Merrell In The Morning Fun You May Have Missed

Today's Celebrations

National Chocolate-covered Anything Day
Peter Rabbit Day - on this day in 1901, the famous story, Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter, was printed for the first time, complete with Potter’s watercolor illustrations.

Celebrity Birthdays

1770 - Ludwig van Beethoven - composer: although totally deaf, led orchestra in premiere performance of his Ninth Symphony; died Mar 26, 1827

1917 - Arthur C. Clarke - science fiction writer: 2001: A Space Odyssey, Islands in the Sky; died Mar 19, 2008

1937 - Jim Glaser (76) - singer: group: Tompall and the Glaser Brothers: backup for Marty Robbins’ El Paso; solo: The Man in the Mirror; songwriter: Woman, Woman

1943 - Steven Bochco (70) - Emmy Award-winning executive producer: Hill Street Blues [1980-1981, 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84], L.A. Law [1986-1987, 1988-1989]; N.Y.P.D. Blue, Cop Rock, Capitol Critters, A Fade to Black; writer: Ironside; story editor: Columbo

1949 - Billy Gibbons (64) - musician: guitar, singer: group: ZZ Top: Salt Lick, Jesus Just Left Chicago, La Grange, Tush, Gimme All Your Lovin’, Legs, Sharp Dressed Man, Sleeping Bag

1963 - Jeff Carson (50) - born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Compared vocally to Garth Brooks, he earns a hit in 1995 with "Not On Your Love," and follows it with "The Car," which claims the Academy of Country Music's Video of the Year award

Tabloid News

Fire Breathing, Glitter Sneezing, Lemonade Dispensing Unicorn Is A Wedding Hit

From OffBeatBride.com -

I’ll bet you neighborhood rental company doesn't have one of these…
Meet “Katy Perry the Wedding Unicorn”. Born in Brooklyn and now living in Vermont this life-sized unicorn sneezes glitter, pees lemonade, and shoots pink fire from it’s single horn. If that sounds more like the twisted fantasy of a six-year-old girl than a standard wedding item… well, that's just how the inventors roll.
The couple met through a local “Burning Man” community and is friends with some seriously talented fire geeks. “We knew we wanted a piece of original fire art for our wedding, so we asked our friends if they'd create something.” We didn't give any specifications (besides "awesome").
“Katy Perry the Wedding Unicorn” began her life as a black carousel horse with feathers in her hair. Kat and Jesse Green repainted her from black to white, cut holes in her forehead, nostrils, and groin and custom-built a base that would both give her height and house the fuel tanks and keg.
They built in a small air compressor to activate the "glitter sneeze." It runs through a gravity-fed glitter containment unit, and is controlled from a button on the base of the sculpture. Beverages are run by a CO2 pressurized system, also in the base, with a beverage tap at the crotch. She was originally supposed to dispense champagne, but Vermont liquor laws prohibit anyone who is not a licensed bartender from serving alcohol on public land, and we weren't able to get the unicorn licensed in time. Plus, we figured that with lemonade, the kids could also partake — and have something to talk about with their therapists later.