Book Review: The Gentleman From Japan by James Church

 

This was another audiobook which I picked up from the local library.

And so I gave it a try. It was fairly captivating at first. Also, I guess that I was hoping it might evoke some nuggets of life in a country somewhere in the Far East, as the name of the novel implies. The main character is not from Japan, but a Korean detective living in China. Indeed, there are such snippets, but not nearly enough.

Most of this story actually takes place in Europe. The investigator is following a deliberately confusing trail towards dumpling machines, which are suspected of having produced dumplings which killed a number of people in the detective's hometown. Everything is meant to confuse as a form of misleading people.

One aspect that I did not like was the detective sarcasm. He always had some kind of wisecrack, and they often were not even all that good (the one that stands out in my memory is a remark made to the effect of there being no more trees in his home country, because they were all cut down to make chop sticks). These smart-ass remarks just kept coming, numerous times seemingly in every conversation that this man (the main character) had. After a while, I almost felt like telling the audiobook narrator to just shut up, already. 

Another character, the man's uncle, seems to represent the closest thing that this book really ever gets to ancient Eastern wisdom. Only, he is not that wise. But at least when this uncle was talking, it was a break from the constant wisecracks of the main character. In the end, this uncle is the one who actually figures out the mystery before his nephew, the inspector. Perhaps that is because the inspector spends too much time and energy on wisecracks than on anything else. 

Now, I do not like to give negative reviews, if possible. Really, this is not entirely unentertaining, or anything. However, I personally was not particularly boiled over by it and, as mentioned, actually got annoyed with the constant smartass comebacks or comments, which often were not even appropriate under the circumstances. Perhaps the author, James Church, inserted these to help make this a bit more entertaining or edgy or whatever. But it just did not work for me. It was distracting after a while. And it was one of several reasons which prevents me from recommending this book.

Only Now, Predictably After the Fact, Are Some Trump Voters Realizing That They Just Might Have Made a Huge Mistake

 

This is a picture of a magnet that was being sold at Strand's Book Store in New York City a few years ago. No, I did not buy it, but I liked it and took a picture, which I am sharing here now. 

Already, just a couple of weeks and change since Election Day, some people who voted for Trump are having some measure of buyer's remorse.

This, frankly, was predictable enough. After all, many - I would go so far as to say the vast majority of Trump voters, unknowingly were voting against their own best interests. And it always felt like merely a matter of time before they inevitably would begin to regret it.

Below is a video illustrating some specific examples. There are people who take exception to Trump's pretty clearly stated intention of doing away with the Affordable Care Act, of finally repealing it. Of course, the fact that Trump and the Republicans back during Trump's first term desperately tried to kill it back then apparently was not enough of a signal that he would obviously go ahead and do the same thing this time around. We are hearing stories now, in 2024, that we first heard well over a decade ago, about how many of these people are all in favor of Trump and the Republicans getting rid of "Obamacare," but paradoxically, being in favor of the "Affordable Healthcare Act." They apparently did not realize that the Affordable Healthcare Act and Obamacare are one and the same thing, despite now having had over a decade to discover this simple truth.

Now, some of them are really worried that they contributed to enabling Trump and his party - let's be serious here for a moment, because the Republicans are now really the Trump party - a free ticket to do what they have long wanted to do. The Affordable Healthcare Act, also known as Obamacare, has long been on the chopping block. It was one of the prime things on their itinerary. And it sure appears that they have a good likelihood of succeeding in what they did not manage to do away with during Trump's first term. This time around, it does not appear that the Republicans will have someone like Senator John McCain who actually could stand up for what is best for the country and stand up to Trump. The theme in the GOP these days seems to be about bootlicking and falling in line with the official agenda, as set by Trump and the White House team that he is still assembling.

It seems that they finally awoke to this threat now, well after the fact. They had fully nine years now since Trump first announced his presidency to get acquainted with the issues and what Trump's actual stance on them were. The repeal of Obamacare, or the Affordable Healthcare Act as it is also known, was not exactly a secret. How is it possibly that they did not realize the danger that Trump and the Republicans posed to something which many of his supporters apparently rely on, and which will have a severe impact on their quality of life, until the days after they voted for him to be president (most of them surely for the third consecutive time). 

Others are now suddenly expressing their outrage that Trump seems to be no improvement on the issue of support for Israel. Many Muslims were understandably angry that Biden (and Kamala Harris, obviously) were so supportive of Israel during this recent war. But did they really think that Trump would improve matters on this issue? Again, Trump never made a secret about his unconditional and unwavering support for Israel. The fact that Benjamin Netanyahu clearly wanted Trump to win apparently was not enough of a red flag to prevent them from voting for Trump.

Seriously? 

I mean, really, I want to have sympathy and not be overly harsh....but I mean, seriously! How freaking stubborn or stupid do you have to be?

It reminds me a lot - and I mean a lot - of the 2004 election, now over twenty years ago. Back then, also, polls showed that Americans were collectively reluctant to admit that they had made a mistake putting George W. Bush in the White House the first time. His support never really dipped down to the point where the chances of him failing to reach the White House for a second term began to feel like a real possibility. Except, of course, for some frankly delusional people on the left, which is another matter that I will perhaps get into some other time, and which is almost equally as frustrating, frankly.

Even from the right, Trump supporters are not particularly happy about some of what Trump has been doing. Look at the link to the article below by David McAfee, about how some Trump supporters are taking exception to one Trump cabinet pick who advocated for wearing masks and vaccines during the coronavirus pandemic. Of course, this just shows some measure of disaffection - and likely mildly at that - towards Trump, and not regret for having voted to put him in power. Still, it does show that the man is not really what so many of his supporters imagine him to be.

Frankly, if things go as badly under his leadership as I believe that they will, Americans will suffer. I feel bad for the people who opposed him and tried to warn against giving him power again. Some saw a man who once suggested that parts of the Constitution might need to be cancelled, who once tried to get the presidential election of 2020 postponed, and who has threatened to focus on revenge during his second term and even threatened to use our own armed forces in actions on our streets against American citizens, and they tried to warn everybody else that the threat was real. Those are the people I feel bad for now.

As for those people who supported Trump for the past nine years, and who voted for him yet again this time around, despite all of these serious red flags and warnings?

Yeah, not so much sympathy this time around. Maybe they were fooled the first time around, and that might be excusable. But as Abraham Lincoln or Mark Twain (nobody seems sure on just who precisely said it) once said: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

'Booo!' Trump fans say they are 'disheartened' after he gives 'slap in the face to MAGA' David McAfee November 23, 2024 3:

'Booo!' Trump fans say they are 'disheartened' after he gives 'slap in the face to MAGA' - Raw Story

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-fans-upset-slap-surgeon/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGwyDlleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQi7tyHS9yTzRO7CwqW-0YmgcEdk8bPX1zYruE8MWhXoSiXB-7LxLglRJQ_aem_sarL-RvHPdx26mbe-fsAZQ

Trump Voters Realize They Made A Huge Mistake

November 30th: 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

On this day in the year 1016, Cnut (or Canute), the King of Denmark, claimed the English throne following the death of Edmund 'Ironside'. In 1782 on this day, Britain signed an agreement recognizing US independence. Spain ceded her claims on the Louisiana Territory to France on this day in 1803. On this day in 1835, Mark Twain was born. In 1917 on this day, the German foreign minister celebrated the revolution in Russia. The USSR attacked Finland on this day in 1939. In 1965 on this day, McNamara warned President Lyndon Johnson that Communists were gaining strength in South Vietnam. On this day in 1989, "America's First Female Serial Killer" struck.

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

306 - St Marcellus I begins his reign as Catholic Pope

722 - Pope Gregory II names Boniface as missionary bishop

1016 - Cnut (or Canute), king of Denmark, claims the English throne the death of Edmund 'Ironside'.

1215 - Pope Innocent III closes 4th council of Lateranen

1406 - Angelo Correr elected Pope Gregory XII

1523 - Amsterdam bans assembly of heretics

1554 - England reconciles with Pope Julius III

1630 - 16,000 inhabitants of Venice died this month of plague

1648 - English Parliamentary army captures King Charles I

1678 - Roman Catholics banned from English parliament

1700 - King Charles XII of Sweden defeats Russia at Narva [NS]

1700 - Turkey declares war on Russia

1700 - Utrecht/Overijssel/Buren/Leerdam/IJsselstein go on Gregoria calendar

1731 - Beijing hit by Earthquake; about 100,000 die

1735 - States of Holland forbid Free Masonry

1747 - Dutch State of Zealand declare governorship hereditary for women

1753 - Benjamin Franklin receives Godfrey Copley-Penny

1776 - Capt Cook begins 3rd & last trip to Pacific (South Sea)

1782 - Britain signs agreement recognizing US independence

United States Founding Father Benjamin FranklinUnited States Founding Father Benjamin Franklin 1786 - Peter Leopold Joseph of Habsburg-Lorraine, Grand Duke of Tuscany, promulgates a penal reform making his country the first state to abolish the death penalty. November 30 is therefore commemorated by 300 cities around the world as Cities for Life Day.

1787 - Spanish governor leaves Philippines

1803 - Spain cedes her claims to Louisiana Territory to France

1804 - Impeachment trial of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase begins

1813 - Prince Willem Frederik returns to Netherlands

1824 - First ground is broken at Allenburg for the building of the original Welland Canal.

1829 - First Welland Canal opens for a trial run, 5 years to the day from the ground breaking.

1838 - Mexico declares war on France

1861 - Harper's Weekly publishes EE Beers' "All quiet along the Potomac"

1863 - Confederate troops vacate Fort Esperanza, Texas

1864 - Battle of Franklin Tennessee: Confederate attack fails, 7,700 casualities

1864 - Battle of Honey Hill SC (Broad River) 96 dead/665 wounded

1866 - Work begins on 1st US underwater highway tunnel, Chicago

1868 - The inauguration of a statue of King Charles XII of Sweden takes place in the King's garden in Stockholm.

1872 - 1st intl soccer game, Scotland-England 0-0 (Glasgow)

1885 - Opera "El Cid" premieres (Paris)

1886 - 1st commercially successful AC electric power plant opens, Buffalo

1886 - The Folies Bergère stages its first revue.

1887 - 1st indoor softball game (Chicago)

1891 - Pope Leo XIII's encyclical "Rerum novarum" published

1900 - A German engineer patents front-wheel drive for automobiles

1902 - American Old West: Second-in-command of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch gang, Kid Curry Logan, is sentenced to 20 years imprisonment with hard labor.

1907 - Pike Place Market dedicated in Seattle

1912 - 4th CFL Grey Cup: Hamilton Alerts defeats Toronto Argonauts, 11-4

1915 - St John Ervine's "John Ferguson," premieres in Dublin

1916 - Costa Rica becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty.

1922 - 1st speed test of 1st genuine Japanese aircraft carrier Hosho

Dictator of Nazi Germany Adolf HitlerDictator of Nazi Germany Adolf Hitler 1922 - Hitler speaks to 50,000 national-socialists in Munich

1923 - Dutch Catholic minority government of Wilhelm Marx forms

1924 - 1st photo facsimile transmitted across Atlantic by radio (London-NYC)

1924 - Last French/Belgian troops leave Ruhrgebied

1924 - French/Belgium troops completely withdrawn from the Rurh

1928 - Test Cricket debut of Don Bradman, who scored 18 & 1 vs England

1929 - 17th CFL Grey Cup: Hamilton Tigers defeats Regina Roughriders, 14-3

1931 - Crystal Palace in Hyde Park London destroyed by fire

1931 - His Master's Voice & Columbia Records merge into EMI

1933 - CCC Camps are established in Cleveland Park District

1936 - London's Crystal Palace (built 1851), destroyed by fire

1937 - 3rd Heisman Trophy Award: Clint Frank, Yale (HB)

1938 - Fascist coup in Romania, fails

1938 - Germany bans Jews being lawyers

1939 - 21 U boats sunk this month (52,000 ton)

1939 - Paul Osborn's "Mornings at 7," premieres in NYC

1939 - USSR invades Finland, bombs Helsinki

1940 - 28th CFL Grey Cup (Game 1): Toronto Balmy Beach defeats Ottawa, 8-2

1940 - 32 U boats sunk this month (147,000 ton)

1941 - 101 year old Nyack-Tarrytown (NY) ferry makes its last run

1941 - 13 U boats sunk this month (62,000 ton)

1941 - Japanese Emperor Hirohito consults with admirals Shimada & Nagano

1942 - -Dec 1st: Sea battle at Tassafaronga, Guadalcanal

1942 - 109 U boats sunk this month (729,000 ton)

1942 - 30th CFL Grey Cup: Toronto Hurricanes defeats Winnipeg Bombers, 8-5

1942 - Bill Terry resigns as supervisor of NY Giants minor league system

1942 - German scout ship Altmark explode & sinks off Yokohama

1944 - Biggest & last British Battleship HMS Vanguard runs aground

1945 - 33rd CFL Grey Cup: Toronto Argonauts defeats Winn Blue Bombers, 35-0

1946 - Bradman scores 187 in 1st Test Cricket v England at the Gabba

1947 - Arab terrorist campaign opens in Palestine

1947 - Day after UN decree for Israel, Jewish settlements attacked

1948 - Baseball's Negro National League disbands

1948 - Player-manager Lou Boudreau is selected AL MVP

1948 - Soviets set up a separate municipal government in East Berlin

1949 - Chinese Communists captured Chungking

1949 - KOTV TV channel 6 in Tulsa, OK (CBS) begins broadcasting

1950 - US Pres Harry Truman threatens China with atom bomb

Baseball Player Jackie RobinsonBaseball Player Jackie Robinson 1952 - Jackie Robinson charges NY Yankees with racism

1953 - French parachutist under Col De Castries attacks Dien Bien Phu

1953 - Edward Mutesa II, the kabaka (king) of Buganda is deposed and exiled to London by Sir Andrew Cohen, Governor of Uganda.

1954 - 1st meteorite known to strike a woman (Liz Hodges-Sylacauga Ala)

1954 - 20th Heisman Trophy Award: Alan Ameche, Wisconsin (FB)

1954 - John Strydom succeeds Malan as premier of South Africa

1955 - "Pipe Dream" opens at Shubert Theater NYC for 245 performances

1955 - Argentine government disbands Peronistic party

1956 - 1st use of videotape on TV (Douglas Edwards & the News)

1956 - Floyd Patterson KOs Archie Moore in 5 for heavyweight boxing title

1957 - "Happy Hunting" closes at Majestic Theater NYC after 413 performances

1957 - 45th CFL Grey Cup: Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeats Winn Blue Bombers, 32-7

1957 - Assassination attempt on Indonesian president Sukarno, kills 8

1958 - 1st guided missile destroyer launched, Dewey, Bath, Me

1958 - WKBW TV channel 7 in Buffalo, NY (ABC) begins broadcasting

Boxing Champ Archie MooreBoxing Champ Archie Moore 1959 - Joe Foss named 1st commissioner of AFL

1960 - French Senate condemns building own nuclear weapons

1960 - Tad Mosels "All the Way Home" premieres in NYC

1961 - Billy Williams of the Cubs is voted NL Rookie of Year

1961 - USSR vetoes Kuwaits application for UN membership

1962 - U Thant of Burma elected 3rd Secretary-General of UN unanimously

1963 - 51st CFL Grey Cup: Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeats BC Lions, 21-10

1963 - Martin Walser's "Überlebensgross Herr Krott" premieres in Stuttgart

1964 - USSR launches Zond 2 towards Mars; no data returned

1966 - Barbados gains independence from Britain (National Day)

1966 - Radio time signal WWV moves from Greenbelt, Maryland

1966 - Barbados becomes independent from the United Kingdom.

1967 - Democratic People's republic of Yemen gains independence

1967 - Julie Nixon & David Eisenhower announce their engagement

1967 - Kuria Muria Islands ceded by Britain to Oman

1967 - People's Democratic Republic of Yemen declares independence from UK

1967 - People's Rep of South Yemen (Aden) gains independence from Britain

1967 - Senenator Eugene McCarthy begins run for US presidency

1967 - The Pakistan Peoples Party is founded by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto who becomes its first Chairman later as the Head of state and Head of government after the 1971 Civil War.

1968 - 56th CFL Grey Cup: Ottawa Rough Riders defeat Calgary Stampeder, 24-21

1969 - 57th CFL Grey Cup: Ottawa Rough Riders defeats Saskatchewan, 29-11

1969 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR

1970 - George Harrison releases his triple album set "All Things Must Pass"

1971 - TV movie "Brian's Song," airs for 1st time on ABC-TV

1972 - BBC bans Wings' "Hi, Hi, Hi"

1972 - Illegal fireworks factory explodes killing 15 (Rome Italy)

1973 - M T Ghani scores 104 on FC debut for Commerce Bank (Pak) age 44

1973 - Firestone World Tournament of Champions won by Jim Godman

1974 - "Good Evening" closes at Plymouth Theater NYC after 438 performances

1974 - "Mack & Mabel" closes at Majestic Theater NYC after 66 performances

1974 - 20th time Islanders shut-out (3-0 vs Canucks)

1974 - Miss Teenage America Pageant

1974 - Most complete early human skeleton (Lucy, Australopithecus) is discovered by Donald Johanson, Maurice Taieb, Yves Coppens and Tim White in the Middle Awash of Ethiopia's Afar Depression.

1975 - Dahomey becomes Benin

1976 - 42nd Heisman Trophy Award: Tony Dorsett, Pittsburgh (RB)

1978 - France performs nuclear test

1979 - Ted Koppel becomes anchor of nightly news on Iranian Hostages (ABC)

1979 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR

1980 - "Banjo Dancing" closes at Century Theater NYC after 38 performances

1980 - "Perfectly Frank" opens at Helen Hayes Theater NYC for 16 performances

1980 - "West Side Story" closes at Minskoff Theater NYC after 341 perfs

1980 - Uruguay's new constitution rejected by referendum

1981 - NY Yankee Dave Righetti wins AL Rookie of Year Award

1981 - Porn star John Holmes arrested on fugitive charges

1981 - South Africa anti apartheid advocate Bulelani Ngcuka arrested

1981 - Yankees Dave Righetti wins AL Rookie of Year

1981 - Cold War: In Geneva, representatives from the United States and the Soviet Union begin to negotiate intermediate-range nuclear weapon reductions in Europe (the meetings ended inconclusively on December 17).

1982 - STS-6 vehicle moves to launch pad

1982 - US sub Thomas Edison collides with US Navy destroyer in So China Sea

1982 - USSR performs nuclear test

1983 - 6th Emmy Sports Award presentation

1983 - Police free kidnapped beer magnate Alfred Heineken in Amsterdam

1983 - Radio Shack announces Tandy Model 2000 computer (80186 chip)

1983 - Raúl Alfonsín wins Argentine presidential election

1983 - Sam Shepards "Fool for love," premieres in NYC

1983 - Denver Nugget coach Doug Moe, hoplessly behind, advise team to let Blazers break their scoring record

1986 - "Flamenco Puro" closes at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC after 40 perfs

1986 - 74th CFL Grey Cup: Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeats Edmonton Eskimos, 39-15

1986 - Ivan Lendl is 1st tennis player to earn over $10 million, lifetime

1987 - Afghanistan Constitution adopted

1988 - Cyclone lashes Bangladesh, Eastern India; 317 killed

1988 - France performs nuclear test at Fangataufa Island

1988 - NYC furrier sues Mike Tyson for $92,000 for non payment of purchase

1988 - Soviets stop jamming Radio Liberty; 1st time in 38 yrs

1988 - UN General Assembly (151-2) censures US for refusing PLO's Arafat visa

1988 - Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. buys RJR Nabisco for $25.07 billion USD.

1989 - Deutsche Bank board member Alfred Herrhausen is killed by a Red Army Faction terrorist bomb.

1990 - Actor Burt Lancaster suffers a stroke

1990 - Bush proposes US-Iraq meeting to avoid war

1991 - 1st world championship of women's soccer, US defeats Norway 2-1

1991 - 93 cars & 11 truck accident near SF during a dust storm, 17 die

1991 - Rob Pilatus, 27, of Milli-Vanilli attempts suicide

1991 - San Diego State's Marshall Faulk is 1st freshman to capture national rushing & scoring titles

1992 - David Boon's 14th Test Cricket century, 111 v WI at Brisbane

1992 - Intercity-train derailed at Village chief, 5 die

1993 - NFL announces 30th franchise - Jacksonville Jaguars

42nd US President Bill Clinton42nd US President Bill Clinton 1993 - President Clinton signs Brady Gun Control Bill

1994 - Beatles' 1st album in 25 years, "Live at BBC" is released in Britain

1994 - Cruiser Achille Lauro destroyed by fire at Somalia, 4 die

1994 - Man Mohan Adhikary sworn in as 1st communist premier of Nepal

1995 - Official end of Operation Desert Storm.

1997 - "Eugene Onegin" closes at Martin Beck Theater NYC

1997 - 86th Davis Cup: Sweden sweeps US in Gothenburg (5-0)

1998 - Deutsche Bank announces a $10 billion USDdeal to buy Bankers Trust, thus creating the largest financial institution in the world.

1999 - In Seattle, Washington, United States, protests against the WTO meeting by anti-globalization protesters catch police unprepared and force the cancellation of opening ceremonies.

1999 - British Aerospace and Marconi Electronic Systems merge to form BAE Systems, Europe's largest defense contractor and the fourth largest aerospace firm in the world.

2004 - Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge resigns.

2004 - Longtime Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings of Salt Lake City, Utah finally loses, leaving him with $2,520,700 USD, television's all-time biggest game show haul.

2004 - Lion Air Flight 538 crash lands in Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia, killing 26.

2005 - John Sentamu becomes the first black archbishop in the Church of England with his enthronement as the 97th Archbishop of York.

2007 - Hillary Clinton presidential campaign office hostage crisis: Leeland Eisenberg entered the campaign office of Hillary Clinton in Rochester, New Hampshire with a device suspected of being a bomb and held three people hostage for 5 hours.

2012 - At least 32 people are killed in a Ilyushin Il-76 cargo plane crash in the Congo

1016 - English King Edmund II died.   1700 - 8,000 Swedish troops under King Charles XII defeated an army of at least 50,000 Russians at the Battle of Narva. King Charles XII died on this day.   1782 - The United States and Britain signed preliminary peace articles in Paris, ending the Revolutionary War.   1803 - Spain completed the process of ceding Louisiana to France.   1804 - U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase went on trial accused of political bias. He was later acquitted by the U.S. Senate.   1835 - Samuel Langhorne Clemens was born. He wrote "Tom Sawyer" and "Huckleberry Finn" under the name Mark Twain.   1838 - Three days after the French occupation of Vera Cruz Mexico declared war on France.   1853 - During the Crimean War, the Russian fleet attacked and destroyed the Turkish fleet at the battle of Sinope.   1875 - A.J. Ehrichson patented the oat-crushing machine.   1897 - Thomas Edison's own motion picture projector had its first commercial exhibition.   1936 - London's famed Crystal Palace was destroyed in a fire. The structure had been constructed for the International Exhibition of 1851.   1939 - The Russo-Finnish War began when 20 divisions of Soviet troops invaded Finland.   1940 - Lucille Ball and Cuban musician Desi Arnaz were married.   1949 - Chinese Communists captured Chungking.   1954 - In Sylacauga, AL, Elizabeth Hodges was injured when a meteorite crashed through the roof of her house. The rock weighed 8½-pounds.   1956 - CBS replayed the program "Douglas Edward and the News" three hours after it was received on the West Coast. It was the world's first broadcast via videotape.   1962 - U Thant of Burma was elected secretary-general of the United Nations, succeeding the late Dag Hammarskjold.   1966 - The former British colony of Barbados became independent.   1967 - Julie Nixon and David Eisenhower announced their engagement.   1971 - ABC-TV aired "Brian's Song." The movie was about Chicago Bears' Brian Picolo and his friendship with Gale Sayers.   1981 - The U.S. and the Soviet Union opened negotiations in Geneva that were aimed at reducing nuclear weapons in Europe.   1982 - The motion picture "Ghandi" had its world premiere in New Delhi.   1986 - "Time" magazine published an interview with U.S. President Reagan. In the article, Reagan described fired national security staffer Oliver North as a "national hero."   1988 - Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Co. took over RJR Nabisco Inc. with a bid of $24.53 billion.   1989 - Alfred Herrhausen was killed in a bombing. The Red Army Faction claimed responsibility of killing Herrhausen the chairman of West Germany's largest bank.   1989 - PLO leader Yasser Arafat was refused a visa to enter the United States in order to address the U.N. General Assebly in New York City.   1993 - U.S. President Clinton signed into law the Brady Bill. The bill required a five-day waiting period for handgun purchases and background checks of prospective buyers.   1993 - Richard Allen Davis was arrested by authorities in California. Davis confessed to abducting and slaying 12-year-old Polly Klaas of Petaluma.   1995 - President Clinton became the first U.S. chief executive to visit Northern Ireland.   1998 - The Deutsche Bank AG announced that it would acquire Bankers Trust Corp. for $10.1 billion creating the world's largest financial institution.   2000 - David Spade was assaulted with a stun gun by his longtime personal assistant, David Warren Malloy. Malloy attacked Spade during a burglary of Spade's home in Beverly Hills.   2001 - For the first time in its history, McDonald's teamed up with a retail partner on its Happy Meal promotions. Toys R Us provided plush figures from its Animal Alley.   2001 - In Seattle, WA, Gary Leon Ridgeway was arrested for four of the Green River serial killings. He was pled innocent on December 18, 2001.   2004 - In Stockholm, Sweden, the Carl Larsson painting "Boenskoerd" ("Bean Harvest") was sold at auction for $730,000. The work had been in a private collection for more than a century. The Larsson work "Vid Kattegatt" ("By Kattegatt") sold for $640,000 at the same auction.



1804 Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase was tried for political bias. 1900 Irish author Oscar Wilde died in Paris at age 46. 1940 Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were married. 1966 Barbados became independent of Great Britain. 1974 The fossilized remains of a female human ancestor named Lucy (after the Beatles song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds) were found in Ethiopia. 1993 The Brady Bill, requiring a five-day waiting period for handgun purchases, is signed. 1995 President Bill Clinton became the first U.S. president to visit Northern Ireland. 2004 Ken Jennings ended his 74-game winning spree on the game show, Jeopardy!





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/nov30.htm

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

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory

November 29th: 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

On this day in 1760, French Commandant Beletre surrendered Detroit to Major R Rogers. On this day in 1803, Dessalines & Christophe declared St Domingue (present day Haiti) an independent country. In 1812 on this day, Napoleon's Grand Army crossed the Berezina River during their retreat from Russia. Native Americans were massacred at Sand Creek, Colorado, on this day in 1864. In 1918 on this day not long after World War I ended, American nurse Maude Fisher wrote a memorable letter to a mother of a war casualty. On this day in 1918, Serbia annexed Montenegro. In 1947 on this day, the U.N. voted for the partition of Palestine. On this day in 1963, American President Lyndon Johnson established the Warren Commission to investigate the then recent assassination of John F. Kennedy, who has been killed only one week earlier in Dallas, Texas. In 2001 on this day, former Beatle George Harrison died of cancer.

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

526 - Antioch in modern day Syria struck by Earthquake, about 250,000 die

799 - Pope Leo III, aided by Charles the Great, returns to Rome

1349 - Jews of Augsburg Germany massacred

1516 - Treaty of Freiburg] French/Swiss "eternal" peace treaty

1561 - Lofland subjects himself on Sigismund August II of Poland

1573 - Don Luis de Requesensy Zuniga succeeds duke of Alva as land guardian of Netherlands

1581 - Doornik (Tournai) surrenders to Duke of Parma

1596 - King Philip II devalues Spanish currency

1745 - Bonnie Prince Charlie's army moves into Manchester & occupies Carlisle

1760 - French commandant Beletre surrenders Detroit to Maj R Rogers

On this day in 1760, French Commandant Beletre surrendered Detroit to Major R Rogers. 

1775 - Sir James Jay invents invisible ink

1781 - The crew of the slave ship Zong murders 133 Africans by dumping them into the sea in order to claim insurance.

On this day in 1803, Dessalines & Christophe declared St Domingue (present day Haiti) an independent country. 

French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte

In 1812 on this day, Napoleon's Grand Army crossed the Berezina River during their retreat from Russia. 

1813 - Elias Canneman (Lib) becomes minister of Finance

1825 - 1st Italian opera in US, "Barber of Seville" premieres (NYC)

1830 - November Uprising: An armed rebellion against Russia's rule in Poland begins.

1845 - The Sonderbund is defeated by the joint forces of other Swiss cantons under General Guillaume-Henri Dufour.

1847 - Indians kill Washington state pioneers Marcus & Narcissa Whitman, and 12 others in Walla Walla Ore

1850 - The treaty, Punctation of Olmütz, signed in Olomouc means diplomatic capitulation of Prussia to Austrian Empire, which took over the leadership of German Confederation.

1863 - Battle of Ft Sanders, TN (Ft Loudon), 8-900 casualities

1864 - 4th & last day of skirmishes at Waynesboro, Georgia

1864 - Battle of Spring Hill, TN (Thomason's Station)

Native Americans were massacred at Sand Creek, Colorado, on this day in 1864. 

1864 - Sand Creek Massacre, Colorado militia kills about 150 peaceful Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians including Cheyenne chief One-Eye

1870 - Compulsory education proclaimed in England

1872 - Indian Wars: The Modoc War begins with the Battle of Lost River.

Inventor Thomas EdisonInventor Thomas Edison 1877 - Thomas Edison demonstrates hand-cranked phonograph

1887 - US receives rights to Pearl Harbor, on Oahu, Hawaii

1890 - 1st Army-Navy football game, Score: Navy 24, Army 0 at West Point

1893 - Ziqiang Institute, today known as Wuhan University, is founded by Zhang Zhidong, governor of Hubei and Hunan Provinces in late Qing Dynasty of China after his memorial to the throne is approved by the Qing Government.

1897 - 1st motorcycle race (Surrey England)

1900 - Lord Kitchener succeeds lord Roberts up as supreme commander in S Afr

1901 - East 182nd Street in Bronx is paved & opened

1902 - Gerhart Hauptmann's "Der arme Heinrich" premieres in Vienna

1910 - The first US patent for inventing the traffic lights system is issued to Ernest Sirrine.

1913 - 5th CFL Grey Cup: Hamilton Tigers defeats Toronto Parkdale, 44-2

1915 - Fire destroys most of the buildings on Santa Catalina Island, California.

1916 - US declares martial law in Dominican Republic

In 1918 on this day not long after World War I ended, American nurse Maude Fisher wrote a memorable letter to a mother of a war casualty. On this day in 1918, Serbia annexed Montenegro. 

1921 - Coldest day in Nov in Netherlands -14.0°C

1921 - Z Parenteau & Schuyler Green's musical "Kiki" premieres in NYC

Author and Nobel Laureate Gerhart HauptmannAuthor and Nobel Laureate Gerhart Hauptmann 1924 - 12th CFL Grey Cup: Queen's University defeat Toronto Balmy Beach, 11-3

1924 - NHL's Montreal Forum opens

1926 - Tris Speaker resigns as Indians manager

1926 - W Somerset Maughams "Constant Wife" premieres in NYC

1929 - Lt Cmdr Richard E Byrd sends "My calculations indicate that we have reached vicinity of South Pole" (He was wrong)

1932 - Cole Porters musical "Gay Divorcee" premieres in NYC

1932 - France signs non-agression pact with Soviet Union

1932 - USSR & France sign no attack treaty

1933 - 1st state liquor stores authorized (Pennsylvania)

1933 - Japan begins persecution of communists

1934 - Chic Bears beat Detroit (19-16) in 1st NFL game broadcast nationally

1935 - Michael Savage becomes 1st Labour premier of NZ

1937 - Prince Bernhard injured in auto accident in Netherlands

1938 - Mayor Oud of Rotterdam forbids soccer match between Neth-Germany

1939 - Cor Klint swims world record 200 m backstroke (2:38.8)

1939 - USSR drops diplomatic relations with Finland

1941 - 29th CFL Grey Cup: Winn Blue Bombers defeat Ottawa Rough Riders, 18-16

1941 - Passenger ship Lurline sends radio signal of sighting Jap war fleet

1942 - US rations coffee

1943 - Partisan Tito forms temporary government in Jajce Bosnia

1943 - U-86 sinks in Atlantic Ocean

1943 - US aircraft carrier Hornet launched

1944 - Albania liberated from Nazi control (Natl Day)

1944 - John Hopkins hospital performs 1st open heart surgery

1944 - The first surgery (on a human) to correct blue baby syndrome is performed by Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas.

1945 - Yugoslavian Socialist Republic proclaimed

1946 - Minister Drees begins emergency rule of old age facilities

1947 - 35th CFL Grey Cup: Toronto Argonauts defeats Calgary Stampeders, 10-9

In 1947 on this day, the U.N. General Assembly voted for the partition of Palestine between Arabs and Jews. 

1948 - "Kukla, Fran, & Ollie" debuted on NBC

1948 - 1st opera to be televised, "Othello," broadcast from the Met (NYC)

1948 - KOB TV channel 4 in Albuquerque, NM (NBC) begins broadcasting

1949 - Nationalist regime of China leaves for Taiwan/Formosa

1949 - Uranium mine explosions in East Germany kills 3,700

1950 - National Council of Church of Christ in US forms

1951 - 1st underground atomic explosion, Frenchman Flat Nevada

1952 - 40th CFL Grey Cup: Toronto Argonauts defeats Edmonton Eskimos, 21-11

1952 - Pres-elect Eisenhower visits Korea to assess war

1953 - American Airlines begins 1st regular coml NY-LA air service

1953 - WSIX TV channel 8 in Nashville, TN (ABC) begins broadcasting

1955 - Turkish government of Menderes resigns

1956 - "Bells Are Ringing" opens at Shubert Theater NYC for 925 performances

1957 - NY Mayor Robert Wagner forms a committee to replace Dodgers & Giants

1958 - 46th CFL Grey Cup: Winn Blue Bombers defeat Hamilton Tiger-Cats, 35-28

1960 - 26th Heisman Trophy Award: Joe Bellino, Navy (HB)

1961 - Freedom Riders attacked by white mob at bus station in Miss

1961 - John A McCone replaces Allen W Dulles as 6th director of CIA

1961 - Mercury-Atlas 5 carries a chimp (Enos) to orbit

1962 - Baseball decides to revert back to 1 all star game per year

1962 - Great-Britain & France decide to jointly build Concorde

On this day in 1963, American President Lyndon Johnson established the Warren Commission to investigate the then recent assassination of John F. Kennedy, who has been killed only one week earlier in Dallas, Texas.

1963 - Beatles release "I Want to Hold Your Hand"

36th US President Lyndon B. Johnson36th US President Lyndon B. Johnson 1963 - LBJ sets up Warren Comm to investigate assassination of JFK

1963 - Trans-Canada Airlines Flight 831: A Douglas DC-8 carrying 118, crashes after taking-off from Dorval Airport near Montreal, Canada

1964 - Roman Catholic Church in US replaces Latin with English

1965 - "Anya" opens at Ziegfeld Theater NYC for 16 performances

1965 - Dale Cummings does 14,118 consecutive sit-ups

1966 - SS Daniel J Morrell sinks in a storm on Lake Huron, 28 die, 1 survivor.

1966 - 1st NBA game at Oakland Coliseum Arena - Warriors beat Bulls 108-101

1967 - British troops withdraw from Aden and South Yemen

1967 - Robert McNamara elected president of World bank

1968 - John & Yoko release their 1st album "Two Virgins" in UK

1969 - The Beatles' "Come Together/Something" reaches #1

1970 - Charles Ives' "Yale-Princeton," premieres

1970 - Colin Cowdrey becomes Test Crickets' leading run scorer (7,250)

1971 - 1st pro golf championship at Walt Disney World

1971 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR

1972 - Nolan Bushnell (co-founder of Atari) releases Pong (the first commercially successful video game) in Andy Capp's Tavern in Sunnyvale, California.

1975 - Kilauea Volcano erupts in Hawaii

1975 - Pres Ford requires states to provide free education for handicapped

1976 - Free agent Reggie Jackson signs 5 year pact with NY Yankees

1976 - NY Yankees sign free agent Reggie Jackson to 5-year contract

1978 - UN observes "international day of solidarity with Palestinian people," boycotted by US & about 20 other countries

1978 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR

1979 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

1981 - "My Fair Lady" closes at Uris Theater NYC after 119 performances

1981 - Greg Chappell scores 201 v Pakistan at The Gabba (Brisbane)

1982 - USSR performs underground nuclear test

1983 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR

1984 - Javed Miandad completes twin Test Cricket tons, v NZ, Hyderabad

1987 - "Dreamgirls" closes at Ambassador Theater NYC after 177 performances

1987 - 75th CFL Grey Cup: Edmonton Eskimos defeats Toronto Argonauts, 38-36

1987 - France performs nuclear test at Muruora Island

1987 - Joe Montana of 49ers completes NFL record 22 consecutive passes

1987 - New Orleans Saints win, assuring their 1st winning NFL season

1987 - Ranger's Bob Frosse becomes 2nd goalie to score a goal (vs Isles) It is later ruled that he should not be credited with goal

1987 - A Korean Air Boeing 707 explodes over the Thai-Burmese border, killing 115

1989 - 8th Largest wrestling crowd (60,000-Tokyo Dome)

1989 - India president Rajiv Gandhi, resigns

1990 - "Shogun - The Musical" opens at Marquis Theater NYC for 72 perfs

1990 - Expos pres Claude Brochu agrees to buy club from Charles Bronfman

1990 - UN Security Council sets Jan 15th military deadline against Iraq

1991 - TV show "Roc" has a gay wedding episode - Can't Help Loving that Man

1991 - Test Cricket debut of Javagal Srinath, v Australia at the Gabba

1992 - "Sea Gull" opens at Lyceum Theater NYC for 48 performances

1992 - "Solitary Confinement" closes at Nederlander NYC after 25 perfs

1992 - 80th CFL Grey Cup: Calgary Stampeders defeats Winn Blue Bombers, 24-10

1993 - "Abe Lincoln in Illinois" opens at Beaumont Theater NYC for 40 perfs

1994 - Seoul, Korea, celebrated the 600th anniversary of its founding

1995 - "Garden District" closes at Circle in the Sq Theater NYC

1995 - CNN/fn, the financial network by Turner Enterprises, launched

1997 - USAir Arena closes, hosting Wash Wizards

In 2001 on this day, former Beatle George Harrison died of cancer.

2005 - The new Croatian Communist Party (KPH) is founded in Vukovar.

2007 - The Armed Forces of the Philippines lay siege to The Peninsula Manila after soldiers led by Senator Antonio Trillanes stage a mutiny.

2007 - A 7.4 magnitude earthquake occurs off the northern coast of Martinique. This affected the Eastern Caribbean as far north as Puerto Rico and as south as Trinidad.

2012 - 30 people are killed and 100 are wounded by bombs in Hillah and Karbala, Iraq

2012 - The UN votes to approve Palestine’s status change from an observer to an observer state

2012 - Luiz Felipe Scolari takes over as Brazilian Football coach

1530 - Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, former adviser to England's King Henry VIII, died.   1864 - The Sand Creek Massacre occurred in Colorado when a militia led by Colonel John Chivington, killed at least 400 peaceful Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians who had surrendered and had been given permission to camp.   1890 - Navy defeated Army by a score of 24-0 in the first Army-Navy football game. The game was played at West Point, NY.   1929 - The first airplane flight over the South Pole was made by U.S. Navy Lt. Comdr. Richard E. Byrd.   1939 - The USSR broke off diplomatic relations with Finland prior to a Soviet attack.   1945 - The monarchy was abolished in Yugoslavia and a republic proclaimed.   1947 - The U.N. General Assembly passed a resolution that called for the division of Palestine between Arabs and Jews.   1961 - The Mercury-Atlas 5 spacecraft was launched by the U.S. with Enos the chimp on board. The craft orbited the earth twice before landing off Puerto Rico.   1963 - A Trans-Canada Airlines DC-8F with 111 passengers and 7 crew members crashed in woods north of Montreal 4 minutes after takeoff from Dorval Airport. All aboard were killed. The crash was the worst in Canada's history.   1963 - U.S. President Johnson named a commission headed by Earl Warren to investigate the assassination of President Kennedy.   1967 - U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara announced that he was leaving the Johnson administration to become president of the World Bank.   1971 - The Professional Golf Championship was held at Walt Disney World for the first time.  Disney movies, music and books   1974 - In Britain, a bill that outlawed the Irish Republican Army became effective.   1975 - Bill Gates adopted the name Microsoft for the company he and Paul Allen had formed to write the BASIC computer language for the Altair.   1981 - Actress Natalie Wood drowned in a boating accident off Santa Catalina Island, CA, at the age 43.   1982 - The U.N. General Assembly voted that the Soviet Union should withdraw its troops from Afghanistan.   1986- Actor Cary Grant died at the age of 82.   1987 - A Korean jetliner disappeared off Burma, with 115 people aboard.   1987 - Cuban detainees released 26 hostages they'd been holding for more than a week at the Federal Detention Center in Oakdale, LA.   1988 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the rights of criminal defendants are not violated when police unintentionally fail to preserve potentially vital evidence.   1989 - In Czechoslovakia, the Communist-run parliament ended the party's 40-year monopoly on power.   1990 - The U.N. Security Council voted to authorize military action if Iraq did not withdraw its troops from Kuwait and release all foreign hostages by January 15, 1991.   1991 - 17 people were killed in a 164-vehicle wreck during a dust storm near Coalinga, CA, on Interstate 5.   1992 - Dennis Byrd (New York Jets) was paralyzed after a neck injury in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs.   1994 - The U.S. House passed the revised General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.   1994 - Fighter jets attacked the capital of Chechnya and its airport only hours after Russian President Boris Yeltsin demanded the breakaway republic end its civil war.   1996 - A U.N. court sentenced Bosnian Serb army soldier Drazen Erdemovic to 10 years in prison for his role in the massacre of 1,200 Muslims. The sentence was the first international war crimes sentence since World War II.   1998 - Swiss voters overwhelmingly rejected legalizing heroin and other narcotics.   2004 - The French government announced plans to build the Louvre II in northern France. The 236,808 square foot museum was the planned home for 500-600 works from the Louvre's reserves.   2004 - Godzilla received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.



1924 Italian composer Giacomo Puccini died in Brussels before he could complete his opera "Turandot.'" 1929 Commander Richard E. Byrd and a crew of three became the first to fly over the South Pole. 1947 The United Nations voted to grant the Jewish people a homeland to be established in Palestine. 1963 The Beatles released I Want to Hold Your Hand in Great Britain. 1963 President Johnson named a commission headed by Earl Warren to investigate the assassination of President Kennedy. 1986 Actor Cary Grant died in Davenport, Iowa, at age 82. 2001 Beatle George Harrison died of cancer.

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/nov29.htm

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

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory

Brazilian Themed Thanksgiving Dinner With My Girl at Fogo de Chão

Thanksgiving was unconventional this year. We usually have it at one woman's place, but her house was being renovated, and so she was unable to host this year. There was another possibility, but that also fell through.

So my girlfriend and I were not entirely sure what we would do.

We thought about it and decided to go out to some restaurant. Make a day of it.

She thought that we might be able to do Season's 52, but I was supposed to eat there later that evening at work (they treat us to dinner if we work major holidays). I then suggested Old Man Rafferty's, a nearby restaurant where we had one of our first dates (the second date, actually), and this seemed likely. At least until Thanksgiving Day itself.

My girlfriend told me that she had made reservations at another place entirely. This was surprising, but not shocking, or anything. The place where we would be eating was Fogo de Chão, a stylish Brazilian place at the Bridgewater Mall (the bog mall nearest to us). So we went.

And you know what? 

It was great! The food was tasty, the atmosphere felt busy and mostly festive. And it was an experience. It was a bit pricey, admittedly. But this was a special occasion, and we can treat ourselves from time to time, right?

There were all sorts of different meats and cheeses, as well as other things. For example, this was the first time in my life that I tried dragonfruit, which looked like it would be an explosion of flavor that would demand a strong reaction, one way or the other. As it turns out, it tasted surprisingly (almost shockingly) mild, and felt almost devoid of taste, compared to what I had assumed. 

Anyway, we had a good time. And this was the picture of us at the restaurant. She had wanted the picture taken to send to her sister in Poland. But it seemed like something worth sharing on this blog page. So here it is:

Happy Thanksgiving!!! 

A picture together for our unconventional Thanksgiving meal.

Americans Consistently Reveal Their Worst Sides on Black Friday

 

Today is the day after Thanksgiving, also known popularly as "Black Friday." This day is known by some as a day when you can get great deals in stores that apparently only come on this day. In pursuit of obtaining great items at the cheapest prices possible, there are always headlines of overcrowded stores, where fights break out and/or where there are literal stampedes, and all sorts of other insane headlines that betray the greed of so many in our society. I find it disturbing, and frankly disingenuous, that the day after a holiday in which we are supposed to be mindful to be grateful for all of life's blessings has become known for the worst, pettiest aspects of our too often mindless consumerism. 

When I was younger, it seemed enticing. I remember feeling amazed that you could go to the stores at the wee hours of the morning, and find some great deals. I never actually did go on such overnight or early morning shopping escapades, but shopping on Black Friday was not abnormal for me, admittedly. But as the years went on, and the headlines grew more serious and more horrific, it was hard not to see that there was something terribly wrong with this "holiday."

Now, I stay away from stores and shopping as much as humanly possible on this day. Not sure how many "Black Fridays" that I have managed not to go shopping or spend money at all on this day, but this particular "Black Friday" was another day where I was able to avoid going to the stores, or even spending any money. It has become almost a point of pride for me to avoid going shopping on this particular day, of all days.

Some years ago, I posted a blog entry about all of this. It seemed worth sharing again here today. The specifics of the headlines may be different at the end of this day, but my guess is that they likely will be very similar to other headlines from "Black Friday" for past years. This is one set of circumstances that seems to bring out the worst, particularly among many Americans, every single year. So without further ado, here is what I wrote about this day some five years ago now already, on November 23, 2018:

It is no secret that there are many paradoxes in the United States right now.

However, one of the most glaring paradoxes happens to fall on this day each year. Because just one day after sitting down and having dinner with family, with the design being to focus on all that we have to be thankful for, tens of thousands of Americans (conservative estimate) will wake up super early, or perhaps even camp out, in order to go to stores and malls to get what are supposed to be the best deals out there for all sorts of things, although the main focus usually is on electronics, and perhaps toys. 

What we see on our television sets are images of stores that are jam-packed with people, waiting on long lines to get into stores to pick up the great deals. Often, we see people losing control, racing and even elbowing some people out of their way to get to these consumer goods at allegedly slashed down prices. What we read about in the headlines is even more horrifying, with people inevitably being injured from fights and from being trampled on by these mobs. 

And again, the most depressing aspect of all of this is that this "holiday" comes one day, literally, after the one holiday where we are all supposed to take some time to think about what we are thankful for. It hardly seems possible that these people who are lining up, camping out, and too often losing their minds to acquire cheap consumer goods, like the latest iPhone, are actually genuinely thankful for all they have been blessed with in life. After all, if that really were the case, why go out on a frigid night and leave the comforts of home in order to stand on line for hours, in the dark, in order to obtain still more stuff? 

Now, when I was growing up, Black Friday was not nearly so big of a deal, and it did not usually make the kind of news headlines that it tends to do now. It was a day when most people had off, and the stores offered what were supposedly the best deals of the entire year. So, it was a bit like Memorial Day sales or Labor Day sales, except that it fell about one month before Christmas, and was supposed to be the day when you could get the most extreme savings. Black Friday also marked the beginning of extended holiday hours for stores, and many stores continue this tradition, opening earlier than normal, and closing later.

But then, at some point, one of the big stores had the idea to open earlier than anyone else. Perhaps it was 6am, or something like that (I cannot specifically remember), and that made waves. Then, other stores started doing the same, and pushed the opening time even earlier. Before long, it was 3am. Then, it was midnight.

Now, it seems that many of these stores begin opening on Thanksgiving evening, which had formerly been one of the most sacred days on the calendar, if you will. In some cases, certain stores force their employees to work on Thanksgiving, and there was a bit of an outcry over this, for a while, although it never generated the kind of controversy that expressing "Happy Holidays" seems to have done.

Let us be clear: Thanksgiving itself has a troubled history. After all, the experience of Native Americans is, slowly but surely, becoming more familiar to Americans, and so the fact that they do not celebrate Thanksgiving, that for them, it is a reminder of a genocide that they were forced to suffer through, and that this holiday essentially honors that genocide for them, should tip everyone off that Thanksgiving is not simply this innocent holiday where we finally take a moment to truly be grateful for all that we have been blessed with in life.

But if there was any ambiguity left, if many felt that people truly were sincere about their gratitude for all of life's blessings, the recent trend of Black Friday madness and greed and excess certainly should cast all doubts aside. If Thanksgiving is supposed to be a holiday that aspires to the best that Americans have to offer, than Black Friday is a "holiday" that, instead, illustrates the worst that Americans can reveal about themselves.

2024 Thanksgiving Day NFL Games Review

Okay, so Thanksgiving is done for another year.

Hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. 

We saw some interesting games yesterday. This time, I did not really watch any of them, other than glimpsing a few seconds of the Lions-Bears game while waiting at the restaurant, maybe a couple of minutes of the Giants-Cowboys game before my girlfriend told me that we should watch something else (less boring, she said), and seeing some highlights after the fact of the Packers-Dolphins game.

As for the Black Friday game, I had assumed - mistakenly - that it would be later. Like, a night game. So when I checked at around 10pm, it was surprising to find that the game had ended hours earlier, that the score was final already. 

No biggie. Since my weekend schedule this week is quite packed, I likely will not be watching many games this coming weekend, either.

Still, I can review the games that already took place, right? So here is my review of the four Thanksgiving/Black Friday games played thus far:

Detroit 23, Chicago 20 - When I saw the Lions dominating in the first half on the television screens at the restaurant that my girlfriend and I went to for Thanksgiving, I assumed - wrongly - that they were just rolling and well on their way to a convincing victory. Indeed, they held a 16-0 advantage by halftime, and it could have been even more lopsided, if not for a turnover that the Lions committed deep in Chicago territory. But when we got back, it was 23-20, and the Lions were trying to cling to a narrow lead. Da Bears were driving with time quickly running out. And every time that you thought that Chicago was about to see their drive - and their chances at winning the game - die, something happened to keep it alive. This kept happening, to the point where at some point, I almost felt sure that they were actually going to pull off the upset win on the road. Indeed, the Bears were deep in Detroit territory and well in field goal range, but seemed to have a real shot at the winning touchdown. But then Detroit managed to get a sack with about 32 seconds left, and the Bears were so dismal with the way that they handled the clock after that, it cost them the game. They literally took almost all of that time just to get one more play off, and it wound up being the final play of the game, because the clock ran out on them. They had a time out, on top of it, so they could have - should have, obviously - used that at some point. My suspicion is that they thought there was more time on the clock than there actually was. It was just awful time management on their part, and this one cost them the game. Again, it really seemed like they had a real chance, and then squandered it like that. Frankly, they've got to do better than that. I couldn't believe it as it happened. This was a real chance to pick up a huge, upset win, snap Detroit's nine (now ten) game winning streak, and keep their own flickering playoff hopes alive, even give themselves a huge boost. Instead, they will have to ask what might have been.

My pick: Accurate

Dallas 27, NY Giants 20 - This result was boring. Sorry, Cowboys fans. Admittedly, I am a fan of Big Blue. But this result was just too predictable. I wanted the Giants to prove me wrong. And for a little while there, after Drew Lock almost ran it into the corner of the end zone, and the G-Men wound up scoring a touchdown to take an early 7-3 lead, I started to feel hopeful. But it was all downhill from there. Once again, not enough offense, and the defense - normally the strength of the team - just seemed unable to stop Dallas enough times when it was really necessary for them to step up. Granted, they did not get completely embarrassed in this one, like they did last week in that frankly embarrassing performance at home against the Bucs. Still, a loss is a loss, and the G-Men have not beaten the Cowboys, specifically, in a very long time. It was actually January of 2021, which in football terms, was a long time ago, frankly. What a depressing loss this was. Quite indicative, frankly, of this entire season for Big Blue. 

My pick: Accurate

Thanksgiving Evening Game - Green Bay 30, Miami 17 - This was actually kind of the way I figured that this one would go. The Dolphins offense can be explosive, especially with Tua at the helm. However, it feels like the Packers are one of the best teams in the league this season, and that is for a reason. It felt like the Packers were kind of a heavyweight fighter just wearing down a lighter and weaker opponent. A part of me wondered if the Fins could somehow show the explosiveness that makes them so dangerous on offense, but the Pack D kept them pretty well grounded. Green Bay took a sizable lead early, and then just wore the Fins down. Miami simply was not able to make it a competitive game, and so took a loss that they could ill afford in the process.

My pick: Accurate

Kansas City 19, Las Vegas 17 - This is the one which, as of my writing this on Friday evening (Black Friday), I did not even watch a second of highlight reels, much less the actual game. It was more competitive than I had assumed it would be. Still, the end result was what was expected. A Chiefs win, and another Raiders loss. KC maintains the best record in the league (tied with Detroit) while the Raiders (along with the Giants and Jax) have the worst record in the league. Statistically, the game was fairly well even. If anything, the Silver and Black held slight advantages in both first downs produced, as well as time of possession. Hell, they even had a sizable advantage in terms of overall yards by the offense. Still, the champion Chiefs find a way to win games when they do not play their best, and this one, apparently, was a case in point.

My Pick: Accurate

A Clip From WKRP In Cincinnati's Classic Thanksgiving Day Episode

Do you remember the show WKRP In Cincinnati?

It was popular in the late seventies and early eighties. Mostly, I know it from reruns, although it was never exactly my favorite show.

Still, I found myself watching a few episodes here and there lately. That included this one, which is generally regarded as the most famous episode for this sitcom, and has even received accolades for being a classic moment in comedy.

Since it is associated with Thanksgiving Day, it seemed appropriate to post his particular blog entry on this holiday.

Enjoy!

WKRP In Cincinnati: "The Airplane Show" SE 3 EP 1

WKRP Thanksgiving 1978

A Little More About Thanksgiving

  

Photo courtesy of Photo by Mike Licht's  Flickr page - First Fun Thanksgiving, after J.L.G. Ferris: https://www.flickr.com/photos/notionscapital/3062587135/in/photolist-5ECyst-5EzJoE-pVy3jb-7fpxz3-qeFTma-qKb5y-5EzLTh-8t2HcA-7zsVzq-4VHY6u-7zpaDD-8WafKb-du7kcg-94jgy5-7iaerA-bDGB8q-7gdJdk-5EvrxZ-duwNaQ-pm6cSN-ducUDh-aLNyAr-7ht9zD-7ht9Xa-7zpa6v-ducVrb-ducV2j-hVfhTm-5EvqUr-7htaaT-5EVqpB-atE2SX-hTNSE4-5EWeaq-b6wAht-dvD2CZ-kT8u2c-8W85un-dZVCSd-72vahj-qoZEZF-5EH4Nm-5Evw3k-dZVCCq-dkMSGo-8WmYaF-dZPVCv-dkMQxe-dkMzWc-t8GEw

Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

First of all, I am trying to steer clear of National Geographic, ever since Rupert Murdoch took it over and made it a soundboard for his neocon ideology.

Also, I do not want to be the guy who brings everybody down by continually mentioning that the true history of Thanksgiving is a lot less innocent and noble than has been traditionally, popularly believed.

That said, I am adding this one link that brings out another aspect of Thanksgiving history, although doing so with this little aside: I will be celebrating Thanksgiving with not one, but two Thanksgiving meals with friends and family today. However, I will be celebrating by trying to emphasize all of the blessings that I have been truly blessed with. Also, we cannot change history, but we can try to understand it more accurately, and come to terms with it. I am not advocating scrapping Thanksgiving altogether, but the crimes committed in the past, which this holiday essentially honors, should be addressed plainly and truthfully. So, I am doing my part (or as much as I can right now) to spread the word. It seems particularly relevant right now, when the United States is under the microscope for all of the racial tensions that are rising to the surface at this moment in history.

A Few Things You (Probably) Don’t Know About Thanksgiving by Becky Little of National Geographic, November 21, 2015:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/11/151121-first-thanksgiving-pilgrims-native-americans-wampanoag-saints-and-strangers/?sf15916639=1 

Thanksgiving From a Native American Perspective is Nothing to Celebrate

   

Photo courtesy of Photo by Mike Licht's  Flickr page - First Fun Thanksgiving, after J.L.G. Ferris: https://www.flickr.com/photos/notionscapital/3062587135/in/photolist-5ECyst-5EzJoE-pVy3jb-7fpxz3-qeFTma-qKb5y-5EzLTh-8t2HcA-7zsVzq-4VHY6u-7zpaDD-8WafKb-du7kcg-94jgy5-7iaerA-bDGB8q-7gdJdk-5EvrxZ-duwNaQ-pm6cSN-ducUDh-aLNyAr-7ht9zD-7ht9Xa-7zpa6v-ducVrb-ducV2j-hVfhTm-5EvqUr-7htaaT-5EVqpB-atE2SX-hTNSE4-5EWeaq-b6wAht-dvD2CZ-kT8u2c-8W85un-dZVCSd-72vahj-qoZEZF-5EH4Nm-5Evw3k-dZVCCq-dkMSGo-8WmYaF-dZPVCv-dkMQxe-dkMzWc-t8GEw

Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Like with my other Thanksgiving posts, this one has been published before. In fact, republishing the same Thanksgiving posts is becoming somewhat of a holiday tradition for me in it's own right.

Yet, this year, there is something different. This year, we are watching the Dakota Access Pipeline protesters in North Dakota, many of whom are Native Americans, and the pipelines themselves run through traditional, sacred burial grounds for Native Americans.

It is really disgraceful, the methods being employed in order to test their will. Just a couple of days ago, water was sprayed on some of the peaceful protesters, in subfreezing temperatures! One woman apparently almost lost her arm, and had to be airlifted out, because the roads were closed by local police. Dogs were brought in months ago, biting and tearing into the peaceful protesters, in scenes that were reminiscent of the civil rights movement of the 1950's and 1960's. Perhaps this is fitting, given the obvious racial tensions and issues that this election year of 2016 so highlighted, with everything from the recent police shootings and beatings that have been caught on tape, to the election win of a man who made racist statements and had no problems being the great white hope for the alt right. 

So for this Thanksgiving, as we sit at our tables and hope to avoid political conversations with in-laws who hold views that we hope to to hear for dinner, let us remember that Native Americans not only do not celebrate this holiday, but look at it as a reminder of the long line of betrayals that led to their downfall, and our modern society's takeover. It is thus quite ironic that Native American (and other) protesters are being treated so harshly trying to defend their land and protect drinking water, while we collectively will be seated inside comfortably and stuffing ourselves after giving thanks, before going out to camp out for the night so that we can grab the best deals on the latest cell phones and other electronics, or whatever else people seem to covet. Let us recognize that this world seems in far greater danger now than it did during Thanksgiving a year ago, with two huge election results that seemed to run counter to the idea of progress, and with confirmed reports that climate change is accelerating not only at a faster pace than previously experienced, but that we will be seeing the effects soon enough - all while a climate change denier is preparing to take office.

I remember first reading Ward Churchill explaining why he was not going to celebrate Thanksgiving many years ago, and it opened my eyes about this holiday. I have asked some Native Americans about it, and they made clear - crystal clear - they they never, ever celebrate on Thanksgiving. The origins that are commonly believed are mere myth, and the reality is far less flattering. Yes, I know this is depressing, but it is true history. Still, the holiday has grown into something bigger, and there are positive aspects to it. And I, for one, have always celebrated with family. Still, understanding the history and the controversy behind it is something worth keeping in mind, and we should understand and appreciate why natives not only do not celebrate, but feel that it represents a betrayal of their culture and their ancestors in a very real sense.

As I mentioned in my last couple of posts, Thanksgiving today has a certain beauty to it, a nobility of spirit with that increasingly rare purity of intentions. It seems relatively benign, although that purity is increasingly compromised by the sales of Black Friday, which has become a sort of madness that has overtaken both consumers and retailers combined. The doors opened their doors sooner and sooner, so that they went from opening at ridiculous, overnight hours, and now are opening their doors on Thanksgiving itself, right in the afternoon.

I mentioned in one of those earlier posts that one of my coworkers at my relatively new weekend job works at Walmart, and they are forcing all of their employees to come in on Thanksgiving afternoon proper. So, Black Friday is already now starting on Thursday afternoon, on Thanksgiving itself, which detracts from the very notion of being truly thankful for what we have. Personally, going out to the stores to do some shopping is the last thing that I want to do on Black Friday, and I try to avoid it like the plague. It brings the worst out in people. Thanksgiving is supposed to be a refreshing break from that, but apparently no longer.

Now, we will begin to hear horror stories of excess greed and a certain madness right on Thanksgiving itself, unfortunately. Perhaps it is fitting, since consumerism is what this society care about the most, if we are honest with ourselves. After all, one of the lesser known aspects of the history of Thanksgiving was, simply, that the tradition actually started the day after a massacre of Native Americans by the Pilgrims, when Governor of Massachusetts William Bradford wanted to honor the day by marking the date as something that should be celebrated well into the future. Thus, the tradition dates back to the massacre of the Pequots, and their essential removal from New England during the Pequot War in the 17th century. These are the words he specifically uttered in hopes of establishing a holiday of giving thanks for what he saw as a hard-won victory over natives (even while what was actually described sounds a whole lot more like a ruthless massacre):

“For the next 100 years, every Thanksgiving Day ordained by a Governor was in honor of the bloody victory, thanking God that the battle had been won.” 

Is it not completely understandable that Native Americans refuse to celebrate?

So, it seemed appropriate on this day to present a very different angle of this holiday, by the perspective of the native people themselves. Here are a few links to articles from natives about Thanksgiving, in order to gain a deeper and truer appreciation of what it truly represents to them:

Thanksgiving, Hope and the Hidden Heart of Evil  by Jacqueline Keeler 11/26/14:

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/11/26/thanksgiving-hope-and-hidden-heart-evil-158034

6 Thanksgiving Myths, Share Them With Someone You Know  Vincent Schilling 11/28/13:

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/11/28/6-thanksgiving-myths-share-them-someone-you-know-152475

The Wampanoag Side of the First Thanksgiving Story  Michelle Tirado 11/22/11:

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/11/22/wampanoag-side-first-thanksgiving-story-64076