Festivus Monday Overnight Open Thread - December 23, 2024 [Doof]

Happy Festivus, Hordelings. The ONT has got a lot of problems with you people, and now you're gonna hear about it.

Airing of Grievances

Festivus begins with the airing of grievances, and the ONT does have one grievance to air tonight. Every Sunday and Monday ONT in December 2024 has concluded with a Rush deep cut. With few notable and appreciated exceptions, there has been far too little mention of these tracks. The ONT works tirelessly and diligently to find these and all the other musical selections which are scattered around each night. Be better, Hordelings.

Feats of Strength

Festivus ends with feats of strength. The video below wonders what if people rode dinosaurs instead of walked. The ONT judges say this indeed qualifies as a feat of strength.

(H/T to Hrothgar)

That was more entertaining then the last Jurassic Park pic.twitter.com/JUjng2RoHo

— Mens_Corner__ (@Mens_Corner__) November 27, 2024

Side note: Your humble host has met and spoken to a guy who calls himself "T Rex" at multiple NoVa and Texas MoMes. The guy in this video is NOT the guy I've met and hung out with, but he appears to be the REAL T Rex. Methinks we have been fooled here at AOSHQ.

After Festivus, Check out the NORAD Santa Tracker

Weasel mentioned the Santa Tracker on Sunday's Gun Thread. Here's a little more about how it came to be.

A Wrong Number to a Top-Secret Military Phone Led to NORAD Santa Tracker With Millions of Fans Worldwide.

In December 1955, one year after President Eisenhower established the hotline, the red phone rang at the Continental Air Defense Command, now known as NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command). The country was in the middle of the Cold War, tensions were high, and the number was for emergency use only.

When Commanding Officer Colonel Harry Shoup answered, he heard a squeaky voice asking, “Is this Santa Claus?”

Shoup thought it was a prank and responded accordingly, until the boy started crying.

Realizing it wasn’t a joke, Shoup, a father of four, played Santa and then spoke to the mom, who told him the number was in a holiday ad for the Sears department store. The number printed in the advertisement was one digit off from what Sears intended to print.

Who knows if Shoup saw the humor at the time, but the ad said: “Call me on my private phone and I will talk to you personally any time, day or night…Kiddies be sure to dial the correct number.”

The kids kept calling and Shoup put two airmen on phone duty to answer the phone as Santa.

“It got to be a big joke at the command center,” Shoup’s daughter Terri Van Keuren said. “You know, ‘The old man’s really flipped his lid this time. We’re answering Santa calls’.”

There was a giant board used to track airplanes and on Christmas Eve some of the staff added a sleigh with reindeer on it. When Shoup saw it, they apologized and offered to remove it, but he thought the sleigh was great.

DJ Doof – Sounds of the Season (Part 8 )

Christmas with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Last Night (I Went Out With Santa Claus).

Stevie Nicks (you've been warned). Silent Night.

The ONT Continues to Look Out for You

For you guys who need this reminder.

Tonight’s ONT closes with respect for the Golden EIB Microphone (extreme dust warning)

Rush Limbaugh’s final Christmas show. There was always something about Rush and Mannheim Steamroller. While it wasn’t his last ever show, it was his way of saying goodbye to us. pic.twitter.com/GX0ow7RB2Z

— Jill Savage (@Jill_Savage) December 21, 2024

All grievances and joking aside, I wish all of you the very best as you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Festivus! Thank you for your kindness and encouragement over the past month as I nervously jumped with both feet into ONT hosting. There are no people like Horde people! Stay safe out there!

posted by Open Blogger at 09:56 PM

| Access Comments