Time, once again, for The Great Neighborhood Candy Exchange! The day of the year when we dress our children up in costumes and all the moms in the neighborhood trade candy through them. Since i don't have little ones going door to door any more, may i turn in early? Yesterday i put in a good, long day at work, with 6 loads of laundry and the whole place a wreck. Since i forgot my mop, i had to clean the floors by hand. Because i had so much to do, and i had to be out by a certain time, i didn't stop to eat, or take any breaks. In fact, i didn't get breakfast or lunch because i was so busy -- running on adrenaline and coffee, which is unusual for me. As soon as i left, i rushed to church where Sweetie and i met up, as we were ushering for a special performance. The Senior Pastor co-wrote a musical play years ago, and in honor of his ten years as Senior Pastor, our musically talented people put on a show. Handing out programs and making sure guests know where the restrooms are is about the extent of my ability to help with these thing. It was a really fun evening, the book of Genesis from creation to Abraham's offer to sacrifice Isaac, set to music, with dance, and Satan played by a red-headed soprano! We enjoyed it thoroughly, then had to go to find sustenance. There was good news at home, as the children had rallied and done a lot of cleaning at the house! Today, though, i'm a bit wiped out. After i pick up Little Girl at school, and we take care of our shift at the shelter, i think i'll let someone else do the honors of handing out candy to the little goblins. Red-Headed Alec is going to be a zombie and be in the kitten cage, and the pumpkins will have candles, and it's going to be a great time that i will enjoy watching but not so much doing. Give them my regards, i'm off duty tonight.
Today is:
Admission Day -- Nevada, US
Allantide -- Cornwall, England
All Hallows Eve -- Christian
Apple and Candle Night -- Wales
Books for Treats Day -- San Jose, CA, US (give gently used books to kids, not candy -- feed their brains, not their cavities!)
Breeder's Cup World Championship -- Santa Anita Park, Los Angeles, CA, US (the world's best horses compete in 14 races; through Sunday)
Chiang Kai-Shek Day -- Taiwan
Day of the Seven Billion -- day in 2011 the UN declared the world population to have reached 7,000,000,000
Dias de los Muertos -- Mexico, esp. Michoacan and Oaxaca (through Nov. 2; ceremonies, sand sculptures, decorated altars, and parties through the nights in the cemetaries)
Dookie Apple Night -- Newcastle, England
Duck Apple Night -- Liverpool, England
Feast of Sekhmet Bast Ra -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)
Festival of Fisher's Ghost -- Campbelltown City, Australia (ten days of celebrating the legends of Australia's most famous ghost, Frederick Fisher)
Festival of Inner Worlds -- Pagan (fight between the old and new year)
Founder's Day -- Girl Scouts of the USA (Juliette Gordon Low's birth anniversary)
Frankenstein Friday -- a day to celebrate the "mother" and "father" of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley and Boris Karloff
Ghostwriter's Day
Hallowe'en or Beggar's Night
Increase Your Psychic Powers Day -- originated in England in the 19th century, some celebrated on the 30th
Jounen Kweyol -- Dominica (Creole Day, one of the nation's biggest and most colorful celebrations)
King Father Nordom Sihanouk's Birthday -- Cambodia
Mokosh Day -- Ukraine (Slavic goddess of "women's work", a wanderer and spinner, still popular as a life giving force and protector of women, always associated with Friday; date approximate)
National Bandanna Day -- Australia (to raise funds for kids with cancer)
National Candy Apple Day
National Knock-Knock Joke Day Knock, Knock Who's There? Police. Police who? Police stop telling knock-knock jokes!
National Magic Day -- Society of American .Magicians(in honor of Harry Houdini, who died on this day in 1926, and who was president of the SoAM)
National UNICEF Day
Nut-Crack Night -- England; Scotland
Old Celtic New Year's Eve
Out of the Broom Closet Day -- Pagan, Heathen, and all earth-based and ethnic religions
Reformation Day -- Protestant Christian (trad.) Dia de las Iglesias Evangelicas y Protestantes -- Chile Official Holiday -- BB, MV, SN, ST, & TH, Germany; Slovenia
Scare a Friend Day -- just not so much that he/she isn't a friend any more
Senior Absurdity Day -- Horace Mann School, Bronx, NY, US (a day the kids look forward to each year)
Sneak Some of the Candy Yourself Before the Kids Start Knocking Day
St. Quentin's Day (Patron against coughs)
St. Wolfgang of Ratisbon's Day (Patron of apoplexics, carpenters, paralysed people, stroke victims; Regensburg, Germany; against apoplexy, paralysis, stomach diseases, strokes)
Thump-the-Door Night -- Isle of Mann
Trick or Treat Night
Vetmaetr -- Norse Calendar (Winter Nights; beginning of winter, the New Year, and the start of Odin leading the Wild Hunt)
Youth Honor Day -- Iowa, US
Anniversaries Today:
Mt. Rushmore is completed, 1941 Nevada becomes the 36th US State, 1864
Birthdays Today:
Robert "Vanilla Ice" Van Winkle, 1967 Adam Horovitz, 1966 Dermot Mulroney, 1963 Rob Schneider, 1963 Peter Jackson, 1961 Larry Mullen, Jr., 1961 John Candy, 1950 Jane Pauley, 1950 Deidre Hall, 1947 Stephen Rea, 1943 David Ogden Stiers, 1942 Ron Rifkin, 1939 Michael Landon, 1936 Dan Rather, 1931 Michael Collins, 1930 Barbara Bel Geddes, 1922 Dale Evans, 1912 Ethel Waters, 1896 Chaing Kai-shek, 1887 Juliette Gordon Low, 1860 John Keats, 1795 William Paca, 1740 Jan Vermeer, 1632
Debuting/Premiering Today:
"Car Talk"(Radio), 1987 (national debut, ten years after their start as a local show in Boston) "Jamaica"(Musical), 1957 "Capricio Espagnol"(Rimsky-Korsakov Op. 34), 1887
Today in History:
Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites after their return to Jerusalem from exile, BC445 First All Hallows Eve observed to honor all the saints, 834 Martin Luther posts his 95 Theses on the Wittenberg church door, marks the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, 1517 Georg Ludwig van Hannover is crowned as the English King George I, 1714 Execution of Girondins at Paris during the Reign of Terror, 1793 Sir Humphrey Davy of London patents the miner's safety lamp, 1815 A standard uniform is approved for US Postal workers, 1868 A tropical cyclone hits Bengal, about 200,000 die, 1876 John Boyd Dunlop patents the pneumatic bicycle tire, 1888 Arthur Conan Doyle publishes "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", 1892 Dedication of the Lincoln Highway, the first automobile road across United States, 1913 The Battle of Beersheba of WWI marks the last successful cavalry charge in history, 1917 The first of 160 consecutive days of 100°F + temps at Marble Bar, Australia, 1923 World Savings Day is announced in Milan, Italy by the Members of the Association at the 1st International Savings Bank Congress, 1924 Mt. Rushmore sculptures are completed, 1941 The United Kingdom and France begin bombing Egypt to force the reopening of the Suez Canal, 1956 Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is assassinated by two security guards, 1984 EgyptAir Flight 990 traveling from New York City to Cairo crashes off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, killing all 217 on-board, 1999 Yachtsman Jesse Martin returns to Melbourne after 11 months of circumnavigating the world, solo, non-stop and unassisted, 1999 Soyuz TM-31 launches, carrying the first resident crew to the International Space Station, which has been continually crewed since, 2000 Surfer Bethany Hamilton loses her left arm and 3 liters of blood in a tiger shark attack; within a month she would be back on her board, and competing again within the year, 2003 The NYSE reopens after its first weather related shut down since the late 19th century; the two-day closure was due to Hurricane Sandy, 2012
...just in time to not need it. The temperatures are down, and have been moderate for a while, and are expected to continue that way. Winter is on its way, whether we want it or not. Part of me does, because the heat can be oppressive. Part of me doesn't, because cold causes pain. Yesterday and the day before i went to babysit Gracie so her mom could attend to some things. So i spent part of two days in their house, and both of them get hot very easily. They keep their A/C on arctic blast. It was so cold i had a coat, and used one of their blankets, and heated up water on the stove to have a glass of hot water to warm up, and i even had to step outdoors for a couple of minutes to thaw out. It was a preview of what is to come, especially if this winter is as difficult as last winter. In other fun happenings around here, i overheard part of a conversation between #1 Son and his friend Steve. Steve: Yes, I think iron is usually Fe3+, so putting tomato products in it will leach iron into the food. #1 Son: Steve, are you sciencing again? Steve: Yes, and I'm going to keep sciencing, especially since I want to build a solar powered water filtration system. I've got to do more research on that, though. After that, Steve turned to me as i was putting a cup of water into the microwave to get the inside all steamy so i could clean it out. "You aren't using distilled water, are you?" he asked. No, i assured him, i know better than that. "Good," he said. "They showed what happens on Mythbusters. You should have seen the water explode out of the cup when they dropped a fork in it!" Actually, i noted, i'm rather glad i didn't see it, and hope i won't see such a thing. Sometimes these kids are so smart it's scary, and sometimes they do such dumb things it's scarier. All i can do i pray and hope they live past the dumb stuff.
Today is:
Anniversary of the Declaration of the Slovak Nation -- Slovakia
Buy A Doughnut Day -- any wonder who started this one? (insert eye-roll here)
Checklists Day -- prevent tragedy, create great checklists; in honor of the development of the first well known checklist following a B-17 prototype's crash due to pilot error
Create a Great Funeral Day -- don't make your family choose the plans in the midst of grief, plan your sending away party now, it's more fun when it's done -- in advance!
Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Political Repressions -- most former Soviet Republics
Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show -- Ft. Lauderdale, FL, US (hosted at the "Yachting Capital of the World"; through Monday)
Look in the Back of Your Refrigerator Day / Haunted Refrigerator Night (And hope the old hamburger isn't grazing on the moldy salad.)
Mischief Night, a/k/a Goosey Night, Devil's Night, Cabbage Night -- US
National Candy Corn Day
Practice Winter Snuggling Night -- when it gets really cold, you'll be glad you practiced
Punky Night -- Hinton St George, Somerset, England (a celebration for children and adults who carry candle-lit punkies -- the best one wins a prize -- made out of mangel-wurzels, a type of beet, and sing old punky songs asking for money or treats)
Pushkar Camel Fair -- Pushkar, India (for the camels, racing, fancy dress, changing owners, taking tourists on rides, and the chance to liven up this usually quiet town, and for the people, singing, dancing, exotic food, and watching the camels, as well as religious rituals at the time of the full moon; through Nov. 6)
St. Dorothy of Montau's Day (Patron of brides, difficult marriages, dying children, parents of large families, widows; Pomerania; Prussia)
St. Marcellus' Day (as a Roman centurion who threw down his armor and refused to take part in pagan worship, he is Patron of conscientious objectors)
The Rhyne Toll -- Chetwode Manor, UK (through Nov 7) -- the Lord of the Manor may tax any cattle he finds on his Liberty (free pasture) on these days
Try on Your Halloween Costume Early Day -- to see how goofy you look, and make sure you have everything you need
Birthdays Today:
Nastia Liukin, 1989 Matthew Morrison, 1978 Gavin Rossdale, 1967 Diego Armando Maradona, 1960 Kevin Pollack, 1958 Charles Martin Smith, 1953 Harry Hamlin, 1951 Andrea Mitchell, 1946 Henry Winkler, 1945 Ed Lauter, 1940 Grace Slick, 1939 Claude Lelouch, 1937 Dick Gautier, 1937 Dick Vermeil, 1936 Robert Caro, 1935 Louis Malle, 1932 Ruth Gordon, 1896 Charles Atlas, 1893 Ezra Pound, 1885 William "Bull" Halsey, 1882 Emily Post, 1872 Alfred Sisley, 1839 Fyodor Dostoevsky, 1821 Richard Sheridan, 1751 John Adams, 1735
Debuting/Premiering Today:
Symphony No. 11 in G minor(Shostakovich Op. 103), 1957 "Panama Hattie"(Musical), 1940 "War of the Worlds"(Radio), 1938
Today in History:
Antioch surrenders to Rashidun Caliphate and his Muslim forces after the Battle of the Iron Bridge, 637 End of the 8th Crusade, 1270 King Henry VII, Tudor, crowned, 1485 Queen Isabella bans violence against Indians, 1503 The first Methodist church in the US is initiated (Wesley Chapel, NYC), 1768 Dr. Richard Gatling patents the machine gun, 1862 Founding of Helena, Montana (capital city), 1864 John Willis Menard, of Louisiana, becomes the first black elected to the US Congress (by special election, he was challenged by the loser, but was allowed to address Congress from the lectern), 1868 Daniel Cooper patents the time clock, 1894 Martha Hughes Cannon of Utah becomes the first woman US Senator, 1896 The first US Automobile Show opens in Madison Square Garden, NYC, 1900 Czar Nicholas II of Russia grants Russia's first constitution, creating a legislative assembly, 1905 Benito Mussolini is made Prime Minister of Italy, 1922 John Logie Baird creates Britain's first television transmitter, 1925 Orson Welles broadcasts his radio play of H. G. Wells's The War of the Worlds, causing anxiety in some of the audience in the United States, 1938 Anne Frank and sister Margot Frank are deported from Auschwitz to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, 1944 Jackie Robinson of the Kansas City Monarchs signs a contract for the Brooklyn Dodgers to break the baseball color barrier, 1945 Michael Woodruff performs the first successful kidney transplant in the United Kingdom at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, 1960 The Soviet Union detonates the hydrogen bomb Tsar Bomba over Novaya Zemlya; at 58 megatons of yield, it is still the largest explosive device ever detonated, nuclear or otherwise, 1961 The Bosporus Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey is completed, connecting the continents of Europe and Asia over the Bosporus for the first time, 1973 The Rumble in the Jungle boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman takes place in Kinshasa, Zaire, 1974 Prince Juan Carlos becomes Spain's acting head of state, taking over for the country's ailing dictator, Gen. Francisco Franco, 1975 In Japan, NEC releases the first 16-bit home entertainment system, the TurboGrafx-16, known as PC Engine, 1987 Quebec sovereignists narrowly lose a referendum for a mandate to negotiate independence from Canada (vote is 50.6% to 49.4%), 1995 The last Multics (Multiplexed Information and Computing Service) early time-sharing operating system is shut down at the Canadian Department of National Defense in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, 2000 George Lucas sells Lucasfilm, Ltd., to the Walt Disney Company, 2012
Red-Headed Alec doesn't, that is. Yes, we now not only have all four of our kids living here, but Festus was told to move out by his parents, so he and #2 Son share a room, and Red-Headed Alec's mom and stepdad have been full of promises that never materialized, so he's here. It's that, or the homeless shelter, and he actually asks to help around the house. No use putting a young man who does that in a homeless shelter. And giving him driving lessons doesn't drive me crazy. Red-Headed Alec is 23, and between his biological dad who tried to kill him, his biological mom who abandoned him and then took him back in a year ago and has, as noted, promised but not delivered, and his Grandmother who legally adopted him and wouldn't teach him to drive and now won't let him live with her, he's really not had much of a chance to do something with his life. There were promises, but no one taught him to drive until recently, when his girlfriend took him to lessons. So now he has a permit and needs practice. The Jalopy is a great practice vehicle. It's big enough that you will be comfortable driving a smaller vehicle later, but not so big as to be scary. The anti-lock brake system might or might not work at any given time, but we aren't doing any driving that will make it a problem. Every evening, for about a half an hour, we get out in the Jalopy and he drives around the neighborhood. He knows what he's doing, he is a very careful, defensive driver, and all he needs is practice for confidence so when his girlfriend has her day off in a couple of weeks and takes him in for the test he won't be so nervous. This what what i did with the other kids, but except for Little Girl, they made me a bit nervous. #1 Son has had several tickets and an accident since he got his license, and most of his friends are afraid to get into the vehicle with him. As much as i tried, i just couldn't get him to see that the way he takes chances could get him hurt. He mostly behaved behind the wheel with me, but i could see those tendencies. Poor Bigger Girl took a while to learn because of the unique way her brain works. She's fine now, but it took a long time. #2 Son was okay except for his propensity to want to just get on with it and gogogogogo. Red-Headed Alec, though, won't go above 20mph if he even thinks children or pets might be around, and he counts the number of seconds he is stopped at a stop sign, counts out loud. This one i'm not going to have to worry about much. Especially if he gets that job with #2 Son's store, and his mom actually does give him the car she promised, he will drive with extreme caution to keep his insurance rates down. That is a good thing in a 23-year-old unmarried male.
Today is:
Candies Day -- they have to be kidding -- this close to Halloween we need another candy day?!
Chhat Parwa/Chhath Puja -- Nepal (Hindu/Vedic Festival of the sun god Surya)
Coronation Day -- Cambodia (anniversary of King Norodom Sihamony, in 2004)
Cumhuriyet Bayrami -- North Cyprus; Turkey (Republic Day)(1923)
Fiestas Patrias -- Honduras (through Friday)
Hermit Day / Hide From Everyone Day -- internet generated, for those who would rather have a peaceful day today than celebrate the other holidays listed; look up how to be a hermit on wikihow
Internet Day -- it's predecessor went live today, see Today in History for detail
Laugh Suddenly For No Reason A Lot Today Day (And end up either getting yourself and everyone around you in a good mood, or yourself being observed at the hospital in a padded room.)
Naming Day -- Tanzania
National Cat Day -- US (with the goal of getting 10,000 cats adopted from shelters today)
National Disgusting Little Pumpkin-Shaped Candies Day
National Oatmeal Day
Second Fiddle of the Month -- Fairy Calendar (a very poorly attended event -- who wants to play second fiddle?)
St. Mary of Edessa's Day (Patron against sexual temptation)
Gabrielle Union, 1972 Winona Ryder, 1971 Joely Fisher, 1965 Randy Jackson, 1961 Finona Hughes, 1960 Kate Jackson, 1948 Richard Dreyfuss, 1947 Melba Moore, 1945 Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, 1938 Dominick Dunne, 1925 Bill Mauldin, 1921 Fanny Brice, 1891 Charles Hercules Ebbets, 1858 Daniel Decatur Emmet, 1815 James Boswell, 1740 (wrote the biography of Samuel Johnson) Edmund Halley, 1656 (O.S. Date) (yes, that Halley, found the comet)
Debuting/Premiering Today:
The Internet, 1969 (the first connection between computers that would become the Internet someday was made on this date when bits of data flowed between computers at UCLA and Stanford Research Institute; this grew into ARPANET, and is now the Internet we know and yell at.) "Let's Face It"(Musical), 1941 "Don Giovanni"(Mozart K. 527), 1787
Today in History:
Cyrus the Great entered the city of Babylon, BC539 First trial for witchcraft in Paris, 1390 Sir Walter Raleigh, adventurer, writer, and courtier, is beheaded, 1618 A severe earthquake shakes New England, 1727 Mozart's opera Don Giovanni receives its first performance in Prague, 1787 The first Ohio River steamboat leaves Pittsburgh for New Orleans, 1811 Queen Victoria grants Cecil Rhodes rights to Zambezia, 1889 The first intercity trucking service, from Colorado City to Snyder, Texas, begins running, 1904 Turkey declares its independence as the successor state to the Ottoman Empire, 1923 Israeli forces invade the Sinai Peninsula and push Egyptian forces back toward the Suez Canal, 1956 Cassius Clay wins his first professional fight, 1960 Syria exits from the United Arab Republic, 1961 Montreal's World Fair, Expo 67, closes with over 50 million visitors, 1967 The American Galileo spacecraft makes its closest approach to 951 Gaspra, becoming the first probe to visit an asteroid, 1991 In South Africa, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission presents its report, which condemns both sides for committing atrocities, 1998 Space Shuttle Discovery blasts off on STS-95 with 77-year old John Glenn on board, making him the oldest person to go into space, 1998 In Rome, European heads of state sign the Treaty and Final Act establishing the first European Constitution, 2004 The 3G wireless transmitters at Mt. Everest make coverage available to the summit, 2010 Random House and Penguin merge to become Penguin Random House, the largest publisher in the world, 2012 Turkey opens the first underwater rail tunnel linking Europe to Asia, 2013
"Mom, could you take me to the mall?" Little Girl asked while i was preparing supper. Sure, i said. "Thanks. My favorite teacher's birthday is next week and we both love the show Game of Thrones, so I want to get her something." That's why i found myself, at 6pm, heading to the Jalopy to go to that shopping mecca called a mall. It's not something i find myself doing often. In fact, i hadn't been to the mall since my last flower delivery stint -- i almost always have at least one delivery in the mall. The mall is just up the highway, and for once in my life i actually found a close place to park in the area Little Girl pointed to when i asked where she wanted to go in. Is it okay if i come in with you, or do you not want to be seen with the mothership? i asked, laughing. "You can come in -- I wouldn't expect you to wait outside. And I don't mind being seen with you," she answered. She knew just what she wanted and where it was, and headed in the door and straight to the escalator, then into the Hot Topic. Right before she went in she said, "I know you don't like this store, so you don't have to come in with me." She's right, i really don't like a lot that's in that store. This gave me the chance to walk through the mall for a short time. In the immediate vicinity there were 4 jewelry stores, a couple of places selling lotions and potions and bath paraphernalia, shoe stores galore, and even a Game Stop and Best Buy Mobile. As i walked up and down, watching people and gazing in windows, i wondered what the fascination was. The only time i really go to a mall is for our once a year trip in Florida when i get any new clothes i might need at an outlet place. Spending hours and hours wandering a place like this isn't my idea of a good time, but i didn't mind getting a bit of exercise and people watching in. One family that struck me was a mom and dad who had their two youngest kids wearing surgical masks. They were decorated with a kid theme, too. It makes me wonder if the children have some kind of immune problem and they have to be protected from the rest of us, not that we have to be protected from them. The place wasn't too crowded as it was a Monday night, and a few teens were there in spite of the threat of having to go to school the next day. One mom pushed a stroller that had a toddler obviously past his limit because he was crying as loudly as he could with the pacifier held tightly in place by his clamped teeth. Another young dad walked his toddler son, blond curls bouncing on both of their heads, they were obviously the best of comrades and having a good time. She thought she took a long time, but really it wasn't more than a quarter hour before Little Girl came out with her purchase clutched tight in her hand. We went past the food court and i saw that they have choices i'd have never thought to see years ago -- some of them healthy. Hummus, wraps with lots of veggies, and even smoothies. It balances out the pretzels and cookies and junk that is still there, and i was glad to see that. We were back home just before 7pm, as she really didn't take anywhere near as long as she thought she did. It was a nice outing. And yes, the A/C is fixed. Not that we need it much these days, the evenings are so cool that even the warm days don't heat the house up enough to make it uncomfortable.
Today is:
Bring Your Jack-O-Lantern to Work Day -- just check the fire code before you light that candle
Celtic Tree Month Negetal (Reed) begins
Dia do Servidor Publico -- Brazil (Civil Servants' Day)
Flying Baby Day -- celebrating the first baby born on an airplane on this day in 1929
Fyribod (or Forebode) -- Ancient Norse Calendar (announces the beginning of winter; date approximate)
Hari Sumpah Pemuda -- Indonesia (Youth Pledge Day)
Independence Day -- Czechoslovakia (from Austria-Hungary in 1918; still celebrated in the Czech Republic and Slovakia)
International Animation Day -- ASIFA (to honor the day Emile Reynaud presented the first animation to the public)
Isia -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (dates approximate; first day of the 6 day Isis festival)
Milvian Bridge Day -- Christain (day to reflect on the interrelationship of religion and government)
National Chocolate Day
Okunchi Matsuri -- Karatsu, Japan (with floats that date back to the 1800s; through the 30th)
Oxi Day -- Greece (Sometimes "Ochi" or "Ohi", literally "No Day", celebrating resistance to Mussolini.)
Part Your Hair Crooked Just To See If Anyone Will Say Anything About It Day -- internet generated, celebrate at your own risk
Plush Animal Lovers' Day -- internet generated; celebrate your love of stuffed animals today
Runic Half-month Hagal (hailstone) begin
St. Jude Thaddeus' Day (Patron of desperate or hopeless cases -- the reason Danny Thomas chose this saint to invoke as patron of the hospital he helped found.)
St. Paraskevi of Iconium's Day (Patron of fairs and traders; in Russia, patron of marriage; associated in Ukrain with Mokosh, the ancient women's divinity, and celebrated on the final Friday of the month)
*St. Simon the Zealot's Day (Patron of curriers, sawmen, tanners)
Wild Foods Day -- as in, grown or caught in the wild (please be careful if you like mushrooms and want to gather your own!)
Anniversaries Today:
Statue of Liberty dedicated, 1886 Maimonides College is founded, 1867 (first Jewish college in the US) R.H. Macy & Co. in NYC opens, 1858 Founding of Harvard University, 1636 Universidad Santo Tomas Aquino is established, 1538 (first university in the New World)
Birthdays Today:
Matt Smith, 1982 Joaquin Phoenix, 1974 Brad Paisley, 1972 Jeremy Davies, 1969 Julia Roberts, 1967 Andy Richter, 1966 Jami Gertz, 1965 Daphne Zuniga, 1962 Lauren Holly, 1963 Bill Gates, 1955 Annie Potts, 1952 Bruce Jenner, 1949 Telma Hopkins, 1948 Dennis Franz, 1944 Jane Alexander, 1939 Charlie Daniels, 1936 Cleo Laine, 1927 Jonas Salk, 1914 Francis Bacon, 1909 Edith Head, 1907 Howard Hanson, 1896 Georges Auguste Escoffier, 1846 Desiderius Erasmus, 1467
Debuting/Premiering Today:
"The Jack Benny Program"(TV), 1950 "Dead End"(Play), 1935 Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Pathetique(Tchaikovsky Op. 74), 1893
Today in History:
Constantine the Great defeats Maxentius, 312 Battle of Yaunis Khan in which Turkish forces under the Grand Vizier Sinan Pasha defeat the Mameluks near Gaza, 1516 Battle of Amba Sel, in which Imam Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi again defeats the army of Lebna Dengel, Emperor of Ethiopia; the southern part of Ethiopia falls under Imam Ahmad's control, 1531 Peruvian cities of Lima & Callao are demolished by an earthquake, 18,000 die, 1746 Eli Whitney applies for a patent on the cotton gin, 1793 The first railroad in Spain, between Barcelona and Mataro, is opened, 1848 The Statue of Liberty is dedicated by President Grover Cleveland, and celebrated by the first ticker tape/confetti parade in NYC, 1886 An earthquake strikes Mino-Owari, Japan, kills 7,300, 1891 Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Pathétique, receives its première performance in St. Petersburg, only nine days before the composer's death, 1893 The St. Louis police try a new investigation method -- fingerprints, 1904 Czechoslovakia gains its independence in the break up of Austria-Hungary, 1918 The Volstead Act, passed by Congress over Wilson's veto, starts Prohibition, 1919 The first coast to coast radio broadcast of a football game, 1922 U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt rededicates the Statue of Liberty on its 50th anniversary, 1936 The Alaska Highway (Alcan Highway) is completed through Canada to Fairbanks, Alaska, 1942 Swiss chemist Paul Müller is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of the insecticidal properties of DDT, 1948 The modern Kingdom of the Netherlands is re-founded as a federal monarchy, 1954 Nikita Khrushchev announces that he had ordered the removal of Soviet missile bases in Cuba, 1962 Nostra Aetate, the "Declaration on the Relation of the Church with Non-Christian Religions" of the Second Vatican Council, is promulgated by Pope Paul VI; it absolves the Jews of responsibility for the death of Jesus, 1965* Britain launches its first satellite, Prospero, into low Earth orbit atop a Black Arrow carrier rocket, 1971 The centenary of the dedication of the Statue of Liberty is celebrated in New York Harbor, 1986 Cristina Fernández de Kirchner becomes the first woman elected President of Argentina, 2007 The US celebrates the 125th anniversary of the dedication of the Statue of Liberty, 2011
Today, if all goes well, we get the A/C repaired! It looks like it may come under the warranty, so it won't cost much. And, if we can pry the back door downstairs open -- the house has been leveled more than once, but we still don't know if it will open and then close again -- a family that is remodeling may give us a five year old washer and dryer! We've had old models, and bought well used ones, for so long now, having an almost new set would be delightful. It's just a matter of that door, and i have a week or so to work on it. We've had a couple of offers from people who can come look at the roof trouble, and maybe get into the attic to make sure all is well up there. Not the regular part where we store stuff, but the other part that we don't get into. The roof probably just needs caps and new flashing around the bathroom vent pipes. Bigger Girl has started her job as a pizza delivery driver part time. She wants to earn some of her own way as much as possible, and she's been turned down so often as "overqualified" because of her training at the research lab. She's glad someone finally took a chance on her. This week i'm working 3 days, two babysitting Gracie and one cleaning Ms. P's house, as so i'm going to get us a GPS that she can use at work and i can use when i go on my trip next year, or when i deliver flowers. Then it's just a matter of hoping the cars last a while longer, as i've been saying for a few years now.
Today is:
American Beer Day
Big Bang Day -- London, England
Boxer Shorts Day -- ???????
Cernova Tragedy Day -- Slovakia
Cranky Co-Worker's Day -- because we all have occasional bad days; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays
Feast of Osiris in Abydos -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)
Good Bear Day -- on Theodore Roosevelt's birthday, celebrating the stuffed toy created in his honor
Independence Day -- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines(1979); Turkmenistan(1991)
National Tell A Story Day -- Scotland (preserving the heritage of traditional stories)
Navy Day -- US (on T.R.'s birth anniversary)
October Bank Holiday -- Ireland
Peniamina Gospel Day -- Niue
Radio Day -- US (US Commerce Dept. issued the first broadcasting license this date in 1920)
St. Frumentius' Day (Patron of Abyssinia; Ethiopia)
Sylvia Plath Day
Tunch Puddling -- Fairy Calendar (a contest of throwing twigs in a pond -- awards are for artistically thrown twigs and throwing style, among other things)
Zadie Smith, 1975 Marla Maples, 1963 Simon LeBon, 1958 Roberto Benigni,1952 Jayne Kennedy, 1951 Fran Lebowitz, 1950 Carrie Snodgrass, 1946 John Cleese, 1939 Ruby Dee, 1924 Roy Lichtenstein, 1923 Bette Babray, 1920 Nanette Fabray, 1920 Dylan Thomas, 1914 Emily Post, 1872 Theodore Roosevelt, 1858 Niccolo Paganini, 1782 Captain James Cook, 1728
Debuting/Premiering Today:
"Lettice and Lovage"(Play), 1987 "Beyond the Fringe"(Revue), 1962 "Walt Disney/Wonderful World of Color/Wonderful World of Disney"(TV), 1954 (the show had several different names over the years, but even when it switched stations, it was still the same show) "You Bet Your Life"(Radio), 1947 "Nocturnes"(Debussy orchestral compsition), 1901(first performance of all three parts together)
Today in History:
Constantine the Great is said to have received his Vision of the Cross, 312 Founding of the city of Amsterdam, 1275 Founding of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1682 US Navy forms, 1775 Missouri governor Lilburn Boggs issues the Extermination Order, which orders all Mormons to leave the state or be exterminated, 1838 R.H. Macy & Co. opens its first store, on 6th Ave. in NYC, 1858 Boss Tweed is arrested, 1871 The first underground New York City Subway line opens, 1904 The first published reference to "jazz" appears, in Variety, 1916 Chuhei Numbu of Japan sets the long jump record at 26' 2 1/2", 1931 "You Bet Your Life," with Groucho Marx, premiers on ABC radio, 1947* Benjamin O. Davis Jr. becomes the first African-American general in the United States Air Force, 1954 Mauritania and Mongolia join the United Nations, 1961 The British government suddenly deregulates financial markets, leading to a total restructuring of the way in which they operate in the country, in an event now referred to as the Big Bang, 1986 The U.S. prison population tops 1 million for the first time in American history, 1994 Gliese 229B is the first Substellar Mass Object to be unquestionably identified, 1994 Stock markets around the world crash because of fears of a global economic meltdown, 1997 The Boston Red Sox win the World Series for the first time in 86 years, 2004 The SSETI Express micro-satellite is successfully launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, 2005
*(Ultimate result of this a few years later is, of course, the funniest line ever on tv, when a man with 8 kids admitted to Mr. Marx that he did indeed love his wife, and Groucho countered with, "I love my cigar, too, but I take it out of my mouth sometimes!")
Silly Sunday is hosted by Sandee, of Comedy Plus, and it's the place to come to have a laugh for the week. It's easy to do, just Laugh and Link Up!
How in the world do you described Homecoming?
It was a nice, peaceful morning, with coffee and fruit and a walk by the lake. The parade was just what a Homecoming Parade should be, little kids catching beads and candy, having a blast.
Then a bit of rest, and a walk around the campus. Finally, to the stadium for one of the toughest fought, most ground out games i have ever seen in my entire life.
Every minute was like pulling teeth. The first quarter lasted an hour, and the game that started at just after 6pm didn't end until almost ten.
It came down to the last play, too. There wasn't an easy moment, there wasn't an easy score on either side, and there were several calls by the referees that will be argued until doomsday.
Somehow, some way, the home team pulled it off. By that time, i'd had an SVT (heart palpitations) from nerves, and one friend said, "I was on blood pressure medicine for three years, and I eat right and exercise and I don't take medicine any more, but this game is going to put me back on it!"
But in the end, the home team won, and so Homecoming was a success.
All this, of course, reminds me of a football joke.
When Boudreaux was a young man, and very strong, he decided to try out for the college football team. He went out to the practice field and talked to the coach.
The coach asked him, "Can you tackle?" Boudreaux say, "Watch dis," and proceeded to run at a telephone pole, knocking it over!
"Wow!" the coach said. "Now, can you run?" Again, Boudreaux say, "Watch dis" and proceeded to run 100 yards in under 9 seconds.
"Glory!" the coach exclaimed. "And, can you pass a football?"
This time, Boudreaux stop to think about it. Finally, he say, "Mais, coach, I guess if I can swallow it, I can pass it!"
Today is:
A Family Halloween -- Billings Farm and Museum, Woodstock, VT, US (a great time for all)
Angam Day -- Nauru ("Day of Fulfillment"; a celebration of overcoming hardships)
Day of the Ancients -- Asatru/Pagan Slavic Calendar
Day of Mourning -- Libya
Exaltation of the Shellfish -- Pontevedra, Spain (while i can confirm they celebrate this each year, i cannot find confirmation on this specific date this year)
Haute Dog Howl'oween Parade -- Long Beach, CA, US (dress up your dog and have a howling good time)
Ludi Victoriae Sullanae -- Roman Empire (celebration of the victories of Lucius Cornelius Sulla, through Nov. 1)
Mother-in-Law Day -- a day to honor good Mothers-in-Law for their contributions to their families and for enduring all the bad jokes; if you have a lousy one, go listen to Ernie K-Doe's song
Mule Day -- anniversary of the first importation of donkeys to the US, which George Washington used to breed the first mules in the Americas
National Day -- Austria
National Gospel Day -- Cook Islands
National Mincemeat Pie Day
Pretzel Day
Pumpkin Day -- time to get one for the 31st, if you haven't already
Reformation Day/Reformation Sunday -- Protestant Christian (obs.)
St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki's Day (Patron of soldiers; Thessaloniki, Greece) Greek day to broach the wine barrels and taste the new season's wine in honor of this saint
Sts. Lucian and Marcian's Day (Patrons of converts, possessed people)
Toping Wagglegammon -- Fairy Calendar (no human knows what this means, but it sounds intriguing)
Visit a Cemetery Day
Workaholic Stop and Smell Something Day -- internet generated day to encourage workaholics to stop and consider what they might be missing
Worldwide Howl at the Moon Night -- some organizers even have howling parties
Anniversary Today:
Grand opening of the Erie Canal, 1825
Birthdays Today:
Sasha Cohen, 1984 Keith Urban, 1969 Tom Cavanagh, 1968 Natalie Merchant, 1963 Cary Elwes, 1962 Dylon McDermott, 1962 Jeff Probst, 1962 James Pickens, Jr., 1954 Lauren Tewes, 1954 Hillary Rodham Clinton, 1947 Pat Sajak, 1947 Jaclyn Smith, 1947 Ivan Reitman, 1946 Pat Conroy, 1945 Bob Hoskins, 1942 Jackie Coogan, 1914 Mahalia Jackson, 1911 Abby Greene Aldrich Rockefeller, 1874 Joseph Hansom, 1803 Georges Danton, 1759 Domenico Scarlatti, 1685
Debuting/Premiering Today:
"St. Elsewhere"(TV), 1982 Doonesbury(Comic strip), 1970 The Village Voice(newspaper, first issue), 1955 "Mourning Becomes Electra"(Play), 1931
Today in History:
Comet 55P/1366 U1 (Tempel-Tuttle) approaches 0.0229 AUs of Earth (2.1 million miles and 3.4 million kilometers)--marking the third closest approach of any comet to our planet in recorded history, 1366 First use of lead pencils, 1492 William Penn accepts the area around the the Delaware River from the Duke of York, 1682 The first Continental Congress adjourns in Philadelphia, and the Minute Men begin to organize in the colonies, 1774 King George III goes before Parliament to declare the American colonies in rebellion, and authorized a military response to quell the American Revolution, 1775 Benjamin Franklin departs from America for France on a mission to seek French support for the American Revolution, 1776 The first of the "Federalist Papers" are published, calling for ratification of the US Constitution, 1787 The French Directory, a five-man revolutionary government, is created, 1795 Hamilton Smith patents a rotary washing machine, 1858 Soccer football rules are standardized and rugby starts as a separate game, 1863 The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral takes place at Tombstone, Arizona, 1881 First use of a "getaway car" after a robbery in Paris, 1901 The first Soviet (worker's council) formed, St. Petersburg, Russia, 1905 Margaret Sanger arrested for the obscenity of advocating birth control, 1916 The Maharaja of Kashmir agrees to allow his kingdom to join India, 1947 Mother Teresa founds her Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, 1950 Pan American Airways makes the first commercial flight of the Boeing 707 from New York City to Paris, France, 1958 The world sees the far side of the Moon for the first time, in pictures taken earlier in the month by the Soviet Luna 3, 1959 The last natural case of smallpox is discovered in Merca district, Somalia, 1977 "Baby Fae," born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, receives a controversial heart transplant from a baboon, dies of kidney infection 21 days later, 1984 The Charlottetown Accord fails to win majority support in a Canada wide referendum, 1992 Jordan and Israel sign a peace treaty, 1994 Britain's House of Lords votes to end the right of hereditary peers to vote in Britain's upper chamber of Parliament, 1999 The water level at Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest water control and utilization project, reaches full capacity, 2010
Friday morning i figured out how to get Youngest Boy out of bed without a meltdown. There are two steps. Step one, don't wake him directly. Wake the others, with him in earshot. Step two, make a deal with him. When i asked him, after waking the others and noticing his eyes were open, if he would please get up, he said he didn't want to get out of bed until his pancakes were ready. So we made a deal: when i tell him the food is ready, he will pop right up and come down to eat. We did a pinky swear on it, and sure enough, when i called up that his plate was ready, he came down without a fuss. If i end up staying here again to babysit overnight, he and i are going to agree the night before on what will be for breakfast, and that he will pop up and come eat when it is ready, and that i won't call him until it is. They got to school without a hitch, and i came back to the house and finished cleaning and tidying and the last bits of laundry, dishes, etc. Then it was a waiting game to see when Ms. P would be home, as i needed to get home to tidy up and repack because it's homecoming weekend at the uni. That means a stay on campus for all of the festivities. As i figured, Ms. P ended up being later than she thought. Much later. As i told her son, as much as i love her, she's the kind of person who will be late for her own funeral -- he had never heard that one before, but agreed when he finished laughing. At noon i went to pick up Eldest Boy from his school, get him a lunch, and get him home. At 2pm i headed out to get the two younger boys. Then i crawled through "rush hour" traffic to get them back home. We pulled in just as Ms. P was emptying her vehicle. Because i was so much later than i expected, Bigger Girl picked up Little Girl from school and the two of them did the shelter -- i hated that they were stuck doing it, but sometimes it is what it is. By the time i got home and we got packed, Grandpa was already up on the campus waiting for us. It was a circus getting out of the house, but we finally made it, and checked in to the hotel, and got the stuff from Grandpa that he had brought us, and unloaded and ordered pizza for delivery. It's been a crazy couple of days, but at least i don't need to get up early tomorrow and cook -- i get to go down to the dining room and eat what someone else has prepared. No, i won't let it spoil me.
Today is:
Armed Forces Day -- Romania
Blue Ridge Folklife Festival -- Blue Ridge Institute and Museum, Ferrum, VA, US (a large celebration of authentic folkways)
Constitution Day -- Lithuania
Day of the Basque Country -- Basque Country Dia del Pais Vasco -- PV, Spain
Emma Crawford Festival and Memorial Coffin Race -- Manitou Springs, CO, US (spooky fun for the whole family)
Feast of Forty Martyrs of England and Wales -- Roman Catholic
Forgiveness Day -- a day to reconcile or forgive, for your own peace of mind; sponsored by Positive Peaceful Partners and the Center of Unconditional Love
Gormanudr -- Old Icelandic Calendar (beginning of "Innards Month," after all the animals have been butchered and fresh innards figure predominantly in the menu, as the rest of the meat has been preserved for winter)
Hijra -- Islam (New Year, began last night at the first viewing of the new moon crescent)
Hogeye Festival -- Elgin, TX, US (Road Hog Car Show, crowning of King Hog and Queen Sowpreme, Cow Patty Bingo, and more!)
London Bridge Days -- Lake Havasu City, AZ, US (come celebrate London Bridge, which was disassembled and moved here and put back together, with a parade and festivities; through tomorrow)
Make A Difference Day -- US (Whoopie Goldberg once said that if every American would donate 5 volunteer hours a week, it would be the equivalent of several million full time jobs; whether or not it's strictly accurate, volunteering is a great thing to do no matter where you live)
Munzipan Feast -- Fairy Calendar (a fairy delicacy, and you don't want to know how it's made)
National Greasy Foods Day
Pit Bull Awareness Day -- it's not the breed, it's the owner
Punk-for-a-Day Day -- internet generated; if you've always wanted to be a punk, try it out for a day
Republic Day -- Kazakhstan
Retrocession Day -- Taiwan
Romp in the Swamp Fun Walk -- Appleton, WI, US (plus hayrides, face painting, an outdoor movie, animal shows, a campfire with s'mores, and more)
Scared Silly: Halloween in Prospect Park -- Brooklyn, NY, US (hauntingly good fun all weekend)
Sourest Day -- as a balance, because we have so many days that emphasize sweet
Sts. Crispin and Crispian's Day (Patrons of cobblers/shoemakers, glovemakers, lace makers/lace workers, leather workers, saddle makers, tanners, weavers)
Texas Book Festival -- Austin, TX, US (one of the nation's most prestigious literary festivals, especially celebrating renowned Texas authors; through tomorrow)
Thanksgiving Day -- Grenada
World Beard and Moustache Championships -- Portland, OR, US (check out some of the former competitors here)
World Pasta Day -- as established by the first World Pasta Congress in 1995; a related website is here
Xterra Kapalua Trail Run -- Kapalua, Maui, HI, US (extreme trail runs of 5k and 10k; through tomorrow)
Birthdays Today:
Katy Perry, 1984 Midori, 1971 Tracy Nelson, 1963 Brian Kerwim, 1949 Jon Anderson, 1944 Anne Tyler, 1941 Helen Reddy, 1941 Bobby Knight, 1940 Marion Ross, 1936 Billy Barty, 1924 Minnie Pearl, 1912 Leo G. Carroll, 1892 Pablo Picasso, 1881 Georges Bizet, 1838 Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1800
Debuting/Premiering Today:
"Victor/Victoria"(Musical), 1995 "Newhart"(TV), 1982 "Le Repetition"(Anouilh play), 1950 "The Time of Your Life"(Play), 1939
Today in History:
Seljuk Turks defeat the German crusaders under Conrad III at the Battle of Dorylaeum, 1147 Battle of Agincourt, in which the Welsh longbow defeats armored knights, 1415 Christopher Columbus, aboard the Santa Maria, lands at the Dominican Republic, 1492 Dutch sea-captain Dirk Hartog makes second recorded landfall by a European on Australian soil, at the later-named Dirk Hartog Island off the Western Australian coast, 1616 Governor Bradford of the US colony Plymouth disallows sport on Christmas Day, 1621 Wedding of future US President John Adams and Abigail Smith (the marriage lasted 54 years), 1764 Canadians and Mohawks defeat the Americans in the Battle of Chateauguay, 1813 Opening of the Erie Canal, 1825 Battle of Balaclava, memorialized as the "Charge of the Light Brigade", results in the deaths of 409 troops, 1854 The Toronto Stock Exchange is created, 1861 Traditionally understood date of the October Revolution in Russia, which corresponds to November 7 on the Gregorian Calendar, 1917 The Archbishop of Dubuque, Francis J. L. Beckman, denounces swing music as "a degenerated musical system... turned loose to gnaw away at the moral fiber of young people", warning that it leads down a "primrose path to hell", 1938 Adlai Stevenson shows photos at the UN proving Soviet missiles are installed in Cuba, 1962 Uganda joins the United Nations, 1962 Nelson Mandela is sentenced to five years in prison, 1962 The United Nations seated the People's Republic of China and expelled the Republic of China, 1971 Proceedings on the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction conclude at The Hague, 1980 Three months after the end of the Ten-Day War, the last soldier of the Yugoslav People's Army leaves the territory of the Republic of Slovenia, 1991 Fidel Castro announces that transactions using the American Dollar will be banned in Cuba, 2004 Sony removed the original cassette Walkman from the market, 2010 Scientists announce that the completion of the nuclear genome study of a 24,000 year old Siberian boy's remains shows 2/3 of today's Native Americans are of Eastern Asia origin, and the others from Western Eurasia, 2013
Ms. P's daughter did come home that first night, to sleep and ask me to wash some of her clothes. Since i had washed a lot already, i asked her to bring her stuff to her room. In typical teen fashion, all she did was grab what she wanted and leave the rest on the couch where i put the laundry when i fold it! When i woke them Thursday morning, Youngest Boy really didn't want to get up. He shouted and kicked and pitched a fit, and i thought i was going to have to take all the bedclothes off the bed to keep him from getting back in. By the time he came downstairs for breakfast, he was much calmer, but he explained that no one is allowed to wake him up, it makes him mad. In return, i explained that he was going to get waked up, because he was going to school, Boss' orders. They had cinnamon rolls for breakfast, as they had asked for that the night before, and daughter caught her ride when i piled the boys in the car to get them to their schools. We talked a bit about Jalopy, and her funny noises, and Eldest Boy decided he likes her, she is cool and sounds like she's going to fall apart. How much you want to bed he grows up to fix old cars? After dropping them off at their respective schools i went to the store for apple juice, as they had finished off a whole gallon the day before. While there The Big Boss called and told me to get back to the house because someone was coming over to pick something up. When i got there, a strange car was in the drive, and a man at the door. It wasn't the person picking up whatever it was. Instead, this was someone in a uniform, but an unmarked car, and he was looking for Ms. P to serve her some papers. It made me very nervous that he wanted to know where the kids were, and when she would be back, and whose cars were in the drive, and etc. It made me wonder if the STBX was up to something, especially as he was going to be getting the kids from school that day. The rest of the day i spent puttering around the house, getting crumbs out of the toaster (and a quarter of a waffle! it was a wonder the thing hadn't caught fire!), remaking beds, doing the hand laundry, and tidying the places you forget you have when you don't get into them very often. After Middle Boy's football practice, STBX dropped them off, and i asked what they wanted for dinner. They couldn't agree, but wanted to go out, so i piled them back in the car and we drove up the road to where there are enough food places to please even the pickiest eaters. Eldest Boy and Middle Boy wanted to go to the Greek place, and Youngest Boy announced, as i pulled in, "I'm about to get mad! I don't want to eat here, I don't like anything here!" As i explained that he didn't have to get angry, i'd get the older boys a meal here and him something somewhere else, he calmed right down and asked for Popeye's. That's exactly what we did. First we went in the Greek place, got the bigger boys what they wanted and they sat to eat, and i walked Youngest Boy to the chicken place next door, where he told them he wanted a large beans and rice! He got chicken and a biscuit and the very smart worker at Popeye's gave him 3 small beans and rice containers. We went back to where the bigger boys were. Youngest Boy wouldn't eat his meal at the Greek restaurant with the rest of us, so we didn't linger. They were fascinated by the vegan stuffed grape leaves i was having. They thought i was nuts enough eating seaweed, but now grape leaves? They only became more convinced when i told them about picking the grape leaves with my grandmother as a child, and watching her stuff them with meat and rice and cook them. My Jalopy is an endless source of entertainment, too. They love having to shut the doors hard or kick them to get them to close properly, as they aren't allowed to do such things to the other cars they ride around in. Again, a beater car does have its advantages, at least in the eyes of a young boy. At home for baths they pulled the usual boy shenanigans, with Middle Boy insisting on running around the house in his birthday suit, Youngest Boy eating two of those three containers of beans and rice, plus his chicken, and Eldest Boy goading them in any way he could. It was such a fun and exhausting reminder of my own when they were all below the teen years. By the time all of us went to bed, i think we were all more than ready. Eldest Boy didn't want to sleep in his room, i believe they all miss their mom, so they snuggled together in the large bottom bunk, like three peas in a pod.
Today is:
Chicago International Children's Film Festival -- Chicago, IL, US (the largest annual festival of films for children ages 2-18 in the world; through Nov. 2)
Hijra -- Islam (Islamic New Year Begins at the viewing of the new moon crescent, so exact time/date varies by location)
Independence Day -- Zambia(1964)
Jain New Year
Lilith's Day -- Ancient Mesopotamian Calendar (Lilith, legendary first wife of Adam, mother of the giants; date approximate)
Maladay -- Discordianism
National Bologna Day
Peniamina Gospel Day -- Niue (celebration of the conversion of the islanders to Christianity)
Provincial Anniversary Day -- Hawke's Bay, NZ
Sea Witch Halloween & Fiddler's Festival -- Rehoboth Beach/Dewey Beach, DE, US (parade, costume contest, Sea Witch Hunt, horse show on the beach, and more; through Sunday)
Share a Pop Tart With Someone You Love Day -- internet generated, and how much do you want to bet the Kellog company may have had a hand in it (or at least they highly approve)?
St. Anthony Claret's Day (Patron of weavers; Catholic press; Claretians; Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary)
St. Crispin's Eve Celebration -- Tenby, Wales
St. Raphael the Archangel's Day (traditional date; Patron of health inspectors, druggists, happy meetings, leaving home, travelers; against blindness)
Suez Victory Day -- Egypt
Take Back Your Time Day -- Canada; U.S. (anniversary of the day in the US that the Fair Labor Standards Act went into effect, specifying a 40-hour work week as the standard, in 1938)
United Nations Day Disarmament Week begins World Development Information Day
Monica, 1980 Kevin Kline, 1947 F. Murray Abraham, 1939 Bill Wyman, 1936 David Nelson, 1936 J. P. "Big Bopper" Richardson, 1930 Y. A. Tittle, 1926 Moss Hart, 1904 Melvin Purvis, 1903 Alexandra David-Neel, 1868 (first female foreigner to explore Tibet) Belva A. Bennett Lockwood, 1838 Sarah Joseph Hale, 1788 (author of "Mary had a little lamb") Antony van Leeuwenhoek, 1632 Domitian, Roman Emperor, 51
Debuting/Premiering Today:
"Dancing at Lughnasa"(Play), 1991 "Voices for Today"(Britten Op. 75), 1965 "Take Me Out to the Ball Game"(Single release), 1908 "Zibeunerbaron/The Gypsy Baron"(Strauss Opera), 1885 The first Transcontinental Telegram is sent, 1861
Today in History:
Cathedral of Chartres is dedicated, 1260 The Treaty of Westphalia ends the 30 Years War, recognized the independence of Switzerland, and marks the end of the Holy Roman Empire, 1648 Felix Mendelssohn, age 9, performs his first public concert in Berlin, 1818 The match is patented, by A. Phillips, 1836 The first US transcontinental telegram is sent, from San Francisco to Washington, DC, ending the need for the Pony Express after only 2 years, 1861 Levi P. Morton, US ambassador to France, drives the first rivet for the Statue of Liberty, 1881 Dr. Robert Koch discovers the germ that causes tuberculosis, 1882 Anna Taylor becomes the first woman to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel, 1901 The first NYC subway opens, 1904 Harry Houdini's last performance, 1926 The Hershey Company is incorporated, 1927 "Black Thursday", the start of the stock market crash, Dow Jones down 12.8%, 1929 Al Capone is sentenced for tax evasion, 1931 The George Washington Bridge, connecting NY to NJ, opens, 1931 US forbids child labor in factories, 1938 The United Nations Charter is signed by the first member nations, 1945 Eisenhower pledges US support to South Vietnam, 1954 Government of Poland legalizes Solidarity trade union, 1980 Launch of Deep Space 1 comet/asteroid mission, 1998 The Concorde makes its last commercial flight, 2003 Justice Rutherford of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice struck down the "motive clause", an important part of the Canadian Anti-Terrorism Act, 2006 "Bloody Friday" saw many of the world's stock exchanges experience the worst declines in their history, with drops of around 10% in most indices, 2008 The Northern Lights become visible over much of North America due to a coronal mass ejection, 2011
No matter the job, you will run into surprises. When i arrived to play Mary Poppins, there were a couple of surprises waiting for me. First, none of the children were there! The two youngest boys were supposed to be, but the soon-to-be-ex had decided, even though he wouldn't keep them for overnights, he would handle them during the day. The second surprise was that the homeowner association, knowing that Ms. P's STBX had left her with a house that was behind and tried to saddle her with a huge IRS debt, had decided to do something nice for her. They hired a cleaning service! Yes, i've been doing her housework for a couple of months now, but this was a good thing, even if it means i didn't have as much to get paid for this week. When i come, i do laundry, remake beds, and fight to keep things at status quo. In fact, i often wish i had more time to tackle special projects, but the once a week for 8 hours is barely enough to get the place cleaned and the laundry done. Because the service had skipped laundry and didn't worry about changing beds, but just did the actual cleaning, it meant i could spend the two days watching kids, doing laundry, and helping the younger boys organize their room and clean their closet, plus tackle the linen closet, and maybe other things. It would remain to be seen how much i could get done, but at least i would only have a couple of things to actually clean, so i could try for things like wiping out the kitchen drawers where crumbs accumulate and making some sense out of the pantry. A word about that cleaning service. They do good work, but they missed a few things. My first lesson was to never move things, or at least not to move them far. Especially papers on a desk, that attorney or doctor or pastor really does know exactly where every paper is, and each one better be in the same place when you are done cleaning. You don't presume to put away small appliances, even if you think they are superfluous. You don't clean the boys room by stuffing everything into the closet, and leave crumbs all over the closet floor. And you do not empty the bathroom trash bins and not put a new bag in there. The daughter was throwing her unflushables in a can with no liner! Not Cool, and Not Acceptable. Oh, and you do have to scrub harder than that to get the hair spray residue off the bathroom surfaces. Anyway, i got there to no kids and supposedly the daughter wasn't going to be home at all (or would only stop by to pick up clothes and leave) and The Big Boss with his credit card, the gate key (it's a gated community), and the news that i wouldn't have the kids until after 2:30pm so i could go to the store and get some storage bins. First i started the laundry, of course. All was going swimmingly as the boys got home and helped with organizing their clothes, and the daughter did come in for a couple of hours and then went back to the friend's house and then came back to spend the night, but there was a complication. Dinner was supposed to be pizza, and Sweetie and Little Girl were supposed to watch the boys for a couple of hours so i could go to prayer service at church. The snags in that were that no pizza place delivers to this neighborhood, and the traffic was such that by the time i had pizza delivered to our house and Sweetie got it to us, it was too late to try to make it to church. At least the kids had dinner. We've had a few interesting discussions so far -- what are Cajuns? What is the loupe garou? Where is the Middle East? What do you mean you go to church just to pray for an hour? Why is caution tape yellow and black? What is marketing, and why is everything on that cereal box exactly the way it is? Is wanting to sell stuff to people a good or a bad thing, and does it depend on what you are selling? Somehow i don't think these are the kinds of discussions Ms. P thought about her kids getting into with me, but i'm nothing if not weird. And there are no more crumbs in the silverware drawer, and the laundry is going, and i think we will have a good time, even if the kids think i'm crazy for making myself a veggie burger instead of sharing the pizza. Oh, and the last time i was here, there was no internet, no TV, and no phone. It seems the geniuses who sold Ms. P a different package, with the same company, managed to not transition her to the new package, but just turn it all off while still charging her for it. It took a tech 12 hours to correct the mess, but it's corrected. No need to drag them all to Starbucks so i can post this! Also, many happy returns of the day to my Sweetie! He and his twin were born on this day mumblety-mumble years ago (he would kill me if i said how many, so that should give you an idea!).
Today is:
Canning Day -- get that harvest preserved! on the birth anniversary of Nicholas Appert, the French chemist who devised modern canning
Chulalongokorn Day -- Thailand (Rama V Day)
Commemoration of the Paris Peace Agreements of 1991 -- Cambodia
Day of the Macedonian Revolutionary Struggle -- Republic of Macedonia
Deepavali/Diwali(Festival of Lights) -- Hindu; Jain; Sikh (fifth day of the festival) Bhai Tika -- ritual where sisters honor brothers for the protection they give Gyan Panchami -- Jain (celebration of knowledge and education)
Dia Nacional de la Aviacion -- Mexico (National Aviation Day)
Festival of Forgotten Gods -- so we don't offend anybody, i guess?
Festival of Selket and Ceremony of Thoth -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)
Finding of King Look Under Your Mattress Jubilee -- Fairy Calendar
French Food Festival -- LaRose, LA, US (local specialties, dancing, music, and fun; through Sunday)
Great Pumpkin Carve -- Chadds Ford Historical Society, Chadds Ford, PA, US (carving pumpkins that weigh about 150lbs or more each; through Saturday)
Liberation Day -- Libya
National Boston Cream Pie Day
National Day / Republic Day -- Hungary
National Mole Day -- US Chemists; from 6:02AM to 6:02PM, in honor of Avogadro's Number; this year's theme, "Mole-O'Ween"
Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan -- Beginning of the Hebrew month of Cheshvan, Hebrew Year 5775, at sundown today Solar Eclipse -- a partial solar eclipse will be visible in East Asia and over the Pacific, and in most of North America
St. John of Capistrano's Day (Patron of judges, jurists, military chaplains) Swallows Depart San Juan Capistrano Day -- after today, in spite of what you think, the natives will tell you that bird is not a swallow
TV Talk Show Host Day -- the way some of them behave, do they deserve a day? Well, I guess everyone is good for something, even if only for being a bad example! This one is for the birth anniversary of Johnny Carson, who certainly deserves recognition
Ueno Tenjin Matsuri -- Mie, Japan (festival and parade of oni gyoretsu -- demons or ogres -- dating back to the 16th century and said to halt plague, dispel illness, and ward off bad luck; through the 25th)
Birthdays Today:
Keith Van Horn, 1975 Al Leiter, 1965 Dug Flutie, 1962 Randy Pausch, 1960 Nancy Grace, 1959 "Weird" Al Yankovic, 1959 Martin Luther King III, 1957 Dwight Yoakam, 1956 Ang Lee, 1954 Michael Crichton, 1942 Pele' 1940 Chi-Chi Rodriguez, 1934 Johnny Carson, 1925 Frank Rizzo, 1920 Gertrude Ederle, 1906 Gummo Marx, 1893 Adlai Stevenson, 1835 Nicholas Appert, 1752
Debuting/Premiering Today:
The iPod, 2001 "Shadowlands"(Play), 1989 "Pippin"(Musical), 1972 "Barefoot in the Park"(Play), 1963 Dumbo(Disney animated film), 1941 "The Fred Allen Show"(Radio), 1932 "The Squaw Man"(Play), 1914 "In Old Kentucky"(Play), 1893 (ran for 27 seasons) "Prince Igor"(Opera), 1890
Today in History:
According to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher and based on the Bible, Creation begins, BC4004 Second Battle of Philippi, Brutus defeated by Octavian and Marc Antony, Brutus commits suicide, BC42 The Jews of Barbados are forbidden from engaging in retail trade, 1668 A revolt is held in Haarlem after a public ban on smoking, 1690 First Jewish prayer books printed in the US, 1760 The Continental Congress approves a resolution barring blacks from the army, 1775 Failed coup against the Emperor Napoleon, 1812 The first plastic surgery is performed, in England, 1814 72 Senators are summoned by Royal Proclamation to serve as the first members of the Canadian Senate, 1867 The New Orleans Mint reopens as an assay office, 1876 The First National Horseshoe Throwing Championship is held in Kellerton, Iowa, 1915 The first North American transcontinental air service begins between New York City and Los Angeles, California, 1929 Husband and wife Dr. Carl Cori & Dr. Gerty Cori are awarded joint Nobel Prizes, 1947 An underground earthquake traps 174 miners in the No. 2 colliery at Springhill, Nova Scotia, the deepest coal mine in North America at the time; only 100 were rescued, 1958 A United Nations sanctioned cease-fire officially ends the Yom Kippur War between Israel and Syria, 1973 Emperor Akihito becomes the first Emperor of Japan to stand on Chinese soil, 1992 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Chairman Yasser Arafat reach a "land for peace" agreement, 1998 Apple unveils the iPod, 2001 The US CDC announces that, if current trends in diet and exercise continue, by 2050 1 of 3 American adults will have diabetes, 2010 To bolster their relationship, China and India sign a new border defense agreement, 2013
Today i get to start playing Mary Poppins, so not much time to think of something new to say. Or even of something old to say. A bad joke and a great observation will have to suffice. A man loved his dog, and his dog loved sugary cereal. So every day he would give the dog a few pieces of its favorite treat, which he kept on hand. Eventually the dog died, and a few months after, he got a new puppy. One day he decided to see if his puppy would perhaps like the sugary cereal his previous canine had enjoyed, so he got the box out from the back of the cabinet. Opening it, he took out a few pieces of the cereal and gave them to his pup, which turned up its nose at the stuff. The man tried a piece for himself, and found that it was stale. This goes to show you that you can't feed a new dog old Trix. As for the observation, a young mother was sipping her morning coffee as her one-year-old daughter tried to grab at the cup. The five-year-old big brother grabbed his sister's hands and said, "Don't do that! You don't want to find out what she's like on a day when she doesn't get her coffee!" Yes, i have my coffee, and i'm going in!
Today is:
Abu Simbel Festival -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (along with Feb. 22, the day when the sunlight fell perfectly on the statues of Ramses, Ra, and Amun at the temple complex)
Caps Lock Day -- celebrating life in screaming CAPITALS (i'd include a link to the promo site, but it's rather annoying and uses foul language)
Children's Day -- Australia
Clean Up the Earth Day -- begun because having only one Earth Day a year doesn't give enough emphasis to the amount of work that needs to be done
Color Day -- a day to consider how color affects your life, health, and world
Day of National Concern About Young People and Gun Violence -- US (students around the nation are asked to sign the Pledge Against Gun Violence)
Deepavali/Diwali(Festival of Lights) -- Hindu; Jain; Sikh (fourth day of the festival) Goru Tihar/Goru Puja -- Day of Oxen (among most people) Gobardhan Puja -- Day of Cowdung (among followers of Krishna) Mha Puja -- Day of Self (among the Newar community)
Eat a Pretzel Day -- unclaimed sponsorship; does anyone else suspect that pretzel makers know how to spread stuff around the internet, too?
International Stuttering Awareness Day -- information here
Jidai Matsuri -- Kyoto, Japan (Festival of the Eras or Festival of the Ages)
4#Lung Health Day -- US (on the Wednesday of Respiratory Health Week; some sites to explore about lung health are www.lungusa.org/ and www.aarc.org/)
National Knee Day -- take care of your knees, and they will take care of you!
National Nut Day -- grab a handful of nutritious almonds or walnuts or your own favorite mix; if you don't like nuts, you can just choose to go be one, instead
Seeking of King Look Under Your Mattress -- Fairy Calendar
Smart is Cool Day -- and i don't know who started this one, but i'd say someone tired of being made fun of for being a bookworm
St. Mary Salome's Day (Patron of Veroli, Italy)
Tacoma Holiday Food and Gift Festival -- Tacoma, WA, US (for those who want to get the shopping done early, you show offs; through Sunday)
Anniversaries Today:
Toastmasters International founded, 1924 The first Metropolitan Opera House in NYC opens, with Faust as the first performance, 1883
Birthdays Today:
Carlos Mencia, 1967 Valeria Golino, 1966 Brian Boitano, 1963 Jeff Goldblum, 1952 Deepak Chopra, 1946 Catherine Deveuve, 1943 Jan De Bont, 1943 Annette Funicello, 1942 Tony Roberts, 1939 Derek Jacobi, 1938 Christopher Lloyd, 1938 Timothy Leary, 1920 Joan Fontaine, 1917 Robert Capa, 1913 Curly Howard, 1903 George Beadle, 1903 N. C. Wyeth, 1882 Sarah Bernhardt, 1844 Franz Liszt, 1811
Debuting/Premiering Today:
"Me and Bessie"(Musical), 1975 "Take Me Along"(Musical), 1959 "The Far Off Hills"(Play), 1928
Today in History:
The temple of Apollo at Daphne, outside of Antioch, is destroyed in a mysterious fire, 362 Emperor Kanmu relocates Japanese capital to Heiankyo (now Kyoto), 794 Battle of the Southern Fujian Sea, Ming Dynasty wins a victory against the Dutch East India Company, 1633 Princeton University is chartered, 1746 Andre-Jacques Trim becomes the first sky diver, parachuting over Paris from a balloon, 1797 Sam Houston is inaugurated as the first President of the Republic of Texas, 1836 First telegraph line linking US east and west coasts of the US is completed, 1861 First concert performance of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, 1881 World's first automobile dealer opens in London, 1897 President Hoover gives the "American system of rugged individualism" speech, 1928 The FBI ambushes Pretty Boy Floyd, 1934 First commercial flight from the mainland to Hawai'i, 1936 Jean-Paul Sartre is awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, but turns down the honor, 1964 A Multi-Party Parliamentary Committee selects the design which becomes the new official Flag of Canada, 1964 The Soviet unmanned space mission Venera 9 lands on Venus, 1975Red Dye No. 4 is banned by the US Food and Drug Administration after it is discovered that it causes tumors in the bladders of dogs, although the dye is still used in Canada, 1976 Tropical Storm Alpha forms in the Atlantic Basin, making the 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Season the most active Atlantic hurricane season on record with 22 named storms, 2005 A Panama Canal expansion proposal is approved by 77.8% of voters in a National referendum held in Panama, 2006 India launches its first unmanned lunar mission Chandrayaan-1, 2008 North Korea gives the US permission to search for the remains of American soldiers killed during the Korean War, 2011
Some days are like that, good and crazy. Like yesterday. It started crazy, with Cicero not wanting to go into gear for Bigger Girl, who needed to go get a replacement Social Security Card. Yes, she lost her second one. Anyway, it took both of us to get Cicero to cooperate, but we finally managed. It got good, or maybe even great, with news from The Big Boss. Even though he's not at that job any more, i still call him that because i work for him and Sweetie helps run errands for him. Anyway, yesterday was The Big Boss' day in court with the lady who sued him and forced him to resign from his job. He won! She was found to have absolutely no case, and unless she can come up with more evidence in the next 30 days, which she can't, it's over. He can decide to counter sue her for defamation of character, and he would win, although it would be a moral victory only. Either way, he has been vindicated, and i hope the newspapers that were so quick to take her suit and slam him with it will now report that she lost because she really had no case. We will see, somehow i doubt they will bother. It's not sensational enough. Then the day got crazy with another call from The Big Boss. He and Ms. P have been invited out of town, and her soon-to-be-ex was supposed to care for the kids while they were gone. He has, as usual, flaked. So i was called and asked if i would babysit from Wednesday morning through Friday morning, taking them to school, picking them up, feeding them, getting homework and baths and etc. done, and doing my usual weekly cleaning on those days. Of course, i said yes, and i hope they have their internet fixed by then, or those kids are going to find themselves at the library or Starbucks for a time each day as i post. Also, Thursday is Sweetie's birthday, so he will be taking his brother out to dinner that night (it's a twin thing). He will also come visit me at Ms. P's house each day, and i'm going to get Little Girl and him to come watch the kids for two hours Wednesday evening while i go to prayer service. Friday morning i will just have to miss Bible study, i'm sorry to say, but it's the nature of the job. The Big Boss, bless him, is talking about me coming so he can show me how to get the kids and where to go and what to do. It's so funny! As i told him, i remember the drill, and i still take my own youngest to school most days (although Bigger Girl will do it on Thursday and Friday this week). It's going to be interesting, that's for sure.
Today is:
Apple Day -- U.K. (to inspire local orchard revival and celebrate local varieties) Antillean Day -- Bonaire; Curacao; Saba; St. Eustatius
Armed Forces Day -- Honduras (Dia de las Fuerzas Armadas)
Babbling Day -- an internet generated day for Blatherskites
Caramel Apple Day -- US (leave it to the US to add sugar!)
Count Your Buttons Day -- whoever came up with this one needs to count his marbles maybe?
Deepavali/Diwali(Festival of Lights) -- Hindu; Jain; Sikh (3rd day of the festival) Gai Tihar and Laxmi Puja -- Day of Cows and Laxmi (goddess of wealth; day three of the festival)
Egyptian Naval Day -- Egypt
Garbanzo Bean Day
Global Iodine Deficiency Disorder Prevention Day
Humble Yourself By Having Your Picture Made Wearing A Bicycle Helmet Day -- no comment
Hurricane Bebe Day -- Funafuti, Tuvalu (commemoration of the destruction by this hurricane in 1972)
Independence Day -- Marshall Islands(1986)
International Day of the Nacho -- Mexico; U.S.
Jailhouse Rock Day -- Elvis' song hit #1 today in 1957
Overseas Chinese Day -- Taiwan (Republic of China)
President Ndadaye Day -- Burundi
Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity -- www.silentday.org Reptile Awareness Day -- hooray for snakes and turtles! and lizards, don't forget lizards, and gators, and...
Seeking of King Look Under Your Mattress -- Fairy Calendar
St. John of Bridlington's Day (Patron against complications in childbirth)
St. Ursula's Day (Patron of educators/teachers, holy death, schoolchildren, students; British Virgin Islands; Catholic education, especially of girls; Cologne, Germany; University of Paris)
Trafalgar Day -- British Empire (noted, but no longer an officially holiday)
Anniversaries Today:
Juan Peron marries actress Evita (María Eva Duarte), 1945
Birthdays Today:
Jeremy Miller, 1976 Ken Watanabe, 1959 Carrie Fisher, 1956 Benjamin Netanyahu, 1949 Elvin Bishop, 1942 Judge Judy Sheindlin, 1942 Frances Fitzgerald, 1940 Ursula K. LeGuin, 1929 Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford, 1928 Celia Cruz, 1925 Joyce Randolph, 1925 Dizzy Gillespie, 1917 Georg Solti, 1912 Edwin Myers "Ted" Shawn, 1891 Will Carleton, 1845 Alfred Nobel, 1833 Samuel Taylor Coleridge, 1772
Debuting/Premiering Today:
"Butterflies are Free"(Play), 1969 "Orphee aux enfer/Orpheus in the Underworld"(Offenbach operetta), 1858
Today in History:
Sultan Kilidj Arslan of Nicea defeats 1st Crusaders, 1096 Martin Luther joins the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg., 1512 Ferdinand Magellen arrives at Tierra Del Fuego (Pacific Ocean), 1520 Sea battle at Dunes, Lt Admiral Maarten Tromp defeats Spanish Armada under De Oquendo, 1639 First display of the word "Liberty" on a flag, raised by colonists in Taunton, Massachusetts and which was in defiance of British rule in Colonial America, 1774 US Navy frigate Constitution, Old Ironsides, launched in Boston, 1797 Battle of Trafalgar, Adm Nelson defeats French & Spanish fleet & dies, 1805 The Penang Free School is founded in George Town, Penang, Malaysia, by the Rev Hutchings. It is the oldest English-language school in Southeast Asia, 1816 Joseph Aspdin patents Portland cement (Yorkshire England), 1824 Thomas Edison perfects carbonized cotton filament light bulb, 1879 First transatlantic radiotelephone message, Arlington, Va to Paris, 1915 Women are allowed to vote in France for the first time, 1945 Comet Ikeya-Seki approaches perihelion, passing 450,000 kilometers from the sun, 1965 The European Patent Institute is founded, 1977 The metre is defined at the seventeenth General Conference on Weights and Measures as the distance light travels in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second, 1983 Images of the dwarf planet Eris are taken and subsequently used in its discovery by the team of Michael E. Brown, Chad Trujillo, and David L. Rabinowitz, 2003 The European Parliament awards Cuban Dissident Guillermo Farinas the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, 2010
