For my December 9 outgoing voice mail message, it was a relief to see a birthday out of which I could make hash. Actually, hash is relatively labor intense, as opposed to the not so labor friendly implications of the other items to be reflected upon from the almanac, compared to what 1886 birthday child Clarence Birdseye went on to pioneer. Yes, frozen food.

Bachelors raise an aluminum tray.

Another thread slowly wraps around and commences to strangle. Well, as Terrible Ted says in general, that's because you are reading the words of a poof. No, I don't go for that, but it's amazing how much power repeated and allegedly unified displays of ignorance seem to display. In just over a week we have a somewhat anticipated cinematic fairy tale featuring "the dark side". By the way, there are at least two Republicans very tied into Ted.

Smaller minds, the rather useful though not dogmatic saying posits, are preoccupied with personalities and the best minds are into ideas. Now back to the middle preoccupation, events.

On this day in 1958 the John Birch Society was formed and on this day in 2000 it was the United States Supreme Court which voted 5 to 4, matching partisan appointments, to halt the vote counting from the previous presidential election. Isn't there yet another Red candidate---okay, insert "state", here come the Birchers---who had something to do during that circus?

With all due respect, today marks the 1898 birthday of Emmet Kelly. The circus indeed is in town and the honey wagons are still rolling in, take a deep breath.

Finally there is the 1608 birthday of John Milton. "Paradise Lost" is a major theme with many an institution. Wasn't 1781, or 1776-hold-on, the peak and it all went downhill from there courtesy many outcasts from whom/which to choose? Creation myths, anyway.

Speaking of the beleaguered, I think many wives and moms were oft beholden to the metal tray.