May Day Mystery

Happy May Day! It's International Workers' Day.
In 1786, the “Marriage of Figaro” premiered in Vienna.
In 1830, Mary Harris “Mother” Jones was born.
In 1886, a general strike began in the U.S., which ultimately led to the 8-hour work day.
In 1923, Joseph Heller was born (author, Catch 22).
In 1924, Terry Southern was born (screenwriter, "Dr. Strangelove").
In 1927, Harry Belafonte was born.
In 1945, Germany announced that Hitler was dead.

Now check out this crazy puzzle! Or ...what the hell is it?

And don't miss this, either. Know thy enemy and all that.

The truth is always made up of little particulars which sound ridiculous when repeated.

I'm reading a book right now by Vladimir Nabokov (of Lolita fame), called Pnin. It is the funniest, and most poignant, book I have ever read. I laugh myself to tears, sometimes more than once a page, and then in a breath, Nabokov just stops you cold and stabs you in the gut. He's amazing. I still adore Vonnegut, I still think Mark Twain can be hilarious, I still think Little Big Man is a brilliantly funny and insightful novel, but Pnin is ...supreme. King Pnin!

As a citizen of a democratic republic, I think it's my duty to talk about politics. I think this is an interesting take on the election. Also worth reading because of all the links to further stories about the Bushcheney mess.

In 1945, Dachau was liberated.
In 1947, Tommy James was born.
In 1958, Daniel Day-Lewis was born.
And in 1970, Andre Agassi and Uma Thurman were born, in unrelated incidents.