this day (give or take) the Aztec Sun Stone, more commonly called the Aztec Calendar Stone, was discovered way back in 1790. feel free to read up on it, but in short using it to work out the date is complex and a right f*****g headache; our system seems far simpler. 

thank you for the picture

19 - Zuzana Hejnová, regarded as the best, greatest and most important Olympiad of the Czech Republic, was born on this day in 1986. she happens to share a name with the person considered to be the best, greatest and most important tennis player of the Czech Republic, which offers some symmetry i suppose. 

20 - today is International Human Solidarity Day, apparently. no, me neither, but it seems that it is something what the UN came up with in 2005. nice one. 

22 - what do you call someone in a pub, playing pool (or billiards if posh), with a pint on their head? Beatrix Potter. this much loved, cherished and admired author passed away on this day in 1943.

24 - according to the UK singles chart announced on this day in 1972, the members of the British public what bought records opted for a Utah-centric Christmas. some (as in exactly) 30% of the top ten was Osmonds related. for the record (excuse the play on words), Donny Osmond was at 9 with Why, all of them as a collective were at 5 with Crazy Horses and Little Jimmy Osmond was the Festive Number 1 with Long Haired Lover From Liverpool, which he was not.

25 - Shane MacGowan, probably the most famous Irish person to ever have been born in Kent, celebrates his birthday today (1957). which makes it all the more of a shame that Fairytale Of New York never made it to the Christmas number one spot. 

27 - on this day in 1979 the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. much of that mess is with us today. the two most notable aspects of this were how it showcased the fact that the Soviets were completely sh!t at war, and also Rambo III. 

29 - if you are looking for a reason to prolong festive celebrations, then why not join in with the celebrations today being held in honour of Independence Day in Mongolia. probably the best record to play for this is (of course) Warriors Of Genghis Khan by Bad News. 

31 - let me take a guess at this one; in 2020 no one was particularly bothered, fussed or upset that this day was the last day of a wretched year. 

but, as has been the case on just about each instance of these updates, i would encourage you to simply celebrate and cherish dates which mean something to you. don't worry so much about what everyone else is doing, or what others may feel obliged to insist you do (and do not) celebrate. 

in giving a finale, then, either just for this year's calendar updates (2020) or for updates here which may well happen no more, a look at the splendid New Zealand calendar off of Mum & Dad. thank you once more for this, it has been lovely having it up in the shed. yes, indeed, a look at Rocky Bay up in the north island, and my apologies for the shadow i appear to have cast over the dates in taking the picture. whereas i know not as fact, i am going to assume (or presume) that it is called Rocky Bay due to it being a bay with rocky areas, and it has not been named as a well intended but ultimately needless tribute to that boxing film, the name of which escapes me momentarily.

anyway, right, then, that's that for this. may the month ahead be a decent one. if you are reading this at the start of the month it is relevant to, of course. that said, may all your days be decent.

be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!