Monday Open Thread; April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day (International observance)


April 2 is the 92nd day of the year, there are 273 days left
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Today is also Boomtime, Discord 19, 3184 YOLD for all you Discordians out there

Today's number is 2

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Two.jpg
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2 is the smallest even integer, and defines the even integers (they are those divisible by 2)
Finite multiples of 2 must end in 2, 4, 6, 8, or 0
If the last digit of a whole number is evenly divisible by 2, then the entire number is
2 is the first and smallest prime number
2 is the only even prime number
2 is the third Fibonacci number (1, 1, 2)
Ordinary fractions with 2 for a denominator will not result in an infinite decimal expansion
2 is the base of the binary number system
One can readily count to 1023 in binary in one pass on one's fingers & thumbs
2 is unique in that 2+2 = 2x2 = 2 squared
Powers of two play a significant role in computer programming and computer science
2 is central to the definition of Mersenne Primes (primes that are one less than a power of two)
The square root of 2 is the length of the diagonal of a unit square

2 is Helium
2 is the atomic mass of deuterium
Group 2 of the periodic table is the alkaline earths; its elements usually have a valence of 2
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2 appears twice in R2D2.
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It takes 2 to Tango

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Title 2 of the US Code is The Congress

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2 BCE
was the Year of the Consulship of Augustus and Silvanus.
Emperor Augustus was proclaimed Pater Patriae
The Aqua Alsietina Roman aqueduct was constructed.

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2 CE
was the Year of the Consulship of Vinicius and Varus
(Publius Alfenus Varus, whoever that may have been, was the consul above, not Varus the Butcher.)
Tiberius was allowed to return to Rome
Gaius Caesar signed a treaty with the Parthians who agreed to recognize Roman Claims to Armenia.
In China, Wang Mang, known for having but one wife, Lady Wang, embarked on a course of further personal aggrandisement.
The first Chinese census was completed, showing almost 60 million Chinese

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On this day in:

1513 -- Juan Ponce de Leon first spotted land (Florida)
1792 -- The Coinage Act established the US Mint
1800 -- Ludwig van Beethoven led the premiere of his First Symphony
1863 -- The largest in a string of Southern bread riots (let them eat cotton?)
1900 -- Congress granted Puerto Rico limited self-rule.
1902 -- The US' first full-time movie theater opened in L.A.
1911 -- The Australian Bureau of Statistics conducted the first US census
1917 -- Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany (how quaint)
1930 -- Haile Selassie was proclaimed emperor of Ethiopia
1973 -- The LexisNexis research srvice was launched
1980 -- Jimmy Carter signed the Crude Oil Windfall Profits Tax Act.

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Born this day in:

0742 -- Charlemagne, a Frank named Chuck
1618 -- Francesco Maria Grimaldi, mathematician and physicist
1725 -- Giacomo Casanova, explorer, lover, and author
1840 -- Emile Zola, author, playwright, journalist
1891 -- Max Ernst, German painter, sculptor, and poet
1928 -- Serge Gainsbourg, singer, songwriter, pianist, actor, poet, and director
1938 -- Booker Little, trumpet player and composer
1939 -- Marvin Gaye, singer and songwriter
1941 -- Dr. Demento,
1941 -- Sonny Throckmorton, country singer, and songwriter
1942 -- Leon Russell, singer, songwriter, and pianist
1943 -- Larry Coryell, guitarist
1946 -- Kurt Winter, guitarist and songwriter
1947 -- Paquita la del Barrio, singer and songwriter
1947 -- Emmylou Harris, singer, songwriter, and guitarist
1952 -- Leon Wilkeson, bassist

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Died this day in:

1872 -- Samuel Morse, invented Morse Code ( ._ _... .._. _.. )
1987 -- Buddy Rich, drummer, songwriter, and bandleader
2003 -- Edwin Starr, singer and songwriter

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Holidays, Holy Days, Festivals, Feast Days and such:
World Autism Awareness Day (International observance)
International Children's Book Day (International observance)

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Tea for Two

Serge Gainsbourg

Booker Little

Marvin Gaye

Sonny Throckmorton

Leon Russell

Larry Coryell

Paquita la del Barrio

Emmylou Harris

Leon Wilkeson

Buddy Rich

Edwin Starr


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picture is by enhydra lutris

It's an open thread, so do your thing

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Lookout's picture

I hope at least the signs of spring are in everyone's neighborhood. Saw on the news many areas still dealing with snow. They are calling for low 30's here on Wed. AM. Another couple of weeks before summer crops get planted. The dogwoods are blooming and that's the sign to plant corn. Early corn usually avoids pests like ear worms.

Took a last hike up the mountain (before snakes, chiggers, ticks, and undergrowth make it uncomfortable). I finally found the old road trace on the other side of the gap from my usual haunts. I've got an old 1880's map that shows it. It was still in use about 1900, but I guess the car caused it's demise. It was a fun find... Here's a couple of shots.

old road 2 (1).jpg

old road 2 (2).jpg

Here's hoping your path is good one!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

enhydra lutris's picture

@Lookout wonders how long it will last.

It has warmed up plenty here, high forties and low fifties at dawn, or higher, etc. We have to hope that the automatic irrigation system will keep everything alive for the next few weeks.

Have a good day and thanks for reading.

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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 --

Arrow's picture

Morning EL and all...

Well actually not true. I guess I gotta discuss Max Ernst. He was born this date and died yesterdays date.

He seemed to do everything. Perhaps, as many creative types are, he'd try it and see if he liked it. Impressionism,Dada,Cubism,Surrealism and Abstract Impressionism he seems to have done it all. Best known as a Surrealist painter I guess. He had a big patron in in Peggy Guggenheim (of the NY idle rich). Great work if you can get it. Important in Modern Art none the less.

Here's a Cubist work from 1919. The animals are very reminiscent of Picasso's work I guess they stole ideas from one another.

This one is a Surrealist landscape. His landscapes remind me of the work of Sci-Fi illustrators from the 50's on.

Other than that...'Absolutely Nuthin'

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I want a Pony!

enhydra lutris's picture

@Arrow @Arrow myself, the one day short syndrome, which I see now and then doing this, as well as those who die on the anniversary of their birth. Ernst was fascinating - this is his clearly dada "Ubu Imperator" done in 1923 and hanging in the Pompidou:
ErnstUbu1

I have no art training or education, but to me, cubism is an extension of impressionism - what *you* see and internalize, then filtered and reduced to cubist elements. To the extent that is at all close, it makes sense that certain animals would be similarly represented, especially in certain poses. Cattle and horses, especially head on, are, if hornless, relatively all eyes and nose, in part thanks to foreshortening, etc. Hooves too stand out, because we lack them.

Have a wonderful day and thanks for the art and for bringing up Ernst.

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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, maybe not that new.

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enhydra lutris's picture

@gjohnsit

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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 --