Showing posts with label #persnplaceandthing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #persnplaceandthing. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 3, 2023

Person, Place, and Thing: April 8 - 14

 



Person.

Some recognize April 8, 563 BC or BCE as the birth date of Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha.

According to Buddhist tradition, he was born to royal parents in what is now Nepal. As a child, he had known nothing but wealth and luxury. As a teen, he was first exposed to poverty and suffering, and he was left confused. He abandoned his privilege, wealth, and position and set off to live as a wandering ascetic in search of clarity for himself. He found the answers, or was enlightened, and he continued wandering the Asian subcontinent, teaching and establishing a monastic order of followers to spread his ideas of the Middle Way and the Noble Eightfold Path, guiding his followers to Nirvana.

A couple of decades ago, I found a great graphic novel series called "Introducing _______ A Graphic Guide" which presented a lot of topics of history, philosophy, and world religions in easily digestible graphic form. They were and are produced by Totem and then Icon Books, although they have changed in appearance.

Place.

Some recognize April 8, 563 BC or BCE as the birth date of Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha.

According to Buddhist tradition, he was born to royal parents in what is now Nepal. As a child, he had known nothing but wealth and luxury. As a teen, he was first exposed to poverty and suffering, and he was left confused. He abandoned his privilege, wealth, and position and set off to live as a wandering ascetic in search of clarity for himself. He found the answers, or was enlightened, and he continued wandering the Asian subcontinent, teaching and establishing a monastic order of followers to spread his ideas of the Middle Way and the Noble Eightfold Path, guiding his followers to Nirvana.

"The Bodhi Tree ("tree of awakening"), also called the Mahabodhi Tree, Bo Tree, is a large sacred fig tree (Ficus religiosa) located in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India. Siddhartha Gautama, the spiritual teacher who became known as the Buddha, is said to have attained enlightenment or buddhahood circa 500 BCE under this tree. In religious iconography, the Bodhi Tree is recognizable by its heart-shaped leaves, which are usually prominently displayed.

The original tree under which Siddhartha Gautama sat is no longer living, but the term "bodhi tree" is also applied to existing sacred fig trees. The foremost example of an existing tree is the Mahabodhi Tree growing at the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, which is often cited as a direct descendant of the original tree. This tree, planted around 250 BCE, is a frequent destination for pilgrims, being the most important of the four main Buddhist pilgrimage sites." (Wikipedia)

A couple of decades ago, I found a great graphic novel series called "Introducing _______ A Graphic Guide" which presented a lot of topics of history, art, philosophy, and world religions in easily digestible graphic form. They were and are produced by Totem and then Icon Books, although they have changed in appearance.

Thing.

Some recognize April 8, 563 BC or BCE as the birth date of Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha.

According to Buddhist tradition, he was born to royal parents in what is now Nepal. As a child, he had known nothing but wealth and luxury. As a teen, he was first exposed to poverty and suffering, and he was left confused. He abandoned his privilege, wealth, and position and set off to live as a wandering ascetic in search of clarity for himself. He found the answers, or was enlightened, and he continued wandering the Asian subcontinent, teaching and establishing a monastic order of followers to spread his ideas of the Middle Way and the Noble Eightfold Path, guiding his followers to Nirvana.

"Nirvana, the state to which all Buddhists aspire, is the cessation of desire and hence the end of suffering. Nirvana in Sanskrit means "the blowing out." It is understood as the extinguishment of the flame of personal desire, the quenching of the fire of life. Among Westerners, Nirvana is often thought of as a negative state, a kind of "nothingness." But in the Buddhist scriptures, it is always described in positive terms; the highest refuge, safety, emancipation, peace, and the like. Nirvana is freedom, but not freedom from circumstance; it is freedom from the bonds with which we have bound ourselves to circumstance. That man is free who is strong enough to say, "Whatever comes, I accept as best." " (from "The Meaning of Buddhism," The Atlantic, February 1958)

A couple of decades ago, I found a great graphic novel series called "Introducing _______ A Graphic Guide" which presented a lot of topics of history, art, philosophy, and world religions in easily digestible graphic form. They were and are produced by Totem and then Icon Books, although they have changed in appearance.






Person.

On April 9, 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee officially surrendered his army to Union General U.S. Grant at the town of Appomattox Court House, Virginia. This effectively ended the U.S. Civil War, although it would take about 6 more months for hostilities to end and for the last Confederates to surrender.

One of the most interesting figures in the story of April 9, 1865, was Wilmer McLean, a civilian (1814-1882). McLean was a former major in the Virginia militia, too old for active duty when the war began. Instead, he and his family lived in Manassas, Virginia, and he earned a living as a sugar broker. On July 21, 1861, the first major battle of the war, the first Battle of Bull Run, commenced on his farm when a Union cannonball dropped through his kitchen fireplace. McLean's home was being used as headquarters by Confederste General Beauregard.

Alarmed at the proximity of conflict in Northern Virginia, which also made his work more difficult, he moved his family 120 miles south to Appomattox Court House. On April 9, 1865, Lee surrendered to Grant in McLean's front parlor. Once the ceremony was over, Union officers and soldiers basically took every item in the house as a souvenir; a few gave McLean money on the way out.

In 1867, McLean could no longer afford the mortgage payments, sold the house, and returned to Manassas. He died in Alexandria, Virginia.

Place.

On April 9, 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee officially surrendered his army to Union General U.S. Grant at the town of Appomattox Court House, Virginia. This effectively ended the U.S. Civil War, although it would take about 6 more months for hostilities to end and for the last Confederates to surrender.

One of the most interesting figures in the story of April 9, 1865, was Wilmer McLean, a civilian (1814-1882). On July 21, 1861, the first major battle of the war, the first Battle of Bull Run, commenced on his farm when a Union cannonball dropped through his kitchen fireplace. McLean's home (first illustration) was being used as headquarters by Confederste General Beauregard.

Alarmed at the proximity of conflict in Northern Virginia, which also made his work more difficult, he moved his family 120 miles south to Appomattox Court House. On April 9, 1865, Lee surrendered to Grant in McLean's front parlor. Once the ceremony was over, Union officers and soldiers basically took every item in the house as a souvenir; a few gave McLean money on the way out.

The Appomattox house is now part of the Appomattox Court House National Historic Park.

Thing.

On April 9, 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee officially surrendered his army to Union General U.S. Grant at the town of Appomattox Court House, Virginia. This effectively ended the U.S. Civil War, although it would take about 6 more months for hostilities to end and for the last Confederates to surrender.

One of the most interesting figures in the story of April 9, 1865, was Wilmer McLean, a civilian (1814-1882). On July 21, 1861, the first major battle of the war, the first Battle of Bull Run, commenced on his farm when a Union cannonball dropped through his kitchen fireplace. McLean's home (first illustration) was being used as headquarters by Confederste General Beauregard.

Alarmed at the proximity of conflict in Northern Virginia, which also made his work more difficult, he moved his family 120 miles south to Appomattox Court House. On April 9, 1865, Lee surrendered to Grant in McLean's front parlor. Once the ceremony was over, Union officers and soldiers basically took every item in the house as a souvenir; a few gave McLean money on the way out.

Major General Edward Ord paid $40 (equivalent to $708 in today's dollars) for the table Lee had used to sign the surrender document, while Major General Philip Sheridan took the table on which Grant had drafted the document for $20 (equivalent to $354 in today's dollars) in gold. Sheridan then asked George Armstrong Custer to carry it away on his horse. The table was presented to Custer's wife and is now on exhibit at the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian.



Persons.

On April 10, 1815, Mount Tambora or Tomboro erupted in the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia, on the island of Sumbawa. It was the largest recorded eruption in human history, expressing 4 to 10 times the energy of the 1883 Krakatoa eruption. Estimates of deaths from the eruption and the subsequent climatic upheaval range from 71,000 to 117,000. The explosion was heard 1,200 miles away, and the volcano lost a full third of its height.

The global effects of the ash and sulfur eruption were felt throughout the northern hemisphere for years. 1816 became known as the "year without a summer." The 1810s became the coldest decade on record. Snow fell across Canada and the northern US well into June. Throughout the northern hemisphere, crops failed, and livestock died, resulting in the greatest famine of the century. The weird weather and skies over Geneva, Switzerland, in the summer of 1816 inspired Mary Shelley and her friends to write horror stories, resulting in Frankenstein.

There were some 10,000 people living on Sumbawa in 1815, a well-off trading community with connections to Vietnam and Cambodia. Their language was an isolate, not in the Austronesian family, but perhaps the Papuan family. The entire community and their language were lost in the eruption. The first significant archeological discovery of the remains of the culture came in 2004, when archeologists dug through ten feet of ash and pumice.

Tambora is still considered active; its last eruption was in 1967.

Place.

On April 10, 1815, Mount Tambora erupted in the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia, on the island of Sumbawa. It was the largest recorded eruption in human history, expressing 4 to 10 times the energy of the 1883 Krakatoa eruption. Estimates of deaths from the eruption and the subsequent climatic upheaval range from 71,000 to 117,000. The explosion was heard 1,200 miles away, and the volcano lost a full third of its height.

"Mount Tambora, or Tomboro, is an active stratovolcano in West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Located on Sumbawa in the Lesser Sunda Islands, it was formed by the active subduction zones beneath it. Before 1815, its elevation reached more than 4,300 metres (14,100 feet) high, making it one of the tallest peaks in the Indonesian archipelago.

Around 1880 ± 30 years, eruptions at Mount Tambora have been registered only inside the caldera.[23] It created small lava flows and lava dome extrusions; this was recorded at two on the VEI scale. This eruption created the Doro Api Toi parasitic cone inside the caldera.

Mount Tambora is still active and minor lava domes and flows have been extruded on the caldera floor during the 19th and 20th centuries. The last eruption was recorded in 1967. However, it was a gentle eruption with a VEI of 0, which means it was non-explosive.Another very small eruption was reported in 2011. In August 2011, the alert level for the volcano was raised from level I to level II after increased activity was reported in the caldera, including earthquakes and steam emissions." (Wikipedia)

Thing.

On April 10, 1815, Mount Tambora erupted in the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia, on the island of Sumbawa. It was the largest recorded eruption in human history, expressing 4 to 10 times the energy of the 1883 Krakatoa eruption. Estimates of deaths from the eruption and the subsequent climatic upheaval range from 71,000 to 117,000. The explosion was heard 1,200 miles away, and the volcano lost a full third of its height.

1816 is called "the year without a summer" because the entire northern hemisphere saw record-breaking low temperatures, with snowfall extending into June across Canada, the northern US, and western Europe.

"This climate anomaly has been blamed for the severity of typhus epidemics in southeast Europe and along the eastern Mediterranean Sea between 1816 and 1819. The climate changes disrupted the Indian monsoons, caused three failed harvests and famine, and contributed to the spread of a new strain of cholera that originated in Bengal in 1816. Many livestock died in New England during the winter of 1816–1817. Cool temperatures and heavy rains resulted in failed harvests in the British Isles. Families in Wales traveled long distances as refugees, begging for food. Famine was prevalent in north and southwest Ireland, following the failure of wheat, oat, and potato harvests. The crisis was severe in Germany, where food prices rose sharply, and demonstrations in front of grain markets and bakeries, followed by riots, arson, and looting, took place in many European cities. It was the worst famine of the 19th century." (Wikipedia)



Person.

Erskine Caldwell died on Aprill 11, 1987, at age 83.

Born in Coweta County, Georgia, he won critical and popular acclaim in the 1930s with novels about poverty and racism in the South, and his subjects were usually poor, white sharecroppers. Tobacco Road and God's Little Acre are two of the best-selling American novels ever, and Trouble in July is a searing portrait of a lynching.

As the son of a minister and a former teacher, he had an itinerant upbringing around the South until his family settled in Wrens, Georgia, when he was 15. He never attended school until age 14, having previously been taught at home by his mother. After several attempts at college which didn't take, He briefly worked for the Atlanta Journal newspaper before turning to fiction, publishing his first novel, The Bastard, in 1929. Tobacco Road was first big success, in 1932.

His earthy and bawdy style of writing and his depictions of lower class characters earned him and his books obscenity charges and book banning, beginning with The Bastard. He was arrested at a new York book signing for his first book but was exonerated in court.

Place.

Erskine Caldwell died on Aprill 11, 1987, at age 83.

Born in Coweta County, Georgia, he won critical and popular acclaim in the 1930s with novels about poverty and racism in the South, and his subjects were usually poor, white sharecroppers. Tobacco Road and God's Little Acre are two of the best-selling American novels ever, and Trouble in July is a searing portrait of a lynching.

"Tobacco Road is set in rural Georgia, several miles outside Augusta during the worst years of the Great Depression. It depicts a family of poor white tenant farmers, the Lesters, as some of the many small Southern cotton farmers made redundant by the industrialization of production and the migration into cities. The main character of the novel is Jeeter Lester, an ignorant and sinful man who is redeemed by his love of the land and his faith in the fertility and promise of the soil." (Wikipedia)

"Tobacco Road, set in a fictionalized version of Caldwell’s home town, lays bare the story of the Lesters, the poorest, whitest, trashiest, horniest family in rural Georgia. Jeeter, the Lester family patriarch in Tobacco Road, is a beaten-down sharecropper who can no longer get credit to buy the supplies he needs to farm. His family survives, in their crumbling shack, on fat-back rinds and corn meal. Ada, his wife, is wasting away from pellagra; Dude, their 16-year-old son, is a half-wit; Ellie May, their voluptuous 18-year-old daughter, has a gruesome hairlip that makes her “look as if her mouth were bleeding profusely.” Jeeter and Ada’s other surviving children got out as quickly as they could." (Slate magazine, May, 2006)

The frank language and sexuality of the novel shocked many Americans in 1932, and the book was challenged and deemed obscene in some cities. Some southerners objected because of the way southerners were depicted. Nevertheless, it became a huge bestseller, was adapted into a hit long-running Broadway play, and was made into an exaggeratedly comic film in 1941.

Thing.

Erskine Caldwell died on Aprill 11, 1987, at age 83.

Born in Coweta County, Georgia, he won critical and popular acclaim in the 1930s with novels about poverty and racism in the South, and his subjects were usually poor, white sharecroppers. Tobacco Road and God's Little Acre are two of the best-selling American novels ever, and Trouble in July is a searing portrait of a lynching.

The frank language and sexuality of Tobacco Road shocked many Americans in 1932, and the book was challenged and deemed obscene in some cities. Some southerners objected because of the way southerners were depicted. Nevertheless, it became a huge bestseller, was adapted into a hit long-running Broadway play, and was made into an exaggeratedly comic film in 1941.

Studios had considered making the movie version for years, but the book was on the Hollywood executives' "banned list." The movie version of The Grapes of Wrath finally opened the door for Tobacco Road. When 20th Century Fox finally acquired the rights, noted director John Ford was attached to the project, and fellow Georgian Nunnally Johnson was hired to write a script that would follow the strict production rules in place. The result was a much lighter, comically broader, sanitized version that changed many elements of the book. Further, to avoid controversy, it was filmed in studio soundstages instead of on location in Georgia as originally planned, and it was released with no advance publicity, so that cities could not preemptively ban it.



Person.

Gustave Flaubert's first published novel, Madame Bovary, was published on April 12, 1857.

Flaubert (1821-1880) was born in Rouen, France, the son of a doctor. He went to Paris to study law but developed a distaste for the city. He returned to Croisset, near Rouen, where he lived the rest of his life.

He never married, and he apparently only had one serious romantic relationship and a few casual sexual relationships, but he was quite open about his patronage of prostitutes, male and female, He lived with various sexually transmitted diseases throughout his adult life.

He wrote a couple of novels in the 1840s, which went nowhere, before writing Bovary. Madame Bovary was hailed by both the critics and the public, making Flaubert the leader of the French realism movement in literature. The government charged him and his publisher with immorality, but they were both acquitted. None of his later work matched his first success.

He died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1880, at age 56.

Place.

Gustave Flaubert's first published novel, Madame Bovary, was published on April 12, 1857.

Flaubert (1821-1880) was born in Rouen, France, the son of a doctor. He went to Paris to study law but developed a distaste for the city. He returned to Croisset, near Rouen, where he lived the rest of his life, although he traveled extensively.

Located in Northern France, Rouen has a long history.

"Rouen was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy during the Middle Ages. It was one of the capitals of the Anglo-Norman dynasties, which ruled both England and large parts of modern France from the 11th to the 15th centuries. From the 13th century onwards, the city experienced a remarkable economic boom, thanks in particular to the development of textile factories and river trade. Claimed by both the French and the English during the Hundred Years' War, it was on its soil that Joan of Arc was tried and burned alive on 30 May 1431. Severely damaged by the wave of bombing in 1944, it nevertheless regained its economic dynamism in the post-war period thanks to its industrial sites and its large seaport, which today is the fifth largest in France." (Wikipedia)

Thing.

Gustave Flaubert's first published novel, Madame Bovary, was published as a book on April 12, 1857.

Madame Bovary tells the bleak story of a marriage that ends in tragedy. Charles Bovary, a good-hearted but dull and unambitious doctor with a meager practice, marries Emma, a beautiful farm girl raised in a convent. Although she anticipates marriage as a life of adventure, she soon finds that her only excitement derives from the flights of fancy she takes while reading sentimental romantic novels. She grows increasingly bored and unhappy with her middle-class existence, and even the birth of their daughter, Berthe, brings Emma little joy. Disappointed with her life, she embarks on a series of disastrous love affairs.

"When it was first serialized in La Revue de Paris between 1 October 1856 and 15 December 1856, the novel was attacked for obscenity by public prosecutors. The resulting trial, held in January 1857, made the story notorious. After Flaubert's acquittal on 7 February 1857, Madame Bovary became a bestseller when it was published as a single volume in April 1857. The novel is now considered Flaubert's masterpiece, as well as a seminal work of realism and one of the most influential novels ever written. In fact, the notable British-American critic James Wood writes in How Fiction Works: "Flaubert established for good or ill, what most readers think of as modern realist narration, and his influence is almost too familiar to be visible". " (Amazon)



Persons.

On April 13, 1860, the first Pony Express mail arrived in Sacramento California, ten days after departing St. Joseph, Missouri.

The Pony Express is one of those bigger-than-life legends of the American West, but it only existed for 18 months, ultimately losing the race to the telegraph and the railroad. The idea to hire young, wiry, preferably orphaned riders to carry mail by horseback 1,900 miles from Missouri to California was shared by three men: William Russell, Alexander Majors, and William B. Waddell. They were businessmen, already successful in the freight business as well as sawmilling, meatpacking, banking, and insurance. Their vision was to build stations at short intervals to provide fresh horses.

Riders couldn't weigh more than 125 pounds. They rode day and night, sometimes 20 hours straight in emergencies. Riders changed every 75-100 miles. They were paid $125 a month. In comparison, unskilled laborers were paid $15-30 a month, and bricklayer and carpenters received $40-60 a month. In the 18 months of existence, 6 riders and 16 station employees died, most the result of a Paiute uprising, and 35,000 letters were delivered.

West Like Lightning tells the Pony Express story.

Place.

On April 13, 1860, the first Pony Express mail arrived in Sacramento California, ten days after departing St. Joseph, Missouri.

The Pony Express is one of those bigger-than-life legends of the American West, but it only existed for 18 months, ultimately losing the race to the telegraph and the railroad.

"The route started at St. Joseph, Missouri, on the Missouri River, and then followed what is modern-day U.S. Highway 36 (the Pony Express Highway) to Marysville, Kansas, where it turned northwest following Little Blue River to Fort Kearny in Nebraska. Through Nebraska, it followed the Great Platte River Road, cutting through Gothenburg, Nebraska, clipping the edge of Colorado at Julesburg; and passing Courthouse Rock, Chimney Rock, and Scotts Bluff, before arriving first at Fort Laramie and then Fort Caspar (Platte Bridge Station) in Wyoming. From there, it followed the Sweetwater River, passing Independence Rock, Devil's Gate, and Split Rock, through South Pass to Fort Bridger and then south to Salt Lake City, Utah. From Salt Lake City, it generally followed the Central Nevada Route blazed in 1859 by Captain James H. Simpson of the Corps of Topographical Engineers. This route roughly follows today's US 50 across Nevada and Utah. It crossed the Great Basin, the Utah-Nevada Desert, and the Sierra Nevada near Lake Tahoe before arriving in Sacramento. Mail was transferred and sent by steamer down the Sacramento River to San Francisco. On a few instances when the steamer was missed, riders took the mail by horseback to Oakland, California." (Wikipedia)

West Like Lightning tells the Pony Express story.

Thing.

On April 13, 1860, the first Pony Express mail arrived in Sacramento California, ten days after departing St. Joseph, Missouri.

The Pony Express is one of those bigger-than-life legends of the American West, but it only existed for 18 months, ultimately losing the race to the telegraph and the railroad.

Recruited riders had to weigh under 125 pounds and be able and willing to ride as many as 20 hours through hostile terrain, risking hostile Indian attacks.

Alexander Majors, one of the Pony Express founders, was a religious man and resolved "by the help of God" to overcome all difficulties. He presented each rider with a special-edition Bible and required riders to recite and sign this oath:

"I, ... , do hereby swear, before the Great and Living God, that during my engagement, and while I am an employee of Russell, Majors, and Waddell, I will, under no circumstances, use profane language, that I will drink no intoxicating liquors, that I will not quarrel or fight with any other employee of the firm, and that in every respect I will conduct myself honestly, be faithful to my duties, and so direct all my acts as to win the confidence of my employers, so help me God."



Person.

French philosopher and pioneering feminist, although she didn't think of herself as either. Simone de Beauvoir died of pneumonia on April 14, 1986, in Paris.

Born in 1908, de Beauvoir was a precocious student. Her father's greatest praise was "She thinks like a man." She finished at the top of her class and of exams, and she became a high school, or lychee, teacher until she could support herself by writing.

She met Jean Paul Sartre, existentialist philosopher, in college, and they entered into a relationship until he died. They never married and never lived together. They met daily in cafes to read and share each other's work. They had an open relationship, and they shared details of their other relationships during their cafe meetings.

De Beauvoir was bisexual, and a number of female students came forward to accuse her of manipulation, seduction, and sexual abuse. These accusations led to her losing her teaching license, but it was later reinstated. She was also a proponent of decriminalizing pedophilia.

The Second Sex, published in 1949 (There was not an accurate English translation published in the US until 2009, apparently.) is cited as an iconic feminist work, arguing that women's oppression and perceived inferiority is an historical and social construct.

Place.

French philosopher and pioneering feminist, although she didn't think of herself as either. Simone de Beauvoir died of pneumonia on April 14, 1986, in Paris.

Born in 1908, de Beauvoir was a precocious student. Her father's greatest praise was "She thinks like a man." She finished at the top of her class and of exams, and she became a high school, or lychee, teacher until she could support herself by writing.

"Lycées (French pronunciation: ​[lise]) provide a three-year course of further secondary education for children between the ages of 15 and 18. Pupils are prepared for the baccalauréat (French pronunciation: ​[bakaloʁea]; baccalaureate, colloquially known as bac, previously bachot), which can lead to higher education studies or directly to professional life. There are three main types of baccalauréat: the baccalauréat général, baccalauréat technologique and baccalauréat professionnel.

Lycées are divided into (i) the lycée général, leading to two or more years of post–baccalauréat studies, (ii) the lycée technologique, leading to short-term studies, and (iii) the lycée professionnel, a vocational qualification leading directly to a particular career. General and technological education courses are provided in "standard" lycées, while vocational courses are provided in separate professional lycées.

In practice, competent pupils at a vocational lycée professionnel can also apply to take short-term, post–baccalauréat studies leading to the Brevet de technicien supérieur (BTS), a vocational qualification. That option is available also to pupils at a lycée général." (Wikipedia)

The Second Sex, published in 1949 (There was not an accurate English translation published in the US until 2009, apparently.) is cited as an iconic feminist work, arguing that women's oppression and perceived inferiority is an historical and social construct.

Thing.

French philosopher and pioneering feminist, although she didn't think of herself as either. Simone de Beauvoir died of pneumonia on April 14, 1986, in Paris.

De Beauvoir and her partner Jean Paul Sartre are considered two of the leading existentialist philosophers of the 20th century. Existentialist philosophy encompasses a range of perspectives, but it shares certain underlying concepts. Among these, a central tenet of existentialism is that personal freedom, individual responsibility, and deliberate choice are essential to the pursuit of self-discovery and the determination of life's meaning.

The Second Sex, published in 1949 (There was not an accurate English translation published in the US until 2009, apparently.) is cited as an iconic feminist work, arguing that women's oppression and perceived inferiority is an historical and social construct.



Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Person, Place, and thing: October 13 - 20

 



Persons.


Speaking of WWII books adapted into great books or series, historian Stephen Ambrose died on October 13, 2002. He published numerous books on Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, and Lewis and Clark, but he's best known as the author of Band Of Brothers: E Company, 506th, Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest. Unfortunately, his reputation has been a bit tarnished by accusations of plagiarism and factual errors, but his legacy does include being a co-founder of the great National WWII Museum in New Orleans.

The men of E Company were first put together at Camp Toccoa in the Georgia mountains in 1942 as an experimental airborne parachute regiment. Their harsh physical training them bonded them together and became a standard of future training regimens.

The unit parachuted in over the Cotentin Peninsula at Normandy in the early morning hours of D-Day. From Normandy, they participated in Operation Market Garden and the Battle of the Bulge, finally pushing their way into Austria and Hitler's Eagle's Nest home, Berchtesgaden.

The original E Company at Toccoa consisted of 140 men. By war's end, due to transfers and replacements, some 366 men were listed as members of the unit. 49 men were killed in action.


Place.

Speaking of WWII books adapted into great books or series, historian Stephen Ambrose died on October 13, 2002. He published numerous books on Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, and Lewis and Clark, but he's best known as the author of Band Of Brothers: E Company, 506th, Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest. Unfortunately, his reputation has been a bit tarnished by accusations of plagiarism and factual errors, but his legacy does include being a co-founder of the great National WWII Museum in New Orleans.

E Company was first assembled at Camp Toccoa in North Georgia in 1942. The training camp originally known as Camp Toombs,after Confederate General Robert Toombs, was conceived in 1938. The Georgia National Guard and the Works Projects Administration began construction on 17 January 1940 with the site being dedicated on 14 December 1940. Colonel Robert Sink, commander of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, did not like the name. He thought it would prompt superstitions among the arriving young recruits, that after travelling down Route 13 and passing the Toccoa Casket Company they would be arriving at Camp "Tombs". Sink persuaded the Department of the Army to change the name to Camp Toccoa.

All paratrooper trainees were required to regularly run up Currahee Mountain which overlooked Camp Toccoa. This arduous task was memorialized in the HBO series, Band of Brothers, with the shout "three miles up, three miles down." Members of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment referred to themselves as "Currahees" (it is anglicized name derived from the Cherokee word gurahiyi, which may mean "standing alone"). Currahee Mountain is on the insignia of the 506th regiment in recognition of the peak's importance in the formation of the regiment. (Wikipedia)


Thing.
Paratroopers.

Speaking of WWII books adapted into great books or series, historian Stephen Ambrose died on October 13, 2002. He published numerous books on Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, and Lewis and Clark, but he's best known as the author of Band Of Brothers: E Company, 506th, Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest. Unfortunately, his reputation has been a bit tarnished by accusations of plagiarism and factual errors, but his legacy does include being a co-founder of the great National WWII Museum in New Orleans.

The first operational military parachute jump from 1600 feet was logged in the night of August 8/9 1918 by Italian assault troops. Arditi Lieutenant Alessandro Tandura jumped from a Savoia-Pomilio SP.4 aircraft of the Gruppo speciale Aviazione I piloted by Canadian Major William George Barker and British Captain William Wedgwood Benn (both Royal Air Force pilots), when Tandura dropped behind Austro-Hungarian lines near Vittorio Veneto on a reconnaissance and sabotage mission, followed on later nights by Lts. Ferruccio Nicoloso and Pier Arrigo Barnaba. (Wikipedia)

During WWII, the Germans made the first extensive use of paratroopers, but the Allies soon followed suit. Around 13,100 American paratroopers of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions made night parachute drops early on D-Day, June 6, followed by 3,937 glider troops flown in by day.



Person.

On October 14, 1892, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, a collection of 12 stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and originally published in The Strand magazine, was published.

Doyle (1859-1930) was prolific, writing fantasy and sci-fi, plays, romances, poetry, historical novels, and nonfiction, but he will forever be remembered, much to his chagrin while alive, as the creator of the world's greatest detective. Born in Edinburgh to Irish Catholic parents, his childhood was chaotic due to his father's alcoholism and poverty, but wealthy uncles sent him to school in England. The school was extremely harsh and rigid, run according to medieval Catholic principles, and Doyle disliked it and turned to agnosticism and mystic spiritualism as an adult.

Back in Edinburgh to study medicine, he began writing short stories. His first practice as a doctor wasn't all that successful, allowing him more time to write. He eventually sold the first Holmes and Watson story, "A Study in Scarlet", in 1886. His writing career took off, but public and publisher demands forced him to continue writing Holmes stories in order to pay his bills and get other work published, and he soon grew tired of the character.

Aside from writing, he tried real life investigation of closed cases a few times, and he delved deeper and deeper into mystic spiritualism, participating in numerous seances, psychic readings, ESP tests, and paranormal investigations. For a while, he was close friends with Harry Houdini, believing that he had supernatural powers. Houdini explained it was all trickery and debunked many spiritualists leading to the dissolution of their friendship. Holmes went on to defend many spiritualists, mediums, and frauds like the famous fairy photographs of Cottingley.


Place.

On October 14, 1892, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, a collection of 12 stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and originally published in The Strand magazine, was published.

In 1920, Doyle wrote an article about fairies for The Strand magazine, and he used illustrations of the Cottingley Fairies as evidence that fairies and other psychic phenomena exist.

Cottingley, a small suburban village of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England, enjoyed a brief moment when, in 1917, two cousins, Elsie Wright (age 16) and Frances Griffiths (9) claimed to have seen and interacted with fairies in a wooded area near their home, and they provided photos to prove it. It's really unclear if he actually believed the photos were real; he did have a few experts examine them and was told they were faked. However, his use may have temporarily legitimized them. Interest soon waned amongst the general public. In the 1980s, the "girls" finally admitted that they had cut out fairy pictures and faked the photos.


Thing.
Sportsman.

On October 14, 1892, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, a collection of 12 stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and originally published in The Strand magazine, was published.

Besides being an extremely prolific author and engaging in all of his paranormal investigation, Doyle may have been the most athletic author.
He played football as a goalkeeper for the Portsmouth Association Football Club. He was an accomplished cricketer, forming two teams, the Allahakbarries and the Authors XI alongside fellow writers J. M. Barrie, P. G. Wodehouse and A. A. Milne. In 1900, Doyle founded the Undershaw Rifle Club at his home, constructing a 100-yard range and providing shooting for local men. In 1901, Doyle was one of three judges for the world's first major bodybuilding competition, which was organised by the "Father of Bodybuilding", Eugen Sandow.

Doyle was an amateur boxer and a sometime referee. He was an avid golfer. the Crowborough Beacon Golf Club in Sussex for 1910. He entered the English Amateur billiards championship in 1913. While living in Switzerland, Doyle became interested in skiing, which was relatively unknown in Switzerland at the time. He wrote an article, "An Alpine Pass on 'Ski'" for the December 1894 issue of The Strand Magazine, in which he described his experiences with skiing and the beautiful alpine scenery that could be seen in the process. The article popularised the activity and began the long association between Switzerland and skiing.



Person.

Harper & Brothers published Charlotte's Web by E.B. White with illustrations by Garth Williams on October 15, 1952.

Elwyn Brooks White (1899-1985) wrote some of the most beloved children's books of all time, like Charlotte, Stuart Little, and The Trumpet of the Swan, but he also co-wrote The Elements of Style, an important guidebook for authors for decades. He graduated from Cornell University in 1921 and went to work for the United Press (now UPI) before joining the staff of the Seattle Times in 1922. He tried copy writing in advertising briefly and then took a job with The New Yorker magazine, on the condition that he only worked in the office in Thursdays ,(ahead of his time). He was described as a shy, quiet man who often ducked out of his office onto the fire escape to avoid people.

He turned to writing children's books in the late 1930s, the first being Stuart Little.

Place.

Harper & Brothers published Charlotte's Web by E.B. White with illustrations by Garth Williams on October 15, 1952.

When White worked at the New Yorker magazine, he originally only worked in his office on Thursdays. He was always a shy, quiet, and unassuming man. One friend, writer James Thurber, said that he was the only writer he knew who could walk into the famous Algonquin Hotel, a hangout for the city's writers, and be unrecognized. When unknown visitors showed up to his office, he was known to avoid meeting them by going out the window and down the fire escape to a nearby location of Schraft's, a popular lunch counter and dessert shop owned by the Schraft's candy company. The candy company was founded in Boston, but a new owner in 1898 started opening restaurants. By 1937, there were 43 locations, most in New York City with a few in Boston and Philadelphia.

Schrafft's was known for an air of gentility typical of the upper-middle-class home. Cooks, supervisors, and even some executives were women. Menus of the 1920s and 1930s included many salads, more desserts than entrees, and vegetable selections such as creamed cauliflower and fried eggplant.

Business slowed in the 1960s, restaurants were closed by the end of the 1970s, and the candy company shut down in 1981.

Thing.

Harper & Brothers published Charlotte's Web by E.B. White with illustrations by Garth Williams on October 15, 1952.

The two most prestigious awards in American children's literature are the Newbery Medal, first awarded in 1922, and the Caldecott Medal, first awarded in 1938.

The Newberry is named after John Newbery, an 18th century English publisher of children's books, and it is awarded to "the most distinguished" author of the year. The Caldecott is named after English illustrator Randolph Caldecott, and it is awarded to the most outstanding illustrator of the year.

Charlotte's Web was awarded the Newbery in 1953.



Person.

Noah Webster was born in October 16, 1758 ( died 1843).

While he is famous for Americanizing the dictionary, first publishing one in 1806, he also published numerous spellers, readers, and grammar books used in classrooms and homes for centuries. During the 1800s, if a home had a book besides the Bible, it was most likely Webster's dictionary. His spellers, readers, and grammars were used and passed down to multiple hands, putting them among the most influential and read books of all time. For a while, he was extremely prolific; one modern bibliography of all of his writings is itself 655 pages long.

He was a very outspoken man, a devoted patriot during the Revolution, a dedicated Federalist Party journalist, and a devout Congregationalist in faith.

His longest lasting works, the dictionaries, spellers, and readers, were all published with nationalistic and patriotic goals. He sought to standardize American education and culture and to remove European influence. During the 1830s, there were large influxes of Catholic Irish and German immigrants, among others. Webster believed that they needed to be assimilated as soon as possible. A common language and educational experience were ways to achieve that.

When creating his dictionary and spellers, he didn't really create spellings (like removing the U in British words honour, colour, labour, etc.), he chose a variation that was in use. His goal was to create a uniquely American English that all citizens would share.

There's a great chapter about Webster in Jess McHugh's book, Americanon.

Place.

Noah Webster was born in October 16, 1758 ( died 1843).

Webster lived in New Haven Connecticut for much of his life. His home served as a dormitory for Yale University students from 1918 to 1936, when it was obtained by Henry Ford and moved to Greenfield Village where it was restored. Greenfield Village was dedicated in 1929 as the first historic village of its kind in the US. Historical homes and buildings were purchased by Henry Ford, moved and restored, or re-created, as part of the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.
(Still on my list of must-see museums. I hope to get there one day.)

Things.
Spellings.

Noah Webster was born in October 16, 1758 ( died 1843).

Not all of Webster's proposed new American spellings were adopted. Thanks to Mental Floss, here are 26 words that didn't catch on.

Cloke: Cloak

Soop: Soup

Masheen: Machine

Tung: Tongue

Greef: Grief

Dawter: Daughter

Korus: Chorus

Nightmar: Nightmare

Turnep: Turnip

Iland: Island

Porpess: Porpoise

Steddy: Steady

Hainous: Heinous

Thum: Thumb

Gillotin: Guillotine

Spunge: Sponge

Ake: Ache

Wimmin: Women

Determin: Determine

Giv: Give

Bilt: Built

Beleev: Believe

Grotesk: Grotesque

Stile: Style

Neer: Near

Sley: Sleigh




Person.

On October 17, 1483, Dominican friar Tomas de Torquemada was appointed by the Pope to the position of Grand Inquisitor, launching the Spanish Inquisition.

Newly crowned and wed rulers of Spain Ferdinand and Isabella were eager to consolidate their power and land holdings and to win the support of the Pope. In order to accomplish this, they began a crusade, the Reconquista, to drive all heretics, i.e. Muslims and Jews who had lived in Spain for centuries, out of the peninsula. As their armies took control, non-Catholics were given three choices: flee, convert, or die. Thousands converted, becoming conversos (former Jews) and moriscos (former Muslims or Moors), but they were always viewed with suspicion. Some converted in all outward and public appearances, but others continued practicing their faith in private. Informers, some driven by zealotry, others by greed or personal animosity, began accusing converts of heresy.

Torquemada 's job was to root out the heretics, and he and his courts of the Inquisition did so with gusto. While some converts were interrogated simply by questioning or being forced to eat pork, others were physically and mentally tortured, Many of the "guilty" were executed by burning at the stake.

The Spanish Inquisition officially lasted 300 years before being abolished by Napoleon Bonaparte. Modern historians estimate that, in those three centuries, 150,000 were prosecuted for various offenses, and between 3,000 and 5,000 were executed.

Dogs of God is a really interesting book that ties the Inquisition, the Reconquista, and Columbus's voyages together, all part of Ferdinand and Isabella's quest to prove that they were God's most faithful servants on Earth.


Places.

On October 17, 1483, Dominican friar Tomas de Torquemada was appointed by the Pope to the position of Grand Inquisitor, launching the Spanish Inquisition.

Numerous buildings important in the life of Torquemada and in the history of the Spanish Inquisition still stand as historic reminders.

He served as Prior of the monastery of Santa Cruz at Segovia Spain. There, he forged a relationship with Princess Isabella I, and they became religious and ideological compatriots. He served as her personal confessor and advisor, and he took the same role with Ferdinand after their marriage.

After being named Grand Inquisitor by the Pope, he hosted a general assembly in Seville in 1485, at which he promulgated the 28 articles if faith that would be used to guide the inquisitors in their work. The Castillo de San George now houses the Museum of the Spanish Inquisition.

In 1494, he stepped down as Grand Inquisitor and went to live in the St. Thomas Aquinas Monastery in Avila. There, he lived the simple life of a monk, typically only leaving his room (cell) to tend to the spiritual needs of the royal family. He died there in 1498. Buried there, his tomb was robbed in 1832, and his bones were allegedly burned.

Dogs of God is a really interesting book that ties the Inquisition, the Reconquista, and Columbus's voyages together, all part of Ferdinand and Isabella's quest to prove that they were God's most faithful servants on Earth.

Things.

On October 17, 1483, Dominican friar Tomas de Torquemada was appointed by the Pope to the position of Grand Inquisitor, launching the Spanish Inquisition.

Inquisitors used many methods and devices in their "inquisitions," i.e. torture sessions designed to force confessions out of accused heretics. The strappado was usually not as elaborate as the system pictured here. The accused would have their hands tied behind their back, similar to handcuffing. A rope would be tied to the wrists and passed over a pulley, beam, or hook, depending upon the place where the torture took place. As the accused was pulled off of the ground, they were hanging from their arms. Then, they were dropped. At the very least,shoulders would be dislocated.

Water torture was also used. The accused would lay on his or her back and be strapped to a board. Securing the ankles, wrists, arms, and legs was essential to prevent the accused from thrashing around. Once secured, a rag or some type of cloth would be inserted into the mouth. Officials of the tribunal would then pour water over the rag, mimicking the sensation of drowning.

The rack has a long history of use. A person would be secured to a board at the wrists and the ankles with some type of cuff, then chains would be attached to the cuffs. The chains would be attached to a wheel and a crank would turn the wheel. As the chains were tightened, the body would stretch and joints, ligaments, and tendons would snap, crack, and pop.

Finally, there's the wheel. Intended as capital punishment, it sometimes was used as a form of torture. Generally, a wagon wheel was used and the accused or convicted would be stretched over the wheel. Then they would be beaten. The spaces between the spokes would allow bones to break upon contact with a club or other device.

Dogs of God is a really interesting book that ties the Inquisition, the Reconquista, and Columbus's voyages together, all part of Ferdinand and Isabella's quest to prove that they were God's most faithful servants on Earth.



Person.

Jack Johnson, "the Galveston Giant," (1878-1946) became the first black world heavyweight boxing champion and held the title from 1908 to 1915, at the height of Jim Crow. According to Ken Burns, he was the "most famous and the most notorious" black man on Earth.

As a boy in Galveston, he grew up in a neighborhood that was poor, but not racially segregated. He said that he never felt excluded or victimized because he was part of a group of white boys that always treated him equally. After five years of formal education, he went to work on the docks. He discovered boxing, left Galveston, and moved to New York City where he got a job as a janitor in a boxing gym, allowing him to train and to learn. His professional debut came in November 1, 1898. Boxing was segregated then; there were white and "colored" champions. White champions avoided Johnson for years until 1908.

Johnson was a flamboyant champion, vocal, direct, boastful - always backing it up in the ring- and he loved showing off his wealth, fast cars, and white women. All of this angered many white Americans, making him a target of harassment. On October 18, 1912, he was arrested for violating the federal Mann Act for transporting a woman -his future white wife- across state lines for "immoral purposes." He was later convicted and sentenced to a year in prison. President Trump formally pardoned him in 2018. He died in a car crash in North Carolina in 1946, speeding away from a diner that refused service.

Unforgivable Blackness is his biography and the source of a great Ken Burns documentary.


Place.

Jack Johnson, "the Galveston Giant," (1878-1946) became the first black world heavyweight boxing champion and held the title from 1908 to 1915, at the height of Jim Crow.

In 1912, many white Chicagoans and newspapers were outraged and offended when Johnson opened a posh fine dining restaurant in the Bronzeville" section of the city. It was called Cafe de Champion. The outrage was because it was a "black and tan," an establishment open to black and white diners, and Johnson mingled with all the guests. The restaurant also hosted jazz and blues musicians who normally didn't play for integrated audiences, even in northern states.

Unfortunately, tragedy led to the Cafe's closing. Three months after opening, Johnson's white wife Etta, who managed the restaurant, shot killed herself in the upstairs apartment. She had previously attempted suicide, according to reports. Speculation was that Johnson's physical abuse and infidelity were contributing factors.

Within a few months, Johnson was seeing another white woman, an 18-year old former prostitute and drug addict named Lucille, whom he eventually married. On October 18, 1912, he was arrested for violating the federal Mann Act, transporting a woman (Lucille) across state lines for "immoral purposes." He was convicted and sentenced to a year in prison. In 2018, he was formally pardoned by President Trump.

Unforgivable Blackness is his biography and the source of a great Ken Burns documentary.

Thing.

Jack Johnson, "the Galveston Giant," (1878-1946) became the first black world heavyweight boxing champion and held the title from 1908 to 1915, at the height of Jim Crow.

On October 18, 1912, Johnson was arrested under the federal Mann Act which forbade taking women across state lines for "immoral purposes." The woman in question later became his wife, and she was white. The prosecution and conviction were racially motivated.

The Mann Act, also known as the White Slave Traffic Act was passed in 1910 and was named after Illinois Congressman James Mann.

From Wikipedia:
"In its original form the act made it a felony to engage in interstate or foreign commerce transport of "any woman or girl for the purpose of prostitution or debauchery, or for any other immoral purpose". Its primary stated intent was to address prostitution, immorality, and human trafficking, particularly where trafficking was for the purposes of prostitution. It was one of several acts of protective legislation aimed at moral reform during the Progressive Era. In practice, its ambiguous language about "immorality" resulted in it being used to criminalize even consensual sexual behavior between adults. It was amended by Congress in 1978 and again in 1986 to limit its application to transport for the purpose of prostitution or other illegal sexual acts."


Person.

On October 19, 1960, Rev. MLK, Jr. was one of 79 people arrested at a sit-in at the restaurant of the downtown Atlanta Rich's department store. That arrest became a pivotal moment in the 1960 presidential election, and most Americans don't know the story.

King didn't even want to be there. He was worried about getting arrested - this would be his first time - and he didn't want to take any of the spotlight away from the Atlanta University students who had organized and led the protests. His childhood friend and neighbor, Lonnie C. King, Jr, no relation, was the leader, and he convinced Martin to take part. MLK was arrested. The others arrested were freed almost immediately, but certain players decided to keep him in jail. Then, he was sent to Reidsville State Prison. He had gotten a traffic citation in Decatur, an Atlanta suburb, for driving w/o a license, even though he had a valid Alabama license. He pleaded guilty on advice of his lawyer, not realizing that put him on probation. Authorities now claimed he had violated his probation.

The next nine days were a horror for King's family, rightly afraid that something might happen to him in custody. The resulting actions of the Nixon and Kennedy campaigns had a huge impact on American history that the book Nine Days explains thoroughly.

Lonnie King, 1936-2019, was a student at Morehouse College when he launched the Atlanta Student Movement that led to the desegregation of over 300 Atlanta restaurants. I was greatly honored to meet him and hear him tell the story just a couple of years before he died.



Place.

On October 19, 1960, Rev. MLK, Jr. was one of 79 people arrested at a sit-in at the restaurant of the downtown Atlanta Rich's department store. It was his first time being jailed That arrest became a pivotal moment in the 1960 presidential election, and most Americans don't know the story.

The Atlanta Student Movement had targeted the Rich's department store because of its segregated dining room, the Magnolia Room. Rich's was one of the most prestigious department store chains in the South, founded in 1867 and headquartered in Atlanta. For decades, genteel white ladies from the city and the suburbs would spend the day shopping and then enjoy a lunch, coffee, dessert, afternoon tea, or a fashion show in the Magnolia Room, waited on by black staff members serving dishes made by black cooks. Meanwhile black customers were welcomed(-ish) to shop, but not allowed to sit in the Magnolia.

The sit-ins led to desegregation at Rich's in 1961. MLK's arrest, however, led to his stay in the local jail and transfer to the Georgia State Prison in Reidsville. His family, friends, and supporters had legitimate fears that he would be injured or even killed while in custody. Several men in the Kennedy and Nixon presidential campaigns shared their concern and saw opportunities to raise political capital.
Nine Days is an excellent book that details the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that the public didn't know before.


Thing.

On October 19, 1960, Rev. MLK, Jr. was one of 79 people arrested at a sit-in at the restaurant of the downtown Atlanta Rich's department store. It was his first time being jailed That arrest became a pivotal moment in the 1960 presidential election, and most Americans don't know the story.

The Atlanta Student Movement had targeted the Rich's department store because of its segregated dining room, the Magnolia Room.
Members of the movement coordinated sit-ins and urged black shoppers to boycott segregated stores. The word boycott refers to an organized effort to stop business and other dealings with an entity until it makes a desired change.

The word boycott comes from the name of Charles Boycott. Boycott was the agent of an absentee British landlord in Ireland in 1880 when he evicted tenants and refused to listen to their demands for lowered rents. Irish nationalists encouraged his tenants and those on surrounding lands to stop working for him and supplying food and service. The Times of London was the first to use the word in print in November 1880.

The boycott and sit-ins led to desegregation at Rich's in 1961. MLK's arrest, however, led to his stay in the local jail and transfer to the Georgia State Prison in Reidsville. His family, friends, and supporters had legitimate fears that he would be injured or even killed while in custody. Several men in the Kennedy and Nixon presidential campaigns shared their concern and saw opportunities to raise political capital.
Nine Days is an excellent book that details the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that the public didn't know before.




Person.

Today's post is a little different. Tonight we're going to see one of our all-time favorite comedians, hosts and celebrities ever, former Late, Late Show host (best by far) Craig Ferguson. This will be our third or fourth time seeing him live, and we know it will be an awesome show.

Born in Glasgow Scotland in 1962, Ferguson began his career in the UK as a member of a punk band (with former Dr. Who Peter Capaldi), actor, and comedian before moving to New York. After a while doing odd jobs and dealing with addictions, he landed a role on The Drew Carey Show before being tapped to host The Late Late Show, which was required viewing in our house. We recorded every night and watched the next day. No current American talk show host today, day or night, comes close to being as great

He was so much more than your average host. His best shows were the ones in which he interviewed important people with stuff to say, sometimes for the whole hour, like Desmond Tutu, Stephen Fry, and several other authors of great books, some of which have been featured here.

Ferguson himself has written two great memoirs, American on Purpose, and Riding the Elephant. His only novel, so far, Between the Bridge and the River, was a favorite of mine as well. It reminds me very much of one of my favorite novels ever, A Confederacy of Dunces.

Place.

Today's post is a little different. Tonight we're going to see one of our all-time favorite comedians, hosts and celebrities ever, former Late, Late Show host (best by far) Craig Ferguson. This will be our third or fourth time seeing him live, and we know it will be an awesome show.

Ferguson was born in Glasgow Scotland in 1962. Glasgow is the largest city by population in Scotland and the fourth largest in the UK.

From Wikipedia:
"Glasgow grew from a small rural settlement on the River Clyde to become the largest seaport in Scotland, and tenth largest by tonnage in Britain. Expanding from the medieval bishopric and royal burgh, and the later establishment of the University of Glasgow in the 15th century, it became a major centre of the Scottish Enlightenment in the 18th century. From the 18th century onwards, the city also grew as one of Britain's main hubs of transatlantic trade with North America and the West Indies. With the onset of the Industrial Revolution, the population and economy of Glasgow and the surrounding region expanded rapidly to become one of the world's pre-eminent centres of chemicals, textiles and engineering; most notably in the shipbuilding and marine engineering industry, which produced many innovative and famous vessels. Glasgow was the "Second City of the British Empire" for much of the Victorian and Edwardian Eras."

Ferguson himself has written two great memoirs, American on Purpose, and Riding the Elephant. His only novel, so far, Between the Bridge and the River, was a favorite of mine as well. It reminds me very much of one of my favorite novels ever, A Confederacy of Dunces.


Thing.

Today's post is a little different. Tonight we're going to see one of our all-time favorite comedians, hosts and celebrities ever, former Late, Late Show host (best by far) Craig Ferguson. This will be our third or fourth time seeing him live, and we know it will be an awesome show.

Ferguson has also written three critically acclaimed movies. It was announced earlier this year that one of the three, "Saving Grace," will be adapted into a musical slated for London's West End in 2023, and Ferguson plans to play a role.


Place.

Noah Webster was born in October 16, 1758 ( died 1843).

Webster lived in New Haven Connecticut for much of his life. His home served as a dormitory for Yale University students from 1918 to 1936, when it was obtained by Henry Ford and moved to Greenfield Village where it was restored. Greenfield Village was dedicated in 1929 as the first historic village of its kind in the US. Historical homes and buildings were purchased by Henry Ford, moved and restored, or re-created, as part of the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.
(Still on my list of must-see museums. I hope to get there one day.)