...whatever happened to the "paperless society" they promised us?
It seems that the US Department of Veterans Affairs Regional office building in Winston-Salem, N.C., had so many paper claim files stacked on the 6th floor that the place was in danger of collapsing. The files had to be relocated to other floors in the building.
Now if you will excuse me, i need to go sort some more of my overflowing desk.
Paperless, indeed.
Today is:
Assassination of the Hero of the Nation Day/Prince Rwagasore Day -- Burundi (Commemorates the assassination of Prince Louis Rwagasore in 1961.)
Catoctin Colorfest -- Thurmont, MD, US (juried art festival, live music, food, and more; through tomorrow)
Clean the Crumbs Out of the Broiler Oven Day -- keep it working longer, and prevent a potential fire
Fontinalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (garlanding of fountains)
International Skeptics Day -- while there are skeptic organizations(http://www.freeinquiry.com/skeptic/organizations/) around the globe, there's no documentation of this being celebrated internationally; maybe the creator of the day wanted us to be skeptical about it?
Jack-O-Launch -- DeLaney Farm, Aurora, CO, US (including an official Punkin Chunkin Contest, a free festival for the whole family)
John Peel Day -- UK (in honor of his last broadcast)
Louisiana Art & Folk Festival -- Columbia, LA, US (celebrating the rich folklore and music arts of Louisiana)
Marching Band Festival -- Blinn College, Brenham, TX, US (if you love marching bands, this is the place to be; 38th annual, 36 high school bands participating, 3,500+ musicians)
Modern Mythology Day -- internet generated, go look up a few modern myths on truthorfiction.net or snopes and have a good laugh
Monster Myths by Moonlight -- Milford, KS, US (wear your costume and take a nature walk to learn the truth about such Halloween "monsters" as bats, snakes, spiders, vultures, etc.)
Mountain Glory Festival -- Marion, NC, US (celebrating the mountain heritage)
National Police Day -- Thailand (Wan Tamruat)
National Yorkshire Pudding Day
Navy Establishment Day -- US
Pine Barrens Jamboree -- Waretown, NJ, US (celebration of New Jersey Pinelands, with canoeing, nature walks, music, kids' activities, and more; free!)
Punkin Chunkin Colorado -- Aurora, CO, US (divisions include trebuchet, compressed air cannon, catapult, human power, and youth)
Roseland Cottage Fine Arts & Crafts Festival -- Woodstock, CT, US (one of the leading juried shows in New England; through tomorrow)
Runic Half-month Wyn (joy) begins
Scenic Drive Festival -- Van Buren County, IA, US (includes flea markets, an arts festival, and historic architecture; through tomorrow)
Sedona Arts Festival -- Sedona, AZ, US (celebration of visual, performing, and culinary arts, with proceeds going to student art programs and scholarships; through tomorrow)
St. Colman's Day (Patron of horned cattle, horses, and those who are to be hanged; Austria; against death by hanging and plague; a blessing of horses and cattle is still held at Melk on this day)
St. Edward the Confessor's Day (Patron of kings, those in difficult marriages, separated spouses; the English Royal Family)
Train Your Brain Day -- spread around the internet by no one knows whom, but today is a good day to commit to doing what you can to keep your brain young
Universal Music Day -- celebrate music as our universal language
Wisconsin Dells Autumn Harvest Fest -- Wisconsin Dells, WI, US (includes a scarecrow stuffing contest, pumpkin decorating, microbrew tasting, and more; through tomorrow)
Anniversaries Today:
Cornerstone of the White House laid, 1792
Founding of Georgia Institute of Technology (Ga. Tech), 1885
Birthdays Today:
Nancy Kerrigan, 1969
Kelly Preston, 1962
Jerry Rice, 1962
Marie Osmond, 1959
Chris Carter, 1957
Sammy Hagar, 1947
Paul Simon, 1941
Nan Mouskouri, 1934
Lenny Bruce, 1925
Margaret Thatcher, 1925
Nipsey Russell, 1924
Yves Montand, 1921
Cornel Wilde, 1915
L. L. Bean, 1872
Today in History:
Nero becomes emperor, 54
The Vandals and Alans cross the Pyrenees and appear in Hispania, 409
Rabbi Issac Abarbanel begins his exegesis on the Torah, 1483
Jonathan Swift publishes the last of Drapier's letters, 1724
Charles Messier discovers the Whirlpool Galaxy, 1773
First publication of the "Old Farmer's Almanac", 1792
George Washington lays the cornerstone of the "Executive Mansion" (White House), 1792
Founding of B'nai B'rith, 1843
The first arial photo taken in the US, from a balloon over Boston, 1860
Eliezer Ben-Yehuda & friends agree to use Hebrew exclusively in their conversations, which begins the revival of it as an active and growing language, 1881
Greenwich, in London, England, is established as Universal Time meridian of longitude, 1884
Edward Emerson Barnard discovers D/1892 T1, the first comet discovered by photographic means, on the night of October 13–14, 1892
Ankara replaces Istanbul as the capital of Turkey, 1923
Premier of "Kukla, Fran, & Ollie", 1947
Fiji joins the United Nations, 1970
The first electron micrograph of an Ebola viral particle was obtained by Dr. F.A. Murphy, now at U.C. Davis, who was then working at the C.D.C, 1976
Ameritech Mobile Communications (now AT&T) launched the first US cellular network in Chicago, Illinois, 1983
End of the Lebanese Civil War, 1990
The 2010 Copiapó mining accident in Copiapó, Chile comes to an end as all 33 miners arrive at the surface after surviving a record 69 days underground awaiting rescue, 2010
Hello, Mr. Massen! i said to our neighbor when i saw him outside while taking clothes to the line.
"Hello! How are you?" he asked.
Doing well, i replied. How is your family?
"We are doing well, but night before last my wife woke up from a sound outside, after midnight, and she thought it was a dream. Then, the next morning, i found the door to my tool shed open."
Did they take anything? i inquired.
"No, and you know you and your kids are welcome to get into there and borrow a tool if you need to, but do you think maybe one of your kids went in that late?"
Well, i'm going to find out, because they better not! That would be taking advantage of a neighbor's generosity unless it was an extreme emergency.
"Yes, you see, the reason I ask is because they didn't take anything, not even the generator! You know those are valuable around here, so why would someone break in and not take the only valuable thing in there? So I thought maybe one of your kids might have been out late."
It might have been someone who got scared off by the noise he made, convinced he would be caught. But if it was one of mine, they are in deep trouble, that's for sure; i'll be certain they know they can borrow tools but only if they ask first, and only during the day.
"Thank you! And you are right, the person made so much noise, maybe he changed his mind and ran so he wouldn't be caught."
About 10 minutes later, #2 Son wandered into the kitchen.
Son, Mrs. Massen was awakened night before last by someone getting into their tool shed after midnight. Do you know anything about that?
"No, mom, I don't, but that was the night I saw some strange guy wandering around the field pretty late, wearing nothing but his boxers and talking to himself! Yesterday, I told the Deputy Sheriff who came through on patrol. Maybe I should tell him about this, too."
Good idea. Because good neighbors watch out for each other, and we have great neighbors.
Today is:
Apple Butter Makin' Days -- Mt. Vernon, MO, US (making apple butter on the courthouse lawn, and lots of other fun; through Sunday)
Ayathrem -- Zoroastrianism (feast of bringing the herds and flocks home, a five day feast, dates approximate)
Child Rambunctiousness Appreciation Day -- remembering back to when we didn't say every kid with ants in his/her pants needed drugs
Children's Day / Feast of Our Lady of Aparecida -- Brazil
Cloud-Stamping Pentathlon -- Fairy Calendar
Confucius' Birthday -- China
Cookbook Launch Day -- someone started this one just because s/he likes cookbooks is my guess
Day of Fortuna Redux -- Ancient Roman Calendar (goddess of successful journeys and lucky homecomings, favored by travelers and soldiers)
Day of Giving the Black Land to Horus and the Red Land to Set -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)
"Discovery" of America by Columbus observances:
Columbus Day -- US (trad.)
Descubrimiento de América -- Mexico
Día de la Hispanidad or Fiesta Nacional de España -- Spain
Dia de la Raza -- Latin America and especially Guatemala (Day of the Race, or Day of the Natives)
Día de la Resistencia Indígena -- Venezuela (Day of Indigenous Resistance)
Dia de las Americas/Descubrimiento de America -- Uruguay
Dia de las Culturas -- Costa Rica (Day of the Cultures)
Discovery Day -- Bahamas
Fort Ligonier Days -- Ligonier, PA, US (commemoration of the Battle of Ligonier with reenactments, parade, entertainment, etc.; through Sunday)
Freethought Day -- celebration by Freethinkers of the effective ending date of the Salem witch trials
Independence Day -- Equatorial Guinea(1968)
International Moment of Frustration Scream Day -- sponsored by Wellcat Holidays, who want you to go outside at 1200GMT and scream for 30 seconds so we can all get it out of our systems
Medford Jazz Festival -- Medford, OR, US (over 100 jazz performances, many by nationally known bands, plus food and celebration; through Sunday)
Mississinewa1812 -- Mississinewa, IN, US (the largest War of 1812 living history and reenactment event; through Sunday)
Natchitoches Historic Pilgrimage -- Natchitoches, LA, US (National Historic Landmark District homes, plantations, and the sites where the movie Steel Magnolias was filmed are featured on this fabulous tour; through Sunday)
National Gumbo Day
Native American's Day -- often celebrated on both the observed and the traditional Columbus Day; a day to mourn Native American victims of conquest and oppression, make peace, and celebrate the empowerment of Native Americans
Royal National (Gaelic) Mod -- Dunoon, Scotland (Gaelic Language Festival; through the 20th)
Sawara Festival -- Chiba, Japan (also called the Grand Festival of Sarawa; through the 14th)
Southern Festival of Books: A Celebration of the Written Word -- Nashville, TN, US (through Sunday)
Starman Family Gathering -- El Segundo, CA, US ("family reunion" of those who created and those who appreciate the TV series "Starman;" through Sunday)
St. Edwin of Northumbria's Day (Patron of converts, hoboes/tramps, homeless people, kings, parents of large families)
St. Wilfred of York's Day (Patron of Middlesbrough, England; Ripon, England)
Tennessee Fall Homecoming -- Museum of Appalachia, Clinton, TN, US (celebrating the culture and heritage of Appalachia; through Sunday)
Victorian Theatre by Candlelight presents "Haunted DC" by James Trofatter -- Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, Indianapolis, IN, US (learn about the Patriotic spirits that haunt the capital; this weekend and next)
World Egg Day
World Rainforest Week begins -- International
Anniversary Today:
Day of Six Billion, 1999 (marking the world population reaching that number)
Birthdays Today:
Kirk Cameron, 1970
Hugh Jackman, 1968
Carlos Bernard, 1962
Susan Anton, 1950
Chris Wallace, 1947
Luciano Pavarotti, 1935
Dick Gregory, 1932
Today in History:
The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon, BC539
King John of England loses his crown jewels in The Wash, 1216
Nichiren, Japans Buddhist monk who founded Nichiren Buddhism, inscribes the Dai-Gohonzon, 1279
Christopher Columbus' expedition makes landfall in the Bahamas, 1492
Massachusetts discontinues all witch trials, 1692
America's first asylum for "Persons of Insane and Disordered Minds" opens in Virginia, 1773
Bavarian royalty invites the citizens of Munich to join the celebration of the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen; this celebration becomes the founding of the first Oktoberfest, 1810
Charles Macintosh, of Scotland, sells the first raincoat, 1821
Criminal Tribes Act (CTA) is enacted by British rule in India, which named over 160 local communities 'Criminal Tribes', i.e. hereditary criminals, 1871*
President Theodore Roosevelt officially renames the "Executive Mansion" to the White House, 1901
An iron lung respirator is used for the first time at Children's Hospital, Boston, 1928
The Soviet Union launches the Voskhod 1 into Earth orbit as the first spacecraft with a multi-person crew and the first flight without space suits, 1964
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the first of five books in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy comedy science fiction series by Douglas Adams is published, 1979
The lowest recorded non-tornadic atmospheric pressure, 87.0 kPa (870 mbar or 25.69 inHg), occurred in the Western Pacific during Typhoon Tip, 1979
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh visit the People's Republic of China, 1986
NASA loses radio contact with the Magellan spacecraft as the probe descends into the thick atmosphere of Venus, 1994
The proclaimed 6 billionth living human in the world is born, 1999
The second Chinese human spaceflight Shenzhou 6 is launched, 2005
*Not repealed until India's independence in 1949
"Hey, mom, have you heard about the Crew of Beard?" #2 Son asked as we chatted after his haircut. We were waiting for Little Girl to get finished with hers, and she was almost done.
Since the DJ on their favorite radio station has been making everyone who calls in say hello to his beard, i had heard.
You mean those people who are growing a beard for the Saints? was all i said.
"Yes, and I've decided to join them and let my beard grow."
Okay.
"You're good with that?"
Sure, i answered. After all, i thought but did not say, right now any whiskers you have could be easily taken care of with a good licking from a cat, as the old saying goes.
"Good, I'm glad."
So, this is until the Saints win a game, right? i continued to play along.
"Oh, no, you see, it's until the Saints win a Super Bowl."
A Super Bowl! That could be years!
"No, no, see, Drew Brees keeps saying to the Beard Nation that it's okay, he's got it under control."
Well, it should be until they win, or Brees retires, whichever comes first, i noted.
"Nope, he says he has our back, it's under control."
Gads, i hope that either they win this year, or the kid holds off on sprouting enough substantial facial hair to make someone look twice until he's out of high school.
The last thing i want to have to do is explain this to his teacher.
Today is:
Chicago International Film Festival -- Chicago, IL, US (oldest competitive international film festival in North America; through the 25th)
General Pulaski Memorial Day -- US (celebrating Casimir Pulaski, "the father of American cavalry")
It's My Party Day -- so go have one!
Meditrinalia/Vinalia -- Ancient Roman Calendar (tasting of the year's new wine; in honor of Meditrina, goddess of health/medicine, longevity, and wine, and Bacchus, god of wine)
National Sausage Pizza Day
New York Comic Con -- NY, NY, US (through Sunday)
Old Michaelmas Day -- Celtic Calendar
Revolution Day -- Republic of Macedonia
Sunbeam Sliding Sunday -- Fairy Calendar (only occasionally on a Sunday)
St. Gomar's Day (Patron of childless people, courtiers, cowherds, glove makers, people in difficult marriages, separated spouses, woodcutters; Lier, Belgium; against hernias)
Toronto Ski, Snowboard, and Travel Show -- Toronto, ON, Canada (through Sunday)
Uprising Against Fascism Day -- Macedonia
"You Go Girl!" Day -- in honor of Kathy Sullivan, first American woman to walk in space
Birthdays Today:
Joan Cusack, 1962
Steve Young, 1961
Dawn French, 1957
Elmore Leonard, 1925
Art Blakey, 1919
Jerrome Robbins, 1918
Eleanor Roosevelt, 1884
Henry John Heinz, 1844
George Williams, 1821 (founder, YMCA)
Today in History:
Massive earthquake strikes Aleppo, Syria, 1138
Columbus' ship sites land on the horizon (the Bahamas), 1492
Huldrych Zwingli is killed in battle with the Roman Catholic cantons of Switzerland, 1531
Peter the Great becomes tsar of Russia, 1689
Explorer Meriwether Lewis dies under mysterious circumstances along the Natchez Trace in Tennessee at the Grinder's Stand Inn, 1809
The first steam powered ferryboat, the Juliana, begins operation, 1811
Australia's oldest university, University of Sidney, is inaugurated, 1852
Dorr Eugene Felt receives a patent for his Comptometer, the first adding machine known to be accurate at all times, 1887
The Great Chicago Fire is finally extinguished, 1871
David Houston patents roll film for cameras, 1881
First female FBI "special investigator", Alaska Davidson, appointed, 1922
With the opening of store # 1252, in Milford, Delaware, J.C. Penney becomes a nationwide company, with stores in all 48 states, 1929
CBS's mechanical color system is the first to be licensed for broadcast by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, 1950
Pope John XXIII convenes the first ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church in 92 years, Vatican II, 1962
NASA launches Apollo 7, the first successful manned Apollo mission, 1968
The NBC sketch comedy/variety show Saturday Night Live debuts with George Carlin as the host and Andy Kaufman, Janis Ian and Billy Preston as guests, 1975
The Mary Rose, a Tudor carrack which sank on July 19 1545, is salvaged from the sea bed of the Solent, off Portsmouth, 1982
The record high of the Dow Jones Industrial Average occurs at 14,198.10 points, 2007
"Is there any way you can take two more kittens?" Blaire pleaded over the phone. "Right now I have so many I've had to get a kennel license, and I cannot have any more. Plus, with my health and having to babysit my grandbabies every day, I just can't handle the littlest ones any more."
She didn't have to plead, and besides, Cathy, Miss W's right hand person, had approved, so there is room for them reserved at the shelter when they are big enough. As long as they have room for them when they are big enough, i will make room, too.
Half an hour later she walked in with a box from which came piercing yells, so i knew they were at least feisty and healthy for now.
"They were with mama for their first two or three days," Blaire said, "so when we got them and got a bit of milk syringed into them, they perked right up."
A black and a tabby -- the selection for this year. One or two colors seem to predominate every year, and this year, dark is the style.
What's the story on them? i asked.
"A lady who hates cats found them in her azalea bushes, so she threw them in the trash can and called animal control to come kill them. My friend who works there called me, and Chris was able to go out there and get them. She said you could hear them yelling as soon as you got out of the car."
Some days, i'm embarrassed to be human.
Meanwhile, we have Grace and Hope.
They are snuggled up in a Winnie-the-Pooh blanket in a heated dog water dish, the kind that keeps the dog's water from freezing in cold weather. You put them where you have to, but it's better than a trash can.
Today is:
Alex Kivi Day a/k/a Kivi Day -- Finland (The Day of Finnish Literature)
Arbor Day -- Poland
Bonza Bottler Day
Bring Your Teddy Bear to Work Day -- at your own risk! sponsored by Susan E. Schwartz of "Teddies Are The Answer"
Cementation and Propitiation Festival / Friends Made Ceremony -- Cherokee Native Americans (approximately 10 days after the Great New Moon that marked the New Year, a festival for renewing friendships, making new friends, cleansing, and building a new Sacred Fire)
Curacao Day -- Curacao
Double Tenth Day -- Taiwan (In remembrance of the revolution against the Imperial Manchu Dynasty.)
Emergency Nurses Day
Festival for Juno Moneta -- Ancient Roman Calendar (Juno as goddess of money)
Frankfurt Book Fair -- Frankfurt, Germany (world's largest international book fair; through Sunday)
Independence Day / Deed of Cession Day -- Fiji(1970)
International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction -- UN
International Top Spinning Day -- sponsored by the Spinning Top and Yo-Yo Museum, to recognize the Earth as a large spinning top; add your spins to the total and e-mail results to the sponsor
Journee Nationale de la Femme Marocaine -- Morocco (National Women's Day)
Kruger Day -- South Africa
Maroons Day -- Suriname (celebration of indigenous peoples)
Moi Day -- Kenya
National Angel Food Cake Day
National Cake Decorating Day -- some websites say today, some say the 17th
National Stop Bullying Day -- US
Naval Academy Day -- US
St. Francis Borgia's Day (Patron of Portugal; Rota, Marianas; against earthquakes)
St. Paulinus of York's Day (Patron of Rochester, England)
Tag der Volksabstimmung -- Austria (Referendum Day)
Tavistock Goosey Fair -- Tavistock, Devon, UK (dating back to 12th-century Michaelmas fairs, this orginal livestock fair is now mostly a fun festival)
War of Independence Anniversary -- Cuba
World Day Against the Death Penalty -- International
World Mental Health Day -- International
Anniversaries Today:
The United States Naval Academy opened with 50 midshipmen and 7 professors, 1845
Birthdays Today:
Dale Earnhardt, Jr., 1974
Brett Favre, 1969
Tanya Tucker, 1958
Charles Dance, 1946
Ben Vereen, 1946
Harold Pinter, 1930
Richard Jaeckel, 1926
Thelonious Monk, 1917
Edward D. Wood, Jr., 1924
Helen Hayes, 1900
Giuseppe Verdi, 1813
Henry Cavendish, 1731 (discovered hydrogen)
Today in History:
The Great Hurricane of 1780 kills 20,000 to 30,000 in the Caribbean, 1780
The first non-Native American settlement is founded in Oklahoma, 1802
William Lassell discovers Neptune's moon Triton, 1846
The first "Dinner Jacket" is worn to the Autumn Ball at Tuxedo Park, NY, 1886
President Woodrow Wilson triggers the explosion of the Gamboa Dike thus ending construction on the Panama Canal, 1913
Ho Chi Minh enters Hanoi after the French pull out of the city, 1954
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower apologizes to the finance minister of Ghana, Komla Agbeli Gbdemah, after he is refused service in a Dover, Delaware restaurant, 1957
The Windscale fire in Cumbria, U.K. is the world's first major nuclear accident, 1957
The opening ceremony at The 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, is broadcast live in the first Olympic telecast relayed by geostationary communication satellite, 1964
The Outer Space Treaty, signed on January 27 by more than sixty nations, comes into force, 1967
In Montreal, Quebec, a national crisis hits Canada when Quebec Vice-Premier and Minister of Labour Pierre Laporte becomes the second statesman kidnapped by members of the FLQ terrorist group, 1970
Sold, dismantled and moved to the United States, London Bridge reopens in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, 1971
After having closed borders for about two hundred years, Armenia and Turkey sign protocols in Zurich, Switzerland to open their borders, 2009
Okay, ladies and germs, everybody front and center! i called.
#2 Son looked up from what he was reading on the computer, Little Girl paused over a math calculation at the kitchen table, and Bigger Girl, who has hyperacute hearing and knows when a fly sneezes in the next room, came downstairs.
"What's up, mom?" Bigger Girl asked.
Tonight's dinner is supposed to be vegetable beef soup, and just veggie soup for you two ladies. The beef is here, the stock is here, where are the vegetables?
Note: when i make this dish, i use the leftovers from the Sunday roast, and frozen veggies, and home made stock, among other things. Nothing goes to waste in this house, if you have leftovers, you have lunch or your have recycled leftovers a couple of days later.
Three guilty looks were exchanged.
"Do you mean the bags of frozen broccoli and cauliflower?" Little Girl asked.
Yes, and the mixed veggies, too.
"Well," Bigger Girl started, "last night i cooked some of it into the vegetarian spaghetti sauce from the other day..."
"The rest I stir-fried in olive oil and Little Girl and I had a midnight snack," #2 Son added.
Figures. Other kids, parents have to hide the cookies. My kids, i have to hide the vegetables.
Yes, i'm happy about that.
Today is:
Abolition Day -- Saint Barthelemy
Curious Events Holiday -- Fairy Calendar
Establishment of the Samitinget in Norway -- Sami People's Parliament
Face Your Fears Day -- a day to try to do something you've always been afraid to do
Feast of Abraham the Patriarch -- Christian
Festival for Fausta Felicitas -- Ancient Roman Calendar (goddess of good luck and joy)
Festival for Venus -- Ancient Roman Calendar
Give Peace a Chance Day / Instant Karma Day -- in honor of the birth of John Lennon
Independence Day -- Uganda(1962)
Korean Alphabet Day -- Korea (Hangul Nal)
Leif Erickson Day -- Iceland; Norway; Minnesota and Wisconsin, US
Messenger Appreciation Day -- 10/9 in radio talk is a request to repeat information
Moldy Cheese Day -- sorry, but i do not like the stinky, moldy cheeses, at least not the heavier ones
Mop Fair -- Tewksbury, England (through tomorrow; festival dating back to the 12th century, originally a fair in which prospective employers came to find laborers)
National Day of Honor -- Peru (sometimes translated as Day of Dignity; commemorates the nationalization of the countries oil fields)
National Submarine/Grinder/Hoagie/Hero/PoBoy/Pierogi Day -- each of these has its own special day, but today you get to pick which one you want
St. Denis' Day (Patron of possessed people; France; Paris, France; against frenzy, headaches, rabies, and strife)
St. Dionysius the Areopagite's Day (considered the first Bishop of Athens, mentioned in Acts 17; Patron of Zakynthos Island, Greece; against headaches and the devil)
St. Louis Bertrand's Day (Patron of Caribbean vicariates; Columbia; Dominican novices)
Takayama Matsuri Autumn Festival -- Takayama, Japan (ancient, elaborate floats parade through the old city; through tomorrow)
Widecombe Fair -- Widecombe-in-the-Moor, UK (9am 'til late)
World Post Day / Universal Postal Union Day -- International
Ziua Nationala de Comemorare a Holocaustului -- Romania (National Day of Commemorating the Holocaust)
Anniversaries Today:
King Louis XII of France marries Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VIII of England, 1514
Birthdays Today:
Eddie Guerrero, 1967
Tony Shalhoub, 1953
Scott Bakula, 1954
Sharon Osbourne, 1952
Jackson Browne, 1948
John Entwistle, 1944
Brian Lamb, 1941
John Lennon, 1940
Jacques Tati, 1908
Bruce, Catton, 1899
Camille Saint-Saens, 1835
Mary Ann Shadd Cary, 1823 (with her husband, the first black newspaper
publishers in the US)
Robert de Sorbon, 1201 (founded Sorbonne University, Paris)
Today in History:
Leif Ericson discovers "Vinland" (somewhere in New England or Nova Scotia, possibly?), 1000
Leif Ericson lands in L'Anse aux Meadows, Canada, a definitive European landing in the "New World", 1003
The Korean Hangual alphabet is devised, 1446
Founder of Rhode Island Roger Williams is banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony as a religious dissident after he speaks out against punishments for religious offenses and giving away Native American land, 1635
Collegiate School of CT (Yale University) is chartered in New Haven, 1701
Father Francisco Palou founds Mission San Francisco de Asis in what is now San Francisco, California, 1776
City of Hobart, Tasmania, founded, 1804
Official opening of the University of Ghent, 1817
Isaac Singer patents the sewing machine motor, 1855
Joshua Stoddard of Worcester, Mass., patents the first Calliope, 1855
The first US underground pipeline for carrying oil is laid in Pennsylvania, 1865
Aaron Montgomery starts the mail order business that will later become Montgomery Ward, 1872
The Universal Postal Union is created as part of the Treaty of Berne, 1874
The first 2-way telephone conversation over outdoor wires occurs, 1876
Washington Monument opens to the public, 1888
Woodrow Wilson becomes the first US president to attend a World Series Game, 1915
National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) forms, 1926
Hoover Dam begins transmitting electricity to L.A., 1936
A day after being captured, Marxist revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara is executed for attempting to incite a revolution in Bolivia, 1967
The Khmer Republic is proclaimed in Cambodia, 1970
Abolition of capital punishment in France, 1981
A 13 kilogram (est.) fragment of the Peekskill meteorite lands in the driveway of the Knapp residence in Peekskill, New York, destroying the family's 1980 Chevrolet Malibu, 1992
North Korea allegedly tests its first nuclear device, 2006
First lunar impact of the Centaur and LCROSS spacecrafts as part of NASA's Lunar Precursor Robotic Program, 2009
On this Thanksgiving Day in Canada, i pray that the country may be blessed with peace.
To all the Canadians whom i know from the blogging world, and those i know in real life, i want you to know i am thankful for you, and for the internet that broadened our horizons and brought us together.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Today is:
Air Force Day -- India
American Touch Tag Day -- go outside and remember how much fun it is to play tag
Ana-hachimangu Yabusame -- Tokyo, Japan (demonstration of ancient art of horseback archery)
Anti-Columbus Day
Commonwealth Cultural Day -- Northern Mariana Islands
"Discovery" of America by Columbus observances:
American Indian Heritage Day -- AL, US
Columbus Day (obs.) -- Turks and Caicos Islands; US and Territories
Dia del Respet a la Diversidad Cultural -- Argentina
Fraternal Day -- AL, US
Native Americans' Day -- much of the US formally; almost everywhere informally (a day to mourn Native American victims of conquest and oppression, make peace, and celebrate the empowerment of Native Americans)
Family and Community Day -- ACT, Australia
Feast of St. Bridget -- Sweden (traditional date, others who recognize the saint celebrate on July 23; Patron of widows; Europe; Sweden)
Feast of St. Keyne -- Celtic Saint, patroness of the spring and tree arbor that bear her name; the first to drink of her water after being newly married will have the upper hand in the marriage
Fitness Day / Health-Sports Day -- Japan
Independence Day -- Croatia
Lovable Lawyers Day -- internet generated, and if you love one, good for you
National Fluffernutter Day
National Kick-Butt Day -- a day to kick yourself in the rump, jump start yourself to doing something you've been wanting to do and making excuses for not doing
National Pierogi Day -- this day in 1952, Ted Twardzik, Sr., produced Mrs. T's Pierogies samples and took them to a local grocery store; eat a pierogi today in his honor
Navy Day/Battle of Angamos Day -- Peru
Norfolk Island Agricultural Show Day -- Norfolk Island
San Ernesto Day -- celebration of Che Guevera as a saint who answers prayers for rain among Bolivian campesinos
Sergeant Alvin C. York Day
Simchat Torah -- Judaism (reading of the Law; begins at sunset)
St. Demetrius' Day (Patron of Belgrade, Serbia; Salonica, Greece; Thessaloniki, Greece; against evil spirits)
St. Pelagia the Penitant's Day (Patron of actresses)
St. Thais' Day (Patron of fallen women)
Thanksgiving -- Canada (Interfaith)
Tube Top Day -- if you dare. i don't
Virgin Islands - Puerto Rico Friendship Day
Yorktown Victory Day -- VA, US
Birthdays Today:
Matt Damon, 1970
Stephanie Zimbalist, 1956
Sigourney Weaver, 1949
Chevy Chase, 1943
R. L. Stine, 1943
Jesse Jackson, 1941
Paul Hogan, 1939
Rona Barrett, 1936
Juan Peron, 1895
Eddie Rickenbacker, 1890
Benito Jerónimo Feijóo y Montenegro, 1676
Today in History:
Constantine, Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, defeats Licinius, Emperor of the Western Roman Empire, at the Battle of Cibalae, 314
Great standing on the Ugra river, a standoff between the forces of Akhmat Khan, Khan of the Great Horde, and the Grand Duke Ivan III of Russia, which resulted in the retreat of the Tataro-Mongols and eventual disintegration of the Horde, 1480
The supernova "Kepler's Nova" is first sighted, 1604
The Massachusetts Bay Colony forms its first government, 1633
First recorded eruption of Galunggung (volcano of West Java, Indonesia) sends boiling sludge into the valley (this volcano would later erupt at such a time as to cause passenger jets to be damaged and forced into emergency landings), 1822
The first Hawai'ian constitution is proclaimed, 1840
The telegraph line from LA to SF opens, 1860
A gas explosion causes the Peshtigo Fire, in Peshtigo, Wisconsin, which killed between 1,200 and 2,500 people and consumed the entire town of Peshtigo and surrounding forests and several other villages -- the deadliest fire in American history, it covered 1.5 million acres, and occurred on the same day as the Great Chicago Fire, 1871
The Great Chicago Fire, which consumed 4 square miles, killed 200, and destroyed the original Emancipation Proclamation, began, 1871
The first women's prison run by women opens at the Indiana Reformatory Institute, 1873
Dow Jones begins reporting an average of selected industrial stocks, 1896
Edmonton, Alberta and Prince Albert, Saskatchewan are incorporated as cities in Canada, 1904
New York Yankees's Don Larsen pitched the only perfect game in a World Series; one of only 20 perfect games in MLB history, 1956
Algeria joins the United Nations, 1962
Guerrilla leader Che Guevara and his men are captured in Bolivia, 1967
Australia's Ken Warby sets the current world water speed record of 317.60mph at Blowering Dam, Australia, 1978
A deadly earthquake hits Pakistan, 2005
Ah, Sunday.
A pristine new week "with no mistakes in it yet" as Anne Shirley, of Anne of Green Gables fame, once said about a new day.
Monday is an evening meeting at school -- committees. Yea, i get to find out which one i am on, and begin to set up an event or two. If i'm on the field trip committee, i'm going to get my revenge by setting up a tour of "Whole Paycheck" and ranting about the SAD (Standard American Diet) through the whole place. If i'm on community service, i'll schedule them to clean the shelter on a Saturday.
Hey, if you get assigned, do what you can, right?
Tuesday i will try to finally drag #2 Son to the DMV for another shot at a permit.
Also, #2 Son has been delaying his haircut until ordered to do so by his teacher. He has been so ordered, and Little Girl wants a trim, so that is Wednesday.
By Thursday i am usually behind on everything, especially ironing, so i will probably spend Thursday on Mt. Washmore/Mt. Foldmore/Mt. Ironmore.
Friday is feed the cats at the shelter night. They've had an unexpected influx lately, including Roofus, found only a block away at the Red Roof Inn. We do get some stories.
By Saturday, there will be another local team home game, and by that time, i will be ready for an afternoon of being entertained with a game.
Is it just me, or are weeks getting boringly predictable and i'm in a rut?
A scientist who studies such things says we all do. His name escapes me (as does most everything these days), but he studies patterns. He says we all live our lives in a predictable pattern, even him, and he travels internationally to conferences at odd times of the year. Even with what seems to be an odd schedule, he says his becomes predictable as a pattern over time.
Guess the big thing is that the longer a period of time it takes for the prediction model to work, the more varied and interesting your life.
Maybe i need to move to Tahiti after all, not just for the warmth, but for the unpredictability.
Have a blessed and beautiful Sunday, everyone!
Today is:
Apple Festival -- Old Prairie Town, Topeka, KS, US (celebrating apples and Topeka's turn of the last century heritage)
Bathtub Day -- can't confirm this one, but it's as good a day as any to be glad you have one!
Burgoo Festival -- North Utica, IL, US (only the Burgoomeister knows the secret recipe! enjoy the burgoo, as well as music, food, antiques, and more)
Country Inn, Bed-and-Breakfast Day -- across North America
Erntedankfest -- Germany, Thanksgiving/Harvest fest
Feast Day of Ma'at -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)
Festival of the Deerk Toes -- Fairy Calendar (celebrating the toes on a fairy's "deerk", for which there is no human equivalent)
Fire Prevention Week begins -- Canada; US (and a great idea everywhere, feel free to join in)
Great Books Week begins -- sponsored by Excellence in Literature
Intergeneration Day -- sponsored by the Intergeneration Foundation
International African Diaspora Day
Leif Ericson Day Celebration -- Philadelphia, PA, US (seeking to both celebrate the first European to land in the New World and promulgate a realistic historic image of the Viking people)
Lepanto Day -- Greece
Nagasaki Kunchi -- Nagasaki, Japan (harvest festival, through the 9th)
National Frappe Day
National Metric Week -- US (yes, it's no fun to switch; get over it and learn, it's good for your brain!)
Nones of October -- Ancient Roman Calendar; other observances
Festival of Juno Cutitis and Jupiter Fulgor
Victoria, Lady of Victories Day a/k/a Pallas Athena -- also celebrated by the Ancient Greeks
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary -- Catholic Christian
Qatar L'arc de Triomphe -- Longchamp Race-course, Paris, France (one of the world's greatest horse races, first run in 1920)
Shemini Atzeret -- Judaism (completion of the annual cycle of the reading of the Torah; begins at sunset)
St. Justina of Padua's Day (Patron of Padua, Italy; Santa Giustina, Italy)
Try To Start An Argument Over Which Is the Best Muppet Day -- Kermit, hands down (argue below, if you wish)
Warai Festival -- Wakayama, Japan (laughing festival)
World Communion Sunday -- Christian
Birthdays Today:
Simon Cowell, 1959
Michael W. Smith, 1957
Yo-Yo Ma, 1955
Vladimir Putin, 1952
John Cougar Mellencamp, 1951
Bishop Desmond Tutu, 1931
R. D. Laing, 1927
June Allyson, 1917
Vaughn Monroe, 1911
Andy Devine, 1905
Niels Bohr, 1885
James Whitcomb Riley, 1849
Today in History:
The epoch of the modern Hebrew calendar (Proleptic Julian calendar), BC3761
The first public burning of books in Louvain, Netherlands, 1520
Ralph Wedgewood patents carbon paper in London, 1806
The first chartered railway in the US, the Granite Railway, begins operations, 1826
Spain abolishes slavery in Cuba, 1886
Henry Ford institutes the moving assembly line, 1913
Georgia Tech defeats Cumberland college in the infamous 222-0 football game, 1916
160 consecutive days of 100*F+ temperatures begin at Marble Bar, Australia, 1924
Beat poet Allen Ginsberg reads his poem "Howl" for the first time at a poetry reading in San Francisco, 1955
U.S.S.R. probe Luna 3 transmits first ever photographs of the far side of the moon, 1959
Nigeria joins the United Nations, 1960
Oman joins the United Nations, 1971
Cats opens on Broadway and begins a run of nearly 18 years, 1982
The Great Flood of 1993 ends at St. Louis, Missouri, 103 days after it began, 1993
Matthew Shepard, a gay student at the University of Wyoming, is found tied to a fence after being savagely beaten, 1998
The U.S. invasion of Afghanistan begins, 2001
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