Friday links

August 23rd is Gene Kelly's birthday: here's a brief bio and the famous Singin' In The Rain dance. Related, this excellent compilation of Rita Hayworth's dancing, set to Stayin' Alive

8 Unexpected Signs You're Smarter Than Average.

Why We Pour Milk on our Cereal.

August 24th is St. Bartholomew's Day - some history, the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre, a brief documentary, and Monty Python. Also this weekend, it's the anniversary of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and destruction of Pompeii in A.D. 79.

How a French Truck Manufacturer Sabotaged Nazi War Production.

The Afterlife of Royal Hair.

ICYMI, most recent links are here, and include the wild camels of the American west, comics published by the federal government, the weird journey of Dorothy Parker's ashes, and 50's and 60's visions of the everyday uses of nuclear explosions and radioactive isotopes.

Chocolate caramel bars recipe

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Use cooking spray on an 8x8 or 9x9 inch baking pan - if you want more, thinner pieces, use a 13x9 inch pan.

Ingredients: 

1 box German chocolate cake mix

1/2 cup melted butter

2/3 cup evaporated milk, separated

The recipe I used to use called for one 14 ounce package vanilla caramels, unwrapped, but the bags of caramels are now 11 oz, and these are better with more caramel then less. If you can find them, get these Kraft caramel baking bits, which are just unwrapped caramel.

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

12 oz bag semisweet chocolate chips 

In a mixing bowl, combine cake mix, melted butter and 1/3 cup of the evaporated milk - beat at medium speed until smooth. Spread half the dough in prepared baking pan and set aside the rest.

In heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine caramels and remaining 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Cook and stir frequently over medium-low heat until smooth - set aside to cool slightly, then pour evenly over the dough layer in pan. Sprinkle with nuts, if using, and chocolate chips. Crumble remaining dough evenly over nuts and chocolate pieces. It won't spread evenly, but that's fine.

Place on center rack of 350 degree oven. Check at 25 minutes - maybe a an extra few minutes for the 8x8 pan. I like to cut these small because they're very rich.

Gene Kelly's birthday: here the famous "Singin' In The Rain" dance and a top 10 compilation

August 23rd is the anniversary of the birth in 1912 of extraordinary American dancer (Eu)Gene Curran Kelly (wiki) (1912-1996) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Kelly worked his way through college as a dancer and teacher and joined a Broadway chorus line in 1938. Within two years, he had scored the dance lead in Pal Joey, and went on to Hollywood for his film debut in For Me and My Gal (1942). 

Kelly served in the Navy during World War II but soon resumed his career after the conflict in such films as On the Town (1949), An American in Paris (1951), and Singin' in the Rain (1952) - each appearance marked by his spirited, athletic, and seemingly effortless dancing. Subsequently, he became a celebrated choreographer, played straight dramatic roles in such films as Inherit the Wind (1960), and directed the 1969 film version of Hello, Dolly! 

His performance in the title song of Singin' in the Rain is perhaps his most memorable. Watch full screen!

And here's a top 10 Gene Kelly dance scene compilation (via @LandryST)



Related posts:

It's Fred Astaire's birthday - here are clips of some of his best dancing.

Happy Birthday, Rita Hayworth: here's an excellent compilation of her dancing, set to Stayin' Alive.

Wednesday links

August 21st is Dorothy Parker's birthday: quotes, poems, a brief bio, and the weird journey of her ashes

How Not to Get Eaten After Sex (If You're a Black Widow)

This 1960s Comic Strip Claimed Nuclear Explosions Were the Future of Road Construction. Related, in this optimistic 1957 Disney classroom film Our Friend the Atom, radioactive isotopes are depicted as a sparkling, magic dust sprinkled as plant fertilizer and in animal feed.

The World War of the Ants – The Army Ant.

Whatever Happened to the Wild Camels of the American West?

Comics Published by the Federal Government.

ICYMI, most recent links are here, and include the anniversary of the death of Genghis Khan, how easily rats can swim up your toilet, 19th century cancer treatment, alien abduction insurance, and lightbulb history.