Tut, tut, Colbert... I really expect better of you...

I'm still wagging my finger at Mr. Stephen Colbert for missing Bald Eagle Day. Like I have said in all of these posts on the subject, I really expect better of him than this. All I can do is keep track of whether he makes mention of it or not, and so far, he has not. I've got my eye on you, Colbert. Stephen, Jr. deserves better.

Stephen, Jr! I'm sure your father DOES love you, but...

...yet Stephen Colbert persists in ignoring this one blogger's call for him to acknowledge his oversight. I'm not laying off him, though. I'll go all year on this if I have to.

I'm watching you... nightly on Comedy Central

...and yet you still do nothing to acknowledge the holiday you missed despite your having an adopted bald eagle 'son'. Be a better dad to Stephen Jr.

Colbert, I will not let you let yourself down!

Still nothing from Stephen Colbert.

I've said all I need to say. I'm posting one of these reminders daily until I get some sort of response, though. He is better than what he let slide for that day and we all know it. It would be a disservice to him to let him get lazy and thereby decline in quality.

The reason I'm not letting up on Stephen Colbert.

As those of you out there who read this thing have undoubtably noticed, I am being pretty hard on Stephen Colbert for having not celebrated Bald Eagle Day on the 14th. The reason for this is, as a fan of Mr. Colbert, I know that he is better than that. His persona on the show is at once brilliant and hilarious and a lot of research goes into the many random jokes and references that appear on his show throughout the week. It is the fact of the level of quality that he invariably shows that will not let me conscionably allow this oversight on his part to slide. The fact that his character is built to be overly and overtly patriotic as well as the honor of having a bald eagle "son" named Stephen, Jr. in his honour that it seems out of the question that one should allow him to miss the (admittedly obscure) holiday of Bald Eagle Day.

Colbert, I'm watching you (nightly, on Comedy Central). I'm watching you like an eagle. Like a bald eagle. You'd better take note and admit the oversight, or I'll hound you on my blog until you do.

'z'

January 19th - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

HOW I CELEBRATED

I'm glad I'm out of high school, though if I was, it would have been an easier way to celebrate today to simply have been given the day off. That was not the case, however, so instead I watched a special on the History Channel as well as a video on YouTube of the famous "I Have a Dream" speech from August 28, 1963. That video will be embedded in the H/CS section of the blog, by the way. Also, while it would've been easier to celebrate simply as a school/bank holiday, it would not have been the better way.

HOW OTHERS MIGHT CELEBRATE

While it is a school/bank holidays in many areas across the United States (though not everywhere), I would hope that one would celebrate the life of MLK in at least some small way on this holiday. President-Elect Barack Obama also said that the day should in King's honour be recognised as a Day of Service to help improve our great nation, and I fully agree.

HISTORICAL/CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

I feel that the video speaks for itself and the greatness of Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. better than I ever could. Including a transcript of the speech directly in the article would make it too long in my opinion (I learned my lesson from both Binary Day and Natl. Sci-Fi Day on what not to do with formatting and quotations), I think it deserves a link. Though Stephen Colbert still has yet to acknowledge his shameful snubbing of Bald Eagle Day (I'm not going to let him off the hook for that in the near future), I would feel remiss if I were not to also include a link to his loving parody/tribute of King's famous speech with his own "I Have a Dreamsicle".

UNOFFICIAL THEME SONG

While U2's music is really hit-or-miss with me, their song "MLK" off Rattle and Hum is a tasteful tribute to the late Reverend King with lyrics that are at once both mournful and filled with hope. As much as Bono can be a pompously arrogant prick, he can write a fantastic song from time to time.

FOOTNOTES

-This holiday was originally recognized on King's birthday (January 15th) but was moved at some point to the third monday of the month for reasons that are unknown to me.

-I briefly considered celebrating Popcorn Day as well, but felt that it would be disrespectful to the memory of Dr. Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. to do so.

-Likewise I would have loved to have been able to celebrate Archery Day but a combination of respect for Dr. King and the complete lack of an archery range (that I'm aware of) in the area prevented this.

Other holidays and observances on this date include:

-Edgar Allen Poe's Birthday

-Confederate Heroes Day in Texas

-Feast of Sultán in the Bahá'í Faith

-Kappa Alpha Order Convivium (Founders Day)

-Epiphany in Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Catholicism

-Popcorn Day (or Natl. Popcorn Day, sources vary on which the title is)

-Archery Day

-Catholic Feast Days for Henry of Uppsala, St. Mark of Ephesus, Wolfstan (Bishop of Worcester), and Maris, Martha, Abachum & Audifax

Continued silence on the part of a certain Comedy Central notable...

Yes, Colbert, I'm talking about you. It's un-American the way you ignore the fact that I called you out on ignoring Bald Eagle Day on the fourteenth. Even if you didn't have the responsibility to your adopted bald eagle SON to acknowledge the day, your commentary on your own patriotism comes into question because of this. While I am fine with the fact that most citizens, patriotic or not, are unaware of the fact that the national bird has its own holiday, a television host like you who will go far enough as to have shelves of honour on your set (which, by the way, you refer to as "the EAGLE's nest"...) that you should overlook such a ripe opportunity to show your love for America. For shame, Stephen, for shame... I wag my finger at you, and your patriotism is, as of now, officially On Notice.

-z

Stephen Colbert, I'm calling you out!

Colbert Nation, I already told you that Stephen Colbert should be held responsible to pay attention to when Bald Eagle Day is since he's got an adopted bald eagle son, Stephen Jr.
But, lo and behold: no mention of either Bald Eagle Day OR Stephen Jr. on his show tonight! Shocking! The bald eagle is the United States of America's NATIONAL BIRD and he didn't even pay attention to THAT?!? For shame.
I'm calling him out. He'd better have me on his show and explain to me face-to-face why he let that pass by his attention on his January 14, 2009 show, or else he is a coward.

You read that, Colbert? I'm calling you out!

'z'

January 14th - Bald Eagle Day

Finally caught up to the regular scheduling today after the server problems happening at Blogger HQ.

HOW I CELEBRATED

My original plans had me going over to the Detroit Zoo to see the bald eagles there, but unfortunately the extreme cold weather made that out of the question, so I just watched a program about them on Animal Planet instead.

HOW OTHERS MIGHT CELEBRATE

If you're Stephen Colbert, you should've visited Stephen Jr. If you didn't... I'm calling you out on it. Yeah, you read that right, I'm calling Stephen Colbert out if he didn't make an effort to visit his adopted bald eagle son for this! Any members of the Colbert Nation who may read this, let him know. I don't blame others for not knowing, but if you're like him and have a bald eagle in your family, you REALLY SHOULD keep track of such things. For everyone else who can, birdwatching for the species would probably be good, and for those who can't, Animal Planet seems like a good option.

HISTORICAL/CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

It's just another random one I found online.

UNOFFICIAL THEME SONG

Today doesn't get one.

FOOTNOTES

-Stephen Colbert had better read this!

Other Holidays and observances on this date include:
-Tamil New Year
-Pongal in South India
-New Year's Day and the Day of St. Basil the Great in Eastern Orthodox
-Makar Sankranti in India
-Feast of Divina Pastora in Barquisimito, Venezuela
-Feast of the Ass
-National Dress Up Your Pet Day
-National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day
-Catholic Feast Days for Barba'shmin, Felix of Nola, Macrina the Elder, and St. Sava