Sometimes things just work out.
Friday, i got about the usual, laundry, cat duties, etc., and planned to take the kids to school over in the next parish as always.
They woke up ill. Great, i thought. After missing school from the hurricane, they don't need another day off.
Turned out to be for the best. About the time i would have been returning home from dropping them out there, there were two major accidents on the interstate out that way involving big rigs.
It would have meant a multi-hour ordeal to go get them later. It feels like i dodged a bullet.
And in other breaking news:
We have our third home game in a row this week. More football on the brain. We are incorrigible.
My Uncle H, Grandma's brother, age 85, is in critical care. He's been in and out of hospitals for the last couple of months, and they are now, finally, after my father telling them to do it all along (yes, he's an OB/GYN, but he's a smart guy) going to start dialysis.
Our only kitten with ringworm, Phee, is getting better, and the prompt treatment with several different antifungals has proven effective in keeping it not only in check, but it hasn't spread to the others. That's good, because isolating them at this age is hard on them.
If you don't want bad news, skip this paragraph. From the shelter, most everything is going well, with a couple of exceptions. Grady was adopted, managed to get out of his adoptive home and got run over. Frieda, the ever vocal office cat, was in kidney failure, and so is not longer howling around the office, begging for ear scritching. We miss them both.
Today is:
America's Day For Kids -- sponsored by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Battle of Britain Day -- UK
Big Whopper Liar's Contest -- New Harmony, IN, US
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)
Eleven Days of Global Unity -- Day 5, Health (sponsored by We, the World)
Engineer's Day -- India
Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows (Mater Dolorosa)related observance
Grito de Dolores -- Mexico (Cry of Dolores,a/k/a Father Hidalgo's Cry for Freedom Day, the evening before Independence Day)
Virgin Mary of the Seven Sorrows Day -- Slovakia
Felt Hat Day (Traditional day upon which men started to wear their winter felt hats, similar to women beginning to wear white shoes on Memorial Day)
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
Independence Day -- Costa Rica; El Salvador; Guatemala; Honduras; Nicaragua (all in 1821)
International Coastal Cleanup -- this year's theme: Take On The Trash
International Eat An Apple Day
International Day of Democracy -- UN
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)
Make a Hat Day -- just for fun (and if you are a guy, make a felt hat)
National Creme de Menthe Day
National Hispanic Heritage Month -- US, through Oct. 15
National Linguine Day
National Neighborhood Day -- US
Peddler's Village Scarecrow Festival -- Peddler's Village, Lahaska, PA, US (start celebrating the fall with scarecrow making, pumpkin-painting, and more; through tomorrow)
Really Bad Ideas Exhibition -- Fairy Calendar (Gremlins celebration)
Restoration of Primorska to the Motherland Day -- Slovenia
Silpa Bhirasri Day -- Thailand
St. Catherine of Genoa's Day (Patron of brides, childless people, people in difficult marriages, people ridiculed for their piety, victims of adultery and unfaithfulness, widows; against adultery and temptation)
Trail of Courage Living History Festival -- Rochester, IN, US (frontier life in Indiana when it was Native territory; through tomorrow)
Waikiki Hoolaulea -- Oahu, Hawai'i (part of the Aloha Festival, two months of celebrations on all the islands, showcasing native Hawai'ian culture; this is a huge street party, well worth attending)
Birthdays Today:
Prince Harry, 1984
Dan Marino, 1961
Tommy Lee Jones, 1946
Oliver Stone, 1946
Merlin Olsen, 1940
Jackie Cooper, 1922
Fay Wray, 1907
Roy Acuff, 1903
Agatha Christie, 1890
Robert Benchley, 1889
William H. Taft, 1857
James Fenimore Cooper, 1789
François de La Rochefoucauld, 1613
Marco Polo, 1254
Today in History:
The first non-aristocratic, free public school in Europe is opened in Frascati, Italy, 1616
The French army under Napoleon reaches the Kremlin in Moscow, 1812
The first Negro National Convention begins in Philadelphia, 1830
The locomotive John Bull operates for the first time in New Jersey on the Camden and Amboy Railroad, 1831*
HMS Beagle, with Charles Darwin aboard, reaches the Galápagos Islands, 1835
Antoinette Louisa Brown Blackwell becomes the first woman in the US to be ordained a minister (Congregationalist), 1853
Timothy Alder patents the typesetting machine, 1857
RCA releases the 12AX7 vacuum tube, 1947
United Nations gives Eritrea to Ethiopia, 1952
The Soviet ship Poltava heads toward Cuba, one of the events that sets into motion the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962
*The John Bull becomes the oldest operable steam locomotive in the world when the Smithsonian Institution operates it under its own power outside Washington, D.C., 1981
Vanuatu becomes a member of the United Nations, 1981
Lehman Brothers files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the largest bankruptcy filing in U.S. history, 2008
Midna, wondering which way that toy went. At not quite 4 weeks old, sometimes the toy is faster than the eye.
Photo-Finish Friday is the brainchild of Leah at The Goat's Lunch Pail.
Today is:
Battle of San Jacinto Day -- Nicaragua
Big E -- West Springfield, MA, US (one of New England's largest fairs; through the 30th)
Cochabamba Day -- Cochabamba, Bolivia
Eat a Hoagie Day
Eleven Days of Global Unity -- Day 4, Economic Justice (sponsored by We, the World)
Feast of the Triumph of the Cross/Elevation of the Life Giving Cross/Holy Cross Day -- Christian
Festivals and Matsuri of Japan -- several throughout Japan, today and for the next several, most as harvest festivals or traditional horseback archery rituals)
including the O Sannomiya Autumn Festival, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Festival, Tono Matsuri, Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri, Tsurugaoka-hachimangu Reitasai, Yachi Donga Festival, and Furusato Hyappei Festival
Goroka Show -- Papua New Guinea (a cultural festival and showcase of many clan and tribe customs; through Sunday)
Harrogate Autumn Flower Show -- Harrowgate, England (Britains finest blooms show off; through Sunday)
Hug a Crabby Stranger Day -- okay, as long as i don't end up on the evening news
King Turkey Day -- Worthington, MN, US (includes a turkey race; through tomorrow)
National Cream-Filled Doughnut Day
Nutting Day -- British Isles tradition, the hazelnuts are supposed to be perfectly ripe on this day
Pilgrimage to the Black Madonna of Einsiedeln -- Switzerland
Southeastern Tribes Festival -- Cherokee, NC, US (Native Americans from the Cherokee, Creek, Chickasaw, Seminole, and Choctaw tribes present demonstrations of their traditions including dance, crafts,, and food; through tomorrow)
St. Notburga's Day (Patron of agricultural workers, husbandmen, peasants, restaurant servers)
Telluride Blues and Brews Festival -- Telluride, CO, US (nationally touring bands and microbreweries make for a fun weekend; through Sunday)
Unclear Ideas Display -- Fairy Calendar (Imps celebration)
Wo-Zha-Wa Days Fall Festival -- Wisconsin Dells, WI (fall festival; through Sunday)
Birthdays Today:
Wendy Thomas, 1961 (Namesake of Wendy's Hamburgers)
Sam Neill, 1947
Joey Heatherton, 1944
Nicol Williamson, 1938
Walter Koenig, 1936
Harve Presnell, 1933
Clayton Moore, 1914
Ivan Pallov, 1849
Today in History:
Domitian becomes emperor of Rome upon the death of his brother Titus, 81
Harun al-Rashid beomes Abbasid Caliph upon the death of his brother, al-Hadi, 786
The first lighthouse in the US, in Boston, is lit, 1716
George Frederick Handel finishes "Messiah" oratorio, after working on it non-stop for 23 days, 1741
Napoleon occupies Moscow; fires begin that will not be fully extinguished for 5 days, 1812
Francis Scott Key witnesses the battle which inspires him to write "The Defense of Fort McHenry", later retitled "The Star Spangled Banner", 1814
George K Anderson of Memphis, Tennessee patents typewriter ribbon, 1886
President of the United States William McKinley dies after an assassination attempt on September 6, and is succeeded by Theodore Roosevelt, 1901
Groundbreaking for the United Nations headquarters in New York City, 1948
The Soviet probe Luna 2 crashes onto the Moon, becoming the first man-made object to reach it, 1959
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is founded, 1960
The first American saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton, is canonized by Pope Paul VI, 1975
President-elect of Lebanon, Bachir Gemayel, is assassinated, 1982
Joe Kittinger becomes the first person to fly a hot air balloon alone across the Atlantic Ocean, 1984
The Toronto Blue Jays set a record for the most home runs in a single game, belting 10 of them, 1987
Kiribati, Nauru and Tonga join the United Nations, 1999
Historic National Prayer Service held at Washington National Cathedral for victims of the September 11 attacks; a similar service is held in Canada on Parliament Hill, the largest vigil ever held in the nation's capital, 2001
In a referendum, Estonia approves joining the European Union, 2003
On the way home from taking the kids to school, on the interstate at 70mph, i heard it. A low sound that just sounded "off." Turning off the radio, and then the A/C, i heard it a bit more clearly.
Back at home, i just had a feeling, and looked closely at my passenger front tire.
Sure enough, it was about to split apart from wear. The tread was going to come right off. It has been 3 years on these tires, after all.
That afternoon, Sweetie went to get the kids -- the van was not moving until it went into the shop.
The next morning, back to Kevin and Louis. Kevin was the first to come out with one of the mechanics.
Tires, i simply said, and he grinned. "Yep, I knew when you were in here last month it wouldn't be long. You'll need 4, right?"
While i hoped the front two would do for a while, it was not to be. One of the back ones was also about to split; i didn't notice that until the mechanic pointed it out.
This time, i had brought Ol' Bessy, my aging, ailing laptop with me so i could pass the time. And, of course, i was listening in on some of the chatter of the shop. One person with a transmission going out. Another with a noise coming from the back they were tracking down. The whole back end needs all kinds of work, it turns out.
For all of us, it's always something.
This time, $705.16. They also wanted to do a front end alignment, which it does need, but there is no way. Not with company coming in next week.
Speaking of which, it's time i ordered the Doberge cake. If you've never had one, you are missing a treat.
Today is:
Cherokee Strip Days -- Enid, Oklahoma (through Sunday)
Defy Superstition Day -- go walk under that ladder!
Dia de los Ninos Heroes -- Mexico
Eleven Days of Global Unity -- Day 3, Environment (sponsored by We, the World)
Epulum Iovis and Lectisternia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (festival for Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva
Feast of San Gennaro -- New York, NY, US (an 11 day street fair centered around Little Italy and its Patron Saint, Gennaro, whose feast day is the 19th; includes a Mass and parading of the Saint's statue on the final Saturday of the celebrations)
Festival of Lighting the Fires of Neith -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)
Fortune Cookie Day -- you might need one after that ladder stunt
Hummer/Bird Celebration -- Rockport and Fulton, TX, US (ruby-throated hummingbirds and other avians are the stars of this show; through Sunday)
Independence Day -- Venda (recognized within South Africa only)
International Chocolate Day -- as declared by the National Confectioners Association
On the Waterfront Swap Meet and Car Show -- St. Ignace, MI, US ( with a car show, truck show, toy show, and swap meet, there's something for everyone!)
National Celiac Awareness Day -- US
National Peanut Day
Newport International Boat Show -- Newport, RI, US (through Sunday)
Positive Thinking Day -- think positively that nothing bad will happen because of that ladder!
Runic Half Month Ken begins (illumination)
Snack-A-Pickle Time
St. John Chrysostrom's Day (Patron of education, epileptics, lecturers, orators, preachers; Constantinople)
Birthdays Today:
Ben Savage, 1980
Tavis Smiley, 1964
Jean Smart, 1959
Nell Carter, 1948
Jacqueline Bisset, 1944
Bela Karolyi, 1942
David Clayton-Thomas, 1941
Judith "Miss Manners" Martin, 1938
Mel Torme, 1925
Roald Dahl, 1916
Claudette Colbert, 1903
John J. Pershing, 1860
Milton Hershey, 1857
Walter Reed, 1851
Clara Schumann, 1819
Cesare Borgia, 1475
Today in History:
The temple of Jupiter on Rome's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September, BC509
Building begins on Hadrian's Wall, 122
St. Francis of Assisi receives stigmata, 1224
Michelangelo begins work on his statue of David, 1503
Henry Hudson reached the river that would later be named after him, 1609
NYC becomes the first capital of the US, 1788
US Government takes out its first loan from NYC banks, 1789
Six teenage military cadets known as Niños Héroes die defending Chapultepec Castle in the Battle of Chapultepec, 1847
Vermont railroad worker Phineas Gage incredibly survives a 3-foot-plus iron rod being driven through his head; the reported effects on his behavior and personality stimulate thinking about the nature of the brain and its functions, 1848
Hannibal Goodwin patents celluloid photographic film, 1898
Lusitania completes her maiden voyage, arriving in NYC, 1907
The temperature (in the shade) at Al 'Aziziyah, Libya reaches a world record 57.8*C (136.04*F), 1922
Elizabeth McCombs is the first woman elected to the New Zealand Parliament, 1933
Chiang Kai-shek elected president of the Republic of China, 1943
IBM introduces the first computer disk storage unit, the RAMAC 305, 1956
Hurricane Gilbert is the strongest recorded hurricane, based on barometric pressure, in the Western Hemisphere, 1988*
Largest anti-Apartheid march in South Africa, led by Desmond Tutu, 1989
The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted, 2007
Hurricane Ike makes landfall, damaging Galveston Island, Houston, and surrounding area, 2007
*Replaced by Hurricane Wilma in 2005
"Hey, Mom, remember those Westboro Baptist people? The ones who protest at military funerals and even at kids' funerals because they say those people died because G-d hates America because we don't kill gays?" Bigger Girl had come in from school exultant about her first test going well, and wanted to talk.
Well, i told her, i try not to think about them much, except to pray they learn to practice the love Jesus preached.
"Yeah, well this is weird. Did you know the KKK is protesting them?"
What?
"Yes! Really. Most KKK people are very pro military, so they are protesting Westboro's protesting! So, in a case like that, whose side do you pick?"
In a case like that, i have a headache, i told her.
"Well, you know, no matter what side of any argument you are on, there will be people who agree with you that you don't really like."
That's true. Still, in this case, i think i would stand back and watch from a safe distance.
Today is:
Amilcar Cabral's Birthday/National Day -- Guinea Bissau
Defender's Day -- Maryland, US (marking the bombardment of Ft. McHenry, which event inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Star Spangled Banner", current national anthem of the US)
Eleven Days of Global Unity -- Day 2, Interdependence (sponsored by We, the World)
Gahambar Paitishahem -- Zoroastrian Calendar (four day feast of bringing in the harvest, dates approximate)
Golden Aspen Motorcycle Rally -- Ruidoso, NM, US (through Sunday)
Morton Pumpkin Festival -- Morton, IL, US (the Pumpkin Capital of the World; through Sunday)
National Chocolate Milkshake Day
National Championship Air Races -- Reno, NV, US (through Sunday)
National Day of Encouragement -- US (no matter where you live, encourage someone today)
National Guitar Flat-Picking Championships and Walnut Valley Festival -- Winfield, KS, US (through Sunday)
Pendleton Round-Up -- Pendleton, OR, US (traditional rodeo with the participation of local Native tribes; through Saturday)
Programmers Day -- Russia, and among programmers around the world (yes, it's usually on the 13th, but this is a leap year, and thus today is the 256th day of the year)
St. Alibe's Day (Patron of wolves; Cashel, Ireland; Emly, Ireland; Munster, Ireland)
St. Guy's Day (Patron of bachelors, epileptics, horned animals, laborers, sacristans, sextons, work horses; for protection of outbuildings, sheds, and stables; Anderlecht, Belgium; against epilepsy, hydrphobia/rabies, infantile convulsions, and rabid dogs)
Video Games Day -- an unofficially declared day for kids to thank their parents for indulging their love of games
Anniversaries Today:
Elizabeth Barret and Robert Browning elope, 1846
Birthdays Today:
Yao Ming, 1980
Rachel Ward, 1957
Gerry Beckley, 1952
Barry White, 1952
Maria Muldaur, 1943
Linda Gray, 1940
George Jones, 1931
Dickie Moore, 1925
Irene Dailey, 1920
Jesse Owens, 1913
Ben Blue, 1901
Alfred A. Knopf, Sr. 1892
Maurice Chevalier, 1888
H.L. Mencken, 1880
Today in History:
Henry Hudson begins his exploration of the Hudson River while aboard the Halve Maen, 1609
The first submarine is tested in London, 1624
Turkish troops besieging Vienna are overthrown after 2 months by Poland's King Sobieski, 1683
First Black Masons Lodge is formed, 1787
Switzerland becomes a Federal State, 1848
The "Cleopatra Needle" is installed in London, 1878
Charles Leroux, world famous parachutist with 238 successful jumps, perishes in his attempted jump in the Bay of Reval, 1889
The world's first female police officer, Alice Stebbins Wells, is appointed by the LAPD, 1910
Cave paintings are discovered in Lascaux, France, 1940
Jack Kilby demonstrates the first integrated circuit, 1958
Premiere of Bonanza, the first regularly-scheduled TV program presented in color, 1959
Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, 'Messiah' of the Rastafari movement, is deposed following a military coup, 1974
Indonesia is hit with an 8.1 earthquake, 1979
Hurricane Gilbert devastates Jamaica, 1988
Hong Kong Disneyland opens in Penny's Bay, Lantau Island, Hong Kong, 2005
...bumper sticker i have ever seen.
It said, "All I Ever Needed to Know About Islam I Learned on 9/11."
It made me angry and made me want to cry at the same time.
The answer is not to tar everyone of a certain group with the same brush, nor is it to answer hate with hate.
Will we ever learn better? Somehow, i have to hope so, or i will give up in despair.
Meanwhile, there is Aseem Trivedi, and the firestorm around him, to give me some of that hope.
He is a cartoonist in India, and is known to be openly critical of the corruption he sees in Indian politics. He as been arrested and charged with sedition for criticizing the government there.
The government is saying they aren't trying to stop free speech, but that he has gone too far by insulting national symbols.
The rally behind the cartoonist is growing, with people upset with what they see as the government's latest attempt to silence the growing anti-corruption movement.
Mr. Trivedi has refused to ask for bail, saying that if pointing out corruption brands him a traitor, he is happy to be described as one.
Good for him.
In totally different news, this is being composed on my aging, ailing laptop, Ol' Bessy. She is probably around 8 years old, a Toshiba, big, heavy, and prone to overheating easily. Why do i mention this?
Because Bill Moggridge, who came up with the original design for the laptop -- a device whose screen display folds down over its keyboard -- has died of cancer at the age of 69.
Rest in Peace, Bill Moggridge; you make my days easier with your genius creation.
Today is:
Day of Remembrance/Patriot Day -- US (all flags at half staff)
Discontinued Thoughts Exhibition -- Fairy Calendar
Eleven Days of Global Unity -- Day 1, Unity (sponsored by We, the World)
Emergency Number Day -- US
Fiesta Nacional de Cataluna -- Catalonia, Spain (National Day of Catalonia)
Husker Harvest Days -- Grand Island, NE, US (the largest irrigated working ag show on a permanent site in the US; through Thursday)
Jinnah Day -- Pakistan (Founder's Day)
Kentucky Bourbon Festival -- Bardstown, KY, US (self explanatory; through Sunday)
Libraries Remember Day -- encouraging libraries, which preserve knowledge and heritage, promote tolerance, and represent all that is the antithesis to terrorism, to remain open the entire 24 hours of this day as symbol of freedom, tolerance, and hope
Make Your Bed Day -- make your mom happy!
National Day of Catalona -- Catalona
National Day of Service and Remembrance -- US
National Hot Cross Buns Day
Nayrouz -- Coptic Orthodox Church (Coptic new year and day of confessors) related observances
Enkutatash -- Ethiopia
Keddus Johannes -- Eritrea (a/k/a Geez New Year)
No News is Good News Day
Queen Paola's Birthday -- Belgium (an official flag day)
Sacrifice to Zeus Epoptes -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate)
St. Sperandea's`Day (Patron of Cingoli, Italy)
St. Vincent of Leon' Day (Patron of Cercemaggiore, Italy)
Teacher's Day -- Argentina
Anniversaries Today:
Diocletian New Year
Remembrance of 9/11/2001
Birthdays Today:
Harry Connick, Jr. 1967
Kristy McNichol, 1962
Lola Falana, 1943
Tom Dreesen, 1942
Brian DePalma, 1940
Paul "Bear" Bryant, 1913
D.H. Lawrence, 1885
O. Henry, 1862
Today in History:
Battle of Teutoburg Forest ends, 9
Michimalonko leads indigenous warriors to attack and destroy Santiago, Chile, 1541
Alexander Hamilton is appointed first US Secretary of the Treasury, 1789
The Hope Diamond is stolen along with other French crown jewels when six men break into the house used to store them, 1792
Stephen Foster's well-known song, Oh! Susanna, is first performed at a saloon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1847
Jenny Lind, the "Swedish Nightingale", gives her first US concert, 1850
The Olympia Columbian becomes the first newspaper published north of the Columbia River, 1852
The postal mail chute is patented by James Cutler, 1883
Mahatma Gandhi coins the term "Satyagraha" to characterize the Non-Violence movement in South Africa, 1906
The Quebec Bridge's central span collapses, killing 11, 1916
Hurricane Carla strikes the Texas coast as a Category 4 hurricane, the second strongest storm ever to hit the state, 1961
U.S. President Jimmy Carter, President Anwar Sadat of Egypt, and Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel meet at Camp David and agree on the Camp David Accords, 1978
Hungary announces that East German refugees there are free to leave for West Germany, 1989
Hurricane Iniki, one of the most damaging hurricanes in United States history, devastates Hawaii, especially the islands of Kauai and Oahu, 1992
September 11 terrorist attacks on the US, 2001
The State of Israel claims completion for its unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip, 2005
Russia tests the largest conventional weapon ever, the Father of all bombs, 2007
What do you need help to do? i asked my Sunday school class.
Timmy took the lead in answering, as usual, from his favorite place in the classroom -- upside down in a headstand on the cushion against the wall.
"Oh, I do lots of stuff by myself!" he answered.
We all talked a while about who needs help. Everyone agreed that they would need help building a house, for example, but can all write their names by themselves.
"I could write my name when I was just a year old!" Timmy proclaimed.
You must have been some kind of a prodigy, i grinned at him, but the irony of my statement was lost on him. He seemed to love the word, and brought himself right side up to run around yelling, "I'm a progidy! I'm a progidy!"
We discussed asking G-d for help, and things we can do to help others, but the word "progidy" was never far away from his mind, and he certainly seemed to be one when we went outside to swing and blow bubbled later. He caught more bubbles, without breaking them, than any of the others.
They often don't learn exactly what you expect, do they?
In other news, all of us who love American football as played in south Louisiana, even those of us who are not Tulane fans, are praying for the recovery of Devon Walker. He was the team's safety, who broke his neck in the game against the Tulsa, Oklahoma Golden Hurricanes team Saturday. They were playing in Tulsa, and we won't know for certain how bad the injury is for a few days. Anyone who wants to pray or send good thoughts his way, i know it is appreciated.
Today is
Abbots Bromley Horn Dance -- Abbots Bromley, UK (a/k/a Antler Dance or Ceremony of the Deermen; uses deer horns from the 11th Century, and a traditional dance, tune, and circuit around the neighboring farms, and includes a fair)
Dia del Nino -- Honduras (Children's Day)
Harvest Home Nibbling Contest -- Fairy Calendar (Gremlins)
National Boss/Employee Exchange Day -- US (or anyone else who wants to foster understanding between bosses and employees)
National Day -- Gibraltar
Peddler's Village Scarecrow Competition -- Lahaska, PA (through Oct. 28)
Pennsylvania RV & Camping Show -- Hershey, PA, US (the largest RV and Camper show in the world; through Saturday)
Saint George's Caye Day -- Belize (National Day)
Sewing Machine Day -- date of issuance of an early sewing machine patent
Swap Ideas Day -- Robert L. Birch of Puns Corp wants people to explore ways in which their ideas can be put to work to benefit all humanity and develop incentives to encourage using our creative imaginations
St. Finian's Day (Patron of Ulster, Irland)
St. Nicholas of Tolentino's Day (Patron of animals, baby, dying people, mariners/sailors, sick animals; Albi, Italy; Cabanatuan, Philippines; Guimbai, Philippines; Lambuna, Philippines; Mati, Philippines; Tandag, Philippines; Toentino, Italy)
Teacher's Day -- China
TV Dinner Day
Wakes Monday
World Suicide Prevention Day
Birthdays Today:
Amy Irving, 1953
Joe Perry, 1950
Jose Feliciano, 1945
Charles Kuralt, 1934
Roger Maris, 1934
Arnold Palmer, 1929
Rin Tin Tin, 1918
Fay Wray, 1907
Adele Astaire, 1896
Elsa Schiaparelli, 1890
Ian Fleming, 1888
Isaac Kauffman Funk, 1839
Marie Laveau, 1801
Today in History:
The Battle of Marathon takes places between the forces of the Persian Empire and those of Athens, BC490*
An earthquake known as "The Lesser Judgment Day" hits Istanbul, 1509
John Smith is elected president of Jamestown, Va., Colony Council, 1608
Nathan Hale answers the call of George Washington for a volunteer spy, 1776
Simón Bolívar is named President of Peru, 1823
Elias Howe is granted a patent for the sewing machine, 1846
George Mary Searle discovers the asteroid 55 Pandora, 1858
Lincoln Highway, the first paved coast-to-coast road in the US, opens, 1913
Austria and the Allies sign the Treaty of Saint-Germain recognizing the independence of Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, 1919
20 African-American students enter public schools in Alabama, 1963
Hamida Djandoubi, convicted of torture and murder, is the last person to be executed by guillotine in France, 1977
Switzerland, traditionally a neutral country, joins the United Nations, 2002
The Large Hadron Collider at CERN, described as the biggest scientific experiment in history is powered up in Geneva, Switzerland, 2008
*actual date disputed, but it was the 9th day of the 9th moon on their calendar
...but the home team won.
They are playing sloppily against smaller teams, though, and that does not bode well to me. The habits they get into right now, at the beginning of the season, are the habits they will carry into the major games of the season.
Never have i seen so many penalty flags thrown onto a football field, one play after another.
They need to tighten up, be more careful, practice excellence in each play against even these "smaller" teams, or later on they are going to get their heinies handed to them, and deserve to.
Meanwhile, as noted, i am writing this late, and it is not good to be overtired when teaching Sunday school. Anyone teaching Timmy needs to be fresh and well rested. It takes quick reflexes to help him with his headstands.
Today is:
Blessed Father Jacques Leval Day -- Mauritius (physician turned priest who lived among and ministered to the poorest of the poor in Mauritius; people of all faiths make a pilgrimage to his tomb today)
Bonza Bottler Day
Chrysanthemum Day or Kiku no Sekku -- Japan
Day of the Victims of Holocaust and of Racial Violence -- Slovakia
Festivity of Our Lady of Aranzazu -- Oñati, Basque
Giostra Della Quintana -- Foligno, Italy (revival of a 17th-century jousting tournament, with 600 knights in full armor)
Grandparents' Day
Great Procession of Tournai -- Tournai, Belgium (religious procession held since 1092, in thanksgiving for deliverance from the plague)
Homesteader Harvest Festival -- Brandon, SD, US (re-creation of the harvest in the pioneer days)
Hug Your Hound Day -- to increase awareness of human- and dog-friendly urban spaces
Independence Day -- Tajikistan
Karasu-zumo -- Kamigamo-jinja Shrine, Kyoto, Japan (a distinctive local festival where the Shinto priests imitate crows)
Liberation Ceremony -- Petange, Luxembourg
Milk-Bathing Festival -- Fairy Calendar
National Day -- North Korea
National Sports Day -- Indonesia
National Steak Au Poivre Day
Pet Memorial Day -- in honor of pets loved and lost over the years
St. Peter Claver's Day (Patron of African missions, inter-racial justice, race relations; Colombia; Lake Charles, LA; Shreveport, LA; Witbank, South Africa; against slavery)
Synaxis of Ss. Joachim and Anna -- Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches
Teddy Bear Day -- internet generated, but since it's so much fun to have one, celebrate your old friend
Wakes Sunday
Wienerschnitzel Day
Wonderful Weirdos Day -- we all have a few in our lives, they remind us to be true to ourselves, so thank them today; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays
Anniversaries Today:
California becomes the 31th US State, 1850
Birthdays Today:
Adam Sandler, 1966
Hugh Grant, 1960
Angela Cartwright, 1952
Michael Keaton, 1951
Billy Preston, 1946
Otis Redding, 1941
Cliff Robertson, 1925
James Hilton, 1900
Colonel Harland Sanders, 1890
Alf Landon, 1887
Leo Tolstoy, 1828
William Bligh, 1754
Today in History:
William I, The Conqueror, dies in a horse riding accident, 1087
The New England colonies declare war on the Wampanoag Tribe, 1675
The first steam engine arrives in the US colonies, 1753
The first recorded black to graduate from a US college, Alexander Lucius Twilight, receives a BA from Middlebury College, 1817
Charles Durant, the first US aeronaut, flies a balloon from Castle Garden, NYC to Perth Amboy, NJ, 1830
The first plate glass photograph is taken by John Herschel, 1839
California becomes the 31st state and the territories of New Mexico and Utah are created, 1850
The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works is finalized, 1886
Orville Wright makes the first one hour plane flight, 1908
J. Verdrines becomes the first person to fly at over 100mph, 1912
First actual case of a computer bug being found: a moth lodges in a relay of a Harvard Mark II computer at Harvard University, 1947
Hurricane Betsy makes its second landfall near New Orleans, Louisiana, becoming the first hurricane to do over $1billion in actual unadjusted damages, 1965
The four-day Attica Prison riot begins, 1971
The Palestine Liberation Organization officially recognizes Israel as a legitimate state, 1993
At exactly 01:46:40 UTC, the Unix billenium is reached, marking the beginning of the use of 10-digit Unix timestamps, 2001
.jpg)
Posts
