It's International Day of Charity. You will seldom see me include in my lists of somehow notable persons who were born or died on a given day any "philanthropists". That's because the money came from somewhere and, more often than not, if traced to its origins, there is some unsavory history. Somebody robbed someone of 10 bucks, invested 9 and their child or grandchild gave 25 cents away, often repeatedly.
“Philanthropist. A rich (and usually bald) old gentleman who has trained himself to grin while his conscience is picking his pocket...”
~~ Ambrose Bierce
Once upon a time you dressed so fine Threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?
~~ Robert Zimmerman
If you wish to have fun, I suggest you try a form of charitable behavior that I learned about, iirc, from the late Jon Carroll of the S.F. Chron. He suggested it as a holiday season endeavor, but it can be done at any time. First select a Gift Unit which is a unit of currency such as $1, $5, $10, $20 or on more. Second you go to your bank or, preferably, credit union and procure a reasonable stack of said currency units.Third you proceed to one or more of those parts of town where society has more or less sequestered the downtrodden, down and out, impecunious, and others of that general category. Walk down the street and without hesitation or condescension give one such gift unit to every panhandler you see, whether they be actively panhandling or merely curled up in a doorway under a blanket or ragged coat. That's it, when you're out of bread you go home and savor a beverage while remembering the looks on their faces.
Freedom Fries!! Idiocy!!On this date in 1781, Rear Admiral François Joseph Paul, the Comte de Grasse (One of France's better admirals) won an enormous strategic victory over British Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Graves. De Grasse prevented the British from reinforcing, and, later, evacuating the British forces commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia. In addition, de Grasse's actions allowed Jacques-Melchior Saint-Laurent, Comte de Barras to slip down the coast with another fleet and bring a fleet load of French armaments and siege equipment to George Washington's Continental Army and Marshal Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau's Expédition Particulière, The combined effect was the surrender of Cornwallis, French control of the Chesapeake, and the eventual peace and freedom for the United States.
Nonetheless, much later France's refusal to join Bush the Lesser's Coalition of the Witless in waging an illegal unprovoked war of aggression against Iraq led to Congress and assorted other somehow even lesser savants declaring that French Fries should subsequently be known as Freedom Fries. Whatever.
For the record, de Grasse later got his ass handed to him off Jamaica by Rodney.
On this day in history:
1661 –- Nicolas Fouquet, Louis XIV's Superintendent of Finances was arrested by D'Artagnan, captain of the king's musketeers. Really. 1774 -- First Continental Congress assembled in Philly 1781 -- A French naval victory in the Battle of the Chesapeake forced the British surrender at Yortown 1791 –= Olympe de Gouges wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and of the Female Citizen. 1793 -- Start of the Reign of Terror in France 1839 –- The UK declared war (The First Opium War) on the Qing dynasty of China. 1882 -- The first United States Labor Day parade 1914 -- Start of the first Battle of the Marne 1944 -- The Benelux Union was formed 1957 -- On the Road was published 1960 -- Muhammad Ali won an Olympic gold medal in boxing 1975 –- Lynette Fromme failed to assassinate Gerald Ford. 1991 –- The Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989, went into force, centuries too late.
Some people who were born on this day:
I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones
~~ John Cage
1847 -- Jesse James, Confederate guerilla, bushwacker, robber, killer; and - he robbed the Glendale train. 1850 -- Jack Daniel, founder of Jack Daniel's 1905 -- Arthur Koestler, journalist and author; wrote Darkness at Noon 1907 -- Sunnyland Slim, American singer, songwriter, and pianist 1912 -- John Cage, American composer and theorist 1921 -- Jack Valenti, creator of the MPAA film rating system 1928 -- Albert Mangelsdorff, trombonist and educator 1939 –- Claudette Colvin, nurse and activist 1939 -- John Stewart, American singer, songwriter, and guitarist 1945 -- Al Stewart, Scottish singer, songwriter, and guitarist 1946 -- Freddie Mercury, singer, songwriter and producer 1946 -- Loudon Wainwright III, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actor 1947 -- Mel Collins, saxophonist and flute player 1947 -- Chip Davis, pianist, songwriter, and producer 1947 -- Buddy Miles, singer, songwriter and drummer 1949 -- Clem Clempson, guitarist and songwriter 1953 -- Paul Piche', singer & songwriter 1956 -- Roine Stolt, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer 1963 -- Juan Alderete, bass player and songwriter 1967 -- Arnel Pineda, singer and songwriter 1968 -- Brad Wilk, singer, songwriter, and drummer 1969 -- Dweezil Zappa, singer, guitarist, and actor
Some people who died on this day:
One does not sell the earth upon which the people walk.
~~ Tȟašúŋke Witkó (Crazy Horse)
1857 -- Auguste Comte, sociologist and philosopher 1877 -- Tȟašúŋke Witkó (Crazy Horse), Oglala Lakota leader 1906 -- Ludwig Boltzmann, physicist and philosopher 1948 -- Richard C. Tolman, American physicist and chemist 1977 -- George Barnes, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer 1992 –- Fritz Leiber, author and poet 1993 -- Claude Renoir, French cinematographer 1997 -- Mother Teresa, nun, missionary, saint, anti-condom activist, anti-family planning activist 2003 -- Gisele MacKenzie, singer and actress 2012 -- Joe South, singer, songwriter and guitarist 2015 -- Frederick "Dennis" Greene, singer and actor (Sha Na Na)
Some Holidays, Holy Days, Festivals, Feast Days, Days of Recognition, and such:
International Day of Charity (International)
Today's Tunes
Muhammed Ali
Jessee James
Jack Daniel / Jack Daniel's
Sunnyland Slim
John Cage (would've loved this, so I left it)
Albert Mangelsdorff
John Stewart
Al Stewart
Freddie Mercury
Loudon Wainwright III
Mel Collins
Chip Davis
Buddy Miles
Paul Piche'
Roine Stolt
Juan Alderete
Arnel Pineda
Brad Wilk
Dweezil Zappa
George Barnes
Joe South
Ok, it's an open thread, so it's up to you folks now. So what's on your mind?
Cross posted from http://caucus99percent.com