My Brother's Birthday: Putting the Needle on the Record

Today is my brother's birthday, and it seems entirely appropriate both to acknowledge that here.

In recent years,  I have been posting a very different video on the occasion of his birthday: Captain Zoom. It is one of those things that almost only he and I understand,  almost like an inside joke. 

Last year, it seemed like it was time to shift gears a little bit. Do something a little different. I posted a video or M.A.R.R.S. and "Pump up the Volume." Also a bit of an inside joke dating back to when we were kids.

I am leaving that up this year, because I lost the ability to post Youtube videos here for whatever the reason. Annoying, but what can you do?.

So for his birthday, here is the "Pump Up the Volume" video, special for his birthday:

Happy Birthday!

M|A|R|R|S - Pump Up The Volume (Official Video)

2026 NFL Season Week 5 Preview

   

Once again, this weekend kind of snuck up on me, and I forgot to do the preview.

So really quickly, below is my preview of the upcoming games for NFL 2026 week 5:

Philadelphia vs. Jacksonville in London, UK - Two teams are playing in London, and both teams have been difficult to make predictions for. I would have said a couple of weeks ago that Philly feels like the better overall team. However, I'm no longer sure about that, given how the Eagles have been playing. Plus, it feels like the Jaguars are likely more at home in London than Philly would be. So I will go with the Jaguars for this one. My pick: Jacksonville

NY Giants at Washington - Going out on a limb here. Normally, I would pick Washington with the home field advantage. But the G-Men have a golden opportunity. This is as big a game as the Giants have had in years, even though it is now only mid-October. The defense has been solid, and the offense has done enough. Let's see if they can do it one more week. Probably picking Big Blue because I am a fan, but they are my pick for this one nonetheless. My pick: NY Giants

Cleveland at NY Jets - I would like to think that the Jets could win this one. And they can. It's just that they seem to have already entered that part of the season where everything is going wrong for them. The Browns, meanwhile, are playing lights out in recent weeks. Look for that trend to continue, and for the Browns to escape MetLife with an improved record and standing in the AFC North. My pick: Cleveland

Indianapolis at Pittsburgh - The Colts have been playing with some urgency lately. But the Steelers have this annoying habit of playing tough at home in particular. So while the Colts may be the better of these two teams, I am going with the home team specifically because of the luck which seems to be on their side, especially at home. My pick: Pittsburgh  

Chicago at Green Bay - While I do think that the Bears are an improved team this season, I still feel that somehow, the Pack will come up with the goods in this one. They always play Chicago tough, and have revenge for last season's disastrous playoff collapse to serve as extra motivation. Plus home field advantage, and all of it should be enough to push them through. My pick: Green Bay   

Cincinnati at Miami - Hey, the Dolphins might be 0-4, but they played tough and gave the undefeated Vikings a hard time last weekend. So they are not hopeless this weekend. However, the Bengals have dropped two straight, although I suspect that they are better than they look. Joe Burrow should be solid today and will lead the Bengals to a much needed win. My pick: Cincinnati

Minnesota at New Orleans - A tough game. It might not seem obvious, because Minesota is 4-0, while New Orleans is 1-3. But the Saints are, I suspect, better than their record suggests. Meanwhile, I am a bit suspicious of the Vikings and their 4-0 start. That makes them look like one of the league's elite teams, but I have my doubts that this is what they actually are. So an upset may be in the brewing. My pick: New Orleans

Houston at Tennessee - The team from Houston goes to Tennessee to take on the former Houston franchise. Both of these teams are winless. However, the Texans are better - and I mean significantly better - than an 0-4 record might suggest. This game should be where they finally put it all together enough to earn their first "W" of the season. My pick: Houston

Las Vegas at New England - The Raiders were unbeaten and barely lost to the Chiefs last weekend. As impressive as they have been to this point, going to the East Coast to play the Patriots on the road feels like a much tougher test than any they have faced to this point. Frankly, I am not at all certain that they can handle it. My pick: New England  

Denver at LA Chargers - Denver should be one of the better teams in the league this season. Remember, they came very close to reaching the Super Bowl last season. Still, I figure that the Chargers are overdue for a win. They have to win at some point, right? And the Broncos are a familiar divisional opponent. I should pick Denver, but something tells me that the Chargers will find a way to put it together and produce a big win and stop the bleeding, at least for one week. Hope that they don't make me eat my words at the end of the day. My pick: LA Chargers

San Francisco at Seattle - The 49ers are one of three remaining unbeaten teams in the league. They look fantastic to this point in the season, running on all cylinders. However, heading on the road to Seattle, where they historically have struggled recently, will be tough. The 'Hawks need this win Trailing in the division race by one game, they can hardly afford to lose. Look for Seattle to play possibly their best game of the season and to produce the win. My pick: Seattle

Detroit at Arizona - The Lions are struggling a bit. But not quite like how the Cardinals are struggling. Neither team can afford to lose this one. But Detroit absolutely cannot afford to lose with as many good teams as there are in their division, and with the realistic hopes of reaching the playoffs or possibly even winning the division still intact. The Cardinals figured to struggle, with too many very tough opponents in their division. They are going through a learning process, but they likely will not nab a win here. Campbell's team likely will be prepared for this one. My pick: Detroit

Sunday Night Football: Baltimore at Atlanta - Weeks ago, this pick would have felt easy. The Ravens seemed like far and away the better team. Now, however, I am less certain. The Ravens have struggled, while the Falcons have been really turning up the intensity in recent weeks with a couple of big wins. It feels like this could go either way. Yet still, I will pick the Ravens to come away with a narrow win to stay hot this season, although it could come right down to the wire. My pick: Baltimore

Monday Night Football: Buffalo at LA Rams - This is a tough game to pick. The Bills are solid, but they are coming out of a disappointing loss. How they respond remains to be seen, but they have a tough challenge going on the road against the Rams, in what could potentially be a Super Bowl preview. The Bills will likely produce yards and points, but I expect the Rams to come away with the win, even if it comes down to a miracle rally at the end. My pick: LA Rams

October 11th: This Day in History

 

Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history 

Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:

• 732 - Battle at Tours: France under Karel Martel beat Moors

• 1138 - A massive earthquake struck Aleppo, Syria.

• 1521 - Pope Leo X titles King Henry VIII of England "Defender of the Faith"

• 1531 - Battle at Kappel: Swiss Roman Catholic kantons beat protestant forces of Zurich

• 1531 - Huldrych Zwingli Swiss reformation leader is killed at the Battle at Kappel

• 1540 - Emperor Karel names his son Philip, Duke of Milan

• 1573 - Battle of South Seas - Dutch rebels beat Spanish navy

• 1614 - Adriaen Block and 12 Amsterdam merchants petition the States General for exclusive trading rights in the New Netherland colony.

• 1634 - the Burchardi flood — "the second Grote Mandrenke" killed around 15,000 men in North Friesland, Denmark and Germany.

• 1643 - Battle at Wincebt: English New Model-army beats royalists

• 1674 - Pierre Corneille's "Surena," premieres in Paris

• 1687 - Hungary accepts Habsburgse sovereignty

• 1689 - Peter the Great becomes tsar of Russia

• 1698 - France, England & Netherlands signs 1st Extermination treaty

Altered picture that I took of the Benjamin Franklin Memorial in Philadelphia some years ago. 

Benjamin Franklin National Memorial in the rotunda of the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, PA. This statue was sculpted by James Earle Fraser between 1932 and 1938, and it was dedicated in 1938.

Altered picture that I took of the Benjamin Franklin Memorial in Philadelphia some years ago. 

• 1726 - Benjamin Franklin returns to Philadelphia from England

1737 - Earthquake kills 300,000 and destroys half of Calcutta India

1746 - Battle at Rocourt: French drive out English/Austria/Neth armies

Early version of the American flag used during the Revolutionary War for Independence

• On this day in 1776 during the American Revolutionary War of Independence, the first naval battle of Lake Champlain was fought. The forces under Brigadier General Benedict Arnold's fleet suffered heavy losses and were ultimately defeated by the British.

• 1797 - Battle of Camperdown (Kamperduin): English navy defeats Dutch fleet

Soldier/Public Administrator Meriwether LewisSoldier/Public Administrator Meriwether Lewis 1809 - Along the Natchez Trace in Tennessee, explorer Meriwether Lewis dies under mysterious circumstances at an inn called Grinder's Stand.

1811 - The Juliana, 1st steam-powered ferryboat, begins operation

Flag of Australia

• 1852 - The University of Sydney, Australia's oldest university, is inaugurated in Sydney.

1861 - Battle of Dumfries, VA (Quantico Creek)

1863 - Skirmish at Rheatown/Henderson's Mill, Tennessee

1864 - Slavery abolished in Maryland

1864 - Campina Grande, Brazil was established as a city.

1865 - Pres Johnson paroles Confederate States VP Alexander H. Stephens

1865 - Paul Bogle led hundreds of black men and women in a march in Jamaica, starting the Morant Bay rebellion.

• 1868 - Thomas Edison patents his 1st invention: electric voice machine  

Monuments to Thomas Edison at Menlo Park in Edison,  NJ 

• 1869 - Thomas Edison filed for a patent on his first invention. The electric machine was used for counting votes for the U.S. Congress, however the Congress did not buy it.  

1871 - Great Chicago Fire is finally extinguished after 3 days, 300 killed

1873 - Toronto Argonaut Football Club 1st game losing to U of Toronto

1881 - David Houston patents roll film for cameras

1887 - A Miles patents elevator

1890 - 1st 100 yard dash under 10 seconds (John Owens 9-4/5 secs, Wash DC)

Inventor Thomas EdisonInventor Thomas Edison 1890 - Daughters of American Revolution founded

• 1895 - Emperor Menelik II of Addis Ababa draws against Italians

The Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria, South Africa.

Statue of the most famous Boer leader and president of the South African Republic, Paul Kruger, located at Church Square in Pretoria, the capital of the old Transvaal Republic, and now still the executive capital of modern day South Africa.

• On this day in 1899, the Anglo-Boer War started in what is present day South Africa, as the two Boer Republics, the Orange Free State and the Transvaal (also known as South Africa) launched a guerilla war on the British.

1899 Boer War begins in South Africa HISTORY.com Editors Published: February 09, 2010 Last Updated: May 27, 2025   

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/october-11/boer-war-begins-in-south-africa

The South African Boer War begins between the British Empire and the Boers of the Transvaal and Orange Free State.  

The Boers, also known as Afrikaners, were the descendants of the original Dutch settlers of southern Africa. Britain took possession of the Dutch Cape colony in 1806 during the Napoleonic wars, sparking resistance from the independence-minded Boers, who resented the Anglicization of South Africa and Britain’s anti-slavery policies. In 1833, the Boers began an exodus into African tribal territory, where they founded the republics of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. The two new republics lived peaceably with their British neighbors until 1867, when the discovery of diamonds and gold in the region made conflict between the Boer states and Britain inevitable.  

Minor fighting with Britain began in the 1890s, and in October 1899 full-scale war ensued. By mid June 1900, British forces had captured most major Boer cities and formally annexed their territories, but the Boers launched a guerrilla war that frustrated the British occupiers. Beginning in 1901, the British began a strategy of systematically searching out and destroying these guerrilla units, while herding the families of the Boer soldiers into concentration camps. By 1902, the British had crushed the Boer resistance, and on May 31 of that year the Peace of Vereeniging was signed, ending hostilities.  

The treaty recognized the British military administration over Transvaal and the Orange Free State and authorized a general amnesty for Boer forces. In 1910, the autonomous Union of South Africa was established by the British. It included Transvaal, the Orange Free State, the Cape of Good Hope, and Natal as provinces.

1902 - 8th US Golf Open: Laurie Auchterlonie shoots a 307 at Garden City NY

1902 - Commencement of 1st Test Cricket between South Africa & Australia

1902 - Lawrence Auchterlonie wins US Open golf tournament

1906 - SF begins school for "Asians"

1906 - White Sox Ed Walsh strikes out then record 12 in a World Series game

1906 - San Francisco public school board sparks United States diplomatic crisis with Japan by ordering Japanese students to be taught in racially segregated schools.

1911 - Ty Cobb (AL) & Frank Schulte (NL) are 1st MVPs, each gets an auto

1913 - Phila A's beat NY Giants, 4 games to 1 in 10th World Series

• 1914 - German troops occupy Ghent

• 1915 - Bulgarian anti Serbian offensive begins

1918 - Major Tsumani shakes Caribbean

1919 - 1st transcontinental air race ends

1922 - 1st woman FBI "special investigator" appointed (Alaska Davidson)

1922 - Turkey & Greece sign cease fire

Baseball Great Babe RuthBaseball Great Babe Ruth 1923 - Babe Ruth hits 2 HRs in a World Series game

• 1923 - German mark falls to 10 billion per £, 4 billion per $

1925 - Belgian episcopelian sspeaks against Flemish activism

1925 - NY Giants play 1st NFL game, lose to Providence 14-0

1927 - Lou Gehrig named AL MVP (Babe Ruth (former winner) not eligible)

1929 - Sean O'Casey's "Silver Tassle," premieres in London

1929 - JC Penney opens store #1252 in Milford, Delaware, making it a nationwide company with stores in all 48 U.S. states.

1930 - Collingwood Football Club in Melbourne, Australia, won the VFL premiership for the fourth consecutive year.

1931 - 100,000 extreme-right Germans form "Harzburger Front"

1932 - 1st political telecast (Democratic National Committee) at CBS, NYC

• 1932 - Stalin forces Zinoviev & Kamenev out of Communist Party

1936 - "Professor Quiz," 1st radio quiz show premieres

Bust of Albert Einstein in Princeton, New Jersey, where he lived his final years.

• In 1939 on this day during World War II, U.S. President Roosevelt was presented with a letter from Albert Einstein urging him to develop the U.S. atomic program as quickly as possible, in fear that Nazi Germany might otherwise develop it first. .  

1939 - Bucky Harris signs to manage Washington again

1939 - Gertrude Lawrence's "Skylark," premieres in NYC

Theoretical Physicist Albert EinsteinTheoretical Physicist Albert Einstein 

• 1939 - NAACP organized Legal Defense & Education Fund

1941 - 1st NSB-battalion departures to Eastern front

1942 - -Oct 12] Sea battle at Cape Esperance Guadalcanal

1943 - NY Yankees beat Cards 4 games to 1, in 40th World Series, to become 1st team to win 10 World Series

1944 - Allies bomb sea wall at Veere

The flag of the USSR (Soviet Union)

• 1944 - Tuvinian People's Republic or formerly Tannu Tuva was annexed by the U.S.S.R

• 1945 - Chinese civil war begins, Chiang Kai-Shek vs Mao Tse-Tung

1945 - JPL WAC Corporal Launch (1st Man-Made Object to escape Atmosphere)

The flag of Brazil.

Flag of Chile

• 1947 - Brazil & Chile break diplomatic relations with USSR

1948 - "Love Life" opens at 46th St Theater NYC for 252 performances

1948 - "Where's Chartev?" opens at St James Theater NYC for 792 performances

1948 - Cleve Indians beat Boston Braves, 4 games to 2 in 45th World Series

1950 - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission issues the first license to broadcast television in color, to CBS

1954 - "On Your Toes" opens at 46th St Theater NYC for 64 performances

1954 - Pope Pius XII publishes encyclical Ad caeli Reginam

Chinese Communist Revolutionary and Politician Mao Tse-TungChinese Communist Revolutionary and Politician Mao Tse-Tung 

Flag of Argentina

• 1955 - All Peron feast days disposed of in Argentina

1955 - Persia signs Pact of Baghdad

1956 - 1st Pakistan v Australia Test 95 runs scored on 1st day

1956 - Great Britain performs nuclear test at Maralinga Australia

1956 - AL Pres Will Harridge bars Wash Senators move to West Coast, unless unanimously approved by the other AL owners

1958 - "Goldilocks" opens at Lunt Fontanne Theater NYC for 161 performances

1958 - 2nd US Moon probe, Pioneer 1, reaches 113,810 km, falls back

1959 - KTHI TV channel 11 in Fargo-Grand Forks, ND (NBC) begins broadcasting

1960 - Hurricane ravages East-Pakistan (6,000 die)

1960 - Radio-TV exec John Fetzer buys a controlling interest of Det Tigers

1961 - USAF Major Robert M White takes X-15 to 66,100m

1961 - USSR performs nuclear test

1962 - 1st appearance of a Gabor sister on Merv Griffin Show

1962 - 2nd Vatican Council (21st ecumenical) convened by Pope John XXIII

1964 - Ruth Jessen wins LPGA Hillside House Ladies' Golf Open

262nd Pope John XXIII262nd Pope John XXIII 1967 - World Series record 3 consecutive HRs (Carl Yastremski, Reggie Smith, & Rico Petrocelli) by Red Sox

• 1967 - Yoko Plus Me art exhibit opens in London (the me is John Lennon)

1968 - Apollo 7 (Schirra, Eisele & Cunningham) made 163 orbits in 260 hours

1968 - Billy Martin named manager of Twins

• 1968 - Panama revolts

1969 - -28] Rome: 2nd bishop synod

1969 - Blues artist Muddy Waters involved in a car crash that kills 3

1969 - Soyuz 6 launched; Soyuz 7 & 8 follow in next 2 days

1971 - 60th Davis Cup: USA beats Romania in Charlotte (3-2)

1971 - Brooks Robinson ties Series record, reaches base 5 straight times

1971 - Frank McGee becomes news anchor of Today Show

 Ran into this image of John Lennon while in Syracuse to see a Paul McCartney concert. 

• 1971 - John Lennon releases "Imagine" album

• 1971 - Switzerland recognizes North Vietnam

• 1972 - Panama adopts constitution

1972 - Prison uprising at Washington DC jail

1972 - Reads beat Pirates in NLCS

1973 - Oakland beats Baltimore 3 games to 2 to win AL pennant

1974 - A's Catfish Hunter charge owner Charlie Finley with breach of contract

1975 - "Saturday Night Live" premieres with guest host George Carlin

1975 - Islander's Bryan Trottier's 1st career hat trick

1975 - Saturday Night Live premieres with George Carlin as host

1976 - 10th Country Music Association Award: Mel Tillis wins

1976 - Mao Tse-Tung's widow Jiang Qing & "Gang of Four," arrested & charged with plotting a coup

• 1977 - Soyuz 25 returns to Earth

• 1978 - Aristides Royo elected president of Panama

• 1978 - Belgium government of Tindemans resigned

1978 - Dodgers Bob Welch dramatically strikes out Reggie Jackson in 9th

1979 - "Most Happy Fella" opens at Majestic Theater NYC for 53 performances

1979 - German DR frees dissidents Rudolf Bahro & Nico Hubner

1979 - Allan McLeod Cormack & Godfrey Newbold Hounsfield win Nobel Prize for medicine for developing CAT scan

1980 - Cosmonauts Popov & Ryumin set space endurance record of 184 days

• 1981 - Unknown rocker Prince opens for Rolling Stones at LA Coliseum

1981 - Yanks beat Brewers 7-3 & win only Eastern Championship Series

Country Singer Willie NelsonCountry Singer Willie Nelson 1982 - 16th Country Music Association Award: Willie Nelson & Ricky Skagg

• 1982 - English ship Mary Rose, which sank during an engagement with France in 1545, raised at Portsmouth, England

1982 - Riot in Amsterdam as tram catches fire

1983 - Last hand-cranked telephones US went out of service as 440 telephone customers in Bryant Pond, Maine, were switched over to direct-dial

1984 - 1st space walk by US woman (Dr Kathryn D Sullivan)

1984 - August Wilson's "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," premieres in NYC

1984 - NASA launches space vehicle S-208

1984 - VP candidate debate-Graldine Ferraro (D) & George H W Bush (R)

Picture of the space shuttle at Expo Park in Los Angeles, California

• 1985 - Atlantis returns to Kennedy Space Center via Kelly AFB

Flag of South Africa during the apartheid era

• American President Reagan banned the importation of South African Krugerrands because of the controversial policy of apartheid, or legally recognized and enforced racial segregation, on this day in 1985. 

1985 - US intercepts Egyptian Boeing with Achille Lauro terrorists

• 1986 - Reagan & Gorbachev open talks at a summit in Reykjavik, Iceland

1987 - 200,000 gays march for civil rights in Washington

1990 - "Miser" opens at Circle in Sq Theater NYC for 93 performances

1990 - Center for Urban archaeology opens in NYC South Street Seaport Museum

US President & Actor Ronald ReaganUS President & Actor Ronald Reagan 1990 - Octavio Paz wins Nobel Prize for literature

1990 - Oil hits a record $40.42 per barrel

• 1991 - Anita Hill testifies Clarence Thomas sexually harrassed her

1991 - Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart seen soliciting a prostitute

1992 - 1st 3-way US presidential debate (Bush-Clinton-Perot)

1992 - Deion Sanders, plays for Atlanta Falcons (NFL) & Braves (Baseball)

1992 - Toronto down 6-1 in 7th beats A's 7-6 in 11th in AL playoff

• 1993 - Norwegian Rushdie publisher William Nygaard injured in attack

1993 - US warship Harlan County anchors off Port-au-Prince Haiti

1994 - Russian ruble decreases to 3,926 rubles per dollar

1994 - Space shuttle STS-68 (Endeavour 7), lands

1995 - John Bobbitt has plastic surgery to increase his penis 3 inches

1995 - O J Simpson cancels a TV appearance on Dateline

1996 - Ford buys rights to named Detroit domed stadium for $40 million

Basketball Player Dennis RodmanBasketball Player Dennis Rodman 1997 - Dennis Rodman returns from 2nd longest NBA suspension (11 games)

1998 - A Congo Airlines Boeing 727 is shot down by rebels in Kindu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing 40 people.

2000 - The 100th Space Shuttle mission (STS-92) is flown.

2001 - The Polaroid Corporation files for federal bankruptcy protection.

2002 - A bomb attack in a shopping mall in Vantaa, Finland kills seven.

2012 - A further 83 people are killed throughout Syria by the Syrian army

2012 - A US appeal court overturns a district court ruling banning the sale of Samsung

2012 - Mo Yan, a hallucinatory realist writer, wins the 2012 Nobel Prize for Literature

1811 - The Juliana, the first steam-powered ferryboat, was put into operation by the inventor John Stevens. The ferry went between New York City, NY, and Hoboken, NJ.  1881 - David Henderson Houston patented the first roll film for cameras.   1890 - The Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in Washington, DC.   

1899 - The Boer War began in South Africa between the British and the Boers of the Transvaal and Orange Free State.  

 1929 - JCPenney opened a store in Milford, DE, making it a nationwide company with stores in all 48 states.   1932 - In New York, the first telecast of a political campaign was aired.   1936 - The radio show, "Professor Quiz", aired for the first time.    1942 - The Battle of Cape Esperance, during World War II, began in the Solomons.   1958 - Pioneer 1, a lunar probe, was launched by the U.S. The probe did not reach its destination and fell back to Earth and burned up in the atmosphere.   1968 - Apollo 7 was launched by the U.S. The first manned Apollo mission was the first in which live television broadcasts were received from orbit. Wally Schirra, Don Fulton Eisele and R. Walter Cunningham were the astronauts aboard.   1971 - Hugh Downs left the "Today" show and "Concentration". He later became the host of ABC's "20/20".   1975 - "Saturday Night Live" was broadcast for the first time. George Carlin was the guest host.   1975 - Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham were married in Fayetteville, AR.   1983 - The last hand-cranked telephones in the U.S. went out of service. The 440 telephone customers of Bryant Pond, ME, were switched to direct-dial service.   1984 - Construction began on the Kamric/Cinergy Futursonics Studio in Houston, TX.   1984 - American Kathryn D. Sullivan became the first female astronaut to space walk. She was aboard the space shuttle Challenger.   1984 - Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) made his debut in the National Hockey League (NHL) against the Boston Bruins. He scored a goal on his first shot on his first NHL shift.   1994 - U.S. troops in Haiti took control of the National Palace.   1994 - Iraqi troops began moving away from the Kuwaiti border.   1994 - The Colorado Supreme Court declared that the anti-gay rights measure in the state was unconstitutional.

1779 Polish patriot and American Revolutionary War commander Casimir Pulaski was killed in the battle of Savannah. 1899 The Boer War began in South Africa. 1915 English nurse Edith Cavell was executed by the Germans. 1939 A letter from Albert Einstein was delivered to President Franklin D. Roosevelt concerning the possibility of atomic weapons. 1962 The first session of Vatican II was convened by Pope John XXIII. 1968 The first staffed Apollo mission, Apollo 7, was launched with astronauts Wally Schirra, Donn Fulton Eisele, and R. Walter Cunningham aboard. 1984 Space shuttle Challenger astronaut, Kathryn Sullivan, became the first American woman to walk in space.

The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/oct11.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory

Concert Review: Renaud 50 Ans at the Place Des Arts in Montréal, Québec, Canada - 10/9/2026

Okay, so first of all, many, if not most, people who read this blog (which is almost exclusively in English) will have no idea who Renaud is. And thus, they will have no idea what a big deal it was, for me, to finally have seen him in concert (well, sort of - but later for that).

Briefly, Renaud (full name Renaud Pierre Manuel Séchan) is a famous rock musician from France. I am not sure of the numbers, but he seemed to me possibly the second biggest and/or most famous and/or most influential French rock star. I started getting into him sometimes in the late 1980's. It must have been my father who introduced me to him. Specifically, knowing my interest in anything associated with South Africa, he told me about the song Jonathan by Renaud. At that time, I was almost starving for anything - any little scrap of information or even mention - of South Africa, which of course was going through the apartheid struggle at that point in history. So I have the song a listen. Then I began to listen to it quite often, and before long, eventually encountered, and began listening to, some other songs from that Renaud album, which is called Putain de Camion. That includes the title track, as well as Jonathan, and some others, which include two songs which were performed at last night's show: Triviale poursuite and La mère à Titi.

Needless to say, since I found myself liking this album so much, I explored other albums. Of course, these were the days well before Youtube, and since this was a French artist, I really only had the stuff available that my father had on cd's. This was before I ever even started collecting cd's myself, because they just seemed so expensive to me at the time. The other Renaud album which my father had that I listened to was Mistral gagnant. Knowing (and perhaps specifically feeding) my growing activist streak at the time, he mentioned the controversy surrounding the song Miss Maggie. It is a beautiful song praising women around the world for being generally more decent and more intelligent than men, generally....with the exception of "Miss Maggie" Thatcher in Great Britain. The song was banned in Britain, which added to the appeal for me. I fell in love with that song as well as the title track, and some others. One of those included La pêche à la ligne, which along with the other two songs from that album already mentioned, were performed at last night's show.

So by the time that my brother and I went to France to visit family in the summer of 1989, when France was celebrating the bicentennial of the outbreak of the French Revolution, Renaud was one of the relatively few French musicians whom I knew and, more importantly, really liked. When we went to the bicentennial celebrations in Paris, we briefly went to a free concert which was playing there. I have no idea who was playing at the time that we were there. But I know that it was Renaud who was supposed to be headlining that evening, and I was excited. Unfortunately, we walked away. The family felt that it would be too long of a wait, and it was very crowded. I was disappointed not to see him, although we still enjoyed the Bicentennial festivities in Paris, including a spectacular fireworks display. Nevertheless, my desire to see a Renaud show started then.

Fast-forward some years, to the fall of 1996, a magical year for me. Possibly the best of my adulthood, and certainly the best of my young adulthood (say, in my late teens into twenties). It had been four years since my last trip to Québec, which in those days felt really long. I went with a college friend, and we visited both Montréal and Québec City. It got me back in touch with Francophone culture, which I realized I had desperately missed. Among the things I obtained were two cd's of Renaud. It was a greatest hits compilation called "The Meilleur of Renaud, 1975-1985" and The Meilleur of Renaud, 1985-1995. I listened to that in the car during the trip, and for months afterwards. Again, this was before the internet, and music albums were not so easily obtained. Especially foreign albums, and going to Québec offered the chance to get some French language stuff. Before, I only had those two albums that my father had. But this compilation gave me a taste of some of the best stuff that Renaud had put out. Suddenly, he started to rank as one of my favorite musicians, and was a crucial link to the Francophone world for me. 

Yet, I never saw him in concert. Going to France or even to Québec was a relatively rare treat. And he just never seemed to be touring when I was there, nor was I able to catch wind of one of his tours or shows before such a trip. In truth, my suspicions were that I would never actually get to see a Renaud show.

Then a couple of weeks ago, there was an announcement on my Facebook. Renaud was coming to Québec for two shows to celebrate his 50th anniversary. The first show would be in Montréal on October 9th, and the second in Québec City on Sunday the 11th. Weighing my options, it seemed to me that Friday would be more doable, for several reasons (which I will not bore anybody with right now).

And so the trip was on. Yes, finally I was there at a Renaud concert....well, sort of.

In fact, I had misunderstood the nature of this show. This was not a Renaud concert. Not exactly, anyway. It was more like invited artists from Québec paying homage to Renaud for his 50th anniversary as a recording artist. The show was called "Renaud symphonique: 50 ans de carrière!" I was apparently wrong in assuming that Renaud would be performing with the help of local musicians. It was more the local musicians interpreting Renaud's work, which was nice. They had the stage set up in an interesting fashion. There was a beautiful wood grand piano on on side of the front of the stage, and a makeshift bistro - fitting for Renaud - on the other side. In the back, on an elevated stage, was the orchestra. 

The conductor was Antoine Gratton, who was amazing. Other Québecois artists included Isabelle Boulay and Diane Dufresne, Betty Bonifassi, Daniel Boucher, Émile Bourgault, Édith Butler, France Castel, Luc De Larochellière, Gaële, Antoine Gratton, Keith Kouna, Yann Perreau, Marie-Jo Thério, Mara Tremblay et Édouard Tremblay-Grenier.

Already, I mentioned five of the songs performed last night earlier. Obviously, they did plenty of others. Now, I am not going to remember the order, so apologies for that. Unfortunately, I also did not find the setlist online (at least not yet, although the show just took place last night). However, they performed many of Renaud's greatest hits, for the most part. Some songs I already mentioned. But there was also plenty of other songs, such as Société tu m'auras pas, Manu, Morgane de toi, Dès que le vent soufflera, Laisse béton, En cloque (brilliantly sung by Antoine Gratton in a very moving performance), Hexagone, Dans mon H.L.M., La Ballade Nord-Irlandaise, and Manhattan Kaboul. Unfortunately, I am not familiar enough with these Québecois artists to say definitively who did what song, much less the order in which they were performed. The two final songs, however, were Mistral Gagnant, when Renaud finally came up on stage and sang with children in front of the stage. My brother hesitated about this show, saying that Renaud's voice was pretty much shot. As much as I love Renaud's music, I will admit that this was the case. I had heard it on some Youtube videos, but it really hit me hearing him in person. Sadly, he is not able to sing the way that he used to, although it was still a thrill to see him perform, nonetheless. Then Renaud stayed on stage and did a duet of La tendresse with Diane Dufresne.

Probably, there were a few more songs which are slipping my mind. However, until I get more confirmation, there is no way for me to provide any more information accurately. Maybe someone will post an accurate setlist for the show at some point. 

Finally, though, I was able to see a Renaud concert. Well, again, sort of. The closest thing to it that can be had at this point. And I am very grateful. It felt like an enormous privilege to finally see him. Before this concert, he was probably the number one musician - English-speaking or French-speaking - whom I wanted to see and had not yet seen. And it finally happened last night.

It was a terrific show. Admittedly again, I was not familiar with most of those artists who performed these Renaud songs. Also, some of the songs were such radically different interpretations of the original that they almost seemed like different songs. On more than one occasion, it took me a bit to fully know which song was being played. Yet, it added something to the show, rather than detracting from it.

So yeah, it was not exactly the show that I had originally been expecting. But the differences made this feel more unique, even more special. An awesome show overall. I feel grateful to have gotten the opportunity to see it.

Renaud is standing in the middle of a line of children when he finally made his first appearance on stage, in the second to last song of the show. 

All of the artists on stage standing around Renaud, who was obviously being honored on this evening.

RENAUD SYMPHONIQUE ~ W/Diane Dufresne Live @ "Place Des Arts", Montréal, Canada 10/9/2026 ONLY ENTERTAINMENT ONLY ENTERTAINMENT 101 subscribers

RENAUD SYMPHONIQUE ~ W/Diane Dufresne Live @ "Place Des Arts", Montréal, Canada 10/9/2026

https://youtu.be/NL9MYj4kYp8?si=7HeXj6zaqQBxm70H

Renaud de passage au Québec pour ses 50 ans de carrière Radio-Canada Info Radio-Canada Info 1.23M subscribers 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcdDvHCk5OA

Renaud de passage au Québec pour ses 50 ans de carrière