Wednesday Overnight Open Thread - August 27, 2025 [DJ Jazzy Rex]

Good evening Horde. The time has come for mid-week shenanigans of the overnight variety.

Welcome to the Wednesday night ONTwhich means another random assortment of interweb hoo ha and what not. Pull up a chair and sit a spell. Be nice to your fellow commenters and AoS contributors.

A special thanks to scampydog to recognize the end of his service as Tuesday ONT contributor. Doggo posted last night that his ONT efforts would be limited to Saturday night Club ONT going forward. We salute you, Duke of Cool!

You're still stuck with the Dino this evening, so let's get on with it...

Group projects mostly suck. Club ONT and the A-Team are clearly the exceptions to the rule, but almost every work-related group project is a steady stream of Dilbert cartoons. Success comes despite the group rather than because of it.

Group projects for any creative endeavor is harder. Different visions and perspectives, different skill sets and interests, different life experiences, etc. Nobody goes to see paintings in museum galleries that came from painter collaborations. Can you imagine trying to get Van Gogh or Dali or Picasso to compromise with other painters to produce a painting?

For some reason, however, musicians find their way to each other periodically. Most bands get together and break up soon thereafter. Successful bands still find ways to break. Some successful find ways to avoid killing each other, mostly because they know the gravy train ends if the band ends.

For tonight's ONT, let's get past bands and focus on collaborations. Looking for those few magic moments when two artists who have found success on their own take the risk to make music together. This isn't when a guest musician sits in or makes a surprise appearance during a live concert. This isn't a duet with singers taking the lead on different parts. A collaboration is when two or more musicians get into a studio and create something new that is good on its own merits. Could be a single song or a full album.

As usual, will need grey box help on this one. DJ Rex has a small brain and short arms which makes music a challenge.

Was Cream the first supergroup? Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker - White Room (1968)

The Highwaymen - Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson - Highwaymen (1985)

The Traveling Wilburys - George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison. End of the Line (1988)

Damn Yankees -Tommy Shaw of Styx, Jack Blades, Ted Nugent, and Michael Cartellone. Come again (1990)

Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty - "Stop Draggin My Heart Around" (1981)

Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton - "Islands in the Stream" (1983)

Eminem and Rihanna - "Love the Way You Lie" (2010)

Christina Aguilera, Lil Kim, Mya, Pink, and Missy Elliott - Lady Marmalade cover (2018)

Lionel Richie and Diana Ross - "Endless Love" (1981)

Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder - "Ebony and Ivory" (1982)

Queen and David Bowie - "Under Pressure" (1982)

Carryover from last week: A collaboration between dinosaurs and jets? A T-Rex flying an F-14 may be the best Calvin and Hobbes drawing that does not include either Calvin or Hobbes. That boy had quite an imagination.

Very random historical nugget:

The Plymouth Iron Windmill Company was started in 1882 by watchmaker and inventor Clarence Hamilton in Plymouth, Michigan. It was established to make a type of windmill that Hamilton invented. The business struggled, partly because of the burden and cost of shipping heavy windmill by wagon. The board met in January 1888 [corrected from 1988] to consider closing and liquidating, but the motion failed by one vote.

Nearby, Hamilton also operated the Plymouth Air Rifle Company which made a spring powered airgun to shoot BB-size round shot. In March 1888, Hamilton approached the windmill company board with an all-metal airgun design and a request to use the factory blast furnaces to mold and stamp the gun's metal parts.

The general manager reportedly test fired the gun and exclaimed, "Boy, it's a daisy!" Can you see where this is going? The new gun was named the "Daisy BB Gun."

The board of the Windmill Company offered the gun to every farmer who purchased a windmill. Success!

By 1895, the Windmill Company stopped making windmills and began making Daisy BB gun parts exclusively. It changed its name to the Daisy Manufacturing Company. The rest is history. The company still sells BB guns today.

August 27 is a mixed date in the world of music. Steve Ray Vaughan died 35 years ago at only 35 years old. Imagine the music that might have been...

On the other side of the ledger, Alex Lifeson was born in 1953. You might have heard of Rush?

Those who are wise in the ways of American Science and Surplus will be saddened to hear of their impending closure. Get your final orders in by Sept 7. If you don't know, think of it along the lines of a rare catalog order to find the odd and unique. It isn't focused on electronics, but the loss is like Radio Shack. Where else are you going to find a Rechargeable Disco Light Wrist Band or a four piece package of military cookie cutters or a life size terra cotta warrior in the same place?

How common is your birthday?

Disclaimer: I do not know where this data comes from, so don't ask about location or time period or anything else. Caveat emptor.

Top 10:
Sept 17
April 8
Sept 23
Sept 24 (tie)
Oct 1 (tie)
Feb 12
April 29
March 4
April 16
March 5

Bottom 10:
Feb 29
Dec 25
Dec 26
Jan 1
Jan 26
April 25
Dec 27
Dec 28
Dec 24
Dec 13

Conclusions:
Early summer and Christmas are popular times for conception
Nothing happens in March
A tiny uptick in mid-November might be Valentines' Day?

The Pittsburgh Police Scanner: The Pittsburgh police scanner keeps giving. Thank you people of Pittsburgh!

Ozzy and Lita Ford for the big ONT finish:

Written correspondence can be sent to moronhobbies at protonmail dot com. Are you lurking ?? Thank you for your attention to this matter.

posted by Open Blogger at 10:00 PM

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