#jose houdini

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Jose Houdini & Fabio Florez / Typelab / Space Collection – Mughal / Typeface / 2019

[athanasius-symposium-of-writings]

Chemistry

Inspired by art from @/jackthepeeper here

Rated: Mature | Warnings: Richard calls reader 'princess' but still gn (trust me in none affectionate way), reader calls Richard 'dick'

Richard Sterling is the classic beautiful knight, the sort to save a princess from a high tower guarded by a fearsome dragon. It is undeniable his beauty, storybook to the letter, yet you find yourself unable to trust a pretty face like most do. Most ladies would think you are being too cautious, clearly you should be swooning and falling over him. It is made to seem like something is wrong with you, which you are not going to feel about! Father says to trust your instincts; trust and verify.

Richard Sterling probably sees you as the princess in need of saving, Florian did too, but you are quite clear that his assistance will only be called upon if necessary.

As one who practices the art of escape as, once the great Houdini did, you have not always needed rescuing.

Jose Baden and you have come up with plenty of ideas of how to use your talents combined when dealing with the most difficult hunters to contain. A bit of confusion can do wonders against those like Ivy or Percy.

You are not sure Richard— Dick, you call him when he gets on your nerves— Gets it, yet your luck has been shit as he has been saving your ass far too much. Jose had thought he could tease you about it but you make it very clear to him to stop.

This last match would have nearly cost you if he had not stayed behind to save you from Discipline. It was risky but it got a tie.

“There is no need for thanks,” Bowing, “After all, any princess needs a knight.”

“Not a princess or prince, pretty boy.” Florian has a hero complex, easy to deal with. Richard, you think would be the same way but there's something off. Heroic deeds yet it is like he is playing a practiced role. Florian at least wants to save people though he seems to get off on it. Fucking weirdos all in this place, at least they put their differences aside to survive.

“My apologies for assuming. It could not be helped given your current circumstances of late.”

“We all have bad days… or weeks.” Mumbling with this pleasure, “Just have to go practice.”

“If you are in of company—”

“William is already joining me.” You cut him off, “See you whenever.” Going to the left of the intersecting hallway and heading to your room.

“Farwell, princess.” That last part is said with a sly smirk.

All of your lockpicks have been used, Jack is relentless, and Night Watch is quick with chairing. Duo hunters are always a pain in the ass to get through as certain hunter combinations make or break a match.

Both Jack and Night Watch's abilities are a great combo and there are only four remaining survivors…

The Knight is containing the hunters as they decide to tag team against the newest survivor. You use this opportunity to save Luca and Lucky Guy from their chairs, Luca has the crowbar but the dungeon location is a mystery currently on the snow version of the Arms Factory map.

You could leave Richard, he has helped you but he a dick about it as he calls you “princess”. Luca pings no dungeon where he went to and Lucky Guy pings the hunter is on him.

“Evening, princess.” Richard finds you decoding in the factory, you see the hunters did a number on him before both hunters saw Lucky Guy who shot Night Watch with a flare. Merc's armbands will only get him so far. “Might I request a touch from the fair nimble-fingered princess?”

“Ew, why do you talk like that?” You hate his laugh that makes him wheeze in pain, “Stop that. Here,” Handing him Demi’s Dovlin you bought, “Drink this it will help the pain.”

“Wine? Rather unwise to be inebriated in our current situation.”

“Dick, it will heal you. I don't know how but does so fucking drink it!”

“As my princess wishes. Perhaps after, we could enjoy a glass of wine later?”

You stare at so long enough to fuck up the cipher for a second, “Get us a win and maybe I will entertain that.”

Holy shit… A tie… You cannot believe the… Lucky Guy and Luca are cheering while you are completely flabbergasted. A two-person kite and the dungeon were found just in time.

Dick got his dinner and wine because that win was impressive. The dinner was added because you want food with your wine.

You figure dinner in the sunroom is safe. Though private and often reserved for tea parties, at night you found it to be the best spot to gaze upon the stars.

“Princess,” Dinner and wine, “There is no reason to shy away.” It makes you both too bold and stupid.

You have slept with Florian. He is attractive and you are weak for a man in uniform. Slept with Mike too, he made you laugh your first week here. Made out with Mary during a Valentine's Day celebration. In short, you are not surprised you are on the floor with the pretty boy playing knight. Without the vest, his blouse partly open, and his tight pants not leaving anything to guesswork; his is gorgeous.

“I'm not shy. You're just so much.” You open his shirt as he takes off his trousers and shoes. “A lot much.” Your fuzzy brain from drinking is not giving you the ability to form proper words or find the right one. You are not the type to drink, socially you drink rarely, so your tolerance is low. Especially given the vintage is from Antonio's secret stash he tries to hide in the wine cellar.

The food helped until the night grew longer and longer, more cups of wine poured, your inhibitions lowered, your tongue loose— There is an old saying ‘loose lips sink ships’ and boy was your ship sinking.

Richard seems to be able to hold his liquor, you envy him, he is so pretty and… Your mind is too fuzzy to figure out who leaned in first for the kiss.

By now, you both are on the floor near the large glass ceiling, two bottles empty, both glasses fallen and rolled somewhere, and both sitting under the stars. Romantic.

When he kisses you, it is the perfect kiss, you are swooning a bit. Perfect then demanding with his tongue in your mouth, his hands on your face keeping you in place so he can steal your breath.

The escalation was so close from how his hands wandered and groped you; your hands tugging at his clothes yet there was not much you could do in your current state. The kiss is hot and heavy, and you swear you are ready, then he stops. Not panicking or pushing you away abruptly, he is gentle and lays you under him.

“Richard?”

“As much as I would enjoy ravishing you,” You have no idea how he can speak so clearly with two bottles in both your systems, “However, I would much prefer our night of passion to be recalled not forgotten.”

And in the most gentle way, he did not sleep with you that night.

Princess. You hate being called that. You are no princess or prince in need of a knight. You see yourself more as the jester who struggled to amuse the crowd unless you were escaping impossible odds— Life-threatening ones often. Yet, to Richard, you are a princess running away from impossible horrors and narrowly escaping.

The a few ladies like him, a few of the guys, and you still believe under that facade is a dragon rather than a knight.

“Princess?” Answering the door surprised to see you there. The only visitors he gets usually is Vera (he likes her perfumes) and occasionally Margaretha (stress relief), and maybe Evelyn for a nightcap.

Here you are looking crossed with him, he does not resist when your hand touches his bare chest shoving him back, this allows you to enter his room and slam the door behind you.

“If you are looking to manipulate me into some alliance with you, well, you're a dumbass. Alliances will not help you. We have to all work together if we are going to survive this.” The rant is long as you jab your finger against his chest not noticing how he is allowing you to vent until you are out of words. You glare and then look down seeing where you are touching the knight.

It might not have been the best idea to corner him in a nice room that smells of perfume and is well organized— You pull your hand back realizing your hand is on his partially exposed chest. His usual fencing vest and sash are gone, his undershirt open making him look like a damn male lead of a romance novel cover.

You look away then point to the closed door in the heat of your anger about how things were different between you and him (he had even been in your room helping you with your hangover), you came upon him at an inappropriate time, “I uh, bye.”

“Wait,” Grabbing your hand and for the first time since that tonight over a week ago, you can feel his bare hand. “My apologies for being so forward; it lead to this miscommunication.”

You hate how eloquent he speaks, Norton might be rubbing off on you.

“You are correct about me seeking something from you, princess. We were close to it, however, it would be wrong for a gentleman to take advantage of a princess at their most vulnerable.”

“... You can just ask me for sex.”

He laughed, “How crude. Though I suppose a blunt request would have caused less stress.”

You roll your eyes, “Dick—”

“Richard, (Name).” His hand traveling up your arm, “I wish to bed you. If you wish, perhaps we can share our desires often with one another.”

You hum, “Friends with benefits?” Thinking it over for a second,  “Alright.” Not like there are strings attached or love involved.

Chemistry is just as vicious as love.

Desire can twist infatuation into obsession.

Sex with Richard is amazing! You were so sure the man was gonna chivalrously vanilla, not there is anything wrong with that but you have your tastes and thrills. Florian liked it when you poured candle wax on him, Mike liked how playful you can be, and Mary adored it when you let her use her mirror shard to slide against your skin (never cutting you). Richard is… Very experimental.

When his hand is wrapped around your throat; when his usual gentlemanly demeanor switches to this sadistic man who wants to break you; the fact he is thankful after the rough sex he takes care of you— Thinking about right now as you walk to your room is making you giddy.

You love it when he uses his sash to bind your wrists or use it as a leash, your next favorite is when he has you wear his helmet so you can not see making it partly difficult to breathe. It thrills, risks, and you both feel alive.

Sex is sex, the highly stressful situation and often traumatic matches, you find for a few hours it keeps you from attempting to set the manor on fire. It is a tool and the chemistry between you both is perfect. There is no love, Richard is a decent guy but not someone you can picture yourself in love with.

Even when the sight in your bedroom is him wearing his underlings and blouse, the seductive look of a promised bliss. The invitation of his finger beckons you to him.

And you go to him all too willing to have an hour or two of escapism, to pretend you are not in some hellish manor, to have your thoughts halted and voice made horse from saying his name rather than from terror.

“Good princess.” He is going to ruin you within these four walls, strip you bare, ravish the princess in need of saving.

[kuadecuk]

Jose Antonio Hernández Díez, Houdini, 1989

[xtruss]

At $9,000, the elaborate Grand Ballroom at the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California, cost more than three times the price of an entire home in the late 1800s. The Queen Anne-style Mansion was one of the inspirations for author Shirley Jackson’s Influential Horror Novel, The Haunting of Hill House and is one of many historic homes that offer tours. Photograph By Winchester Mystery House, LLC

The Mysterious California Mansion That Spawned a Haunted House Craze

More than a hundred rooms. Stairs leading nowhere. A maze of empty corridors. The eerie Winchester House was one of the first to draw tourists seeking spine-chilling thrills.

— By Roger Luckhurst | October 25, 2023

Soon after the death of Sarah Winchester in San Jose, California, in 1922, the new owners opened her mansion as an attraction for tourists drawn to tales of the bizarre. Winchester was the heir to the gun manufacturer’s fortune, and rumors swirled around her constant home building and renovation. She constructed elaborate extra rooms (more than a hundred), stairs that led nowhere, and empty corridors that turned the house into a bewildering maze.

Was her fortune cursed? Did Winchester build a labyrinth to confound vengeful spirits? Were there séances held in the mansion every night?

The answer was no to most of these questions, but once the famous magician Harry Houdini visited and told the owners to market it as the “Winchester Mystery House,” its commercial career was secure. It has just celebrated its centenary and is still a popular attraction in the San Francisco Bay Area. You can take the “Walk with Spirits” tour, attend a séance, or—new this fall—immerse yourself in creepy “Unhinged Housewarming” evenings.

The mansion was one of the inspirations for Shirley Jackson’s classic 1959 novel The Haunting of Hill House—a key gothic novel that portrays a house as a reserve of malignant energy. The famous opening paragraph tells us that the house “stood by itself against its hills, holding darkness within.” In the novel a group of paranormal investigators stay in the house, which they only belatedly realize is feeding off disturbed psychic powers that are conjuring murderous, long buried resentments.

Ever since the book’s success—and thanks to Stephen King novels, “true” paranormal TV shows, and found-footage films such as Paranormal Activity—we’ve become attuned to the idea of the Bad Place, the house where past traumas or atrocities have leaked into the atmosphere and then gotten stuck on repeat.

Here’s how Jackson’s book continues to inspire haunted house tourism, and where you can visit other evocative Bad Places.

Set on a lake in Oxfordshire, England, Blenheim Palace made a suitably chilling location for the 1973 film The Legend of Hell House, inspired by Shirley Jackson’s gothic novel. Photograph By Andreas Von Einsiedel, Getty Images

The Legacy of Hill House

In the preface to her bestseller, Jackson confessed the idea for her ghost story had been taken from a bizarre true-life inquiry by the London-based Society for Psychical Research in 1897. The Society (which still exists) formed a Haunted House Committee and sent the dubious “psychic sensitive” Ada Goodrich-Freer to investigate claims of haunting at Ballechin House in Scotland. The book of the investigation, given aristocratic endorsement by the Marquis of Bute, caused all sorts of ructions in the Letters pages of the London Times, with many condemning the naivety of the investigators.

Jackson’s novel was filmed in 1963, to great effect, as The Haunting. Director Robert Wise used Ettington Park Hall in Warwickshire in the United Kingdom for the unnerving exteriors. The Hall was the ancient estate of the Shirley family, stretching back to the Domesday Book, but it was rebuilt in the 19th century in the neo-Gothic style, all pointed arches and polychromatic brickwork. Some claim the Hall actually is haunted, being such an old family pile in Shakespeare country. An elderly Victorian ghost totters around at twilight, while “Lady Emma” is said to glide through the corridors at night. However, as a current 4-star hotel popular with wedding parties, it now doesn’t play up that angle.

Also inspired by Jackson’s book, the 1973 film The Legend of Hell House featured the sharp-angled, baroque details of Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. The palace was built by the architect and playwright Sir John Vanbrugh for the British hero the Duke of Marlborough, who had won a famous victory at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. The grand house was the birthplace of the first Duke’s most famous descendant, and another war hero, Winston Churchill.

For the recent Netflix series, freely adapted from The Haunting of Hill House, director Mike Flanagan used the Gothic exterior of Bisham Manor in Lagrange, Georgia. This mansion, in private hands, does look suitably Gothic, but is actually less than 30 years old.

In the Mountains of Transylvania, Romania 🇷🇴, Bran Castle markets itself as “Dracula’s Castle,” capitalizing on the brooding setting of Bram Stoker's novel Dracula. Photograph By Sean Gallup, Getty Images

Vampire Castles and Other Gothic Spaces

For the more adventurous admirer of Gothic novels and haunted houses, Bran Castle in Transylvania, Romania, claims to be the inspiration for the brooding opening section of Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula. Stoker never visited the region, but constructed the vampire’s den from travel books, conversations with his brother who had journeyed in the Balkans, and his fevered imagination.

Bran Castle welcomes tourists, unlike the Villa Diodati on the waterfront of Lake Geneva in Cologny, Switzerland. This was the site where, in 1816, the Romantic poets Lord Byron and Percy Shelley and their entourage tried to scare themselves silly by telling ghost stories during a particularly violent thunderstorm. The meeting was to prompt the teenage Mary Shelley to write Frankenstein and Byron’s much put-upon doctor, John William Polidori, to pen “The Vampyre.” Villa Diodati is privately owned, and security fences keep the curious out.

It is not only family manors or rambling country mansions that inspire Gothic vibes. For a time, Detroit’s abandoned factories stood in as symbols of a whole industrial economic and social order coming to an end. No wonder this landscape features in recent horror films, such as It Follows (2013), Don’t Breathe (2016), or Barbarian (2022).

We also seem to be spooked by the husks of prisons or asylums—those sprawling institutions whose ruins haunt us with the death of a certain optimistic belief that a spell of institutional treatment might improve people. The last of these so-called “monster asylums”—such as the Willard Asylum for the Chronic Insane in Ovid, New York—shut down in the 1990s.

Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, sometimes turned to the house as a metaphor for the human psyche, a place with lots of secrets locked away in basements or forgotten bedrooms. An avid reader of Gothic stories, Freud argued that the Gothic inspired feelings of the unheimlich. Often translated as “uncanny,” the original German means unhomely, and this gets at precisely what unnerves us about haunted house tales: the irruption of something horrifying or unholy in precisely the location we always thought was the safest space.

The Gothic runs and re-runs this anxiety on an endless loop, trying to shore up our sense of home, knowing all the while that the unhomely always lurks in the shadows of dusty rooms, the creak of staircases, or along the vistas of empty corridors.

[snugsodium]

The Best Instagrammable Places in Laguna Philippines

As the holiday season approaches, it is evident that many families and friends intend to take a vacation, be it short or long, as a means of spending time and strengthening their relationships with their loved ones. Along with potential homebuyers who are constantly looking for the ideal house and lot for sale in San Pedro, Laguna, local residents and tourists search for the best Laguna tourist spots near their home where they can spend their free time as well as take the chance to learn about and explore more nearby local tourist attractions.

Apart from being known as the birthplace of the Philippine national hero — Dr. Jose Rizal, and a place where one of the most prominent theme parks — Enchanted Kingdom, where Princess Victoria's dream shop, Harry Houdini's magic shop and the famous space shuttle, is located; the Laguna province is renowned as the Resort Capital of the Philippines, which is why several tourists travel to spend their vacations there in order to breathe in the fresh air and get away from the city noise.

Oftentimes, it doesn't really matter whether their trips will take them to a well-known and premium location or not; instead, what matters more to them is whether the Laguna tourist spots they will visit is Instagrammable.

[eiginleiki]

Jose Houdini

[visuarhysm]

(Jose Houdini on Behanceから)

[hrsrabbitcenter]

(San Jose, California) Meet Roo (black male with a little beard scruff and light eye outline), Clark (brindle male), Houdini (black female with white face markings), and Binks (all black female)! They’re all looking for a new home. If you’re interested in learning more about one of these cuties, reach out to Lindsay at ljdavenp7@gmail.com or (209) 648-7046.   The mother of the rabbits gave birth in someone’s garage, and the babies were taken in by a good Samaritan at about 5 weeks of age. Now, the rabbits are around 9-10 weeks and can be separated from their mother. They aren’t fixed yet and also haven’t been vaccinated against RHDV2. However, they are all happy indoor rabbits and are great with their litter box habits! They love their Oxbow young rabbit pellets and alfalfa hay.   Roo was the runt of the litter since he was the smallest. At times he can be a bit shy but he’s incredibly loving. He loves to binky and flop. He likes to groom his brother and sisters too!   Clark is the most independent of the bunch for sure. He also loves to do binkies and flops but doesn't seem to like a lot of pets. He's warming up to them though!   Houdini (because she likes to escape) is also fairly independent. She definitely loves all of the pets. She does binkies and flops and loves people.    Binks is the most curious and receptive to humans and loves to have her siblings groom her. She is just a pure sweetheart—she’ll come up to you to say hello and adores pets. She got her name because she's been doing binkies since day one!   Learn more about the importance of spay/neuter: rabbit.org/faq-spaying-and-neutering   Learn more about low-cost spay/neuter options in the SF Bay Area: rabbit.org/rabbit-center/low-cost-spayneuter-clinics   Learn more about RHDV: rabbit.org/rhdv  

[2want2believe]

Winchester Mystery House

Sarah Lockwood Winchester, née Pardee, was born in New Haven, CT in 1839. In her Earthly years, she amassed a shit ton of wealth following the death of her husband, William Wirt Winchester, and even managed to nab a 50% holding in his company, Winchester Repeating Arms Company, a popular manufacturer of repeater rifles. 

Anyway, the happy couple were married in 1862. And shortly thereafter they had tried to procreate, but their only daughter, Annie, had died ten days after birth of marasmus, a severe form of malnutrition that is typically seen in children with severe bouts of diarrhea. Remember, in the 1800s something as simple as diarrhea could have wiped you from the mortal realm. 

But let’s jump ahead to March of 1881, when William Wirt Winchester passed way from a bout with tuberculosis, leaving our girl Sarah with a fortune of $20 million (roughly $520 million in 2021 dollars). Plus, her holding in the Winchester Repeating Arms Company created an income of $1,000 a day, which is nearly $26,000 in current cash. 

So, how did Winchester spend her fortune? Did she purchase fur coats? Exotic animals? Fancy bling-bling? No, instead she commissioned the construction of a Queen Anne Style Victorian mansion in San Jose, CA that is now known as the Winchester Mystery House. 

Legend has it, the grief-stricken widow had visited a Boston-based medium, who claims to have spoken to her late husband who spiritually advised her to sell their property in New Haven and head out west to endlessly build a home for herself and the spirits of those who were killed by the hands of Winchester Rifles. According to this otherworldly advice, this would be the only way to appease the spirits who were ripped from this world way too early by Winchester’s riles. 

In 1884, she ended up in San Jose, California where Sarah had come across an unfinished farmhouse and used this land to complete her masterpiece. Winchester ordered constant “around-the-clock” construction of new rooms, stairways to nowhere, hidden rooms, trap doors, secret passage ways, a skylight in the floor, spider-web windows, doors that open to blank walls, a door on the second floor that opens to a drop, and even glass windows designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany, of Tiffany & Company fame. 

Carpenters worked on the house all day and all night, hammering away with seemingly no endgame in sight. Word on the street is that when news of Sarah’s death caught attention of the working crew on shift the morning of September 5, 1922, they immediately quit, leaving their half-eaten sandwiches and half-hammered nails sticking out of the walls. 

At one point, the home was seven stories tall, but a 1906 earthquake had toppled some of the mansion, resulting in the current layout, which now stands at 4 stories. The rooms that were damaged by the quake were never repaired and just simply boarded off. 

Facts about the Winchester Mystery House:

There are roughly 161 rooms

There are about 40 bedrooms (Winchester would sleep in a different room each night to confuse spirits)

Despite numerous bathrooms, there was only one single working toilet for Winchester (just like the bedroom switching, other bathrooms were decoys to confuse the spirits)

The house is known for its stained glass windows and other fancy adornments

As previously mentioned, Winchester utilized the labyrinth-like design intentionally to confuse the spirits of her whereabouts. However, circulating rumors suggest that Sarah Winchester left behind clues that she may have been a member of a secret society. The house is riddled with mysterious symbols that many suggest point to secrets that have yet to be solved. It seems that Winchester was obsessed with the number 13. Many of the windows have 13 panes, many stairwells contain 13 steps, and some rooms even have 13 windows. Plus, her last will and testament contained 13 parts.

Or, perhaps, Sarah may have just become overrun with grief and descended into undiagnosed madness. Following her husband’s death and sojourn to San Jose, she became a well-known recluse who very rarely left the house. Her only contact with others included hired servants who lived on the third floor, her many contractors, and her niece. Winchester typically denied entrance to anyone who showed up at the front door, including Teddy Roosevelt. 

She even had a séance room which she used to communicate with the dead. She insisted to be the only person to enter this room. Two years following her death, legendary escape artist Harry Houdini visited the mansion to conduct a midnight séance. It’s said that Houdini held the séance in a room now known as the Witch’s Cap, which he believed may have been the same room Winchester used. The Witch’s Cap was an unfinished room located in the south wing that had a cone-shaped ceiling that sort of resembled the shape of a witch’s cap. 

Anyway, Houdini was a huge skeptic of the spiritualism movement that arose in the years following the Civil War. It’s said that many people, seemingly mostly women, became intoxicated with the idea that they could communicate with their dead husband, child, etc. Post-Civil War America was a hotbed for this movement due to families wanting to communicate with those who were killed in action. The movement continued to be popular well into the 20th century. 

Since Houdini had believed the spiritualism movement to be hogwash, he became very active in disproving mediums, clairvoyants, and other individuals who claimed to have precognitive abilities. When the story of angry spirits roaming the halls of Winchester Manor caught Houdini’s attention, he went to the Winchester Mansion to disprove this belief. Following the séance, Houdini remained very mum on the details about what he had experienced, leading many to believe that he did in fact contact the dead. 

Following Sarah Winchester’s death, appraisers deemed the mansion to be  “worthless” due to damage from the 1906 earthquake, its unfinished design, and elaborate layout. Despite this, the house was sold at auction to an investor for $135,000, who then began conducting tours of the mansion about five months following Winchester’s death. 

Today, you can still tour the mansion. Over the years, tour guides have cited that the mansion’s third story appears to be the most haunted, which is where a number of the hired servants had resided. Doors can often be heard opening and closing whenever there does not seem to be any other people around. 

Was Sarah Lockwood Winchester visited by the restless spirits who died at the hands of her late husband’s rifles? Was Harry Houdini the key to solving this mystery? Or, was this all hogwash? The world may never know. 

[randomlyrandoms]

Celebrity Deaths 2020

JANUARY Lexii Alijai - Jan. 1 (Rapper) Nick Gordon - Jan. 1 (Reality Star) Carlos De Leon - Jan. 1 (Boxer) Don Larsen - Jan. 1 (Baseball Player) Sam Wyche - Jan. 2 (Football Coach) John Baldessari - Jan. 2 (Conceptual Artist) Derek Acorah - Jan. 3 (TV Show Host) Gene Reynolds - Jan. 3 (Director) Andrea Arruti - Jan. 3 (Voice Actress) Walter Learning - Jan. 5 (Director) Ria Irawan - Jan. 6 (Movie Actress) Neil Peart - Jan. 7 (Drummer) Silvio Horta - Jan. 7 (Screenwriter) Elizabeth Wurtzel - Jan. 7 (Novelist) Harry Hains - Jan. 7 (TV Actor) *Edd Byrnes - Jan. 8 (TV Actor) Buck Henry - Jan. 8 (Screenwriter) Maxie - Jan. 8 (YouTube Star) Alexis Eddy - Jan. 9 (Reality Star) Brian James - Jan. 10 (Rugby Player) Stan Kirsch - Jan. 11 (TV Actor) La Parka - Jan. 12 (Wrestler) Rocky Johnson - Jan. 15 (Wrestler) *Dwayne Johnson's Dad* Christopher Tolkien - Jan. 16 (Novelist) David Olney - Jan. 18 (Folk Singer) Bubby Jones - Jan. 18 (Race Car Driver) Joe Shishido - Jan. 18 (Movie Actor) Jimmy Heath - Jan. 19 (Saxophonist) Terry Jones - Jan. 21 (Comedian) Jim Lehrer - Jan. 2(Journalist) Gudrun Pausewang - Jan. 23 (Young Adult Author) Jim Lehrer - Jan. 23 (Journalist) Clayton Christensen - Jan. 23 (Non-Fiction Author) Sean Reinert - Jan. 24 (Drummer) Rob Rensenbrink - Jan. 24 (Soccer Player) **Kobe Bryant - Jan. 26 (Basketball Player) *Gianna Bryant - Jan. 26 (Family Member) *Kobe's Daughter* Bob Shane - Jan. 26 (Rock Singer) John Altobelli - Jan. 26 (Baseball Manager) Keri Altobelli - Jan. 26 (Family Member) Jack Burns - Jan. 27 (Comedian) Harriet Frank Jr. - Jan. 28 (Screenwriter) Nicholas Parsons - Jan. 28 (TV Show Host) Tofig Gasimov - Jan. 29 (Politician) John Andretti - Jan. 30 (Race Car Driver) Fred Silverman - Jan. 30 (TV Producer) Mary Higgins Clark - Jan. 31 (Novelist) Anne Cox Chambers - Jan. 31 (Entrepreneur) 

FEBRUARY Gene Reynolds - Feb. 3 (Director) Nadia Lutfi - Feb. 4 (Movie Actress) Kamau Brathwaite - Feb. 4 (Poet) Kirk Douglas - Feb. 5 (Movie Actor) Beverly Pepper - Feb. 5 (Sculptor) *Raphael Coleman - Feb. 6 (Movie Actor) Jhon Jairo Velásquez - Feb. 6 (Criminal) Orson Bean - Feb. 7 (Movie Actor) Paula Kelly - Feb. 8 (Stage Actress) Robert Conrad - Feb. 8 (TV Actor) Qing Han - Feb. 8 (Illustrator) Keelin Shanley - Feb. 8 (Journalist) Mirella Freni - Feb. 9 (Opera Singer) Abam Bocey - Feb. 10 (Comedian) Lyle Mays - Feb. 10 (Planist) Louis-Edmond Hamelin - Feb. 11 (Non-Fiction Author) Jamie Gilson - Feb. 11 (Children's Author) Hamish Milne - Feb. 12 (Pianist) Jimmy Thunder - Feb. 13 (Boxer) Lynn Cohen - Feb. 14 (Movie Actress) Esther Scott - Feb. 14 (Voice Actress) John Shrapnel - Feb. 14 (Movie Actor) Caroline Flack - Feb. 15 (TV Show Host) Amie Harwick - Feb. 15 (Doctor) Vatroslav Mimica - Feb. 15 (Director) Jason Davis - Feb. 16 (Voice Actor) Zoe Caldwell - Feb. 16 (Stage Actress) Tony Fernandez - Feb. 16 (Baseball Player) Frances Cuka - Feb. 16 (TV Actress) Harry Gregg - Feb. 16 (Soccer Player) Ja'net Dubois - Feb. 17 (TV Actress) Owen Bieber - Feb. 17 (Activist) Charles Portis - Feb. 17 (Novelist) Lindsey Lagestee - Feb. 18 (Country Singer) Ashraf Sinclair - Feb. 18 (Movie Actor) Pop Smoke - Feb. 19 (Rapper) Jose Mojica Marins - Feb. 19 (Director) Gust Graas - Feb. 19 (Painter) Lisel Mueller - Feb. 21 (Poet) Tao Porchon-Lynch - Feb. 21 (Fitness Instructor) Katherine Johnson - Feb. 24 (Mathematician) Clive Cussler - Feb. 24 (Oceanographer) David Roback - Feb. 24 (Guitarist) Ben Cooper - Feb. 24 (Movie Actor) Mario Bunge - Feb. 24 (Philosopher) Jahn Teigen - Feb. 24 (Pop Singer) Dieter Laser - Feb. 29 (Movie Actor)

MARCH Jack Welch - March 1 (Entrepreneur) James Lipton - March 2 (TV Producer) Roscoe Born - March 3 (Soap Opera Actor) Nicholas Tucci - March 3 (Movie Actor) Roscoe Born - March 3 (Soap Opera Actor) Javier Perez De Cuellar - March 4 (Politician) Marnie the Dog  - March 5 (Dog) Danny Tidwell - March 6 (Dancer) McCoy Tyner - March 6 (Pianist) Henri Richard - March 6 (Hockey Player) Mart Crowley - March 7 (Playwright) Max Von Sydow - March 8 (Movie Actor) **Cookie Pansino - March 8 (Dog) Josie Harris - March 9 (Reality Star) Lorenzo Brino - March 9 (TV Actor) Eric Taylor - March 9 (Country Singer) Beba Selimovic - March 10 (Folk Singer) Josie Harris - March 10 (Reality Star) Michel Roux - March 11 (Chef) Charles Wuorinen - March 11 (Composer) Genesis P-Orridge - March 14 (Rock Singer) Roy Hudd - March 15 (Comedian) Wolf Kahn - March 15 (Painter) Stuart Whitman - March 16 (TV Actor) Roger Mayweather - March 17 (Boxer) Lyle Waggoner - March 17 (TV Actor) Alfred Worden - March 18 (Astronaut) Peter Whittingham - March 19 (Soccer Player) Kenny Rogers - March 20 (Country Singer) Pradip Kumar Banerjee - March 20 (Soccer Player) Mike Longo - March 21 (Pianist) Sol Kerzner - March 21 (Entrepreneur) Carmen De Mairena - March 22 (TV Actress) Serena Liu - March 22 (TV Actress) Stuart Gordon - March 24 (Screenwriter) Terrence McNally - March 24 (Playwright) Manu Dibango - March 24 (Saxophonist) Bill Rieflin - March 24 (Drummer) Floyd Cardoz - March 25 (Chef) Fred "Curly" Neal - March 26 (Basketball Player) Jimmy Wynn - March 26 (Baseball Player) Mark Blum - March 26 (Movie Actor) John Callahan - March 28 (Soap Opera Actor) Jan Howard - March 28 (Country Singer) Tom Coburn - March 28 (Politician) Linda Roper - March 28 (TikTok Star) Alan Merrill - March 29 (Rock Singer) Joe Diffie - March 29 (Country Singer) Krzysztof Penderecki - March 29 (Composer) Bill Withers - March 30 (Soul Singer) Tomie dePaola - March 30 (Children's Author) Andrew Jack - March 31 (Voice Actor) Smokinhottballz - March 31 (TikTok Star) Wallace Roney - March 31 (Trumpet Player)

APRIL Bucky Pizzarelli - April 1 (Guitarist) Ellis Marsalis Jr. - April 1 (Piantist) Adam Schlesinger - April 1 (Bassist) Eddie Large - April 2 (Comedian) Logan Williams - April 2 (TV Actor) Tom Dempsey - April 4 (Football Player) Shirley Douglas - April 5 (TV Actress) Honor Blackman - April 5 (Movie Actress) James Drury - April 6 (Movie Actor) Mac P Dawg - April 6 (Rapper) Earl G. Graves Sr. - April 6 (Entrepreneur) Al Kaline - April 6 (Baseball Player) Ital Samson - April 6 (Rapper) John Prine - April 7 (Country Singer) Hal Willner - April 7 (Music Producer) Allen Garfield - April 7 (Movie Actor) Mort Drucker - April 8 (Cartoonist) Chynna Rogers - April 8 (Rapper) Linda Tripp - April 8 (Politician) Glenn Fredly - April 8 (R&B Singer) Tarvaris Jackson - April 12 (Football Player) Tim Brooke-Taylor - April 12 (Comedian) Stirling Moss - April 12 (Race Car Driver) Luminor - April 12 (Rock Singer) Rick May - April 13 (Voice Actor) Brian Dennehy - April 15 (Stage Actor) Lee Konitz - April 15 (Saxophonist) Adam Alsing - April 15 (TV Show Host) Henry Grimes - April 15 (Bassist) Howard Finkel - April 16 (Sportscaster) Steve Cash - April 16 (YouTube Star) Jane Dee Hull - April 16 (Politician) Norman Hunter - April 17 (Soccer Player) Peter Beard - April 19 (Photographer) Tom Lester - April 20 (TV Actor) Derek Jones - April 21 (Guitarist) Jerry Bishop - April 21 (Radio Host) Laisenia Qarase - April 21 (Politician) Shirley Knight - April 22 (Movie Actress) Fred the Godson - April 23 (Rapper) Jace Prescott - April 23 (Family Member) *Dak Prescott's Brother* Harold Reid - April 24 (Country Singer) Per Olov Enquist - April 25 (Playwright) Aarón Hernán - April 26 (Soap Opera Actor) Ashley Ross - April 27 (Reality Star) Troy Sneed - April 27 (Gospel Singer) Nur Yerlitas - April 27 (Fashion Designer) Eavan Boland - April 27 (Poet) Mark Beech - April 27 (Non-Fiction Author) Jill Gascoine - April 28 (TV Actress) Yahya Hassan - April 29 (Poet) Irrfan Khan - April 29 (Movie Actor) Sam Lloyd - April 30 (TV Actor) Rishi Kapoor - April 30 (Movie Actor) Chuni Goswami - April 30 (Cricket Player)

MAY Matt Keough - May 1 (Baseball Player) Cady Groves - May 2 (Country Singer) Erwin Prasetya - May 2 (Bassist) Dave Greenfield - May 3 (Pianist) Don Shula - May 4 (Football Coach) Michael McClure - May 4 (Poet) Millie Small - May 5 (World Music Singer) Didi Kempot - May 5 (Pop Singer) Brian Howe - May 6 (Rock Singer) Florian Schneider - May 6 (Flute Player) Ben Chijioke - May 7 (Rapper) Andre Harrell - May 7 (Entrepreneur) *Roy Horn - May 8 (Magician) Percy Inglis - May 8 (Facebook Star) **Little Richard - May 9 (Rock Singer) Kristina Lugn - May 9 (Poet) **Corey La Barrie - May 10 (YouTube Star) Nick Blixky - May 10 (Rapper) Betty Wright - May 10 (R&B Singer) Jerry Stiller - May 11 (Movie Actor) Hutton Gibson - May 11 (Family Member) *Mel Gibson's Father* Michel Piccoli - May 12 (Movie Actor) *Gregory Tyree Boyce - May 13 (Movie Actor) Beckett Cypher - May 13 (Family Member) *Melissa Etheridge's Son* Rolf Hochhuth - May 13 (Playwright) Phyllis George - May 14 (Sportscaster) Fred Willard - May 15 (Movie Actor) Jorge Santana - May 15 (Guitarist) Lynn Shelton - May 15 (Screenwriter) El Chino Antrax - May 16 (Criminal) Shad Gaspard - May 17 (Wrestler) Ken Osmond - May 18 (TV Actor) Ravi Zacharias - May 19 (Religious Leader) Hagen Mills - May 19 (TV Actor) Jerry Sloan - May 22 (Basketball Coach) Mory Kante - May 22 (World Music Singer) Zara Abid - May 22 (Model) Eddie Sutton - May 23 (Basketball Coach) Hana Kimura - May 23 (Wrestler) Mota Jr - May 23 (Rapper) Jimmy Cobb - May 24 (Drummer) Anthony James - May 26 (TV Actor) Richard Herd - May 26 (TV Actor) Stanley Ho - May 26 (Entrepreneur) Larry Kramer - May 27 (Screenwriter) Houdini - May 27 (Rapper) Sam Johnson - May 27 (Politician) Bob Kulick - May 29 (Guitarist) Hassan Hosny - May 30 (Movie Actor) Blake Fly - May 30 (Instagram Star) Christo - May 31 (Painter)

JUNE Joey Image - June 1 (Drummer) Kailum O'Connor - June 1 (Snapchat Star) Chris Trousdale - June 2 (Pop Singer) Wes Unseld - June 2 (Basketball Player) Héctor Suárez - June 2 (Movie Actor) Mary Pat Gleason - June 2 (TV Actress) Bruce Jay Friedman - June 3 (Novelist) Steve Priest - June 4 (Bassist) Ybc Bam - June 4 (TikTok Star) Basu Chatterjee - June 4 (Director) Reche Caldwell - June 6 (Football Player) Chirru Sarja - June 7 (Movie Actor) Bonnie Pointer - June 8 (Rock Singer) Pierre Nkurunziza - June 8 (Politician) Ain Kaalep - June 9 (Poet) Paul Chapman - June 9 (Guitarist) Pau Donés - June 9 (Pop Singer) Jas Waters - June 9 (Screenwriter) George Canseco - June 12 (TikTok Star) Grandma Daisy - June 13 (Instagram Star) Sabiha Khanum - June 13 (Movie Actress) Sushant Singh Rajput - June 14 (Movie Actor) Yohan - June 16 (Pop Singer) Charles Webb - June 16 (Novelist) Eden Pastora - June 16 (Politician) Vera Lynn - June 18 (Pop Singer) John Bredenkamp - June 18 (Entrepreneur) Ian Holm - June 19 (Movie Actor) Tray Savage - June 19 (Rapper) Carlos Ruiz Zafon - June 19 (Young Adult Author) Pedro Lima - June 20 (Soap Opera Actor) Jim Kiick - June 20 (Football Player) Nastya Tropicelle - June 21 (YouTube Star) Steve Bing - June 22 (Film Producer) Joel Schumacher - June 22 (Director) Siya Kakkar - June 24 (TikTok Star) Huey - June 25 (Rapper) Kelly Asbury - June 26 (Director) Ramon Revilla Sr. - June 26 (Movie Actor) Linda Cristal - June 27 (Movie Actress) Pete Carr - June 27 (Guitarist) Rudolfo Anaya - June 28 (Novelist) Carl Reiner - June 29 (TV Actor) Johnny Mandel - June 29 (Composer) Benny Nardones - June 29 (Pop Singer) Young Curt - June 29 (Rapper) Willie Wright - June 29 (Soul Singer) Ida Haendel - June 30 (Violinist)

JULY Hugh Downs - July 1 (TV Show Host) Reckful - July 2 (Twitch Star) Earl Cameron - July 3 (Movie Actor) Saroj Khan - July 3 (Dancer) Sebastián Athié - July 4 (TV Actor) Bhakti Charu Swami - July 4 (Religious Leader) Nick Cordero - July 5 (Stage Actor) Charlie Daniels - July 6 (Country Singer) Ennio Morricone - July 6 (Composer) **Naya Rivera - July 8 (TV Actress) Flossie Wong-Staal - July 8 (Biologist) Jack Charlton - July 10 (Socccer Player) Morris Cerullo - July 10 (Religious Leader) Marlo - July 11 (Rapper) Nicole Thea - July 11 (Dancer) **Kelly Preston - July 12 (Movie Actress) Joanna Cole - July 12 (Children's Author) Benjamin Keough - July 12 (Family Member) *Elvis Presley's Grandson* Grant Imahara - July 13 (Reality Star) Zindzi Mandela - July 13 (Politician) Galyn Gorg - July 14 (TV Actress) John Lewis - July 17 (Politician) Zizi Jeanmaire - July 17 (Dancer) Miura Haruma - July 18 (TV Actor) El Dany - July 18 (Rapper) Kansai Yamamoto - July 21 (Fashion Designer) Demitra Roche - July 22 (Reality Star) *Regis Philbin - July 24 (TV Show Host) John Saxon - July 25 (Movie Actor) Peter Green - 25 (Guitarist) Olivia De Havilland - July 26 (Movie Actress) Malik B - July 29 (Rapper) Herman Cain - July 30 (Politician) Karen Berg - July 30 (Self-Help Author) Alan Parker - July 31 (Director)

AUGUST Wilford Brimley - Aug. 1 (TV Actor) Ryan Breaux - Aug. 2 (Family Member) *Frank Ocean's Brother* Leon Fleisher - Aug. 2 (Pianist) John Hume - Aug. 3 (Politician) Dick Goddard - Aug. 4 (TV Show Host) FBG Duck - Aug. 4 (Rapper) Horace Clarke Aug. 5 (Baseball Player) Isidora Bjelica - Aug. 5 (Playwright) James Drury - Aug. 6 (Movie Actor) Kurt Luedtke - Aug. 9 (Screenwriter) Tetsuya Watari - Aug. 10 (Movie Actor) Trini Lopez - Aug. 11 (World Music Singer) Ash Christian - Aug. 13 (TV Actor) Linda Manz - Aug. 14 (Movie Actress) Julian Bream - Aug. 14 (Guitarist) Shwikar - Aug. 14 (Movie Actress) Robert Trump - Aug. 15 (Family Memeber) *Donald Trump's Brother Emman Nimedez - Aug. 16 (Director) Kobe Nunez - Aug. 17 (YouTube Star) Gary Cowling - Aug. 17 (Stage Actor) Dale Hawerchuk - Aug. 18 (Hockey Player) Ben Cross - Aug. 18 (Movie Actor) Jack Sherman - Aug. 18 (Guitarist) Landon Clifford - Aug. 19 (YouTube Star) Chi Chi DeVayne - Aug. 20 (Reality Star) Frankie Banali - Aug. 20 (Drummer) Allan Rich - Aug. 22 (Movie Actor) Lori Nelson - Aug. 23 (Movie Actress) Benny Chan - Aug. 23 (TV Actor) Riley Gale - Aug. 24 (Rock Singer) Gail Sheehy - Aug. 24 (Non-Fiction Author) Lute Olson - Aug. 27 (Basketball Coach) **Chadwick Boseman - Aug. 28 (Movie Actor) El Loco Valdés - Aug. 28 (Comedian) Cliff Robinson - Aug. 29 (Basketball Player) John Thompson - Aug. 30 (Basketball Coach) Tom Seaver - Aug. 31 (Baseball Player) Pranab Mukherjee - Aug. 31 (Politician)

SEPTEMBER Erick Morillo - Sept. 1 (DJ) Ian Mitchell - Sept. 2 (Guitarist) Annie Cordy - Sept. 4 (Movie Actress) Lloyd Cadena - Sept. 4 (YouTube Star) Lucille Starr - Sept. 4 (Country Singer) Ethan Peters - Sept. 5 (Instagram Star) Kevin Dobson - Sept. 6 (Soap Opera Actor) Lou Brock - Sept. 6 (Baseball Player) Xavier Ortiz - Sept. 7 (TV Actor) Stevie Lee - Sept. 9 (Movie Actor) Diana Rigg - Sept. 10 (Movie Actress) Barbara Jefford - Sept. 12 (Stage Actress) Anthony Woodle - Sept. 13 (Director) Alien Huang - Sept. 16 (TV Show Host) Winston Groom - Sept. 17 (Novelist) Ruth Bader Ginsburg - Sept. 18 (Supreme Court Justice) Destiny Riekeberg - Sept. 19 (TikTok Star) Jackie Stallone - Sept. 21 (Family Member) *Sylvester Stallone's Mother* Michael Lonsdale - Sept. 21 (Movie Actor) Tommy DeVito - Sept. 21 (Guitarist) Zaywoah - Sept. 22 (Instagram Star) Joe Laurinaitis - Sept. 22 (Wrestler) Archie Lyndhurst - Sept. 22 (TV Actor) Juliette Greco - Sept. 23 (Movie Actress) Gale Sayers - Sept. 23 (Football Player) Dean Jones - Sept. 24 (Cricket Player) Yuko Takeuchi - Sept. 27 (TV Actress) Mac Davis - Sept. 29 (Country Singer) Helen Reddy - Sept. 29 (Pop Singer) Archie Lyndhurst - Sept. 30 (TV Actor) Quino - Sept. 30 (Cartoonist)

OCTOBER Derek Mahon - Oct. 1 (Poet) Murray Schisgal - Oct. 1 (Screenwriter) Bob Gibson - Oct. 2 (Baseball Player) Thomas Jefferson Byrd - Oct. 3 (Movie Actor) Kenzo Takada - Oct. 4 (Fashion Designer) Armelia McQueen - Oct. 4 (Stage Actress) Johhny Nash - Oct. 6 (Pop Singer) Eddie Van Halen - Oct. 6 (Guitarist) Tommy Rall - Oct. 6 (Dancer) Mario Molina - Oct. 7 (Chemist) Whitey Ford - Oct. 8 (Baseball Player) María García Galisteo - Oct. 9 (TV Actress) Joe Morgan - Oct. 11 (Baseball Player) Conchata Ferrell - Oct. 12 (TV Actress) Saint Dog - Oct. 13 (Rapper) Rhonda Fleming - Oct. 14 (Movie Actress) Fred Dean - Oct. 14 (Football Player) Johnny Bush - Oct. 16 (Country Singer) Doreen Montalvo - Oct. 17 (Stage Actress) Pinky Curvy - Oct. 17 (Instagram Star) James Redford - Oct. 17 (Director) Sid Hartman - Oct. 18 (Journalist) Spencer Davis - Oct. 19 (Guitarist) Marge Champion - Oct. 21 (Dancer) Frank Bough Oct. 21 (TV Show Host) Matt Blair - Oct. 22 (Football Player) Kastiop - Oct. 23 (YouTube Star) Jerry Jeff Walker - Oct. 23 (Country Singer) Diane DiPrima - Oct. 25 (Poet) Lee Kun-hee - Oct. 25 (Entrepreneur) DeOndra Dixon - Oct. 26 (Family Member) *Jamie Foxx's Sister* Billy Joe Shaver - Oct. 28 (Country Singer) Tracy Smothers - Oct. 28 (Wrestler) Bobby Ball - Oct. 28 (Comedian) Leanza Cornett - Oct. 28 (Pageant Contestant) Travis Roy - Oct. 29 (Memoirist) Nobby Stiles - Oct. 30 (Soccer Player) Herb Adderley - Oct. 30 (Football Player) *Sean Connery - Oct. 31 (Movie Actor) Rance Allen - Oct. 31 (Religious Leader) Betty Dodson - Oct. 31 (Novelist) MF Doom - Oct. 31 (Rapper)

NOVEMBER Eddie Hassell - Nov. 1 (TV Actor) Nikki McKibbin - Nov. 1 (Pop Singer) Magda Rodríguez - Nov. 1 (TV Producer) John Sessions - Nov. 2 (Comedian) Max Ward - Nov. 2 (Entrepreneur) Elsa Raven - Nov. 3 (Movie Actress) Ken Hensley - Nov. 4 (Rock Singer) Geoffrey Palmer - Nov. 5 (Movie Actor) BraxAttacks - Nov. 5 (Rapper) King Von - Nov. 6 (Rapper) SauxePaxk TB - Nov. 6 (Rapper) **Alex Trebek - Nov. 8 (Game Show Host) Bert Belasco - Nov. 8 (TV Actor) Tom Heinsohn - Nov. 10 (Basketball Player) Phyllis McGuire - Nov. 11 (Football Player) Mo3 - Nov. 11 (Rapper) Asif Basra - Nov. 12 (Movie Actor) Doug Supernaw - Nov. 13 (Country Singer) Paul Hornung - Nov. 13 (Football Player) Des O'Connor - Nov. 14 (TV Show Host) Soumitra Chatterjee - Nov. 15 (Movie Actor) Ray Clemence - Nov. 15 (Soccer Player) Kirby Morrow Nov. 18 (Voice Actor) Bobby Brown Jr - Nov. 18 (Family Member) *Bobby Brown's Son* Jake Scott - Nov. 19 (Football Player) Jan Morris - Nov. 20 (Non-Fiction Author) Mustafa Nadarevic - Nov. 22 (TV Actor) Hal Ketchum - Nov. 23 (Country Singer) David Dinkins - Nov. 23 (Politician) Abby Dalton - Nov. 23 (TV Actress) i_o - Nov. 23 (DJ) Joe Luna - Nov. 23 (Comedian) Bob Ryder - Nov. 24 (Journalist) Aaron Melzer - Nov. 24 (Rock Singer) Flor Silvestre - Nov. 25 (World Music Singer) Ahmad Mukhtar - Nov. 25 (Politician) Heavy D - Nov. 25 (Reality Star) Diego Maradona - Nov. 25 (Soccer Player) Markus Paul - Nov. 25 (Football Coach) Sadiq Al-Mahdi - Nov. 26 (Politician) Tony Hsieh - Nov. 27 (Entrepreneur) David Prowse - Nov. 28 (Bodybuilder) Lil Yase Nov. 28 (Rapper) Ben Bova - Nov. 29 (Non-Fiction Author) Papa Bouba Diop - Nov. 29 (Soccer Player) Jerry Demara - Nov. 30 (World Music Singer) Paid Will - Nov. 30 (Rapper) Nobby Stiles - Nov. 30 (Soccer Player)

DECEMBER Hugh Keays-Byrne - Dec. 1 (Movie Actor) Alexis Sharkey - Dec. 1 (Instagram Star) Michael Marion - Dec. 1 (Family Member) *Bobbie Thomas's Husband* Pamela Tiffin - Dec. 2 (Movie Actress) DC Fontana - Dec. 2 (Screenwriter) Pat Patterson - Dec. 2 (Wrestler) Alison Lurie - Dec. 3 (Novelist) Whitney Collings - Dec. 3 (Reality Star) David Lander - Dec. 4 (TV Actor) Sara Carreira - Dec. 5 (Instagram Star) Tabaré Vázquez - Dec. 6 (Politician) Natalie Desselle-Reid - Dec. 7 (TV Actress) Dick Allen - Dec. 7 (Baseball Player) Joselyn Cano - Dec. 7 (Instagram Star) Alejandro Sabella - Dec. 8 (Soccer Coach) Paolo Rossi - Dec. 9 (Soccer Player) V.J. Chitra - Dec. 9 (TV Actress) Phil Linz - Dec. 9 (Baseball Player) Barbara Windsor - Dec. 10 (Soap Opera Actress) Tommy Lister - Dec. 10 (Movie Actor) Carol Sutton - Dec. 10 (Movie Actress) Kim Ki-duk - Dec. 11 (Director) John Le Carre - Dec. 12 (Novelist) Ann Reinking - Dec. 12 (Stage Actress) Terry Kay - Dec. 12 (Novelist) Charley Pride - Dec. 12 (Country Singer) Gérard Houllier - Dec. 14 (Soccer Coach) *Jeremy Bulloch - Dec. 17 (Movie Actor) Rosalind Knight - Dec. 19 (TV Actress) K.T. Oslin - Dec. 21 (Country Singer) PlasmaMasterDon - Dec. 21 (YouTube Star) Stella Tennant - Dec. 22 (Model) Rika Zarai - Dec. 23 (World Music Singer) Rebecca Luker - Dec. 23 (Stage Actress) Leslie West - Dec. 23 (Guitarist) Kay Purcell - Dec. 23 (TV Actress) Danny Hodge - Dec. 24 (Wrestler) Genevieve Musci - Dec. 25 (YouTube Star) KC Jones - Dec. 25 (Basketball Player) Tony Rice - Dec. 25 (Guitarist) Lin Qi - Dec. 25 (Entrepreneur) Brodie Lee - Dec. 26 (Wrestler) Phil Niekro - Dec. 26 (Baseball Player) Tito Rojas - Dec. 26 (Folk Singer) Ty Jordan - Dec. 26 (Football Player) Nick McGlashan - Dec. 27 (Reality Star) William Link - Dec. 27 (Screenwriter) Fou Ts'ong - Dec. 28 (Pianist) Armando Manzanero - Dec. 28 (Composer) Jessica Campbell - Dec. 29 (Movie Actress) Pierre Cardin - Dec. 29 (Entrepreneur) Luke Letlow - Dec. 29 (Politician) Shabba Doo - Dec. 30 (Movie Actor) Frank Kimbrough - Dec. 30 (Pianist) Phyllis McGuire - Dec. 31 (Pop Singer) Alexi Laiho - Dec. ?? (Guitarist) 

[isobella5tur]

Jose Houdini

https://www.behance.net/gallery/57010211/Piraha-Zine-Plata-Collection

Jose Houdini did a good job in creating a photography zine. These were my favourite images from her zine. I want to do a similar style in composition. I like the way she uses different sized images on each page. 

[p3p510]

Jaeger Lecoultre - Film Shots from Jose L. Molfino on Vimeo.

A few shots I worked for #jaegerlecoultre new watches launch film. Directed by the great guys of supermafia.com Pyro + Advected Millons of particles. Houdini + Redshift.

[chelsea-gilbert]

Typography Research: Mughal Typeface

Designed by Fabio Florez and Jose Houdini, Mughal is a display typeface created by looking at contemporary references and historical research in Madrid. They have used building patterns similar to what is used within the typeface ‘blackletter’ which was used throughout Western Europe from the 12th century to create this typeface. 

Once again, this typeface appears to use a very square structure which is something that I seem to be drawn towards throughout my research so far. This design gives the typeface a sleek but deconstructed style which when combined with the sharp angles and edges, also appears quite aggressive without needing to make the typeface bold in order to gain the audiences attention. What I like about this typeface is how you can clearly see that each letter follows the same square like structure, but they have designed the typeface in such a way that the additional curved sections give each letter its own unique appearance. This is something that I would like to experiment with in my own typeface. 

What really stood out to me was the use of such contrasting line thicknesses and where they chose to position thinner lines. The use of thick and thin lines in unconventional sections of each letter led me to look into reverse contrast typefaces, where typically horizontal lines are thicker than vertical lines within the letters. This style of typography aims to make letters stand out due to their sideways appearance which makes it more difficult to read at a fast pace and therefore forces you to spend more time in order to understand what the type is saying. 

When looking into reverse contrast typography, I found that it was used a lot in film poster design in order to display a bold eye catching typeface that remained fairly narrow so that the type would fit onto the poster more easily. This led me to experiment with creating a typeface which uses reverse contrast, but has an increased width so that each letter doesn’t appear too squashed or close together. 

In this experimentation, I began to create letters where the stem was formed by a thin straight line and the rest of each letter was made up of much thicker shapes. I found the geometric shapes from the Turnover typeface appealing so when creating these experiments I decided to implement similar elements by using 45 degree angles. I like the proportions here where each letter is created within a square form but I think some letters appear too square. I like the outcome of the letter ‘d’ as the shapes used to create this letter form an interesting outline. I think the letters which use more shapes are the ones that work best in this style, as the ‘c’, ‘e’ and ‘f’ all have very standard appearances due to being almost entirely formed from right angles asides from the very ends of each horizontal line. 

Images and Information from: 

https://www.behance.net/gallery/85440761/Mughal-Typeface?tracking_source=for_you_feed_user_published

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse-contrast_typefaces

[anothergraphicdotorg]

Jose Houdini

[awesomedarmoe-blog]

What’s the Theme?

Though it’s been less than a week the eclectic nature of my blog composition thus far seems to create question in people’s minds, “What’s he on about?”

Well, I write on a myriad of subjects with my passions leaning towards Political & Social issues, the lie of Religion, some very bold perspective on the LGBT community, My personal business offerings (How To materials for the Psychic Entertainer’s industry, books on Esoteric/Metaphysical belief systems, and introduction to “Craig’s Concoction” my very own snake oil elixir product). 

Yes, I am very opinionated. 

Yes, I am quite angry. 

Yes, I am an old fart that sits at the keyboard all day Reading, Writing and Cussing. 

I am generally unapologetic in that what I offer is based on what’s understood by people vs. what is popular and in vogue.  In fact, I tend to be very controversial when it comes to the latter in that I don’t necessarily agree in many cases.  For an example, I have deep issues around the whole Transgender and Vegan trends we’re seeing in society at present and their exceptionally aggressive agenda to convert us all. . . or so it would seem. And do understand, I’m a middle-aged gay man that’s saying such things and I’m rather confident that I’m not alone in my views. Then again, many gay men loathe the whole Cross Dressing side of our community, seeing it in the same light as the old Black Face Minstrel shows. 

About Me

My story is simple but strange; born in kaiki diapers at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Aberdeen, MD to two West Virginia natives that just happened to be 2nd cousins -- they lived on either side of a mountain so it’s considered legal by hillfolk standards. It was the early 1960s, the space program was in its prime and expanding, television was maturing, and the world was in a major flux when it came to change and conflict.  There’s nothing like seeing racially based abuse and learning straight from the bible why, as a young white kid, I wasn’t allowed to play with my black friend. . . in other words, those ghost costumes were definately around, and though we rarely ever had contact, it was well established that Sen. Robert Byrd (former grand wizard of the KKK) was a part of the family as well). 

Ties to Appalachia came with a very strange mix of religious & spiritual points of view.  Whereas most considered themselves “Christian” they likewise dabbled in what we call “Hoodoo” or “Mountain Magick” -- when you toss in my half-breed great-great-grandmother, the daughter of a Cherokee shaman and noted midwife (Granny Lady/Healer) as well as a part Shawnee paternal grandmother it becomes obvious that this particular legacy is unique unto itself. 

When I was but a toddler (3-5 years old) certain “truths” would come to the surface about me such as the natural swish in my walk and lisp in my talk; something my red necked father faithfully beat out of me thinking his abuse would knock the queer completely out, but NO. . . I’d be fooling around with other boys, many of them older than I, for the whole of my life (sort of). . . there is the matter of my playing Mr. Mom and helping raise about 10 kids over the years and being celibate for most of the 30 years spanning my 30s to present.  But such things pertain to my latter years. . . 

One of the other things that cropped up in those days was the ability to intuitively KNOW people; I was known for walking up to total strangers and being able to relate details about their life, why they had certain emotions and more.  It was a trait that panicked my parents, fearing that I would be of the generation that lends reprise to a more esoteric way of living vs. the dogmatic bias of the church.  And yes, they did all matter of exorcism and laying on of hands to “cure me” -- by the time I was in my late teens and actually looking into going to seminary (c’mon, preaching is like a family business in my world) and discovered the truth about the church, the bible and the millions of murdered innocent people it took to “christianize” the world.  It made me sick to my stomach and intensely angry because of the lies I was told (we’re all told) about it all.  While I maintain a strong spiritual point of view and association, I am very much anti-religion with particular emphasis on the Abrahamic traditions, 3 of the most brutal, blood thirsty cults ever known by humankind. 

Seeking answers as to why I could just touch people and know things (Psychometry) I discovered the world of stage magic via The Magic Land of Alakazam and magician Mark Wilson.  To this day my mother swears the two dumbest things she ever got me as a kid was a puppet and a magic kit, in that both would come to rule my life -- nearly 5 full decades in show biz which ranged from doing commercial shows for a noted kid’s clothing line, being a feature in a major traveling Side Show and gaining a serious reputation as a technical advisor and effect developer. . . not bad for a kid from Ohio’s famed valley. 

PTSD, Depression & Me

PTSD can be caused by a number of scenarios; for me, it was an overly controlling father that loved to employ crued psychological tactics to keep everyone in the family suppressed and in servitude.  Oh yes!  He was physically violent as well -- a very short fuse and terrible temper.  The results of which is my blocking out most of my youth from age 8 well into my early 20s.  Even now, at 58, I jump when I hear the man’s voice (though he’s been dead now for nearly 4 years). 

Most of what I know about my teen years is based on stories told to me by others that were there and so, things tend to get a bit mixed up from time to time when it comes to chronology and the unfolding of events.  Too, because I was treated as royalty (child prodigy) in the early years, my ego frequently leads me to believe that I’m very special and amongst the elite, even though I have very little claim to fame as a showman. 

Showbiz is rife with damaged people it would seem, many of us in the Variety Entertainment side of things, enduring horrid anxiety & depression.  For me it has been more than stifling at times and did entail some short term (very expensive) drug use which lead to my going through a substantial amount of money in under two years time. 

Brain Damage as the result of drugs and a few concussions plagues me to this day and has been compounded by the progression of my RRMS (Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis) which has put numerous lesions on my brain. But then, I’m always breaking things or getting hurt by animals, etc.  You don’t chase adrenaline without having to pay the piper. 

The West Coast & Awakening

By the time I was 22 I was desperate for some sort of positive change in my life, finding a purpose.  The healing came through several key sources, including 12 step participation, working with New Age author-publisher Louise L. Hay and studying A Course in Miracles with Marianne Williamson.  Add to this my involvement with T.O.T.E.G. a Hopi Shaman-based study group as well as Pacific Circle, one of the nation’s biggest Pagan fellowships and you get a fairly decent glimpse as to what really shaped me most in life. 

Like anyone tied to the world of theatrical magic I practically lived at the world famous Magic Castle from 1982 to 88 when my adventure would once again take on new life and new directions.  By the late 80s I was working in the San Jose and Bay areas and taking the occasional gig in nearby Las Vegas or Reno, laying foundations for things to come, I guess you could say. 

Craig the Psychic

Throughout my work in magic I kept feeling drawn to a field of study known as “Mentalism” -- basically, it is a kindred artform that allows the performer to create illusions that seem to be Psychic or Spiritual phenomena (and we’re talking almost 20 years prior to its current popularity).  My first series of Mentalism performances were in Palm Spring -- 3 nights of shear terror!  I was 23 and inexperienced when it comes to the kind of reaction my performance generated -- people wanting me to become their guru. I’d never experienced anything like this and wasn’t emotionally prepared to deal with it, so I ran back to the safety of my big illusions for a while, inserting psychic styled demonstrations here and there, as part of the program; typically dividing the show so that one full 20 minute segment focused exclusively on Mind Magic. 

Unlike the majority of people that move into this world, I was not an ardent skeptic or “cynic” as it were.  No, I am still a confirmed believer in probability and likelihood i.e. it is very likely that science will prove out what the mystics of old claimed as magick.  Even now researchers are even boasting about how technology is inching us closer to such discoveries and allowing application thereof.  Adding to my faith however, is the abundance of miracles and amazing revelations that I’ve personally experienced and studied that have NO LOGICAL EXPLANATION to which the intellectual cynic has but one answer “Coincidence” (so much for “scientific” theory). 

At 16 I got my first deck of Tarot cards and have been doing Readings with folks ever since.  At 10 my father’s step-dad, a noted Dowser in the Bluefield, WV region, put a stick in my hand and taught me how to divine for water, treasure and more.  One of the reasons I wish more young pagan people could learn from actual elders vs. overly commercialized publications that too frequently, give incomplete and even misinformation to the eager noob. The old methods of testing and help cultivate abilities are virtually forgotten to all but a small handful of us that the millennials are reluctant to listen to. 

So You’re a Charlatan! Comes the claim of the cynic; someone that takes cruel advantage of the gullible and desperate. 

When Harry Houdini and Joseph Dunninger and others declared war on Spiritualists of their day, it was for good reason -- most making the claim were nothing but hacks employing sleight of hand and other forms of deception to steal from their clients.  I often point to the Anna Riva Book of Black & White Magic in that it basically outlines exactly how to accomplish such exploits (while holding a mystical veneer). But the real charlatans in today’s world rarely come in the form of Psychics; most are “businessmen” (CEOs, Lawyers, Advertising & Marketing Pros, etc.) Just look around and you’ll find it.

I do two things as a Psychic; legitimate one on one or group Readings and related teaching.  Then I likewise perform and as best I can, I do my shows in a legit manner, employing trickery (which is usually obvious) here and there for the sake of amusement.  Let’s face it, if you can’t laugh, there is little in way of entertainment value. 

Today, Living in Western Massachusetts

Since 2003 I have been officially “retired” due to health issues.  I also spend a good portion of my time in a wheelchair though I’ve managed to be free of the contraption for much of the past 16 months. I survive on government assistance and the little bit of cash I get here and there from doing Readings, book sales and busking.  

This Spring (2018) I plan on starting a new career venture through a health drink that’s been in the family for generations -- Craig’s Concoction.  This is a ginger, lemon & vinegar drink that is very refreshing but the 5 key herbs used in brewing the elixir are known for aiding with everything from digestion and staving off colds to helping with high blood pressure and diabetes.  I’ve not completed the Kickstarter outline on this campaign but it is on the horizon (to the tune of about $75k+). 

My homelife is blessed by my best chum (pictured below) and with that introduction, I’ll bid thee farewell. . . 

BTW. . . his name is Bohdi and he’s 6 years old.