Friday, March 6, 1925. Wes Montgomery born.

 

Jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery was born in Indianapolis.

Last edition:

Wednesday, March 4, 1925. The Second Inauguration of Calvin Coolidge.

Labels: 1920s, 1925, Calvin Coolidge, the spoken word

Saturday, March 5, 1910. Культура, Kultur, and Ramen noodles.

The Queen of Spades, by Tchaikovsky, was performed at the New York Metropolitan Opera, in German.

Momofuku Ando (Japanese: 安藤 百福, Hepburn: Andō Momofuku) born  Go Pek-Hok, Chinese: 吳百福; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Gô͘ Pek-hok) in Taiwan.  He invented ramen noodles in 1958.

Last edition:

Thursday, March 3, 1910. Economic exploitation of lesser powers.

Labels: 1910, 1910s, 2020s, 2025, Capitalism, Casablanca, Colonialism, Dallas Texas, Diplomacy, France, French Empire, Morocco, Racism, Red Summer of 1919, Spain, Texas (Dallas), Ukraine, United States

Saturday, February 17, 1945. Rum and Coca Cola. Cold Comfort. Scientist leave Peenemünde. Iwo Jima.

The Andrew Sisters song Rum and Coca Cola hit the No. 1 position on the Billboard charts.  It was a song I recall as my Quebecois mother liked it.

This song was in the nature of cute at the time, but frankly it's about as accidentally imperialist as possible.

When I was 19 years old, which was the drinking age at the time, this was the first mixed drink I ever ordered in a bar, for the reason it was the only one I'd ever heard of.  I was out on the town with a group of my high school friends.  

In my view, it's awful.  I can't stand rum. Frankly, I wish I was like one of my close friends and never developed a taste for alcohol at all.  I do like beer.

The SAS launched Operation Cold Comfort in Italy.

German scientists evacuated the Peenemünde Army Research Center.

One of my (Canadian) cousins lives on Peenemünde today.  He's a scientist. Much of the Western world outside of the United States is still keen on science, including our recent allies, and or enemies.  Now that J.D. Vance has indicated that we intend to crawl in a hole and pretend the rest of the world doesn't exist, science stands a chance again. 

Scopes monkey trials anyone? American being second rate hick nation anyone?

Speaking of Canadians, who entered World War Two in 1939 when the US was still pretending that it could live on a seperate planet, Canadian troops reached the Rhine along a ten mile front.

They were all volunteers.

If I seem bitter, well yes I'm bitter that a Baby Boomer who is morally reprehensible and a South African whose sorry ass should be kicked back to Johannesburg are wrecking the nation, well yes I am.

And, if he's so nifty, why isn't that South African (who, I'll note, emigrated to Canada and incidnetally didn't have to serve in the, mostly black, South African Army as a result) making piles of cash, and producing piles of children, there?

" Infantrymen are working with engineers in road repair near Bullingen, Belgium, to keep supplies moving to the front. Rubble from houses supplies ballast fill. 17 February, 1945. Company C, 395th Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division."

US troops, who were not all volunteers, launched attacks from Luxembourg and near Saarbrucken.

"Mines and snipers in Hanweiler, Germany, forces this battalion anti-tank unit to seek another route as they move up to support their regiment which jumped off on a pre-dawn attack. They have just made the initial crossing from Sarrguemines, France, into Hanweiler, and over the Saar River. 17 February, 1945. 3rd Battalion, 253rd Infantry Regiment, 63rd Infantry Division."  Men who fought for values now betrayed by Donald Trump, Elon Musk and J.D. Vance.  If you doubt it, look a the values of post war voters.  It's okay, we'll express those values again, but it'll be blood due to our ignorance, again.

Dutch resistance fighter Gabrielle Widner died in Königsberg/Neumark concentration camp from starvation.  Unusually, she was a Seventh Day Adventist.

The Italian battleship Conte di Cavour and the unfinished Impero were sunk in Trieste harbor by the RAF.

The British landed at Ru-Ya sought of Myebon, Burma.

The U.S. Navy's Task Force 58 hit Tokyo and Yokohama.  That the Japanese home island are fatally exposed is now evident.

Pre invasion bombardments continued at Iwo Jima.  Counter battery fire damaged several US ships, including the USS Tennessee.

Last edition:

Friday, February 16, 1945. Corregidor.

Labels: 1940s, 1945, Airborne, boats and ships, Eastern Front, Iwo Jima, Japan, Red Army, U.S. Navy

Wednesday, January 29, 1975. American terrorism of the 1970s.

The Weather Underground bombed the State Department building in Washington, D.C.

Logo of the Weather Underground

The far left terrorist organization came out of the chaos of the 1960s which continued on, now mostly forgotten, into a violent early 1970s.  We're on the verge, I fear, of eclipsing that era in violence, although ironically the party attacking the government now is the populist now in power.  Given as the path we're currently on, in lots of ways, can't continue, there's real reason for concern about where the Trump interregnum's violence against the United States will lead, and if it will result in further societal violence.

In interesting aspect of this is what Gene Shepherd noted long ago, extremist meet in their extremism.  We've never had extremist in power before, however.

The group took its name from Bob Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues, which ironically is associated in my mind with well to do old lawyers who came of age in the 1960s singing it, as if any of their later lives reflected what they claimed to have believed in earlier days.

Last edition:

Tuesday, January 28, 1975. Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown.

Labels: 1970s, 1975, Cartoons, Japan, Petroleum, Sakhalin Island, television, USSR

Bob Dylan's 115th Dream (Take 2, Complete)

A song, now strangely, for our age.

Friday, January 16, 1925. Leadbelly released from prison and some Italians got to vote a lot.

Huddie Ledbetter, aka "Lead Belly", was granted a full pardon by Texas Governor Pat Morris Neff  Neff for having served the minimum seven years of his prison sentence for the 1918 killing of Will Stafford, a relative of his, in a fight over a woman.

It was a least his second period of incarceration, with  his first being in 1915 for carrying a handgun, something that would not be a crime now.  

While in prison for homicide, he'd be stubbled in the neck by another inmate, resulting in a permanent scar.

The pardon came about due to Ledbetter writing the Governor and seeking the same, and the Governor visiting him more than once in prison.

Ledbetter would return to prison in 1930 for attempted homicide and 1939 for assault.

Perhaps not a pacific man, he was the greatest American folk musician and one of the greatest blue musicians of all time.  He was personally responsible for the survival of the twelve string guitar.  He was principally a bluesman, but the blues had not quite stabilized into its form at the time, and not all of his music fits the genera.  Indeed, this so much the case that at least one of his songs that is typically preformed as a blue piece, The Midnight Special, was not performed quite that way by Leadbelly.  He became known to the general public due to John Lomax's recordings of him in 1933, at which time he was again in prison.

Leadbelly was born in Louisiana in 1888 or 1889, and died of Lou Gehrigs disease in 1946 at age 61 or 62.  He took to music early and learned to paly the mandolin, accordion, guitar, harmonica, Jew’s harp, piano, and organ, with his principal instructor's being his uncles, Bob and Terrell Ledbetter.

His songs are widely preformed to this day, and once were part of the American music canon taught to school children.  Interestingly enough, he's associated with the first recorded use of the word "woke", in a spoken item after a song in which he stated; "So I advise everybody, be a little careful when they go along through there—best stay woke, keep their eyes open."

Italy passed a bill giving double votes to academians, professors, those with diplomas, knights, military officers, those with any military decorations, officeholders, certain business personnel, all those paying a direct tax of 100 lira or more, and fathers of at least five children, triple votes to members of the royal family, members of high nobility, cardinals, highly decorated war veterans, high officeholders, or anyone who met three conditions for double votes. 

Last edition:

Thursday, January 15, 1925. Trotsky gets canned, Ross addresses the legislature.

Labels: 1920s, 1925, 1925 Wyoming Legislative Session, Communism, James Dean Effect, Joseph Stalin, Leon Trotsky, Nellie Tayloe Ross, Politics, USSR, Wyoming

Ralph Emery Show with Ernest Tubb & Justin Tubb -- January 9, 1975

Last edition:

Wednesday, January 8, 1975. Campaign 275.

Labels: 1970s, 1975, Campaign 275, Central Highlands Campaign, Da Nang, Huế, North Vietnam, Personalities, Vietnam War, Weapons

Long way to the top, otamatone edition, just for fun

Friday, December 15, 1944. Glenn Miller Lost.

The airplane carrying definitive band leader of the 1940s, Glen Miller, disappeared over a fog bound English Channel.  Miller, age 40, was serving as the leader of the US Army Air Forces Orchestra.

Miller's influence on US military music would be profound.

The U.S. Seventh Army captured Riedseltz, Salmbach and Lauterbourg in France.

The RAF made a largescale daylight raid on the submarine pens at Ijmuiden.

The Sixth Army landed on Mindoro and faced very little ground resistance, but heavy air resistance.  The US forces included a regiment of paratroopers.

Admiral William D. Leahy was promoted to five star rank, the first officer to be so promoted and the senior most officer in the Armed Forces.

The Chinese Army captured Bhamo, Burma.

Hollywood Canteen including the Andrews Sisters, Jack Benny, Eddie Cantor, Joan Crawford, Jimmy Dorsey and Roy Rogers was released.

Last edition:

Thursday, December 14, 1944. The tragedy of Lupe Vélez.

Labels: 1940s, 1944, actors and actresses, Mexico, Military, Netherlands, Palawan Massacre, Philippines, Prisoners of War, U.S. Navy, War Crimes, World War Two

Saturday, November 11, 1944. Ghastly Japanese losses at Ormoc Bay.

The Battle of Ormoc Bay began in the Camotes Sea off of the Philippines.  It would carry on well into December and result in disproportionate Japanese losses as they attempted to reinforce ground elements on Leyte.  On this day, four destroyers, 1 minesweeper and 5 transports carrying nearly 10,000 troops were sunk in heavy Japanese losses.

Iwo Jima was bombarded by the U.S.Navy.

Remaining German troops in Greece withdrew.

The Battle of Batina began in Croatia.

US troops in France.  Note many are wearing L. L. Bean style "Maine Hunting Shoes", which were adopted for cold weather use by the  U.S. Army.

The U-771 and U-1200 were sunk by the Royal Navy.

The 1942-44 musicians strike ended with RCA Victor and Columbia Records agreeing to union demands.

Last edition:

Friday, November 10, 1944. The Explosion of the Mount Hood.

Labels: 1940s, 1944, boats and ships, China, Disaster, Imperial Japanese Army, Netherlands, New Guinea, Operation Ichi-Go, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, World War Two.

The Carter Family - Can't Feel at Home

An election special.

Today in World War II History—October 25, 1939 & 1944

Today in World War II History—October 25, 1939 & 1944: 85 Years Ago—Oct. 25, 1939: First main kamikaze attacks occur in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. On the ground at Leyte, Japanese take attack US ground troops.

Thursday, October 16, 1924. See See Rider.

Incarcerated menace Adolf Hitler published a statement admitting that he was born in Austria, not Germany, but arguing that he had lost his Austrian citizenship after volunteering to serve in the German Army during World War I .  He claimed that mentally, he'd always been a German.  

He nonetheless did not renounce his Austrian citizenship until 1925, and didn't acquire German citizenship until 1932.

Ma Rainey recorded See See Rider, the first known recording of the blues standard which has an unknown origin and date of origin.  It's at least a couple of decades older than the recording.

Ma Rainey.

Last edition:

Wednesday, October 15, 1924. Airship and a proclamation.

Labels: 1920s, 1924, Aircraft, Calvin Coolidge, Lighter than air aircraft, Monarchy, National Park Service, Toronto Canada, U.S. Navy

In Memorium. Kris Kristofferson.

 

Kristoffer Kristofferson, June 22, 1936., Brownsville, Texas,.

September 28, 2024 (aged 88), Hana, Hawaii, U.S.

Janis Joplin - Me And Bobby McGee (Audio)

Kris Kristofferson - Me And Bobby McGee (1979)

Sunday, September 27, 1964. The Warren Report issued.

The government issued the Warren Report concluding that Lee Harvey Oswald had acted alone and that Kennedy had been inadequately protected during his November 22, 1963, visit to Dallas.

US troops rescued sixty Vietnamese hostages and seized the main camp of Montagnard rebels operating at Buon Sar Pa.

The Beach Boys appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show.

Last edition:

Saturday, September 26, 1964. Gilligan's Island

Labels: 1960s, 1964, actors and actresses, Communism, Congo, Growing up in the 1960s, Growing up in the 1970s, South Vietnam, television, Television is stupid

Only problem was. . .

the photo for the campaign in Georgia was of the Central Asian country, not the U.S. state.

You know, the one that was once part of the Soviet Union.

Oh, the unintentional irony

Wednesday, September 10, 1924. Eucharistic Congress, St. Mary of the Woods.

 

Last edition:

Tuesday, September 9, 1924. Waiting in the rain.

Labels: 1920s, 1924, Calvin Coolidge, First Around The World Flight, Germany, Hawaii, Kauai Hawaii, Labor unrest, League of Nations

Observations on Denver

Some years we have Rockies' ticket package. We did last year, but we didn't go to a single game for a variety of reasons.  Work was the big one, but then, about this time just a year ago, I was under the knife for the second time as well.

We went to the Orioles game on September 1.

The choice of the date was not my own, September 1 is the opening day of blue grouse and dove season, but I didn't complain about it.  A young member of the family loves the Orioles and that's why it was chosen.  When you get old, as I am, you yield in favor of younger family members, so I did, without complaining.  You also learn, hopefully, not to complain where in former days you might have.

It was a great game.

I've been to Denver several times since my surgery, but they were all hit and run type of deals for work.  In and out, with no time to spare. This is the first time I've lingered in the Mile High City for awhile, and the first time over a weekend for a long while.  Therefore some observations, I guess.

It was hot.  "Unseasonably hot" is what I'm hearing.  I'm not a fan of hot.  As Wyoming has already been chilly in the morning, and I couldn't find my Rockies jersey, I wore a light flannel shirt.  I don't really feel comfortable in just wearing a t-shit in that setting anymore, so I when I got hot, right away, before the game, I went and bought a jersey.  Now I have two.

I can't wear my old New York Yankees pull on jersey anymore.  I'm too big and its too small.  My Sox jersey is messing a button.

It's really weird to think that at least into the 1940s people dressed pretty formally at baseball games.  Men were in jacket and tie, something you'd never see now.

We were there on Sunday.

Holy Ghost is, in my view, the most beautiful church in the region and the most beautiful one I've ever been in.  We went to Mass early Sunday morning.  It's stunning and it never fails to impress me with its beauty.  

A beautiful church really adds something to worship, and a sense of the Divine.

Not a new impression, but the street people problem is out of control.

I don't know what can be done to help these people.  Some, you can tell, are now so organically messed up that they'll never really recover.  

In various places, when approached for money by somebody on a street, I'll give them some.  But not in Denver.  The people on the streets are so messed up I know where that money is going.  Something needs to be done to help them, but I have no idea what it would be.

The day before I went down I read that the Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) had taken over two apartments in Aurora.  Looking it up, it's apparently true, and they're using them for sex trafficking.

The greater Denver area, fwiw, has never been all that nice, in spite of what people might say. I recall going down in the 1980s, when I was an undergrad at UW, and parts of were really rough then.  16th Street was just starting to develop.  The area around LoDo was really really rough.  I can recall walking from an off street towards 16th past a really rough looking bar mid morning when a prostitute came spilling out of it, probably just getting off work.  The Episcopal Cathedral, St. John in the Wilderness, had lots of broken windows, broken by rocks thrown into them from the street.  Colorado Blvd in the region of what is now Martin Luther King Blvd was as complete red light district full of XXX movie theaters.  Lo Do was a no/go zone.

Coors Field really cleaned up a lot of that, and much of downtown Denver has really gentrified.  16th Street, however, is a drug flop house as is much of downtown Denver.  The legalization of marijuana, COVID, and a highly tolerant city council has created an enormous problem.

Anyhow, I don't go into Aurora much, but I don't really recall it being really nice.  I recall my father, who had experience with Denver going back to the 1930s, mentioning it had never been nice.

We had a big breakfast at Sam's No. 3.  It's a great cafe.  A real urban one, which probably makes it surprising that I'll go there, but it is great.

At the game, I had a hot dog.  I usually have "brots", rather than dogs, if I have your classic small sausage on a bun.  I'd forgotten, accordingly, what real dogs taste like.  I like them, but I don't like them as much as brots.

Converse Chuck Taylors are comfortable for sitting at a game, but not for hiking around a city.  Like my baseball jerseys, I like Chuck Taylors but given my line of work and my off time avocations, which I unfortunately seem to be able to engage in less and less, I have little call to actually wear them.

Regarding clothing, while I hesitated to post it, a lot of young women in urban settings don't dress decently when dressing casually.  I don't mean "dress up" either. Perhaps because it was hot, a lot of them had on "summer clothes" which showed way more skin, and other things, than is decent, in my view.  For that matter, coming out of a hotel a barista was coming in wearing a t-shirt who had chosen to omit undergarments and was showing, well, through.  I almost turned to my daughter who was with me and thanked her for not dressing like so much of what I was seeing, but I didn't.

On that, some of the younger women were clearly with a parent. Why would you let a child, even if not a child any longer, go out dressed like that?

I'm not really proud of noticing and I didn't glare or stare, but frankly with so much on display its impossible not to notice anything.  I'm old, but not dead, and there's way too much on display, certainly way more than is the case up here in the rude hinterlands.  A Christian should have custody of their eyes but I'd rather other folks make it easy to exercise.

Also on display were vast numbers of tattoos, some artful and some really bad.  Having a bad tattoo has to be a bummer.

I was reminded of how much I don't like country music.  My wife and daughter do, so we listed to one of the XM Radio satellite radio channels on the way down.  I never listen to contemporary country music, although over the years I've gotten to where I like some of the older stuff.

Anyhow, I was surprised by how much country music is just devoted to getting drunk.  It's weird.

A fair amount is devoted to bad decisions, particularly with alcohol and women.  Some has gotten inappropriate towards women in general.  One of the songs on the way down I heard was Country Girl, which involves alcohol, and also the lyrics "shake it for me, girl".  I've been around country people, including country girls, my entire life and I've never seen a country girl shaking whatever for anyone.  Indeed, I've always been impressed by how almost everyone who lives in the sticks knows how to swing dance and tends to wear, usually, a fair amount of clothing, even in the summer.