FacebookTwitter
Hatrack River Forum   
my profile login | search | faq | forum home

  next oldest topic   next newest topic
» Hatrack River Forum » Active Forums » Books, Films, Food and Culture » On this day....

   
Author Topic: On this day....
Troubadour
Member
Member # 83

 - posted      Profile for Troubadour   Email Troubadour         Edit/Delete Post 
This is a pretty cool day, historically speaking. I've been doing a bit of research, you see, and while I know that for most of you, August 12 is tomorrow, for me it's today, and I'm going to enlighten you with just a fraction of what I've found.

In 1484, Sixtus IV, [Francesco della Rovere], Pope since 1471, died. A few years later, on a date that many of us now actually recognise, Christopher Columbus discovers the Canary Islands. That was 1492. Yes, the movie with Gérard Depardieu.

Much like our Hatrack Trolls, in 1553 Pope Julius III ordered the confiscation and burning of the Jewish Talmud, while chanting "I'm right and you're wrong - God doesn't love you!" then in an-popely fit, stuck his fingers in his ears and loudly exclaimed "lalalalalalalalalalalala I can't hear you.

However, in a pre-realisation of the spirit of brother (and sister) hood of Hatrack, the first war between American colonists and Native Americans ended in New England in 1676. It was then that the (((((hug))))) convention was instituted.

In 1757 ALF was born. You remember ALF? Surely?

1759 saw the Battle of Kunersdorf when the Russian-Austrian army overpowered the Prussians. All because of a silly little "P".

Some Births:

1881: Cecil B deMille, Mass, directed God (10 Commandments, Cleopatra)
1887: Erwin Schrödinger, Austria, physicist (The guy with the cat. Or not, as the case may be)
1931: William Goldman, author (Lord of the Flies-Nobel 1983 {and not, it turns out, author of "Princess Bride"})
1936: John Poindexter, US Chief of Staff
1949: Mark Knopfler, guitar/vocals (Dire Straits-Sultans of Swing, MTV)
1959: Suzanne Vega, NYC, rocker (My Name is Luka, Tom's Diner)

And Some Deaths:

1964: Ian L Fleming, British journalist/writer (James Bond), dies at 56
1992: John Cage, avante-garde composer, dies of a stroke at 79

Some Inventions/Events:
1851: Isaac Singer patents sewing machine
1865: Joseph Lister became the first doctor to use disinfectant during surgery.
1877: Thomas Edison invents Edisonphone, a sound recording device
1909: The Georgia General Assembly adopted a joint resolution calling on Congress to create a $5 million prize for the first person to discover an effective method to eliminate the boll weevil.
1914: Great Britain declares war on Austria-Hungary
1923: Enrico Tiraboschi is 1st to swim English Channel westward
1927: "Wings," the only silent film to win an Oscar for best picture, opens
1935: Babe Ruth's final game at Fenway Park, 41,766 on hand
1941: French Marshal Henri Petain gave full support to Nazi Germany
1942: British premier Churchill arrives in Moscow, meets Stalin

1966 - The last tour for the Beatles began at the International Amphitheater in Chicago; and John Lennon apologized for boasting that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus Christ. London’s "Catholic Herald" said Lennon’s comment was “arrogant ... but probably true.”

1967 - Fleetwood Mac made their stage debut at the National Blues and Jazz Festival in Great Britain.

1981- IBM (International Business Machines) introduced the Model 5150 PC (personal computer). The IBM PC ran on the Intel 8088 microprocessor at 4.77 mHz with one or two 160K floppy disk drives. It had 16 kilobytes of memory, expandable to 256k, five 8-bit ISA slots, a 65-watt power supply, no built-in clock, no built-in serial or parallel ports, and no built-in video capability -- it was available with an optional color monitor. MS-DOS 1.0/1.1 was issued with the PC (IBM later released its own operating system: PC-DOS). Prices started at $1,565.

1982 - The Dow Jones industrial average hit bottom, closing at 776.92. The next morning, a bull market began that lasted until the 500-point crash of 1987.

2002: CDAC announces it is moving to Linux Operating System for Super Computing with support from IBM.

Today is also:

: Thailand Queen's Birthday
: Texas Pioneer' Day
: Massachusetts, Oklahoma Indian Day
: Cuba People's Victory Against Machado Tyranny

And in Music History, this songs were top of the charts on August 12:

1959
A Big Hunk O' Love - Elvis Presley
There Goes My Baby - The Drifters
Lavender-Blue - Sammy Turner
The Battle of New Orleans - Johnny Horton

1967
Light My Fire - The Doors
All You Need is Love - The Beatles
Pleasant Valley Sunday - The Monkees
Ode to Billie Joe - Bobbie Gentry

1975
Jive Talkin' - The Bee Gees
Please Mr. Please - Olivia Newton-John
Why Can't We be Friends? - War
Rhinestone Cowboy - Glen Campbell

1983
Every Breath You Take - The Police
Maniac - Michael Sembello
Stand Back - Stevie Nicks
Your Love's on the Line - Earl Thomas Conley

1987
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For - U2
I Want Your Sex - George Michael
Heart and Soul - T’Pau
One Promise Too Late - Reba McEntire

1989, the song "Right Here Waiting" by Richard Marx topped the charts and stayed there for 3 weeks.

It's also Steve Wozniak's birthday - co-inventor of Apple Computer, born 1950.

However, to balance it out, the Dark Side also has a special occasion today: 1996 saw the release of the first Microsoft Browser.

Oh. And it's my birthday.

[ August 11, 2003, 09:54 PM: Message edited by: Troubadour ]

Posts: 2245 | Registered: Nov 1998  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Ryuko
Member
Member # 5125

 - posted      Profile for Ryuko   Email Ryuko         Edit/Delete Post 
Nice set-up, Troubs. You win...

This does sound like a cool day, all in all. By the way, you have the dubious pleasure of being the first person I've known to have an August birthday. That I've heard about, that is...

(Doesn't know too many people)

OH! And Happy Birthday!!!

[Party]

Posts: 4816 | Registered: Apr 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
saxon75
Member
Member # 4589

 - posted      Profile for saxon75           Edit/Delete Post 
Happy Birthday, Troubs! I had no idea ALF was that old.
Posts: 4534 | Registered: Jan 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Olivet
Member
Member # 1104

 - posted      Profile for Olivet   Email Olivet         Edit/Delete Post 
Happy Birthday, you Aussie hunk, you! [Kiss]

Hope it's grand. [Party]

Posts: 9293 | Registered: Aug 2000  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
T_Smith
Member
Member # 3734

 - posted      Profile for T_Smith   Email T_Smith         Edit/Delete Post 
Your birthday!? Well then, it's the best gosh darn day ever (at least until the next persons birthday! [Wink]

Happy Birthday dude!!

Posts: 9754 | Registered: Jul 2002  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
mackillian
Member
Member # 586

 - posted      Profile for mackillian   Email mackillian         Edit/Delete Post 
Wow.

[Big Grin]

Happy birthday!

Posts: 14745 | Registered: Dec 1999  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
twinky
Member
Member # 693

 - posted      Profile for twinky   Email twinky         Edit/Delete Post 
[Big Grin]
Posts: 10886 | Registered: Feb 2000  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Fitz
Member
Member # 4803

 - posted      Profile for Fitz   Email Fitz         Edit/Delete Post 
Happy Birthday you old geezer!
Posts: 1855 | Registered: Mar 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Shan
Member
Member # 4550

 - posted      Profile for Shan           Edit/Delete Post 
And you gift us! How sweet!

Happy Birthday, darlin' [Smile]

Posts: 5609 | Registered: Jan 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
MrSquicky
Member
Member # 1802

 - posted      Profile for MrSquicky   Email MrSquicky         Edit/Delete Post 
Unless they are in some sort of siamese twin situation that I didn't know about, WIlliam Goldman (author of The Princess Bride) and William Golding (author of The Lord of The Flies) are two different people.

Oh, and to take away from being such a smartass, Happy Birthday.

Posts: 10177 | Registered: Apr 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
mackillian
Member
Member # 586

 - posted      Profile for mackillian   Email mackillian         Edit/Delete Post 
this calls for a good present
Posts: 14745 | Registered: Dec 1999  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Ryuko
Member
Member # 5125

 - posted      Profile for Ryuko   Email Ryuko         Edit/Delete Post 
Um... But William Goldman didn't write The Princess Bride, S. Morgenstern did. William Goldman merely adapted it for publication. He did, however, write the script for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid...
Posts: 4816 | Registered: Apr 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
rivka
Member
Member # 4859

 - posted      Profile for rivka   Email rivka         Edit/Delete Post 
Happy Birthday! [Party]
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Ethics Gradient
Member
Member # 878

 - posted      Profile for Ethics Gradient   Email Ethics Gradient         Edit/Delete Post 
Happy Birthday, Kelsey! [Big Grin]
Posts: 2945 | Registered: Apr 2000  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Fitz
Member
Member # 4803

 - posted      Profile for Fitz   Email Fitz         Edit/Delete Post 
I don't know if you were joking, Ryuko, but just in case you didn't know, there is no such person as S. Morgenstern. William Goldman invented him as part of the story of The Princess Bride.
Posts: 1855 | Registered: Mar 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Ryuko
Member
Member # 5125

 - posted      Profile for Ryuko   Email Ryuko         Edit/Delete Post 
Really? Well I was hornswoggled again. ;_; (pouts)
Posts: 4816 | Registered: Apr 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Troubadour
Member
Member # 83

 - posted      Profile for Troubadour   Email Troubadour         Edit/Delete Post 
Thanks all! Seeing "We Will Rock You!" tonight, heading down the Mornington Peninsula on the weekend....

All in all, a pretty good birthday!

Thanks Fitz and Mac for the pressies - and Squicky for pointing out my error... I just so wanted it to be true!!

Posts: 2245 | Registered: Nov 1998  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Geoffrey Card
Member
Member # 1062

 - posted      Profile for Geoffrey Card   Email Geoffrey Card         Edit/Delete Post 
"Unless they are in some sort of siamese twin situation that I didn't know about, WIlliam Goldman (author of The Princess Bride) and William Golding (author of The Lord of The Flies) are two different people."

Oddly enough, however, William Goldman's birthday is tomorrow, August 12. He's turning 72. Everyone send him a card.

Posts: 2048 | Registered: Jul 2000  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Kayla
Member
Member # 2403

 - posted      Profile for Kayla   Email Kayla         Edit/Delete Post 
Happy birthday to one of my favorite Aussies!
Posts: 9871 | Registered: Aug 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Geoffrey Card
Member
Member # 1062

 - posted      Profile for Geoffrey Card   Email Geoffrey Card         Edit/Delete Post 
Not only that, but William Golding was born on September 19th. Clearly, we've got a few mixed-up facts here [Smile]
Posts: 2048 | Registered: Jul 2000  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Dan_raven
Member
Member # 3383

 - posted      Profile for Dan_raven   Email Dan_raven         Edit/Delete Post 
I knew it all along. You are ALF.

Happy Birthday!!! [Hail]

Posts: 11895 | Registered: Apr 2002  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Troubadour
Member
Member # 83

 - posted      Profile for Troubadour   Email Troubadour         Edit/Delete Post 
Ok, so I got one date wrong in two entirely different ways.

Sue the internet. [Dont Know]

[Big Grin]

And here's to ya all:

[Kiss] [Group Hug] [Hat]

Posts: 2245 | Registered: Nov 1998  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
littlemissattitude
Member
Member # 4514

 - posted      Profile for littlemissattitude   Email littlemissattitude         Edit/Delete Post 
quote:
1967
Light My Fire - The Doors
All You Need is Love - The Beatles
Pleasant Valley Sunday - The Monkees
Ode to Billie Joe - Bobbie Gentry

1975
Why Can't We be Friends? - War

1983
Every Breath You Take - The Police
Stand Back - Stevie Nicks

1987
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For - U2

Pretty good day for top songs, in several years.

Oh, and happy birthday. Aren't we August people special? [Wink]

[Party]

Posts: 2454 | Registered: Jan 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
hansenj
Member
Member # 4034

 - posted      Profile for hansenj   Email hansenj         Edit/Delete Post 
Happy Birthday Troubs! [Smile]

[The Wave]

Posts: 1635 | Registered: Aug 2002  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Troubadour
Member
Member # 83

 - posted      Profile for Troubadour   Email Troubadour         Edit/Delete Post 
Aren't we just [Big Grin]
Posts: 2245 | Registered: Nov 1998  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
porcelain girl
Member
Member # 1080

 - posted      Profile for porcelain girl   Email porcelain girl         Edit/Delete Post 
i'm glad you're on this planet. hey, that's something, ain't it??!

[Blushing]

Posts: 3936 | Registered: Jul 2000  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Troubadour
Member
Member # 83

 - posted      Profile for Troubadour   Email Troubadour         Edit/Delete Post 
That's a whole lotta somethin', Sara [Smile]
Posts: 2245 | Registered: Nov 1998  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Zotto!
Member
Member # 4689

 - posted      Profile for Zotto!   Email Zotto!         Edit/Delete Post 
*splats Troubs in the face with a big ol' cake*

Happy birthday, man! [Smile]

[ August 12, 2003, 02:06 AM: Message edited by: Zotto! ]

Posts: 1595 | Registered: Feb 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Dan_raven
Member
Member # 3383

 - posted      Profile for Dan_raven   Email Dan_raven         Edit/Delete Post 
I just recieved a note. Today is also the festival of Raksha Bandhan

quote:
The annual "festival" of Raksha Bandhan, which is meant to commemorate the
abiding ties between siblings of opposite sex, usually takes place in late
August, and is marked by a very simple ceremony in which a woman ties a
rakhi ? which may be a colorful thread, a simple bracelet, or a decorative
string ? around the wrist of her brother(s). The word "raksha" signifies
protection, and "bandhan" is an association signifying an enduring sort of
bond; and so, when a woman ties a rakhi around the waist of her brother,
she signifies her loving attachment to him. He, likewise, recognizes the
special bonds between them, and by extending his wrist forward, he in fact
extends the hand of his protection over her. The thread-tying ceremony is
sometimes preceded by the woman conducting aarti before her brother, so
that the blessings of God may be showered upon him, and this is to the
accompaniment of her enunciation or chanting of a mantra, which may be in
Sanskrit or one of the other Indian languages.

In Punjabi, for instance, the mantra says: "Suraj shakhan chhodian / Mooli
chhodia beej / Behen ne rakhi bandhi / Bhai tu chir jug jee", which can be
roughly translated as follows: "The sun radiates its sunlight / the radish
seeds / I (the sister) tied the rakhi / brother, may you live long." After
the conclusion of the ceremony, she places a sweet in her mouth, and he
might return the gesture. The brother bestows a small gift upon his sister,
generally in the form of a small sum of money, such as Rupees 51, 101, 251,
or 501.

It is doubtless possible, from a feminist perspective, to view raksha
bandhan as another _expression of patriarchal culture, however
well-intentioned. It is, after all, the brother who extends his protection
to his sister, and the woman who, in a manner of speaking, agrees to place
herself under the protection of her brother. Against such a reading, one
could well argue that the festival seeks to celebrate simply the
affectionate ties between siblings of opposite sex, and that the
brother-sister nexus is, comparatively speaking, innocent. This is scarcely
to say that the relationship is devoid of power, or that there are not
habitual practices and customs which define the relationship. But the real
significance of raksha bandhan may lie elsewhere. Though it has been common
in most societies for the woman to leave her natal home at marriage for her
husband's home, in India this is firmly entrenched as a social practice,
and has often had undesirable consequences.

Women who are subjected to harassment or life-threatening behavior on
account of dowry by the husband's family have often been reluctant to
return to their natal home, and similarly parents are reluctant to take
back their married daughters on account of the immense stigma attached to
the return of a married daughter. There is ample evidence to suggest that
the problem of dowry has unquestionably been aggravated by the social
sanction placed upon married daughters residing in their natal home.
Consequently, raksha bandhan can be viewed as an occasion for reasserting a
woman's ties to her natal home. The brother conveys a message to his sister
that she has not been abandoned by her biological kin; similarly, the woman
conveys a message to her husband's family that she can well count upon her
natal family to come to her assistance.

Though in principle raksha bandhan is an observance between biological
siblings of the opposite sex, the practice often extends more generally to
people of the opposite sex who are not biologically related, or who are not
related as siblings. On raksha bandhan day, a number of women may tie the
rakhi around the Prime Minister's wrist (unless the Prime Minister be a
woman), and similarly soldiers can expect to have women tie rakhis around
their wrists.

Everywhere, especially in north and western India, females might tie a
rakhi around the wrist of boys and men without sisters. A man might acquire
a muh boli behen, that is a sister who in every respect is such except in
biological fact; or a woman may tie a rakhi around the wrist of her male
first cousin who is without sisters. Imagining a person of the opposite sex
as a sibling is certainly one way of obscuring the problem of sexual
desire, and Indian texts are rife with the observation that men should look
upon women as their sisters and mothers.


Posts: 11895 | Registered: Apr 2002  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
celia60
Member
Member # 2039

 - posted      Profile for celia60   Email celia60         Edit/Delete Post 
That's the one! That's the ceremony I took part in last year.

The Indian students here have thier sisters mail them rakhis and they either put them on themselves, or ask a female here to do it.

I was told that it was based in on a story about a queen who's people were being attacked. She sent a fine threaded bracelet to a neighboring ruler and asked for help, saying that the thread was a symbol of the tie between them as brother and sister.

I was also told that the sisters give gifts like chocolates, so I made some mint trains for him.

I didn't get any money.... [Big Grin]

Oh, and happy birthday! [The Wave]

Posts: 3956 | Registered: Jun 2001  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Vána
Member
Member # 3262

 - posted      Profile for Vána   Email Vána         Edit/Delete Post 
In an attempt to save the whole Princess Bride reference, you will perhaps be pleased to know that Mark Knopfler wrote the music for the movie.

Does that help?

Happy Birthday either way!!

Posts: 2661 | Registered: Apr 2002  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Bob_Scopatz
Member
Member # 1227

 - posted      Profile for Bob_Scopatz   Email Bob_Scopatz         Edit/Delete Post 
Happy Birthday, Troubs! Give us a song!
[Hat]

Posts: 22497 | Registered: Sep 2000  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
katharina
Member
Member # 827

 - posted      Profile for katharina   Email katharina         Edit/Delete Post 
Happy Birthday!!! [Smile] [Smile] [Frown] [The Wave]
Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Sopwith
Member
Member # 4640

 - posted      Profile for Sopwith   Email Sopwith         Edit/Delete Post 
Happiest of birthdays and may this year bring you unexpected joy, great happiness and success in the fields of your choosing!

[ROFL]

Posts: 2848 | Registered: Feb 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Troubadour
Member
Member # 83

 - posted      Profile for Troubadour   Email Troubadour         Edit/Delete Post 
Thanks Guys!

I did indeed know that Mark Knopfler wrote the music for Princess Bride!

My beautiful lass and I went and saw We Will Rock You, the Queen musical, last night. My sister bought us some good seats... a truly superb show!

Thanks all, I've had a great birthday!

Posts: 2245 | Registered: Nov 1998  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
   

   Close Topic   Feature Topic   Move Topic   Delete Topic next oldest topic   next newest topic
 - Printer-friendly view of this topic
Hop To:


Contact Us | Hatrack River Home Page

Copyright © 2008 Hatrack River Enterprises Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.


Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classic™ 6.7.2