Happy Zappadan, everybody! Zappadan is the on-blog festival which begins today, the anniversary of Frank Zappa's death (also known as BummerNacht) and ends on his Birthday (Day Zero) on December 21.

Lots of blogs participate by posting videos, memories, or making fresh art with the knowledge that even though he's dead, "Frank and his amazing creativity still have the power to hurt us." More info at Fried Green Al Qaedas, and you can follow both @Zappadan and the #zappadan hashtag on Twitter.

And if you're not (yet) a Zappa fan, The Onion has some words for you.

Ahhh...The Onion.

Open thread below...

From The Onion:

In The Know panelists discuss the closing of the controversial detainee labyrinth and debate whether the Minotaur's sternum-stomping-by-hooves interrogation technique yielded valuable intelligence.

h/t C&L'er Stupid Git

Obsidian Wings: Are there really two sides to the torture question? The WaPo declares itself unable to find the truth.

Balloon Juice: Stupid and Proud of It

The Reality-Based Community: There's been a lot of hand-wringing about the financial troubles of newspapers, but now it's quite obvious how reporters are handling the situation: they are just moonlighting for the insurance industry and the RNC. Nice work if you can get it.

Nameless Cynic: We're Communicating ll

Politics in the Zeros: Zero Hedge Whols. They don't want you to find them

HOLY CRAP: Oh ye hypocrites...GWB antichrist...Ugly Christian...No Gimmick Church...How Shall You Die?...Proof we're a 'Christian' nation...Hard-Wired for sin...Catholic Bishops assail health plan...Pious torturers...Followers of the Way... Atheists' Armageddon pet rescue...The last nail...

THE DAY IN LUNACY: Limbaugh's penis...A “Great American”...Inhofe's 'Revolution'...Truth or fiction?...Suggested by Glenn Beck?...Ghouls...Not all mad dogs get licensed

Jesus' General: Who's a better Christian?

Veterans For Common Sense: Vets demand an apology from the GOP and FOX for lies about the VA

Red Dirt Report: Swine flu fearmongering a mass psy-op?

Pruning Shears: Slavery: It works, so it should be legalized

David's posterous: Mr. President, please remember that this is, for some of us, literally a life or death matter.

The Onion (edited for safe-for-work viewing, see original here) finally gets the 40-year-old headline right. The interactive website commemorating today's anniversary is worth the click.

40 years ago we were a nation that spent billions of dollars on the crap shoot of putting three men on top of 3,200 tons of hellfire wrapped in an aluminum skin and firing the whole thing at a dead rock 240,000 miles away because our destiny demanded it.

40 years later we are a nation that will not spend billions to keep its 300 million citizens alive, healthy and productive because the insurance industry lobbyists who own our politicians forbid it.

[Blue Gal's taking the night off to celebrate her birthday. Have a good one, BG.] Open Thread in comments...