Contemporary Inanity

Tidbit -- April 10

On this date in 2005, those of us who were watching TV at the right time witnessed something special.

Wow. I guess he managed to leave it somewhere inside Chris DiMarco's ball.

Tidbit -- April 9

So much to choose from today, but here goes: on this date in 1413, Henry V was crowned King of England. He would later hold dominion over much of France before an early death from dysentery.

Something I did not know about Henry V: he invented the passport.

He also gave some good speeches.

Tidbit -- April 8

On this date in 1975, Frank Robinson became the first African-American to manage in the Major Leagues.  Though he won the AL Manager of the Year Award in 1989, he never led a team to the playoffs and his final record as a manager was 1065-1176, though you can take that more as an indictment of the sorry teams he had to work with than a indicator of his knowledge. 

He was certainly Old School, though.  If you respected the game, he respected you and would be fiercely loyal.  In 2006, he felt that he had to pull Matthew LeCroy in the middle of an inning.  Frank was so upset after the game that he broke down in tears.  No video of the news conference seems to exist, but I remember it well.

Late Tidbit -- April 7

On this date in 1954, President Eisenhower made this statement during a press conference:

Finally, you have broader considerations that might follow what you would call the "falling domino" principle. You have a row of dominoes set up, you knock over the first one, and what will happen to the last one is the certainty that it will go over very quickly. So you could have a beginning of a disintegration that would have the most profound influences.

This was the first recorded instance of the theory that would get the US into a quagmire in Vietnam.  I don't agree with the theory, but it gives me an excuse to feature this short video.  Enjoy.

Tidbit -- March 30

On this date in 1970, in Caroline County, Virginia, Somethingroyal bore Bold Ruler a son.  That son's name would eventually be Secretariat, and he may have been the greatest racehorse who ever walked the earth -- hard to believe, but his owner won him on the flip of a coin.

Big Red, as he was known, finished fourth in his first race, and in 20 more starts he would never finish out of the money.  He was the first horse in 25 years to win the Triple Crown, a feat he accomplished with relative ease, though there was controversy about his time at the Preakness.  The track and States record he set at the Belmont Stakes still stands today, 36 years later.

In fact, let's see exactly how much better than his competition Secretariat really was.

Tidbit -- March 25

On this date in 1942, in the city of Memphis, Tennessee, one of the all time greats entered this world of dreams.  Her family moved first to Buffalo, then Detroit, where her career would take off. 

She has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which befits the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  You better think long and hard before you refuse to show this woman the respect she deserves.

She knows how to wear a hat, too.  That's not what you're going to see here, though.

Happy 67th Birthday to The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin!  May you live to see many more.

For all the chumbolones out there, here's a little old school soul for your soul.

Tidbit -- March 24

On this date in 1999, a truck carrying flour and margarine caught fire in the Mont Blanc tunnel connecting France and Italy.  The fire quickly got out of control and would burn for an astonishing 56 hours; 39 people perished.

I guess the surprising thing is that this fire was the first deadly blaze in the tunnel's lifespan.  After all, the tunnel is over 7 miles long and only 28 feet wide.  There are many compartments in the tunnel where people are to wait out fires, but they were only rated to last 4 hours.

It took three years for the bridge to reopen after all the damage sustained.  The cost to merchants on either side of the passage was enormous.  Security was improved as well.  There is now a fully staffed fire company in the middle of the tunnel.

Amazingly, the truck driver survived the disaster and he faced a trial after which he received a 4 month suspended sentence.

It's kind of a monotonous trip, even if it is accompanied by The Bangles.

Tidbit -- March 22

On this date in 1923, the first radio broadcast took place and the announcer was the legendary Foster Hewitt.  Hewitt was a pioneer and was the man who came up with the phrase, "He shoots -- he scores!"

Unfortunately, he did not trademark the phrase, as I'm sure it never would have occurred to him.  Here's the great man's voice over a pretty cheesy video.

Tidbit -- March 21

On this date in 1804, the Code Napoléon was adopted.  This, by far, was the grandest legacy of the man from Corsica.

Codifying the hodgepodge of laws that were enforced to various degrees in France was an important step in solidifying French rule and the Code lasted in many countries even after the French were ousted.  In the US, Louisiana still features some aspects of the Code, and lawyers there can't generally practice in other states and vice versa (or so I've been told -- I follow a different path of "working at the bar").

Tidbit -- March 19

On this date in 1931, the Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened for traffic.  It is a beautiful structure, it most certainly was the public face of Australia before the building of the Sydney Opera House.  It is the fourth longest bridge of its type and is the widest long spanning bridge in the world.

I guarantee that in many communities in the US, including the one in which I live, a bridge such as this would not be built, because of cost problems and arguments about aesthetics.  Taxpayers, at least the ones who scream the loudest, would rather build an ugly structure than spend a dime more on something that looks good.

Watch and see in the years ahead.  Much of our infrastructure will need to be fixed or replaced, and almost none of it will be pleasing to the eye.  We will pay $0.50 less in taxes a year, though, so we have achieved savings!