Free Republic

Yes, folks: Our very own birthday boy, The Big B, is THIS many years old, come the dawn of November the 10th: He's a whopping thirty-five years young, this morning... sooooooooooo: the line to administer the requisite birthday spankings starts right HERE, y'all! Woo-HOO!!! :)

Munich makes merry as Oktoberfest kicks off 19 September 2005MUNICH, GERMANY - Munich's Oktoberfest, billed as the biggest beer party in the world, got underway to cheers and flying froth Saturday. More than 6 million visitors from around the world are expected for the festivities, forking out up to EUR 7.10 for a one-litre mug of beer in one of 14 huge tents. Festival organizers promise a 16-day 'gaudi' - southern German for plenty of fun - until October 3, during which about 6 million litres of beer will be consumed.