That's Show Biz

"Hey, mom, is dinner ready?"  Bigger Girl was ready to eat, as she had plans.

Sure, i said, and then i asked, what's up for the evening?

"Oh, I'm going to go spend time with Will and Muriel and the rest.  And the new guy, whose name is Tiger.  He keeps flirting with me, but he's pretty cool.  He saw my tattoo, and said he liked it.  So I asked if he had any, and he said, no, he has nipple rings, and then he showed them to me."

Well, that's odd on a first meeting, i said.

"What do you expect from a guy who is trying to legally change his name to Tiger, and who likes to wear women's clothing around his apartment?  Also, who claims to be a Pastafarian? Besides, I asked, and I didn't mind.  And isn't it weird, I now know a Pastafarian!"

No weirder than the one who's an atheist Buddhist, i noted, and then asked, any special plans?

"No.  We thought about going to the movie screening at the college, but it's Hangover 3.  Can you believe it?  They are always talking about not wanting us to drink and get drunk and do stupid stuff, and then they screen these movies!  Why do they do that?"

Not a clue, i said as i mixed the egg salad for my vegetarians and the chicken salad with mustard only for #2 Son who doesn't eat mayonnaise and the regular chicken salad for Sweetie.  Gads.

"Well, I don't get it.  How can they spend millions of dollars on movies and turn out awful movies?  I mean really, with that much money at their disposal, can't they come up with good, thoughtful movies with real characters?"

They could, but would they make money? i asked.  They would probably tell you they are only in it to entertain.

"Yeah, but these crazy 'do something dumb but nothing really bad happens at the end' movies are awful.  Now if they would show what would really happen if you got so blitzed you kidnapped someone's pet tiger and lost a person, that would show character development, especially if the people learned better than to do it again.  Instead, they make lousy movies with millions of dollars, like this one, or like Lone Ranger.  No one went to see that one.  How do you invest that much into a movie, and a Western at that, and not bother to make it good?"

And, do these kids who see the movies really think that's how real life works, with no consequences? i asked.  Hollywood would claim their movies have no effect on people, they are just entertaining us, but does life imitate art, or art imitate life, or both?  (She had her mouth full, that's how i got out that whole sentence.)

"Both, I think," she said.  "They are two mirrors held up to each other, reflecting each other endlessly."

Most likely, i said.  They do feed each other.

"And you know what I really hate?

Surprise me, i said.

"They used to make deep movies.  Like Casablanca, stuff with deep themes and real female characters.  Women who weren't just there to be draped over a car half naked so they could be a love interest.  Now, they won't make an action movie with a female hero, because they say it wouldn't make any money.  Think abut it, the biggest thing is movies about superheroes, but they won't make an action superhero movie with a female lead!  That could be deep, they could develop a real female character who is more than just a stereotype, and they won't do it.

"My favorite of the action hero comics are the Young Avengers, and they're some of the most popular characters out there, and they've put off making a movie of them indefinitely because almost all the characters are female, and they are real characters, with depth and feeling, not just there to be decorations.  And even though it's so popular, they won't put them in a movie.  It's awful."

It sure is, i said.  Tell your friends hello for me.
 

Today is:

Commemoration Day -- Tunisia

Day of Accord and Reconciliation -- Russia (formerly Great October Socialist Revolution Day, with the date determined by the Gregorian Calendar)

Feast of Blessed John Duns Scotus (the Subtle Doctor, known for merging the views from many philosophies)
     Dunce Day -- from the word Dunse, a name for the followers of the philosophy of John Duns Scotus

Feast of Stolen Fire -- find it listed on several sites, but none have any background; maybe celebrate that Prometheus stole fire for us?

International Tongue Twister Day -- internet generated

Men Make Dinner Day -- BBQ is not allowed, but you can go to menmakedinnerday.com for ideas

National Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day

National Notary Public Day -- US http://www.asnnotary.org/

National Revolution and Solidarity Day -- Bangladesh

October Revolution Day -- Belarus; Kyrgyzstan; Transdniestria

Pirates Week Festival -- Cayman Islands (mock pirate invasions, old sailing vessels, and lots of good-natured fun; through the 17th)

Stay Away from Anyone named Honest John Day -- internet generated; no comment

St. Florentius' Day (Patron against gall stones, ruptures)

St. Willibrord's Day (Patron of epileptics; Luxembourg; Netherlands; Utrecht, Netherlands; against convulsions, epilepsy)

Thanksgiving Day -- Liberia

Wish Granting Championships -- Fairy Calendar (Fairies)


Anniversary Today:

The Old Stoughton Musical Society, the oldest choral society in the US, is founded, 1786



Birthdays Today:

Keith Lockhart, 1959
Joni Mitchell, 1943
Joan Sutherland, 1926
Al Hirt, 1922
Billy Graham, 1918
Albert Camus, 1913
Dean Jagger, 1903
Leon Trotsky, 1879
Madame Marie Curie, 1867
Captain James Cook, 1728


Debuting/Premiering Today:

Face the Nation, 1954
The Republican Elephant, in Harper's Weekly, 1874


Today in History:

The oldest meteorite with a known date of impact, the Ensisheim Meteorite, strikes around noon in a wheat field near the village of Ensisheim, Alsace, France, 1492
Pierre Gassendi observes the transit of Mercury as predicted by Kepler, 1631
Anne Htchinson is banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony as a heretic, 1637
The first edition of the "London Gazette", the oldest surviving journal, is published, 1665
Lewis and Clark first sight the Pacific Ocean, 1805
The first Thomas Nast cartoon depicting the Republican Party Elephant is published, 1874
Edward Bouchet becomes the first black to receive a PhD from a US college (Yale), 1876
Women in the U.S. state of Colorado are granted the right to vote, 1893
The first air freight shipment is undertaken by the Wright brothers and department store owner Max Moorehouse (from Dayton, Ohio to Columbus, Ohio), 1910
Mao Tse Tung proclaims the "Chinese People's Republic", 1931
Fiorello H. La Guardia is elected the 99th mayor of New York City, 1933
Carl B. Stokes is elected as Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, becoming the first African American mayor of a major American city, 1967
Douglas Wilder wins the governor's seat in Virginia, becoming the first elected African American governor in the United States, 1989
Mary Robinson becomes the first woman to be elected President of the Republic of Ireland, 1990
NASA launches the Mars Global Surveyor, 1996
U.S. voters in the state of Massachusetts approve a referendum legalizing the use of medical marijuana; Colorado and Washington approve the legalization of recreational use of the drug, 2012

It's a Rhetorical Question

And mostly it's rhetorical because i know the flippin' answer.

It's because i'm a sucker married to an even bigger sucker.

It's still a question i ask myself when i end up at the vet's office with someone else's pet, like i don't have enough of these things going in my own house to occupy a lifetime.

A local florist, relative of the one for whom i deliver flowers for Valentine's and Mother's Days, kept Prissy, a formerly huge, beautiful, properly spayed and inoculated Maine Coon.  She had, though, become elderly, frail, and her hair, because the people at the shop didn't keep up with the brushing, very badly matted.

They didn't know how badly matted.  Probably because they had seen her each day, and she still ate (and, i found later, ate a lot, more than she should have), and purred when petted, they didn't realize.

Thus when Sweetie saw her and was shocked beyond belief at how badly matted she was, he decided he couldn't stand to see her that way.  Every time he went over there to pick up flowers for the building, he would stop to pet her as she greeted everyone who came.  It broke his heart, and he called me.

Of course, i told him she needed to be shaved, and a groomer couldn't do it, they would need a vet or vet tech.  She couldn't be anesthetized because the last time she was, it took her almost four days to come out of it.  At 18 years of age, she couldn't even be tranquilized a bit with that medical history.  He made the appointment with our vet, and since he's at work during office hours, it was my job to pick her up and get her to the vet, and then back.

Except that, when i saw her, i knew there was no way.  The cat's hair was matted beyond belief, and i knew as soon as i picked her up that she was terribly skinny under that huge mat of fur.  She also didn't smell very nice, not a good sign.

When i commented on how thin she was, the employee who was outdoors noted that she ate at least 3-4 cans of food a day, as well as having unlimited access to dry food.  The alarm bells were sounding so loud i could barely smile at him and thank him for the information.

She didn't want to go in the carrier, but couldn't put up much of a struggle.  When she walked, she was in serious, obvious pain.  Probably arthritis as well as the pain from the mats, constantly pulling on her skin.

Tanya is one of the best vet techs ever.  She told me to leave Prissy there, and she would call me.  While i had a terrible feeling about that, because i wanted to be there to tell her it was okay to stop when it turned out the job couldn't be done, there was another patient there so i didn't argue.  Also, i didn't get out of the car when i got home, just sat and waited.

Within a few minutes, i got the call.  Tanya was in tears.  "I can't do this.  The cat is screaming in pain, she can't be anesthetized because of her age, I gave her pain medicine but it's not going to help, I can't do this!"

No, you can't, i told her.  That's why i wanted to be there to help, so i could tell you it was okay to stop.

As i drove back over, she continued to tell me, "This poor cat is skin and bones!  If I keep trying to trim her, I'm going to cut her skin.  In some places, I can't tell where the mats start and the skin ends, and she's in pain.  Underneath her, the area is matted with feces and urine, too, so I can't even trim in that area!"

Yes, i know you can't, i told her again.  Don't worry, i'm on my way back.


When i got there, it was just as i had imagined.  Tanya had done a lot more than i ever thought possible, and you could see every bone on Prissy, the areas that were shaved.  She was a bag of skin and bones, busily scarfing down every bit of food they could give her.  That meant probably diabetes, and the dehydration pointed to kidney failure.  She probably had liver involvement, too.

The unshaved areas were horribly stuck to her skin.  There was one place where a mat on her leg had grown to the mat on her side, which was another reason she walked as she did, like she was in pain.

At that point, i called Sweetie and told him this cat was in pain, already had illnesses that couldn't be treated in her current condition, and she needed to be euthanized.  It was cruel not to.

He gave me the owner's phone number, and Dr. Bea called him.  After she had gone over all the problems, he agreed to come himself after lunch and be there when they did it.  Then he would take her home to be buried in the back yard.

The thing was, as Dr. Bea said, the cat had a beautiful personality.  She purred, except when she cried in pain or growled when we touched the part of her spine where the pain from arthritis was so bad.  That purr had fooled her people into thinking all was well.  They didn't understand that the purr functions as a way of self-soothing, not as a sign all is well.  Sometimes it's not a happy sound, it's a distress sound.

How do i get dragged into these things?  How do i end up with Dr. Bea fussing at me for bringing in other people's pets?  Because i'm a sucker, married to a bigger sucker, but in this case, it was a blessing for a beautiful cat that couldn't tolerate anesthesia, who was so far into multiple system failures that leaving her to the people who just fed her and didn't see what was happening would have been cruel.




Today is:

Basketball Day -- birth anniversary of James Naismith

Birth of Tiamat -- Ancient Babylonian Calendar (mother of gods, goddess of primeval chaos; date approximate)

Constitution Day -- Dominican Republic; Tajikistan; Tatarstan, Russian Federation

Electric Razor Day -- Jacob Schick patented the first electric razor on this day in 1937

Finnish Swedish Heritage Day -- Finland

Fish Returning Days begin -- Fairy Calendar (the fairies borrow centuries old fish in sealed crystal boxes from each other, and why they prefer each others or what they do with them, they will not tell)

Green March Day -- Morocco; Western Sahara

Gustavus Adolphus Day -- Sweden

Halfway Point of Autumn

Hawaiki Nui Va'a Race -- French Polynesia (spectacular three-day open water outrigger canoe race from Huahine to Raiatea to Tahaa to Bora Bora)

International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict -- UN

International End Gossip Day -- the founder of this didn't want to be gossiped about, and left no trace

Marching Band Day -- birth anniversary of John Philip Sousa

Mariachi Night -- Brawley, CA, US (sponsored by the Imperial Valley Joint Chambers of Commerce, a free night of celebrating the heritage of Mariachi music)

Marooned Without A Compass Day -- internet generated; how's your sense of direction?

National Nachos Day / I Love Nachos Day

Saxophone Day -- Adolphe Sax birth anniversary

St. Illtyd's Day (Abbot, reputed cousin of King Arthur)

St. Leonard's Day (Patron of barrel makers/coopers, blacksmiths, captives, childbirth, coal miners, coppersmiths, greengrocers, horses, imprisoned people, locksmiths, miners, porters, P.O.W.'s, prisoners; Castelmauro, Italy; Conegliano, Italy; Kirkop, Malta; against burglaries, robberies/robbers)


Birthdays Today:

Pat Tillman, 1976
Rebecca Romijn, 1972
Ethan Hawke, 1970
Maria Shriver, 1955
Glenn Frey, 1948
Sally Field, 1946
Mike Nichols, 1931
Walter Perry Johnson, 1887
James Naismith, 1861
Ignace Paderewski, 1860
John Philip Sousa, 1854
Adolphe Sax, 1814


Debuting/Premiering Today:

Good Morning America, 1975
The Phil Donahue Show, 1967
Meet The Press, 1947


Today in History:

Shipwrecked Spanish conquistador Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca becomes the first known European to set foot in Texas, 1528
Spain grants independence to the Dominican Republic, 1844
Scenes of Clerical Life, the first work of fiction by the author later known as George Eliot, is submitted for publication, 1856
Canada celebrates its first official, national Thanksgiving Day, 1879
Mohandas Gandhi is arrested while leading a march of Indian miners in South Africa, 1913
Colonel Jacob Schick patents the first electric razor, 1928
Edwin Armstrong presents his paper "A Method of Reducing Disturbances in Radio Signaling by a System of Frequency Modulation" to the New York section of the Institute of Radio Engineers (hello, FM radio!), 1935
Parker Brothers acquires the forerunner patents for MONOPOLY from Elizabeth Magie, 1935
Plutonium is first produced at the Hanford Atomic Facility, 1944
The United Nations General Assembly passes a resolution condemning South Africa's racist apartheid policies and calls for all UN member states to cease military and economic relations with the nation, 1962
Cuba and the United States formally agree to begin an airlift for Cubans who want to go to the United States, 1965
Green March begins: 300,000 unarmed Moroccans converge on the southern city of Tarfaya and wait for a signal from King Hassan II of Morocco to cross into Western Sahara, 1975
Australians vote to keep the Head of the Commonwealth as their head of state in the Australian republic referendum, 1999
Swiebodzin, Poland announces the world's biggest statue of Jesus, called Christ the King, is completed, 2010

No Matter How Big

"Hi, mom!"  #1 Son had popped in, as he does now that he lives back in town.

On your way to work? i asked, as he was in his uniform.

"Yeah, I have my job back."

Back? i asked.

"Yeah, I didn't tell you?  There was one lady who worked there, and no one liked her, and I mean no one!  If she decided she didn't want you working there any more, she would tell the big boss that you had missed a shift to get you fired.  And she decided she didn't like me, so she lied and said I was on the early shift Friday, and I checked, and my name wasn't on it.  So when I showed up for the afternoon shift, I was told to go home."

Is that why your father called me in a panic Friday morning, asking for your mobile phone number, which he already has, by the way?

"Yeah, and so when I came in later, I was told to go home.  But I decided to go talk to the big boss on Monday because it's not right, I wasn't on the early shift, so she was lying and saying I missed a shift, and when I went in the big boss told me he was glad I was there, that I'm one of his best workers, and, listen to this!  That lady got fired over the weekend!  They figured out what she was doing, and got rid of her, and rehired several of the people she fired, because they were there, too!"

That's good, i noted.  Not that she was doing that, but that she was stopped, and those people are working again.

"Right.  And I should get paid tomorrow, but, well, I'm out of cat litter.  Do you have any cat litter?"

Here, i said, handing him half a bag.  We don't want SissyCat and Mikey having to cross their legs until payday, do we?

"Thanks, mom!  I gotta go, I don't want to be late, especially since they like my work, I might even get back into management!"

So, that means, over the past few weeks, he's gotten cat litter, cat food, and all the older leftovers in the freezer, as well as some canned goods #2 Son has brought over to his house.

No matter how big they get, they are still little boys, and mom is still a sucker for sending care packages. 


Today is:

Conmemoracion Patriotica en la Ciudad de Colon -- Panama

Day of the First Shout for Independence -- El Salvador

Deepavali -- 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)

Egyptian Day -- Medieval Europe day of bad fortune (common saying on this day was, "Notwithstanding, I will trust the Lord.")

Festival of Amun -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Guy Fawkes' Day -- Canadian province of Newfoundland & Labrador; New Zealand; UK; a/k/a Gunpowder Day, bonfires celebrate that Guy Fawkes plot did not succeed; related famous celebrations
     Burning of the Tar Barrels -- Ottery St. Mary, Devon, UK (17 barrels soaked in tar are lit outside 17 taverns and carried through the town)
     Lewes Bonfire Night -- Lewes, East Sussex, UK
     Turning the Devil's Stone -- Shebbear, Devon, UK (erratic stone, possibly from an Ice Age deposit, turned every year on this day to assure good forturne)

Melbourne Cup Day -- Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia (152nd running)

National Doughnut Day -- well, it's better than buy a donut day, that one's too obvious

Nones of November -- Ancient Roman Calendar

Popes Day -- US name for the remembrance of Guy Fawkes' Day

St. Elizabeth's Day and St. Zechariah's Day -- parents of John the Baptist (Elizabeth is Patron of pregnant women)

Wet Wellington Day -- Fairy Calendar (Imps and Gremlins; they really love it when this falls on a Wednesday)

Wuwuchim Fire Ceremonies begin -- Hopi Native American (dating approximate, as these ceremonies are now mostly closed to outsiders, a celebration of Masaw, god of death, and Spider Woman, the earth mother; a 16 day festival and manhood ceremony for adolescent boys)


Anniversary Today:

George W. Bush marries Laura Welch, 1977


Birthdays Today:

Judy Reyes, 1967
Tatum O'Neal, 1963
Tilda Swinton, 1960
Bryan Adams, 1959
Peter Noone, 1947
Sam Shepard, 1943
Art Garfunkel, 1941
Elke Sommer, 1940
Ike Turner, 1931
Vivien Leigh, 1913
Roy Rogers, 1911
Joel McCrea, 1905
Strom Thurmond, 1902


Debuting/Premiering Today

The Nat King Cole Show, 1956
The New York Weekly Journal first edition, 1733


Today in History:

Wu MeKuan, a collection of 48 Zen koans, compiled in China, 1228
Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier (Brittany); it is the first Breton dictionary as well as the first French dictionary, 1499
St. Felix's Flood ravages the Dutch coast and destroys the city of Reimerswaal in the Netherlands, 1530
The Gunpowder Plot, in which Catholics were trying to blow up the English Parliament, is foiled, 1605
The first post office in the Colonies is opened in the home of Richard Fairbanks, 1639
Susan B. Anthony is arrested for trying to vote in Rochester, NY, 1871
The first US patent for a gasoline driven motor car is granted to George B. Selden, 1895
Calbraith Rodgers arrives in Pasadena from Sheepshead Bay, NY, completing the first transcontinental plane flight, in 49 days, 1911
Colombia joins the United Nations, 1945
USS Rentz, USS Reeves and USS Oldendorf visit Qingdao (Tsing Tao) China — the first US Naval visit to China since 1949, 1986
André Dallaire attempts to assassinate Prime Minister Jean Chrétien of Canada, but is thwarted when the Prime Minister's wife locks the door, 1995
Saddam Hussein, former president of Iraq, and his co-defendants Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti and Awad Hamed al-Bandar are sentenced to death in the al-Dujail trial, 2006
China's first lunar satellite, Chang'e 1 goes into orbit around the Moon, 2007

Aww Monday

The kittens don't hold still much, but the littlest decided to hold still for his close up, finally.

All i can say is, it's a good thing about the digital age, i don't have to waste an entire roll of 36 pictures just to get two or three good ones, like in the "good old days."




Today is:

Chicken Lady Day -- Miami, FL, US (in honor of The Chicken Lady, whose nonprofit organization helps people get over being "chicken" about public speaking)

Citizenship Day -- Northern Mariana Islands

Community Service Day -- Dominica

Constitution Day/National Day -- Tonga

Deepavali -- 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)

Feast of Qudrat (Power) -- Baha'i

Flag Day -- Panama

Giorno dell'Unita Nazionale e Festa delle Forze Armate and Victory Day -- Italy (National Unity and Armed Forces Day; celebration of the 1918 Treaty with Austria)

Guy Fawkes Eve -- sometimes called Mischief Night in some parts of Australia, UK, and New Zealand, although that is more appropriate to April 30/October 30

Hijra -- Islam (New Year, began last night at the first viewing of the new moon crescent)

Honeymoon Day -- reminisce about your own special trip, on the birth anniversary of Art Carney

Job Action Day -- a day for workers and job seekers to put job or career in the forefront, make plans, and take action

King Tut Day -- his tomb was opened this day in 1922

Ludi Plebeii -- Ancient Roman Calendar (public games, through the 17th)

Marlborough Provinical Anniversary Day -- Marlborough, New Zealand

National Candy Day -- guess they're thinking you still have some left over from Hallowe'en

Recreation Day -- Tasmania, Australia

St. Charles Borromeo's Day (Patron of apple orchards, bishops, catechists, seminarians, spiritual directors/leaders, starch makers; Joliette, Quebec; Lombardy, Italy; Monterey, CA; Rocca di Papa, Italy; against abdominal pain, colic, intestinal disorders, stomach diseases, ulcers)
     a Bank Holiday in Andorra

Unity Day -- Russia

Will Roger's Day -- especially in OK, US; related observance
     Use Your Common Sense Day -- because "Common sense ain't all that common."

Waiting for the Barbarians Day -- internet generated, and i thought they came and took over a long time ago!


Anniversaries Today:

Mary II of England marries William, Prince of Orange, 1677 (ruled jointly as William and Mary)
Abraham Lincoln weds Mary Todd, 1842
Discovery of King Tut's Tomb -- 1922
Taking of the US Embassy in Teheran, Iran -- 1979


Birthdays Today:

Sean "Diddy" Combs, 1970
Matthew McConaughey, 1969
Ralph Macchio, 1962
Jeff Probst, 1962
Kathy Griffin, 1960
Markie Post, 1950
Laura W. Bush, 1946
Loretta Swit, 1937
Doris Roberts, 1930
Martin Balsam, 1919
Art Carney, 1918
Walter Cronkite, 1916
Will Rogers, 1879
Augustus Montague Toplady, 1740 (wrote the hymn "Rock of Ages")


Today in History:

The Flood of the Arno River causes massive damage in Florence, Italy, 1333
Joan of Arc liberates Saint-Pierre-le-Moûtier, 1429
Thomas Wolsey, English cardinal, arrested, 1529
Mozart's Symphony No. 36 is performed for the first time in Linz, Austria, 1783
The Erie Canal is completed with Governor DeWitt Clinton performing the Wedding of The Waters ceremony in New York Harbour, 1825
Benjamin Palmer patents an artificial leg, 1846
Dentist John Beers of San Francisco patents the gold crown, 1873
Tonga adopts a constitution, 1875
James Ritty patents the cash register, to combat the pilfering of the till by the bartenders in his Ohio saloon, 1879
London's first deep-level tube railway opens between King William Street and Stockwell, 1890
The Italian unknown soldier is buried in the Altare della Patria (Fatherland Altar) in Rome, 1921
Nellie Tayloe Ross is elected the first female US State governor, in Wyoming, 1924
The rebuilt Vienna State Opera reopens with a performance of Beethoven's Fidelio, 1955
Two-thirds of Florence, Italy is submerged as the River Arno floods; together with the contemporaneous flood of the Po River in northern Italy, this leads to 113 deaths, 30,000 made homeless, and the destruction of numerous Renaissance artworks and books, 1966
Genie, a 13-year-old feral child is found in Los Angeles, California having been locked in her bedroom for most of her life, 1970
The Netherlands experiences the first Car Free Sunday caused by the oil crisis, as the highways are deserted and are used only by cyclists and roller skaters, 1973
First conference that focuses exclusively on the subject of the commercial potential of the World Wide Web, in San Francisco, 1994
Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin is assassinated by an extremist Orthodox Israeli, 1995
Chinese authorities arrest cyber-dissident He Depu for signing a pro-democracy letter to the 16th Communist Party Congress, 2002
Barak Obama is elected President of the United States, 2008

Wouldn't Trade You

Five years ago, when Farmer Pickles invited us to Albuquerque for the very first S-fest, i had the pleasure of actually visiting a Trader Joe's store.

Ever since, i've been itching to get back to one, or to have one near enough here that i could go once in a while.

While i was in there, i mentioned to the nice lady who was checking us out that it was my first visit to one of their stores, and that i wished they had one near here.  She whispered, "Shh, don't say anything, but it's in the 5 year plan to have our first store in Louisiana by then!"

When, last year, the rumors began to fly that this was indeed true, i was thrilled, as were many others.  The newspaper confirmed it was coming, and when i would go to that area, i would note the decrepit buildings from the past 20-30 years of failed businesses being torn down and the area revitalized with the new stores, of which TJs would be the anchor.

Then, they set the opening -- for October 31.  Almost, almost, my plans to be there when they opened were derailed -- by Sweetie's car needing to go into the shop that day for a new battery.  But i was determined, and dropped Little Girl at school, met him at the mechanics, where we left the car and dropped the key through the slot (they know the car and what it needs -- as much as i love our extremely honest mechanic, i'm almost sorry he knows us this well), took Sweetie to work, and got there with 15 minutes to spare.

It was a carnival atmosphere, with live music, employees handing out leis, and lots of smiles.  A few people had small children with them, and the children were in various costumes, including a very cute little elephant and a pumpkin.  There were a couple of speeches, including from the mayor, and a lei cutting instead of a ribbon cutting.

Isn't it exciting? i said to once nice lady standing near me.  "Yes!" she answered.  "It's like we're going to be a real city now!"

Well, i'm not sure about that, i thought to myself -- we still don't have Aldi, Costco, Pottery Barn or IKEA here in the swamps, but at least we are a step closer.

The employees inside had formed a tunnel for shoppers to walk through as they cheered and high fived and cut up.  We were all smiles, and even the fact that the place was so crowded it was hard to get around didn't dampen our spirits.  At one point, i even got a chance to say hello to the mayor, who was standing near the coffee (you know i am going to have coffee, no matter what).

Despite the crowd, checkout was speedy and efficient, and every single employee was smiling and cheerful and ready to help.  One had even pointed out to me the wine that they only sell at grand openings.  Since it was a dry red, and that's Sweetie's favorite, i got him a bottle.

On Saturday i went back with Sweetie to show him the long-awaited treasure, and he was duly impressed, especially that the Two Buck Chuck, as some of their wine is nicknamed, has a shiraz.  He also liked the live band outside, as the grand opening party was still going strong over two days later.

As much as i love living in the swamps, there are drawbacks, but now, with a Trader Joe's within driving distance, i wouldn't trade you for the world.




Today is:

Apaturia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (a three day meeting of the clans and welcoming newcomers and children into the community; date approximate)

Betcha Festival -- Onomichi, Japan (men in costume "beat" children with bamboo whisks to prevent them getting ill in the coming year)

Bunka no hi -- Japan (Culture Day)

Cliche Day -- get them all out of your system today; sponsored by Wellcat Holidays

Cuenca Day -- Cuenca, Ecuador

Daylight Saving Time ends -- Bermuda; Canada (most areas); Cuba; Greenland (some areas); Haiti; Mexico (Baja area); Saint Pierre and Miquelon; The Bahamas; Turks and Caicos Islands; US (most areas)

Deepavali -- Hindu; Jain; Sikh
     Gai Tihar and Laxmi Puja -- Day of Cows and Laxmi (goddess of wealth; day three of the festival)

Hijra -- Islam (Islamic New Year Begins at the viewing of the new moon crescent, so exact time/date varies by location)

Housewives' Day -- birth anniversary of Roseanne Barr

Independence Day -- Dominica(1978); Federated States of Micronesia(1986); Panama (also called Separation Day, separating from Colombia in 1903)

Jain New Year

Let Someone Have the Last Word Day -- internet generated, probably so you will quit with the cliches

London to Brighton Veteran Car Run -- England (a race composed of only pre-1905 vehicles)

National Sleep-In Day -- begun by those who want you to spend the extra hour gained catching up on your ZZZZ's

New York City Marathon -- NY, NY, US

Parsley Scattering Season ends -- Fairy Calendar

Sandwich Day -- birth anniversary of John Montague, Fourth Earl of Sandwich and reputed inventor of the food item which bears his name; make yourself a really good one in his memory

Solar Eclipse -- a hybrid solar eclipse will be visible in the Eastern Americas, Southern Europe, and Central Africa

SOS Day -- on this date in 1906 the Second International Radio Telegraphic Conference at Berlin, Germany, proposed it as the new wireless distress signal to replace CQD (Come Quick, Danger)

St. Hubert's Day (Patron of archers, dogs, forest workers, furriers, hunters and hunting, machinists, mathemematicians, metal workers, opticians, precision instrument makers, smelters, trappers; Liege, Belgium; Saint-Hubert, Belgium; against dog bites, hydrophobia/rabies)

St. Martin de Porres' Day (Patron of African-Americans, bargers/hair stylists, inter-racial justice, hotel-keepers/innkeepers, paupers, persons of mixed race, poor people, public education, public health, public schools, race relations/racial harmony, social justice, state schools, television; Biloxi, MI, US; Peru)

St. Pirminius' Day (Patron of Monsheim, Germany; against poisoning, snake bite)

St. Winifred's Day (Patron of incest victims, martyrs; Gwytherin, Wales; Holywell, Wales; Shrewsbury, England)

Tori No Ichi -- Japan (a "rooster day" in which to wish good luck and prosperity at temple and shrine ceremonies around the country)

Tunnel Day -- NY, NY, US (anniversary of the start of the first subway tunnel in 1900)

Victory Day -- Maldives

Zero Tasking Day -- spend the extra hour gained when turning the clocks back doing nothing, just practice being


Birthdays Today:

Gemma Ward, 1987
Evgeny Plushenko, 1982
Dolph Lundgren, 1959
Adam Ant, 1954
Kate Capshaw, 1953
Dennis Miller, 1953
Roseanne, 1952
Ken Berry, 1933
Michael Dukakis, 1933
Charles Bronson, 1921
William Cullen Bryant, 1794
Thomas Kyd, 1558


Debuting/Premiering Today:

Diff'rent Strokes(TV), 1978
Good Morning America(TV), 1973



Today in History:

Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim caliph, is killed by a Persian slave in Medina, 644
Christopher Columbus first sights the island of Dominica in the Caribbean Sea, 1493
The English parliament accepts the Act of Supremacy, declaring Henry VIII to be the leader of the Church of England, 1534
Great Patent is granted to Plymouth Colony, 1620
A great panic occurs in Europe over the close approach of a comet, 1679
Spain acquires Louisiana, 1762
The Bank of Montreal, Canada's oldest chartered bank, opens in Montreal, Quebec, 1817
The Times of India, the world's most widely circulated English language daily broadsheet newspaper, is founded as The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce, 1838
"Black Bart the Poet", stagecoach robber, commits his last robbery, leaving behind a clue that leads to his capture, 1883
J.H. Hunter patents a portable weighing scale, 1896
Chevrolet officially enters the automobile market, 1911
The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 2. On board is the first animal to enter orbit, a dog named Laika, 1957
NASA launches Mariner 10 toward Mercury; it would later become the first probe to reach that planet, 1973
Pervez Musharraf declares emergency rule across Pakistan, suspending the Constitution, 2007

aMAZEing

It was time for our monthly rEcess, the evening of fun with children whose disabilities make it hard for parents to leave them with regular baby sitters.

Once again i was paired with Gracie, who has learning delays due to spending the first two years of her life in a crib with no stimulation in a Bangladeshi orphanage.

Gracie doesn't much care for dolls, but she never saw a ball she didn't like.

She never met a ball she didn't like.

Her vocabulary is growing, and she will now say ball, and tell you, No, come on! in an imperial tone of voice.

The only reason she puts down the ball is for the drums.

The big room with the siblings of the special needs kids was being run by dads, so it was a wild and crazy room, especially when they pulled out the foam disks.  Much time was spent dodging the disks as they came flying across the room, and sometimes even into the hall.

Gracie managed not to get hit by a disk.

The church had set up a cardboard maze.  It was as a Halloween fun project and a fund raiser.  We took the kids over, and yes, i crawled in after Gracie.

It's very confusing in there!

Even from the outside, you aren't sure which way.

In some places, you have to climb.

If you get too lost, or scared, you can use an emergency exit.

Gracie and i crawled in there for a good 20 minutes, with her laughing and giggling and ;having a blast.  Next year, i'll know to wear long sleeves -- i have brush burns on my arms from the places where it was so low, i couldn't crawl but had to pull myself with my arms.

All of the running around gave way, toward the end of the evening, to some quieter activities, like coloring.

We love the white board!

 


Another fun evening was had by all.  


Today is:

All Souls' Day -- Christian (celebrations in Ecuador are among the most colorful; 2nd of the Dias de los Muertos in Mexico) related observances:
     Dead Relatives' Day -- Sicily
     Dia de Finados -- Brazil; Portugal

Aztec Day of the Dead -- Ancient Aztec Calendar (date approximate)

Balfour Declaration Day -- Israel

Cookie Monster's Birthday -- go have a cookie to celebrate! (but only after your dinner, as Cookie Monster now points out; boy, things have changed)

Coronation of Haile Selassie -- Rastafarian

Deepavali -- Hindu; Jain; Sikh
     Kukur Tihar/KukurPuja -- Day of Dogs (second day of the festival

Dveselu Diena -- Ancient Latvian Calendar (day for families to gather with the spirits of their ancestors at the graveyard to celebrate the continuity of life)

Fall Back Night -- all areas that end Daylight Saving Time tomorrow; set your clock back one hour before you go to bed and change the batteries in your smoke alarms/carbon monoxide detectors

Fall Country Jamboree -- Barberville, FL, US (celebration of pioneer life, with music, crafts, historic displays, Native and Cracker camps, and more; through tomorrow)

Festival of Hathor -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Guy Fawkes Carnival -- Bridgwater, Somerset, UK (a festival that traces its origins to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605)

Indian Arrival Day / Arrival of Indentured Laborers' Day -- Mauritius

Karatsu Kunchi -- Karatsu and Saga, Japan

Look for Circles Day -- internet generated, and we run in circles looking for who created it and why!

Lovington Fall Arts and Crafts Festival -- Lovington, NM, US (over 100 local and regional crafters; through tomorrow)

National Deviled Egg Day

National Traffic Directors Day -- meaning radio and TV traffic directors, who always schedule your favorite shows when you just can't watch, and put more and more commercials in when they can; on the anniversary of the first commercial radio broadcast in Pittsburgh in 1922, sponsored by the Traffic Directors Guild of America

Ohara Festival -- Kagoshima, Japan (one of Japan's largest autumn festivals, with 22,000+ dancers in the parade; through tomorrow)

Peddler's Village Apple Festival -- Lahaska, PA, US (fun for all, through tomorrow)

Potting-Shed Investitures -- Fairy Calendar (Garden Fairies)

Plan Your Epitaph Day -- sponsored by Dead or Alive of Arcata, CA, because a forgettable epitaph is almost a fate worse than death, so make plans to do yours right!

Practice Being Psychic Day -- but you already knew that, didn't you?

Refuse to Capitalize the First Letters in Your Name Day -- k.d.lang's birth anniversary

Soulcaker's Play -- Cheshire, UK

Steeplechase at Callaway Gardens -- Pine Mountain, GA, US (a six-race steeplechase)

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

Unique 13th Annual 150 Hands-On Mystery Object Event -- Logic Puzzle Museum, Burlington, WI, US (come join the fun and use your brain puzzling out what these mystery objects, many of them antique, are or used to do; through Nov. 17)

Verboort Sausage and Kraut Dinner -- Forest Grove, OR, US (beer and their famous sausage, as well as home-baked goods and fun)

World Beard and Moustache Championships -- Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany (catagories include Fu Manchu, Dali Moustache, and Freestyle Sideburns, among others)


Anniversaries Today:

North Dakota becomes the 39th US State, 1889
South Dakota becomes the 40th US State, 1889


Birthdays Today:

Stephanie Powers, 1942
Pat Buchanan, 1938
Ray Walston, 1914
Burt Lancaster, 1913
Paul Ford, 1901
Warren G. Harding, 1865
James K. Polk, 1795
Marie Antionette, 1755
Daniel Boone, 1734


Debuting/Premiering Today:

The Spruce Goose makes its first (only) flight, 1947


Today in History:

The Plymouth, Rhode Island, Massachusetts Bay, and Connecticut colonies combine forces and attach the Great Swamp Fort of the Narragansetts during King Philip's War, 1675
The African Free School, the first free school in NYC, opens, 1787
The popular vote for US president is first recorded and Andrew "By God" Jackson (a/k/a Old Hickory) defeats John Quincy Adams, 1824
New Zealand officially adopts a standard time to be observed nationally, 1868
Johnny Campbell officially leads the crowd in cheering at a University of Minnesota football game, the official birth of cheerleading, 1898
The British newspaper the "Daily Mirror" begins publication, 1904
The Balfour Declaration proclaims British support for the "establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people" with the clear understanding "that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities", 1917
Charlotte Woodward, who attended the historic Seneca Falls Women's Rights Convention of 1848, becomes the only one of the women who attended to live long enough to cast a vote in a national election, 1920
Australia's Qantas Airways begins service, 1922
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is established, 1936
In California, designer Howard Hughes performs the maiden (and only) flight of the Spruce Goose; the largest fixed-wing aircraft ever built, 1947
Penguin Books is found not guilty of obscenity in the Lady Chatterley's Lover case, 1960
The Morris worm, the first internet-distributed computer worm to gain significant mainstream media attention, is launched from MIT, 1988
The International Space Station becomes permanently staffed, 2000
China makes its first orbital docking as its unmanned Shenzhou 8 spacecraft successfully docks with the orbiting Tiangong 1 space station module, 2011
The New York Marathon is cancelled due to the damage from Hurricane Sandy, 2012

Photo-Finish Friday: Little Girl's Pumpkins

The pumpkins Little Girl carved for Halloween:

Photo-Finish Friday is the brainchild of Leah at The Goat's Lunch Pail.



Today is:

All Hallow's Day a/k/a All Saint's Day -- Christian, and a Holy Day of Obligation in the Roman Catholic Church; a recognized holiday (although not necessarily a day off work) in Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Benin, Bosnia and Herzegovena, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, East Timor, Ecuador, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guinea, Holy See, Hungary, Italy, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malta, Martinique, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Monaco, New Caledonia, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of the Congo, Reunion, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre et Miquelon, San Marino, Senegal, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Togo, Wallis and Fortuna)

Apaturia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (three day Phratriai brotherhood festival; dates approximate)

Arbor Day -- Samoa

Bulgarian National Revival Leaders' Day -- Bulgaria

Breeder's Cup World Championship -- Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY, US (the world's best horses compete in 14 races over two days)

Cake Appreciation Day -- while i can't find a reason or sponsor for this, i'm sure the Cake Appreciation Society would approve

Cook for Your Pets Day -- did the dogs lobby for this? www.cookforyourpets.com

Coronation Day of Fourth Druk Gyalpo -- Bhutan

CrossQuarter Day

Day of the Innocents -- Mexico (first Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead)

Deepawali/Deepavali/Diwali/Divali -- Hindu; Jain; Sikh (through the 5th; local dating customs and government holidays for this Lunar New Year/Festival of Lights can vary)
     Kag Tihar/Kag Puja -- Day of the Crows (day one of the festival)

Festival of Fisher's Ghost -- Campbelltown City, Australia (ten days of celebrating the legends of Australia's most famous ghost, Frederick Fisher)

Gooseberry Humble's Tummy-Rumbling Contest -- Fairy Calendar

Graveyards Day -- a traditional day to tend the graves of ancestors

I Am So Thankful Month begins -- before the "holiday" frenzy, spend not just a day, but a month, practicing gratitude

Haryana Day -- Haryaha, India

Independence Day -- Antigua & Barbuda(1981); North Yemen (Yemen Arab Republic, from the Ottoman Empire)

International Coaches Day -- no one claims to have started this; if you have, or had, a great coach in your life, let him/her know

Kalends of November -- Ancient Roman Calendar; also
     Pomonia -- Festival to Pomona

Kanhada Rajyothsaya -- Kamataka, India (Kamataka Formation Day)

Kite Festival of Santiago Sacatepequez -- Santiago Sacatepequez, Guatemala (kite flying in the graveyard to scare away evil spirits)

Liberty Day / D. Hamilton Jackson Day -- US Virgin Islands

Medical Science Liaison (MSL) Awareness And Appreciation Day -- US

NaNoWriMo -- National Novel Writer's Month, write one if you have it in you!

National Author's Day -- US

National Family Literacy Day® -- US (but no matter where you live, turn off the tv, pick up a good book! National Center for Family Literacy)

National Farm Toy Show -- National Farm Toy Museum, Dyersville, IA, US (the granddaddy of all farm toy shows; through Sunday)

National French Fried Clam / Deep Fried Clam Day

National Vinegar Day

No Driving with Cell Phones Day -- the first law against talking n a hand-held device while driving went into effect in NY, US, on this day in 2001

Plate Tectonics Day -- birth anniversary of Alfred Wegener, who came up with the theory of continental drift

Old Celtic New Year

Olive Festival -- Galilee, Israel (through the month, especially centered around Kawkab and Hurfeish, with open houses, oil production tours, feasts, lectures, concerts, dance performances, and olives galore)

Ozark Mountain Christmas/Branson Festival of Lights -- Branson, MO, US

Remembrance Day -- Slovenia

Revival Leaders' Day -- Bulgaria

Revolution Day/National Day -- Algeria

Samhain -- Celtic, 3rd Station, and Wicca, Northern Hemisphere (Beltane in the Southern Hemisphere)

State Foundation Day --  Andhra Pradesh, India; Karnataka, India; Kerala, India

Will Rogers' Days -- Claremore and Oologah, OK, US (through the 4th; celebrating the man's wit and humor at his birthplace and the museum dedicated to him)

World Championship Punkin Chunkin -- Bridgeville, DE, US (come watch someone be crowned lord of the gourd! through Sunday)

World Community Day -- sponsored by Church Women United to focus on justice and peace through non-violent means;  this year's theme is Walking Through the Doors of Opportunity

World Vegan Day -- International


Anniversaries Today:

The Prime Meridian is set at Greenwich, England, 1884
Boston Female Medical School opens, 1848



Birthdays Today:

Toni Collette, 1972
Jenny McCarthy, 1972
Fernando Valenzuela, 1960
Lyle Lovett, 1957
Dan Peek, 1951
Larry Flynt, 1942
Gary Player, 1935
Stephen Crane, 1871
Alfred Wegener, 1880


Debuting/Premiering Today:

Hello Kitty, 1974
Ebony Magazine, 1945


Today in History:

The name "Austria" is first used for Ostarrichin, 996
King John of England begins imprisoning Jews, 1210
The Duke of Brabant orders the execution of all Jews in Brussels, claiming they were poisoning wells, 1349
First exhibit of the works of Michelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, 1512
The Netherlands is hit by a flood disaster, resulting in the deaths of thousands, 1570
Shakespeare's "Othello" first presented, 1604
Shakespeare's "The Tempest" first presented, 1611
An earthquake in Lisbon leaves over 50,000 dead, 1755
The Stamp Act goes into effect in the British colonies, 1765
George Washington gives his "Farewell Address" and the Continental Army is dissolved, 1783
John Adams becomes the first Us president to move into the (still not quite finished) White House, 1800*
*Note: It was still called the Executive Mansion at this time
The first published reference to poker, as a Mississippi riverboat game, 1834
The Cape Lookout, North Carolina, lighthouse, which is still in use, is lit for the first time; its first-order Fresnel lens can be seen for 19 miles in good conditions, 1859
Passage of the first US Civil Rights Bill, 1866
First publication of "Harpers Bazaar", 1867
The US Weather Bureau (now the National Weather Service) begins operations, with 24 locations, 1870
Edward Scripps and John Sweeney found Penny Press (now the Cleveland Press), 1878
The Gaelic Athletic Association is founded at the Hayes' Hotel in Thurles, County Tipperary, 1884
Dr. Roux of Paris introduces a vaccine for diphtheria, 1894
Nicholas II becomes the new Tsar of Russia, 1894
The National Geographic Magazine publishes its first picture of bare breasted women (from a Zulu tribe), 1896
The first Library of Congress building opened its doors to the public, 1897
Sigma Phi Epsilon, the largest national male college fraternity in the US, is established at Richmond College, 1901
Parris Island becomes the officially designated Marine Corps Recruit Depot, 1915
The Ottoman Empire is officially abolished, 1922
Seabiscuit defeats War Admiral in an upset victory during a match race deemed "the match of the century" in horse racing, 1938
The first animal conceived by artificial insemination, a rabbit, is displayed, 1939
American photographer Ansel Adams takes a picture of a moonrise over the town of Hernandez, New Mexico that would become one of the most famous images in the history of photography, 1941
The first issue of Ebony Magazine is published, by John H. Johnson, 1945
Charles Cooper of the Celtics becomes the first black NBA player, 1950
The first hydrogen nuclear device is exploded, by the US, at Eniwetok Atoll, 1952
Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jacques Plante wears a protective mask for the first time in an NHL game, 1959
The Arecibo Observatory in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, with the largest radio telescope ever constructed, officially opens, 1963
The Motion Picture Association of America's film rating system is officially introduced, originating with the ratings G, M, R, and X, 1968
Honda becomes the first Asian automaker to build cars in the US, 1982
Serbia joins the United Nations, 2000
First part of the Gomery Report, which discusses allegations of political money manipulation by members of the Liberal Party of Canada, is released in Canada. 2005