February 6, 2017 Open Thread; happy Waitangi Day
February 6 is the 37th day of the year. There are 328 days left.
Today's number is 6
6 is
6 is the sum of its proper divisors (1, 2, & 3), which makes it a perfect number. It is the smallest perfect number,
6 is the only number that is both the sum and the product of three consecutive positive numbers.
6 similar coins can be arranged around a central coin of the same radius so that each coin makes contact with the central one and both of its neighbors.
A six-sided polygon is a hexagon, one of the three regular polygons capable of tiling the plane.
There are six basic trigonometric functions.
A star of David has 6 points
Hexa is classical greek for 6
A hexahedron is a polyhedron with six faces.
A cube is a special case of the hexahedron
A die is a special cube and 6 is highest number on a normal die.
Hexameter is a poetic form consisting of six feet per line
A "hex nut" is a nut with six sides, and a hex bolt has a six-sided head
The prefix "hexa-" occurs in the name of many chemical compounds, such as hexane.
A hexaflexagon is an interesting object made from a strip of paper that everybody can make and fool around with. There are several more variations than those in this video
Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flexagon
Sex is latin for 6
A sextant forms one-sixth of a whole circle
6 musicians are a sextet
6 babies delivered in one birth are sextuplets
Sorry, no sex related videos
A standard guitar has 6 strings
A fathom is 6 feet long (deep)
6 is highest number on either end of a standard domino
M6 is an open cluster in the constellation Scorpius.
The cells of a beehive are 6-sided
Insects have 6 legs
A benzene molecule has a ring of 6 carbon atoms
6 is the atomic number of carbon
The sixfold symmetry of snowflakes is due to the hexagonal crystal structure of water ice which comes from the hydrogen bonding of water molecules
In the Standard Model of particle physics, there are 6 types of quarks and 6 types of leptons
Common references to 6 include
6 feet under
6 degrees of separation
6th sense
6 pack
6 banger, straight 6, or v-6
6 gun or 6 shooter
Deep six.
Title 6 of the US Code is Domestic Security, including the Heimat Sicherheitspolizei Homeland Security Organization
6 BCE was the Year of the Consulship of Balbus and Vetus
Emperor Augustus sent ferrets to the Balearic Islands to control the rabbit plagues. (The islanders were great slingers so it made sense for a military empire to cater to them.) I wonder if they were folk slingers, or more formal?
Tiberius Claudius Nero was sent to Armenia, then retired to Rhodes. Another opportunity for me to play ...
6 CE was the Year of the Consulship of Lepidus and Arruntius
Josephus says that Quirinius conducted a census in Judea which caused a revolt therein which was led by led by Judas the Galilean. The revolt was put down and the rebels were crucified, but it gave birth to the Zealot movement. The zealots wished to establish a global Jewish theocracy and fought the Romans until about 70 CE. They left behind their name.
Meanwhile, in China, an occultation of Mars by the moon caused some to fear for the life of emperor Ping Di who, in fact, died of unexpected causes within a couple of months. This left it up to good old Wang Mang to select a new emperor, and he picked the 2 year old Ruzi Ying.
On this day in:
1819 -- Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles founds Singapore. Slings were presumably slung.
1820 -- 86 African Americans left New York to colonize what is today Liberia.
1840 -- New Zealand became a British colony.
1899 -- The US Senate ratified the Treaty of Paris between the US and Spain
1918 -- British women over 30 got the right to vote, the rest remained serfs.
1922 -- The Washington Naval Treaty was signed limiting the naval armaments of the US, Britain, Japan, France, and Italy.
1952 -- Elizabeth II became queen
1959 -- Jack Kilby filed for the first patent of an integrated circuit.
1981 -- The National Resistance Army of Uganda started the Ugandan Bush War
1987 -- Justice Mary Gaudron became the first woman appointed to the Australian High Court
2012 -- A 6.9 magnitude earthquake in the Philippines
2013 -- A 8.0 magnitude earthquake in the Solomon Islands
2016 -- A 6.4 magnitude earthquake in Taiwan
Born this day in:
1879 -- Othon Friesz, Fauvist painter
1895 -- Robert La Follette Jr., politician, co-founder of the progressive party
1898 -- Harry Haywood, politician, activist, CPUSA member
1902 -- George Brunies, trombonist
1903 -- Claudio Arrau, pianist and composer
1911 -- Ronald Reagan, mediocre actor, bad governor, terrible president who dumped Jane Wyman for Nancy,
1912 -- Eva Braun, wife of Adolf Hitler
1913 -- Mary Leakey, archaeologist and anthropologist
1932 -- François Truffaut, actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
1940 -- Tom Brokaw, journalist and author
1942 -- Sarah Brady, gun control activist and author
1944 -- Willie Tee, singer, songwriter, keyboard player, and producer
1945 -- Bob Marley, singer, songwriter and guitarist
1946 -- Richie Hayward, drummer and songwriter
1946 -- Kate McGarrigle, musician and singer-songwriter
1947 -- Bill Staines, singer, songwriter and guitarist
1949 -- Mike Batt, singer, songwriter and producer
1950 -- Natalie Cole, singer, songwriter and actress
1957 -- Simon Phillips, drummer and producer
1962 -- Axl Rose, singer, songwriter and producer
1964 -- Gordon Downie, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actor
1966 -- Rick Astley, singer, songwriter, nothing to see here
1967 -- Anita Cochran, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer
Died this day in:
1378 -- Joanna of Bourbon, not to be confused with Joanna of Rye or Scotch
1804 -- Joseph Priestley, chemist and theologian
1918 -- Gustav Klimt, painter and illustrator
1976 -- Vince Guaraldi, singer, songwriter and pianist
1981 -- Hugo Montenegro, composer and conductor
1990 -- Jimmy Van Heusen, pianist and composer
2007 -- Frankie Laine, singer, songwriter and actor
2011 -- Gary Moore, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer
2016 -- Dan Hicks, singer, songwriter and guitarist
Holidays, Holy Days, Festivals, Feast Days and such:
International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (United Nations)
Waitangi Day, celebrates the founding of New Zealand in 1840.
So, for music George Brunies Claudio Arrau Willie Tee Bob Marley Richie Hayward Kate McGarrigle Bill Staines Mike Batt Natalie Cole Simon Phillips Axl Rose Gordon Downie Rick Astley Anita Cochran Vince Guaraldi Hugo Montenegro Jimmy Van Heusen Frankie Laine Gary Moore Dan Hicks-
George Brunies
Claudio Arrau
Willie Tee
Bob Marley
Richie Hayward
Kate McGarrigle
Bill Staines
Mike Batt
Natalie Cole
Simon Phillips
Axl Rose
Gordon Downie
Rick Astley
Anita Cochran
Vince Guaraldi
Hugo Montenegro
Jimmy Van Heusen
Frankie Laine
Gary Moore
Dan Hicks
OK, what's on your minds?
Bonus: (has ads to click through, sorry)
Comments
Babe Ruth was born on February 6
He was the most famous American of his era and transcended the sport he excelled in. He was adulated in Japan and other parts of the world familiar with baseball.
Even in this day of steroids and scientific training regimens, Babe Ruth hit the ball farther than anyone else has hit it. Barry Bonds never hit a ball 500 feet. Ruth hit at least one 600 feet and dozens over 500 feet. All other sports have athletes who are far better than their predecessors but in this aspect of the game, Babe is still # 1. It's hard to explain.
He was an athletic prodigy going from reform school to the major leagues at age 19 with a few weeks with the minor league Baltimore Orioles in between. For three years he was the best left hander in baseball before he decided he wanted to play everyday and was shipped to New York.
His lifetime slugging % is more than 10% higher than the runnerup.
George Herman Ruth, Jr, grew up speaking German at home and he never lost that language ability.
He was sent to St Mary's Industrial School for Boys at age 7 because he could not be controlled by his parents - his father worked long hours at his saloon and his mother was never healthy. He learned shirtmaking at St Mary's and was an excellent tailor.
One of a kind.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
Mantle allegedly hit one 656 to Ruth's 640 or os. Many have hit
them over 500'. Ruth was a prodigy, but everything about the game and equipent has changed so many times that those types of comparisons just don't work.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Mickey Mantle
The New York Times reported that Mantle - another rare athletic prodigy - hit a 565 foot home run.It was in April, 1953, at Griffith Stadium,and is still widely reported as fact. Bill Jenkinson,who visited the sites of every home run by Ruth, Foxx and Mantle asked the Yankee publicist, Red Patterson, how he measured this clout. Patterson told him that in 30 years no one had asked him that and the fact is, according to Patterson, he (Red P.) had absolutely no idea because he bought the ball from the boys who picked it up. Physics indicates the ball traveled 510 feet, an historic blow, but not the made up figure of 565 feet.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
I heard a Mantle blast in batting practice
Wish I could upload photos...sigh...here's a link to a picture of old Yankee Stadium.
http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/ballparks/old-yankee-stadium/
ok...so I guess you'd call it right-center field. That looks like a Bank of America ad on the back wall. That link above includes the info that the fence was 385 ft from home. I have no idea how far the back wall would be. Anyway, Mantle, batting left-handed, hit a ball so hard and so far that it one-hopped the wall with a resounding thud, more like a bang, a boom. It was unforgettable.
Must have been late 50s.
The Mick
Mantle had his full athletic strength as a teenager. Unlike Ruth and Foxx, he was allowed to play regularly in the majors.(Ruth was only a pitcher for 5 years and Connie Mack didn't believe a teenager could ever compete in the majors so Foxx rode the bench, except for some pinch hitting[he was 6 for 9 one year] before being allowed to be a regular.
When you saw Mick hit that shot to the right center power alley it was probably over 400 feet - a truly fierce line drive. The dimension at Yankee stadium were short down the lines and - left center to right center - 460 feet, 490 feet, 429 feet, before renovation. DiMaggio couldn't hit a ball that far in that arc but occasionally Mantle, Ruth and Foxx could.
It's great you saw Mick unload that shot.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
gee I hope my meaning was clear re: Mantle
when I say it one-hopped the wall I meant the back wall. We were sitting somewhere on the rightfield side, between 1st and the foul pole so I had a great view. It's always fun to tell youngsters I saw DiMaggio in the Old-Timer's Day game...when the current squad had Mantle, Berra, Kubek, Skowron, Ford et al.
Equipment change
Yes equipment, including bats and balls, have changed and the equipment, and especially stadium dimensions, works against Ruth. Ruth used bats weighing between 50 ounces and 42 ounces instead of the whippier 32 ounce bats usually used today.
Ruth probably hit more 450 foot outs than anyone else. Many stadiums had huge outfield dimensions from left center over to right center. It's documented that Joe Dimaggio at his home stadium never hit a home run in 45 degrees of arc. He lost dozens of homers a modern player would not lose today. The same goes for Jimmie Foxx, second on the power list to the Babe and just ahead of Mantle.
The National League ball was juiced up in 1930 and quickly put back to normal and a few years later both leagues began using the same ball.
The net effect is that Ruth, Foxx, and Mantle found it harder to hit home runs than the modern players.
Bill Jenkinson and his books are a good source for this unusual field of baseball research.
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
hexaflexigons...
are fun. Six has many interesting properties. Thanks for sharing some of them.
Here's another band to add to your list. There is nun other like it...
Sister Monica and Siervas are a Peruvian-based rock'n'roll band comprised entirely of nuns.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-38859871
And good news for Marley fans -
Lost recordings by Bob Marley found in a damp hotel basement in London after more than 40 years have been restored. The tapes are the original, high-quality live recordings of the reggae legend's concerts in London and Paris between 1974 and 1978. Tracks include No Woman No Cry, Jamming and Exodus.
hope you all have a good day....
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Thanks for the news
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
What a start to my week! The Declination Letter for my car
Insurance was in error. But I was also listed deceased in Oct 1979, pre-childbirth. Odd. SO I am good to go, and do not have to worry that NY will suspend my driver's license.
Which is good, if only I could drive now. Managed to overwrap my foot, and it's if possible, slightly more swollen and colors are magnificent. It was feeling more stable yesterday. Back to R-I-C-E, but the thought of blue ice is terrifying.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
good news on the insurance and license. Good luck with the foot
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Just back from hospital satellite: Broken foot.
I am now outfitted with a Boot up to my knee. Clumping around like Frankenstein's monster. Oh, God. What compensatory leg exercise I will get. Supposed to see an Orthopod this week. They said to use my walker. Which I got 3-ish years ago. In a house on 5 levels, negotiating a walker up and down stairs is even more dangerous. Good thing I sold the manual transmission 2 years ago. Foresight?
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
@riverlover Sheesh! You need a
Sheesh! You need a live-in helper for a while. Maybe you can find a way to sort of camp in just one level for a while.
Good morning, folks!
A great read by Chris Hedges in Truthdig today: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/make_america_ungovernable_20170205
This article is another of the many wake-up calls we are getting. Pay attention to this one!
Have a beautiful day, everyone!
"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11
Thanks, RA. Just got up, so I haven't read much of anything yet
yet today
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Thanks, Raggedy Ann, today Mephistopheles haunted me
I read Hedge's article. I had same thoughts yesterday and almost posted them here in my simple words, but was my chicken self and got scared.
Non-cooperation, divest, do-not-comply, non-violent boycotts all that ... Comedians should lead the way. They should boycott and not satirize "The Trumping Bannon Empire". Especially not if they work for corporate news channels to make them a profit. For once the comedians could get serious, don't you think?
Here are some 'shout-out' greetings from Germany. They don't sound comforting these days. But times are not interesting,as many say, no, they are very discomforting. May be therefore what they say reflect honest feelings.
Europe Must Defend Itself Against A Dangerous President - The United States president is becoming a danger to the world. It is time for Germany and Europe to prepare their political and economic defenses.
The Pain of a Donald Trump Presidency
Mepisto's Plan
Meanwhile they write that the conservatives in the EU parliament want to invite ANTI-Trump opponents. link
Well, "Der Spiegel" tries hard. I don't blame 'em for it, them being accused of whatever, neo-liberalism, liberalism or just being "ein Scheißblatt" as one beloved German Chancellor Willy Brandt once said. Well, in a "Scheiß"-world one needs a "Scheißblatt (shit news magazine)".
I think the title page of "Der Spiegel" says it all. Can't embed it here.
It shows Trump with a machete in one hand and the decapitated head of the Statue of Liberty with blood dripping to the bottom in the other.
I think these words by Mephistopheles in Goethe's Faust could have been said by Bannon. For sure he has them in his mind.
I have to go on digging. Good day to all.
https://www.euronews.com/live
It's even more impactful when sung
Arrigo Boito realized this, and wrote his version of the Faust story putting primary focus on the Devil (even giving him the title - the opera is called Mefistofele).
Here's a pageful of versions by some of the most famous basses (and at least one bass-baritone, a slightly lighter voice) ever: http://medicine-opera.com/2014/03/son-lo-spirito-che-nega/
There is no justice. There can be no peace.
Ice Pellets
another day of ice and snow here in Portland. The Weather Underground keeps tantalizing me with their 10 day graph that predicts 50 degree days ahead. Then the next day Ice Pellets symbol replaces the warm 50degrees that were coming up. Oh Well. I've had a nasty evil head cold/flu for about eleven days now. Between this evil bug and the news/politics this winter is the worst ever.
Everyone in my family and half the block have had this crud. We had to postpone Christmas due to ice and snow and then everybody got sick. Shah now has it but his seems milder then mine so maybe by Easter we can have Christmas with the family and distribute the Christmas presents sitting in the closet. I bought everyone warm snugly things for winter which by way things are going will come in handy next year.
Sorry to gripe as my tribulations seem petty whenever I turn on the computer and look at what is happening. Thank God for no TV. I have noticed through the fog of snot that here in Portland there is a lot of activism going on outside the political partisan lines. I missed a major NoDPAL,a BLM rally and march and a demonstration at city hall aimed at stopping the demolishing of Portland and the protesting
pig'sgoon squad abusive crack down on demonstrators and citizens who resist.So why are we bothering to muck around with the Democrat's or looking to the totally broken system to resist? Why would they resist or obstruct what they have installed? Nancy 'we took it off the table' came out and said it would be irresponsible of the Dems.to resist and since their is nothing on the table anymore as a remedy were just going to have to deal. Seems to me that The Hairball has begun to implement everything that the owners of the place want. I keep hearing people say if only we had Obomber back he's such a classy mass murdering war criminal, disaster cappie and abuser of power.
Thanks for the number 6 EL and the Dan Hicks which always makes me smile. I hope you all have a great day.
From Counterpunch
which is one of my favorite on-line publications. This is an excellent read, one that shows interconnections, cause and effect, that the powers that be want to obscure and seem to be succeeding at. All of the horrific issues we face are interconnected and will require people to connect the dots and form unity/solidarity instead of splintering off into separate factions.
http://www.counterpunch.org/2017/02/06/no-ban-no-wall-no-war/
No Ban! No Wall! No War? by Richard Moser
One would think the Potato famine was happening again
and it's those dirty Irish (sorry, I had Orange predecessors) who took all the jobs away from high unemployment numbers. No one ever learns a true history. Nevermind that we are bombing the shit out of urbane cities Over There that no one here can find on a map oof know what country they are/were in.
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
If Americans would only improve their geographical knowledge
of the world, we might have a better chance for peace.
Sorry to hear about all the bad news. Get well & glad you
enjoyed the Hicks.
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
A local TV news station in Atlanta posted the first pollen count
of the year. It was only 12 on the scale and only juniper, but this is frighteningly early. The thermometer in my car showed 63 degrees at noon, not official but wow! Barring the occasional cold snap, we've been having spring since the drought eased at the end of November.
"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"
The mind of Donald Trump
A few notes on this essay - https://umairhaque.com/the-psychology-of-fascism-118c6e7d60fc#.8f9dg2bsq
Donald Trump wakes up every morning ready to fight his enemys. That's his life.
He idolized/feared his father and 'learned at the feet of the Master' thzt everyone is out to screw him.
It makes. perfect sense that his is a 'Fascist Mentality'.
Especially the lack of reason in the fascist mind.
It's all about 'Vince' today for me. (a little slow loading people might be playing it a lot)
Update: @umairh has been on fire the last 24hrs...This one is called 'The Line' - https://umairhaque.com/the-line-3bf6d924eec3#.wmdekcfr3Read the essay.
I want a Pony!
Can't stop looking at this:
Colima volcano in Mexico.
The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?
Wow! Thanks for this - amazing
"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"
Not a Godwin law violation - a thorough Hitler-Trump comparison
Against Normalization: The Lesson of the “Munich Post” - By Ron Rosenbaum
read on ... it can't hurt.
https://www.euronews.com/live
sorry, can't help it - Roy Cohn, the Mephisto, in Trump's life
The devil in Donald: How the ghost of ‘evil’ Roy Cohn lives on inside Trump
It's a longish article, but "eye-opening" to read with many details that should make you think twice about what to do about your new President and his cabinet.
So, in other words, be happy Trump has a compulsiveness disorder among others, so he can't cheat you as easily ...
https://www.euronews.com/live