The majority, by their silence, will pay for days like these

Perhaps needless to say, I did not take this picture. That's me on the log, Phil behind the camera. Happy birthday to me!

It's Tobey Maguire's birthday, too. Happy birthday, Tobey!

In 1905, the crew of the battleship Potemkin mutinied. Sergei Eisenstein made a fantastic film about this- if you can handle silent films, do not miss it. One of my Top Ten Best Ever Films.

And in 1969, in the wee hours of the night, approaching or perhaps even past midnight, NYC police raided the Stonewall Inn, an event which led to the Stonewall Riots.

Someone on the Fortean Times site pointed out the striking similarity between this UFO filmed in 2003, and the one seen over Cardiff the other night. Very, very interesting.

Strange things going on over Australia, too.

Ishmael

Seriously, photographers: how would you deal with conditions like this? This is the best shot of Ramona Falls that I was able to get on the spur of the moment. You can see Phil in the lower left if you look close. I wonder if this little digital camera of ours can even do it; maybe it's a matter best handled by using a different film? All I can control is F-stop and shutter speed (I think, anyway... I hate reading instructions).

On the SCA front: This metro area is really active. Last weekend I went to an event in Kalama, about 30 miles north of here, Shire of Riversbend. They host four annual kingdom-level events, have for years, and are working on a fifth. And that's not including their regular shire functions, which also draw people from Portland. Yesterday at an A&S-oriented get-together I heard about two annual Portland metro-area wars which draw attendance in the thousands. I've never lived in such a group; I don't even know what to do with myself now. And then there's the Seattle area, and the Eugene area, which are both apparently as active as the Portland area, and maybe more so. Yowza!

On the home front, my garden is lame. Lame as in 'injured,' somehow- I planted and planted and planted some more, and the only thing that's come up is some legumes. All the peas I planted have sprouted, but I also planted peppers, broccoli, lettuce, and some beans, and of all of that, I only have two bean plants to show for it. Two bean plants from over 20 bean-seeds planted. Something must be wrong with my soil, 'coz it's not like we've been short on rain: the garden plots aren't even growing weeds. The apples look more promising this year, though- last year every single apple on the Red Delicious tree was withered and brown on the tree. If that happens again, I guess I'll have to call a doctor.

More UFO action over the UK. Interesting to note that the UK also seems to be the focus (though not exclusively by any means) of crop circle activity. I'm not about to say they're connected in any way but circumstantially, but it's still interesting to consider. And don't let anyone tell you that all crop circles are hoaxes. Some are, to be sure, but many still defy explanation. This recent one in particular simply blows my mind. I repeat: blows. my. mind.

Spain extends civil rights to our cousins. Making amends for the Inquisition, perhaps, or maybe just finally looking forward instead of back.

Help me get rid of Turncoat Joe!

On this day in 1284, the Pied Piper led the children of Hamelin away. Legends differ as to exactly where he led them, and what happened next.
In 1819, W.K. Clarkson patented an improvement on the velocipede, which led to what we now call the bicycle.
In 1959, Father William Gill and 38 others witnessed a disc-shaped object with four legs hovering over the village of Boianai, Papua New Guinea. Four human-like figures were standing on it, and they returned the waves of the witnesses. The object remained intermittently visible for some hours, and returned the following two evenings. It was one of the best witnessed close encounter cases in the annals of ufology. At the time, Gill had assumed the objects to be new American aircraft. There had been a UFO flap on the island that year: 61 UFO sightings, mostly in June and July.
In 1970, Paul Thomas Anderson was born. Director of such excellent films as Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and Punch Drunk Love (which, frankly, takes my breath away).

La Sagrada Familia

Yes, again. We made it this time, though. We were better prepared, and there was less snow this time. Still, I singlehandedly turned it into Grand Adventure when the map (which I had carefully stashed in a side-pocket of my pack*) fell out of my pack along the way. We discovered the map's absence when we decided we were lost. Yay!

Obviously we found our way again (you can't get too lost when you know that the point at which you left the main trail was the point at which you entered the riverbed...), but it was still a shock. We even found our destination- Ramona Falls- and it was -well- pretty stunning. I tried to get pictures of it, but to be honest, I'm not sure how. The water falls from about 100' up, cascading down a rock wall to the floor of an old pine (fir?) forest that resembles nothing more than the inside of a cathedral, with the trees being the columns and the waterfall being the stained glass behind the altar. Seriously: How do you not overexpose the light part, while still capturing some detail in the foreground?

On this day in 1178, five monks from Canterbury reported having seen something explode on the moon.
In 1852, Antonio Gaudi was born.
In 1977, the discovery of three mysterious discs was reported. They were exactly 1.4 metres in diameter, 46cm thick at the centre and perfectly circular, and were found in an open-cast coal mine at Leigh Creek, South Australia. Michael Lowrie, an Adelaide marine expert, said: 'I've never seen anything like these objects. They appear to be rusty on the outer casing and are believed to be millions of years old. One thing is certain, they are not fossilised shells.'

Lots of interesting UFO activity over SW England lately. More info here.

Flying

Pot calling whom, what? I really don't think Mr. Dobson has much room to be using the word "fruitcake" at all. At all. The hypocrisy is just staggering. I do love watching the GOP tear itself apart, though.

On this day in 1947, experienced pilot Kenneth Arnold spotted strange lights flying in formation near Mt. Ranier, Washington.

See for yourself

I miss George Carlin already. As you might imagine, even though I'm not funny, he was a mighty influence on my development and philosophy. Apparently I paid more attention to what he was saying, than how he was saying it.
On religion
On language

In part because of him, I am not an Obedient Worker (and I suggest you not be one, too). He helped me see through the veil at an early age. Hats off to you, Mr. Carlin.

In other news: Important reporting from the ever-eloquent and insightful Chris Floyd.

St. Jonas’ Day (Lithuania)

And on this day in 1626, a Mr. Mead of Christ's College, Cambridge, passing through the city's market, noticed a battered book which had just been found by a fishwife inside the belly of a plump codfish from King's Lynn. Mr. Mead bought the book, a religious tome written by John Firth, who had spent some time imprisoned inside a fish-cellar in Oxford for his religious beliefs.

John Dillinger died for your sins

On this day in 1812, Napoleon (leading pretty much all of the rest of Europe, Switzerland included) invaded a vastly-outnumbered Russia. Russia pulled troops back to the Neman river, but could not hold it, and eventually fell back to Moscow. By September, the eve of winter, Moscow’s governor realized the city could not be saved. He decided to abandon the city to flame before Napoleon could have it, so they burnt the city to the ground on their way out, leaving nothing for the 'conquerors.' The Europeans were left to march home in the winter, tired, poorly fed and barely clothed. Of the original 450-600,000 Europeans, only some 200,000 made it home. Serves 'em right.

In 1847, the doughnut may have been invented.
In 1858, Giacomo Puccini was born.
In 1903, John Dillinger (he died for your sins!) was born.
In 1936, Kris Kristofferson was born.
In 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union, breaking the pact Hitler had made with Stalin before the war began.
In 1947, Don Henley was born.
In 1948, Todd Rundgren was born.
In 1949, Meryl Streep was born.
In 1958, Bruce Campbell was born.