January in History

 

January, Named After the God of Doors, Janus 

(Duh!)

 

Factoid: The first month of the year, as well as February, were created in 713 BCE by some old Roman. Apparently before that they just went straight from December to March (something I think we should consider bringing back.) With two faces he could see both the future and the past so naming the first month after him makes sense. 

As it turns out, a LOT of interesting stuff has happened the first month of the year. (Of course, lots of stuff happens every month we just don't hear about it.) Here's January's abbreviated list along with clarifying comments by moi.

(Come on, you can spare 10 min's to learn a lot!)

When Immigration was simple . . .

January 1, 

1892 - Ellis Island in New York Harbor opened. Over 20 million new arrivals to America were processed until its closing in 1954. Sign on Statue of Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" 

Today? "No wretched refuse, door is closed, everybody go home!"

In 1975,

- Former top aides to President Nixon including  Attorney General John Mitchell, Domestic Affairs Advisor John Ehrlichman and Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman, were found guilty of obstruction of justice in Watergate scandal. 

Wow actual consequences for illegal behavior! Hmm Pam Bondi, Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem. . .

January 3, 

Thanks, Sarah, thanks a lot . . .

1959 - Alaska was admitted as the 49th U.S. state with a land mass almost one-fifth the size of the entire lower 48 states. Population – 740,000 (goofs.) 

Jeopardy category: State's fame. Select - Alaska for $400;  Winning answer: What state  was famous for home of worst VP candidate ever? (Sarah Palin - well, worst until recently.)

1977

- Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak incorporated Apple Computer. 

Thus was born one of the most famous cults in history (Apple - slightly less culty than hockey or Jim Jones of kool-aid fame.)

January 5,

1925 - Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming became the first female governor inaugurated in the U.S. 

That was the last progressive thing done in Wyoming. They swore never to leave the 19th century again!

January 6, 

Just visiting their congressman

2021 - In Washington, D.C., thousands attended a “Save America Rally" near the White House at the Ellipse, a park located south of the White House grounds. Fortunately, these "patriots" who then tried to save the country by invading the Capital were all pardoned 4 years later - by a fellow felon.

1919 

- Teddy Roosevelt died. 

Some say the Republican party died with him. Resuscitated by Ike for 8 years then killed off for good. (Don't cheer Democrats, you're not looking too healthy either.)

Jan 7  

- 2026 ICE agent executes mother who was protesting the thug-like "illegal immigration actions" in Minneapolis. (More info to come next month.) 

January 8, 

793 AD - Danish Vikings attacked Lindisfarne Island off the Northeast coast of England. Destroying the famous church of St. Cuthbert. This was the first attack on England and sent a shockwave throughout Europe. 

More importantly it led directly to the screenplay for the TV series “Vikings” - and several other series about those blood thirsty pagans. Note: They were Danes not those nice Norwegians.

Birthday 

- Elvis Presley (1935-1977) was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. 

He left the building permanently while indisposed in the, uh, restroom.

January 9,

2007 - Steve Jobs released the first iPhone. 

Oh no, not Steve Jobs again - the end of civilization begins.

January 10, 

1878 - An Amendment granting women the right to vote was introduced in Congress by Senator A.A. Sargent of California. The amendment didn't pass until forty-two years later. 

Well, you can’t rush into things like that. Anyway, some Evangelical "Christians" are trying to reverse that "mistake" today. 

January 11, 

 1569 - Working to raise funds for several public works projects Queen Elizabeth I was given the choice between levying a new tax or holding the first state lottery. The Queen decided to hold a lottery. Setting a terrible example followed by almost all modern governments today who are afraid to tax people for services. (Wouldn't tariffs be better?)

Birthday

- Alexander Hamilton (1755/7-1804) was born in the British West Indies. He was a founder of the United States who favored a strong central government and co-authored the Federalist Papers. He also was selected by Washington to be the first Secretary of the Treasury. He was by far the most interesting Founding Father: illegitimate by birth, loved by Washington, hated by Jefferson, died from a gunshot wound received during a duel with Jefferson's VP, Aaron Burr and had a long affair with a married woman. Also, probably the smartest guy of the bunch. 

His life would make a great Broadway show! (Oh, never mind.)

Jan 12,  

 

      Irene and Marv

1919 - Mother of Dear Leader born. Legend has it she had a halo over her head for some time after his birth. (Marv later pointed out it was meant for his younger brother, Thomas the Perfect Son.)

 

January 13th, 

2021 Trump impeached for second time, a record.

Might he be going for the hat trick?

 January 15th, 

1972 - "American Pie" (song not movie) hits number one on charts. 

Many Chevys were driven to levies which turned out to be dry. (Google it)

January 16, 1919

-  Speaking of dry, the 18th Amendment was passed starting the prohibition - no more legal booze! 

We know how that turned out but unbelievably it still lasted 14 yrs.

January 17,

And those pesky Greenlanders!

1961 - President Eisenhower delivers his farewell speech and warns about the military-industrial complex. 

Apparently we thought he was kidding.

January 18, 

1778 - Capt James Cook discovers beautiful islands in the Pacific and named them the Sandwich Islands.

After he was literally turned into a sandwich by unfriendly natives, they were renamed the Hawaiian Islands. (Which is apparently Polynesian for "Served with fries.")

January 19, 

Birthday  - Edgar Allen Poe (1809-1849) poet and writer was born in Boston, MA.  Among his many works are The Fall of the House of Usher, Pit and the Pendulum and his famous poem, The Raven. 

Can you imagine what horror stories he could write today?!

January 20th,

Apparently just the beginning of greatness

1981 - Ronald Reagan became president of the United States at the age of 69, the oldest president to take office. 

Ha ha, and we thought that was too old for a president?! (Coincidentally, this was about when the gutting of the middle class began.)

 2009 

- Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States, the first African-American to hold the office, leading his country until 20th January 2017, when Number 45 took over.  

Ah, the good old days when we had an actual president and a whole White House. Now all we have is a White House hole. . . 

January 21st, 

1969 - US B-52 bomber with 4 nuclear bombs on board crashed in Greenland.

No problem, the bombs didn't go off, they just spread radiation all over the ice. We cleaned most of it up. At least we know where it happened - unlike several others we've lost. (I canNOT understand why the Greenlanders don't want to become a US state!)

1950 

- Death of George Orwell, author of 1984 and Animal Farm.

Too bad he isn't around today - talk about a real "1984"! (BTW title was based on year it was written, 1948.)

 January 22nd, 

1879 - Commanded by Ntshingwayo kaMahole Khoza and Mavumengwana kaNdlela Ntuli, around 20,000 Zulu warriors attacked and massacred 2,000 British forces at Isandhlwana in Natal Province, South Africa.

The fighting broke out when the British commander was unable to correctly pronounce the Zulu leaders names or where the battle was being fought.

1970

- The Boeing 747 Jumbo jet completes its first transatlantic flight from New York in London. 

Holy cow, who knew a plane as big as building could actually fly?!

Jan 23 

Vietnam Memorial (with names of several friends)

1973 - Pres. Nixon announces Vietnam peace agreement.

Little too late for 58,220 GIs  - and millions of Vietnamese.

January 24, 

1972 - Japanese soldier Shoichi Yokoi was discovered on Guam after he had spent 28 years hiding out in the jungle not knowing World War II had long since ended. He was said to have exclaimed, “Holy mackerel, I wondered why I hadn't been paid for a while!’ (Or something like that.)

 January 26th,

1788 -  Captain Arthur Phillip guided a fleet of 11 British ships carrying convicts to the colony of New South Wales – founding Australia. 

According to "certain sources" Australia's demographics haven’t changed much in 238 yrs.

1998 

- Pres. Clinton made an emphatic denial of charges that he had a sexual affair with Monica Lewinsky and had advised her to lie about it. He said "... I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky..." 

Furthermore, he said those charges ". . . were unfounded and a low blow. I mean, it's not like I tried to overthrow an election!"

January 27th,

Mommmm, how do I get Netflix on this thing?!

1926 - Scottish inventor, electrical engineer, and innovator John Logie Baird demonstrated the world’s first live working television system. 

Who knew his invention would make stars out of the Kardashians, Jerry Springer and the Real Housewives of Atlanta. 

Birthday 

1756 - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria. From the age of five, through his untimely death at age 35, this musical genius created over 600 compositions including 16 operas, 41 symphonies, 27 piano and five violin concerti, 25 string quartets, 19 masses, and many other works. 

He reminds me of a young Dear Leader - except for the talent, fame and early death stuff of course.

January 28,

1986 - The U.S. Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 74 seconds into its flight, killing seven persons, including Christa McAuliffe, a teacher who was to be the first ordinary citizen in space. 

There is nothing humorous to say about this tragedy but it is an outstanding example of human hubris and dangerous Group Think by so-called smart people.

January 29, 

2002 - Pres. Geo. W. Bush identifies Iraq, Iran and N. Korea as the "Axis of Evil." leading to 20 years of war. 

Perhaps we should add Russia, China, Iran, Venezuela, Canada, Cuba - and Greenland  - for a Compact of Cretins? Anyway, thanks to 45/47  Bush is no longer the worst president in our nation's proud history.

January 30,

1968 - Beginning of the Tet Offensive in Vietnam as North Vietnamese troops attacked several provincial capitals major cities in South Vietnam. Although they were defeated, it became a propaganda victory for the Vietnamese and helped turn U.S. public opinion against continuation of the war. 

Sadly, it took 5 years and over 37,000 more US  deaths before we declared victory and went home. (See also Korea, Afghanistan, Iraq.)

January 31,

1606 - Guy Fawkes was hung in London. He was the main leader of failed plan to blow up English parliament with 36 barrels of gun powder. Considered by gov't as a traitor - yet he is still celebrated by average people in Great Britain every year. (hmmm) 

His mask was a main feature in movie the "V for Vendetta." Perhaps suggesting one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter?

Not unlike our brave fellow Minneapolitans - keep up the good fight!!!!

Th, th, that's all, folks - I'm exhausted from all this educatin' but a parting gift . . .

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Geo. Santayana

Armed with all this knowledge I hope you can look back on last year with very few regrets and forward to much better things.

Happy New Year!

Don' Know Much About History      Sam Cooke

January Stars    Sting

Solstice 2025

 AI-Free

Every year I say I am going to give up my affection – some might say obsession – for the winter solstice. It appears, however, I just can’t abandon this minor personality disorder. That tiny pinprick of hope at this dark time of the year always draws me back. 

For me, shortly before June 21st, it starts simply as low spirits. Then hour by hour, as the night begins to eat into the days, I descend into a type of melancholy. Not a wholesale breakdown, mind you, just a Nordic glumness. Somehow, it seems to really hit home in earnest right after the day light saving time change. Is it the earlier sunset that dims my mood? Anyway, the encroaching darkness throws its ugly shadow over the northland and the cold dreary gloom seems endless. 

Yet oddly, like a person clinging to a life raft waiting for a ship on the horizon, I strangely look forward to this moment each year. As they say, it is darkest before the dawn.

Our faith in the timeless rhythm of life is rewarded! Suddenly we can feel it creeping up on us as it usually does. Minute by minute we approach that marvelous time of the year when the sun performs its magical slow U turn at the Tropic of Capricorn and starts its trudge up to greet its twin brother, the Tropic of Cancer - and the 6 months of joy to follow!

Somehow this causes me to pity the poor folks that live in those boring and sultry low latitudes. Why, you may ask? Well, have you ever spent the holidays in Las Vegas or Phoenix - or especially Ft Meyers? Think about it: Thanksgiving with turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. On a patio. In 75-degree weather. Absurd! 

Blow up Santas, Christmas songs - with palm trees? Shorts, and flip flops? Pina Colada's instead of Eggnog? Another day at the beach or - curse you! - golf?  

After all which of these say happy holidays. . .

                 
These?

  

Which tree is not like the others?

                       

     

      

Or this?

Well duh, no kidding!

   Sacre bleu!

   (Las Vegas guys?)

 

So I laugh at those effete poseurs' nonsensical celebrations. I say, no pain, no gain - I choose to suffer for my obsession!

REAL Man 

Just like me (sorta)

Lucky us in Minnesota! Is it any wonder that over the millennia people of every race, creed, or religion - especially in northern climes - have tapped this time for a major celebration? The Celts built Stonehenge 5000 years ago to note the exact day of the year when this occurs. The Gaul's, the Germanic people, the Romans, Christians – and many others - all celebrated this annual event in one way or the another. From prancing around a candle-laden tree to drunken parties . . . to the birth of a child. It's all good.

Pederson family Solstice celebrants
    (My uncle Singvald - you can tell by the same powerful torso and musical gift.)

I don't wish to denigrate the summer solstice (smirk) even as depressing as it is. Certainly people also celebrate the long, languid, peak days of June - but not in the same way, of course, nor with the same joyous fervor as we swains of the winter solstice. After all, what do the summer celebrants have to look forward to? Shorter days, leaf raking and then butt-numbing cold? We thinking people know that it is the beginning of the end of the glory of summer. 

June 21st - Oh boy, winter just around the corner!

Ah, but December 21^st - this year at 9:03AM - is the beginning of better days ahead.

So I hope you will join me in embracing these last days of darkness and welcome the greatest day of the year.

“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” — Albert Camus (You tell 'em Albert)

Music - and a story - for the season

Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Eve in Sarajevo

Good King Wenceslas  Mannheim Steam Roller  

Silent Night    Boyz to Men

By Special request, Nate Bargatze: Nativity Story 

Pictures Worth a Thousand Words

If a Picture is Worth a Thousand Words . . .

. . . How Many for 14 Charts?

AI Free

 This was going to be my post last month but I thought it was important to instead swap in that rather dark, gloomy view of America today (Although a little less gloomy after the recent election?) I'm sure you found it either frightening, unbelievable or irritating. Perhaps all three. In any event, hopefully you will find this one light, entertaining yet informative. Or at least one of the three.

Don't be like Rat, read View Askew

If you can’t decide how things are going in the world . . . you’re not the only one. To help with that I chose these 14 charts (all but one) from a series curated and shared by a journalist and podcaster named Derek Thompson. Hopefully you will find some of this information helpful, some surprising and some will confirm your suspicions. Perhaps some are all the above.

First up is one that probably won’t surprise you. 

1) Reading was one of mankind's greatest inventions - right up with there with booze - but I suppose this shouldn't be a surprise. (At least we're not short changing the kids - yet.)

 

2) Therefore, this makes sense. Which 50% are you in?

   

3) Depending on how you think about drinking this is either great or depressing. 50% of 35 and older folks now think drinking is bad; 66% of younger folks think so too. Sell your booze stocks!

4) Not sure what this has to do with anything but it is interesting. Perhaps this confirms something we’ve all heard about with the younger generations - rightly or wrongly. On the other hand, it looks like lot of us are heading in the wrong direction (except us real geezers!)

 

5) Now this is a head scratcher - at least for an old babyboomer.  No wonder we have a demographic problem. Something in the water? (And apparently not alcohol.)

6)  Perhaps more info than you might have expected but I can’t help but note where drinking and relaxing are on this chart. Hmmm

 (For the chart impaired items above 1x line are more time alone in those activities)

7) You may have read that divorces of people that have been married a long time - "gray divorce" - are on the rise. Apparently true but hopefully it’s looking better for the more recently wedded. Experts claim it is because people now are marrying later therefore are higher educated and have higher incomes. The path of love is never smooth - but is apparently helped along by $$$.

8) I know you will believe this – and I really hope none of YOUR money is on the right hand side this chart.

9) This probably shouldn't be a big surprise either and is something I have long suspected. In case you're wondering if you are in the top 10%, you are if your family income is between $160-250,000/year. (If so it probably still doesn't feel like it.)

Clearly the rest of us 90 percenters (actually bottom 70%) are not holding up their end of the deal - and with good reason I guess. 

10) And perhaps this chart is related to the last one - or vice versa? (In any event, not hard to understand why younger generations might be be pissed off.)

This chart courtesy of Barry Ritholtz

11) This explains a lot. Note it's not just the young people that are heading downhill.

Chart courtesy of Barry Ritholtz

12) . . . And here's another one that you will recognize. We really are becoming a country of dummies. (Related, I follow another blog that had a post titled "Are Westerners Turning Back into Medieval Peasants?" Sadly, a lot evidence to support that claim.)

13) This might be hard to believe but is apparently true and another fine mess we’ve gotten ourselves into. Kids may live in a car but are getting chubby? So perhaps the administration was actually trying to solve this in the US - in a backhanded sort of way - by cutting EBT (food stamps) funds for less fortunate chubby people. Plan foiled by those damned Democrats!

 

14) Let’s finish on a positive note. Things are always better than we think they are – but also can always be better.

With any luck this info doesn't occupy brain cells better used on something else. It is also a good idea to keep in mind what Mark Twain said (and was actually quoting British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli): "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics." 

But Dear Leader would never lie to you.

In closing . . .

Just a thought, Bobby Jr.
(And that ain't no lie)

Thanks for reading - and have a great Thanksgiving  

"Bare 36 dager til årets beste dag!" (Norwegian)

Chart Topping Music . . .

If a Picture Paints a 1000 Words  Bread

 D-I-V-O-R-C-E   Tammy Wynette  (I don't like C&W music generally but it's great at this kinda a song)

Closing Time   Semisonic (Mpls' own Dan Wilson)