Today in history, greetings, and social banter here. (More)
Paris’ first recorded trial for witchcraft began today (1390). Also, Walter Raleigh was beheaded after his conviction for conspiracy against James I (1618), Gottfried Leibniz introduced the long-s ∫ symbol for the integral in calculus (1675), Mozart’s Don Giovanni premiered (1787), Oregon’s Mount Hood was named for the British naval officer who sighted it while exploring the mouth of the Willamette River (1792), representatives of 18 countries met in Geneva to form the International Red Cross (1863), office workers in New York City threw ticker tape out their windows to celebrate the dedication of the Statue of Liberty, the origin of the city’s ticker tape parades (1886), the Convention of Constantinople guaranteed free passage of the Suez Canal for all nations (1888), the Link River Dam in Klamath Falls, Oregon was completed, on the same day Harvard University’s 25-game football winning streak ended with an upset loss to Centre College (1921), Italy’s Victor Emmanuel III appointed Benito Mussolini as Prime Minister (1922), the Tangier Protocol reintegrated the then-international city into Morocco (1956), Cassius Clay, later Muhammad Ali, won his first professional boxing match (1960), the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar was renamed the United Republic of Tanzania, on the same day John “Murph the Surf” Murphy and two accomplices stole a collection of gems including the 565-carat Star of India from the American Museum of Natural History in New York City (1964), Montreal’s World Fair, Expo 67, closed after receiving over 50 million visitors (1967), the first ever computer-to-computer link was established on ARPANET (1969), Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher opened the last stretch of Britain’s M25 motorway (1986), the Galileo spacecraft made its closest approach to 951 Gaspra, making it the first probe to visit an asteroid (1991), Francisco Duran was arrested after firing over two dozen shots at the White House (1994), South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission presented its report condemning atrocities and injustice on both sides of the struggle to end apartheid, on the same day 77-year-old John Glenn became the oldest man to fly into space, aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery, and the same day 11,000 people died as Category 5 Hurricane Mitch made landfall in Honduras, and the same day 63 people died in a fire at Sweden’s Gothenburg nightclub (1998), at least 10,000 people died as a Category 5 cyclone struck the coast of Odisha in India (1999), 60 people died as a fire swept through the Ho Chi Minh City ITC department store (2002), Al Jazeera broadcast an excerpt from a 2004 Osama bin Laden video in which he first admitted direct responsibility for 9/11 attacks (2004), 60 people died as three bombs exploded in Delhi, India (2005), and Delta Air Lines merges with Northwest Airlines to form the world’s largest airline (2008). And 148 people died as Category 1 Hurricane Sandy struck the U.S. east cost (2012).
+++++
Good morning! ::hugggggs::
Yesterday on Campus
Morning Feature – The Bean Machine? (Meta Monday)
Things We Did This Week – Share your stories of offline political activism!
Midday Matinee – addisnana with We Could Be Talking About…
Campus Question – Is the ACA “The Big Kludge” or a good way to insure working-age families?
Our Earth – Disagreement About Climate Change?
Today on Campus
Morning Feature – The Squirrel with Better Health for Seniors: the Affordable Care Act’s Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative
Noontime News at noon
Midday Matinee – Tuesday’s Tale: The Buffoons
Campus Question at 6pm ET
Good morning! It’s currently 16 degrees and clear. High (we think) of 40, and it’s supposed to warm up a bit towards Friday, although the next three days look to be our “winter is coming” warning. Yesterday was actually somewhat productive. We got our last building stained, the big brush piles are now very small piles of ash, and we’re just about done with the field. On today’s schedule is “tinkering,” which means getting the last bit packed, and doing some minor touch-ups on things with stain (temperature permitting). Tomorrow’s is doing the reports, and a last check to insure that things are completely turned off, locked, stored, and then turn in the keys. I have a physical and mental collapse scheduled for Friday. 😆
I love that line and I hope your ‘schedule’ works out for you. 🙂
“Tinkering” sounds like fun. “Physical and mental” collapse can be fun, if it involves a comfy chair and a good book. 😀
Good morning! ::hugggggs::
Enjoy your collapse, Norbrook. I think you’ve earned it.
Karmic relief, Der Postillon – Germany’s equivalent to The Onion – offered this charming headline:
Good morning! ::hugggggs::
😆 😆
GoodMorning. I had a nice comment but didn’t notice that I wasn’t logged in. Oops.
I am thinking of getting a couple of pieces of poster board and making myself a one woman, sandwich person, protester. I can see myself standing at a busy intersection with the people who sell newspapers on Sunday morning or those who offer to wash for windshield. The steady stream of emails asking me to call/write Congress, donate money or sign a petition have become unsatisfying to say the least.
On a happier note, Minnesota’s Walker Art Center hosted a wildly successful cat video festival which has become a road show. http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2013/10/28/arts/cat-video-festival-new-york
It was in Brooklyn yesterday. So much for the idea that all cool things start on the coast and eventually reach middle America.
I tuned into an E.R. show the other night and found a solo E.R. doctor getting frustrated because his staff was always watching cat videos. They were a small business who usually stabilized then transported to a bigger facility, so they weren’t exactly overrun, but still.
He would definitely agree that cats took over the internet. 😉
Some are very pleased with this news:
Others, not so much:
Your mileage may vary…. 😉
Good morning! ::hugggggs::
That’s great!
Good morning!
Clouds, they say, and 46 degrees here…. It’s still dark. Made a whopper load of firewood yesterday morning, and had it stacked at home by 11:00. Found a dead hickory I’d forgotten about, and will get that one too, WX permitting. We’re supposed to be getting 3 days of on and off rain showers. Too much rain will halt the woodcutting for the year… My pal Kenny stopped by and watered the compost pile while I turned it with the tractor loader. Told him he ought to turn pro…. Also mowed the back yard and blew leaves, getting ready for this rain… Oh and the coldframe and raised bed looked dry, so watered them too. I think my winter lettuce is starting to germinate, finally!
The conservation group PW and I belong to holds some easements that we are now required to monitor once a year, so we’ll be heading out to take photos and meet with the landowners. PW and HMG did 4 easement yesterday, we’re shooting for 3 today.
Those Beantown bearded brutes won again last night. I don’t have a good feeling about this…. Have a decent day!
Best, G
Sorry about your Cards, G. I don’t have a horse in this race so will share sympathy equally. 😉
Can’t you stack and cut wood after you’ve had a period of rain? Won’t it dry out?
Going back to Beantown, too, Gardener. Looks dicey.
It seems the Red Sox finally got around to reading last Friday’s Bippiescopes. Took them long enough…. 😉
Good morning! ::hugggggs::
So when composting becomes a contest or a reality TV show will we see you and PW and Kenny?
Good morning,
I am now in good stead with Ms LI Mike. I could no longer put off staining our front steps so that was done yesterday. Later, I canvassed a district with our Town Supervisor. It is pedal-to-the-metal campaigning for me for the next week.
Too bad I don’t call NYC home, Bill de Blasio has an ungodly lead over his opponent Joseph Lhota
“Over all, the poll found that Mr. de Blasio held a lead over Mr. Lhota of 68 to 23 percent among likely voters, with Adolfo Carrión Jr., the Independence Party candidate, receiving 2 percent.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/28/nyregion/de-blasio-in-position-to-win-mayors-race-by-historic-margin-poll-shows.html?pagewanted=2&_r=0
So, the question being…if an unabashed progressive runs like an unabashed progressive can that only be a good thing? On the one hand, hey, it is NYC where Republicans are scarcer than precious metal; on the other hand, Guiliani and Bloomberg won in NYC.
Probably the truth resides somewhere between those two poles. Mr. de Blasio has done the shift to the center thing a little bit. In any event, people responded well to his progressive message.
I think that once Democrats got off communicating in the vein of “we have a program/policy for that” and started talking about what government could do and does do to make people’s lives better that people responded. Good for deBlasio!
Lots of things came together to help de Blasio, from the Occupy Movement bringing attention to income inequality to the NYPD’s racial profiling with Stop-and-Frisk. Simply, the time was right for a progressive candidate in New York City. 😀
Good morning! ::hugggggs::
Exacto, Crissie
Good morning! I got good news yesterday when I was finally told that the apartment that I wanted would be mine for first months rent plus deposit. So, now I have a place to go to and I just need to plan how I get my stuff to the apartment. The Younger W and some of his friends should be able to help. I’m hoping that my brother can come and at least provide support during the move.
And with that, my to-do list has grown astronomically. I’ve got a few calls to make today to get ready.
Great news, Glenda! I’m glad to know Younger W will help you move, and hope your brother can pitch in as well. I don’t know about your specific situation, but can’t help feeling this would be a very good time to have family very close.
Mega hugs. I am so proud of you for taking this step. I know it isn’t easy.
Echoing Winterbanyan — Great news, Glenda.
Good luck with your move and I’m glad you have the support of family. 🙂 I hope your new apartment is an island of serenity for you and a place to heal.
Wow, things are moving along quickly, Glenda! That’s good but also busy, and I hope Younger W and others will give you the help and support you need as you make this move. I admire your courage and please know our thoughts are with you as you! 😀
Good morning! ::hugggggs::