The assassination of President John F. Kennedy shocked the nation and quickly led to a conspiracy industry that still thrives today. To mark the occasion I have read three disparate books over the last few months and offer quick mini-reviews of each. Sinatra and the Jack Pack by Michael Sheridan is a breezy read of … Continue reading November 22, 1963
History
Book Review: Longitude…
The full title of this book is "Longitude: The true story of a lone genius who solved the greatest scientific problem of his time" by Dava Sobel. A long title for a relatively short book. Ms. Sobel has written a fascinating and very readable book. First remember that before GPS and satellite guidance sailors had … Continue reading Book Review: Longitude…
Friday the 13th 2020
Today is Friday, November 13, 2020. A Friday the 13th in 2020. I'm not superstitious. Nope, not me. After all, the 13th day of a month falling on a Friday is a statistically normal phenomenon. It happens two or three times each year. It is just a coincidence, not an omen. 2020 has already had … Continue reading Friday the 13th 2020
It is difficult to be a writer in today’s world
I'm working on several projects at the moment. But I have a nagging fear how they will be received. Let's imagine I am writing about a sitting president who sends his personal attorney to give a press conference disputing election results in Pennsylvania. And for the sake of argument, perhaps this sitting president sends a … Continue reading It is difficult to be a writer in today’s world
V O T E
Today, November 3, 2020, is Election Day. If you do not vote you are not permitted to complain about the results for the next four years. If I am not mistaken this is a federal law. Hopefully one day our government will treat this day with the respect it deserves and make it a federal … Continue reading V O T E
On this Date 1956: Pan Am Flight #6
My brain is full of useless information. Sometimes I find more utterly trivial stories to add to the pile. On October 16, 1956 there was an astounding water landing in the Pacific Ocean that made headlines because it was the first forced water ditching where all crew and passengers survived. It was Pan Am Flight … Continue reading On this Date 1956: Pan Am Flight #6
What Shall We Call Today?
For a long time the second Monday in October has been celebrated as Columbus Day here in the United States. As we have gained a better understanding of the truth and impact on peoples of the Americas that Columbus "discovered" many states have also incorporated the term Indigenous Peoples Day for the holiday. If, like … Continue reading What Shall We Call Today?
No Schadenfreude Zone
The news that President and First Lady Trump were infected with the Coronavirus has set the world on its ear. While I am not a fan of Trump's policies or comportment or pronouncements or - just about anything - neither do I feel Schadenfreude. Schadenfreude is one of those wonderfully compound German words that perfectly … Continue reading No Schadenfreude Zone
73rd Anniversary of the Computer Bug (sorta)
To be fair the term "debugging" a system predates the computer age, but on September 9, 1947 a famous incident occurred that is memorialized in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Technicians detected an issue in the operation of one of the large calculating computers of the day. They traced the problem to a … Continue reading 73rd Anniversary of the Computer Bug (sorta)
National Read a Book Day
Reading books have been one of my favorite pastimes since I was a kid. I have not always had a chance to read regularly but the pandemic has slowed things down enough to provide an opening. While I have a large library of books, some of which are still on my reading list, my favorite … Continue reading National Read a Book Day
On This Date: Henry Hudson gets to Manhattan
There is some debate as to the precise date that Henry Hudson sailed into New York Harbor in 1609, but that should be expected as he had been at sea a while and had not recently synchronized his iPhone. It is not appropriate to say he "discovered" Manhattan as there happened to be residents here … Continue reading On This Date: Henry Hudson gets to Manhattan
On This Date: Bad Times for Rome
In 79 C.E. the volcano Vesuvius blew its top and covered the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, capturing many of their citizens in flight and preserving details of Roman life indelibly for millennia. Excavations began in the 1800s and are continuing even now. Because contemporaneous accounts seldom dwell on everyday life we have leaned much … Continue reading On This Date: Bad Times for Rome
On This Day – Rock and Roll milestones
Quite a special day in the history of rock and roll as in 1965 the Beatles played before 60,000 people in Shea Stadium in New York City, essentially launching stadium style concerts. And on August 15, 1969 was the first day of the Woodstock Music Festival in Bethel, New York. While music festivals had been … Continue reading On This Day – Rock and Roll milestones
National Presidential Joke Day
Today's National Day is celebrated because of President Ronald Reagan's joke during a sound check (on August 11, 1984) when he said “My fellow Americans, I’m pleased to tell you today that I’ve signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.” Some were amused, others were outraged but sound check chatter … Continue reading National Presidential Joke Day
National Veep Day
We mark National Veep Day today as we observe the anniversary in 1974 when the last time a US Vice President got promoted because of Article II, Section 1, Clause 6 of the Constitution. Yes, when Gerald Ford took over after Richard Nixon resigned. It was the ninth time it has happened in our country, … Continue reading National Veep Day
International Peace Month
August is International Peace Month. I think we can all get behind this. I mean, who doesn't wish for World Peace? Or, however you spell it, I call for World Peas. As always you can find more at http://www.walterthinnes.com and on Twitter @walterthinnes
In Memoriam – John Lewis
It was a great loss to the world when Civil Rights Icon John Lewis passed away Friday night. He was called to the movement early in life and accomplished more than nearly any other man in that pursuit during his 80 year lifespan. He was the youngest speaker at the March on Washington and the … Continue reading In Memoriam – John Lewis
Ramble on Independence Day
Happy 4th of July, Happy American Independence Day. This is a nation still being born. The Founding Fathers had a fascinating concept that is still not fully realized. We're getting there but it is slow going, especially for citizens who still do not benefit from all the grand ideas. I have faith we'll get there, … Continue reading Ramble on Independence Day
Happy Juneteenth and a note about Federal Holidays
155 years ago today, on June 19th, 1865, a contingent of Union soldiers landed in Galveston, Texas and advised local enslaved African Americans that they were free. This was a year and a half after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued and almost two months after the surrender of Lee's army, effectively ending the American Civil … Continue reading Happy Juneteenth and a note about Federal Holidays
A Ramble on protests, expectations and reactions
I have found it difficult to blithely post National Food Day entries lately with all that is going on. There will be more, but the gravity of issues before us will keep me distracted from time to time. It is wonderful that protests continue and that the pressure for reform is finally being felt across … Continue reading A Ramble on protests, expectations and reactions
National Ballpoint Pen Day
National Ballpoint Pen Day is celebrated today to mark the filing of the patent for the revolutionary new device on June 10, 1943. We take it for granted today but before then you had to use a pencil or fountain pen. And that spotty device only came about in the 1800's. Before that came the … Continue reading National Ballpoint Pen Day
A Ramble on re-opening, protests and the steps forward
New York City today begins phase one of the re-opening after three months of stay at home orders. It will be a slow process with only a few people going back to work and very limited businesses starting up again. We are eager to get moving but it will be tense judging how mass transit … Continue reading A Ramble on re-opening, protests and the steps forward
An ancient curse: May you live in interesting times
I usually pursue trivial topics in this silly blog. National Days. Food. National Food Days. That sort of things. Sorry to digress but I must address what is happening now. Mob violence has been a threat to the authorities throughout time. The Romans famously used "Bread and Circuses" to keep the peace. Since the 1960's … Continue reading An ancient curse: May you live in interesting times
Fortune favors the streaming
If you are looking to find something interesting to stream during the lockdown you may find this interesting. Do you like history? Do you like all things Rome? Do you like quality museum exhibits? Then you will really enjoy the limited time streaming of a tour of the exhibit featuring items from the excavations of … Continue reading Fortune favors the streaming
National Telephone Day in the age of COVID-19
During this lockdown period it is likely your screen time is increasing tremendously. Wonder how that played back in 1918 for the last pandemic when the telephone technology was relatively new. Take a look at this ad: A new way to stay in touch even in that early day. But not every home had a … Continue reading National Telephone Day in the age of COVID-19
