Bright new day

Today is the Twenty-first of January. It's National Hugging Day.

In 1824, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was born.

In 1924, Vladimir I. Lenin died. Almost immediately, Josef Stalin began to purge his rivals, to clear his way to Premiership.

On the home front, this is encouraging news from the Obama administration. I can't think of a better way to start. Realistically, anyway.

Don't stop: just keep running.

Today is the Nineteenth of January. On this day in 1808, Lysander Spooner was born.
In 1809, Edgar Allen Poe was born.
In 1839, Paul Cezanne was born.

In 1935, the first brief was displayed in a Marshal-Fields department store window in Chicago, during a blizzard. The display was ordered to be taken down because it was silly to show such skimpy underwear on such a cold day, but before the display could even be taken down, six hundred pairs were sold. Thirty thousand would be sold in the next three months. The world would never be the same.

In 1977, snow fell in Miami, Florida, and the Bahamas. First time ever.

You know, I am optimistic about Obama's presidency, but I'm no fool. In spite of my rhetoric here, I am realistic about the future.

I'm not expecting single-payer, universal coverage health care. No, the homeless and poor are still going to suffer and die of ultimately-curable illnesses.

I'm not expecting gay marriages. I'm not expecting a roll-back of Bush's abuses of the environment, or of the Endangered Species Act, or marked improvements in air quality, or water quality, or even gender equality in the workplace.

I'm not expecting him to handle Afghanistan any better either: he has, after all, promised to "win" there, whatever that means (hint to President Obama: ask Alexander the Great about central Asia).

I'm just excited because -for the first time ever-- we have a visible, tangible reason to believe that anyone can make it here.

When you hear the dogs behind you, just keep running.


That being said about my beliefs, I remain fascinated by, but agnostic about UFOs, especially in light of the recent flap of sightings. I'm so intrigued by them: if they are from space, then that's interesting in and of itself. And if they're not from space, then that's more interesting still: what the hell are they? If they're illusionary or hallucinations, then what is it in the human makeup that makes us see them? And then makes us interpret those visions as Visitors from Space? And if they're not hallucinations or visions or visitors from space, then what the hell are they? Honestly people, I can't see how anyone could not be interested.

Here's another.

"Playing into each other's noses" he said.

No, I can't keep my mouth shut: news happens, and I feel compelled to talk about it, even though I said I was ignoring it until Tuesday. First and foremost: North Korea is actively threatening South Korea. It's not a conflict I follow closely, but hey, nuclear weapons are everybody's business. We all need to know.

Today is the Eighteenth of January. On this day in 1671, Captain Morgan captured Panama from the Spanish.

In 1843, a report appeared in The Times (London) that two young girls were out picking leaves at Livet in France when stones of different colors showered down on them, slowly and harmlessly. They called their parents, and stones fell on them too. Respectable witnesses were called, priests, doctors, and all were gently and colorfully stoned (sic). It only happened in one spot, and only when the girls were there. After a few days it stopped.

In 1892, Oliver Hardy was born.
In 1904, Cary Grant was born.
In 1913, Danny Kaye was born.
In 1932, Robert Anton Wilson was born.

In 1943, Soviet officials announced that they had broken the Nazi-led siege of Leningrad (started Sept. 8, 1941- some 900 days!).

In 1964, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” entered the Billboard pop chart at #45, marking the entrance of The Beatles to the U.S. market. It would be at #1 by the end of the month.

A letter to Obama that I wish I could co-sign (a bit long, but worth it). I'm optimistic, but not foolish.