Sunday Open Thread: July 30 is the International Day of Friendship

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Sun, 07/30/2017 - 5:00am

World History

On July 30, 0762, Baghdad was founded
On July 30, 1419, First Defenestration of Prague went down
On July 30, 1962, The Trans-Canada Highway opened
On July 30, 1980, Israel's Knesset passed the Jerusalem Law
On July 30, 2003, In Mexico, the last 'old style' VW Beetle was produced

US History

On July 30, 1729, Baltimore was founded
On July 30, 1956, Congress & Ike made "In God we trust" the U.S. national motto. [1]
On July 30, 1965, LBJ established medicare & medicaid
On July 30, 1974, Nixon turned over the tapes
On July 30, 1975, Jimmy Hoffa vanished

[1] They also stuffed "under God" into the pledge of allegiance. This was all legal because God trumps the first amendment and Russia! Russia! Russia! ~~Putin!~~

Science & Technology

The Arts

Misc.

Birthdays of Note

July 30, 1818, Emily Bronte', author
July 30, 1857, Thorstein Veblen, economist & sociologist
July 30, 1881, Smedley Butler, American general, author of "War is a Racket", exposed "The Business Plot"
July 30, 1898, Henry Moore, sculptor
July 30, 1909, C. Northcote Parkinson, historian
July 30, 1936, Buddy Guy, guitarist, bassist, singer, songwriter
July 30, 1939, Eleanor Smeal, activist
July 30, 1941, Paul Anka,singer, songwriter, "actor"
July 30, 1945, David Sanborn, saxophonist
July 30, 1946, Jeffrey Hammond, aka Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond, artist & musician
July 30, 1948, Otis Taylor, blues musician
July 30, 1956, Anita Hill, attorney

Deaths of Note

July 30, 1718, William Penn, businessman, colonist
July 30, 1771, Thomas Gray, poet
July 30, 1918, Joyce Kilmer, poet, tree-hugger
July 30, 2003, Sam Phillips, record producer who founded Sun Records
July 30, 2006, Murray Bookchin, anti-capitalist and communialist author

Buddy Guy

Paul Anka

David Sanborn

Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond (on bass)

Otis Taylor

Sam Phillips

-
etc.

FB photo by Jeremy Burgin via wikimedia

Tags:

Open Thread

July 30

Defenestration

Ike

LBJ

Smedley Butler

Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond

Buddy Guy

Sam Phillips

Vote

Comments

Submitted by smiley7 on Sun, 07/30/2017 - 6:12am

Morning el...

Love the morning music, big smiles here as i relived each oldie goldie.
Plans for a day of friendship with ski buddies; starting out with a beautiful blue, clear and cool, a day to let go a little.

Thanks for the OT and have a grand day, el, and All!

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Sun, 07/30/2017 - 9:32am

Good morning, Smiley7, enjoy your outing.

@smiley7
Sam Phillips guaranteed that the music would be fun to do.

—

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 --

Submitted by Lookout on Sun, 07/30/2017 - 7:52am

Another nice day here

Starting out with a nice cool clear morning. I wonder which God it is we trust and find ourselves under? We might have done better placing our trust in the Goddess?

Thanks for the OT and music el. Hope you all have a good day.

—

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

Submitted by Arrow on Sun, 07/30/2017 - 8:16am

Wow

@Lookout incredible topiary there. Where's it located?
Nice!

—

I want a Pony!

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Sun, 07/30/2017 - 9:37am

Good mornng, Lookout. Forced to pick, I'd say goddess.

@Lookout
That is a fabulous representation. The sardonic wise-ass in me pictures tiny knights about the size of her thumbnail running around waving swords and shrieking "bring me a shrubbey".

—

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 --

Submitted by Arrow on Sun, 07/30/2017 - 8:14am

Damn godless commies...

Morning EL
Gotta love that Sun Records set.
The sun is trying to break through is morning. We'll see haw it goes.
Have a great one all

—

I want a Pony!

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Sun, 07/30/2017 - 9:40am

Good morning, Arrow. I had fun doing the Sun set.

@Arrow
"Damn godless commies" indeed - the stuff they made us do.
Have a great 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 --

Submitted by randtntx on Sun, 07/30/2017 - 10:59am

Thanks for the reminder

about Smedley Butler. It's worth recognizing him once again today on his birthday.

According to Wikipedia, Butler was a United States Marine Corps major general. At the time of his death, he was the most decorated Marine in U.S. history. "Later he became an outspoken critic of U.S. wars and wrote a book called, War Is A Racket.
Here's an excerpt of a speech he gave (on Wikipedia) (I hope it's not too long).

I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902–1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Sun, 07/30/2017 - 9:23pm

Yeah, should be required reading in high school

@randtntx

—

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 --

Submitted by randtntx on Sun, 07/30/2017 - 11:44am

Thanks for the Otis Taylor

clip. Really good.

Submitted by enhydra lutris on Sun, 07/30/2017 - 9:22pm

My pleasure

@randtntx

—

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 --