It's National Record Store Day!

On National Record Store Day, we celebrate those large (and sometimes small) black platters can hold groovy music in their grooves!

Happy birthday, Shu Qi!

Taiwanese actress Shu Qi turns 48 years old today. Although she's a celebrated actress in her home country and elsewhere in East Asia, she is not so well known in the rest of the world.

Outside of Asia, she is best known as "the package" in the original "The Transporter" (2002) film and a co-starring turn with Jackie Chan in "Gorgeous" (1999), but that may be about to change...

Because, while 48 is considered an unlucky number by many numerologists, but among the Chinese it is considered a lucky number that indicates that a person is "destined to prosper".

We'll have to check back in with Shu Qi when she turns 50, to see which numerologists have it right, evaluating whether her life's trajectory has been upward or downward.

Eiffel Tower Day at Shades of Gray

On this day in 1889, the Eiffel Tower was first opened to the public. Here are some pictures that capture its beauty and majesty.

 

International Dance Day is coming...

 ... and Vera Ellen has a difficult decision to make: What shoes to use.

Will she be ready by April 29? Time will tell!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

 Lucille Ball is here to show you how a proper lady celebrates this glorious day!

Not everyone necessarily thinks this holiday should be celebrated, nor that St. Patrick should be honored. In the interest of fairness, we're giving those people equal time and space this year.

March is underway

... and here's a look at how they used to advertise booze in 1908. This drawing by Georg Hanel was featured in "Jugend" Magazine.

(And if we were put in charge of marketing adult beverages today, we'd follow the lead of ad executives of yore and rely on fantasy elements, too!)

Valentine's Day Aftermath with Wonder Woman and Spider-Man

 

Happy birthday to Jennifer Aniston!

American actress Jennifer Aniston turns 55 years old today.

Aniston fell in love with acting at the age of 11, and her career began in earnest during the early 1990s with a leading role on the very short-lived sit-com "Molloy" (1992) and a starring role in the horror film "Leprechaun" (1993). In 1994, she cast as Rachel in the sit-com "Friends" and she played that role until 2004. The show is still broadcast in re-runs around the world, and it is the part for which she remains best known.

Aniston has kept a busy acting schedule for three decades now, and she shows no sign of wanting to rest on her laurels yet. We now celebrate her time in front of cameras with a few pictures. Enjoy!

 

Welcome to February!

 If I was going to sell booze to old-school fantasy roleplaying game players, I'd use art like this ad that originally appeared in Jugend (1908).

It's National Hat Day!

We once again observe National Hat Day with pictures of some friends of Shades of Gray in hats.

 

 

And finally, Claire Dodd wasn't sure whether it was National Hat Day or International Nude Day, so she came prepared for both!

The Spirit of Christmas...

... is roaming the land, spreading light in the darkness.

We wish that all visitors to Shades of Gray have a joyous Christmas!

An example of why creators need assistants...

 

Happy Birthday, Vanessa Hudgens!

Singer and actress Vanessa Hudgens turns 35 years old today. She began performing in musical theater at the age of 8, and by the time she was in her mid-teens, she'd gained worldwide fame for her role in the "High School Musical" film series and a number of other projects for the Walt Disney Company.

At 18, her career took a minor hit when nude photos of her were stolen and leaked online, but she soon recovered and her fame has only grown as the years have gone by. Today, we celebrate her birthday with a small gallery of photos.

 

 
 

 

 

Christmas is Coming...

 ... and Vera-Ellen is here to let you know that the Big Day will be here before you know it!

What's up with Upton?

Model and actress Kate Upton recently caused offense and outrage (OUTRAGE!) by wearing a t-shirt with a corporate logo on it. She has taken steps to cure this crime against humanity, so we here at Shades of Gray want to lend a hand in her efforts to atone for that great and terrible sin.

Here are a couple photos of her wearing no top at all. We hope they will help everyone out there get over their spiritual pain over seeing her all covered up.

 

We were saving these for the next International Nude Day, but it seems like they can be put to better use in facilitating an end the emotional suffering that's going on out there.

Happy birthday, Mie Hama

Japanese actress, writer, and radio talk show host Mie Hama turns 80 years old today. She is best known internationally for her roles in "King Kong vs. Godzilla" (1963), "What's Up, Tiger Lily?" (1966), and "You Only Live Twice" (1967), but she appeared in over 80 films and television series before retiring from the screen in the late 1960s to start a family and enjoy what she describes as a "normal life".

Today, we celebrate Hama and her milestone birthday with some publicity photos from her time in front of the cameras!