12/23 Open Thread - Human Light
~~ Humans
HumanLight is a Humanist holiday created to provide a specifically Humanist celebration during the so-called western world's holiday season. The intended focus of the holiday is on the "positive, secular human values of reason, compassion, humanity and hope". Sadly, this makes it somewhat exclusionary, because many featherless bipeds who are ostensibly members of Homo sapiens lack the ability to feel compassion and many others, while arguably capable of feeling something akin to compassion are seemingly constitutionally incapable of acting upon any such feelings that they may have. For example, psychopaths, sociopaths, and many (most?) corporatists. Perhaps those persons could Join Henry Kissinger in celebrating Nixon's notorious bombing of the civilian population of Hanoi from December 18th to December 29th and exulting over the 1,600 pointless civilian deaths caused by this petulant temper tantrum. I dunno.
Beyond that, other sources put a slightly different focus on it. For instance, checkiday.com tells us that:
Humanists believe in morality, tolerance, freedom, critical reason, and science, but don't believe in gods, supernatural events, and miracles. The humanist values, ideals, and ideas of tolerance, compassion, empathy, honesty, free inquiry, reason, and rationality are celebrated and promoted with HumanLight, a holiday that embraces the conviction that humans can create a peaceful, ethical, and enlightened world without any guidance from deities and supernatural entities. The holiday was given its name because it emphasizes humanity instead of the supernatural, and it looks to the "light of reason." It takes place on December 23, during the winter holiday season, and is viewed as an alternative holiday to Christmas and other nearby holidays.
On this day in history:
1815 – Jane Austen's "Emma" was published
1913 – The Federal Reserve Act was signed into law
1919 – Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 became law in Britain
1947 – The first demonstration of the transistor
1954 – The first successful kidney transplant took place
1968 – The crew of the U.S. spy ship Pueblo were released
1986 – Voyager lander after completing the world's first non-stop, non-refueled flight around the world.
2002 – A Mig 25 shot down a US Predator drone maintaining the US' illegal no-fly zone in Iraq. This was the first known combat between an airplane and a drone.
Some people who were born on this day:
I don't believe that jazz will ever really die. It's a nice way to express yourself.
~~ Chet Baker
1689 – Joseph Bodin de Boismortier, composer
1745 – John Jay, abolitionist, jurist, author, politician
1912 – Anna J. Harrison, chemist and academic
1926 – Harold Dorman, singer and songwriter
1929 – Chet Baker, singer, trumpet and flugelhorn player
1935 – Johnny Kidd, singer and songwriter
1935 – Esther Phillips, singer
1940 – Jorma Kaukonen, singer, songwriter, and guitarist
1940 – Eugene Record, singer and songwriter
1941 – Tim Hardin, singer, songwriter, and musician
1946 – Robbie Dupree, singer and songwriter
1948 – Jim Ferguson, guitarist, composer, and journalist
1949 – Adrian Belew, singer, songwriter, and guitarist
1951 – Anthony Phillips, guitarist and songwriter
1955 – Grace Knight, singer and songwriter
1964 – Eddie Vedder, "singer", songwriter and guitarist
1975 – Lady Starlight, singer and songwriter
1977 – Tore Johansen, trumpeter and composer
Some people who died on this day:
The music field was the first to break down racial barriers, because in order to play together, you have to love the people you are playing with, and if you have any racial inhibitions, you wouldn't be able to do that.
~~ Oscar Peterson
2007 – Oscar Peterson, pianist and composer
2013 – Yusef Lateef, saxophonist and composer
2013 – Ricky Lawson, drummer and composer
Some Holidays, Holy Days, Festivals, Feast Days, Days of Recognition, and such:
Festivus
HumanLight -- a humanist holiday; Who Knew??
*
Night of the Radishes (Oaxaca City, Mexico)
National Pfeffernüsse Day (US)
- NB: Some state that this relates to "Secular Humanism", it does not, Secular Humanism is redundant
Today's Tunes
Joseph Bodin de Boismortier
Harold Dorman
Chet Baker
Johnny Kidd
Esther Phillips
Jorma Kaukonen
Eugene Record
Tim Hardin
Robbie Dupree
Jim Ferguson
Adrian Belew
Anthony Phillips
Oscar Peterson
Yusef Lateef
Ricky Lawson
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, Human Light, The FED, The Transistor, Chet Baker, Johnny Kidd, Esther Phillips, Jorma Kaukonen, Oscar Peterson, Yusef Lateef
Comments
Happy Birthday Jorma!
When it comes to musical talent, very few humans are equal to Jorma Kaukonen, IMHO.
Good morning Johnny, thanks for dropping in and, of course,
for posting that clip.
Have a happy today, whatever it is.
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...
Another 30F start to the day, but headed into the 50's.
Never heard of humanlight, so I learned something. Plus it's festivus for the rest of us. I think it was ek ? who used to come by and remind us every year.
Whatever holiday you celebrate, I hope it is a good one.
Thanks for the OT!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Good morning LO, sorry about the cold. To me that's
stay indoors weather. I never heard of Human Light myself, it's good to know that it exists and hope it spreads. Festivus is, of course, also secular and cool too.
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 --
Hallo
Doing a bit of research on the origins of Festivus.
According to Wiki, the celebration was coined
by Daniel O'Keefe in 1966 to commemorate his first
date with his wife. Their son eventually popularized
the occasion by writing a script for a Seinfeld episode.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festivus
Thanks for the OT man!
question everything
Good morning Cap'n Q. Thanks for the info on
Festivus. I can't even start to guess what the significance of a clock in a bag might be, but it doesn't really matter anyway.
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 --
National Pfeffernüsse Day - Really?
National Pfeffernüsse - They must be nuts.
https://www.euronews.com/live
Good morning mimi, thanks for dropping in. Thanks also for the
joke.
As the French say, a chacun son gout, to each his/her/their own. FWIW, I know that I've had Pfeffernüsse and I think I liked 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 --
Any music
involving Adrian Belew is good music. Sometimes *challenging* music, but good music.
Let's hear it for the humanists. I aspire to humanism, truly, and I could almost pull it off- with the single caveat that I pretty much hate all other humans (the readership here excepted, of course).
So I guess that that makes me an anti-human humanist... (;-)
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
Good morning ufs. Thanks for reading and
glad you enjoyed the Belew clip.
I do know what you mean about humanism, btw.
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 --
We've a new neighbor
likes to hang out around the house
seems friendly enough, could be a Cooper, Red tail or
Red shoulder hawk juvenile?
~
~
~
out the bedroom window - scoping out supper (squirrel)
question everything
Heh, great picture. Nice bird to have around, escept
for the noise. Should take care of any pocket gophers and other unwanted small mammals, maybe snakes too.
be weell 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 --
Happy Xmas Adam
.
It’s the day before Xmas Eve.
LOL, thanks, made my day.
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 --
Cory Doctorow’s prescient novella
.
about health insurance and murder:
‘They’re going to be afraid’
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/20/cory-doctorow-radicalize...
a pretty good read "Radicalized"
question everything
According to the west the (supposedly reformed) head choppers
have a unique way of celebrating Christmas in Syria.
Also too:
The Zionists and HTS seem to have something in common with regards to tolerance.
Peasant rebellion
This was an interesting story. I had seen video of the tractors being blocked by police busses on a highway approach to Seoul early Saturday. Then later, I saw some video of the farm tractors on Itaewanno, probably in Hannam dong. I wondered how they were able to get there.
The act that prompted this, other than Yoon being a despot, was probably prompted by the acting president, prime minister Han Duck-soo. He vetoed six pieces of legislation in the last several days, all at once. I think most if not all of the bills were related to supporting farmers and crop prices. So Han is playing Yoon's tune. This X thread covered the issue. She has some nice photos.
This is a naver translation of an excerpt from a small web site covering the demo, which explained how the police opposition was overcome:
Yoon Sang-hyun, a member of the People's Power Party, said, "The club is the answer to...
The title is a reference to some conservative Yoon supporter talking about having police get violent with the farmers and trade union demonstrators. That would not be a smart move.
We were familiar with Jeon Bong-jun, aka Nokdu, leader of the Tonghak peasant rebellion in the late nineteenth century, provoked by corrupt Chosun elites and the Japanese invaders who supported their cause.
(Source- SBS/ondemandkorea.com) This historic image of General Jeon Bong Jun, also known as "Noktu" (mung bean), was interposed with the scene recreated in the 2019 South Korean historical drama "Noktu Flower." The scene depicts Noktu for posterity after he and his military staff were sentenced to death.
More demonstrators over the weekend.
This link below is an interesting report on Elbridge Colby as Trump's choice for Deputy Sec Def for policy, and his grandiose delusions of how much more money the MIC can squeeze out of Japan. He must have no idea what is going on there. Dog help us. Who will the new ambassadors to Seoul and Tokyo be?
Trump's Pentagon policy pick pushed for Japan to spend 3% of GDP on defense
These experts on Asian strategy are unhinged. The outgoing US ambassador to Seoul, Philip Goldberg, met with the party leaders in Seoul and emphasizing the importance of continuing the trilateral partnership, US, Japan, South Korea. Yoon's unilateral concessions to Japan, are a major factor in driving South Korean political instability. Lee Jae-myung, made some boilerplate token statement about the relationship with Japan but mostly emphasized the importance of the South Korean- US relationship in his public remarks.
語必忠信 行必正直
Good evning Soryang. Thanks for all the info on the
goings on.
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 evening, el!
I am on vacation for the next 9 days, with the last 5 of them right on the beach in Gulfport MS. We should get to several blues venues. A good friend of mine is from there, and he is giving me suggestions about where to eat, where to sight see, etc... I am gonna do The House Keeping Chore over several days, have it sparkling by the time we get out the door for the drive. I finally have the time!
Lots of reasons to suspect this upcoming Merry Time has a very limited crowd who can me merry.
I hope we all overcome the obstacles and find some joy. (I didn't mean to come across like Kamala!)
Thanls for the OT, dear friend!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Good evening otc, enjoy your vacay. It's an interesting
idea.
One of the nurses at the infusion center today asked me how I was enjoying the holiday and I had to confess that I've been retired for 20 years as of 12/31. This holiday, ever since has mostly meant crowds downtown. Be that as it may, my wife went to town to get some special olive oil for a gift and discovered that the town's wine which closed during covid is back in business, so that makes the spirits bright or however that goes.
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 --
A business actually re-opened
after COVID? Wow! Not around these parts!
I freely admit that any and all holidays are to me, opportunities to not work. I "celebrate" all of them by not working, with no regard to the celebratory aspect. If Memorial Day hits on the right day of the week, and Christmas the wrong day, Memorial Day becomes my happier time.
I am gonna clean 6 rooms. One or two a day. My friend tells me there are hoity toity communities near Gulf Port, so I will pack my bag accordingly. Hoity toity clothes? I gots 'em!My friend said I gotta go here;
https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/trip-ideas/mississippi/tiny-beach-town-i...
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Enjoy the cleaning and packing; it is work, but NOT
employment.
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 --