Monday OT: April 13 is Dyngus Day

April 13 is day 104 of the Gregorian Calendar year,
Pungenday, Discord 30, 3186 YOLD (Discordian)
And let us not forget 13.0.7.7.10 by the Mayan Long Count

Scrabble Game
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It is also Easter Monday. Nobody knows what the hell Easter Monday is all about, why we have it, what sacrifices or offerings to make, what incantations or prayers to intone or anything else. We do, however, know exactly when it is. It is the first Monday following the first Sunday following the very special (Paschal) Full Moon, the first full moon after the (Papal) vernal equinox. The Papal vernal equinox is March 21, every damn year, come hell or high water, regardless of whenever the REAL WORLD vernal equinox is. It would be comforting to assume that they were incapable of predicting the vernal equinox sufficiently far in advance to crank out Holy Calendars and such, but the fucking Mayans could, and my 1960s pocket calculator could, so what the hell? I really suspect that it was some sort of Holy hissy fit in response to Galileo's Eppur si muove, you know, like oh, "izzat so, eh, you think it moves, huh, well watch this by God, the damn vernal equinox don't never move, so there."

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On this day in history:

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1204 – Constantinople fell to the Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade, temporarily ending the Byzantine Empire.
1612 – Miyamoto Musashi defeated Sasaki Kojiro at Funajima island with a wooden sword carved from an oar.
1613 – Samuel Argall headed for Jamestown with his captive, Pocahontas. 
1742 – George Frideric Handel's oratorio Messiah made its world premiere
1861 – Fort Sumter surrendered to Confederate forces.
1870 – The New York City Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded.
1873 – The Colfax massacre of more than 60 African Americans by white Democrats took place.
1919 – British troops gunned down at least 379 unarmed demonstrators in Amritsar, India
1953 – The CIA  launched the mind-control program Project MKUltra. A most interesting project for mindless imperialists
1960 – The US launched Transit 1-B, the world's first satellite navigation system.
1964 – Sidney Poitier became the first African-American male to win the Oscar for Best Actor. 100 years of progress, I guess
1970 – An oxygen tank aboard the Apollo 13 Service Module exploded, so don't complain about your air quality, ok
1972 – The Universal Postal Union recognized the People's Republic of China as the sole legitimate Chinese representative
1975 – The Cristo-Fascist Phalangist party killed 26 members of the PFLP, starting the 15-year Lebanese Civil War.
2017 – The US dropped the "Mother of all Bombs" on Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, ending the war.
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Born this day in:

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Yes, as through this world I've wandered
I've seen lots of funny men;
Some will rob you with a six-gun,
And some with a fountain pen.

1570 – Guy Fawkes,  soldier and rebel, lacked the MOAB
1743 – Thomas Jefferson, lawyer and politician,
1747 – Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans 
1828 – Josephine Butler,  feminist and social reformer
1854 – Lucy Craft Laney, Founder of the Haines Normal and Industrial School
1866 – Butch Cassidy, "outlaw"Will Rob You With A Six Gun
1889 – Herbert Yardley,  cryptologist, gambler, and author
1891 – Nella Larsen, nurse, librarian, and author
1892 – Robert Watson-Watt,  engineer, invented Radar
1899 – Alfred Mosher Butts,  architect and game designer, created Scrabble
1906 – Samuel Beckett, novelist, poet, and playwright, 
1906 – Bud Freeman, saxophonist, composer, and bandleader
1909 – Stanislaw Ulam, mathematician and academic
1909 – Eudora Welty, short story writer and novelist
1919 – Madalyn Murray O'Hair, activist, founded American Atheists 
1920 – Roberto Calvi, "banker", Will Rob You With A Fountain Pen"
1924 – John T. Biggers, painter
1936 – Col Joye, singer, songwriter, and guitarist
1940 – Lester Chambers, singer and musician totally ripped off by the music industry
1944 – Jack Casady, bass guitarist
1945 – Lowell George, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer
1946 – Al Green, singer, songwriter, producer, and pastor
1949 – Christopher Hitchens, essayist, literary critic, and journalist
1951 – Peabo Bryson, singer, songwriter, and producer
1951 – Max Weinberg, drummer
1952 – Sam Bush, mandolin player
1954 – Jimmy Destri, keyboard player and songwriter. BUT - Does he ride again, huh?
1954 – Niels Olsen, singer, songwriter, and guitarist
1955 – Louis Johnson, bass player and producer
1957 – Amy Goodman,  journalist and author
1961 – Hiro Yamamoto,  bass player and songwriter
1962 – Hillel Slovak,  guitarist
1963 – Garry Kasparov, chess player and author
1966 – Marc Ford, guitarist, songwriter, and producer

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Died this day in:

2006 – Muriel Spark, novelist, poet, and critic 
2015 – Günter Grass, novelist, poet, playwright, and illustrator, 

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Holidays, Holy Days, Festivals, Feast Days, Days of Recognition, and such:
NOTAHOLIDAY -Jefferson's Birthday
National Peach Cobbler Day
National Make Lunch Count Day
Scrabble Day
Easter Monday
Dyngus Day (Do look this one up)
International Functional Neurological Disorder Awareness Day

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Music goes here, iirc, well, With apologies Wink

Samuel Beckett

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Col Joye

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Lester Chambers

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Jack Casady

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Lowell George

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Al Green

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Peabo Bryson

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Max Weinberg

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Sam Bush

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Jimmy Destri

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AND One Bass to drive them all

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Image is Scrabble

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It's an open thread, so do your thing

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Comments

QMS's picture

or is it blue this year?

cheers all

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enhydra lutris's picture

@QMS

that doesn't bring up vivid memories. We, as kids, did get a few colored eggs each, but then consumed them as part of our lunches or as snacks until they were gone, and as an adult I have mostly skipped the ritual. My loss.

be well and have a good one

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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 --

Raggedy Ann's picture

I woke up to snow! It's always pleasing, but never surprising, to get snow in April. Probably a couple of inches on the ground but it's still dark outside so I can't tell. I'll know more when I have to go and shovel-out my chickens. They don't like to come out unless they can see the ground. Smart.

This cold spell doesn't lift until Thursday. Last vestiges of winter, I hope.

Enjoy your day, everyone! Pleasantry

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"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

enhydra lutris's picture

@Raggedy Ann

snow is something we must travel to see. Tour chickens seem wise indeed, and besides, all of the bugs they glean are on the ground, not atop the snow. It is allegedly officially spring, but I guess that doesn't mean sun and flowers in all areas. Good luck with the rest of the month.

be well and have a good one.

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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 --

mimi's picture

as it belongs not into the diary it was before.

I have a lawyer-ish question.

I read in a headline here about Trump Lashes Out at Fauci Amid Criticism of Slow Virus Response, saying that

The president retweeted a post calling for the government’s top infectious disease specialist to be fired after the doctor acknowledged that shutting down the country earlier could have saved lives.

Couldn't one argue that this was negligent man-slaughter? Or at least something with which one could legally use against the 'leader.'?

I have difficulties to read more about the other guy. Both of them are too old, too dangerous and too psychologically 'off trail', to say it more nicely, imo.

Hope you all are safe, dry and not hungry and with some sort of hope.

Best wishes to all.

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enhydra lutris's picture

@mimi

lines, especially given the wide latitude allowed officials when making official decisions, one would have to show, at a minimum, willful gross negligence. That and maybe even a guilty mind. The leader can easily plead ignorance and inability to have a guilty mind because of faith in both god and the innate ability of the USA! to shrug off all difficulties and other ideological stupidities and idiocy.

be well and have a good one.

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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 --

mimi's picture

@enhydra lutris

willful gross negligence. That and maybe even a guilty mind. The leader can easily plead ignorance

Try to stay safe and be well.

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mimi's picture

@enhydra lutris
'Time to #FireFauci?' Donald Trump retweets a call for Dr. Anthony Fauci's dismissal
a 'Time to #FireTrump?' yet. I don't do the twitter, so I don't know if it exists. But if not, it should.
Bad
Sigh.

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mimi's picture

Lookout's picture

Over four inches in the gauge this AM. Lost power for over 12 hours.

Luckily had just charged the solar Luci lights. We drank wine and played some old songs till bedtime. Got power back an hour or two after getting up. Evidently had a tornado nearby.

They are asking folks to stay off the roads in the GA county near us.

We just spoke with Chattooga County Public Works Director Joe Reed who is urging people to STAY AT HOME! The roadways are very dangerous right now with several accidents already of cars running into downed trees. There are also power lines down.

He said they are getting reports of onlookers wanting to see storm damage. PLEASE STAY OFF THE ROADWAYS AS THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS TIME TO BE DRIVING!

Looks like it was wide spread...

Severe weather has swept across the South, killing at least 19 people and damaging hundreds of homes from Louisiana into the Appalachian Mountains. Many people spent part of the night early Monday sheltering in basements, closets and bathroom tubs as sirens wailed to warn of possible tornadoes.

Eleven people were killed in Mississippi, and six more died in northwest Georgia. Two other bodies were pulled from damaged homes in Arkansas and South Carolina.

The storms blew onward through the night, causing flooding and mudslides in mountainous areas, and knocking out electricity for about 750,000 customers in a 10-state swath ranging from Texas to Georgia up to West Virginia,

...

In Chattanooga, Tennessee, at least 150 homes and commercial buildings were damaged and more than a dozen people treated, but none of their injuries appeared to be life-threatening, Chattanooga Fire Chief Phil Hyman said Monday morning.

https://www.al.com/news/2020/04/easter-storms-kill-at-least-19-in-missis...

Storms and plagues. What's next, locusts?

Y'all have a good one!

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

mimi's picture

@Lookout @Lookout
in the South. Do you have something like a power back-up, generator or anything to help you with electricity?

We can't lose you. Stay inside and wait it out. Sigh. I feel guilty to be as safe as I am here. I want this to be over. Really fast.

Cray 2

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enhydra lutris's picture

@Lookout

which is good to hear. Reminded me to fish out the luci lights though, if I can recall where I stashed them. Of course, they are camping supplies, and that is out of the question for a while, today we should be climbing out of the Borrego Desert via Montezuma Grade and heading for scenic La Mesa via the Julian Pie Company. No such luck.

Sounds pretty bad for a pretty huge area down south. You had better hope locusts aren't next, because there is a precedent that they bring in the gulls, and a plague of gulls is a horrible thing to contemplate, constant harsh racket and saturation bombing with bird feces.

be well and have a good one

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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 --

Lily O Lady's picture

@Lookout

as I watched the weather reporting last night. I think rainfall is directly proportional to how bad the storm was in any given area. We only got 1/2 inch down here and no bad winds, hail or tornadoes. There was a big tornado down south of here in the county where the farm family I get my eggs from lives. No news from them so far.

It sounds like you did OK in spite of everything, lo. Stay safe.

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"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"

Lookout's picture

@mimi @enhydra lutris @Lily O Lady

Been playing 5,6 pick up sticks this morning. Garden did fine. Spinach and lettuce harvests coming soon.

Y'all take care and thanks for the good thoughts!

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

enhydra lutris's picture

@Lily O Lady

Thanks for dropping in.

be well and have a good one.

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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 --

Lily O Lady's picture

@enhydra lutris

which I’m always glad for since we can go to drought in no time at all.

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"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"

Who knew? I am both shocked and dismayed!
I made a phone call to a bank I had heard was situated to extend the stimulus SBA loans. The first bank I called was in the program.
It gets better.
The loan officer who picked up the phone is a young man I have met on several social occasions. He is known for being friendly and helpful.
Thing is, I addressed myself by my real name, which threw him off. He finally asked, are you, by any chance, "Sissie"? When I said "yes", off we went. I should be getting the packet via email today, and should be able to complete it with some ease.
It will not cover as much as I had hoped, but something is better than nothing in times my income has gone down to zero.
Baby steps.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

enhydra lutris's picture

Good luck. Thanks for reading.

be well and have a good one.

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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 --

@enhydra lutris The email was addressed to my nickname, of course! He said he enjoyed our chat, looked forward to helping me wade through the endless pages of questions.
Good thing he hasn't heard about the new nickname my sweetie has blessed me with that is subject to multiple interpretations. Am I "Snapper" because I make snap decisions? Or because I have a very quick temper? Or because I snap quickly to attention? Or, knowing him, it is probably because of something else.
I am tired of color coordinating my clothes to my silk scarf mask, but like everyone else here on the site, we will protect ourselves and others, and get through this alive and well.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

enhydra lutris's picture

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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 --

@enhydra lutris I bow to their dedication to freedom from briefs and bras!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

@enhydra lutris take away their endeavor to be nude, and to be seen in the nude!
Drop your drawers and snap on that mask! Lol!

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

magiamma's picture

et al

crazy times... not sure what to think

Found this to be interesting

https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/04/12/coronavirus-how-to-tell-if-your-m...
Coronavirus: How to tell if your misery was really COVID-19
Within two months, Stanford University antibody test available for public use

Was your recent fever, cough and unremitting phlegm just another routine illness, or was it COVID-19?

Stanford University hopes to offer an answer, as it races to expand manufacturing of its new coronavirus antibody test for use by the public within two months.

“Ultimately, we aspire to provide serological testing to as many people in Northern California as we can,” said Dr. Thomas Montine, professor and chair of pathology at the Stanford School of Medicine.

The serological test detects protective antibodies to the virus in a person’s blood stream, rather than the virus itself. This reveals whether you’ve been previously infected – and therefore may be immune to future infection.

Stanford is now able to test 500 samples per day. Its experts are identifying who will receive the test first, with health care workers and other hospital staffers getting priority.

What’s limiting more widespread use, said Montine, is the availability of the special robots used to run the test. There aren’t enough.

“We’re looking for more of them, but they’re not easy to buy right now,” he said.
Commercial serological tests are now being developed around the world, but their quality is uncertain and variable, said Montine.

“We thought this was an urgent medical need, and the usual supply chains were unreliable, so we decided to build our own.”

Three types of antibody tests
Rapid diagnostic test (RDT)
• Time to results: 10-30 minutes
• What it tells us: Whether antibodies are present
• What it cannot tell us: The concentration of antibodies or if the antibodies are able to protect against future infection.
Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
• Time to results: 1-5 hours
• What it tells us: The concentration of antibodies that are present
• What it cannot tell us: If the antibodies are able to protect against future infection.
Neutralization assay
• Time to results: 3-5 days
• What it tells us: The presence of antibodies that can inhibit the virus in a cell culture system, indicating protection.
• What it cannot tell us: It may miss antibodies to viral proteins that are not involved in replication.

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enhydra lutris's picture

probably be about a year before either of us gets tested.

Thanks for the info.

be well and have a good one.

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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 --