12/27 is National Fruitcake Day, again
~~ Fruit Cake
OK, National Fruitcake Day, perhaps there is but one a year, but, really, aren't they all? How many days is Congress in session? How often does some damn fool General blather about policy, any policy, other than why they can't be audited? Ever watch the news? Really? Heh.
On this day in history:
537 – The construction of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople was completed.
1512 – The Spanish Crown issued the Laws of Burgos
1657 – The Flushing Remonstrance articulated for the first time in North American history that freedom of religion is a fundamental right.
1831 – Charles Darwin embarked on his journey aboard HMS Beagle
1845 – Ether anesthetic is used for childbirth for the first time
1845 – Journalist John L. O'Sullivan, asserted that the US had a right of manifest destiny".
1922 – Japanese aircraft carrier Hosho became the first purpose built aircraft carrier
1927 – The musical play Show Boat, considered to be the first true American musical play, opened
1929 – Joseph Stalin orders the "liquidation of the kulaks as a class".
1932 – Radio City Music Hall, "Showplace of the Nation", opened
1935 – Regina Jonas was ordained as the first female rabbi in the history of Judaism.
1945 – The International Monetary Fund was created
1949 – The Netherlands officially recognized Indonesian independence.
1966 – The Cave of Swallows, the largest known cave shaft in the world, was discovered in Mexico.
1968 – Apollo 8 splashed down in the Pacific Ocean,
1978 – Spain became a democracy after 40 years of fascist dictatorship.
1996 – Taliban forces retook the strategic Bagram Airfield
2004 – Radiation from an explosion on the magnetar SGR 1806-20 reached Earth.
Born this day in:
However, before we come to [special] creation, which puts an end to all discussion: I think we should try everything else.”
~~ Johannes Kepler
1566 – Jan Jesenius, physician, politician and philosopher
1571 – Johannes Kepler, mathematician, astronomer, and astrologer
1773 – George Cayley, engineer and politician
1803 – François-Marie-Thomas Chevalier de Lorimier, activist
1822 – Louis Pasteur, chemist and microbiologist
1896 – Louis Bromfield, author and theorist
1901 – Marlene Dietrich, actress and singer
1906 – Oscar Levant, pianist, composer, and actor
1910 – Charles Olson, poet and educator
1911 – Anna Russell, singer and actress
1915 – William Masters, gynecologist, author, and academic
1917 – Buddy Boudreaux, saxophonist and clarinet player
1924 – Jean Bartik, computer scientist and engineer
1927 – Audrey Wagner, baseball player, obstetrician, and gynecologist
1930 – Marshall Sahlins, anthropologist and academic
1931 – Scotty Moore, guitarist and songwriter
1941 – Mike Pinder, singer, songwriter, and keyboard player
1943 – Joan Manuel Serrat, singer, songwriter and guitarist
1944 – Mick Jones, guitarist, songwriter, and producer
1946 – Lenny Kaye, guitarist, songwriter, and producer
1950 – Terry Bozzio, drummer and songwriter
1952 – David Knopfler, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer
1971 – Guthrie Govan, guitarist and educator
1972 – Matt Slocum, guitarist and songwriter
1988 – Hayley Williams, singer and songwriter
Died this day in:
Luxury possibly may contribute to give bread to the poor; but if there were no luxury, there would be no poor.
~~ Henry Home, Lord Kames
1743 – Hyacinthe Rigaud, painter
1771 – Henri Pitot, engineer, invented the Pitot tube
1782 – Henry Home, Lord Kames, judge and philosopher
1834 – Charles Lamb, essayist and poet
1914 – Charles Martin Hall, chemist and engineer
1923 – Gustave Eiffel, architect and engineer
1938 – Calvin Bridges, geneticist and academic
1938 – Zona Gale, novelist, short story writer, and playwright
1939 – Rinaldo Cuneo, painter
1974 – Vladimir Fock, physicist and mathematician
1978 – Chris Bell, singer, songwriter and guitarist
1978 – Bob Luman, singer, songwriter and guitarist
1981 – Hoagy Carmichael, singer, songwriter, pianist, and actor
1992 – Kay Boyle, novelist, poet, and educator
1997 – Brendan Gill, journalist and essayist
1999 – Michael McDowell, author and screenwriter
2004 – Hank Garland, guitarist
2008 – Delaney Bramlett, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer
2011 – Helen Frankenthaler, painter and educator
2012 – Lloyd Charmers, singer, keyboard player, and producer
2012 – Archie Roy, astronomer and academic
2013 – Richard Ambler, biologist and academic
2015 – Stevie Wright, singer and songwriter
Holidays, Holy Days, Festivals, Feast Days, Days of Recognition, and such:
National Fruitcake Day
Music goes here, iirc, well, With apologies 
Marlene Dietrich
Anna Russell
Scotty Moore
Mike Pinder
Mick Jones
Terry Bozzio
David Knopfler
Bob Lumen
Hoagy Carmichael
Hank Garland
Delaney Bramlett
Lloyd Charmers
Stevie Wright
Please Note: Please do not post any Covid-19 related commentary in the comments. Thank you. There is a separate OT, aka The Dose, where all such material is welcome. Thanks again.
Ok, it's an open thread, so it's up to you folks now. So what's on your mind?
Comments
Good morning...
One of my Mom's favorite sayings is, "You're as nutty as a fruitcake".
More weather weirding here...70's all week with a round of storms due mid-week. Keeps things interesting I guess, and is good for the garden and outdoor chores. Time to take the row cover off the lettuce.
Well you all have a good day!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Good morning Lookout. I seem to recall that accusation
of nuttiness having a certain commonality among those of my parent's generation. Weather is still uppity out here too. These atmospheric rivers and other off shore storms keep crashing into NorCal like waves on the shore. We get one or two days either mostly clear or with only showers and then days of downpour of the kind that fills the gutters faster than the downspouts can empty them with opportunistic overflows. About a meter more snow in the Sierras and I-80 closed indefinitely. Also down to 36 today, yoikes.
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 --
"Atmospheric River's real name is ENSO.
See this excellent explanation. (this is very good in explaining the historical impacts on people and food security, of ENSO, which has caused some of the biggest disasters in human history, going back thousands of years)
According to NOAA, we are in a La Nina pattern now That is the cool phase of the oscillation. It also often causes flooding in Central China.
Also I attached a NOAA video with animation.
I would argue that statement, at least as formulated.
ENSO is both a neologism and an acronym, created by science and scientists to describe an offshore phenomenon that rarely has any direct impact on peoples' lives. It is causitive and a driver of the phenomena that do much more directly impact people's lives, phenomena with "real names" like "el niño", "la niña", and "pineapple express" which long predate it and are the lingua franca of the people. Atmospheric river is also something of a neologism, but it belongs to the people and not science. It is akin but not really parallel to stuff like "heart attack" being really named "heart attack" and not "myocardial infarction".
Just a quibble. Thanks for the video.
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 --
Years ago I subscribed for a time to New Mexico
magazine. We had begun to sponsor a Cochiti native child and I wanted to know more about the state. Thirty years later his family and mine are still close and enjoying a great friendship.
Anyway, the magazine posted a recipe for New Mexico fruitcake, and I make it every year. It's more like a super rich pound cake with all the fruits AND pine nuts (of course). People are always surprised because it is not your typical dark fruitcake.
"Without the right to offend, freedom of speech does not exist." Taslima Nasrin
Sounds cool, especially the pine nuts.
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 --
I had never heard the complete lyrics of Marlene Dietrich's song
touched me somehow. Very sad. Thanks for it.
https://www.euronews.com/live
Glad you liked it.
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 --