05/20 Open Thread: - Josephine Baker Day
~~ Josephine Baker
The NAACP has declared this to be Josephine Baker Day
If you are at all unfamiliar with Josephine Baker, you should at least read her wiki bio, she was an amazing person.
On May 20, 1497, John Cabot famously set sail from England across the North Atlantic to North America. He was actually looking for a northern route to Asia but instead became the first European to explore the coast of North America except for the Norse visits to Vinland somewhere around 1000CE. He was, of course, an Italian, named something along the lines of Giovanni Caboto, except for the fact that Italy wasn't a thing in 1497 and he was probably Genoese by birth and became a Venitian citizen in 1496. Details, details.
Je suis confus. On May 20, 1875, 17 nations, including the US, signed the Metre Convention which led to the esablishment of the International System of Units. On May 20, 2024, 149 years later by my reckoning, the US has still not adopted the metric system. Ah well, haste makes waste, or so somebody once said.
Antoinette Brown Blackwell born on May 20, 1825 was much more than merely the first woman in the US to be ordained as a minister by one of the mainstream Protestant sects. She was also a writer and public speaker on abolition, women's rights, and temperance. Ok, Ok. (2 out of 3, but that beats 50% by a long shot.)
May 20, 1956, the US vaporized Bikini Atoll, forever displacing its populace; see this short article on their anthem and flag - https://www.bikiniatoll.com/anthem.html
On this day in history:
0325 – The First Council of Nicaea was opened
1497 – John Cabot sailed west out of Bristol looking sharp as a pistol
1498 – Vasco da Gama arrived at Kozhikode, India and exclaimed Oh Calcutta!
1570 – Abraham Ortelius issued the first "modern" atlas.
1609 – Thomas Thorpe was the first to publish Shakespeare's sonnets
1631 – The Holy Roman Empire's troops slaughtered almost the entire population of Magdeburg
1802 – Napoleon reinstated slavery in the French colonies
1862 – Lincoln signed the Homestead Act giving away vast swaths of stolen land
1873 – Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis got a U.S. patent for jeans with copper rivets.
1875 – 17 countries signed the Metre Convention creating the International System of Units.
1883 – Krakatoa began to erupt, but Jimmy Buffet wasn't born yet.
1891 – The first public display of Edison's kinetoscope.
1902 – Cuba gained independence from the US
1927 – The UK recognized the sovereignty of King Ibn Saud via the Treaty of Jeddah
1932 – Amelia Earhart took off from Newfoundland for Ireland.
1949 – The predecessor to the National Security Agency was created, freedom wept
1985 – Radio Marti began bombarding Cuba with political propaganda
1956 – The US detonated an H-Bomb over Bikini Atoll
1964 – Discovery of the cosmic microwave background radiation
1983 – First publications of the discovery of the HIV virus
1996 – The Supremes slapped down a Colorado law prohibiting laws protecting the rights of GLBT persons (Romer v. Evans)
2002 – Portugal recognized The independence of East Timor
2019 – The base units of the International System (SI) were redefined, but Imperial units, used by the US, UK, etc. were not
Some people who were born on this day:
Behind every great fortune lies a great crime.
~~ Honore de Balzac
1537 – Hieronymus Fabricius, anatomist
1743 – Toussaint Louverture, revolutionary
1759 – William Thornton, architect who designed the US Capitol
1772 – Sir William Congreve, 2nd Baronet, inventor **
1776 – Simon Fraser, fur trader and explorer
1799 – Honore' de Balzac, novelist and playwright
1806 – John Stuart Mill, economist, civil servant, and philosopher
1825 – Antoinette Brown Blackwell, a protestant minister
1830 – Hector Malot, author
1851 – Emile Berliner, inventor, invented the Gramophone record
1856 – Henri-Edmond Cross, Neo-Impressionist painter
1882 – Sigrid Undset, author
1883 – Faisal I of Iraq, leader of the Arab Revolt
1895 – R. J. Mitchell, engineer who designed the Supermarine Spitfire
1901 – Doris Fleeson, journalist
1904 – Margery Allingham, author
1908 – Francis Raymond Fosberg, botanist and author
1913 – William Redington Hewlett, engineer, co-founded Hewlett-Packard
1918 – Alexandra Boyko, eastern front tank commander
1921 – Hao Wang, logician, philosopher, and mathematician also Wang Tiles
1931 – Louis Smith, trumpeter
1940 – Shorty Long, singer, songwriter and producer
1944 – Joe Cocker, singer and songwriter
1946 – Cher, singer, songwriter, producer, and actress
1958 – Jane Wiedlin, A singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actress
1959 – Susan Cowsill, ya think maybe a Cowsill?
** He is famous for inventing the Congreve Rocket which was based pretty much completely on the war rockets used by the Kingdon of Mysore against the British East India Company on the first, second and third Anglo-Mysore Wars.
Some people who died on this day:
A crowd, proportionately to its size, magnifies all that in its units pertains to the emotions, and diminishes all that in them pertains to thought.
~~ Max Beerbohm
1506 -- Christopher Columbus, explorer, colonizer, slaver, tyrant
1896 -- Clara Schumann, pianist and composer
1909 -- Ernest Hogan, actor and composer
1956 -- Max Beerbohm, essayist, parodist, and caricaturist
1964 -- Rudy Lewis, singer
1998 -- Robert Normann, guitarist, does a cool flat foot floogie
2000 -- Jean-Pierre Rampal, flautist
2012 -- Robin Gibb, singer, songwriter, keyboard player, and producer
2013 -- Ray Manzarek, singer, songwriter, keyboard player, and producer
2015 -- Bob Belden, saxophonist, composer, arranger, and producer
Some Holidays, Holy Days, Festivals, Feast Days, Days of Recognition, and such:
Weights and Measures Day
World Bee Day
World Flour Day
Josephine Baker Day
Today's Tunes
Josephine Baker
John Cabot
Krakatoa
Bikini Anthem
Shorty Long
Joe Cocker
Cher
Clara Schumann
Ernest Hogan
Rudy Lewis
Robert Normann
Jean-Pierre Rampal
Robin Gibb
Ray Manzarek
Bob Belden
Photo: Thad Zajdowicz's photo of Aztec Josephine Baker by Alexander Calder ca. 1929 from the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
Now I don't know how many here remember the Ink Spots. Hell, I don't know how many here remember ink. But the Ink Spots famously started one song - "I put a nickel in the slot and all I ever got was Five Salt PeaNuts". Here, you don't even get that, nor even One Meatball(tm). However you do get access to all of this fantabulous content, the brilliant commentary, the scintillating repartee worthy of the Algonquin Round Table and, most of all, the opportunity to cast scorn and snark upon the authors thereof. So you might consider throwing a few coins into the tip jar up there in the upper left corner, it's how Johnny keeps the damn place running. Thanks.
Ok, it's an open thread, so it's up to you folks now. So what's on your mind?
Cross posted from http://caucus99percent.com
Open Thread, Josephine Baker, John Cabot, Vasco de Gama, Krakatoa, Toussaint Louverture, Bikini Atoll, Joe Cocker, Cher, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Ray Manzarek
Comments
A very verbose OT today!
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only wish the WED OT could be 1/2 as entertaining ..
Thanks for your efforts!
Now, where did that piggy bank get off to?
cheers
question everything
Good morning QMS. Thanks, and thanks for reading.
I, personally, find the Wednesday OTs yo be extremely entertaining, stimulting, thought provoking and inspirational. Thanks tons for doing them and for doing them as you do them.
be well and have a good one
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 --
Good morning...
Here's a nice short bio...
https://nmaahc.si.edu/josephine-baker
Been busy cooking this AM before it gets hot. We're headed for a dry week.
This morning, news is Raisi is dead and Iran will move to replace him.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/20/world-reacts-to-the-death-of-ir...
more here.
Currently they are claiming it was an accident.
Meanwhile at home more lies about the Gaza genocide
All they got are lies...
Take care and have a great day. Thanks for the OT!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
That is so hideous,
Biden should be impeached.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Thanks for reading. Biden, for all his vast experience
lying, still isn't very good at it. Of course, he was probably handed a script by somebody at state or the CIA who are equally devoid of any tendency toward veracity.
be well and have a good one
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 --
Good morning, El, et al!
I am getting a late start. I am bad.
We ate a couple of cherry tomatoes yesterday from the garden. Delicious. They were tagged incorrectly, and were supposed to be Big Boys, a variety of huge and meaty 'maters. Oh, well, lots of salads in our future.
Thanks for the OT, dear friend!
BWAHAGO
edit: horribly misspelled word. As I said, I am bad.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Aloha, otc. WTF; we just got our tomatoes planted
this week and you've already got a harvest. Hardly seems fair.
BWAHAGO yourself, good buddy
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 --
neener neener
We actually got our plants in the big buckets about 2 weeks later than everyone else hereabouts.
Cut worms raided the green bell pepper plants, but we now have them under control with a dish washing liquid/cayenne/water solution. We will likely be eating 3 or 4 maters later this week.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Lots of great music this morning!
Read the bio on Josephine Baker and she was quite a remarkable woman to say nothing of her music.
The Bikini Anthem was heartbreaking to understand these people have never been able to return because of the radiation and have pretty much been forgotten. Blinker, Sullivan and Biden should go spend a week there and experience what life i like for these forgotten ones. Oh, there were some reparations but they cannot return to Bikini.
Fresh veggies are popping all over and I am really enjoying the fruits of the masterful gardeners in my midst!
Have a good day!
Life is what you make it, so make it something worthwhile.
This ain't no dress rehearsal!
Good morning JB, good to see ya.
Glad you're enjoying the fruits and veggies. We did score some artichokes yesterdy, and some huge strawberries. We just finished tearing out our snow peas, which were finally done producing, so we've nothing currently left but carrots and some chard. I also have to dig up one whole bed so that I can put wire mesh under it to keep the gophers out, who almost overnight did in a ton of garlic and shallots. Such is life.
be well and have a good one
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 --
sorry about the pests.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Heh, thanks. n/t
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 --
I thought upon reading this that it was possibly good news.
It was somewhat tempered by searching for some follow-up.
https://apnews.com/article/icc-khan-netanyahu-070941d21ccd1f2b9611032b88...
The news was still enough to trigger this reaction from a prominent war monger
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4674354-graham-rips-outrageous-icc-p...
Poor Bibi. Bwahaha!
The rest of the tweet:
the most moral army in the world?
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I guess morality is a flexible term similar to anti-semite.
Maybe Bibi should look at some of the posts his moral
army is putting up to indicate what war crimes look like?
question everything
"Moral" is "doing god's will" which god's chosen
cannot fail to do. Q.E.D.
be well and have a good one
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 --
any particular god you have in mind?
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there appears to be several different versions
blaming misbehavior on your god is rather foolish
but it is written in a fantasy book from 2K years ago
(with slight editing) as were all holy scriptures
question everything
For my money, Chaac, but I suspect nuttinyhoo has
some patriarchal old world admittedly jealous bloodthirsty war god.
be well and have a good one
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 --
“Tash! Tash! Inexorable Tash!”
\narnia
thanks for the hint, have successfully avoided that
yarn for many decades.
be well and have a good one
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 --
Not all that far from the truth.
Here's another assassination attempt
...to add to the list. Lee Jae-myung Jan. 2, 2024. An attempt to take out the leader of the democratic opposition party in South Korea, just prior to the campaign season for the April 10, general election. While police claimed it wasn't a conspiracy, there are indications that more than one person was involved. A long winded rationalization letter for the assassination attempt, was filled with the rhetoric of far right chat rooms supporting Yoon Seok-yeol, and regarding Lee Jae-myung as little more than a North Korean stooge and traitor. While hyperbolic in nature the attacker's statement was consistent with public statements made by Yoon, and "new right" members of his administration. The letter was prepared by and multiple copies made by an acquaintance of the suspect. The government attempted to minimize the incident from the outset, change the subject, and create a narrative of the lone actor. There is no evidence of US involvement, although Yoon is little more than a US proxy. Lee would not take the fawning posture Yoon does toward the US and Japan, but would carve out a more independent and balanced policy, especially with respect to North Korea, Japan, China, and Russia.
The most suspicious connection was contact the suspect, Kim Jin-seong, had while trailing the public appearances of Lee Jae-myung. On the day before he was seen at a memorial service venue on Lee's itinerary, and meeting with a member of the Sincheonji cult. At that meeting, "Mr. A" of Sincheonji, was observed and recorded making a throat cutting gesture with his hand. Sincheonji Church is very similar in nature to the Unification Church aka "the Moonies", which had known ties to the Korean CIA for years, and was connected to the World anti-Communist League. Likewise Sincheonji is an international organization. Sincheonji was heavily implicated in the spread of covid in South Korea directly from Wuhan China during the Moon administration. Their lack of cooperation with health authorities for epidemiological purposes is well known in South Korea. The US had opposed the democratic Moon administration which initiated thawing of relations with North Korea, and had open disputes with Japan. The US could barely conceal their contempt for former democratic President Moon Jae-in because of his efforts to carve out independent foreign and national security policies. It's safe to assume that the US likewise regards Lee as a potential threat to it's anti-China, anti-Russia block politics, and the complete integration of South Korea into the US tri-lateral partnership with Japan, AUKUS, and US Indo-Pacific Command policies.
One witness who closely observed the attempted assassination suspect closely and heard several of his statements the day before the attempt, said she wasn't contacted for three days, and the police didn't seem interested in her report, who "treated it as a routine matter." There were other signs of the police not preserving the crime scene, and not being forthright with reporters. The complete statement of the attacker was leaked to the public rather than disclosed.
語必忠信 行必正直
Thanks, Soryang.
be well and have a good one
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 --
Thank you EL
감사합니다 Gamsa hamnida. 谢谢 Xiexie etc. Appreciate the OT and your great music selection which I'm enjoying now. Josephine Baker's life was incredible. I had no idea about her French resistance experience.
語必忠信 行必正直
Of course it is merely a coincidence.
Kirby mouths off about Iran:
Sputnik headline. As if the US has even the remotest hint of a legitimate interest in the matter except as a measure of the extent to which its illegal and criminal sanctions, boycotts and economic warfare are working to Iran's detriment.
be well and have a good one
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 --
Also too "smircula" had this to say!
fingerprints?
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can't go there
question everything
I'm not sure what is more far fetched, that they would
ask the US for help, or that the US wouldn't have tons of assets of various types all over the general area.
be well and have a good one
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 --
Well, now that the ICC
has issued its warrants for Netanyahoo and his chief executioner, it'll be interesting to see how long it takes us to bomb The Hague into rubble. We've already blustered and threatened and blustered some more- now it is all over but the wholesale killing.
I'll be very happy when they issue the warrants for Biden and his ilk, should there still be any of the ICC people left alive in a few weeks...
Twice bitten, permanently shy.