Getting Close

Preparations to leave town are still underway, and getting more complicated by the moment.

Me leaving town alone is the equivalent, to my Sweetie and kids, to their being left alone on the tundra or in the wilderness to fend for themselves, with no supplies.

The first time i made a trip like this, to Albuquerque several years ago, they called me on average every two hours the first two days of the trip, and a little less after that.

While i try to leave detailed instructions:

Detailed lists, on the refrigerator.

It helps to a degree, but i still get a lot of phone calls.

The other complication is getting everything i'm taking packed and ready.  Because i don't know what ingredients i will or will not find anywhere outside of south Louisiana, i have to bring all the ingredients for gumbo with me.  This entails me having to mentally go through every step, imagine what i would grab from the cabinet or fridge or wherever, and bring it along.

Then there's the fact that i'm the weirdo vegan, so i pack a lot of food for me, because it can be difficult having my strange food preferences in places where the dominant cuisine is much more typical fare, with lots of meat.  Many a restaurant has had nothing on the menu that i would eat but an overpriced, soggy salad and steamed vegetables.  It can get old eating that meal after meal when i'm out a lot.

Today i am working, so when i get home, i have a ton to do so that i can be on the road tomorrow.  Lots of packing, lots of last minute laundry, and plenty of "how will we get along with you not here!" whining.  Yes, they really act that helpless, and they survive.  It makes them tough.

And it makes me grateful to be able to get away for a while, i need it!



Today is:

Agricultural Reform Day -- Sao Tome and Principe

Ask A Stupid Question Day -- teachers wanted to get students asking more questions, so they did, even if the questions were stupid; now, it's a holiday on the last school day of September each year!

Celtic Tree Month Gort begins (Ivy)

Day of Liberation of the Republic of Abkhazia -- Abkhazia (disputed territory on the Black Sea)

Do Something Wacky With A Grandparent Day -- just not the monkey bars, please; old bones don't knit fast enough

Durga Puja -- Hindu (start of the five day celebration of the goddess Durga)

Eleusinian Mysteries -- Ancient Greek Calendar (the Greater Mystery Rites, date approximate; mystery rites of Demeter and Persephone at Eleusis, one of the most sacred times of their year)

Independence Day -- Botswana

International Translation Day -- International Federation of Translators

Kokkeisetsu -- Chinatown, Yokohama, Japan (Chinese National Founding Day in the largest Chinatown in Japan; through tomorrow)

Medetrinalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (festival fruits offer to the goddess of medicine)

Monkey Bars Day -- a day to go see if you can still do tricks on the monkey bars, because the internet wants to kill us and let the machines that would never do anything so silly take over

National Mud Pack Day -- give yourself a facial

National Hot Mulled Cider Day

St. Gregory the Enlightener (or Illuminator; Patron of Armenia)

St. Jerome's Day (Patron of archaeologists, archivists, Biblical scholars, librarians, libraries, school children, students, translators; Saint-Jerome, Quebec)
     also an Apache celebration of Geronimo, the Native American who was named after this saint

World Dairy Expo -- Madison, WI, US ("Designer Dairy" is this year's theme; through Saturday)


Anniversary Today:

Haleakala National Park is established in Maui, Hawaii, 1960


Birthdays Today:

Dominique Moceanu, 1981
Marion Cotillard, 1975
Jenna Elfman, 1971
Crystal Bernard, 1964
Eric Stoltz, 1961
Fran Drescher, 1957
Deborah Allen, 1953
Victoria Tennant, 1953
Marilyn McCoo, 1943
Z.Z. Hill, 1935
Johnny Mathis, 1935
Angie Dickinson, 1931
Elie Wiesel, 1928
W. S. Merwin, 1927
Truman Capote, 1924
Deborah Kerr, 1921
Buddy Rich, 1917
William Wrigley, Jr., 1861
Rumi, 1207


Debuting/Premiering Today:

Millie's Book: As Dictated to Barbara Bush(Publication date), 1990
"Murder, She Wrote"(TV), 1984
"Cheers"(TV), 1982
"Love Child"(Single release), 1968
"The Flintstones"(TV), 1960
"Tea and Sympathy"(Play), 1953
"The Red Skelton show"(TV), 1951
"Porgy and Bess"(Opera), 1935
Little Women(Publication date), 1868
"Les pecheurs de perles/The Pearl Fishers"(Bizet opera), 1863
"Die Zauberflote/The Magic Flute"(Mozart opera, K. 620), 1791
The Gutenberg Bible(first section, publication date), 1452


Today in History:

Rambam (Maimonides) authorizes Samuel Ibn Tibbon to translate the Guide of the Perplexed from Arabic into Hebrew, 1199
Anesthetic ether is used for the first time by Dr. William Morton, who extracted a tooth, 1846
German scientist Hermann von Meyer announces the discovery of the first fossil of an archaeopteryx, 1861
The first Portuguese immigrants arrive in Hawai'i, 1878
The world's first commercial hydroelectric power plant begins operation on the Fox River in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States, 1882
Hubert Cecil Booth patents the vacuum cleaner, 1901
The first manned rocket plane flight, made by auto maker Fritz von Opel, 1929
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan and Yemen join the United Nations, 1947
The World Series, featuring the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers, is televised for the first time, 1947
The U.S. Navy submarine USS Nautilus is commissioned as the world's first nuclear reactor powered vessel, 1954
James Dean is killed in a road accident, 1955
Mexican-American labor leader César Chávez founds the United Farm Workers, 1962
James Meredith enters the University of Mississippi, defying segregation, 1962
General Suharto rises to power in Indonesia after an alleged coup by communists, and massacres over a million Indonesian people suspected of belonging to the Communist Party, 1965
BBC Radio 1 is launched and Tony Blackburn presents its first show, 1967
Ethernet specifications are published by Xerox working with Intel and Digital Equipment Corporation, 1980
The Dalai Lama unveils the Canadian Tribute to Human Rights in Canada's capital city of Ottawa, 1990
The first images of a live giant squid in its natural habitat are taken 600 miles south of Tokyo, 2004
The controversial drawings of Muhammad are printed in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, 2005

Awww Monday: Getting Big

Awww Monday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus.  It's easy to participate, just post a picture that makes us say, "Awww!" and link up.  After all, it's great to start the week with a cute picture and a smile.

Because i'm leaving on vacation, and because they are plenty big enough now, it's time to send Ladios and Ladias to be put up for adoption.  Here's one last picture of the sisters, who were never very far from each other.

They got big!

Since i am working tomorrow and leaving the day after, this is my last day to prepare all the stuff i need for the trip.  Looking at this picture makes me wish i were a cat with a good home!  No worries!






Today is:

Battle of Boqueron Day -- Paraguay

Constitution Day -- Brunei

Family and Community Day -- ACT, Australia

Festival of Tezcatzonctl -- Ancient Aztec Calendar (chief god of intoxication; date approximate)

Gwynn ap Nudd's Fest -- Celtic Calendar (god of the underworld; date approximate)

International Coffee Day -- and i thought this was every day!  also:
     National Coffee Day -- US (what!?!  this isn't every day!?)
 
Inventors Day -- Argentina

Make a List of the Top Ten Happiest Days in Your Life Day -- must have been started by an optimist

Mutation Day -- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

National Attend Your Grandchild's Birth Day -- a day to remind grandparents to be active in their grandchildren's lives (and if you need a reminder, i wonder about you; if you aren't allowed by bitter parents, i feel badly for you)

National Mocha Day

Navaratri Dusserha/Dasain/Dashain/Dasara -- Hindu (Festival of Dirva, wife of Shiva, and a time to go back home and reconnect with family, especially in Nepal and parts of India; through the 13th; local dates and official government days off will vary)

Northeast Kingdom Fall Foliage Festival -- Walden, Cabot, Plainfield, Peacham, Barnet and Groton, VT, US (all 6 towns take turns welcoming visitors during the famous fall foliage season, with local food, music, culture, and more; through Saturday)

Queen's Birthday Holiday -- WA, Australia

Quick Draw Day -- debut of Quick Draw McGraw and his side kick, Baba Looey, in 1959

Sts. Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and All Angels' Day  (Michaelmas)
     Archangel Gabriel, Patron of broadcasters, clergy, communication workers, diplomats, messengers, philatelists/stamp collectors, post offices and postal workers, radio and radio workers, secular clergy, telecommunication workers, telgraphers, telephones, television and television workers; Argentinian ambassadors; Seattle, Washington
     Archangel Michael, Patron of artists, bakers, bankers and banking, barrel makers/coopers, battle, boatmen/mariners/sailors/watermen, dying people, emergency medical technicians/paramedics/ambulance drivers, fencers and fencing, grocers and greengrocers, haberdashers and hatmakers, knights, milleners, paratroopers, police officers, radiologists and radiotherapists, security guards, sick people, soldiers, swordsmiths; for a holy death and safety at sea; England, Germany, and over 25 cities around the world; against danger at sea and temptation
     Archangel Raphael, Patron of apothecaries/druggists/pharmacists, blind people, doctors/physicians, guardian angels, happy meetings, love and lovers, mentally ill people, nurses, shepherdesses/shepherds, sick people, travellers, young people; Dubuque, Iowa; MacKenzie-Fort Smith, Northwest Territories; Seattle, Washington; against bodily ills, eye diseases/eye problems, insanity/mental illness, nightmares, sickness
     related observances:
     National Day of Remembrance for Policemen Killed -- Australia (St. Michael, Patron of police officers)
     Payment of Quit Rent by London Royal Courts of Justice -- Michaelmas is a traditional English "Quarter Day", when rents come due

Thimphu Drubchen -- Thimphu, Bhutan (start of one of Bhutan's biggest tshechu festivals, sacred masked dances dedicated to Bhutan's protective spirit; tourists may watch but are strictly prohibited from taking pictures)

VFW Day -- US (The Veterans of Foreign Wars was established on this day in 1899)

World Heart Day -- International (to raise awareness of the signs and dangers of cardiovascular disease)


Birthdays Today:

Emily Lloyd, 1970
John Paxton, 1960
Bryant Gumbel, 1948
Patricia Hodge, 1946
Lech Walesa, 1943
Dave Wilcox, 1942
Ian McShane, 1942
Madeline Kahn, 1942
Jerry Lee Lewis, 1935
Anita Ekberg, 1931
Lizabeth Scott, 1922
Trevor Howard, 1916
Stanley Kramer, 1913
Michelangelo Antonioni, 1912
Greer Garson, 1908
Gene Autry, 1907
Enrico Fermi, 1901
Horatio Nelson, 1758
Miguel de Cervantes, 1547
Pompey the Great, BC106


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Grace Under Fire"(TV), 1993
"Thirtysomething"(TV), 1987
"Designing Women"(TV), 1986
"MacGyver"(TV), 1985
"Houdini, A Circus Opera"(Opera), 1977
"The Judy Garland Show"(TV), 1963
"My Favorite Martian"(TV), 1963
"The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Show"(TV), 1962
"My Three Sons"(TV), 1960
"Outlaws"(TV), 1960
"The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis"(TV), 1959
"Sergeant Preston of the Yukon"(TV), 1955
"A View from the Bridge"(Play), 1955
The Barefoot Contessa(Film), 1954
A Star is Born(Film), 1954
"Make Room for Daddy"(TV), 1953


Today in History:

Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumata, securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire, BC522
Battle of Salamis, at which the Greek fleet under Themistocles defeats the Persian fleet under Xerxes I, BC480
Pompey the Great Celebrates ending the Mithridatic Wars on his 45th birthday, BC61
Saladin's army marches into Jerusalem, 1187
The First Congress of the US adjourns, 1789
"Scotland Yard", London's Metropolitan Police Force, goes on duty, 1829
The first practical public electric tramway ever opens in Blackpool, England, 1885
John D. Rockefeller becomes the first billionaire, 1916
The convention establishing CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research) is signed, 1954
Alouette 1, the first Canadian satellite, is launched, 1962
WGPR in Detroit, Michigan, becomes the world's first black-owned-and-operated television station, 1975
Pope John Paul II becomes the first pope to set foot on Irish soil with his pastoral visit to the Republic of Ireland, 1979
The asteroid 4179 Toutatis passes within four lunar distances of Earth, 2004
The Dow Jones Industrial Average falls 777.68 points, the largest single-day point loss in its history, 2008
An 8.0 magnitude earthquake near the Samoan Islands causes a tsunami, 2009
The Koreas agree, for the first time in two years, to hold working-level military talks, 2010

Silly Sunday: Begorra!

Silly Sunday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus.  It's the place to come for a weekly chuckle, grin, or even a good guffaw, so Laugh and Link Up!  It's a great way to start the week.

At the MomAndPopStore yesterday, i got into a conversation with a manager.  When i asked how his day was going, he noted that his wonderful wife, one of the sweetest women ever, had let him live through yet another night because of his snoring, so that meant it was a great day.

We got to talking about it, and the subject turned to heritage, and he noted that he is of Irish antecedents.  He said, "That means I believe that a kind word is good, but not so powerful as a kind word and a shillelagh, and that I have an innate sense of tragedy that can carry me through any fleeting moments of joy!"

We laughed, but the talk about snoring reminds me of a joke.

Thibodeaux be talking to Boudreaux, an' as usual, dey talkin' about dere wives.

"My wife, Marie, she complain an' whine so much!  Allus after me about sumpin', an' I don' know what I'm a gonna do!"

"Now, Thib," Boudreaux say, "You gots to remember dat de female, she be special, an' you gotta treat dem women special.  Dey don' burp, fart, sweat, or snore, so you gotta let dem complain and moan or dey gonna bust!"









Sept 28


Today is:

^*Czech Statehood Day -- Czech Republic

^*Drink Beer Day

4%Tzom Gedalya -- Judaism (Fast of Gedalia, a dawn to dusk day of fasting to lament the assassination of Gedalia the righteous governor of Judea)

^*Feast of Hapi and Creation of the Nile -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

^*Fish Tank Floor Show Night -- the Wellcat Holidays people say that your fish keep you entertained all year long, so turn about is fair play, entertain your fish tonight!

^*Frances Willard Day -- Minnesota

4#Freyburg Fair -- Fryeburg, ME, US (a week-long celebration with aggricultural exposition, draft horse competition, a midway, nightly shows, Woodsmen's Day, Firemen's Muster, a juried crafts show, and more; through next Sunday)

4#Gold Star Mother's Day 2014 -- US (the day to honor mothers who have lost a child who was serving in the US Armed Forces)

4#International Rabbit Day -- to promote responsible rabbit ownershipwww.rabbit.org/international-rabbit-day/

4%International Right to Know Day -- FOI Advocates Network, promoting the right of access to information for all people and the benefits of open, transparent, and accountable governmentswww.freedominfo.org/religions/global/rtk-day/

#Menkhet Festival -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

^*Michaelmas Eve -- Celtic celebration, bake your bannock bread tonight for eating on St. Michael and All Angel's Day tomorrow; tonight, build a bonfire and dine on roast lamb, and make sure the menfolk protect the horses, for anyone is allowed to "borrow" one for the celebration tomorrow

^*National Day of Awareness and Unity against Child Pornography -- Philippines

^*National Good Neighbor Day -- US (begun when Mrs. Becky Mattson from Lakeside, Montana, began campaigning for this National Day in the 1970's; go greet the neighbors, and be a good neighbor yourself!)

^*National Strawberry Cream Pie Day

4%Read a Child a Book You Like Day -- someone started this to get us to remember the books we loved as kids, and share them with children now

^*Runic Half Month Gyfu begins (gift)

^*St. Wenceslaus' Day (Patron of brewers; Bohemia; Czech Republic; Moravia; Prague, Czech Republic)

^*Tales of Kelp-Koli's Second Visit -- Fairy Calendar (through the 30th)

^*Teacher's Day -- Taiwan (on the traditional Western date of Confucius' birthday, of course)

^*World Rabies Daywww.worldrabiesday.org

4#(FSU)World Rivers Day -- Internationalwww.worldriversday.com



Birthdays Today:

Frankie Jonas, 2000
Hilary Duff, 1987
Gwyneth Paltrow, 1973
Naomi Watts, 1968
Mira Sorvino, 1967
Janeane Garofalo, 1964
Suzanne Whang, 1962
Steve Largent, 1954
Jeffrey Jones, 1947
Ben E. King, 1938
Koko Taylor, 1935
Brigitte Bardot, 1934
Arnold Stang, 1925
Marcello Mastroianni, 1924
William Windom, 1923
Al Capp, 1909
Max Schmeling, 1905
Ed Sullivan, 1901
Kate Douglas Wiggin, 1856
Frances Willard, 1839
Confucius, BC551


Debuting/Premiering Today:

Ed Wood(Film), 1994
"Cosmos: A Personal Voyage"(Documentary series), 1980
"I Heard It Through the Grapevine"(Single release, Gladys Knight), 1967
"Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales"(TV), 1963
"Dr. Kildare"(TV), 1961
"Hazel"(TV), 1961
"Purlie Victorious"(Play), 1961
Radio Times(Magazine, first issue), 1923


Today in History:

Pompey the Great, member of the Triumvirate, is assassinated by order of King Ptolemy of Egypt upon landing in that country, BC48
King/Saint Wenceslas murdered by his brother, 935
William the Conqueror invades England, 1066
Sinking of the Spanish fleet during a hurricane off the coast of Florida, 1528
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo becomes the first European to reach San Diego Bay, 1542
Publication of "Pilgrim's Progress", 1678
Divorce is legalized in Maryland, 1701
American and French forces begin the siege of Yorktown, 1781
Napoleon Bonaparte, age 16, graduates from the Military Academy of Paris -- 42nd in a class of 51, 1785
Donati's comet becomes the first to be photographed, 1858
Toronto becomes the capital of Ontario, 1867
Sir Alexander Fleming notices a bacteria-killing mould growing in his laboratory, discovering what later became known as penicillin, 1928
Indonesia joins the United Nations, 1950
Mali and Senegal join the United Nations, 1960
SpaceX launches the first ever private spacecraft, the Falcon 1 into orbit, 2008

Ah -- Oh!

Ah, Saturday.  Since i'm not going to the uni football game, a day to relax, putter around the house, and...

What!  What's that?  Four days?  Really, i'm supposed to leave town in 4 days?

Where did the time go?  Don't answer, i know where it goes.  And i'm not ready.  Plus, i have to work the day before i leave, and that's not going to be easy.

Today, i'll have to get some errands done.  MomAndPop Store, which still hasn't opened their new branch so i have to go to the further one, for the seafood i'm bringing, as well as good hot sauces and some local goodies to take as gifts.

BigBoxStore for extra cat litter and paper plates and all the stuff i'll need to leave behind so the house doesn't fall apart while i'm gone.

Of course, it will anyway, i always come home to a mess.  But i can try.

Also, i have to decide what to precook (do i want to have my roux made already? what about stock? frozen, prechopped veggies?) and what to take along.

Bigger Girl is lending me Cicero for the trip, so i know i have plenty of room, since for some reason as i get older i find myself bringing more and more stuff with me when i travel.  This time, i might bring the Vitamix and a few other kitchen tools i didn't have last year.

And coffee.  That's the #1 thing i must remember as far as consumables go, coffee.  After all, even when i'm running away so i don't have to play mommy for a week, mommy just don't go without her "mommy go juice."

This is getting exciting!


Today is:

Aloha Festivals Floral Parade -- Oahu, Hawai'i (part of the larger Aloha Festival celebrations this month and next on all the islands, celebrating native Hawai'ian culture)

Ancestor Appreciation Day -- sponsored by the Ancestor Appreciation Day Association of Ann Arbor, MI, US

Cabrillo Festival -- San Diego, CA, US (reenactment of Cabrillo's landing, a Spanish soldier and sailor encampment, Native Kumeyaay demonstrations, dances, crafts, and food; through tomorrow)

Crush a Can Day -- internet generated, so have fun seeing how many (safe) ways you can crush a can, and how flat you can get it!

Eldon Turkey Festival -- Eldon, MO, US (top producer of turkeys has the top turkey festival in the world)

Everybody's Day Festival -- Thomasville, NC, US (and they do mean there's fun for everybody)

Family Health and Fitness Day USA -- www.fitnessday.com/family/index.htm

Feast of Mashíyyat (Will) -- Baha'i

Fish Amnesty Day (same as National Hunting and Fishing Day)

Fun and Fancy Free Day -- go out and have a great day, in honor of the release on this day in 1947 of the Disney film Fun and Fancy Free

French Community Holiday -- French community of Belgium

Fukuro Matsuri -- Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Japan (a fun-for-tourists way to learn about Japanese culture, through tomorrow, and next weekend)

Geneva Area Grape Jamboree -- Geneva, OH, US (grapes, wine tasting, entertainment, rides, and food; through tomorrow)

Gettysburg Fall Antique Show -- Gettysburg, PA, US

Hug a Vegetarian Day -- i'm open!

International Rabbit Day -- learn to care for these wonderful pets

(4Sa)Kiwanis Kids' Day -- local clubs sponsor events for kids on the fourth Saturday of September

Love Note Day -- take pen and paper and send that special someone a love note today, the idea of Leona Hamel of QC, Canada

Marion County Country Ham Days -- Marion, KY, US (for those who love ham, and a PIGasus parade, and a Pokey Pig 5k, among other events; through tomorrow)

Meskel -- Ethiopian/Eritrian Orthodox Christian (True Cross Day)

Museum Day -- The Smithsonian has information

National Hunting and Fishing Day -- US

National Milk Chocolate Day

National Public Lands Day -- US (Helping Hands for America's Lands -- a day to volunteer on America's Public Lands)

National Corned Beef Hash Day

R.E.A.D. in America Day -- sponsored by CheeREADing, because Reading helps Everyone Accomplish Dreams

Shut Up and Let Somebody Else Talk Day -- begun by someone with an overly verbose spouse, perhaps?

St. Vincent De Paul's Day (Patron of charitable societies/charitable workers, charities, horses, hospital workers, hospitals, lepers, prisoners, spiritual help, volunteers; Brothers of Charity; Saint Vincent de Paul Societies; Sisters of Charity; Vincentian Service Corps; Madagascar; Richmond, Virginia; for finding lost objects; against leprosy)

Taste of Morgan Hill -- Morgan Hill, CA, US (fine arts, entertainment, and plenty for the kids to do, too; through tomorrow)

Thanksgiving Day for Disappearance of Kelp-Koli Again -- Fairy Calendar

Tri-State Band Festival -- Luverne, MI, US (high school bands from Minnesota, South Dakota, and Iowa compete in four categories)

*World Tourism Day -- World Tourism Organization


Anniversary Today:

Google is founded, 1998


Birthdays Today:

Avril Lavigne, 1984
Gwyneth Paltrow, 1972
Bello Nock, 1968
Sophia Milos, 1965
Shaun Cassidy, 1958
Mike Schmidt, 1949
Marvin "Meat Loaf" Aday, 1947
Delores Taylor, 1939
Claude Jarman, Jr., 1934
Greg Morris, 1934
Wilford Brimley, 1934
Sada Thompson, 1929
Arthur Penn, 1922
William Conrad, 1920
Jayne Meadows, 1919
Thomas Nast, 1840
Raphael Semmes, 1809
George Muller, 1805
George Cruikshank, 1792
Samuel Adams, 1722


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Tonight Show"(TV), 1954
Strike Up The Band(Film), 1940
"Rip Van Winkle"(Bristow opera), 1855


Today in History:

Severe earthquake in the Gulf of Chili, China; reports of 100,000 killed, 1290
Jesuits founded by Ignatius Loyola, 1540
John Adams negotiates peace terms with Britain, 1779
Constitution submitted to the states for ratification, 1787
Jean-Francois Champollion announces that he has deciphered the Rosetta Stone, 1822
The Stockton and Darlington Railway opens, and begins operation of the world's first service of locomotive-hauled passenger trains, 1825
The physics journal Annalen der Physik published Albert Einstein's paper "Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy Content?", introducing the equation E=mc²,1905
The first production of a Ford Model T automobile rolls off the line at the Piquette Plant in Detroit, Michigan, 1908
First test of a twin engine airplane, in France, 1910
Native American Day is first celebrated, 1916
Democratic National Committee votes to allow female members, 1919
The first Santa Clause Training School opens in Albion, NY, 1937
The Balinese tiger is declared to be an extinct species, 1937
Sierra Leone joins the United Nations, 1961
Richard Stallman announces the GNU project to develop a free Unix-like operating system, 1983
East Timor joins the United Nations, 2002
CNSA astronaut Zhai Zhigang becomes the first Chinese person to perform a spacewalk while flying on Shenzhou 7, 2008
NASA's Mars rover Curiosity discovers direct evidence of a fast-moving stream bed, showing a prior water source on the Red Planet, 2012

Feline Friday: Art Critic

Feline Friday was started by Steve, The Burnt Food Dude, and i'm going to believe it's because he likes cats.

Bigger Girl has completed another painting.  The kitten studies it closely.

Kitten is an art critic!

And yes, i think the kitten approves.


 




Today is:

Baltimore Book Festival -- Baltimore, MD, US (the mid-Atlantic’s premier celebration of literary arts; through Sunday)

Buffalo Roundup and Arts Festival -- Custer, SD, US (buffalo round up, Western and Native American entertainment, arts and crafts; through Sunday)

Bureflux -- Discordian Calendar

Celtic Classic Highland Games & Festival -- Bethlehem, PA, US (largest highland games and Celtic Festival in the US; through Sunday)

Chili Cook-Off and Fall Festival of the Arts And Crafts -- Washington, MO, US (chili fest and contest, juried art festival, beer, specialty foods, music, and fun; through Sunday)

Cobweb Pie Making Day -- Fairy Calendar

Davidson Fellowship Scholarship Award Reception -- Washington, D.C., US (students under 18 who have completed prodigious works in science, mathematics, technology, music, literature, philosophy, or "outside the box" are made Davidson Fellows and given large scholarships for college)

Dia de la Bandera Nacional -- Ecuador (Day of the National Flag)

Dominion Day -- New Zealand (trad.)

European Day of Languages -- European Union

Fabulous 1890's Weekend -- Mansfield, PA, US (celebration of the first ever night football game in Mansfield in 1892; through tomorrow)

Festival of Venus Genetrix -- Ancient Roman Calendar

Hug a Vegan Day -- you can pledge to give free hugs!features.peta2.com/hug-a-vegan-day-2014/

International Tool Day -- internet generated, now gladly embraced by toolmakers

Johnny Appleseed Day -- birth anniversary of John Chapman

Liberty Fall Festival -- Liberty, MO, US (right in the heart of the town square, among the historic buildings from the 1800s, lots for everyone to do; through Sunday)

Literally, A Haunted House -- Culbertson Mansion, New Albany, IN, US (each weekend through Hallowe'en; a haunted house in a literal haunted house with a history of some very weird stuff; this, their 30th season, they promise a collection of their "greatest scares")

Love Note Day -- some good ideas here on keeping romance alive

Manit Day -- Marshall Islands (Culture Day)

Mesothelioma Awareness Day -- bringing to light this cancer caused by asbestos exposure

Mount Pleasant Glass and Ethnic Festival -- Mount Pleasant, PA, US (a "front porch neighborhood" festival; through Sunday)

National Pancake Day

National Youth Day -- Turks and Caicos Islands

Native American Day 2014 -- US (begun in California, a day to honor all Native Americans, always celebrated the fourth Friday in September)

Neptune Festival -- Virginia Beach, Virginia (a Boardwalk Weekend; through Sunday)

New York Film Festival -- NY, NY, US (52nd Annual, through Oct. 12)

North American Sand Sculpting Championship -- Virginia Beach, Virginia, US (through Oct. 5)

Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show and Grand National Wedding Cake Cometition -- Tulsa, OK, US (set up today, tomorrow and Sunday the judging with this year's theme as "Fifty Shades of Pretty Cake 2014", it's fun for everyone, as the best of the best cake designers vie for the Grand National title; for asounding pictures of last year's competition, go here)

Old Holy Rood Day -- OS calendar (the day blackberries become unsafe for picking) related observance
     Mid-Autumn Day -- Scottish Highlands (traditional; considered the day harts begin to mate and a weather prognostication day)

Rosh Hashanah -- Judaism (ends today at evening)

Save the Koala Day -- anyone can help by "adopting" one today

Search for Your Baseball Cards Again Day -- on lots of trivia sites; recommended because you never know

September Revolution Day -- Yemen

Sts. Cosmas and Damian's Day (Patrons of apothecaries/druggists/pharmacists, barbers, blind people, chemical industry/manufacturers, doctors/physicians/surgeons, hairdressers, midwives, people with hernias; Alberobello, Italy; Ossimo, Italy; against blindness and pestilence) related observance:
     Begin now to lay in supplies for your Michaelmas supper on the 29th

Support Purple For Platelets Day(sm) -- Platelet Disorder Support Association

Taca Fall Craft Fair -- Nashville, TN, US (the state's premier outdoor showcase for American fine crafts; through Sunday)

United States Postal Service Day -- US (the first postmaster general under the current constitution, Samuel Osgood, was appointed this day in 1789)

Warrens Cranberry Festival -- Warrens, WI, US (tour a cranberry bog, enjoy the festival and food; through Sunday)

Wild West Show and Bullwhacker Days -- Olathe, KS, US (celebrate the Santa Fe Trail; through Sunday)

World's Biggest Coffee Morning -- UK (Macmillan Cancer Support fundraiser, host or attend a Coffee Morning gathering or go to M&S Cafe, the official partner in the event!)

World Contraception Day -- International


Birthdays Today:

Serena Williams, 1981
Lawrence Leritz, 1962
Melissa Sue Anderson, 1962
Linda Hamilton, 1956
Jane Smiley, 1949
Mary Beth Hurt, 1948
Olivia Newton-John, 1948
Lynn Anderson, 1947
Brian Ferry, 1945
Anne Robinson, 1944
Kent McCord, 1942
Julie London, 1926
Jack LaLanne, 1914
George Gershwin, 1898
T.S. Eliot, 1888
Edmund Gwenn, 1877
John "Johnny Appleseed" Chapman, 1774
St. Francis of Assisi, 1181


Debuting/Premiering Today:

George(Magazine), 1995
"Knight Rider"(TV), 1982
"The Brady Bunch"(TV), 1969
"Hawaii Five-O"(TV), 1968
"Gilligan's Island"(TV), 1964
"The Beverly Hillbillies"(TV), 1962
"West Side Story"(Musical), 1957
"Lucia di Lammermoor"(Opera), 1835
"The Gladiator"(Play), 1831


Today in History:

In keeping a vow he made at the Battle of Pharsalus, Julius Caesar dedicates a temple to his mythical ancestor Venus Genetrix, BC 46
Sir Francis Drake returns to England with Spanish treasure, 1580
In a battle between Venetians and Turks in Athens, the Parthenon and Acropolis are seriously damaged, 1687
New Jersey passes a bill requiring a license to practice medicine, 1772
Thomas Jefferson is appointed the first Secretary of State of the US, 1789
Colonel Robert Gibbon Johnson proved tomatoes weren't poisonous by eating several on the steps of the courthouse in Salem, New Jersey, 1820
The Diamond Match Company patents book matches, 1892
New Zealand and Newfoundland each become dominions within the British Empire, 1907
Indonesia is admitted to the United Nations, 1950
Concorde makes its first non-stop crossing of the Atlantic in record-breaking time, 1973
The United Kingdom agrees to the handover of Hong Kong, 1984
An earthquake strikes the Italian regions of Umbria and the Marche, causing part of the Basilica of St. Francis at Assisi to collapse, 1997
Swiss pilot and inventor Yves Rossy becomes first person to fly a jet engine-powered wing across the English Channel, 2008
Georgia changes its second language from Russian to English, 2010

Flooded with Difficulty

Just over a year ago, we were finally able to refinance the house.  Multiple previous attempts had not gone as planned, so it was a thrill when it finally went through.

One of the difficulties we had was with flood insurance.

We bought it 16 years ago, when we weren't even required to have it.  Since then, they've changed the flood zone.

What is supposed to happen is that you get to keep your old zone, and pay that rate, if you already had the insurance.  It's called being "grandfathered in," harkening back to the way some former Confederate states tried to use to keep newly freed slaves from voting by passing laws saying you couldn't vote unless you could prove your grandfather had been registered to vote.

We provided the documentation, and everything went well, and our flood insurance is now escrowed and paid and it's all good.

Except when it's not.

The home equity loan is with another bank, and they have decided to pitch a fit.  First they didn't believe we had insurance, even after we showed several proofs, including that the primary mortgage company had paid the bill.

Now they are upset because of the "discrepancy" between our flood zone risk assessment they had done, and our actual zone on our coverage.  Because we are grandfathered in and allowed to keep the old zone and payment, we are having to do pretzel bends and handstands to show them all this.

Over an hour of calls yesterday got some stuff taken care of, but i need to make more calls today, and our insurance agent has to send a bunch of forms to the gov'mint and get them to certify that we are, indeed, correct in all of this.

In the end, i just hope the home equity bank believes the new documentation, or i'm tempted to flood them with me camped out in their lobby until someone there gets it!


Today is:

Armed Forces Day -- Mozambique

Barnesville Pumpkin Festival -- Barnesville, OH, US (pumpkins are just the start of the fun; through Sunday)

Fairmount Museum Days/Remembering James Dean Festival -- Fairmont, IN, US (celebrating Dean and other famous people from Fairmont; through Sunday)

Ghatasthapana -- Nepal (start of a nine day Hindu festival, the longest and most auspicious festival in the Nepalese annual calendar)

Haustmanuour -- Iceland (beginning of traditional Autumn Month, during which all the summer chores are finished, including livestock rounded up, before winter begins)

International Ataxia Awareness Day -- highlighting the difficulties of living with the many forms of ataxia

Join a Cabal of International Bankers Today Day -- internet generated, and only for people without a conscience

Kamarampaka Day -- Rwanda (Republic Day, marks the 1961 abolition of the monarchy)

Math Storytelling Day -- the brainchild of Maria Droujkova

National Comic Book Day -- internet generated, but go read one, they are fun

National Crabmeat Newberg Day

National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims -- US

National Food Service Employees Day -- because everyone wants to eat out once in a while 

National One-Hit Wonder Day -- US, remembering those who had only one hit on the rock charts

National Psychotherapy Day -- US (a day to wear turquoise and encourage education about who psychotherapy can help)

National Teach Ag Day -- US (streamed live from CHS Inc. headquarters)

National Youth Day -- Nauru

Old Holy Rood Eve -- OS calendar Holy Cross Eve, the last day to pick blackberries (after this, the devil poisons them because when he fell from heaven, he landed in a blackberry bush)

Preston County Buckwheat Festival -- Kingwood, WV, US (something for everyone at this fun annual event; through Sunday)

RAINN Day -- The Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network encourages all of us to get involved in stopping sexual violence

Rosh Hashanah -- Judaism (began last night at sundown, through tomorrow at sundown)

St. Cadoc's Day (Patron of the deaf; against cramps, deafness, glandular disorders, scrofula)

St. Finbarr's Day (Patron of Barra, Scotland; Cork, Ireland)

Toad Tempting Day -- Fairy Calendar

Virginia Peanut Festival -- Emporia, VA, US (and you thought all peanuts came from Georgia! come enjoy peanuts and carnival, quilt show and fireworks, the Virginia way; through Sunday)

World Ataxia Awareness Day

World Maritime Day -- UN (this year's theme is “IMO Conventions:  Effective Implementation", chosen to focus on IMO's efforts to carry out commitments made, because making them and then not carrying them out does no good)

World Pharmacists Day -- International Pharmaceutical Federation



Birthdays Today:

Lee Norris, 1981
Catherine Zeta-Jones, 1969
Will Smith, 1968
Scottie Pippen, 1965
Tate Donovan, 1963
Aida Turturro, 1962
Heather Locklear, 1961
Michael Madsen, 1959
Jamie Hyneman, 1956
Christopher Reeve, 1952
Mark Hamill, 1951
Cheryl Tiegs, 1947
Michael Douglas, 1944
Robert Walden, 1943
Juliet Prowse, 1936
Glenn Gould, 1932
Barbara Walters, 1931
Shel Silverstein, 1930
Phil Rizzuto, 1918
Dmitri Shostakovich, 1906
Walter Wesley "Red" Smith, 1905
William Faulkner, 1897
Jean Phillippe Rameau, 1683 (baptismal date, as actual birth anniversary is unknown)
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, 1358 (Japanese Shogun)


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Beauty and the Beast"(TV), 1987
"Stepping Out"(Play), 1984
"Winterset"(Play), 1935
"Dorothy"(Comic opera), 1886


Today in History:

St. Ferment is beheaded in Amiens, France, after voyaging there to preach the gospel, 303
The Battle of Stamford Bridge marks the end of the Anglo-Saxon era, 1066
Columbus begins his second voyage, with 17 ships, 1493
Vasco Nunez de Balboa becomes the first European to see the Pacific Ocean from the west coast of the Americas, 1513
The first printing press in the Americas begins operations, 1639
Old Style date; two very accurate clocks are set in motion at the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, England, the start of Greenwich Mean Time, 1676
Ethan Allan, American Revolutionary War hero, is captured, 1775
Benedict Arnold joins the British, 1780
The first all-black university in the US, Howard University, is created by Congress, 1867
Yosemite National Park is established by Congress, 1890
Charles Follis becomes the first black to play professional American football, 1904
Birth of the remote control -- Leonardo Torres Quevedo successfully demonstrates the invention of the "Telekino" and guides a boat from the shore in the port of Bilbao, 1906
Jimmy Doolittle performs the first blind flight from Mitchel Field proving that full instrument flying from take off to landing is possible, 1929*
Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, is integrated by the use of United States Army troops, 1957
In a referendum, the people of Norway reject membership of the European Community, 1972
Belize joins the United Nations, 1981
The last of the Magdalene Asylums closes in Ireland, 1996
The Vitim event, a possible bolide (comet nucleus) impact in Siberia, Russia, 2002
China launches the spacecraft Shenzhou 7, 2008
The Wildlife Authority of Uganda announces that, since 1999, the population of some of the animals in the country's game reserves have doubled in population, 2010
King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia announces that women will now be able to vote and run in municipal elections, 2011

The Verdict is In

And #2 Son has been accepted to the culinary school!

First he passed all the math and English tests.  In fact, he did better than he thought he would since he gets so nervous taking tests.  It's okay, i tried to tell him, it's basic math and you speak English, you'll be fine, but he was concerned.

He aced the interview and while i did edit his essay a little (for a couple of spelling errors and one phrase that just didn't sound very good), his own words brought his passion to life, especially in the interview process.

The semester will start in January.  It's a 16-month program and he will come out with an Associates Degree in Culinary Arts.  Then he can add just over another year and get a second degree that will qualify him to work in management in restaurants and hotels, come up with business plans for his own restaurant (his dream), and even be a casino pit boss if he ever so desires.

In the meantime, he is still in training for management where he works, and he hopes to continue working after he starts school.  Because he will be Serve-Safe Certified after his first week in school, he might even get a raise, or help with tuition.  While Grandpa's trust fund is there, we do want to get as much other help as possible.  No need to waste help that's easily available, after all.

He's on his way to his dream, and we are jumping with joy!



Today is:

Armed Forces Day -- Mozambique; Peru

Banned Websites Awareness Day -- sponsored by the American Association of School Librarians

Black Walnut Festival -- Stockton, MO, US (tours of the world's largest black walnut processing plant, plus parade, crafts, carnival and entertainment; through Saturday)

Constitution Day/Recoronation of King Norodom Sihanouk -- Cambodia

Do Impressions of Famous People Around the Office Day -- again, i wonder about the intentions of those who start these things

Feast of Our Lady of Mercy -- Catholic Christian
     Lady of Mercedes Day -- Dominican Republic
     La Merce -- Barcelona, Spain

Festival of the Latest Novelties -- an internet generated holiday to celebrate everything from traditional whoopie cushions to some of the more modern and weird novelty gifts out there; a great day for practical jokers

Gallbladder Good Health Day -- seems unsponsored, but there's information about keeping your gallbladder healthy here

Going Forth of Isis -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Heritage Day -- South Africa

Independence Day/National Day -- Guinea-Bissau(1973)

Innergize Day -- the day to take time for yourself! always on the day after the equinox, so either the 23rd or 24th, depending on where you live

Mahidol Day -- Thailand (commemorates the passing of Prince Father Mahidol Adulyadej, the "Father of Thai Modern Medicine")

Moose Day -- the day Bullwinkle J. Moose, from Frostbite Falls, MN, US, and his pal Rocky the Flying Squirrel debuted in 1959

National Bluebird of Happiness Day -- US (and no one knows why, but it's supposed to be a day to go spread some happiness)

National Cherries Jubilee Day

National Punctuation Day® -- make sure you are using those punctuation marks correctly! Jeff Rubin can help

National Women's Health and Fitness Day -- www.fitnessday.com

New Caledonia Day -- New Caledonia

Petit Jean Fall Antique Auto Swap Meet -- Morrilton, AR, US (swap meet and the Museum of Automobiles; through Saturday)

Republic Day -- Trinidad and Tobago

Rosh Hashanah -- Judaism (begins this evening; through the evening Sept. 6)

Santa Cruz Day -- Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia

Schwenkfelder Thanksgiving -- Pennsylvania Dutch followers of Silesian Reformation theology

St. Gerard's Day (Patron of Hungary)

St. Rupert's Day (Patron of Salzburg, Austria, where it is an official school and government holiday)

Transatlantic Telephone Day -- the first cable across the Atlantic was completed on this day in 1956
 
World School Milk Day -- UN



Birthdays Today:

Morgan Hamm, 1982
Paul Hamm, 1982
Nia Vardalos, 1962
Kevin Sorbo, 1958
Alan Colmes, 1950
Gordon Clapp, 1948
Phil Hartman, 1948
Linda McCartney, 1941
Jim Henson, 1936
Anthony Newley, 1931
Sheila MacRae, 1924
Jim McKay, 1921
F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1896
John Marshall, 1755
Horace Walpole, 1717


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Nevermind"(Album release), 1991
"No More Lonely Nights"(McCartney single release), 1984
"The Love Boat"(TV), 1977
"60 Minutes"(TV), 1968
"Daniel Boone"(TV), 1964
"The Munsters"(TV), 1964
"Love of Life"(TV), 1951
"Once in a Lifetime"(Play), 1930


Today in History:

Prophet Muhammad completes his hijra from Mecca to Medina, 622
The last Emperor of the Komnenian restoration of the Byzantine Empire, Manuel I Komnenos, dies; the empire slips into terminal decline, 1180
The Dutch Republic surrenders New Amsterdam to England, 1664
The first autopsy and coroner's jury verdict is recorded in the state of Maryland, 1657
John Jay is appointed by George Washington as the first Chief Justice of the then six-person Supreme Court, which was instituted by the Federal Judiciary Act passed that same day, 1789
US Attorney General Office is created, 1789
The Northern Daily Times becomes the first provincial daily newspaper in London, 1853
Alexander Dey patents a dial time recorder, 1889
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officially renounces polygamy, 1890
U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt proclaims Devils Tower in Wyoming as the nation's first National Monument, 1906
Cathay Pacific Airways is founded in Hong Kong, 1946
The Honda Motor Company is founded, 1948
Forest fires black out the sun over portions of Canada and New England, and a Blue moon (in the astronomical sense) is seen as far away as Europe, 1950
Camp Nou, the largest stadium in Europe, is opened in Barcelona, 1957
President Dwight D. Eisenhower sends 101st Airborne Division troops to Little Rock, Arkansas, to enforce desegregation, 1957
The United States court of appeals orders the University of Mississippi to admit James Meredith, 1962
Swaziland joins the United Nations, 1968
Compu-Serve launches the first consumer internet service, which features the first public electronic mail service, 1979
Periodic Great White Spot observed on Saturn, 1990
Hurricane Rita devastates Beaumont, Texas, southwest Louisiana, and finishing off some of the parts of New Orleans and southeast Louisiana that Katrina missed, 2005
The G20 Summit in Pittsburgh, PA, US, marks the first use of LRAD for crowd control in the US, 2009
Nigeria's government opens two swollen dams and displaces about two million people, 2010

What did the penguins do?

"Hey, mom, want to see my latest painting?"  Bigger Girl came in carrying a cork board.  She says she can't paint on canvass, she has to paint on something with texture.

Sure, i said, so she held it up.

Bigger Girl's latest.

"It's a girl dancing," she said.  "I love painting on textured surfaces!"

Nice, i said.

"Oh, and by the way, I accidentally jointed the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster today," she continued.

In a mock accusing voice i asked her, So, where is your colander!

"No, really, I was on their website, and they had a button that said, 'Join us' and I clicked on it, and it said, "So, you want to be a Pastafarian?  Congratulations, you're in!'  So now I'm a Pastafarian in the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.  We believe that heaven has a beer volcano and strippers!  Oh, and that h3ll has the same, but the beer is stale and all the strippers have social diseases.  Also, that there are penguins everywhere.  Mom, we're supposed to believe h3ll is full of penguins!"

What, i asked, did the penguins do to deserve that?

"I'm not sure, I haven't learned all my catechism yet!" she said, as she took the painting back to her room.

No penguin deserves that, although i can think of a few people who would.





Today is

Al-Yaom Al-Watany -- Saudi Arabia (National Day/Founding of the Kingdom)

Augustalia -- Roman Empire (birthday of Caesar Augustus, still the traditional New Year's Day in Constantinople and in the Eastern Orthodox Church)

Autumnal Equinox -- 2:29am UT, related observances (some began yesterday, depending on when the equinox actually occurred where you are!)
     Mabon -- Wicca/Pagan Northern Hemisphere
     Ostara -- wicca/Pagan Southern Hemisphere
     Alban Elfed -- Celtic Winter Finding
     Chuseok -- Korean harvest festival (high point of the festival)
     Feast of Carpo -- Greek Horae, goddess of autumn
     Kukulcan Snake God Celebration -- Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico (the snake appears at the equinox, a time to honor this Mayan god)
     Festival of the Sea Goddess -- Eskimo
     Higan -- Japan
     Mabon/Fallfest -- Asatru/Norse Pagan (harvest festival, time to make wine and mead for the next winter)
     Oenach Carman -- Ancient Celtic Calendar
     Sendai Great Tug-of-War -- Sendai, Japan (festival on the equinox that dates back over 400 years)    
     Svarog's Holiday -- Slavic Pagan Calendar/Asatru (day to drink mead in honor of Svarog, god of fire and the sky)

Bunster Winding -- Fairy Calendar

Checkers Day/Dogs in Politics Day -- thanks to Mr. Nixon; and i'm tempted to further comment, but this one is too easy

Citua -- Ancient Inca Empire (feast to the Moon, and to banish disease, in the month of Coyaraimi, date approximate)

El Grito de Lares -- Lares, Puerto Rico (anniversary of the first uprising against Spanish rule in 1868)

Innergize Day -- the day to take time for yourself! always on the day after the equinox, so either the 23rd or 24th, depending on where you live

International Restless Legs Syndrome Awareness Day -- on the birth anniversary of Professor Karl-Axel Ekborn, the neurologist who first described it

National Voter Registration Day -- US (Celebrating Democracy in America)

National White Chocolate Day

Neptune Day -- planet discovered this day in 1846 by Johann Galle of Germany

St. Adamnan's Day (Patron of Donegal, Ireland; Raphoe, Ireland)

St. Padre Pio's Day

Thrue Bab -- Bhutan (Blessed Rainy Day)

Woman Road Warrior Day -- to recognize the traveling businesswomen in today's world


Anniversaries Today:

The University of Alberta in Alberta, Canada, is founded, 1908


Birthdays Today:

Anthony Mackie, 1979
Ani DiFranco, 1970
Elizabeth Pena, 1961
Jason Alexander, 1959
Bruce Springsteen, 1949
Mary Kay Place, 1947
Paul Petersen, 1945
Julio Iglesias, 1943
Tom Lester, 1938
Ray Charles, 1930
John Coltrane, 1926
Mickey Rooney, 1920
Walter Pidgeon, 1897
Friedrich Paulus, 1890
Walter Lippman, 1889
Victoria Woodhull, 1838
William H. McGuffey, 1800
Kublai Khan, 1215
Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus, BC63
Euripides, BC480


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Marcus Welby, M.D."(TV), 1969
"The Jetsons"(TV), 1962
"Threni: id est Lamentatines Jeremiae Prophetae"(Stravinsky dodecaphonic work), 1958


Today in History:

Concord of Worms, 1122
The first major battle of the Wars of the Roses, at Blore Heath in Staffordshire, 1459
First commencement exercises of Harvard College in Cambridge, Mass., 1642
Liechtenstein declares its independence from the German Empire, 1719
John Paul Jones' "Bon Homme Richard" defeats the HMS Serepis, 1779
Lewis and Clark arrive back in St. Louis from their explorations, 1806
The Knickerbockers Baseball Club, the first baseball team to play under the modern rules, is founded in New York, 1845
Neptune is discovered by French astronomer Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier and British astronomer John Couch Adams, 1846
Nintendo Koppai, later known as Nintendo Company, Limited, is founded by Fusajiro Yamauchi; it produces and markets the playing card game Hanafuda, 1889
The Phantom of the Opera (original title: Le Fantome de l'Opera), a novel by French writer Gaston Leroux, was first published, 1909
The MS Princess of Tasmania, Australia’s first passenger roll-on/roll-off diesel ferry, makes her maiden voyage across Bass Strait, 1959
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos announces over television and radio the implementation of martial law, 1972
Juan Perón returns to power in Argentina, 1973
Saint Kitts and Nevis joins the United Nations, 1983
Qantas Flight 1 overruns the runway in Bangkok during a storm; some passengers only receive minor injuries, it is still the worst crash in Qantas's history, 1991
The first public version of the web browser Mozilla Firefox ("Phoenix 0.1") is released, 2002
Hurricane Jeanne strikes Haiti and leaves at least 1,070 dead, 2004
The identification of four genetically different types of breast cancer by researchers is announced, 2012

Awww Monday: Still Close

Awww Monday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus.  We could all use some cute to start the work week, so post a picture that makes everyone say, "Awww!" and link up!

The kittens are big enough to get spayed and adopted, but they still like to stay close.

Kittens don't like to sleep far from littermates.

They should go this week, and we will miss them.  Until i get back from my trip in early October, i won't be taking on any more little ones.  When i get back, the second half of the year's kitten season should be in full force.




Today is:

Aizu Byakko Matsuri -- Aizuwakamatsu-shi, Fukushima, Japan (ceremonial recreation of a march to war in 1868; through the 24th)

American Business Women's Day -- US (anniversary of the founding of the American Business Women's Association)

Autumnal Equinox -- 2:29am UT, 10:29pm EDT; related observances(some today, some tomorrow)
     Mabon -- Wicca/Pagan Northern Hemisphere
     Ostara -- wicca/Pagan Southern Hemisphere
     Alban Elfed -- Celtic Winter Finding
     Chuseok -- Korean harvest festival (high point of the festival)
     Feast of Carpo -- Greek Horae, goddess of autumn
     Kukulcan Snake God Celebration -- Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico (the snake appears at the equinox, a time to honor this Mayan god)
     Festival of the Sea Goddess -- Eskimo
     Higan -- Japan
     Mabon/Fallfest -- Asatru/Norse Pagan (harvest festival, time to make wine and mead for the next winter)
     Oenach Carman -- Ancient Celtic Calendar
     Sendai Great Tug-of-War -- Sendai, Japan (festival on the equinox that dates back over 400 years)    
     Svarog's Holiday -- Slavic Pagan Calendar/Asatru (day to drink mead in honor of Svarog, god of fire and the sky)

Boidromia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate; honor Apollon as god of rescue during war)

Bonn Phchum Ben -- Cambodia (Ancestors' Day)

Breakfast, Snack, Elevenses, Snack, Lunch, Snack, Tea, Snack, Dinner, Snack, More Snacks, Supper, Snack, and Bilgewack Celebration Day -- Fairy Calendar (Borms; they are little known relatives of Goblins, given to being overweight and sedentary and lying around feeling ill; bilgewack is their term for having eaten too much and having to lie down.)

Canterbury South Provincial Anniversary Day -- Canterbury South, New Zealand

Coya Raymi -- Inca Native Americans (festival to honor Moon Goddess Quilla, with a focus on purging sickness and evil; through tomorrow, dates approximate)

Dear Diary Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays; get it down on paper!

Dominion Day -- New Zealand (obs.)

Elephant Appreciation Day -- sponsored by "Elefunteria" and WildHeart Productions

Family Day - A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children(TM) -- sponsored by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, encouraging everyone to have a meal with the family, because all the studies show it's good for you!

Feast of Mikeli -- Ancient Latvian Calendar (harvest celebration; through the 24th)

Hobbit Day -- Bilbo's and Frodo's Birth anniversary

Ice Cream Cone Day -- Italo Marchiony applied for a patent for an ice cream cone mold on this day in 1903

Independence Day -- Bulgaria; Mali

International Day of Radiant Peace -- www.radiantpeace.org

Metropolitan Opera in NYC Opening Night

National Centenarians Day -- US

National White Chocolate Day

OneWebDay

Princess Martha Louise's Birthday -- Norway (an official flag day)

Ritual of the Netjers of the Two Lands (Upper and Lower Egypt) -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

St. Maurice's Day (Patron of armies, cloth dyers, cloth makers, infantrymen, soldiers, swordsmiths, weavers; Austria; Manresa, Spain; Pianello Val Tidone, Italy; Piedmont, Italy; Sardinia; Stadtsulza, Germany; Pontifical Swiss Guards; against cramps and gout)

World Carfree Day -- UN (encouraging all of us to go car free for a day, and see the world from a different perspective) began as:
     Car-Free Day -- this has spread to much of the world; try it for yourself!


Birthdays Today:

Billie Piper, 1982
Ronaldo, 1976
Bonnie Hunt, 1964
Catherine Oxenberg, 1961
Scott Baio, 1961
Joan Jett, 1960
Andrea Bocelli, 1958
Debby Boone, 1956
Shari Belafonte, 1954
Arthur O. Sulzberger, 1951
Paul Le Mat, 1945
Junko Tabel, 1939 (first woman to summit Everest)
Tommy Lasorda, 1927
John Houseman, 1902
Michael Faraday, 1791
Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, 1694(O.S. Date)


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Friends"(TV), 1994
"Family Ties"(TV), 1982
"Charlie's Angels"(TV), 1976
"A Delicate Balance"(Play), 1966
"Fiddler on the Roof"(Musical), 1964
"The Man from U.N.C.L.E."(TV), 1964
"Maverick"(TV), 1957


Today in History:

Legion I Italica is created by Emperor Nero, 66
Switzerland becomes an independent state, 1499
The General Provincial Court at Patuxent, MD, US, empanels the first all female jury in the colonies to try the case of a woman accused of murdering her child, 1656
A final 8 people are hanged for witchcraft in Salem, Mass., 1692
Nathan Hale is hanged for spying during American Revolution, 1776
Russia establishes a colony at Kodiak, Alaska, 1784
City of Des Moines, Iowa, is incorporated as Fort Des Moines, 1851
Abraham Lincoln, by executive proclamation, declares that the slaves in the rebelling states shall become free on Jan. 1 of the upcoming year, 1862
Richard Wagner's opera Das Rheingold premieres in Munich, 1869
The first issue of National Geographic Magazine is published, 1888
Queen Victoria surpasses her grandfather, King George III, as the longest reigning monarch in British history, 1895
Italo Marchiony granted a patent for an ice cream cone, 1903
The Duke of York's Picture House opens in Brighton, now the oldest continually operating cinema in Britain, 1910
Ralph J. Bunche becomes the first black winner of the Nobel Peace Price, 1950
The Dead Sea Scrolls are made available to the public for the first time by the Huntington Library, 1991
David Hempleman-Adams becomes the first person to cross the Atlantic Ocean in an open-air, wicker-basket hot air balloon, 2003

Silly Sunday: In Plain Sight

Silly Sunday is the place to come each week for laughs.  It's hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus, and it's easy to participate:  Laugh and Link Up!

#2 Son's trouble at work from a night shift employee that got the employee fired reminds me of a joke.

Boudreaux got him a job down at de plant, as de night watchman.  He was to watch and search all de employees when dey done lef' de plant, an' make sure none o' dem stole nuthin'.  If dey was caught tryin' to steal, he was to fire dem.

So, de firs' night on de job, he watchin' close, an' he don' see nothin' until Fontenot come along wit' a wheelbarrow full o' newspapers.

"Hol' up dere!" say Boudreaux.  "What you be doin?" he ax.

"Oh, I do dis ever' day," say Fontenot.  "I pick up all de ol' newspapers when dey be done wit' dem, an' I sell dem at de recycle place."

"You t'ink you gone pull dat on me!" yell Boudreaux.  "You be fired!"

"Mais, what for?" Fontenot ax.

"Mais, I know what you be tryin' to pull!" Boudreax say.  "You be stealin' a wheelbarrow!"



Today is:

Arbor Day -- Brazil

Banned Books Week begins -- US (sponsored by the ALA ; Defend the Freedom to Read, It's Everybody's Job; celebrate your right to read what you want!)

Breakfast, Dinner, and Supper Celebration Day -- Fairy Calendar (Goblins)

Clypping the Church Ceremony -- Painswick, Gloucestershire, England (since 1321, surrounding the church hand in hand for the Clypping Hymn and an open air ceremony)

Eleven Days of Global Unity -- Day 11, Peace (to coincide with the International celebration; sponsored by We, the World)

Independence Day -- Armenia(1991); Belize(1981); Malta(1964)

International Day of Peace -- UN

Kharisteria -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate; feast of Aremis Agrotera[the huntress] that became a thanksgiving for the victory of the battle of Marathon)

Kwama Nkrumah's Birthday/Founder's Day -- Ghana

Miniature Golf Day -- golf the fun way! (separate from National Miniature Golf Day in May)

National Back to Church Sunday -- US (encouraging every church goer to invite just one person to come along, as studies show many people say they would go, if they were invited)

National Neighborhood Day -- US (The Good Feeling That Lasts All Year)

National Pecan Cookie Day

Pause the World Day -- because we've all wanted to do this at one time or another

St. Matthew the Evangelist's Day (Patron of accountants, bankers, bookkeepers, customs officers, financial officers, guards, money managers, security forces, security guards, stock brokers, tax collectors; Salerno, Italy; Trier, Germany; Villa d'Ogna, Italy)

Student's Day and Spring Day -- Argentina

Throw Away Something Day -- you have the internet's permission to get rid of that hideous gift; if you can't bring yourself to throw it out, donate it

Tolkien Week begins (always the Sun - Sat that includes Hobbit Day)

UCI Road World Championships -- Toscana, Italy (Union Cycliste International sponsors these races, through the 28th)

Wife Appreciation Day -- unofficially celebrated the 3rd Sunday in September

World Alzheimer's Day

World Gratitude Day


Birthdays Today:

Nicole Richie, 1981
Luke Wilson, 1971
Ricki Lake, 1968
Faith Hill, 1967
Darva Conger, 1965
Rob Morrow, 1962
Nancy Travis, 1961
David James Elliot, 1960
Dave Coulier, 1959
Ethan Boen, 1957
Bill Murray, 1950
Stephen King, 1947
Kay Ryan, 1945
Fannie Flagg, 1944
Bill Kurtis, 1940
Henry Gibson, 1935
Leonard Cohen, 1934
Larry Hagman, 1931
Chuck Jones, 1912
H.G. Wells, 1866
Maurice Barrymore, 1849 (family patriarch)
Francis Hopkinson, 1737


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"NYPD Blue"(TV), 1993
"Glengarry Glen Ross"(Play), 1983
"Monday Night Football"(TV), 1970*
"Perry Mason"(TV), 1957
"The Texaco Star Theater"(TV), 1948
My Weekly Reader(Magazine, first issue date), 1928

*Browns 31, Jets 21


Today in History:

Richard the Lionheart captured, 1192
Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa orders Jews of Holland to wear a badge, 1451
John and Nicolaas van der Heyden patent a fire extinguisher, 1677
Nathan Hale arrested for spying, 1776
The Pennsylvania Packet & Daily Advertiser becomes the first successful US daily newspaper, 1784
Joseph Smith, Jr. claims that the Angel Moroni gives him the gold plates from which he translates the Book of Mormon, 1827
The Duryea Motor Wagon Company becomes the first auto manufacturer, 1895
"Kit Carson", the first cowboy film, premiers in the US, 1903
Publication of Tolkien's "The Hobbit", 1937
Bahrain, Bhutan and Qatar join the United Nations, 1971
Sandra Day O'Connor is unanimously approved by the U.S. Senate as the first female US Supreme Court justice, 1981
Brunei joins the United Nations, 1984
Deep Space 1 flies within 2,200 km of Comet Borrelly, 2001
The Galileo mission is terminated by sending the probe into Jupiter's atmosphere, 2003

Dum Dee Dum Dum Dumb!

"Hey, mom, guess what happened to me at work this morning!" #2 Son said as he came in.

Surprise me, i said.

"Well, you know how I'm one of the first people there, right?  So I get there a few minutes before 4, right, and open the door and I was the first person to step into the back, and I stepped into water!"

Oh, no! i exclaimed.

"No, no, wait, that's not all of it!  So, I step into about a quarter inch of water all over the floor, and then I open the walk in cooler, and every box was off the shelves, and a whole bunch of empty boxes were mixed in, and it was all on the floor of the cooler.  It looked like a tornado had gone through there!  And I'm thinking, 'No, this is not good, not good at all, not want I want to see first things in the morning.'

"So we had to figure out who had messed up the cooler and flooded the place on purpose, and the manager got the video, and it turned out one of the night shift workers did it because he was mad about being the last one there and having to lock up!"

You have a video showing him doing this stuff? i asked incredulously.

"Yeah, can you believe it!  The guy is so dumb, he didn't even try to hide what he was doing.  He didn't even know there was a camera!  It got everything!  He is so fired!"

Hint to disgruntled employees -- just quit.  Don't do stupid on camera and get fired, i said.

"Yeah, especially if I have to clean up after your sorry self!" #2 Son finished up as he went to take a nap.





Today is:

America's Day For Kids -- sponsored by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America

Big Whopper Liar's Contest and Kunstfest -- New Harmony, IN, US (a German Festival, with traditional German foods, beer, and entertainment, plus the Big Whopper Liar's Contest, always a good time; through tomorrow)

Birthday of the Sun -- Inca (date approximate; a few days before the Autumn Equinox, all fires, including that at the Temple of the Sun, were extinguished and 3 days later ceremonially relighted using only glass to concentrate the sunlight on cotton; followed by 8 days of feasting)

Covered Bridge Festival -- Washington and Greene County, PA, US (arts, crafts, entertainment, and food at each of the 11 featured covered bridges; through tomorrow)

Egremont Crab Fair -- Egremont, Cumberland, UK (ancient fair given a charter in 1267, includes throwing apples from a cart for children to catch; through tomorrow)

Eleven Days of Global Unity -- Day 10, Disarmament (sponsored by We, the World)

Fall Migration Festival -- Wetlands Institute, Stone Harbor, NJ, US (nature photography workshops, guided viewing of the abundant and diverse species here at this time, and more; through tomorrow)

Feast of Orlog -- Scandinavian Deity of Destiny (date approximate)

Feast of the Ingathering -- UK traditional (also called Harvest Home; in Scotland, Kirn; in northern England, Mell-Supper.  Celebrations will be held in rural areas for the next few weekends, celebrating the end of the harvest.)

Feast of Zywie -- Poland (goddess of longevity and health; date approximate)

Genesia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (festival to honor the dead, especially those who died in wars)

German-American Steuben Parade/Von Steuben Day -- New York City, and other smaller parades in US

Heritage Weekend -- Blue Ridge Parkway Cultural Heritage Center, Ashville, NC, US
     featuring the Gee Haw Whimmy Diddle Championships today

Idaho Spud Day 2014 -- Idaho, US, wants the 3rd Saturday of September as a day to celebrate their favorite crop

International Coastal Cleanup -- join volunteers around the world in helping remove debris that harms marine life and ruins our oceans

International Eat An Apple Day -- a celebration of the fruit of the season, on the third Saturday of every September

Johnny Appleseed Festival -- Fort Wayne, IN, US (an 1800 style period festival; through tomorrow)

Levi Coffin Days -- Fountain City, IN, US (celebrating Levi Coffin, the "President of the Underground Railroad"; through tomorrow)

National Farm Safety Day -- US (can't find a sponsor, but farming is hard, and dangerous, work, so it's a good idea)

National Gymnastics Day -- US (sponsored by USA Gymnastics)

National Rum Punch Day

National Youth Day -- Thailand

National Seat Check Saturday -- US (check it for what, sagging? i'm old, of course it is! Oh, make sure car seats are secured -- my kids finally outgrew those, phew)

Norskedalen Threshing Bee -- Norskedalen Nature and Heritage Center, Coon Valley, WI, US (antique engines and pioneer demonstrations, as well as cream separating, butter-making, a thresher's meal, and more)

Oktoberfest -- Germany (through Oct. 5)

Okuma-kabuto Festival -- Nakajima, Japan (Noto Peninsula's top autumn festival)

Peddler's Village Scarecrow Festival -- Peddler's Village, Lahaska, PA, US (start celebrating the fall with scarecrow making, pumpkin-painting, and more; through tomorrow)

Responsible Dog Ownership Day -- sponsored by the AKC

Rettir -- Iceland (around this time of year; a traditional sheep round up celebrated in Iceland during September, actual round up dates may vary from region to region)

Trail of Courage Living History Festival -- Rochester, IN, US (frontier life in Indiana when it was Native territory; through tomorrow)

Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride® -- Bridgeport, AL to Waterloo, AL ( ride along part of the original Trail of Tears to honor the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole nations)

St. Eustace's Day (Patron of difficult situations, fire prevention, firefighters, hunters, torture victims, trappers; Madrid, Spain; Poli, Italy; against fire and torture)

Waikiki Ho'olaule'a -- Waikiki, Oahu, Hawai'i, US (a huge, fun street party, part of the larger Aloha Festivals celebrations all over the Islands, to showcase the culture and beauty of Hawai'i)

XTERRA Trail Run Nationals -- Ogden/Snowbasin, UT, US (finale of the series of extreme runs held across the country through the year, featuring 21k of extreme, off-road trail runs; through tomorrow)


Birthdays Today:

Kristen Johnston, 1967
Guy LaFleur, 1951
Taro Aso, 1940
Sophia Loren, 1934
Anne Meara, 1929
Donald A. Hall, 1928
Dr. Joyce Brothers, 1928
Red Auerbach, 1917
Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton, 1890
Maxwell Perkins, 1884
Upton Sinclair, 1878
Rama V, King of Thailand, 1853 (eldest son taught by Anna, of "The King and I" fame)
Emperor Takakura of Japan, 1161


Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Cosby Show"(TV), 1984
"Eubie"(Revue), 1978
"The Phil Silvers Show"(TV), 1955
"The Corn is Green"(Play), 1938


Today in History:

Atilla the Hun defeated at Chalons-sur-Marne by General Aetius, 451
Saladin begins the siege of Jerusalem, 1187
Ferdinand Magellan sets sail from Sanlúcar de Barrameda with about 270 men on his expedition to circumnavigate the globe, 1519
Galileo Galilei is tried before the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for teaching that the Earth orbits the Sun, 1633
Maryland passes the first "anti-amalgamation" law to stop English women from marrying black men, 1664
The Negro Convention of Free Men agrees to boycott slave-produced goods, 1830
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is created, 1848
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 ends with the recapture of Delhi by troops loyal to the East India Company, 1857
The first gasoline-powered car debuts in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, 1891
The Otis Elevator Company unveils the first escalator at the Paris Exposition, 1900
Cunard Line's RMS Mauretania is launched, 1906
The first Cannes Film Festival is held, 1946
James Meredith, an African-American, is temporarily barred from entering the University of Mississippi, 1962
The RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 is launched, 1967
Billie Jean King beats Bobby Riggs in The Battle of the Sexes tennis match, 1973
The Socialist Republic of Vietnam joins the UN, 1977
Walt Disney World hosts its 200 millionth guest, 1985
U.S. President George W. Bush declares a "war on terror", 2001
The US Military ends its "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, 2011