MAY 27th -- Happy Birthday, Mark

On this day in 1961, the first black light was sold. The fact that this happened on the same day that my parents (and I) won the genetic jackpot in 19#$, is fairly cool. Thomas Jefferson wouldn’t be impressed, but then again he once saw a sharpshooter load a musket in ten seconds and skin the left mutton chop off a British soldier from 500 yards—TJ just shrugged. While I was never part of the rave scene in my youth, and I don’t have any black light tattoos, I have seen the wondrous uses of this confounding light and have come to appreciate and respect them. The world would be a very different place without the black light. I mean would MTV’s Room Raiders have lasted as long as it did without the black light test? Not to mention the advancements in forensics that have been possible (which also throws the behemoth that is the CSI franchise into the pile of things that would be completely different without the black light). Snooki wouldn’t have that beautiful oompa loompa glow. GTL-ers would spend the “T” part of that little acronym strewn in lawns and beaches across the country creating little space for those who genuinely enjoy the outdoors. Bug zappers would merely consist of your Drunk Uncle Chester with a fly swatter and a bad aim. And of course you’d be forced to chug Flaming Dr. Peppers (sorry “Peppars”—legal issues) in a certain French Quarter establishment under the regular, natural haze of a soft white. No. No, thank you. That is a world I would not enjoy.

I’ll toast you all as I drink a beer under a black light!

This day has been, Marked.

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