Happy, Happy Birthday...

to benveniste and fringefaan!

May all your birthday fantasies come true...especially the one about the pirates and the bathtub of...

No. That's just totally wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

May your day and the year ahead be all right, right, right. (With or without lime Jell-O.)

benveniste, please put that sword away. The umbrella, too. When did you ever see a pirate carrying an umbrella?

Seriously, my life is thoroughly blessed by the welcome presence of amazing friends. The two of you with the shared September birthday add greatly to the treasure of that. Thank you.

Best TLAPD Post Seen So Far

Boston's very own Miss Conduct wins a virtual chest of gold doubloons with her ARRRR-rated translation of a passage in the 1942 edition of Emily Post's Etiquette directly into Pirate Speak.

Her post comes complete with this link to McSweeney's Pirate Riddles for Sophisticates by Kevin Shay.

Black Cab Sessions

drpaisley pointed me at this fabulous Black Cab Session of Brian Wilson and his band mates singing "Lucky Old Sun":

And, as a bonus prezzie for birthday boy fringefaan, here's Jonathan (Jonny) Byers on his cello:

Some of the Black Cab Sessions are delightfully ridiculous: keyboards, a sax, and a trumpet in the back of even a spacious Brit cab is a sight to see. Others had me clicking away quickly: Baby Dee is not for me. But the films are a great way to get a taste of dozens of musicians I'd likely never otherwise hear of. Quick and fun: win-win.

Click on the Brian Wilson window if it looks like it's not loading; the song starts when I do that. For the other 57 episodes, and to subscribe, go to the Black Cab Sessions website.