First Day of School

"That was quite a first day!" Little Girl told me when i got home from work on her first day of school.

What happened? i asked.

"Well, first, they put me in the wrong math class.  It's okay, though, the same guy teaches both, and it turns out that every one of us need to be in the other class, so they are just going to make the one I'm into the other class."

That's odd that everyone ended up in the wrong class, i noted.

"Well, three of our four guidance counselors left, so almost everyone is in the wrong classes.  One senior was put in physical science, which he took in ninth grade, instead of physics.  Next week they will move everyone who requests a change, so you'll have to sign a change request so I can be in the other math."

Sounds good, i said.  And did they put you in the AP class?

"They put me in four AP classes!  All four of my core classes, history, English, math, and science are AP honors.  Then they gave me my last PE I have to take, and three classes I don't even need just to make it a full schedule.  If you sign for it, I can drop two of them, they won't make a difference for TOPS or college entrance, and I really don't need them.  The third one I do like, I can do more sewing and cooking and stuff, I enjoy that class.  But if I drop those two I don't need I'll have more time to study for the classes I do need."

Sounds good, i said again.

"And I really don't know if I'm going to like the new librarian," she continued.

What happened to Señor? i asked.

"Oh, he went to the new science and technology high school they just opened, and he's going to love it there.  The new guy, I don't know, he looks kind of greasy to me.  I don't know if I'm going to like him or not."

"Something really funny happened, too.  You remember Mr. Marshall?  Well, I saw him in the hall, or I thought I did, and later on I went over toward him, and it wasn't him, but it's a new teacher who looks almost exactly like him and who teaches the same classes!  I went to Ms. Tanya and asked her, 'Hey, what happened to Mr. Marshall?' and she said, 'Oh, he and his wife moved to Texas'!  But this new guy, he looks almost identical to Mr. Marshall, it is so weird!"

"Oh, and I think I'm really going to enjoy European history this year.  The teacher asked us what one event changed the course of European history more than any other, and I knew the answer, the Black Plague.  He also asked one none of us knew.

"Okay, he held up an envelope and said, 'There's a substance in this envelope that, back in 1450, was worth more than gold.  People traveled over land and sea to get it, and died to bring it back to Europe.  What was it?'  Do you think you know?"

It had to be tea or a spice of some sort, i said.

"It was black pepper!  This teacher really knows a lot of fun details and I think I'm going to love his class."

Sounds like an auspicious beginning to me, even with the one class mix up.

Today is:

Anjin Matsuri -- Ito City, Japan (commemorations William Adams (1564-1620), a naturalized British shipwright, called "Anjin Miura" in Japan, a great contributor to the early development of Japanese ship-building industry; through the 10th)

BaBa Day -- Taiwan (ba ba is Mandarin for both "father" and "8-8")

Bonza Bottler Day™

Bud Billiken Parade -- Chicago, IL, US (second largest parade in the US, as well as the oldest and largest African-American parade in the US, begun in 1929)

Cowes Week begins -- Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK (the largest, longest-running and most prestigious international sailing regatta in the world; through the 15th)

Crater Lake Rim Runs and Marathon -- Crater Lake National Park, OR, US (one of the toughest and most spectacular runs ever, around the deepest lake in the US)

Dalek Day -- on the birth anniversary of the creator of these Scifi baddies, Terry Nation

Elvis Week -- Memphis, TN, US (ten days of celebrating The King)

Ferry Fair Festival -- South Queensferry, Edinburgh, Scotland (centuries old fair, around the time of the Burry Man Parade, originally for farmers to find labour for harvest, now for fun; this year's big Ferry Fair Day is Aug. 15)

Festival for Venus -- Ancient Roman Calendar (sunset to sunset)

Finest Fairy Finals -- Fairy Calendar (Do only the finest fairies take finals? How do the others get a final grade? :D )

Fourteen Holy Helpers' Day (Patrons against diseases)

Happiness Happens Day -- sponsored by the Secret Society of Happy People, to encourage sharing happiness and discourage parade raining; on the anniversary of their founding in 1997 

International Hangover Day -- always the day after International Beer Day, which should tell you something, and sponsored by the same group that does International Beer Day, which should tell you something more!

Inter-State Fair and Rodeo -- Coffeyville, KS, US (rodeo, livestock shows, carnival, and more; through the 15th)

Kranti Diwas -- Mumbai (former Bombay), India (a/k/a Freedom Day or Quit India Day; anniversary of Gandhi's Quit India speech to the British authorities in 1942)

Namesday of the Queen -- Sweden (Queen Sylvia; an official Flag Day)

National Frozen Custard Day

National Garage Sale Day -- US (the goal, according to C. Daniel Rhodes, is to turn the nation into a giant shopping mall on the second Saturday of August each year)

Odie Day -- Garfield's pal Odie, who first appeared in the strip on this day in 1978

Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Night -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays, and i love the stuff but can't grow plants to save my life, i'll leave the porch light on for you if you will bring me some!

St. Cyriacus' Day (Patron of the eyes; Altidona, Italy; against diabolical possession, eye disease, and temptations, especially temptations at the time of death)

St. Dominic's Day (Founder of the Dominican Order[Friars]; Patron of astronomers and astronomy, falsely accused people, scientists; Batanes-Babuyanes, Philippines; Bayombong, Philippines; Dominican Republic; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Santo Domingo Indian Pueblo; Valletta, Malta)

St. Mary MacKillop's Day (First native-born Australian saint; Patron of Australia; Wagga Wagga, Australia)

Streetscene -- Covington, VA, US (car show, open to all types of vehicles; come show off your ride!)

The Date To Create -- can't find anything on this one, just listed at a couple of sites, but go have fun creating something!

Wakulima ya Nane Nane -- Tanzania (Peasants' Day/Farmers' Day)

Watermelon Festival -- Rush Springs, OK, US (fun all day and free watermelon for all)

World Cat Day / International Cat Day -- begun in 2002 by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and other animal rights groups 


Birthdays Today:

Roger Federer, 1981
Michael Urie, 1980
Drew Lachey, 1976
The Edge, 1961
Deborah Norville, 1958
Randy Shilts, 1951
Roberta Cooper Ramo, 1942
Keith Carradine, 1949
Connie Stevens, 1938
Dustin Hoffman, 1937
Mel Tillis, 1932
Esther Williams, 1923
Rory Calhoun, 1922
Dino De Laurentis, 1919
Russell Markert, 1899
Fredric March, 1897
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, 1896
Emiliano Zapata Salazar, 1879
Matthew Henson, 1866
Emperor Horikawa of Japan, 1079


Today in History:

The Romans destroy the Tower of Antonia, 70
Otto I (The Great) crowned German king, 936
Vijayanagara Empire is rebegun with the crowning of emperor Krishnadeva Raya, 1509
The cornerstone for Tycho Brahe's Uraniborg observatory is laid on Hven, 1576
John Davis enters Cumberland Sound in search of the Northwest Passage, 1585
The first known ascent (indoors) of a hot-air ballon by Bartolomeu de Gusamao, 1709
Jacques Balmat and Dr Michel-Gabriel Paccard become the first to ascend Mont Blanc, 1786
Metal bullet cartridges are patented by Smith and Wesson, 1854
Mimeograph is patented by Thomas Edison, 1876
Wilbur Wright makes the brother's first public flight, at a racecourse in Le Mans, France, 1908
The millionth patent is filed in the United States Patent Office by Francis Holton for a tubeless vehicle tire, 1911
The German airship Graf Zeppelin begins a round-the-world flight, 1929
The United Nations Charter is signed by the United States, the 3rd nation to join, 1945
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is founded by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, 1967
Richard Nixon announces his resignation as President of the United States, effective the next day, 1974
The lights go on at Wrigley Field for the first time, making it the last staduim in the majors to host a night game (which was subsequently rained out!), 1988
Iraq occupies and annexes Kuwait, leading to the Gulf War to liberate Kuwait within a couple of weeks, 1990
Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley is raised to the surface after 136 years on the ocean floor, 2000
Archeologist excavating the Templo Mayor, one of the Aztec's main temples in their capital city of Tenochtitlan (now Mexico city), make an unprecedented find - the skeleton of a young woman inside a burial, surrounded by piles of 1,789 human bones, 2012